"Master?"

"Yeah!"

"Who?"

"Jin!"

"......."

The boy they met in the forest, Roy.

His dream is to become a Pokémon Trainer and an adventurer like the ancient ones. These ancient adventurers would challenge legendary Pokémon, travel the world, and seek treasures with their Pokémon in unknown places.

It seems Roy was deeply impressed by Jin's battles and his way of handling Pokémon, feeling that becoming Jin's student would help him grow.

"Please! I'm begging you!"

"Well..."

Jin didn't mind giving advice or training Roy individually, whether or not they called it being a master and student.

The reason was how attached Fuecoco had become to Roy. In this short time, Roy and Fuecoco had grown very close. Whether it was Roy's nature or a good match with Fuecoco was unclear, but it was evident that Roy loved Pokémon. As someone who also loved Pokémon, Jin felt a desire to respond to Roy's request.

However, there were some issues with taking him on as a student.

"No, absolutely not!"

"Huh?"

That voice came from Liko, who had been quietly watching the two.

"Liko?"

"No, you can't just take him as your student so easily!"

(What am I even saying?)

Liko herself didn't understand why she said that. She just couldn't sit still seeing Roy ask Jin to be his master and Jin considering it seriously, and before she knew it, she had raised her voice.

"It's fine!"

"But, we're leaving this island once the ship is repaired. We won't be together for long. Even Jin wouldn't be able to provide proper training in such a short time."

(...That's true.)

That's right, it's a problem Jin was also concerned about. The ship repairs will take at most another two to three days. To provide proper guidance as a master, he'd need at least a week, preferably a month. Based on his experience training Liko and Sprigatito, Jin knew that it took at least that much time to teach something effectively. Although Liko's outburst was driven by her emotions, her point was quite accurate.

(...Hmm)

While Jin was pondering this, Roy and Liko continued their argument. It was a rare sight. Jin, who had spent time with Liko at the academy, had never seen her argue so passionately.

(Oops... can't let this go on)

Seeing the two gradually heat up, Jin found it slightly amusing but knew he had to step in before things got too tense.

"Okay, okay, that's enough."

Clapping his hands, Jin stepped between Liko and Roy.

"But!"

"Calm down... Roy, about becoming my student, let's put that on hold for now."

"Huh?"

"As Liko said, we can't stay on this island for long. If I took you as my student, I wouldn't be able to give you proper training in such a short time, which would be pointless."

"......."

Roy seemed to understand, though he looked a bit disappointed.

"Don't be too upset. I'll give you my phone number."

"Huh?"

"If you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact me. Even if we don't officially become master and student, I promise to help you as a friend and a senior trainer. How about that?"

"Y-Yeah! Thank you!"

Roy thanked him happily. Although becoming a student was on hold, their connection didn't have to end. In this age where you can connect with anyone via smart(rotom)phone, this arrangement was perfectly fine.

Except for one person...

"......"

(...Contacting him by phone... that should be okay...)

Liko had no more arguments. She understood that continuing to argue would upset not just Roy but Jin as well. So, despite her complex feelings, she decided to stay quiet.

"Got it registered!"

"Me too."

While Liko grappled with her emotions, Jin and Roy exchanged phone numbers.

"Alright, let's head back to the ship."

"Huh?"

"We came here without telling anyone on the ship, so we shouldn't be too late getting back."

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Yes, Jin and Liko had come to search for Fuecoco without informing the ship's crew. They needed to return quickly to avoid causing worry. Though unrelated this time, concerns about the Explorers' involvement might also arise if they were gone too long.

"...I see."

"Y-Yeah! Let's go back!"

Roy's slightly gloomy demeanor contrasted sharply with Liko's clearly cheerful one.

"...Well then, Fuecoco... take care."

"Fue..."

Roy and Fuecoco exchanged their farewells. Despite the short time they'd spent together, it was clear from their behavior that a strong bond had formed between them.

(...What should I do?)

Watching Roy and Fuecoco, Jin had an idea. It wouldn't be too difficult to put it into action.

(But Liko might not like it...)

For some reason, Liko seemed intent on distancing Roy. Jin didn't know why, but it was evident from her behavior. Therefore, the action he was about to take might make Liko uncomfortable.

However, Jin couldn't ignore a new friend he'd met on this remote island, far from his home and academy.

(Well, I can't just let them part like this, so it can't be helped.)

"...Roy, want to come with us to the ship?"

＊＊＊

In the meeting room of the Brave Olivine, the members of the Rising Volt Tacklers were all enjoying a dinner prepared by Murdock.

"This is delicious!"

And there was one more person: Roy, who had helped find the missing Fuecoco, was also present, having been invited by Jin.

"Your cooking is amazing, mister!"

"Haha! I'm glad you like it. Makes all the effort worthwhile."

Roy ate Murdock's food with gusto, and his genuine reaction delighted the chef.

"Roy, you did let your parents know you were coming here, right?"

"Yeah! Jin told me to make sure, so I got my grandpa's permission before coming."

"Good, then there's no problem. We have spare rooms, so feel free to use one."

"Thank you very much!"

(...I didn't expect him to stay over.)

When Jin first invited Roy, he had only intended for them to share dinner. However, after explaining the situation to Friede, including Roy and Fuecoco's circumstances, Friede suggested, "Why not stay over?"

(...Well, it's fine.)

Roy and Fuecoco were happily eating together, and seeing that made Jin feel inviting them was the right decision.

The future of Roy and Fuecoco's relationship was still uncertain. Whether they would remain friends or become partners was up to them. Regardless of the outcome, the time they spent together would undoubtedly be precious for both.

(Now that Roy is settled, the problem is...)

"......"

Liko had been eating silently, looking slightly annoyed, and consuming more food than usual.

(...This is troublesome.)

"Hey, what did you do to Liko?"

"Liko seems really upset."

Mollie and Orla whispered to Jin. It seemed that their womanly intuition—or perhaps it was just that the other members were oblivious—led them to sense Liko's bad mood, and they concluded that Jin was the cause.

"I don't think I did anything to Liko..."

(...Well, I do have an idea.)

Jin understood that Liko had been trying to distance Roy, but he chose to prioritize Roy's future over Liko's feelings this time. Moreover, he hadn't provided any explanation or justification to Liko, which left plenty of reasons for her to be upset.

(Is she mad because I didn't do anything?)

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but solve it quickly."

"I don't like this tense atmosphere, so do something about it."

"I understand. I'll handle it by the end of the day."

Feeling a bit pressured by the older women, Jin regained his resolve and, after dinner, approached Liko discreetly.

"Uh... Liko?"

"W-What?"

"Um... would you come to the wing deck with me? I need to talk to you."

"...Okay."

***

After finishing their meal, the two of them went to the wing deck as promised.

The other members were busy with makeshift repairs to the ship or cleaning up the dishes, so they weren't there. The Pokémon, having finished their meal, were resting, leaving Jin and Liko completely alone.

"I'm sorry."

Jin was the first to speak.

"I had a feeling you were trying to keep Roy at a distance, Liko. But I prioritized Roy over you."

Jin had thanked Roy for protecting Fuecoco and given him his phone number so Roy could contact him if he had any questions in the future. That alone could have sufficed as a gesture of gratitude for protecting Fuecoco. He could have ended things there and then and focused on Liko's feelings.

"Jin... why did you invite Roy to the ship?"

"Well... after seeing Roy and Fuecoco together, I didn't want to separate them."

"What?"

"Didn't you notice? In that short time, those two became as close as lifelong friends. I just didn't want to separate them."

(Did Roy and Fuecoco become that close? I didn't notice…)

Liko had been so emotional at the time that she hadn't noticed what was happening around her. To her, it had seemed like Jin was prioritizing Roy over her.

"So... um... here's the thing."

Jin scratched his head and carefully chose his words to express his feelings.

"Even if Roy were to become my student, nothing would change. I wouldn't neglect you, Liko."

There was no falsehood in his words. The idea of neglecting Liko had never even crossed Jin's mind.

"...I see."

If there was a reason why Liko had treated Roy coldly, it was likely because she was afraid of losing Jin. Jin had always prioritized and protected her from the academy to this point. He was not only her mentor and friend but also someone she unconsciously had feelings for.

"And even if Roy becomes my student, he'll be second."

"Huh?"

"Because Liko, you're my first student, right?"

Unlike Roy, who was merely hoping to become Jin's student, Liko had been learning battle techniques since she entered Indigo Academy. If he had to rank them, Liko would be first and Roy second.

(So, I'm number one.)

"...I was really rude to Roy, wasn't I?"

With Jin's words, Liko began to reflect on her actions more calmly. Her behavior after Roy expressed his desire to become Jin's student was far from commendable.

"I don't think you were that bad... but if you feel that way, just apologize."

"Do you think he'll forgive me?"

"Probably. Roy doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges, unlike me."

(So he does hold grudges…)

While Jin tended to hold grudges for a long time, even if he didn't show it, he believed Roy was the type to forget minor issues by the next morning. If Liko showed sincerity, Roy would likely forgive her.

"Well, he's playing with Fuecoco now, so you can apologize a bit later."

"Yeah, I'll do that."

(Phew... I think her mood's improved.)

Afterward, the two spent some time chatting idly on the wing deck. Liko's previous sour expression had vanished, replaced by a smile.

During their conversation, Liko asked something.

"Hey, Jin."

"Hm?"

"What kind of student am I to you?"

"What's that about?"

"Come on, tell me."

Probably happy to have been called his first student, and curious about how Jin viewed her, Liko posed the question.

"Well..."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Jin looked at Liko and began to answer earnestly.

"In one word, I'd say you're special."

"Special?"

"Yeah, like I said before, you're the first trainer I taught how to battle. And I've never met anyone as troublesome as you."

(Troublesome...)

Liko had thought of herself as a troublesome person a few times before. However, hearing it straight from someone she had feelings for was a first and made her feel a bit down.

But...

"You're a bit troublesome, but being with you is fun, and I can trust you completely. I've never met anyone like you before, Liko."

(Huh?)

"Liko, I feel a strong bond with you. It's a bond that probably won't change."

These words, following the initial ones, deeply resonated with Liko, who had begun to feel down. Her face turned beet red, her heart beating faster than ever before.

(Wh-What do I do? My face feels hot! My heart is racing!)

"I-I..."

Liko tried desperately to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Ha... shouldn't you go apologize to Roy soon?"

"Ah! That's right! I need to apologize to Roy!"

Prompted by Jin, Liko remembered her intention to apologize to Roy—or perhaps, she just wanted to escape the situation as quickly as possible out of embarrassment.

"Liko!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Someday, let me hear your feelings. I'll be looking forward to that day."

"～～～～～～～!"

Upon hearing those words, Liko finally ran away at full speed.

"...Looks like I have a chance. With her low defenses, maybe I'll keep pushing forward."

// END