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They cross Koharu on the way to breakfast, already in uniform and primed for school. Wanpachi trots along after her with a happy tongue wag.
“Morning, Koharu,” Gou greets. Satoshi starts to echo him but cuts off with a long yawn, Pikachu and Hibanny following suit.
“Morning,” she says, then addresses Satoshi idly: “Your mom’s been calling.”
At once, any remaining drowsiness is replaced with a renewed spark, and Satoshi rushes past into the breakfast room without so much as a thanks. Pikachu launches himself off Satoshi’s shoulder to get ahead, and Hibanny, not to be outdone, bounces after them.
This leaves Gou alone to say his goodbyes to an imperturbable Koharu. To be polite, he asks about school. The topic only seems to agitate her, seeing as he ended up dropping out despite her efforts to get him on track. It’s a sore spot, even if he knows she can’t hold a grudge against him for long. Wanpachi allows him to pet it behind the ears before it walks Koharu out the house.
When Gou finally enters the repurposed parlor room, he sees Barrierd placing down a tray of Sinnoh poffins for Pikachu and Hibanny, who start on them immediately. Satoshi is at the table with the video receiver, gleaming at the projected face of his mother.
“—not working today. Our flight from Isshu came in late last night so the Professor told us to take the day off. Gou caught a Goloog! It was like shing! And we went boom! It was great!”
“My, that sounds like fun!”
Gou irons out a cringe before looking over Satoshi’s shoulder. “Nice to see you again, Ms. Hanako.”
“Oh, Gou!” Hanako resembles her son most in her eyes. They sparkle at him, blinding. “Hello, darling. Has my Satoshi been treating you well? He’s not getting into too much trouble again, is he?”
Satoshi pouts. “No fair, Mama. Nothing big’s even really happened.” It sounds sincere, which has Gou reeling. Unearthing ancient Pokémon and nearly dying via booby traps still isn’t enough for this kid.
Hanako, however, doesn’t miss a beat. “There’s always something or other, isn’t there?”
“He’s been a good companion,” Gou defends, then feels himself getting warm at his own words. It’s true, anyhow; Satoshi, despite his initial impression, has made up for the instincts Gou so begrudgingly lacks. “He’s a bit—y’know… still, he’s helped me a lot.”
“‘Y’know’?” repeats Satoshi. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
In reply, Gou makes a face, and Satoshi comes up, slinging an arm over to mess with Gou’s hair. Gou’s never been the type to roughhouse, but Satoshi’s constant breach of personal space is leaving traces on his own habits.
Hanako’s laughter is a lilting tinkle. “I’m glad you’re both getting along.”
Satoshi releases his hold and Gou’s set free. “Anyway, what’s up?” he asks her. “Is everything okay?”
“Nothing to worry about, honey.” She turns away for a moment, searching for something. “There was an international call last night. I was asleep, of course, the time differences must’ve… See for yourself!”
The screen splits, revealing another image, shapeless and indiscernible at first. Satoshi presses play and the video comes alive.
Gou makes out the blurry figure of a young girl around their age, a large white sun hat taking up most of the frame. She’s pretty and well-dressed, and on her lap sits a Rokon with matching coloring. An Alolan regional form. Gou’s never seen one before today.
“Lillie!” Satoshi cries in glee. Pikachu looks up from his breakfast and chirps a “Pika!” just as enthusiastically.
The girl in the video, Lillie, begins to speak. “Hello, Satoshi! I hope you’re doing well! I am forwarding this to Kanto, but it’s possible you’re in some far off place by now…”
The Sakuragi Institute is a two hour drive from Masara. Gou watches Satoshi through the corner of his vision. Satoshi acts as normal as always. There’s no real tell present. He’s kicking the heel of one shoe against the leg of his chair, and has dropped his chin onto a resting hand, eyes glued to the screen. Pikachu’s attention had already diverted back to his food.
“I was going to write a letter, but Snowy wanted to say hi, too!” The Rokon mewled on cue, making Gou smile. “At the moment, we’ve taken a pause in Kalos—poor Magearna’s stopped lighting the way for a bit. It must be because we’ve gone without oiling her for a few weeks now. She needs consistent maintenance for consistent performance! So Mother says. She’s out finding the right equipment now. I think it’s also an excuse to scout the lab here in Lumiose. I can’t blame her—I’ve just taken a stroll by the Prism Tower myself! There’s so much to take in!”
“They’re in Kalos,” Satoshi murmurs.
“Far,” Gou comments unnecessarily. Kalos seems like a world away, as much as any region they’ve been to so far, he supposes.
Offscreen, another voice chimes in: “Is that Satoshi?”
“It is recording a video message. Would you like to say hello? I’m sure he’d like that.”
A boy’s head pops into the picture, followed by the rest of his body, and Gou immediately identifies him as Lillie’s brother. They look strikingly alike, aside from their taste in clothing, down to the shape of their noses. Now settled in the PokéCenter call booth seat, the boy looks uncomfortable.
“Uh, hey,” he says awkwardly. He coughs, clearing his throat. “Hope you aren’t slacking where you are. You still owe me that rematch.”
“Brother!” Lillie chastises, nudging him with her elbow.
There’s silence for a bit, before the guy starts up again. “Silvady and the others are doing well. We’re so close. Once we get Magearna running again, it won’t be long before...”
“We’re hoping for the best,” his sister adds when he trails off. She sounds determined. “He’s out there, and we will find him. It’s only a matter of when.”
The boy turns to Lillie and says, “We should probably go. Mother’s already on her way to the lab.”
“Already?” She sighs, letting out an exasperated, “Oh, Mother.”
“See you, Satoshi,” the boy tells the camera. “Hopefully sooner, rather than later.”
“We miss you and everyone so very much. All the sights so far have been beautiful in their own way, but there’s still nothing quite like an Alolan sunset, don’t you think?” Snowy the Rokon squalls, reluctant to go. Lillie giggles. “I know, Snowy. Say bye to Satoshi and Pikachu!”
Snowy squeals again, and this time Pikachu bays something back. Hibanny, in a curious imitation, does the same.
The video ends. Gou looks to Satoshi to garner his reaction. All Satoshi does is stretch his arms and stifle a yawn. When his mother comes back on the line, their conversation is short. Hanako, made of the same whimsical stuff as her son, has lined up new priorities within her short intermission. Satoshi doesn’t seem surprised.
“Enjoy your day off, boys,” Hanako tells them. “Bari-baby! Pika-sweetie! Love you!”
She doesn’t wait for an answer. The holoscreen goes dark. Satoshi switches off the Rotom phone and swivels to Gou, a grin stretching across his face.
“That was Lillie and Gladio,” he says. “They’re on a journey searching for their dad.”
This seems like a simplification of something extremely faceted, and for once Gou is glad for it. “How do you know them?”
“Me and Lillie went to school together in Alola.” That’s all he had to offer on the subject. “Pikachu! We’re gonna do some training today! Got a lot to teach Kairyu, don’t we?”
“Pika-pika!”
“You’re not going to—eat?”
“I almost forgot.” Satoshi frowns. “Woah, I’m so hungry! What’s for breakfast?”
Gou had been on the verge of asking, You’re not going to reply? The way Lillie had expressed missing him, the drive in Gladio’s voice—they’re intimacies Gou has no right to intrude on. Yet he doesn’t feel like a stranger, not when they’re emotions not so far from what he’s felt.
The reason Gou doesn’t ask is not because he can imagine an answer, but because he can picture the faultless smile that will come with it. This, he decides, is not worth the risk.
Satoshi’s breathing is still unsteady by nightfall, and Gou stays up from the worry. The fever has yet to subside; Satoshi expects it to break by morning, and it’s possible it just might be shattered by his willpower alone. For now, Satoshi lies with Pikachu in the bottom bunk, tossing and turning.
His newly caught Gangar phases in and out of the room throughout the night, dropping random items that it thinks might help. The floor is now littered with stuffed toys and fruits. Eventually, it conjures a Pokémon Full Heal, which rolls loudly across the floorboards. Gou hears Satoshi snicker, confirming his suspicion that the other boy had awoken at some point.
“Silly,” Satoshi says quietly. Immediately, Gangar reappears in full, hulking form. From the top bunk, Gou can only see the upper half of its face. Its gaze never strays from its trainer. “Thank you, Gangar.”
“Gar.”
“Man, you’re so good. Really, really good. I can’t believe he could think you could ever be bad.” His voice suddenly turns, uncharacteristically vicious, when he says, “I hate that. I hate trainers like him so much. They don’t get it. Why don’t they ever...”
“Gangar?”
“You didn’t deserve to be abandoned.” He says something softer that Gou can’t make out. “But it’s okay now, because you have me. And Pikachu! Kairyu, too, and everyone back at Professor Okido’s. You never have to feel alone again. I promise.”
Gangar croons. Gou wonders if it really understood any of that. All the same, Gangar flicks a hand, and out pop Full Heals, Full Restores, Hyper Potions—one loud slam after the other. Satoshi’s laughter swells so loudly that Gou pretends he’s woken up just to complain. Truly-awakened Pikachu growls at them all, threatening a shock, and everyone simmers into the inevitable sweep of dreams.
To Gou’s chagrin, Satoshi’s fever does break by sunrise.
Gou is in Sakuragi Park, feeding his trio of Mayulds, when he spots Satoshi trotting down the hill with his cap spun backwards. On his tail is a determined-looking Kairyu, its nostrils flaring.
“Oh, no,” Gou begins, shaking his head. “You know the Professor said no hardcore training in here!”
Satoshi tilts his head, clueless. “I thought that was only for Pikachu’s hundred thousand volts?”
“No destructive moves allowed within a hundred meters of my babies! You remember the last time these guys got in the way, don’t you?”
Satoshi bends to pet a Mayuld. “Right. Sorry Pikachu electrocuted you, Gou’s babies.” The Mayuld preens under his touch.
Gou, irritated that Satoshi had managed to win over one of his charges so quickly, continues to lecture. “Pikachu’s a veteran battler. Even his weakest moves can knock out a whole bunch of my Pokémon. You should be more careful next time.”
Satoshi thumbs-up wholeheartedly. Satisfied, Gou puts his hands on his waist and scans the vicinity. Satoshi’s Kairyu is trying to hug Hibanny, and Hibanny is doing his best to avoid contact. Somewhere in the distance, there’s a group of Gou’s Pokémon, maybe holding a civil council, or perhaps fighting over a particularly interesting stick. There’s a yellow dot moving amidst them, and Gou now knows where Pikachu’s been stalling. He never strays too far from his trainer, after all.
“Hey, Gou,” Satoshi says, nonchalantly pulling the Mayuld into his lap, unbothered by its spiky ends. “I could teach you and your Pokémon how to battle, if you want.”
Gou considers, recalling the Battle Frontier Cup and his spectacular loss. “I’d like that,” he replies carefully. Just in case, he adds, “Nothing too flashy if we’re in here. We can go to the park if it’s too much.”
Satoshi perks up, still scratching Mayuld’s underbelly. The other Mayulds notice his affections and inch slowly from their owner, towards the other boy. He asks, much too enthusiastically, “Do you want to battle a Gym?”
Choking back a wince, Gou replies, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Come on, it’ll be so much fun!”
“I don’t have the experience yet,” Gou explains reluctantly.
Satoshi shrugs. “I didn’t have any experience when I challenged my first Gym. Takeshi’s Iwark got us good! Me and Pikachu learned lots from that.”
“Are you talking about Nibi Gym?” The name rings a bell. Gou thinks he remembers it from a time his parents had to deal with a technical malfunction there once. He’d tagged along on the trip, then stayed inside the inn all day as he waited for them to come back.
“Yup! Takeshi’s great! He’s one of the best cooks I know!”
Gou laughs. “You got a Gym Leader to make you lunch?”
His eyebrows furrow. “Breakfast and dinner, too. Takeshi travelled with me.”
“You’ve travelled with a Gym Leader?” He should know better than to be surprised; it sounds like a blip in Satoshi’s long list of hidden achievements.
“Huh? Well, yeah,” he says, shrugging it off. Mayuld is putty in his hands. “Takeshi was with me the longest. Kasumi was there at the start, too. Then there was Dent, and I guess I can count Iris. Citron was the only active Gym Leader while we travelled.”
Feeling a little starstruck, Gou nods, then reaches for the nearest Mayuld. It doesn’t try to squirm away like he had feared. Instead, it leans into his touch, and Gou feels warmth rise in him.
“You’ve travelled with a lot of different people,” he thinks aloud. He immediately regrets it. The words had come out with a slight inflection, a cousin of jealousy. Luckily Satoshi—being Satoshi—doesn’t notice, or at least doesn’t think anything of it.
“Now I travel with you,” says Satoshi, simple, matter-of-fact.
Gou blushes. “Well, yeah! But don’t you—I don’t know. Don’t you ever miss the road? I’ve never gone on a journey before. I don’t imagine plane rides have the same appeal.”
“Sure, sometimes,” he answers. He turns his head towards the glass ceiling. “Y’know, back when I started in Alola, I got used to sleeping in the same place every night real fast. I didn’t mind having a roof over my head so much. After everything, Alola was—good. It was good to me. Once I got to do what I did, even after I won and all the other stuff, for some reason it still didn’t feel like I was done. I think it’s ’cause there’s still so much more out there and there’s always gonna be more. I want to be a Pokémon Master. I can’t do that if I stay in one place forever, right?”
Kairyu finally manages to catch Hibanny and hugs him nice and tight. Hibanny struggles before eventually caving, puffing out his cheeks in frustration.
“Yeah,” Gou agrees, fondly. “That makes sense.”
“That’s why I’m glad I got to do this research fellowship! I get to do everything I’d have to do before in months in one day. And I like you and Hibanny and the Professor and everyone loads. Every day’s always new, but I also get to stay somewhere like home. It’s everything in one!”
“I’m glad you’re here, too.” Gou embraces Mayuld tighter. It’s drooping off, eyes drowsy, which makes him a bit sleepy, too. “What did you win?”
“What’d you mean?”
“In Alola. You said you won and ‘all the other stuff’. You win a Gym or something?”
“Oh, Alola doesn’t have Gyms. Or it didn’t when I was there.”
“Hmm.”
“I won the League. Alola was so cool! There were all these Ultra Beasts! There was one that could run really fast and one that was really buff like—hng! You know?”
“Hmm,” Gou says. His eyes snap open. “Wait, what?”
“Like, it was a bug and it was big and red and—”
“No, I mean, before that.” He sets Mayuld down so that it doesn’t wake. “You won the League? As in, the Alola League? As in, you’re the current Alolan Champion?”
Satoshi scratches beneath his cap. Some hairs stick out messily after that. “Well, yeah. My team won against Gladio’s. And then we fought Royal Mask, who turned out to be Professor Kukui, and then Kapu-Kokeko wanted to battle, too, so we did. And then all these Akujikings popped up like that one in that other world—”
“Yeah, yeah, I don’t get it,” Gou waves off the other stuff. “I mean, why didn’t you ever tell me you were a Champion?”
He shrugs. “I dunno. S’it change anything?”
After some thought, Gou relents, “Well, I guess not.” He meanders, keeping his surprise at bay. “Tell me about that red bug again?”
Suddenly, Satoshi’s goal of toppling the undefeated Dande feels much more reasonable, if not frighteningly achievable. That’s the only thing that really changes. Gou thinks about Satoshi at dinner, volleying the ketchup bottle at Pikachu so high his partner emits an Electroweb to catch it. Or Satoshi miming Barrierd behind his back as he cleans the Institute. Or Satoshi with Kairyu, appeasing it with a hug each time it fails at executing a move, then doing the same to Gangar for no real reason other than not wanting it to feel left out.
In front of him, Satoshi gestures wildly as he speaks. The Mayuld on his lap hops to its friends, and they all shuffle in contented silence. Satoshi talks about things Gou doesn’t understand and references people Gou doesn’t know. It’s still entrancing. There are moments when the other boy trails off, eyes glazing over as he thinks of something incomprehensible, something bigger than Sakuragi Park, than Kuchiba City. It makes Gou want to grab him before Satoshi floats away and away completely, never to be seen again.
Gou supposes the strongest trainer in the world is a regular person, in their own way. He just can’t wrap his head around Satoshi being either.
Koharu likes to do her homework where little Souta can’t bother her. The Institute’s architecture is old and winding, meaning Koharu can stay hidden and never be found. Gou, however, knows a surefire shortcut.
“Wanpa!” Wanpachi marches gleefully down the third floor hallway, stopping in front of a door Gou recognizes as a part of the manor that still hasn’t been remodeled. There are parlor rooms like this one tucked away all over. Much of the insides are practically from the last century, and the last owners’ furniture sits untouched in dark nooks and crannies.
Wanpachi paws against the door and Gou opens it, not bothering to knock. Koharu is lying on a plastic-wrapped sofa with an open textbook. His childhood friend raises her head in acknowledgement before returning her attention to her studies.
Gou doesn’t take this personally; their dynamic is comfortable and familiar. He claims the sofa opposite hers and settles his things atop the dusty tabletop. Since it’s the weekend, Gou wants to catch up on the latest legendary sightings; he’s been missing them, as of late. With all the traveling and new Pokémon in-between, Gou has his hands full trying to juggle everything.
Wanpachi clamors onto its owner, and Koharu gives it absentminded scratches. She asks, “Where’s Satoshi?”
“Training.” Or whatever it’s called when a trainer offers up himself as target practice for his Pokémon’s newest moves. Satoshi had enjoyed it, mostly—a real, genuine weirdo. “He won’t be back till dinner.”
Koharu returns to her required reading, something Gou might have needed to do if he’d stayed at school. Though he doesn’t feel much regret, it’s become another thing he doesn’t have in common with Koharu. It makes him a bit sad, knowing how much they’ve shared in the past.
Gou takes out his laptop and opens his bookmarked tabs on legendary sighting websites. Not all are legitimate sources—half are sketchy forums Gou is supposedly too young to be on—but there are always some diamonds. He follows a popular blogger from Hoenn who’s renowned in online circles for their thorough research. This week’s hot find is a Celebi spotting in a deep Johto forest. As he reads through the article and scans the fuzzy pictures, Gou bites his thumbnail in dull envy. He wants to see a Celebi, too. Or even better… catch one.
“‘If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?’”
Gou’s Celebi daydream drips away. He looks at Koharu, who’s watching expectantly. “Who, me?”
“It’s a line from the book. I have to translate it to Kalosian. Even so, you can answer.” She doesn’t wait. “Speaking of Kalos, that’d probably be nice. You two haven’t been there yet, have you?”
Gou quickly thinks of the girl in the sun hat. “No. Satoshi has, though. He’s been everywhere.”
“I want a Miare Galette,” Koharu whines, ahead of herself. She’s always been forward about her wants, just like him. That’s probably the one thing that will never change between them.
He snorts. “A dessert’s your only reason for going?”
“Desserts are a good enough reason! Jeez, what about you?”
“Wherever Mew is, obviously!”
Koharu mimics a buzzer. “Wrong.”
“Wrong?” Gou cries, exasperated. “How can I be wrong when it’s my opinion?”
“That doesn’t count as an actual place. Say you caught the thing already, reached your goal and more. Where do you go next?”
It’s an easy question to get caught up in. First, he hangs onto the idea that he’s caught Mew. Filled the PokéDex as he travelled in every country that would have him. His name’s on every news line across the world, and he’s shaking hands with Professor Okido as their picture is taken. But that’s far from his favorite part of the fantasy. He has so many Pokémon friends, and Mew to boot. He’d be preoccupied with every one of their joys and worries. While it’d be intimidating at first, that fear fades away when he figures they’d be his Pokémon. What more could Gou want, after achieving his ultimate dreams?
“Masara Town,” his mouth spills. “I heard the weather there’s nice all year round.”
Koharu puts on her classic incalculable look. “Right. Sure.”
Wanpachi woofs, snuggling closer.
After more aimless conversation, both go back to their respective activities. They only leave the newly-dubbed reading room that afternoon because Wanpachi’s whimpers grow hungry, starting a chain of grumbling stomachs. On their way down, Koharu waxes poetic about the delicacy that is the Miare Galette. Gou gets swept up and searches homemade recipes on his RotomPhone. The next time he hears anything about Galettes, it’s from the Professor’s lukewarm complaints about having them four nights in a row.
Today, Professor Sakuragi has them assisting Kikuna and Renji with some clerical work while he’s out on a day trip to Yamabuki. Gou knows how to file and organize things because he helped his parents often.
Satoshi’s clearly out of his element, and it’s painful to watch.
“The description is under this tab over here,” Kikuna explains carefully, pointing at the screen. Satoshi’s hovering behind her, biting his lip. “All you need to do is find the part where it says ‘Test Count’ and see if the number is above thirty. If it is, that means the file goes into this folder. If it’s lower than thirty, it goes into that folder there.”
“Where are the folders?” Satoshi asks, looking around.
“They’re in the universal drive—”
“Miss Kikuna, hold on a second,” Gou interrupts. He and Renji are in the middle of their own session, though his chores are slightly more advanced. “Satoshi, they’re folders that hold data in computers, not the hardcopy stuff.”
His expression blanks. “Oh, yeah. I knew that.”
“Listen,” Gou says kindly, “how about I take over with Mr. Renji and Miss Kikuna? I know it’s hard to get used to digital, especially if you haven’t used it much before.”
Satoshi curls his fists. “No, I wanna learn! At least let me help. Please, Gou?”
To that, Gou sighs. “Give us a bit,” he tells the researchers. “I’ll teach him what I can.”
For an entire hour, Gou instructs Satoshi on how to boost up a CPU, how to create and save files, and how to export folders to different places. They’re extremely basic actions, and in this modern decade, no one Gou’s age blinks at something so trivial. Gou would have chalked it off to small town boys and their small-time needs. However, Masara is also home to the world-renowned Pokémon Professor and his multiple award-winning laboratory. Satoshi seems like he’s from another planet sometimes.
“Did you never have to use any of this in school?” Gou asks. His mother would scold him for his tactlessness, but it’s Satoshi, and the kettle couldn’t care less about the pot’s color.
“Not really,” Satoshi replies, sticking out his tongue in concentration. He’s making dozens of blank documents for practice. “I never went to real school, except for Alola. Mama had me homeschooled by the Professor and I took lessons at his place. He was always really busy, though, so me and Shigeru usually ended up exploring outside.”
Renji peels his eyes from his screen. “You’re talking about Professor Okido and his grandson?”
“I read that new thesis by Professor Nanakamado the other day and saw he cited an Okido,” Kikuna adds. “I had no idea that little Shigeru had become his research assistant! His grandfather must feel a bit sad about that?”
“Why would he?” Satoshi exits the document. “Ah! Gou, how do you go back?”
While Gou helps, Renji and Kikuna continue the conversation above their heads. Gou never knew Professor Okido had any relatives, let alone one that’s a research assistant for another famous Pokémon Professor all the way in Sinnoh. Because of Mew, Gou follows research done by Pokémon Professors around the globe, doing his best to stay up to date with the latest discoveries. Nanakamado specializes in Pokémon evolution. Gou had gravitated to legendary studies over Koratta to Ratta development.
“Me and Shigeru always talked about leaving,” Satoshi says, eons late. Gou takes a second to fit that into the original question. He doesn’t see the connection.
Then, in an apparent parallel to the current activity, Satoshi recites an anecdote about the time he and Pikachu saved a Porygon inside the Poké Ball transfer system. Gou half-listens, not out of disbelief, but from surrealism—a feeling that Satoshi’s barely-coherent stories tend to invoke. Satoshi lowers his voice as he organizes files. His legs jitter the longer it takes. It’s easy to spot when Satoshi has reached his limit.
Once they complete their tasks, the boys race up to Sakuragi Park, where their Pokémon await them.
Ever since the evolution, Rabbifuto hasn’t greeted him with a fist bump or clutched at his pants even once. Gou wants to say he misses Hibanny, but that wouldn’t be fair to Rabbifuto, and it isn’t the way any decent trainer should think.
“It’s not like he’s a different Pokémon,” he reasons while poring over internet articles on rebellious Pokémon.
In his bunk, Satoshi lies on his stomach polishing Kairyu and Gangar’s Poké Balls. Pikachu isn’t in the room, and neither is Rabbifuto.
“The same thing happened when Hitokage became Lizardo,” Satoshi says lightly. “He stopped listening to what I said because I wasn’t a strong enough trainer.”
Tentatively, Gou asks, “What did you do to fix it?”
“I got stronger! Well, that was also how he was: he was stubborn even after he evolved to Lizardon!” Satoshi laughs. Gou’s throat grows heavy at that. “You know, it was different with Lizardo. He had a rough start. With Rabbifuto, I think it’s getting used to things. Sometimes Pokémon think different after evolving.”
“Different how?”
“Like…” Satoshi pauses mid-wipe over the Poké Ball in his hand, collecting his words. “It’s like when you always eat omurice with lots and lots of ketchup, but one day you realize you’re in the mood for only a little bit.”
Gou attempts to clarify. “Your tastebuds change.”
“Yeah! It’s not like the omurice is any different, it’s just the way you eat it now is new.”
Impressed by the depth of the metaphor, Gou flops, reclining back in the chair. “How do I figure out how Rabbifuto likes his ketchup?”
To this, Satoshi comes up dry. “Dunno. Man, all that made me hungry. You think Barrierd’s making us snacks?”
Gou had thought he’d been doing the right thing by not pushing Hibanny outside of its comfort zone. It’s obvious now that wasn’t the right approach. Gou doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do, and he doesn’t know if he ever will. He knows he isn’t good at reading others, or getting along with them like most people; he mistakenly thought Pokémon would be better. He gathers his arms on the desk and sets his head over them. His eyes squint and red and white floaties swim among the black.
Gou feels a poke at his shoulder. “Gou?” Satoshi asks, cautious. “Gou, what’s wrong?”
Turning his head, Gou sees Satoshi crouched beside him, leaning his cheek by the table leg. He’s looking up at him like there’s no one else in the world, which hurts more than anything right now. Blearily, Gou answers, “It’s no good. Being a trainer is too hard.”
Satoshi doesn’t speak at first. He runs his fingers over the carpet fibers so that he has something to fiddle with. After more silence passes, Gou wonders if Satoshi heard.
“I think that too, sometimes,” Satoshi says, finally. “I screw up loads of times. Way too much. Some of my Pokémon wouldn’t have gone through what they did if they didn’t have me as a trainer.
“Except, even if I’ve still got a long way to go, none of that really matters. Pokémon have their own goals, just like people. If they want you to fight for them, you’ll know. And when you’re apart… Being apart doesn’t mean you’re theirs any less.”
It is odd, at that moment, to see Satoshi so beside himself with a visible loneliness. Pikachu’s absence is a component of that. The Pokémon would have crawled up to his shoulder by now.
“Do you miss your Pokémon?” Gou asks abruptly.
Satoshi’s cool gaze slides onto him. “My Pokémon?”
“I miss my Pokémon all the time, even when they’re a building away,” Gou continues. “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and want to check that Muma and Odoshishi haven’t been playing tricks on Hihidaruma again. Or I want to make sure Strike isn’t sleeping over his claws in the way that makes them numb in the morning. I see them every day, and it still doesn’t feel like enough. And I miss my family. My mom, my dad, and my grandma. They don’t live very far away either. I still worry.
“You’ve gone to plenty of places. You’ve raised a lot of Pokémon and befriended a lot of people. That must hurt, parting from them every time. But I like what you said. Everyone you’ve ever met has got a piece of you in them. And it’s probably a real good piece. Because it’s you, Satoshi. You know, when I’m with you, everything that I ever thought was hard turns possible.”
An arm comes up to wipe Satoshi’s face with his sleeve. When Gou gets another good look at him, he notices tears pearling at the edges of his eyes. “You mean it?” he asks.
Gou nods. He’s only surprised he hasn’t collapsed from embarrassment yet. “Well, yeah. I wouldn't say it if it wasn’t true.”
“It’s just that... It’s bad enough leaving, see? And it’s even worse when you want to go more than anything. I do miss my Pokémon. All the time. I miss Mama and everyone else, too. The thing is, I got so good at forgetting that I miss them, it’s like I don’t miss them at all. I can't take it with me, or else...”
“That’s true,” Gou agrees, cautious. “You can't be a Pokémon Master if you’re stuck around the same place. But you can't get rid of everything! When you love someone, you miss them when they’re not there. It’s only logical.”
Satoshi pulls his shirt to his nose and blows. “I’d miss you if we were apart, Gou.”
Gou, preoccupied with the snot on Satoshi’s collar, jolts. His gut swarms with Batafurii. “Idiot. That won’t happen for a long time.”
Satoshi pulls up his knees and his face empties, in that distant place again. This time, Gou doesn’t allow it. He leans over to pinch Satoshi’s cheek.
“Yowch!” Satoshi yelps. “What’d you do that for?”
“Stay,” Gou orders, and only after does he think it makes no sense. Despite this, Satoshi has a six sense. The other boy scratches the back of his head and gives a sheepish smile.
“Okay,” Satoshi replies. “I’ll be here.”
The day after Satoshi signs up for the Pokémon World Championships, Hanako rings them at breakfast. Unlike before, Hanako has two people sharing the screen with her—a redhead with burnt freckles and a young man in green. At their entrance, Pikachu gets right up against the projected image, mewling consistently enough that it sounds like speech.
“Hiya, Pikachu!” greets the girl. Because Gou doesn’t live under a rock, he recognizes her as Kasumi of Hanada Gym. Gou’s grandma likes to watch the Gym’s water performance programs on Sundays, and Gou would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy them, too.
“Honey, guess who popped by the restaurant this morning?” Hanako quizzes—frankly unnecessarily, Gou might add. “What a help they were! You know how it is on weekdays, Satoshi—everyone already takes after your herd of Kentauros. If the locals weren’t already regulars, I just know pretty Kasu would bring in crowds twice as big! And my, the way young Take commandeered my kitchen!”
“Takeshi was up for forty hours straight the past week studying for his exams,” says Kasumi. “He’s on break now, and I thought I’d cash in all the times I covered for my sisters. Nothing beats Hanako’s food and Masara weather, after all!”
Koharu has been sitting across from them, silently eating her pancakes after a last-minute decision to sleep over at the Institute last night. Up until this point, she’s minded her own business. Kasumi’s last words cause her foot to kick Gou’s under the table.
Naturally, he kicks her back. Maybe he’d been more inclined to roughhousing than he thought.
Gou glances at Satoshi laughing and gesticulating to his old friends, bright as a Solarbeam. Gou doesn’t feel as left out as he thought he would. In fact, he feels content. It’s a simple emotion, and it’s come up more often than not, as of late. The Batafurii in him surge up and about again, and he takes another bite of breakfast to calm them down.
Now happy with his initial greetings, Pikachu goes off to shamelessly slurp on a bottle of ketchup—something Satoshi would scold him for once he turned around. The ketchup, Gou’s been informed, gets Pikachu petty and round, which is apparently worse than how he is now. On his right, past a heartily munching Gangar and Kairyu, Rabbifuto picks at his food and pops an occasional kernel into his mouth.
Rabbifuto is more or less unchanged. He follows orders, thankfully, while staying indifferent and cool about most things. Gou tries to treat him as he did when he was a Hibanny, though the paradigm shift was enough to shake their foundation. Still, he senses the tough act won’t hold for long. Gou spots the sparkle in his eyes when his Pokémon watches Satoshi’s battles, mirroring his own. Rabbifuto is his, as much as Gou is Rabbifuto’s.
“Kasumi, Takeshi, you haven’t met Gou!” Gou snaps back to the table, Satoshi almost in his face trying to fit them both in the frame. “Him and me’re research fellows here at the Institute!”
Put on the spot, Gou can only nod. His shyness comes in bouts, amplified by Satoshi’s bold attitude.
In response, Takeshi mirrors him and Kasumi does a little wave. She’s the first to say, “It’s nice to meet you. Hope Satoshi’s being bearable.”
Satoshi balks, and Gou answers, “I can tolerate him.”
“Hey!”
“You weren’t the easiest kid to handle when we first met,” Takeshi tells him. An Usokkii wobbles by in the backdrop, peeking over for a moment. “Gou, though it may seem unlikely, Satoshi’s definitely come a long way. We’re very proud of him.”
Huffing, Satoshi folds his arms and slouches. “Why’s everyone so mean today?”
Gou chuckles and pats him amiably on the shoulder. “I’m sure I’ve come a long way, too. I was probably as bad at that age.”
At the corner of his eyes, he sees Koharu return her dishes to Barrierd. She forms an OK with her fingers as she leaves.
Satoshi hooks an arm around Gou’s neck. “Nah, they’re right, I was a little jerk! But I don’t think Gou could’ve ever been not-Gou!”
“What’re you even talking about?” Gou grumbles, face turning away from the proximity.
“Mm,” Kasumi hums. “Y’know, I kinda like off-road Satoshi.”
“Who?” asks Satoshi.
“Well, you were always a little beast!” Her laugh tingles through the video. “Who figured that, of everything out there, all it takes to domesticate you is school and a job? Not me! I guess I do miss the bites. He’s like a little Koiking now.”
“I sure don’t miss your big mouth!” Satoshi cracks. Gou could tell Satoshi wasn’t actually angry, though. The two have apparently kept up that kind of rapport.
As Kasumi and Satoshi go on bickering, Takeshi continues conversing with Gou as though they were white noise. Hanako had disappeared under the excuse that the oven was unattended.
“It’s their way of showing love!” Takeshi’s voice rises. Kasumi stops in her tracks, tweaks his ear, then resumes talking to Satoshi. Gou laughs again. Takeshi adds, “On that note: is he doing alright? Kuchiba doesn’t feel so far, but maybe that makes it worse. I know you travel constantly.”
“Makes what worse?” Gou checks on Satoshi, who’s pulling his hands over his cheeks over a particularly rough word beat-down. He ruffles Satoshi’s cap-less hair on instinct. When he glances back, Takeshi’s caked on a grin.
“Looks like it’s not gonna be much of a problem there,” Takeshi says vaguely. Gou blinks. “Since we’re actually in the same region again, expect visits, alright? Calls like this don’t cut it, especially in the same time zone. Hear me, Brat Boy?”
The name’s an obvious joke, and Satoshi responds almost immediately. “I’ll visit,” he says, timid. “’Cause I—I missed… y’know…”
Takeshi and Kasumi sport vicious twin smiles. “Sorry, connection went bad,” Kasumi teases, “what’d you say?”
“Argh!” Satoshi is blushing, the plums of his cheeks reddening. Pikachu trots back to his place on Satoshi’s lap, slapping a paw on his trainer’s arm. “I miss you, okay!”
Kasumi covers her face. “Wait, that was embarrassing! Why am I embarrassed?”
Takeshi fans himself. “Satoshi from Masara told me he missed me!”
“Oh, shuddup!” Satoshi, heated, stands and reaches over the table for the receiver. “Mama!” he yells. “Mama, I’m turning it off! I’ll call you later!”
“We’ll wait for you, Satoshi,” Kasumi says, more genuine than Gou’s heard her. “I’ll save a welcome battle just for you!”
Takeshi tacks on, “Give me a two-week maximum notice! Otherwise I won’t be able to fit it in my schedule!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Satoshi replies quietly. The blush has yet to fade. “See you later.”
The projection dissolves as soon as Pikachu gets in his own goodbye. Satoshi sits there, fists wound tight, then sighs loudly. He nudges Gou with a shoulder.
“They’re annoying, huh?” He picks up his fork to finish his plate. Pikachu is already working on the other side of Satoshi’s food.
“I like them,” Gou says. “They’re fun.”
“I’m funner,” Satoshi grouses. “But you’ll come, won’t you? If I go home? I promise it won’t be lame. I got a message from Shigeru last week, and he said he might pop over the Professor’s next month ’cause he hadn’t in so long. It’ll be the Professor’s birthday, and Mama told me to make it, if I could. I wanted to check up on my Pokémon and stuff, anyway... So you’ll come, right? Gou?”
Gou’s warm feeling comes back again, only now he doesn’t care to chase it away. He tastes the words in his mouth, rolls them over his tongue like they’re a delicacy worth savoring. When he finally gives an answer, he wonders if Satoshi feels it, too.