After hesitating for a moment, Akira took a black metal box out of his desk drawer. Inside were simple tools like sandpaper and files, along with several Bracelet placed loosely inside. The sight of them made his ears feel a little warm.

  The craftsmanship of the Bracelet could only be described as rough. There were no carvings, no design to speak of, and aside from the platinum material, there was nothing eye-catching about them. The middle section even had equally rough grooves that would drive perfectionists mad.

  On the two most complete Bracelet, pale pink diamond-shaped gems were set. The gems were not very transparent, and a faint swirling glow could be seen inside them. Even so, they looked far more refined than the Bracelet that held them.

  Looking at his own handiwork, Akira felt rare embarrassment. “I wanted to personally make a Bracelet you could wear outside, but I don’t seem to have talent for this. If you think it looks bad, I’ll find the best jewelry designer and remake it. There’s still time.”

  “Sha sha.” Gardevoir shook her head hard, her voice sounding more urgent. She hurriedly reached out, picked up one of the smaller Bracelet, and held it like a treasure, afraid he might take it back if she showed even a hint of dissatisfaction.

  “I’m not taking it back,” Akira said with a laugh. The tension on his face vanished at once. “As long as you like it.”

  Gardevoir nodded repeatedly. Her movements were quick and eager.

  “Try it on and see if it fits,” Akira said. “If it doesn’t, I’ll fix it right away.”

  Following his words, Gardevoir compared the Bracelet left and right and first moved it to her wrist, puffing her cheeks in a cute way. She was indeed the Pokémon whose appearance was closest to humans, but there were still many small differences. Her arms were one of them.

  Her forearms were thicker, while her upper arms were slimmer. This structure existed because of another evolutionary branch, Gallade, which evolved both forearms into blades. That form shifted attributes from Psychic plus Fairy Type to Psychic plus Fighting, earning the nickname of a psychic warrior and elegant swordsman.

  Although Gardevoir was not Gallade, she still did not particularly like wearing accessories on her hands due to instinct. Even so, she did not ask Akira to redo it. Instead, she slid the Bracelet upward to her upper arm, a place she rarely used.

  Naturally, it looked a bit loose. Just as Akira was about to help adjust it, Gardevoir acted first and used Psychic Power evenly on the Bracelet, tightening it into place. She swung her arm cooperatively, confirmed it would not fall or wobble, and then smiled at him.

  “Little Sha Makoto smart.”

  Akira affectionately pinched her small nose. He then picked up the other Bracelet and put it on as well. The two Bracelet were originally a pair, whether in meaning or in practical use.

  At the moment both Bracelet settled into place, the pink gems on them rippled with soft light at the same time. In an instant, a warm current flowed into both of their minds. It carried brand new power and brand new information from another dimension.

  In Pokemon World, this was called Z power. It could further elevate a Pokémon’s skills and push them to a completely new level. That was right, these two crystals were the Z Pure Crystal that Akira had been longing for.

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  As long as System had not completely locked probability, obtaining the desired Z Pure Crystal was only a matter of time. He had been in Tokyo for several months now and had dealt with no small number of Cursed Spirit. At last, he had gotten what he needed, a Psychic Type Z Pure Crystal that Gardevoir could use.

  There were two of them in total. Z Pure Crystal needed a trainer and a Pokémon with a deep bond to wear and activate them together to draw out their power. That was why Akira had made two Bracelet, and although their appearance left much to be desired, the effect was not discounted at all.

  In truth, Akira had gathered more than just Psychic Type. However, using the power of Pure Crystal placed a huge burden on both the trainer and the Pokémon, making frequent use impossible. Gardevoir was his first Pokémon, the one with the deepest bond and the longest companionship, so both emotionally and logically, this first use belonged to her.

  After all, Gardevoir had already taken too many of Akira’s firsts. The first time holding hands, the first hug, the first time being lifted high. Those memories were impossible to replace.

  “Do you like it?” Akira asked out of habit once the initial Z power adaptation settled down. This time, Gardevoir did not answer with her usual “sha sha.”

  Instead, she reached out with both hands, lifted Akira under his arms, and raised him high before spinning in circles. Akira froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

  Back during the Ralts and Kirlia stages, this was their most common interaction. After all, Ralts was 40 cm tall and Kirlia was 80 cm tall, both basically children, and it suited them well. But after evolving into the 160 cm tall Gardevoir, such interactions became much rarer.

  Even so, in Gardevoir’s heart, this was always the best way for her master to express happiness. Only at moments like this did it show that she was still just eight years old in terms of Makoto. In the end, Akira could only use the second calming move for Gardevoir, the familiar “there there,” to settle her down.

  Even then, she continued to lightly circle around him, swinging the arm that wore the Bracelet. Akira did not mind and went back to focusing on his review work. Over eight years, the two had long grown used to this way of being together.

  When Akira was busy, she stayed by his side. As Ralts, she lay on his shoulder, and as Kirlia, she liked to watch nearby. Now as Gardevoir, she liked to spin, and when Akira was dizzy with work, seeing the well-behaved psychic girl beside him often lifted his mood.

  With Gardevoir’s help, Akira successfully completed the final evaluation. “Formation changes, good. Local cooperation, good. Position awareness, clear. Overall efficiency, excellent.”

  “Although the overall strategic view still needs work, reaching this level of coordination means dealing with the exchange event will be no problem. Even if Yuta and I are banned, or restricted from using partners, we still would not lose to Kyoto.”

  It went without saying that if no restrictions were placed on the Tokyo side, Kyoto would have no chance at all. But before heading to Kyoto, Akira still had one matter he had to clarify. It concerned another blood relative studying at the Kyoto school.

  He raised his eyes and looked toward the wall to one side. On the other side of that wall was the mother they shared.

  “Mom, I will be leaving in a few days.”

  “Mhm. I will help you pack later.”

  “I am going to Kyoto.”

  “Have fun, and remember to bring back souvenirs.”

  “Mom!”

  Akira finally could not hold it in anymore. What he wanted to hear was not this kind of casual daily talk.

  “I am going to Kyoto to take part in the Goodwill Event. Noritoshi Kamo will also attend as Kyoto’s representative. There is no way you do not know this.”

  Akira had not said it outright before, but Akemi Aki was a formal staff member who also handled paperwork for Tokyo Jujutsu High. She would know earlier than the students, not later.

  Yet almost a month had passed, and Akemi Aki had shown no sign at all. She did not say she would go, and she did not say she would not.

  The principal Masamichi Yaga had already gone ahead to meet Kyoto Jujutsu High’s principal Yoshinobu Gakuganji to arrange the work in advance. With Akemi Aki’s position at the school, she was fully qualified to go along.

  Even now, when her son asked her face to face, Akemi Aki still said nothing. Akira knew what his mother was struggling with, but time was getting closer and could not be delayed any longer.