Only Chisana came to Slateport City. After talking with each other, Terrance understood the situation, but he didn't know what to say to this brat who had sneaked out on his own like him.
In the end, Terrance could only sigh and say, "Let's go home."
Although Chisana had only been away for a short time, he obeyed Terrance's words without question. He, too, wanted to reunite with everyone back at the Old Green House as soon as possible.
"Brother Terrance, did you know? While you were away, Ayan and the others..."
Walking beside Terrance, Chisana was eager to share all of his experiences during this time. While Terrance could leave now, there were still other matters he needed to take care of.
For example, the fossil he had accidentally picked up in the desert. After the Pokémon Contest ended, Terrance suddenly felt overwhelmed with too many things to handle. Since he didn't have time to deal with or examine the fossil, he temporarily handed it over to the Researcher Kennard, whom Steven had introduced, for safekeeping and study.
"Zubat, huh..."
Terrance was slightly surprised to hear about Chisana's experiences.
"Yes, it's all thanks to Zubat." Chisana quickly took the Zubat out from where he had been hiding it. This Zubat was small, with a dark blue body, light purple inner ears, and wing membranes. It was clearly undernourished, and its wide-open mouth revealed four white teeth. It had no eyes, and its two slender tails, shaped like a V, were not very distinct. With just one glance, Terrance could tell how the Zubat had been raised.
"Hello there," Terrance greeted it, taking some food out from his backpack as a gift.
This was a snack for Beautifly and Altaria, specially prepared by Terrance himself. It was suitable for any Flying-type Pokémon, and Zubat was no exception.
Chisana fed Zubat the food Terrance had given, and Zubat immediately looked delighted. It was the first time it had eaten something so delicious. In that moment, Zubat felt incredibly energized!
"Zubat seems to really like it..." Chisana said in surprise.
"I'm glad. When we get back, I'll teach you how to make it," Terrance smiled.
...
...
Fallarbor Town.
Two figures walked into the town, and the residents on the road rubbed their eyes. "Look, isn't that Chisana?"
"I haven't seen him in a while. Who's that with him?"
"He looks familiar..."
After returning to Fallarbor Town, Terrance took a deep breath. It wasn't until he personally returned that he noticed how much Fallarbor Town had changed.
From Mt. Chimney, it was impossible to see such details.
"Is the orchard still there?" Terrance asked.
"It's still there," Chisana nodded.
"Speaking of which, I kind of miss the taste of Aspear Berries," Terrance said with a smile. The Aspear Berry was a local specialty. Although it didn't have any special effects, it was delicious, one of the few things the Old Green House could sell. It looked like a pear and tasted like a sweet melon—crisp and tasty.
The Old Green House looked almost the same as it did three years ago, with no major changes. In the yard, the chubby Taiga was sweeping the grounds. When he saw the two figures slowly approaching, the broom in his hand dropped down with a loud clatter. His plump cheeks jiggled as he stammered in disbelief, "Chisana and Bro...Brother Terrance?!"
At first, he wasn't sure, but after a closer look, Taiga recognized the familiar face of Terrance. The image overlapped with the one he had seen on TV, and he shouted in excitement.
"Brother Terrance is back!!!"
Terrance had returned.
With this shout from the small fatty, everyone at the Old Green House, who had been busy with their own tasks, froze. They dropped whatever they were doing and rushed out to the yard.
Rina, Myu, Scarlet, and finally Grandma Arlan, who arrived a bit later. Seeing everyone appear, Terrance took a deep breath, feeling a bit emotional.
"I'm back."
...
...
After nearly three years apart, Terrance and the people at the Old Green House had endless things to talk about.
Grandma Arlan's health, Rina finally learning to behave after causing a lot of trouble, the gluttonous Taiga learning how to cook, Scarlet's experiences working in the city, Ayan picking up various jobs with the construction team and receiving a Machop, Chisana studying to become a Coordinator and preparing for his debut, and Myu still dreaming of becoming a star, often playing strange and quirky roles…
However, not all of this information came from the people themselves.
Terrance smiled wryly. Rina, after seeing him for just a moment, stormed off to her room in a huff. Shaking his head, Terrance sighed to himself, thinking how she was still as childish as ever.
As for Myu, the youngest member of the Old Green House; since she had been quite young when he left, there seems to be a sense of unfamiliarity between them.
"Is she shy?" Terrance was at a loss for words.
Chisana, being the most passionate about Coordinators, had trained with Terrance several times. Scarlet and Ayan, being older, were relatively more mature and understanding.
Taiga, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about the delicious food Terrance used to make...
Grandma Arlan didn't say much, just kept smiling warmly. Seeing how much older she had gotten, Terrance sighed with relief. Luckily, he hadn't taken too long. For now… it was enough.
Ayan wasn't at the Old Green House. After watching the Grand Festival, he had started a new job. The construction work was tough and exhausting, but for the continued growth of the Old Green House, Ayan couldn't just freeload and do nothing.
No one told Terrance about the accident at Mount Chimney. Although they didn't know that Terrance already knew, they chose not to tell him to avoid worrying him. That accident had actually turned out to be an opportunity for Ayan. After recovering from his injuries, he received special training from the construction team and was given a strong Machop. With this support, Ayan found that his regular work was not as tiring as before.
"Why not call Ayan back? There's something better suited for him here," Terrance suggested.
"You mean have him quit his current job..." The construction work was indeed tough and tiring. Some tasks couldn't be completed by Pokémon alone, and using Pokémon was costly compared to human labor. Grandma Arlan understood this all too well, but...
Even though Terrance had become a Top Coordinator...
Grandma Arlan had once been a Coordinator herself and knew how difficult it was. Even as a Top Coordinator, things weren't always glamorous. Though Pokémon Contests had developed greatly since her time, she didn't want to dampen Terrance's spirits. She knew that being a Top Coordinator wasn't as shiny as it seemed.
Terrance's return brought joy to everyone at the Old Green House, but Grandma Arlan worried that the harshness of reality might shake his confidence. She feared that Terrance might become overly proud and lose himself in his current achievements…..
But she quickly realized she was overthinking things.
"I'm planning to establish a Gym, which will require some staff, including referees. If possible, it would be best for both Ayan and Scarlet to get certified as professional referees."
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