A couple of mier, another pair of eyes joihe rooftop spectators.

  Apart from the Skoth-like Mino, which had dozed off in its and couldn't be dragged out even after two tries, and the Pokémon that cimed their owories outside, every member of Natsume's household had gathered on the sed-floor terrace, intensely the spectacle below.

  Each had their own entary on the se:

  Buneary: "Looks like it's trying hard."Persian: "Zero points. Already exposed."Butterfree: "Five points for bravery."Corvisquire: "Not even half as good as me."The Pokémon below, still painstakingly sneaking forward, had no idea that its so-called “stealth mission” had long been noticed.

  (Sidehese covert operatioo end in chaotic group frontations, don’t they?)

  "Hmm!"

  After a seemingly endless "stealth approach," the small figure finally reached the pile of junk and eagerly turs attention to the gss marbles within.

  Thanks to the moonlight being blocked by clouds, the marbles had lost their previous luster and allure, looking like nothing more than ordinary, cheap toys you’d find discarded by the roadside.

  Even so, the small figure’s eyes sparkled as if beholding the most precious treasures in the world.

  "Hmmm!"

  With a trembling paw, it reached for the marbles, sav the moment. Time seemed to stretfinitely long, even for Natsume and the others watg from above, holding their breath.

  Finally—

  "Hmm!"

  Cradling a few gss marbles, the tiny figure looked as though it held the most valuable treasure iehe glimmer in its eyes outshohe marbles themselves.

  "Hmm-hmm~"

  Hugging its hard-won "treasure," the small Pokémon spun around in joyous circles. A faint melody of delight seemed to drift in the wind, a clear testament to its excitement.

  Even the moon, once hidden behind clouds, shyly peeked out, casting its soft glow over the se.

  Uhe moonlight, the gss marbles regaiheir brilliahe little Pokémon hopped with glee, as if it had received the doll it always dreamed of.

  However, happiness is fleeting—for humans and Pokémon alike.

  The marbles weren’t dropped or lost. No, the little Pokémon suddenly realized—it had been spotted.

  As moonlight illumihe ground, shadows took shape, revealing outlines of everything around, including Natsume and his panions.

  Frozen ihe tiny figure slowly turned around like a rusted mae, stiff aant. Its mind, overwhelmed by the realization of exposure, had gone bnk.

  For a few seds, it stared at the rooftop figures bathed in moonlight, their sharp gazes seemingly drilling holes into its small frame. Shadowy outlines and eerie red glows flickered in the darkness.

  At least, that was Corvisquire’s imagination of the se.

  Iy, upon seeing Natsume, the poor Pokémon’s mind crashed entirely. No thoughts of escape pns or survival tactics remained—just one overwhelming realization: Oh no, I’m done for.

  Its body screamed for a: “Think of something!”

  Its brain: “...Program not responding.”

  After several agonizing seds, it finally screamed and bolted. Beh its tattered cloak, stubby legs ed, creating a ically frantic image as it dashed toward the forest.

  "Wait!"

  Natsume instinctively reached out, but the little figure was astonishingly fast, vanishing into the tree lih just a few strides.

  "Caaw!"

  "Should I chase it? I catch up."

  Corvisquire, snapping out of its daydreams, eagerly looked to Natsume for the go-ahead. It had already visualized tless sarios:

  A swift and takedown, followed by a cool “You’ve got a long way to go,” before flying off triumphantly.A hard-fought victory, leading to a mutual nod of respect, leaving behind an epic silhouette.A narrow defeat, only to rally with its teammates, shouting, “Never uimate our bond!” as it unlocked its hidden power to emerge victorious.The st sario—getting crushed ht—was, of course, excluded.

  But Natsume crushed Corvisquire’s enthusiasm with a wave of his hand.

  "No need."

  Snap.

  Somewhere, Corvisquire’s dreams audibly shattered.

  "It’s just a bunch of old marbles. I was going to give them to the kids in town anyway. If it likes them, it have them."

  These were childhood toys. Ohey might’ve sparked arguments or even ended friendships. Now, they barely mattered.

  Natsume suddenly uood why characters in stories recile over “lost treasures” ier years.

  "Hmm?"

  The little figure, now at the forest's edge, notio one was chasing it. It hesitated, slowing its steps until it came to a stop just before vanishing into the bushes.

  Gng baervously, it saw Natsume waving at it.

  There was no greed, no anger in his expression—just a calm, amused smile, as though he’d witnessed something delightful.

  "Hmm…"

  After a moment’s hesitation, the little Pokémon stepped forward, its body half-hidden in the underbrush. With one final g raised a paw and waved back vigorously before disappearing into the forest.

  On the ground where it had stood y a small object.

  Natsume, however, wasn’t paying attention to that.

  "Was that… a Ogerpon?"

  Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, Natsume had clearly seen the Pokémoh the cloak.

  Gcell