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Professor Oak stood frozen, cold sweat running down his back as he felt the gaze of Elite Four member Agatha bearing down on him. He didn't dare say a word.
Seeing Professor Oak's helpless state, Agatha sighed quietly in her heart. She then ignored him, retrieved her Arbok into its PokeBall, and walked toward Arbok's opponent—Arbok's current target, now slumped on the ground.
"You understand now, don't you? You have outstanding potential—but if you don't fully tap into it, this is where your power will stay."
"Did you see the transformation my Arbok just underwent? Do you want to be like it too? If you do, then follow me for a while. Just like your trainer said—when the day comes that you defeat my Arbok, you will return to him in glory. How about it? Do you understand?"
Agatha approached Arbok, picked up its PokeBall, and looked at it with calm, sharp eyes as she spoke.
"Chaaarbok!"
Arbok suddenly raised its head, a flash of resentment burning in its eyes. It glared at Agatha, baring its fangs in an overt threat.
But Agatha remained utterly composed, as if Arbok's reaction was nothing more than a light breeze passing by. She was confident Arbok wouldn't attack.
"Chaaa…"
Realizing its intimidation had no effect, and knowing better than to truly attack an Elite Four member, Arbok began to calm down. Its breathing slowed, and it lowered its head slightly in deep thought.
Moments later, determination flickered in its eyes. It gently tapped its large head against the PokeBall in Agatha's hand. With a flash of red light, it returned to the ball.
"Hmm… the right choice."
Agatha looked at the PokeBall in her hand, the corners of her lips lifting into a faint smile. Without saying another word, she turned and walked away. As she passed by Professor Oak, she gave him a long, meaningful glance—but still said nothing—and exited the lab.
...….
"Liam… Arbok looked so sad just now. Are you really okay with letting it go with that Elite Four member? What if she never gives it back?"
Delia asked anxiously as she and Liam walked hand in hand toward their new home. Her brow was furrowed in worry.
Liam gave a slight bitter smile when he heard her innocent concern and replied with a helpless chuckle.
"This is for Arbok's own good. Lately, it's gotten lazier—eating and sleeping all day, clearly getting overconfident in its strength. Having Agatha train it properly will help a lot."
"And besides, she's an Elite Four member. You think she'd try to steal my Arbok? I'm the Kanto Champion now. Who would dare take my Pokemon? Just because her Arbok can beat mine without any trainer commands doesn't necessarily mean that she'll win in a fight against me."
At this point, Liam couldn't help but straighten up proudly, a trace of arrogance in his voice.
"Hehe, look at you showing off," Delia teased. "Oh, right! I heard from Professor Oak that being Champion comes with tons of responsibilities. If that's true… will we still be able to travel together like we planned?"
Seeing Liam so full of pride, Delia smiled but quickly grew a little downcast. Now that Liam was Champion, surely there would be new duties and expectations. Would their dream of traveling to other regions still be possible?
Liam's expression suddenly turned sly. He wrapped his arm around Delia's shoulder, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear with a grin.
"Hehe… I already thought about that. In a few days, we'll head to Johto together! The Johto League is about to begin—I want to see it for myself. Let's go together!"
Delia's eyes lit up at his words. She looked up at him, joy on her face—but then her smile dimmed again.
"But… you're the Champion now… You can't just leave like that. Professor Oak definitely won't approve… Maybe we shouldn't make things harder for everyone else."
Seeing her frown and puff her cheeks, Liam's heart softened. He gently cupped her face and said with firm determination:
"That's not a problem at all. Sure, Professor Oak said there'd be a lot to take care of—but none of it's that important at the moment. Besides, didn't he run off after becoming Champion himself? This must be the noble tradition of Champions! We need to carry it on!"
"And it's not like we're traveling just for fun~"
Liam's eyes squinted mischievously as he continued with a goofy grin.
"We're doing this for Kanto's diplomacy! As the Champion, I'll be building friendly interregional relationships. If the League hears about it, they might even reward me!"
His righteous justification left Delia speechless. Her head spun a little, and she stared blankly at Liam for a moment before shaking her head in surrender.
"I don't really get what you're saying… But in the end, it means we can still go on our trip, right?"
"Yep! Exactly! Let's go check out the new house first, and after a few days of prep… we'll slip away quietly~"
Liam nodded quickly, acting like he had everything under control.
"Huh? Why sneak away? Aren't we going to tell Professor Oak and the others?"
Delia looked at Liam, puzzled. Why sneak off like that?
"Cough, cough… I'll let them know when the time comes. I'll take care of it. For now—let's check out our house!"
Liam coughed a few times and brushed it off casually. Grabbing her hand, he tugged her along as they ran toward their new home.
...….
The new house that Professor Oak and the others had arranged for Liam was a bit farther from the lab, forming a rough triangle with the Oak and Ketchum households. Pallet Town had lots of hills, and suitable land for building was limited—this plot was the best option available, even if it was slightly remote.
After a light jog, Liam and Delia finally reached their new home—a fresh, pristine house stood before them.
They both held the keys with a hint of nervousness. Liam gently grasped Delia's hand as they turned the key together. The front door creaked open slowly.
"Wow~ It's beautiful…"
"Yeah, it really is."
As they stepped inside, Delia couldn't help but let out a gasp of wonder at the neat and welcoming space.
Aside from the walls, most of the house was built from wood, and a faint sweet scent of timber lingered in the air.
The furnishings were simple yet complete—nothing excessive, but nothing missing either. Every item showed the thoughtfulness of the person who picked them. The entire place radiated warmth.
"I feel like I'm dreaming… I had nothing before, and now I suddenly have a home… a sweet and beautiful fiancée… Honestly, I'm a little scared. Scared that none of this is real…"
Liam looked around at the warm, cozy interior, and at Delia—buzzing with joy like a bee flitting through a field of flowers. Gratitude surged in his heart—for that mysterious being who brought him into this world.
"Liam? What are you saying? Don't be silly—of course it's real! Hehe, you big dummy… There's nothing to be afraid of anymore. I'll be with you. Always."
Delia, who had been admiring the furniture, pouted at Liam's comment and ran over to him. She looked up, then smiled brightly, hugging him and resting her head against his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat.
"Hehe… no, I'm not afraid," Liam replied softly. "I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude… for being able to meet someone as incredible as you. I love you so much, Delia."
"And I love you too, Liam. More than anything!"