Chapter 247: The Heartbroken Latias

Chapter 247: The Heartbroken Latias

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Pokémon: Bulbasaur

Ability: Chlorophyll

Gender: Male

Talent: Master

Level: 26

Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Take Down, Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Sweet Scent.

Traits: Species Value Regulator, Hard Work Leads to Strength, Battle Absorption.

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Latias carried Hikaru on its back, while Bulbasaur squinted its eyes, shyly hiding in Hikaru's arms.

"Seed, seed~"

Hikaru gently patted its head before returning it to its Poké Ball.

He had to admit, this trip to Mizuki City had been quite fruitful.

In a short time, his Pokémon had grown significantly!

If only Lucario were here too.

Though they had only been apart for a short while, Hikaru couldn't help but think of it at times like this.

He shook his head.

Who knows, maybe Lucario is progressing even faster where it is?

Liang Yue's Lucario had also mentioned that it would meet him in three months.

That timing coincided perfectly with the upcoming Youth League.

When the time came, he would bring it back, and it would surely be a great surprise.

Additionally, his trip to Mizuki City had also yielded the Rainbow Feather.

Thinking of it, Hikaru took it out and examined it, a trace of doubt surfacing in his mind.

Ho-Oh had given out two Rainbow Feathers—one to him and one to Rochen.

So, who would Marshadow, the Shadow Guide, choose to follow?

With that thought, Hikaru glanced at his own shadow, cast onto Latias' back.

Whether using his Aura power or the Detection Eye, he couldn't find anything unusual.

If even the Detection Eye couldn't detect anything, then Marshadow was likely not lurking in his shadow.

Realizing this, Hikaru sighed in relief.

Having a Pokémon that feeds on fear constantly lurking around would be unsettling, to say the least.

He decided to leave that "opportunity" to Rochen.

Before long, Kyoto's skyline came into view.

Latias let out a soft chirp, "Mmm?" (Hikaru, should we land?)

Hikaru quickly replied, "Land at the city entrance."

In Mizuki City, he had felt comfortable letting Latias appear freely, but Kyoto was a different story—it was a place full of powerful trainers.

After his experience in Void Town, Hikaru knew that Latias' transformation ability couldn't fool everyone.

Some experienced trainers could tell at a glance that it wasn't human.

"Mmm..." (Okay...)

Latias adjusted its flight path and gently landed Hikaru at Kyoto's entrance.

However, instead of immediately transforming into human form, it remained in its Pokémon form, staring at the Poké Balls on Hikaru's belt.

It was only then that Hikaru noticed something was off.

Today, Latias seemed a bit down.

Normally, when carrying him, its joy meter would rise a little—not much, but over time, it added up to a decent amount of trait currency.

But today, nothing.

Could it be… homesick?

That thought suddenly flashed through Hikaru's mind.

Softly, he asked, "What's wrong? You don't seem happy today."

The innocent and naïve Latias never hid its emotions.

If it was happy, it showed.

If it was upset, it showed as well.

Upon hearing Hikaru's question, Latias nodded.

Then, in a move that completely stunned Hikaru, it transformed into human form and threw itself into his arms.

It even started whimpering softly.

Hikaru quickly glanced around—fortunately, they were still in the wilderness outside Kyoto, and no one was around.

Otherwise, there'd be no explaining this situation.

"Alright, alright, don't cry…"

Hikaru didn't question it right away.

Instead, he gently patted Latias' back and comforted it.

He had learned from his childhood experience of dealing with a certain "crybaby" that when someone was upset, the first thing to do was to let their emotions settle before asking what had happened.

Latias didn't cry for long.

Soon, it pulled away from Hikaru's embrace.

Hikaru wiped away the tears at the corners of its eyes and looked at it seriously.

"Are you homesick?"

For Latias, its real home was in Alto Mare—or deep in the ocean.

Thinking about it, it hadn't been traveling with him for too long, right?

If it truly missed home, Hikaru wouldn't stop it from leaving, no matter how reluctant he was.

Every Pokémon was an individual with its own choices.

However, Latias shook its head.

It definitely wasn't homesick.

For the past eighteen years, it had lived a monotonous life—Alto Mare, migration, and then, once strong enough, fulfilling its ancestral duty of providing energy to the Soul Dew in the depths of Alto Mare's temple.

Day after day, the same routine.

A dull and colorless existence.

But traveling with Hikaru was fun.

He was like the first ray of light in its life.

Latias itself wasn't even sure why it had suddenly felt the urge to cry and throw itself into Hikaru's arms.

It had simply felt uncomfortable—especially when it sensed Hikaru and that human trainer named "Yuki" getting close.

Particularly when they were about to kiss.

It had felt terrible.

Latias didn't understand what jealousy was.

It only knew that Hikaru had rejected such things from it before, yet he didn't refuse that human.

And worse—he had been the one to initiate it.

As the saying goes, comparison breeds disappointment...

Seeing Latias calm down slightly, Hikaru asked again, "Are you missing Manaphy? After this busy period, I'll try to find it so you can play together."

Manaphy was probably the Pokémon Latias was closest to.

It was only natural that Hikaru thought of this possibility.

But… would that really make Latias cry like this?

"Okay…"

Latias nodded but ultimately didn't voice its real feelings.

Hikaru didn't try to probe further with his Aura power.

"Do you still want to stay outside?"

Seeing Latias still in human form, Hikaru asked.

"Yes…"

Latias carefully nodded.

It didn't want to stay inside the Poké Ball.

"Alright."

Hikaru smiled softly.

Then, he pulled out his phone and opened the navigation app.

No need to ask why.

He simply didn't know where Central Youth University was.

After checking the map, Hikaru felt a little helpless.

It seemed he had entered the city from the wrong direction.

With no other choice, he had Latias transform back into its original form and carry him around the city to approach Kyoto from the correct direction.

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Half an hour later.

The golden hues of sunset bathed the city.

Hikaru stood at the entrance of a massive university, a backpack slung over his shoulder.

Inside the gates, the first thing he saw was a huge stone tablet.

Engraved on it were the words:

"Erudition, Determination, Wisdom, Innovation."

Nearby, a plaque read:

"Wish upon a star—See you at Central Youth University."

Seeing this, Hikaru nearly lost his composure.

What an artistic university...

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