The morning air in Glendale was crisp and quiet—almost as if the village itself understood that someone important was about to leave.
Professor Oak stood outside the Virel household, the soft hum of his travel vehicle behind him. Ray stood across from him, hands at his sides, trying to keep his emotions in check.
"You've got something special, Ray," Oak said with a proud smile. "It's rare to see someone so young think so broadly, not just about battles, but about what shapes the world around us."
Ray nodded. "Thank you, Professor. I'll keep working on the system… and everything else."
"Oh, I know you will." Oak adjusted his coat, then added more seriously, "I'll be taking your model back to my institute. I have a dozen Pokémon under different training conditions. I'll start testing your level classification system with them—comparing it to official metrics."
Ray's eyes lit up.
"And once I start seeing patterns," Oak continued, "I'll send the full data back to you. Together, we'll refine it."
They shook hands—firmly, respectfully. And with a final wave, Oak stepped into his vehicle and disappeared down the forest road.
Later that day, Ray sat on a bench under the usual training tree where he and Kira often sparred. Pidgeotto rested on a low branch, and Dratini peeked from Ray's hoodie.
"So… what was the emergency?" Kira's voice echoed from behind.
Ray smiled and turned, but the glare she gave him made him freeze.
"You met Professor Oak," she said, arms crossed, "and you didn't call me?"
Ray raised his hands. "It wasn't planned! He just—he showed up, and everything happened so fast—"
"No excuses." She turned her head. "Fifteen minutes. I won't speak to you for fifteen whole minutes."
Ray chuckled. "You're… actually counting?"
"Starting now." She sat next to him, back turned dramatically. "Hmph."
Ray leaned back with a grin. Even when upset, Kira was still Kira.
They sat in silence for almost thirty seconds.
"…But he's really as cool as people say?" she blurted out.
Ray smiled even wider. "Cooler."
Kira groaned. "Ugh! You made me break my own rule!"
They both burst out laughing. The tension melted away.
Ray looked at the sky. His dreams were starting to solidify—one connection at a time. The road ahead was long, but now… it didn't feel quite so distant.