Chapter 92: Making Reasonable Use of Family Resources? (Membership Extra - )
The video continued playing.
Celestic Town, early morning.
Tiana stood outside her house with a dark-blue backpack on her shoulders.
Cynthia stood in the doorway, holding an envelope.
"This contains the addresses and contact information for every Gym in the Sinnoh region."
Cynthia handed her the envelope.
"You can call me whenever you encounter a problem. Did you pack enough changes of clothes?"
"I did!"
"What about Potions?"
"Daddy said I didn’t need to bring any. He already made arrangements with the Pokémon Centers."
Cynthia turned toward Asher, who stood beside them.
"Arrangements? What does that mean?"
"Three months ago," Asher said while leaning against the doorframe, "I had the League Logistics Department email every Pokémon Center in Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Whenever Tiana arrives, she’ll automatically be upgraded to a VIP room."
Tiana tilted her head.
"What’s a VIP room?"
"It means you don’t need to wait in line, and you’ll immediately receive the best room available."
"...Can’t you teach Tiana something sensible for once?"
"The sensible lessons come afterward. Don’t be impatient."
Asher remained silent for quite some time before speaking again.
"Tiana."
"Mm?"
"When you’re away from home, remember three rules."
Tiana immediately listened attentively.
"If you can’t win, run. If you can’t escape, play dead. If playing dead doesn’t work, call an adult. Do you understand?"
Tiana nodded.
"I understand."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow beside them.
"What exactly are you teaching her?"
"How to make reasonable use of her family’s resources," Asher replied without changing his expression.
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: Hahahaha! "If you can’t win, run!" Isn’t that the same lesson from Raina’s episode—"When in doubt, running comes first"?
[Gary]: Same father, same teaching materials.
[Brock]: The curriculum hasn’t changed. The student has merely changed from Raina to Tiana.
[Steven]: Brother Asher’s educational philosophy truly remains consistent throughout the family!
[Misty]: I’m familiar with this curriculum. It really is rather useful.
[Daisy]: Didn’t you criticize him for being unreliable back then?
[Misty]: Criticizing him is one thing. Admitting that the advice is useful is another. They don’t conflict.
[Violet]: Misty has learned to view her husband dialectically.
[Lily]: Marriage truly encourages personal growth.
The video continued playing.
Asher pulled another small, dark-blue box from his pocket.
When he opened it, a crystalline stone lay inside, refracting tiny spots of light beneath the morning sun.
"Salamencite."
Asher placed the box in Tiana’s palm.
"Keep it safe, and don’t lose it."
Tiana cradled the box, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Daddy is the best! I only said I wanted one yesterday, and you already brought it to me today?"
Cynthia also asked:
"Where did you get it? You didn’t owe someone another favor for this, did you?"
"No. Steven said his family had one sitting in their warehouse, so I traded him a Dragonite scale for it."
Cynthia remained silent for a moment before reaching inside her overcoat and taking out another box.
Inside was an exquisite hair clip set with a Key Stone, which shimmered with a soft rainbow glow beneath the morning light.
"This is the Key Stone I’ve always used."
Cynthia crouched and fastened the hair clip in Tiana’s hair.
"Now it belongs to you."
Tiana touched the iridescent Key Stone in her hair, then looked up at Cynthia.
"Mommy, what will you use after giving this to me?"
"I have others."
Cynthia gently straightened the golden streak hanging over Tiana’s forehead.
"Be careful on your journey."
"Mm."
Tiana nodded, rose onto the tips of her toes, and hugged Cynthia.
"Mommy, remember to eat your meals on time while I’m away."
Cynthia froze briefly before smiling.
"I should be the one saying that to you."
"But you only remember to eat when Daddy is with you. Whenever he isn’t around, you become so busy that you forget."
Cynthia stared at her, momentarily unable to offer a rebuttal, then turned toward Asher.
Asher had tilted his head toward the sky and was displaying an unusually intense interest in the clouds.
[VIP Chat Group]
[Diantha]: Hahahahaha! I could laugh for an entire year over Tiana criticizing Cynthia for not eating her meals on time!
[Cynthia]: ...That only happens because I’m busy with work.
[Professor Carolina]: Busy? Little Cynthia, how many times has Grandma told you that no matter how busy you are, you must still eat properly?
[Cynthia]: Grandma, why are you joining them too...?
[Bertha]: I believe Tiana is right. Cynthia truly should pay more attention to her health. The workload of a Champion isn’t something an ordinary person could endure.
[Lorelei]: Cynthia, if you collapse from exhaustion, we members of the Kanto Elite Four might seize the opportunity to challenge the Sinnoh League.
[Lance]: Lorelei, that wasn’t a formal declaration of challenge, was it?
[Lorelei]: I was only saying it casually. But if Cynthia truly did collapse, I wouldn’t mind visiting Sinnoh for a few battles.
[Flint]: Excuse me, but may I say something? Is no one concerned about Lucian and me?
[Lucian]: ...
The video continued playing.
Asher stepped forward and rubbed Tiana’s head.
"Go on. Stay safe during your journey."
Tiana nodded vigorously.
In the sky, Salamence beat its blood-red wings and descended to the ground, stirring up a powerful gust of wind.
Tiana climbed onto Salamence’s back and waved.
"Goodbye, Mommy! Goodbye, Daddy!"
Cynthia and Asher waved back.
Salamence spread its wings and soared into the sky.
Tiana continued waving down at them from Salamence’s back. The wind swept her short black hair completely backward, revealing the golden streak over her forehead and the Key Stone set into her hair clip.
Cynthia remained where she stood, watching Salamence fly farther and farther away until it completely disappeared among the clouds.
Asher approached her.
"Our daughter is already out of sight. You can stop watching now."
Cynthia gathered the strands of hair the wind had blown loose.
"Where do you think her first destination will be?"
Asher smiled.
"How would I know?"
The scene changed.
Tiana lay on Salamence’s back with both hands folded behind her head and a lollipop held between her lips.
"Salamence, where should we go first?"
[Salamence]: Roooar~ (No matter where we go, I won’t lose!)
"Oh, don’t think about battling all the time~ We’ve finally set out on a journey, so of course we should visit somewhere far away and have some fun first!"
Tiana rolled upright on Salamence’s back, pulled out the envelope Cynthia had given her, and unfolded the map inside.
"Oreburgh City is in western Sinnoh, and Uncle Roark specializes in Rock types."
After reading the description on the back of the map, she turned it over and examined the route.
"Then we can travel north from Oreburgh City to reach Eterna City. Aunt Gardenia specializes in Grass types."
Salamence released a low roar in the sky, seemingly declaring that neither of them would pose a problem.
"Hmm... Mommy really did mark only the Gym information. Fortunately, I also have the thing Daddy gave me!"
Tiana pulled her Pokédex from her bag and opened its electronic map.
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Canalave City is located on Sinnoh’s western coast... and its seafood feasts are famous?"
Tiana grinned.
"As expected, Daddy understands me best!"
She lay back down on Salamence and patted its back.
"Salamence, fly directly to Canalave City. Wake me when we arrive."
Salamence roared in response and beat its wings powerfully.
Its entire body transformed into a streak of blood-red lightning before plunging into the clouds.
...
TL: Yo, shout-out to my boy Vincent for the Tier 3 membership on P@treon. I’m giving out an extra Chapter per paid membership and per 100 free members, so you guys can check my page and become free members—it costs nothing! Also, two bonus Chapters for the 200-stone milestone are coming up.