After we finished shopping, we went back to my home.
As we arrived, Rita opened the door when I knocked.
"Welcome home, young master."
"I'm home, Rita."
"It's okay. I'll carry them," I said as Rita tried to take the shopping bags from my hands.
"Who is this, young master?" Rita asked, glancing at Serena.
"She's Serena, my friend from Pokémon camp."
"Oh, is she? Then, welcome, Miss Serena," Rita said.
"Thanks," Serena replied as she stepped inside.
"Your house is pretty big."
"Is it?"
"Yeah. This place is almost half the size of my hometown," she said, looking around.
"Are mom and dad home?"
"Yes, young master. They're both waiting for you," Rita answered, starting to walk ahead of us.
In the living room, Mom and Dad were sitting on the sofa, watching TV.
"Mom, Dad, I'm home."
"Welcome home, my baby. And who might this young lady be?" Mom asked, eyeing Serena.
"She's Serena, Mom."
"Oh, so this is Serena."
"Do you know about me, ma'am?" Serena asked.
"Yes, after coming back from the Pokémon camp, Sid almost always talked about you."
"Really? Sorry, I'm just so excited to meet you in person!" Serena apologized, her excitement almost making her jump.
"I told you," I muttered to myself.
"Yeah," Mom said, giving me a teasing look.
"What? What did you tell her?" Mom asked, confused by the exchange between Serena and me.
"I told her that you're my mom, and he's my dad, but she didn't believe me until now," I replied.
"Who would believe that someone is the son of one of the most powerful and beautiful couples in the world?" Serena said, laughing.
"Well, do you believe me now?" I asked her.
"Yeah."
"Ara, I thought my son brought his wife. Looks like things haven't started yet," Mom teased, her voice playful.
"Mom, stop teasing us!" I almost yelled, my face turning red.
"Rita, it looks like you've got some competition for Sid's attention," Mom said, creating an awkward, embarrassing moment.
"Don't give her wrong ideas," I quickly added, trying to cover up the awkwardness.
"Jokes aside, have you decided about the thing we discussed?" Dad asked at just the right moment.
"Serena, I want to ask you something. Would you like to travel with me?" I asked, turning to her.
"Huh, I'd love to."
"I've decided to go to Alola and attend the Pokémon school there. We'll learn many new things, and I want to know if you'd like to come with me?" I surprised everyone with my proposal.
"Um, I'd love to, but..."
"But what? You can tell us if you have any concerns. We'll try to solve them, since you're Sid's first friend," Mom said, reassuring her.
"The thing is, I'm afraid my mom might not agree," Serena admitted.
"Oh, is that all? Don't worry about it. We'll handle everything," Mom said with a smile.
"It's getting late. You should contact your mom through the Pokephone in Sid's room and tell her you'll be staying here tonight," Dad suggested.
"Okay," Serena agreed.
Afterward, Serena came with me to my room to make the call.
"Hii, Mom," Serena said, the phone connecting.
"Serena, where are you? It's so late!" her mom's voice came through, full of concern.
"I'm at my friend's house, and I'll be staying here since it's late."
"Which friend?"
"It's me, Auntie," I said, walking up behind Serena.
"Who are you?"
"You didn't recognize me, Auntie? We've talked so many times."
"This voice… Don't tell me… Len? Is it you?"
"Yes, but my name is not Len."
"What do you mean?"
After Serena explained everything to Grace, Grace sighed.
"I want to talk to you, Siddharth Sahoo."
"I'll come tomorrow to talk to you about something, Auntie," I said.
"Okay," Grace responded before the call ended.
After dinner, we both went to bed. Serena wore one of my sleeping shirts since she hadn't brought hers. We both slept in my room.
.
The next day, we arrived in Vaniville Town.
As we entered the town, there was a commotion since they likely hadn't seen such a big car come through before. Grace opened the door before we could even ring the bell.
She was a beautiful woman with blue eyes and brown hair, wearing a yellow hairpin. Her outfit was casual— a simple black T-shirt, a tracksuit with the sleeves tied in a knot, and some orange shoes. She also wore pink lipstick, as usual. The clothes she wore accentuated her well-built body, with curves in all the right places. Even though she was Serena's mom, she didn't look her age; she still looked to be in her prime.
"How did you know we had arrived?" Serena asked, a little surprised.
"You caused quite a commotion," Grace answered with a playful smirk.
"So, you're Siddharth," Grace said, turning to me.
"Yes, Auntie."
"I want to talk to you alone for a bit."
"Okay," I said, following her inside the house.
"If you could excuse me for a moment," Grace said, glancing toward my parents.
"Okay," Dad replied.
"But don't scold him. It was my selfishness that made him do this," Mom said with a smile.
"I know," Grace replied before leading me into a room that resembled a small hall. She motioned for me to sit.
"So, you're a boy, not a girl," Grace said, confirming what she had heard.
"Yes, Auntie."
"It's still hard to believe."
"I understand that."
"Hmm, okay. So, tell me, why didn't you tell Serena earlier?"
"Auntie, let me ask you something first. What do you do?"
"I'm a Rhyhorn racer. Why?"
"Before you started, were you afraid?"
"Yes, I was."
"It's the same thing. I was afraid that if Serena knew my true identity, she might think I was a cheater and break our friendship."
"Hmm, I understand completely."
"Now let me ask you—what do you think of Serena?"
"Hmm, she's nice and beautiful. But I think you're even more beautiful."
"Oh? Are you trying to flirt with an older woman?"
"No, no! I'm just telling the truth."
"Do you like Serena?"
"Huh? Of course I like Serena— as a friend, as a person."
"I mean, do you like her… romantically?"
I paused, feeling my face turn red.
"Maybe. I think I do," I said in a barely audible voice, my embarrassment clear.
"Come on, just tell me!" Grace said, pulling me toward her by the hand. As she sat beside me, I landed awkwardly on her chest, making the situation even more embarrassing.
"Oh, don't make that face. Or do you have an interest in me?" Grace teased.
I knew she was messing with me, but honestly, I had developed a bit of a crush on her. Maybe because, mentally, I was closer to her age than I appeared. It wasn't that I saw her as an older woman, even though I called her "Auntie." My thoughts confused me, and I couldn't help feeling a little perverted.
"Anyway, I wanted to ask—can I take Serena to Alola with me?" I asked, trying to hide my embarrassment and gather my thoughts.
"Hmm, I don't mind. But I want a promise from you."
"What promise?"
"You have to take care of Serena and make sure she never cries."
"Even if you hadn't asked, I would've done it."
After a long talk where Grace mostly teased me, we left the house and shared the good news with Serena.
When Serena heard that Grace had agreed to let her go to Alola, she jumped up and hugged me in excitement. But when she realized she had just hugged me in public, she quickly pulled back, her face turning red like a tomato.
"Okay, we'll leave for Alola in three days, so prepare everything you need to bring," I said to Serena.
"Okay," she replied, her face still red with embarrassment.