Caitlin Is In Trouble

With no other choice, she pulled Allen by the sleeve and scolded him, "Let's go. We've got math next, and I don't want to be late because of you."

Allen sighed upon hearing this.

School.

For students, it can feel like a never-ending cycle, sometimes so tiresome that it's hard to stay awake. But for those who have entered the phase of working to make a living, school becomes a distant memory—a time they wish they could revisit, when things felt simpler and more precious.

When Allen learned that he had to go back to school, he paled. But deep down, he had expected it, and it left his mind in turmoil.

The basic education system mirrors general systems where students take courses in various subjects such as mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, and, of course, basic Pokémon studies.

As students progress through the grades, they learn more about how Pokémon fit into the world and society. There are also various extracurricular activities, including Pokémon-related ones, that allow students to gain hands-on experience before owning their own Pokémon.

The only difference is that students are also forced to learn about map reading, first aid, food sourcing, water sourcing and purification, shelter building, signaling for help, self-defense, and emergency evacuation plans—of course, all as part of the education reform's consequences.

There was so much to learn for newbies. And so, the lesson began.

The depressed atmosphere lasted until the end of school in the afternoon and continued through the weekend until Cynthia's birthday.

"Everyone is so strange today. They don't even play with me! Even Allen..." Cynthia fell silent.

Beside her was the housekeeper, Minccino, but the Pokémon, as always, seemed to choose their own company, completely ignoring her. Nothing was more important than cleanliness to this clean freak!

Cynthia sat on the puzzle carpet in the living room, holding her big bell Pokémon, Chingling, in her arms. She peeked at her grandmother in the kitchen, busy cooking.

Professor Carolina, of course, was caught up in her tasks. But since it was Cynthia's birthday, she promised to drop everything and celebrate with her granddaughter.

"Grandma said I couldn't come to the kitchen... but why?" Cynthia muttered to herself, her little mind racing. "It must be Grandma secretly doing something and not letting me know. Is it delicious food? Is Grandma eating alone and not inviting me? Hmph, bad Grandma!"

Her imagination ran wild, and she put her toys aside, already impatient. But, as with most children, her patience didn't last long. She stood up and shouted, "Grandma, I'm hungry!"

"Did you take a bath yet?" came the voice from the kitchen.

"Ah? Now? No, I haven't taken a bath yet."

"Well then go take a bath! Why haven't you bathed all day? Do you know your smell is so strong it's reaching me all the way over here? Shoo, shoo, go get cleaned up!"

Her cheeks turned red, but with a determined puff, she rushed off to the bathroom. 'I'll get back at Grandma later with a big, clean hug!'

While Cynthia was busy, Allen had already arrived in front of her house. But this time, he didn't shout or knock on the front door. Instead, he went around to the back door.

Allen didn't hesitate. He tiptoed and pressed his little hand against the window sill, then tried to jump, but before he could, he met a pair of eyes

"..."

"Ah, good morning, Grandma Carolina! I thought no one was here!" Allen waved his hands frantically, doing his best to sound innocent and naive.

Professor Carolina chuckled, but when she looked behind Allen and saw that he was alone, she was a bit confused. "Are you by yourself?"

"Yes, why, Grandma?"

"Well, Cynthia mentioned two people were coming—there was you and... what was her name again? Catherine?"

"Oh, Caitlin. Has she not arrived yet? Wait, at school, Cynthia said she would pick her up!"

"Is that so? Cynthia didn't mention anything about that," Professor Carolina said with a sigh. "She must have forgotten," she murmured, then paused and glanced at Allen. But before she could say anything, Allen patted his chest with confidence.

"No worries, Grandma. I'll go pick her up."

Before Professor Carolina could respond, Allen was already on his way out.

Caitlin's house was easy to find. Cynthia had mentioned that in the entire neighborhood, Caitlin's house was the only one with an iron gate, making it stand out compared to all the others that used short, traditional wooden fences.

It was hard to miss.

After arriving at Caitlin's house, Allen tiptoed and rang the doorbell. Soon, a rough adult male voice came from the other side of the door.

"Hello, who are you looking for? Eh, why is no one here...?"

"Uncle! Uncle, I'm Allen, Caitlin's classmate from kindergarten, and I also live in this neighborhood. I'm here to pick her up and take her to Cynthia's house."

"Cynthia? Oh, I've heard Caitlin mention her, but I don't think I've ever heard of you. Never mind. Are you here to play with her?"

"No, it's Cynthia's birthday. I want to take Caitlin to her house."

"Ah, Cynthia's birthday! Yes, Caitlin told me about that. Wait for me there."

Soon, the same person Allen had seen earlier at school came over to the gate. It was Caitlin's father, but Allen was taken aback when he saw him.

He looked like a chicken that had just been in a fight—his hair was messy, and his shirt was wrinkled. Allen wondered if Caitlin had inherited her wildness from her dad.

"Uh, sorry, kid. Caitlin's still getting ready... You know... just woke up. Been, uh, busy..." he said, scratching his messy hair, as if trying to come up with some excuse. "Forget it. Come on in, and please, just bear with it for a moment."

'He doesn't do well with children,' Allen thought, blinking, unsure of what to say. But he decided to follow him inside.

As soon as they entered the living room, Allen could see the mess on the floor. Broken plates and food were scattered everywhere.

He then saw Caitlin's father begin squatting on the floor, silently picking up the pieces. His expression was grim, and it was unclear what was going through his mind.

"Uncle?" Allen stammered. He didn't want to ask, but he couldn't help himself.

When Caitlin's father looked up and saw him, he smiled apologetically. He glanced at the mess on the floor and awkwardly said, "Caitlin has a bad temper. She's been waiting for her little friend all morning, but she didn't come. So, you can guess what happened. Now she's locked herself in her room and won't listen to anyone."

Caitlin had locked herself in her room and wouldn't listen to anyone. He was at his wits' end. He had considered calling Cynthia himself to ask for help, but that would mean leaving Caitlin alone since his Machoke was at the Pokémon Center for a checkup, which he didn't want to risk.

Then he looked toward Allen and thought, 'He said he's also Caitlin's classmates, right?' So he asked, "Your name is Allen, right? Can you help?"

"..."

Allen was taken aback. "Sure, of course." However, he wasn't sure why he had suddenly replied like that. Maybe it was because he had often played with the younger kids at kindergarten, making him feel a sense of responsibility.

He led Allen toward his daughter's room, his footsteps heavy with frustration. He knocked a few times on the door.

"Caitlin, dear, your friend is here."

There was no movement inside.

He sighed heavily, his patience wearing thin. "Your friend is here to pick you up. Don't you want to go? Are you still throwing a tantrum?"

Everything remained eerily quiet.

He raised his voice, clearly losing patience. "Don't think I can't do anything if you keep hiding in there! If you don't open this door, I'll get someone to come and tear it down!"

Just as he was about to make another threat, Allen suddenly interrupted.

"I'm in!" he shouted, his voice breaking through the tense silence.

"...?" Caitlin's father was stunned. He had been moments away from escalating things, and now here was Allen, interrupting him with an unexpected declaration.

Where did he go? He was frightened and quickly turned around while covered in a cold sweat.

"Uncle, I'm already inside, don't worry" Allen's voice sounded again.

The voice sounded a little muffled; it came from inside the room.

...hmm??

He really was inside already? How did you get in? This kid… How did he do it?

"Allen, right? Allen!" Caitlin's father was a little bit at a loss, so he asked him, "Tell Uncle, how did you get in?"

Allen turned around near the door and squatted down. A small head appeared from a small hole at the bottom of the door, saying in a low voice, "I saw a hole here, so I snuck in," he said before pulling her back. He then added, "Uncle, don't worry, I'll bring Caitlin out."

"..."

He was always busy because of work, and that's why he couldn't accompany Caitlin every day. This is probably what shaped Caitlin's personality, making her more of a loner, and it made him feel very guilty.

This is why, secretly, last year on Caitlin's birthday, he gave her a Pokémon egg, which he had quietly bought from the black market.

At this age, children were not allowed to own Pokémon personally, but they were allowed to play with them.

The reason was simple—Pokémon required proper care, responsibility, and understanding, which young children had yet to develop fully.

Instead, children could interact with family-owned Pokémon or those provided in supervised environments, such as schools or community centers.

This helped them learn how to handle Pokémon safely, understand their behaviors, and develop a bond with them before they were old enough to become official aspiring trainers.

Now, why the black market? Why not just give it to her openly?

Remember the Pokéball Big Data System?

Yeah, it's about registration and identification.

His plan was simple: let Caitlin have a little Pokémon, and after she was old enough, she could use it as her starter Pokémon. That way, there would be no problem.

And that Pokémon egg has already hatched, becoming a Gothita. That baby Pokémon got along really well with her and liked to sleep with her. Every night, it would sneak under her blanket.

'Wait a minute!'

It seems he just remembered about Gothita just now! 'Oh, crap!!!'

The room was very dim. The curtains were all closed, blocking any light from coming in. There was no lamp inside the room, making it very hard to see.

Allen, of course, wasn't afraid of the dark. Living in Celestic Town, where power outages were common, he had long been used to doing things at night.

Only... he had no idea where she was. Then, when he was about to open the curtains, the wardrobe made a thud sound.

'So, there she was!'