Chapter 6: Don’t Come Back Unless You Become a Master!

"Yep! It's all for you. So, are you happy~?" The girl beamed playfully.

"I can't accept this. These things are far too valuable," Ather shook his head, refusing.

Whitney puffed up her cheeks and put her hands on her hips like she always did. "I'm the boss here, and what I say goes! You have to take them!"

"Why should I?"

"Because... because I spent months carefully collecting all this! Those Luxury Balls are practically priceless. I went every week just to see if they were in stock and only managed to collect enough after three whole months!"

Whitney said proudly, her baby-fat cheeks still stained with clear tear marks in the morning light.

Ather felt a tremor in his heart.

All of Whitney's strange behaviors in recent months suddenly made sense...

He finally realized why she had been cooking meals early, even though she never liked cooking...

Why last night's dinner was so rich and abundant...

Why she always spent so long at the department store every time...

"You..."

"What me? Hmph... After I spent all that time preparing everything, some people don't even say thank you..."

"I mean... did you cry last night?" Ather reached out his hand, trying to gently touch her cheek.

Whitney's eyes flickered with panic and she stepped back. "No, of course not. I just yawned this morning when I woke up, that's all..."

Ather looked at her for a long time before speaking hesitantly, "How about... we travel together?"

In his past life, Ather had never fallen in love. The only relationship he had was a scam that left him emotionally and financially broken, which made him numb to feelings. But the girl in front of him gave him a strange, warm feeling.

Like an oasis appearing in the middle of a desert...

Unconsciously, he extended an invitation to her.

Whitney's eyes sparkled for a moment, her face full of longing, but then she shook her head with difficulty. "I can't. I'm the current Gym Leader of Goldenrod Gym. I can't just run off like that... Grandpa wants me to carry on the gym's legacy."

"..." Ather fell silent. He knew how much her grandfather meant to her.

"Alright, alright, just do as I say. No refusing!" Whitney slung a backpack over and shoved it into Ather's arms. "There's more stuff in here. Take your time and look through it. Walnut invited me out today, so I'm off!"

"Ah? Oh..."

Ather watched Whitney walk away, her steps slightly unsteady, and felt a heavy weight in his heart.

He didn't call out her clumsy lie. Those teary eyes, that forced smile with lips that never truly curved upward—it all clearly revealed what she was really feeling.

He wanted to tell her that the gym didn't matter, that they could travel together and chase their dreams.

But he couldn't.

He had no right to ask Whitney to make any sacrifices. And more importantly, he lacked the strength to give her that choice.

At least not yet.

"...Sigh." Ather let out a deep sigh. The figure of the pink-haired girl etched itself even deeper into his mind.

As he was brooding, a synthetic voice rang from the backpack, accompanied by a cheerful melody. It was Walnut's voice:

Ather blinked and pulled out a portable music player from the side pocket.

"Today, we received a letter from a mysterious guest. She wanted to use this broadcast to say something from her heart to the most important person in her life..."

Just as Ather was about to switch it off, Whitney's voice came through the speakers.

"I'm really sorry to say goodbye this way..."

"Six years ago, that night when we first met... You weren't very handsome, but you looked clean. Even though you were sitting in a shabby corner, you somehow made me feel safe. Thank you—for walking me home."

"Ever since then, I guess my sense of direction hasn't been as bad. At least... every time I get lost, I remember that intersection."

"The best part was—you were always there."

"Three years ago, I lost the person who meant the most to me. And again, you walked me home while I cried. Maybe... from that moment on, you became the most important one."

Ather stared blankly, emotions in his heart shattering and rebuilding all at once.

Whitney... how could she...

"I know today is your 18th birthday, and it's also the beginning of your journey to chase your dream... I've been preparing for this day for a long, long time..."

"So please... don't reject the gifts I gave you, alright?"

"I'm sorry. Maybe we once promised to travel together, but I'll have to stay here and chase the dream slowly, bit by bit. But I hope... you can work hard too. Chase it for the both of us."

"Now... you can open the backpack~..."

Her voice faded out, and Walnut took over the broadcast: "Now, let's play a song specially requested by our guest: 'Aim to Be a Pokémon Master'!"

"Pokémon get da ze~!"

The tune struck deep in Ather's chest. She still remembered his favorite song...

He opened the backpack and right on top was an envelope.

"Hey, dummy Ather. If you're reading this, I guess you've figured out my decision...

Because of Grandpa—and you—I've been happy all these years. That's enough. From now on, I want to work hard to realize your dream and Grandpa's too."

"Since every time I asked what Pokémon you liked you wouldn't tell me (so stingy!), I got you a plane ticket. You can use it to travel to another region and find your ideal Pokémon partner. Sounds good, right? Happy?"

"To make sure a rookie like you can catch something decent, I also put Grandpa's Miltank in the backpack. You've known it a long time, so it should help you find a good starter partner~"

"Oh, and I took the liberty of packing seasonal outfits for you—inside and out! Your old clothes were all too small! Walking around like that would embarrass me, Lady Whitney! People would think we're poor!"

"Lastly... Safe travels! (Don't you dare come back unless you become a Master! Hmph!) —Whitney."

Ather: "..."

He had imagined countless ways they might say goodbye.

But never like this.

Surprise, gratitude, longing—all those emotions crashed together inside him like a storm.

He opened the envelope and took out a card—it was a Pokemon Airlines Unlimited Global Pass. In simple terms, Ather could fly anywhere, anytime, as many times as he wanted.

There were also several sets of clothes in the backpack, durable and perfect for all seasons, all in the casual style he liked.

In one corner sat a scratched Poké Ball—that was the old Gym Leader's Miltank.

Ather silently stored everything into his system backpack. As the room around him emptied out, his heart felt just as hollow.

Thinking of Whitney's bright, lovely face, he couldn't help but take out his phone and dial her number.

.....

[300PS= 1Bonus chapter]

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