CHAPTER 8

As Zuri flew through the air, I fiddled with the phone in my pocket for a few moments before finally pulling it out. I held the device to my ear rather anxiously after pressing the call button. Luckily or unluckily, I didn't have to wait long. Geeta picked up within a single waiting tone.

"Hello, Arin. Is everything well?" came her familiar calm voice from the other side of the phone.

I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "Yeah… more than well actually. I made up with my dad," I said.

A sound that resembled the rustling of papers filled my ear. Geeta must have been up taking care of paperwork. "That's wonderful, Arin. I'm truly happy for you. Perhaps we should all celebrate later at the Treasure Eatery."

"That would be nice," I agreed. Inwardly, I thought about how I'd be meeting my friends later for entirely different reasons than a celebration. I licked my lips nervously. No more stalling. "Listen, there's something I need to tell you. I'm going to call the others after this, too, but I wanted to tell you first since you're technically also my boss."

I took a deep breath. "I'm taking over as Gym Leader and moving back to Johto. I'm sorry I'm springing this on you out of nowhere."

I expected Geeta to rebuke me, but to my surprise, she just said, "I see."

My brows flew up in surprise. "You're… you're not surprised? Or mad?" I asked, completely baffled.

A long silence followed.

Then laughter suddenly rang out, and my eyes nearly popped right out of my sockets as I realized Geeta had laughed. So rarely had I heard her do so.

"Arin, I must confess: I predicted something like this would happen," she said with traces of mirth still in her voice. "It was rather strange how your father asked you to come back so suddenly. I thought perhaps it was to apologize to you for his actions so long ago, and I thought that after reconnecting, you might take over your family gym and return home. It seems I was proven right in the end."

She had actually guessed all that? Legendaries, sometimes the depth of her foresight truly scared me. I reminded myself for the first time in a while to never get on Geeta's bad side.

The Top Champion of Paldea wasn't done yet. "I assure you, Arin, I am not mad. Why would I be? You've done so much for Paldea these last few years. Now it's time for you to go do what you want. As both your friend and your employer, you will be greatly missed, but I wish you only the best of luck in your future endeavors," she told me. It was hard to miss the deep sincerity in her tone.

The wind whistled by as I stared at Zuri's back. I felt so emotional already, and I hadn't even broken the news to the rest of my friends yet.

"…Thank you, Geeta," I finally said quietly. Just as Geeta was grateful to me, I was grateful to her for many things as well. She had helped me with many things when I first came to Paldea, and even more in the years that followed. She was truly an example of a beloved Champion.

I thought I heard Geeta smile. We shared a comfortable silence for a few seconds before she next spoke.

"I'm looking forward to the souvenirs," Geeta mused out loud. The beautiful moment was lost as my blood ran cold.

"Souvenirs?" I repeated dumbly.

"Yes, from Johto of course. Did you not get any for us?" Geeta inquired. I could practically imagine her tilting her head ever so slightly in confusion.

Arceus. In my rush to get things done, getting souvenirs for my friends had completely slipped my mind. Here I was on my way to Paldea to abruptly say goodbye to everyone, and the least I could have done for my friends was bring gifts with me to thank them for everything. I suddenly felt like both a terrible person and a complete idiot.

"Shit," I swore out loud, and I hastily began to apologize. "I'm sorry, Geeta, I don't actually have any souvenirs for you guys. There was so much going on that it didn't cross my mind. I left Johto already, but I can turn back right now to get them—"

For the second time in the span of a single phone call, Geeta laughed. I would never get used to that. "I'm merely joking, Arin. Could you not tell?"

I gaped at the air in front of me. Geeta laughing and joking? Was the world about to end or something?

"What— I— No, of course I couldn't tell, Geeta!" I spluttered. "Your voice is basically a poker voice ninety percent of the time! I cannot believe you just did that on purpose. I really thought you were disappointed for a moment. You know what, forget it, I'm turning back and actually getting you all gifts. Zuri!" I yelled the last word, tapping the side of my Pokemon's neck gently. She crooned, turning back slightly to look at me. "Please turn back. We're going back to Cherrygrove."

With a mighty flap of her wings, Zuri turned smoothly and shot back the other way. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I exhaled.

"Alright, I should probably end the call here. I gotta pick up those souvenirs now," I mock-grumbled, causing a stray chuckle to escape Geeta. "Let's find a time to hang out with everyone tomorrow before I leave."

"Of course," Geeta replied. I heard a shuffling sound again as she presumably picked up some papers. "See you later, Arin."

I hung up the phone and stuffed it back in my pocket just as Cherrygrove came back into view. I shook my head at the sight. I had barely left for five minutes and here I was again.

I had Zuri take me to a small but famous store on the outskirts of the city and ran inside, thanking my lucky stars that they weren't closed yet. The girl at the counter jumped a bit as I rushed up to the register.

"Four Fragrant Flora Omamori Charms, three packages of Cherrygrove Tea, and one package of Blush Juice please, all gift wrapped," I said in a hurry as I held out my credit card. Sensing the urgency of the situation, the girl nodded with wide eyes and took my card. She swiped it, handed it back, then proceeded to grab my chosen purchases from the shelves and wrapped them up before handing them to me, all in record time. I was so thankful that I stopped to give her a large tip.

I only vaguely wondered if Granny Miya had retired from the shop as I quickly put everything in my bag and dashed right back out.

Zuri took me to two other locations in Johto, Ecruteak City and Mahogany Town, where I bought their local specialties in a mad rush. I think I saw more than a few people taking pictures of me and Zuri as we shot up into the sky for good this time, but I couldn't care at that moment.

I had no way of knowing until much later that pictures of 'the mysterious trainer with a Dragonite' began circulating on the Kinjoh Area's primary social media site, Chatter.

As Zuri flew towards Paldea once more, I added Hassel, Rika, and Larry to a group call. I thought it would be easier breaking the news to them after the experience with Geeta, but it was just as hard. They all wished me luck, but I could tell they felt as terrible as I did about this.

I ended the call wondering if I'd be able to hold myself together tomorrow when I actually met them in person. I didn't call Poppy since she was already long asleep like the good child she was. Hassel had said he would be the one to break the news to her before we met up the next day.

Pocketing my phone, I closed my eyes and went straight to sleep.

At about 3 AM, Zuri gently woke me up. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I looked around and saw a familiar house in front of me. We were finally back in Paldea. I barely managed to let out all my Pokemon for the night and set an alarm for the next day before I collapsed face first onto my bed.

I was out like a light.

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An incessantly loud beeping sound tore me from my dreamless sleep in the morning. I groaned and slapped a hand against my phone, silencing the alarm. With that out of the way, I made myself get up and move.

There was a full day of business ahead of me.

It was weird going through my morning routine without all of my Pokemon on hand, but I knew we would be reunited soon enough. Filore, my Florges, welcomed everyone back with happy cries, and we had to explain to her what had happened in Johto. Even before I mentioned dad's wonderful gardens, Filore told me she was coming with us. She liked Paldea, but home was wherever the team was. After we finished working out, my Pokemon helped me pick out stuff from the house we wanted to bring back with us to Johto. On the flight over, I had decided to keep the house around as a vacation home because I just couldn't bear to sell it.

Most of the furniture would be staying behind, but my Pokemon were very adamant about more than a few items. Choux refused to give up his croissant-shaped pillow, for example, and Vel and Audi wanted to bring a pair of pastel pink bean bags they liked sinking into. I had to start putting a limit on things, though, especially when my Mawile, Willow, came running into the room I was in with weights he wanted to take. Only things with sentimental value were coming with us, and everything else I could just buy back in Johto to add to the house there.

I snagged portraits and landscape paintings made by Silque off the walls and small pottery pieces that Fia and Grima had worked on together from the fireplace mantle. Stuffed animals my team had won from various carnivals and festivals were collected, and everybody's birthday presents over the years were placed in a bag. Many more things aside from these were packed. From my room, I grabbed all my clothes and other personal effects and stuffed them into a container. I also made sure to grab all my trophies and badges and carefully stow them away for the display case back in Johto. Then I returned downstairs to help my Pokemon with the chaos in the living room.

Halfway through all the packing, I realized the one measly foldable-space suitcase I had brought with me was not nearly going to be enough for everything, and everyone stopped what they were doing to hunt for spare suitcases in the closets. We added four more to the pile.

When we were finally done packing everything, and by some miracle managed to somehow stuff everything into the suitcases, we stood together in the living room and looked around. The house looked so much more barren now with everything we'd decided to take with us. I suddenly felt horribly melancholy. I guess I'd grown more attached to the house than I'd thought.

As I locked the front door behind me and dragged the suitcases to a corner of the front porch, I got a text message from my group chat with the Paldea Elite Four. They were going to come by tonight with takeout from the Treasure Eatery for a farewell hangout party.

That left me… just about ten hours to take care of everything else I needed to do in Paldea.

I left immediately on Peri. First stop: South Province, Area Four.

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Sprawling fields of grass sloped up and down in winding hills in Area Four. I could see the watchtower rising up in the distance, but Peri veered away from it and towards a small glittering lake surrounded by trees and fields of wildflowers far to its west.

I jumped off his back before he had even fully landed, walking briskly up to the lakefront. Around me, small Pokemon with pink or blue hats, Hatenna and Hattrem, ran up alongside me. They chattered whimsical greetings and welcomed me back. From the trees, members of the Flabebe line shyly waved hello. I smiled at everyone and said hello, but most of my attention was on the tall, almost humanoid figures already waiting for me by the lake.

I stopped in front of them and greeted the Hatterene and Florges with a respectful dip of my head. They did the same.

"Well met, Guardians," I murmured softly.

Well met, Arin, the Fairy type replied. Florges did not say anything, but she smiled and clasped her hands over her heart. I had met these two several years ago and eventually became friends with them.

In the wild, evolution was usually a product of a fight for survival. Wild Pokemon fought over everything from food to territory to potential mates. When they did finally manage to evolve… these Pokemon obviously moved up in the hierarchy and typically became top predators or leaders for the community around them. Given enough time and conflict, some even grew so powerful that they went beyond the limits of what a normal individual of their species could do, their power resting just below that of myths and legends.

But those were few and far in between, and most isolated themselves in the deep wilds away from prying human eyes. Even across all the regions I'd visited around the world, I myself only knew of a handful whose presence was so powerful that they demanded the League's attention. Obviously, they were monitored closely.

Hatterene had not yet accumulated such power as her strength lay more in her deep wealth of knowledge. My own Hatterene had long since eclipsed the Guardian in fighting prowess. It was her sister-in-arms, Florges, who was considered to be one of the strongest wild Pokemon in Paldea and the apex of her species, having lived for over three hundred years. Flowers never died in her presence. She could fill an entire valley with flora in but a mere instant.

She could also besiege a town with a sea of thorns if she wanted.

Luckily, she was a very gentle Pokemon, and the League didn't have to worry too much about her so long as they left her and her kin alone. They always made trainers steer away from this particular part of Area Four.

Hatterene and Florges both gazed at me now with curiosity. The witch spoke for her sister. It has been some time since your last visit. The children have missed you. What brings you to our home today?

I smiled nervously. I might have been friends with these Pokemon, but I hoped what I was about to ask would not turn out to be a transgression that would cost my life.

"I'm leaving Paldea after today to return to my hometown and take over the Gym there," I announced. Both of them didn't react. I maintained eye contact with the Pokemon as I carefully continued. "I've been looking for Pokemon who would be willing to join me and help in my endeavors, and I came here today to ask if any of your wards would be interested."

This got a reaction out of them. Florges unclasped her hands with a thoughtful expression at the same time that Hatterene moved, levitating closer to me. Both weren't smiling, but at least they hadn't killed me yet.

You ask for our children to come with you to a faraway place and fight battles for you, Hatterene mused. Her tone was neutral. I never thought you would ask such a request of us. I thought you were different than those other humans.

I met her gaze calmly. "I am different," I proclaimed firmly. "That is why I am asking and not taking by force like so many others would. I understand my request is rather sudden and more than a little unfavorable to your eyes, and I will respect whatever decision you and Florges come to." I paused to raise a hand over my heart. "But I swear to you both that if any of your children wish to come with me, they will be treated with the utmost respect and care. Fairies do not lie."

They stared at me for a long time after my last word filled the air. I cautiously lowered my arm, but I did not drop my gaze. I needed to show them I meant every word.

I almost started sweating a bit before Hatterene finally spoke.

Arin Watanuki, she began, and I stood just a bit taller at the use of my full name. She shared a passing glance with her sister. Even though our friendship has not even endured half a decade yet, you have been the truest of companions. We have seen the good in you and witnessed the strength of you and your family. Even if you had not sworn an oath to us, we would have allowed this request since it is from you.

Hatterene floated up a bit higher, as did Florges. We shall allow you to invite our children.

My shoulders instantly relaxed in relief as I smiled at them. "Thank you."

Hatterene smiled back, showing off rows of wickedly sharp teeth. Do not thank us yet, Friend of Fairies. We must see what the children want first, she said, and she turned her head toward the distance. She called out in a powerful voice. Children.

At once, dozens of Hatenna, Hattrem, Flabebe, and Floette stopped what they were doing and came over. They swarmed around their respective leaders, and I turned away for the illusion of privacy even as Hatterene communicated my wishes to them.

Minutes later, Hatterene nodded and looked at me once more. A small group of Pokemon separated themselves from her and Florges and tottered closer to me, gazing up with shining eyes. I have spoken with all the children. These little ones have decided they would like to go with you, she told me. I nodded. It was more than I could have hoped for.

"Thank you. This really means a lot to me," I said honestly, and I held my hand out. "It's a very human thing to do, but would you mind humoring me?"

Hatterene stared at my offered hand. Slowly, she moved to grasp it with the clawed tentacle protruding from her hat. Be well, Arin. I do hope you will come back and visit us in the future.

I promised her I would. Next, Florges came up to me. I thought she would shake my hand, too, but she closed her eyes instead. A flower was conjured out of nothing in her hand, and she smiled now as she tucked it into the front pocket of my shirt. It was a daffodil, I recognized. Faint Fairy and Grass energy still glowed around it.

To new beginnings and hope for the future, Florges finally spoke her first words that day to me. Take care.

"Thank you," I whispered. I had a feeling the flower was going to stay alive for a long, long time.

After placing everyone in spare Pokeballs, I turned and got onto Peri's back. I still had places to go.

Hatterene watched me with a smile, calling softly after me.

May the grace of the Moon and the glory of the Stars be with you always.

I raised a hand in one last solemn wave to her and Florges, and then I left.

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I continued speeding my way around Paldea, visiting cities and towns to say goodbye to the Gym Leaders I had befriended (I skipped Larry and Medali Town since I would see him later) and buying some souvenirs for dad. I also made a quick trip to Area Zero to say goodbye to the researchers there. Unfortunately, I couldn't say goodbye in person to the two most important people. Professor Turo was out of the country on a backpacking trip with his son, Arven, and Professor Sada was attending a symposium on prehistoric Pokemon in Kalos.

After saying my goodbyes, most of my time went into recruiting wild Pokemon for my Gym.

Choux revisited his old pack near Alfornada Town and convinced them to join, so that was plus one Dachsbun and four Fidough to the roster. Two Klefki also joined us, though one of them wasn't actually interested in battling. He just wanted new keys, and after some thinking, I agreed to let him hold onto important keys later such as for our house. I thought the Klefki would make for some good security.

Needless to say, he was delighted.

From the Tagtree Thicket, I caught a few interested Impidimp and Morgrem and two Mimikyu. Grima had been overjoyed to see that one of his old buddies had evolved into a Grimmsnarl, but they wanted to stay in the forest and rule over some Impidimp instead of coming with us. From various ruins, we found members of the Tinkatink family who wanted to join, and even one Tinkaton who acted like a local gangster. She begged to come with us after Peri beat her handily in a battle.

Another big catch was a Gardevoir. She agreed to let the few Ralts and Kirlia she looked after join us, but she insisted on coming with them as well. I was more than happy to let her join as she seemed like a reasonably strong Pokemon already.

All in all, my hours of searching proved very fruitful. I ended up getting a ton of new Pokemon for the Gym, but I wasn't satisfied yet. I needed more of them and an even bigger variety.

That was an issue I would solve once I was back in Johto.

Right now, as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, there was one last place I needed to go before my meeting with my friends.

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Naranja-Uva Academy was as grand as ever.

There were certainly no schools in Kanto-Johto that could hold a candle to its magnificence. Massive spires connected to the main structure rose up into the sky, dwarfing anything for miles around. Dozens of windows across the brick walls reflected the afternoon sun, and I squinted a bit as we drew near.

Peri landed on a balcony attached to one of the spires (I refused to use what students often called 'the worst staircase in the world' below) and I used my teacher's pass to let me inside the door. I passed through winding hallways for the last time in what would be a long time, and then I stopped in front of a large door.

I knocked on the wood before entering the familiar office. I'd been in here quite a few times over the last few years, sometimes for meetings and other times just for casual talks over tea. At the very back of the room by the window, a familiar old man with glasses and an orange-and-purple shirt looked up from his writing.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Director Clavell," I greeted with a smile, and the old man smiled kindly in return.

"Good afternoon, Arin. What brings you here today?" he inquired. One hand reached out to gesture invitingly to the chair across from him. I took a seat.

"I'm afraid I won't be returning to teach next year," I began regretfully, which made Clavell glance sharply at me in surprise. My leg bounced up and down a bit as I drummed fingers against my other knee. "I'm going back to Johto to run my family's Gym. I'm going to be a Gym Leader."

Clavell stared at me quietly before leaning back in his seat. "How unfortunate," he said with a soft sigh, but he smiled at me. "The students and the rest of the staff will be disappointed when they hear the news. I don't think the school will be quite the same after your departure. You will be dearly missed, Arin."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'll miss them, too, but I think they'll be fine after a while," I said. "I don't think I actually made that big of a contribution to the academy. I only gave so many lectures each semester after all." Clavell raised a brow at this and clasped his hands together on the desk.

"My dear boy, I do believe you sometimes underestimate yourself," he told me with his own shake of the head. I stared at him as he continued. "You have the power to inspire people, Arin. You've touched many hearts here during your time at the academy. Staff have praised your ability to lead classes and been inspired to do better, and students have always sent me complaints about the lack of spots available for your lectures."

"They have?" I asked, dumbfounded. I do think I remembered a student saying something like that in passing one time, but I hadn't realized the extent of my own popularity it seemed.

Clavell nodded with an extremely amused expression. "Why do you think I suddenly started giving you the biggest lecture halls to use halfway into your first year here?" he asked, and I made a big 'o' shape with my mouth. "My point is, Arin, you should have some more confidence in yourself."

He paused to wipe his glasses with a cleaning cloth. When he had placed them back on the bridge of his nose, he asked me a question.

"Tell me, what is a Gym Leader?" Suddenly I felt like a student and not a teacher.

"Someone who leads and protects their community. A teacher and guide for aspiring trainers," I replied almost automatically. Clavell nodded at me, pleased.

"Full points," he chuckled, and I couldn't help but give one of my own. "You're exactly right. Gym Leaders are not just strong trainers with powerful Pokemon. They are people who can provide the right kind of challenge a young trainer needs to grow and advice so that they do not stagnate. They also act as leaders for the town or city they preside over and help keep everyone safe."

Clavell adjusted his glasses. "And you, Arin. You understand this already. You've shown your ability to guide and lead many times during your stay here at the academy. I have no doubt you're going to make an amazing Gym Leader, or that you will go on to do many great things."

"I… Thank you so much," I finally managed to get out quietly. To hear that from a man as respected as Director Clavell meant the world to me. We rose up from our seats for a final handshake.

"Good luck, young Arin," Clavell smiled as he shook my hand. "Perhaps someday, when — and not if — Paldea finally opens its borders to the rest of the world, the students and I will come visit your Gym in Johto. I imagine it would make for a delightful school trip."

I grinned, shaking his hand heartily. "I would like that a lot, Director."

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Peri and I arrived back at the house in Area Five at sunset. Five figures stood waiting for me on the ground. One of them, Hassel, was on the verge of tears, and one was already crying. I knew who it was long before Peri actually landed, and I jumped off hurriedly to run up to Poppy.

The black-haired girl wailed even harder when she saw me coming closer. She dashed forward to meet me halfway, latching onto my leg like a Komala.

"B-BIG BROTHER ARINNNN," she wailed. Fat tears rolled down her chubby cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Are you really l-leaving? Don't go, don't go, please don't go! W-Who's going to play with me when the others are busy, o-or tell me cool stories about magical places…?"

"Hey. Hey," I said softly, gently prying Poppy off my leg before crouching down to her eye level. "Please don't cry, Poppy." Her face was puffy from crying, and thick snot dripped from her nose almost like a Cubchoo. I tried not to chuckle as I pulled one of my designated Hassel handkerchiefs out of my pocket and gently dabbed at her nose.

I had actually only known Poppy for about a year compared to the others. When the last Elite Four member passed away from old age, she had taken over for him not just because of her extraordinary skill as a trainer but because of her Ability as well.

Yes, Poppy was the same as me. She was an Ability Holder — the only one in Paldea, in fact, aside from me — and she could communicate with Steel types. It was the reason why they listened to her so well despite her young age. We had bonded quite quickly over the fact that we could both understand Pokemon.

I'd known already that Poppy was going to take the news the hardest given that she was just a young child and treated me like her own blood-related brother, but it still made me sad seeing her so distraught.

I waited until I cleaned her up before speaking.

"Poppy," I began, and she looked at me with teary eyes. "It's true that I'm leaving. I'm sorry, but there's something I really, really want to do back home."

Poppy sniffed hard, about to protest more, but she stopped when I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. I looked into her eyes. "But! This doesn't mean I'll never see you again. I can always fly back here on Zuri. I won't be able to visit every day or anything, but I promise to come back to see you as much as possible. You trust big brother Arin, right?" I smiled encouragingly at her.

The young child stared back at me with watery eyes. For a second, I was afraid she was going to burst into tears again, but she finally nodded slowly. Her bottom lip trembled as she held up a shaking pinky. "P-Pinky promise?" she asked anxiously. "You'll come back to visit?"

I smiled, looping my pinky finger around hers. "Pinky promise," I told her firmly. "Fairies don't lie, remember?"

She nodded enthusiastically, cheering up a bit. "Y-Yeah… Yeah! You told me that before! I remember!"

"Good." I patted her on the head, ruffling her hair a bit as I stood up. Geeta and the rest of the Elite Four were waiting for me several yards away. Hassel was sobbing at this point from having watched the entire emotional display.

Rika rolled her eyes as she held up two heavy picnic baskets. A huge picnic cloth had already been set up on the grass. "C'mon, Hassel, save that for later. We need to eat first and enjoy our time together!"

"B-But…" Hassel sobbed, and Geeta calmly pushed him towards the blanket. I laughed as I took Poppy's small hand in mine, guiding her to the rest of our friends.

The Treasure Eatery takeout was delicious. Larry had ordered all of their specialties for the occasion. My friends had even picked up some famous sandwiches from Mesagoza which I all but scarfed down in seconds. Man, I was going to really miss Paldea's food after I left. I loved my home region's cuisine, but the stuff in Paldea was just as unique and tasty.

We talked a lot as we ate and reminisced about the past. Rika laughed about how shocked I had looked after Larry appeared in front of me during my Elite Four challenge. In my defense, nobody else in any of the regions I'd been to before had had someone work as both a Gym Leader and an Elite Four! It was just unheard of!

…That was what I tried to argue at least, but Rika kept laughing anyway. Larry made a comment about being overworked and sneaked a hopeful glance over at Geeta, but the chairwoman just calmly sipped her drink. I sympathized with him. Perhaps he'd finally get more time off one of these days.

We continued talking about old memories. There was the time of my first meeting with Geeta where I thought she was just a random League inspector in the food chain, and the time when I helped Larry take care of an injured baby Starly and they made a nest out of his hair… There was a time when I had tried to stop a food fight at the academy only to accidentally trip and send a pie flying into Hassel's face, and a time when Poppy somehow convinced me to do a weird dance with her with over two dozen Orthworm (which was actually a bit terrifying).

Many memories had been made in Paldea and with these people sitting next to me. My heart felt a little heavier with every second that passed. At one point, I made myself get up to grab the souvenirs and hand them out before I could forget. Larry, Hassel, and Geeta seemed especially pleased by the local specialty teas I'd procured from Cherrygrove and Ecruteak. Rika was more excited by the coffee beans I'd gotten her, and Poppy drooled over the small pack of Rage Candy Bars in her lap (I had to warn her not to eat too many at once, and I told the others to make sure she limited herself). I'd also gotten everyone a small omamori charm from my hometown.

Our hangout eventually dwindled to a close as the sun completely set and the sky darkened. The picnic blanket and empty plates were stowed away carefully, and then I stood facing my friends. All of my Pokemon had been returned except for Zuri. She was actually wearing a saddle with ropes attached today to help carry the luggage. I wasn't sure yet how I was going to fit all the suitcases there.

"So…" I trailed off awkwardly, staring at everyone. "I guess this is it."

Much to my confusion, they all looked back at me with amused expressions.

Rika shook her head and spoke for the rest of them. "Nope," she drawled lazily, and she flashed a smirk at me. "We haven't given you our gifts yet."

It took me a second to register what she'd just said.

"Wait, what?" I finally blurted out in surprise, but Rika had already stepped forward to hand a bag to me.

"Here, this is my gift to you," she told me. I still couldn't believe they'd gotten me farewell gifts. Hesitantly, I took the bag Rika offered and peeked inside.

What I saw made me smile almost immediately. There was an assortment of office supplies like Fairy Pokemon shaped paperweights, sticky notes, pens and a cup to hold them in, and even a coffee mug with a Sylveon pattern.

"I thought you could use them for your fancy new Gym Leader's office," Rika explained proudly with a hand on her hip. "This is advice straight from the main secretary of the Paldea League: filling out paperwork is never fun, so I hope you can at least make the experience a little more enjoyable for yourself."

I nodded, still very touched by her thoughtful gift. "Thanks, Rika! I'll put these to good use." She smiled at that and stepped back, allowing Hassel to take her place.

"My gift has two parts. First…" Hassel paused, tossing a Pokeball out into the air. His Dragonite appeared next to Zuri, and they greeted each other cheerfully. "I noticed you had a lot of luggage, Arin, so I decided to lend you Dan. He might be getting on in his years, but he's still an excellent flier. Don't worry about whether or not he can keep up! Plus, I figured once he knows the way there, we can come visit in the future. An excellent idea, would you not say so?" He beamed at me, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"That would be pretty nice," I admitted. "Thanks for the help, Hassel, Dan." The Dragonite bowed cheerfully, happy to be of service. I gave my attention back to Hassel as he pulled something out of his bag with great care. "I have one other thing for you. I hope you like it."

A rectangular object wrapped in thick white cloth was held out to me. I grasped it securely in my arms and curiously pulled the fabric away.

I gasped out loud when I saw what was underneath. Hassel grinned at me.

"Well? What do you think?" he eagerly asked.

Hassel had given me a painting. I knew it was Hassel's own work right away because I'd seen him draw so many times over the years. A familiar looking figure stood with a Sylveon by his side in a field of flowers at night. Both of them wore determined expressions. A Moonblast was being formed above the Sylveon's head, bathing the surroundings with an ethereal glow. Hassel had drawn me and Vel.

"Hassel, this is… incredible. It looks so realistic! Thank you so much!" I gushed in awe. I was already having trouble deciding if I wanted to have it hung up at home or in the Gym. "How long did this take you? Does it have a title?"

"I'm so glad you like it!" Hassel looked absolutely ecstatic because of my reaction. "I got started on it right after you called yesterday actually. I would have liked to include more of your Pokemon, but I only had less than a day, so… alas. It doesn't have a title right now since I was too focused on painting to think. I'll get back to you with a name sometime."

My jaw dropped. I had kind of guessed already, but… to think he had produced this in one day. Hassel was definitely a genius. I thanked him again for the gift and wrapped the cloth back on.

Next, Larry came forward with his gift. He presented me with a small gray box.

"Originally, I was going to give you these for your birthday and Christmas, but the timeline sped up a bit," Larry explained. We all looked at him, and he blinked at us. "Is something the matter? Do people not normally get gifts a year in advance?"

I shook my head. Oh, Larry. I took the box and opened it. There was a set of five different ties inside. Each came in different shades of pink and patterns over them such as swirls, crescent moons, or stars. My eyes immediately went to Larry's own themed tie that he currently wore.

I laughed, already knowing I was going to use this present a lot. "These are wonderful, Larry! Thank you. I'll wear them often," I told him, and the normally tired salesman's expression lit up as he smiled.

To my surprise, Poppy ran up to me with an excited expression. Even she had a present for me. She rummaged around in the little bag she always carried with her and pulled out—

"Here, Arin! I got you this with my allowance! Mommy has a squishy ball too, and she always feels better after using it. This will keep you happy even if you have a bad day!" Poppy exclaimed proudly, and she presented the 'squishy ball' to me with a flourish.

The 'squishy ball' was in truth a stress ball shaped like a Marill's tail. I thought it was adorable that Poppy had chosen such a thoughtful gift, and I gave her a big hug.

"This is perfect, Poppy. I already feel happier just by looking at it," I laughed. Poppy's eyes glittered with pride as she bounced backwards.

Everyone turned to look at Geeta. She simply offered a mysterious smile. I was surprised when she used not one but both of her hands to retrieve separate things from her pockets.

She presented two things to me: a phone and a short magnetic strip with six Ultra Balls on it. I took both of them with wide eyes.

"I thought the newest phone model might be useful for your tenure as a Gym Leader. It comes with excellent security features and overall capabilities, and it can even fold into a bracelet form," Geeta explained. This was definitely a useful gift. I hadn't changed my phone in almost five years, and it wasn't as fast as I would have liked. I let out a laugh when I flipped the device over and saw the phone skin. There were faces of different Fairy Pokemon patterned all over it.

I made a note to immediately switch over to the new phone when I returned to Johto. "What are these then? For capturing new Pokemon?" I asked curiously, raising the belt of Pokeballs up to my face with my other hand.

"No. They contain one Porygon-Z, two Porygon2, and three Porygon," Geeta replied rather casually, and my head snapped towards her in shock. So did the rest of the Elite Four minus Poppy, who just tilted her head innocently.

"W-What?" I stammered.

Geeta simply blinked at me. "You can have Porygon-Z enter your phone and split the rest between your house and gym's electronics. They aren't particularly strong battlers, but they will be immensely useful for security purposes and should help prevent any data breaches," she continued calmly.

That… made sense, but it was still crazy! Porygon themselves weren't hard to produce and were actually used for data security in almost every region, but Porygon2 and especially Porygon-Z were much, much rarer due to the sheer time and effort needed to safely code them.

I had actually been thinking about getting some Porygon for myself and the gym. After dad's warning about obstacles in my path, I'd turned a bit paranoid about enemies around every corner in the future. Thanks to Geeta, I now had a very impressive data security force on my hands.

She had truly gone the extra mile with her gifts. I placed both of them away in my bag, thanking Geeta profusely. She merely waved away my thanks while looking very dignified.

I did have one last thing to ask her, though. "About my two Pokemon…" I hesitated, and she nodded ever so slightly. She knew I was referring to my Paradox Pokemon.

"I trust you, Arin. I know you will not say anything that will link Paldea to them," she said, and I nodded back resolutely. Area Zero was a secret that I would take with me to my grave.

The gift-giving was over. I made sure everything was stored safely with the rest of my luggage, and Hassel helped me strap everything onto Zuri and Dan's backs.

I then turned to give each of my friends a quick hug. We could always call or text each other, but I knew I wouldn't be able to visit anytime soon, not with the first and possibly most important year of my life coming up ahead of me. This would be my last time seeing them in person for a while.

Hassel and Poppy both started bawling again, so I had to whip out even more handkerchiefs to give them.

"DAKE CAYRE OF YURSHELF, ARIN!" Hassel sobbed as he dabbed at his eyes dramatically, but his words came out as almost complete gibberish. I had to take a few moments to translate what he said into proper words before I patted him on the back comfortingly.

Poppy clung to Larry's leg as he hobbled forward with the weight of two.

"Please feel free to message me whenever you have any questions about Gym Leader matters. Our regional Leagues might differ a bit in how they run, but the overall duties and purposes are basically the same. I'll be here for support or if you just want to talk," Larry told me, and I glanced at him with renewed appreciation. Why was this guy always so darn reliable?

"Thank you, Larry. Take care of yourself," I replied earnestly, and he patted my shoulder once with a smile.

I then looked down at the sobbing mess clinging to Larry's leg that was Poppy. She looked up at me and cried harder. "Y-You have to come visit, okay?! You promised!" she managed to get out between her tears.

I leaned down and patted her head gently. "Of course."

Satisfied, she finally let go of Larry's leg and allowed the poor man to step backwards unburdened.

Rika came up and looked at me sternly. "Don't let anyone push you around, okay? You need to show the Indigo League who you are and that you and your gym are there to stay."

"I will," I replied almost instantly, clenching a fist. There was a lot of work to be done, but everything would be worth it in the end. I smiled as I saw the worry hiding beneath Rika's stern expression. "I'll be fine. Don't worry too much about me, you just try to survive the paperwork next Circuit, okay?"

"I should be the one saying that to you, Mr. Soon-To-Be Gym Leader," Rika snorted, but her expression softened as she gave me one final hug. "You take care now. I'll miss having you around."

"Same here," I murmured. Rika stepped back, and the last person came up to me.

Geeta and I stared at each other.

"Thank you for everything, Geeta," I finally said quietly. "My four-year-stay in Paldea only went so smoothly because you helped me with so many things along the way." I really was truly grateful for everything she had done for me, and I dipped forward in a small bow to her now.

When I straightened, I saw Geeta giving me a rare closed-eye smile. "Thank you, Arin. These four years have truly been quite fun," she said in return. The woman then held a hand out to me. "This is not goodbye, Arin. We'll see you later."

I smiled at Geeta, shaking her hand firmly. "See you later."

I felt the gazes cast upon me as I turned and walked away, climbing onto Zuri's back.

She and Dan rose up into the air. I gave one last look behind me at the house and the people I was leaving behind.

Then the world blurred as we flew away, finally closing the chapter of my life in Paldea.

----------------------------------------

The sadness lasted for a good while on my flight to Johto. I missed Paldea and my friends already. With thoughts of the future in mind, I drifted to sleep on Zuri's back.

She woke me up once we arrived at the house in Cherrygrove. I yawned as I untied the luggage and saddles from both Zuri and Hassel's Dragonite, trying desperately to stay awake.

I dumped the stuff on the front porch before leading Zuri and Dan out back. They waddled off to find respective locations to sleep while I released all my Pokemon, first my main team and then the new Pokemon I'd caught in Paldea. I had to shush them a bit when they oohed and aahed at the picturesque surroundings a bit too loudly. Hopefully dad and the other Pokemon were still fast asleep. At least the new gym Pokemon were happy with the change in environment.

As everyone wandered off to sleep or to explore the surroundings a bit, I dragged myself back to the front with Vel following after me. The Sylveon kindly carried over half the luggage by himself with his feelers, and I carried the last two inside. We put everything in the living room for now minus the one suitcase with stuff meant for my bedroom, and then we quietly went up the stairs. Vel went to my bedroom first with the luggage while I took the quickest shower of my life.

Vel was still awake and waiting for me when I returned.

As much as I wanted to claim glorious sleep, I couldn't forget about the Porygon family Geeta had given me. Digital-made creatures they might have been, but they were still Pokemon capable of emotion. I released them from their Pokeballs and asked if Geeta had already explained anything to them about me and my situation. The strange block-shaped Pokemon all said yes. Arceus, I seriously appreciated that woman sometimes.

Since the Gym wouldn't be done for another two months, the Porygon didn't have much to do for the time being. All of them disappeared into my room's laptop except for the Porygon-Z, who dove into my phone.

Vel chose that moment to call out softly, asking if I was going to sleep yet. I was about to crawl into bed when I paused, noticing my old journal I'd left haphazardly on my desk.

"One sec," I whispered back softly. I grabbed a pen and the journal. Flipping it open to the last page, I began to write.

I'd left Paldea and returned to Johto. I was well and truly home now and about to embark on a brand new journey.

Ten years ago, I don't think I ever would have thought this was where I would be in ten years' time. My dreams then and now had intersected.

Satisfied, I tossed the pen back and slipped into bed. Vel curled up next to my head, and we both fell asleep within seconds.

On the desk, a journal lay face open with new words added to existing sentences.

I WILL BE THE BEST GYM LEADER IN THE WORLD.

I WILL PUT CHERRYGROVE CITY ON THE MAP.

I WILL BECOME THE GREATEST FAIRY SPECIALIST.

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OMAKE 1

They stared after Arin long after he and the two Dragonite disappeared from their vision. Only the whistling of the southern breeze and the sound of Hassel's sobbing filled the air. Poppy had cried herself to sleep on the porch, tightly hugging the pile of souvenirs Arin had given her.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Rika asked quietly, breaking the silence. "He's one of the best trainers out there and smart to boot, but the Indigo League prides itself on tradition. They won't make things easy for him."

"We just have to trust in Arin," Larry said, still staring into the distance. "I truly believe he will achieve his goal."

"But what if they purposefully fail him for Tauros dung reasons?" Rika countered.

Geeta shook her head. "There is no possible way Arin will fail. He will get through whatever they toss at him in the end. Besides…" The Chairwoman of the Paldea League paused, neatly folding her hands behind her back. "If they do, we will just reveal Paldea's presence to Johto and simply lodge a formal complaint to the Indigo League about the unfairness of his test. We'll also threaten to rally with the rest of the international community in outrage over their League's apparent corruption."

Rika stared at her in shock. "You're not serious, are you?" she finally asked.

Geeta quirked a brow as she turned, meeting Rika's gaze calmly.

"Yes?"

"…"

Sometimes, Geeta was truly a terrifying woman.

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OMAKE 2

While Arin slept peacefully in Paldea, on the other side of the world, Adriel Watanuki couldn't fall asleep.

So much had happened in so little time. His son — his son, Arin — had actually come back home. They'd made up and were tentatively a family again, and Arin had declared today that he wanted to take over the Cherrygrove Gym.

Adriel felt like crying and laughing and smiling all at the same time.

It didn't matter that his life was on a ticking clock. Now he just needed to do right by Arin with the time he had remaining and cherish the moments they had together.

Adriel grinned to himself. He'd felt so tired lately, but now he felt like he had enough strength to take on the world.

It was obvious he wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon with how hopeful he felt about the future. Humming to himself, Adriel decided to get a cup of water and left his bedroom. He took the stairs down two at a time and walked towards the kitchen. Even in the darkness, he knew where the switch was after so many years and reached out to flip it on.

Then he saw the ragged yellow monster sitting ominously on the kitchen table, staring at him with strange black eyes and a creepy smile, and he froze.

"GAH—"

Adriel let out a strangled sound of fright that was halfway between a gasp and a shout as he jumped nearly a foot into the air. He couldn't hear anything above the sound of his own raging heartbeat. Was there an intruder? But Meguri and his Pokemon hadn't said anything—

The man quickly turned on the kitchen lights, and he finally calmed down once he saw the identity of the monster. It was just Arin's Pokemon.

His heart was still racing from the adrenaline as he stared at the strange little guy. It stared back at him without moving. If he had to estimate, it couldn't have been more than six or seven inches tall. The strange black eyes and creepy smile Adriel had been scared by were just part of the face scribbled on the top half of its costume. Apparently its actual eyes peered out of the small holes on its body, or at least that's what Arin had told him. He hadn't dared ask what was underneath the cloth.

All in all, it was the strangest Pokemon Adriel had ever seen in his life. He wouldn't go so far as to call it creepy, as that would be rude to both the Pokemon and to his son who considered it family, but he couldn't help but feel unsettled by it.

The cup of water went forgotten as Adriel pulled out a kitchen chair and sank down on it, his eyes never leaving Arin's Pokemon.

"Hello, er… Mini? Mem?" he asked cautiously, struggling to remember the Pokemon's nickname. When the Mimikyu reacted to the second name, Adriel nodded absentmindedly to himself. Right. Mem the male Mimikyu. He remembered now. "Good morning, I guess?"

And by morning, he meant three or four AM.

Adriel tried not to flinch when the Mimikyu let out a strange sound that sounded like a cross of static and nails raking across a chalkboard. That… was certainly a very unique sound. He thought the Pokemon might have sounded happy, but it was hard to say for sure. Mem shuffled closer to him and looked up. Adriel looked right back.

There was a long silence as Adriel struggled to come up with something to say in the odd situation he had found himself in. His eyes caught sight of the blue hearts sewn onto Mem's cloth. "Arin added those for you, right?" Adriel asked, finally settling on that.

Mem made that same strange sound again, and this time Adriel could more clearly tell it expressed joy. Adriel smiled to himself as he studied the sewn hearts more closely. "Huh, he did a pretty good job. They look nice."

In response, Mem chittered another alien sound and spun around in a circle. Was he… showing off Arin's work? Huh, that was kind of cute, Adriel thought to himself as he watched the Mimikyu twist this way and that. He must have liked the compliment very much.

Adriel almost jumped again when the Mimikyu abruptly flew into the air and zoomed into the living room. He returned moments later with a small bag clutched by a shadowy claw that extended from the bottom of his cloth. Adriel eyed the dark tendril, deciding he didn't want to ask.

The bag was gently placed on the table and opened. Mem began pulling out various yellow cloths with scribbled faces, each with their own little patterns sewn onto them, and he held them up one by one with his shadow appendages. They were waved excitedly in front of Adriel's face, and he found himself smiling a little wider.

The more he looked, the more he thought Mem was actually sort of… adorable. His actions were definitely endearing.

Adriel's lips moved before he could even think. "Do you want another outfit? I might not look like it, but I'm pretty good at sewing."

The Mimikyu paused in the middle of showing off another fabric. Adriel thought he might have offended Arin's Pokemon somehow when Mem suddenly jumped up and down excitedly, letting out a steady stream of sounds that could have come from a horror movie.

Adriel wagered that meant a 'yes.' He went to grab his sewing kit and fabrics from a supply closet. When he came back and bunkered down at the kitchen table, Mem hopped up onto his shoulder and chittered away in his ear as he worked. Adriel didn't mind.

He ended up staying up for the rest of the morning talking to Mem.