Chapter 232: Meeting Senior Again
Chapter 232: Meeting Senior Again
"Alright."
Seeing Latias wrapped up snugly, Hikaru nodded in satisfaction.
Even if he wasn't sure if it actually helped, at least it offered some psychological comfort.
Latias curiously examined the clothes she was wearing.
Her rosy lips curved slightly, and her amber eyes squinted into happy crescent moons.
Hikaru really does care about me...
"Let's go."
Hikaru gently ruffled her hair, then turned to lead the way inside.
At the same time, he was wondering—
Bringing an extra person for lunch... Auntie Yu shouldn't mind, right?
But just as he turned around,
A figure appeared in front of him.
"Huh? Senior?"
Standing before Hikaru was none other than Yuki, whom he had last seen in Kyoto.
She was dressed simply—a crisp white t-shirt and black athletic shorts.
Her long, toned legs exuded the graceful strength of an experienced athlete.
It was a stark contrast to Latias, standing beside him—
Latias was draped in a fiery red coat, yet her demeanor remained adorably timid.
Meanwhile, Yuki still had her silver-white hair tied in a short ponytail, looking as sharp and energetic as ever.
A few days ago, she had mentioned being in another city...
No, wait—that information was from a while ago.
Yuki's eyes flickered over Latias before she smiled playfully and strode over to Hikaru.
"Why? Surprised to see me at home?"
"Uh… Weren't you traveling?"
Hikaru scratched his nose, genuinely curious.
Yuki nodded, then grinned mischievously.
"Yeah, and why are you back at this time?"
Without thinking, Hikaru answered, "I'm a student..."
Then he realized—Yuki was also a senior high school student.
She smirked.
"Alright, enough teasing you."
She raised her hand, as if to flick his forehead—
But then, she glanced at Latias beside him...
And instead, she simply patted his shoulder.
"I came back to transfer my school records too. And, by the way—you're not the only one the school invited. I was in the National High School League, remember?"
That's when Hikaru finally realized.
Aside from himself, there were two others from Mizuki High School who made it to the Nationals.
For a small city like Mizuki, producing even one top-tier student every decade was already impressive.
Yet this year, three had emerged—from the same school.
No wonder Mizuki High School expanded so much recently.
They had profited immensely from this success.
Hikaru gave her a thumbs-up.
"Senior, that's impressive!"
Yuki rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, right. If I could match even half of your achievements, I'd be overjoyed."
Then, she finally turned her gaze to Latias—
The silent girl standing beside him.
Her tone sounded casual, but her eyes were sharp.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?"
Since Hikaru had anticipated that Auntie Yu would ask about Latias' identity, he had already prepared an explanation.
Now that Yuki was the one asking, he could just use the same story.
No need to hide anything from those he trusted.
Hikaru glanced at Latias and gently patted her head.
"Senior, actually... you already know her."
He used his Aura powers to directly transmit his voice to Yuki's mind.
"She's my Latias."
Seeing Hikaru so casually petting the red-haired 'girl', Yuki had almost felt something stir in her chest—
But when she heard his voice in her head, she froze in shock.
Yuki's eyes widened.
She lowered her voice.
"A Pokémon...?"
Latias nodded lightly.
Yuki quickly covered her mouth—
She knew that Hikaru was telling her secretly because he didn't want the information to spread.
Hikaru smiled warmly.
"Yeah. She likes being outside, and since she has the ability to disguise herself, I just let her be."
Hearing this, Yuki finally relaxed.
"So that's how it is..."
If it was Latias, then everything made sense.
She let out a bright smile.
"Alright, let's go. My mom told me to come pick you up at the entrance. Lunch is ready."
"Great."
After all that talking, and with barely any breakfast, Hikaru was already starving.
Thanks to his Aura-enhanced senses, he could already smell the delicious aroma drifting from inside the Gym.
---
Inside the Frost Gym…
Two majestic Ninetales stood gracefully in the snow-covered courtyard.
One was level 44—Yuki's Pokémon.
The other, belonging to Auntie Yu, had broken through to Master rank.
A true Elite Pokémon.
From this, it was clear—
Auntie Yu must have been an incredible Trainer in her youth.
In Mizuki City, there weren't many Master-ranked Trainers.
Her Ninetales' breakthrough might even allow the Frost Gym to become the city's first Provincial Gym.
Hikaru greeted Yuki's Ninetales.
"Hey there!"
The Ninetales responded with a soft, elegant cry.
"Ying~ Ying~"
Hikaru couldn't help but admire—
Cold and regal, yet adorable at the same time—only Alolan Ninetales could pull that off.
---
Inside the dining room…
Auntie Yu was already setting the table.
Upon hearing movement, she removed her apron and greeted him warmly.
"Hikaru, just in time!"
Hikaru looked over—
The food was already served, filling the room with an irresistible aroma.
After traveling for so long, he hadn't seen such a well-prepared meal in a long time.
But at that moment—
Auntie Yu noticed Latias.
"And who might this be?"
Just as Hikaru was about to answer—
Yuki stepped in first.
"Oh, she's a friend Hikaru and I met in Kyoto. Right, Hikaru?"
She even winked playfully at him.
Hikaru immediately nodded in agreement.
At this point, even Latias herself didn't know how many identities she had accumulated.
The Identity-Changing Pokémon—Latias.
Auntie Yu glanced between the three of them, mildly suspicious, but didn't press the issue.
In traditional Mizuki hospitality—
"Guests are guests."
Since both her daughter and Hikaru had brought this girl along, then there was nothing wrong with welcoming her.
---
At the dining table…
As the eldest, Auntie Yu stood up first.
She raised her glass of fruit juice.
"Hikaru, Yuki, and... Dira."
Hikaru had quickly supplied the name.
Auntie Yu smiled.
"You are all young, talented Trainers. I don't drink, so I'll toast you with juice instead."
"Here's to your future success as Trainers—may you all go far!"
Hikaru and Yuki quickly stood up to accept the toast.
Latias, though a little confused, copied their actions, lifting her own glass of fruit juice and drinking it down.
"So sweet..."
Meanwhile—
As Auntie Yu finished drinking, she suddenly gave Hikaru a serious look.
Her gaze held an unmistakable intensity.
It was the kind of look that seemed to evaluate a future son-in-law…
---
Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*