Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

As she spoke, Luo Wei's mother gestured to a corner of the screen, "Haha, can you see that? Dad's here too~"

"..."

After all, he is the Gym Leader of Petalburg City, and also the person in charge of the entire Petalburg City. It's not a very big city, and there's a lively event that's hard to come by. It's only natural that he wouldn't be present.

However, Luo Wei's father hated crowds the most, and this kind of activity was simply incompatible with him.

So, we saw him, who should have been an important figure, standing alone in the far corner of the screen, arms crossed, expressionless, exuding an aura of incongruity.

Whether it was a rule on the camera crew's end or an accident, the camera kept panning in his direction, forcing him to straighten his face and look directly at the camera when it was right in his face.

Based on Luo Wei's understanding of his own father's temper, he was probably feeling like a million grass mud horses were galloping through his mind right now...

"puff……"

Upon seeing this, Luo Wei couldn't help but laugh, and his mother beside him couldn't help but smile as well.

"Still the same old guy, so clueless about romance~ Little Rukia was putting on such a great performance, what's wrong with her smiling a little?"

"...After all, Dad probably doesn't really understand acting, but then again..."

Luo Wei's gaze shifted to his mother beside him, and he carefully examined her from head to toe.

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

Noticing Luo Wei's gaze, his mother immediately reached out and cupped his face in her hands, rubbing it. "Is there something strange about Mommy?"

"...No, I'm just curious. Since Dad isn't interested in this kind of thing at all, how did he end up with Mom back then? Cough cough, and also, was Mom really that amazing in the past?"

If it weren't for his own participation in the Grand Contest, Rowe would have had no idea that his mother, who had become a housewife, was once a popular idol.

"Haha, that's such an exaggeration. Why pretend in front of your own mother? Okay, here's a special service for your second-ranked fan~"

After saying that, without giving Luo Wei any chance to refute, he opened his palms and gave him a solid bear hug.

...Um, what did I just say?

Mother's love is as vast as the sea.

Chapter 188 As expected of a loving mother

As it turns out, the profession of idol is very likely to be one where distance creates beauty. It is precisely because the distance is far enough that it creates room for imagination, allowing people to construct a beautiful image in their minds.

So rather than liking an idol, it's more accurate to say that one likes the idealized, perfect projection of that character in one's imagination. And once that mystique is shattered, the idol's image is likely to crumble.

Luo Wei felt that this was the current situation. He estimated that he would never be able to develop any romantic feelings for his idols in his lifetime. He was grateful to his mother for helping him destroy all his beautiful fantasies about idols through her actions.

It's not that Luo Wei thinks there's anything wrong with his mother. At present, his mother is the most outstanding woman in the world in Luo Wei's opinion. Her gentleness can even melt the heart of his father, a tough and unapproachable man.

The couple's relationship was so strong that even their close relative, Luo Wei, was envious to the point of jealousy.

However, precisely because we are so familiar with her, we can't create any positive feelings about her. She is right here, with many, many advantages that we could count for three days and three nights, but she also has quite a few flaws. After all, how can there be a perfect person in this world?

A person has both strengths and weaknesses, and this combination makes them a living, breathing human being, rather than a dazzling idol worshipped on stage.

That's why she's just a mother, not that legendary, meteoric, genius idol...

"That's true, but I'm still really curious about Mom's performance back then..."

Originally, Luo Wei had only mentioned it casually, but he quickly regretted it because his mother's eyes lit up and she came over.

"Hey, so Luo Wei has finally reached this age? Does he like idol types? No problem, no problem, just say it without hesitation. Don't use Mom as an excuse, I'll take care of this!"

"You come back here right now! Don't give me any reason to misunderstand anything serious!!!"

It's possible that Luo Wei's description led his mother to misunderstand, thinking that her son had developed an interest in the idol on the screen and was using his mother's name to subtly inquire about it.

While marveling at her son's newfound interest in women, the mother immediately got to work without hesitation.

As parents, isn't it only natural to fulfill the wishes of our children that we can afford?

She probably didn't think there was anything wrong with it. If Luo Wei liked idols, she had a lot of "resources" at her disposal. Although they hadn't been in contact much since Luo Wei retired and got married, she still had a lot of familiar "best friends" who could help her.

Faced with his energetic mother, Luo Wei let out a "Aww~~" and pounced on her, grabbing her waist tightly and dragging her back.

"Stop it! Don't cause unnecessary trouble for others!"

"Haha, yes, yes~"

Since Luo Wei reacted so excitedly, the other party naturally realized that they had misunderstood Luo Wei's meaning. So, they smiled and sat back down, which stunned Lillie, who was standing next to them.

Is there anything slightly different about the way you two, mother and son, interact in your daily interactions?

"You'll get used to it. My mom has her girlish side sometimes!"

"Haha, Mom, I'm a forever youthful and radiant seventeen-year-old woman!"

"...Yes, I fully felt it!"

At that moment, Lillie suddenly seemed to understand why a seemingly cold and indifferent tough guy like Senri could raise a son like Rowe with such an interesting personality.

The emotional bond is probably thanks to the mother; indeed, having such a vibrant mother at home inevitably makes life more joyful.

"So, does Rowe really want to see his mother's performance?"

"Uh, actually, I'm not so keen on watching it anymore!"

He was initially quite interested, but Luo Wei suddenly felt that he should keep his mother's image in his mind as it was before, as he felt that watching similar performances might lead to a tragic breakdown of her image.

I feel like you're thinking about something really rude!

"No, no, it's just that I just got the Super Ribbon, so I thought I'd try the Premium Ribbon."

"Oh, that's it~"

She didn't seem very agitated...

...For her, who was only one step away from obtaining the Master Ribbon but failed to do so not because of a lack of strength but simply because she gave up at the last minute, the Super Ribbon was indeed nothing special.

It's like if Rowe told his father that he had earned four badges, the father's response would most likely be a simple, unremarkable reply like, "Oh, well done, keep it up."

There was nothing they could do about it; it was really no big deal for them. Rowe's mother was unremarkable in Pokémon battles, but she was an absolute genius in Pokémon Contests. She wasn't surprised at all that Rowe could win a Mega Ribbon.

"After all, he's my son, so it's only natural that he would do this."

"...I don't even know if you're praising me or praising yourself."

"Pfft, well, no kidding... If you're really interested, well, how about this~ If Rowe can get the high-grade ribbon and even plans to challenge the master ribbon, Mom will give you 'Special Training of Love' and pass on all my skills to you~"

"..."

Although Lowe expressed considerable skepticism about this, because Lowe's mother was a genius, and the biggest problem with geniuses is that most of them are not very good at teaching.

I feel that the difference in talent and comprehension is incomparable to that of ordinary people. Moreover, how can one teach stage presence and camera presence?

She might just be standing in front of the camera... and naturally understand which position would create the most suitable stage composition, but if you ask her why that position, she probably can't explain it herself.

It was just an instinct that told me this was the most appropriate place to stand...

How the hell am I supposed to teach this?

However, given that he is a very senior figure, Luo Wei still humbly expressed that he was very much looking forward to it...

"Do you feel like you're being underestimated? Okay, in that case, I'll have to pull out my trump card. If... I mean, if, if Luo Wei has such an opportunity, Mom will give you the performance outfit I prepared for the Masters Tournament. Although you can't wear it, Masked Cat and the others can. And, I can also give you the script~"

"?!"

The script that Luo Wei's mother originally prepared for a masterclass performance, but because she chose to withdraw from the competition, it has never been performed... That script that countless people consider a lifelong regret?!

Chapter 189 Is this considered cheating?

"..."

When Luo Wei's mother debuted, she swept through various competitions at an astonishing speed, aiming for the Master Ribbon with unstoppable momentum.

But just as she was about to step onto the final stage, she chose to retire and go home to get married and raise her child at the last moment, leaving behind countless regrets.

This also means that the video recordings of her stage performance that year have become the only place to remember this genius idol, but these videos are ultimately not live performances.

According to those who witnessed the live performance back then, the stage effects were something you had to see in person to fully appreciate, just like the difference between watching a musical live and watching a recorded video.

What should have been the most glamorous farewell performance for this talented idol girl, the master-level ribbon competition, was ultimately cut short because of her last-minute withdrawal.

This has become a regret in the hearts of countless people at that time, and it has not been made up for to this day.

What exactly did the script left behind look like? What kind of story did it record? Now, so many years later, the audience and fans from back then have naturally given up hope.

They have come to regard it as a regret that can never be repeated, but there's nothing they can do about it. Life is full of regrets, and it's impossible for everything to go as planned.

Given that this should have been enough to make most people give up, more than ten years later, you suddenly say...

...The script that couldn't be shown to everyone back then actually has the possibility of seeing the light of day again?

Although the person performing the script is no longer the gifted girl from back then, but her son, isn't this, in a sense, also a kind of passing on of dreams?

If this script were actually produced, those fans from back then would most likely come to support it no matter what, and just for the sake of the script, they would give it a high score.

"...Isn't this cheating?"

Luo Wei asked this question with a mix of amusement and exasperation. Indeed, this was clearly cheating, because the sentiment embodied in the script had long surpassed the meaning inherent in the script itself.

"Haha, what's with all this talk about cheating? This script was written by Mom herself, so who can use it? Is there any restriction on who gets to use it?"

"Uh……"

As the script is entirely original, she does indeed own all rights to it, and theoretically, she can give the script to whomever she wants.

"Besides, I didn't say I'd just give it to you like this. If Luo Wei's performance doesn't satisfy Mom, I won't give you this important script. Let me make it clear from the outset, Mom's judgment is very strict!"

"Uh...I thought so too..."

In short, this isn't about giving Rowe a script to guarantee him a spot on the Master Ribbon; rather, Rowe must demonstrate to his mother that he has the ability to win the Master Ribbon before she'll be willing to give him the script to perform.

"Okay, then it's a date!"

As they exchanged a high-five, a steady knock came at the door.

"Ah, it must be Uncle!"

Before returning, in addition to informing his parents, Lowe also contacted Professor Birch. Haruka had previously asked Lowe to give her regards to Professor Birch, and Lowe naturally hadn't forgotten, so he invited Professor Birch to visit.

"Doctor~"