Seeing both of them looking at him, Natsui raised an eyebrow.
Kurt thought for a moment, then nodded at Elm. "You're right. It's not very safe to keep the GS Ball here."
Now Natsui knew exactly what they were thinking. They wanted to give the GS Ball to him.
Before he could say anything, Kurt continued, "Since we know what the GS Ball is for, there's no need to study it anymore. It's no use to me."
He then looked at Natsui seriously. "So, I'm giving this Poké Ball to you."
"I don't think I can accept this," Natsui said slowly, shaking his head. "It's too valuable."
Kurt smiled, picked up the GS Ball, and placed it directly in Natsui's hand.
"I'm just a craftsman. I don't have the power to protect this Poké Ball. Since you came here with Elm, I know he trusts your character. And you won the Indigo Conference, which proves your ability. I feel at ease putting it in your hands."
"But..."
Natsui was tempted, of course, but he had only just met Kurt. He felt bad accepting such a gift from a stranger. He looked over at Professor Elm for help.
Professor Elm just smiled and nodded at him.
"Mr. Kurt is right. You should take it. Neither of us are trainers or collectors. The GS Ball is useless to us. It should be with a trainer like you, where it can serve its real purpose."
And what was a Poké Ball's real purpose? To catch Pokémon, of course.
Erika, who was standing nearby, also gave Natsui an encouraging look. In the past, she might not have wanted a trainer to have a ball that could catch a Legendary Pokémon, but now...
"Since Mr. Kurt and Professor Elm both think so, you should just take it," she said softly.
Natsui looked at Erika, then decided to stop being polite and accepted the GS Ball.
"Well then, thank you, Mr. Kurt."
He couldn't believe it. The ball that had traveled from Professor Ivy in the Orange Islands, to Ash, to Professor Oak, to Professor Elm, had somehow ended up in his hands. After such a long journey, it had ended up with him.
With that settled, a relieved smile spread across Kurt's face. He arranged for dinner and warmly hosted them. Natsui had planned to challenge the Azalea Gym that afternoon, but Kurt was so insistent, and he felt he should properly thank him for the precious gift.
That evening, the dinner was very cheerful, especially with the cute and honest little Chie around. Kurt drank a lot, and even forced Professor Elm, who couldn't handle his liquor, to get completely drunk.
After dinner, Kurt didn't let them leave and had them stay the night. Perhaps because they thought Natsui and Erika were a couple, Kurt's daughter-in-law didn't even ask and just put them in the same room.
When the two of them came out of the bathroom, they were stunned to see two beds placed right next to each other on the floor. They just stared at each other, speechless.
Outside, the moon was high in the sky, and the house was quiet.
"Uh..." Natsui, dressed in a robe, scratched his head. "Maybe... I can ask them for another room? Or... I could just go sleep with Professor Elm..."
Erika's cheeks were pink, either from the few drinks she had at dinner or for some other reason.
She took a deep breath and said, "Let's just forget it. It's too late to bother them now. When we're traveling, we don't need to be so formal."
But we're guests in someone's house!
Still, Natsui thought she had a point. Kurt and his family were probably already asleep, and it would be rude to wake them. Besides, this wasn't the first time he and Erika had been in a situation like this. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. They had even shared a suite during the Whirl Cup.
But that was two separate rooms. This was one room. If they slept here like this, wouldn't everyone think they were really a couple?
He glanced at Erika. She had already gone into the room and was organizing her things. She then moved the two beds a little farther apart—from right next to each other to about half a meter apart. But what good was that?
Perhaps feeling shy, Erika finished and said, "It's late, and you have a gym challenge tomorrow. We should get some sleep."
Without another look at him, she lay down in her bed, leaving Natsui with only the beautiful outline of her figure under the blanket.
Natsui sighed. Erika was not a casual woman. She was from a good family, a traditional and graceful person at heart. For her to be so accepting...
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and walked into the room. If she was okay with it, what was there for him to hesitate about?
He turned off the light and got into his own bed. The moonlight shone through the window, casting a soft glow on Erika. Even though he had been drinking, he couldn't fall asleep with her right there.
He turned to face her. From his angle, he could only see her hair and the white of her neck. Is she asleep? Even though she was lying still, he guessed she was probably just as awake as he was.
The room was quiet except for the sound of their breathing. He started to think about all the time they had spent together. Anyone could see that she had special feelings for him. A simple look or gesture between them was enough to show that they were more than just friends. He was sure she knew how he felt, too. They were both just trying their best to hold back.
For any other man and woman, after all they had been through, sharing a room like this would have been the perfect time for their relationship to become official.
But...
He thought of Sabrina and sighed. He already had a girlfriend. He couldn't betray her.
Then he thought of Maya, and sighed again.
Oh, right. I guess I already did betray her once..
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