Chapter 87: Reunion

Klein's breathing grew heavy, his entire body trembling violently. The cold facade he had maintained for so long shattered in an instant.

The icy numbness that had taken hold when she left was now melting away with her return.

His heart was in turmoil.

He reached out instinctively, locking eyes with Rosa.

A flicker of emotion crossed Rosa's face—an inexplicable, unfamiliar sensation. That very moment, the DNA Splicers within her reacted, resonating intensely.

"Ah… my head… hurts…"

A crack formed in her memory, sending waves of pain through her. As Klein stared in shock, Emboar and Serperior suddenly appeared at her sides.

"Emboar…"

With a silent gesture, Emboar signaled for Klein to stay calm, while Serperior released a soothing aroma, stabilizing Rosa's condition. Her breathing gradually evened out.

Fearing that the DNA Splicers' resonance would cause further harm, Klein hurriedly suppressed his own connection to its power. Slowly, Rosa's expression softened.

"Water," Klein said quickly.

Before Emboar could react, Klein had already poured a glass and handed it over. Rosa took a sip and let out a long breath. "Don't worry, this happens sometimes. Ever since I lost my memories, I've had these headaches."

She forced a cheerful smile and lightly patted her cheeks. "So don't even think about using this as an excuse to fire me, Elite Klein."

Now fully conscious, Rosa had recognized the troublesome Elite Four member standing before her. She knew him well enough to expect he might start causing her problems, so she decided to set the terms upfront.

Watching Rosa's familiar gestures, Klein felt his eyes sting. He wanted to step forward, but concern held him back. What if she collapsed again? He hesitated, torn between joy and apprehension. "That's not what I was thinking at all…"

Now realizing exactly who was standing in front of her, Rosa professionally collected the six Poké Balls and placed them into the healing machine. It was clear she was trying to do her job as perfectly as possible—just in case this irritating guy was here to make trouble for her.

She kept reminding herself to maintain a professional smile. She had to. Who knows? Maybe those weird glasses he wears have some kind of hidden scanning function for spying on me.

Meanwhile, Klein's gaze never left her.

He had wanted to say something—but now that she was finally here, he found himself at a complete loss for words.

A mix of sourness and joy swirled inside him. The normally composed Elite Four member now stood frozen like a fool, simply watching Rosa as she went about her work.

After what felt like an eternity, Klein finally regained his composure, slipping back into his usual expressionless demeanor. He gestured toward a nearby poster. "Tomorrow is my match against Cynthia."

Rosa yawned, responding casually, "I know. I'll take good care of your injured Pokémon. Actually, losing to someone as strong as Cynthia wouldn't be anything to be ashamed of."

She smiled in what she thought was an encouraging way, but the words completely shattered Klein's confidence.

"I never planned on losing!"

Still so stubborn. Rosa decided not to tease him further—if she pushed too much, he might start pestering her. "Fine, fine. Wishing you a victorious return."

"So that means… you think I'm going to win?"

Huh?

Rosa blinked at Klein's question, suddenly feeling a little awkward. Did she? In truth, she didn't think he had much of a chance. But considering that he was technically her boss, she hesitated for a moment before answering in the most noncommittal way possible.

"Uh… yeah, sure, you're totally going to win."

Klein seemed satisfied with this. He picked up his Poké Balls and thought for a moment. "Book me a room here. Also, here's my contact info—give me your number."

"…Huh?"

"The new Pokémon Center is important, and there are matters we need to discuss. Besides, I don't need to waste public resources by staying at the academy dorms."

This wasn't just a sudden whim. Ever since the Pokémon Center was built, Klein had intended to move in so he could be closer to his Pokémon and manage things more efficiently.

Rosa's presence only accelerated that decision. Since she's working here, I might as well make the move now.

And, of course, it was a convenient excuse to get her to give him her contact information.

Reluctantly, Rosa exchanged numbers with Klein. After registering his details into the system, she realized—Klein would now be staying here indefinitely.

In other words, they would be living in the same Pokémon Center…

—

All the while, Klein's attention remained fixed on Rosa.

Emboar, who had been happily shedding tears over their reunion, was starting to get annoyed. Hey, don't just forget about me!

Meanwhile, Serperior turned its head away with a haughty flick, but its expression showed clear dissatisfaction.

If you like her so much, why don't you just leave already and never come back?

"Emboar, I'll be counting on you to look after Rosa for now."

As Rosa continued working, Klein moved closer to Emboar and spoke in a hushed tone. The Fire-type Pokémon, who had been sobbing just moments ago, suddenly straightened up in surprise.

Bringing Emboar back into his team might trigger another reaction from the DNA Splicers. For now, until he found a proper way to help Rosa recover, Klein decided she should stay here—where he could keep an eye on her.

As for Emboar…

Serperior would miss you.

—

Serperior had been watching Emboar the entire time. On the surface, it seemed indifferent—cold and unimpressed. But in reality, it was deeply afraid that Emboar might leave.

Four years had passed, and their bond had only grown stronger.

Klein patted Emboar reassuringly. "Don't worry. This time, I won't abandon any of you."

—

"All done!"

Rosa handed Klein his Pokédex, her long hair flowing over her white nurse uniform.

Klein took one last glance at her. "I'll be off, then."

As she watched him leave, Rosa suddenly realized…

Somehow, I don't really hate him anymore.

"Even if I don't hate him… that keyboard curse I typed out before…"

The memory made her burst into laughter.

Hearing Rosa's laughter, Emboar suddenly got chills. It turned to see Serperior staring daggers at it.

Serperior's gaze carried an unspoken message: If you don't do what I say tonight, don't even think about sleeping next to me.

—

Klein returned to his quarters alone. As the lights flickered on, he immediately grabbed the file containing Rosa's records and tore it open.

Her full information was laid out before him.

Four years ago, she had been found in Celadon City, suffering from amnesia. The local Nurse Joy had taken her in, and she had worked as a nurse ever since. The only thing she remembered was her name—Rosa.

Celadon City.

Klein had never challenged the Celadon Gym before. He had only stopped in the main district for a short break at the Pokémon Center before leaving in a hurry.

"I almost sent her back there without realizing it…"

He had no regrets about assigning Nurse Joy to Cinnabar Island's Pokémon Center. Even knowing now that it was Rosa, he still believed Joy was the best choice for the position.

That said, the circumstances would have been handled differently had he known earlier. But no matter what—now that he had found Rosa, his emotions had become completely unsettled.

As for the ongoing debate about the Pokémon Center's management, Klein finally reached a decision. He would submit a formal request to the Joy family, asking them to send another Nurse Joy to temporarily take over the old Pokémon Center for a month.

During that time, Rosa and the current Nurse Joy would oversee the new Pokémon Center together.

It was the best compromise Klein could make. With the Pokémon Center being a key part of the region's development, he couldn't afford any mistakes.

In reality, even if Klein had done nothing, the Joy family would have eventually reached out to discuss Rosa's situation. But now that he had made his stance clear, the matter of the Pokémon Center's internal disputes had finally come to an end.

(End of Chapter)