The next morning, Nova arrived at the Luma Gym early, as was his habit. Aside from wanting a free meal at the cafeteria, he also needed to speak with Max about taking a leave of absence.
After all, he was still a registered intern at the Luma Gym, and his internship period had not yet come to an end. Although he had already earned the Gym Leader's personal approval and been awarded the Outstanding Intern title, he felt that if he wanted to leave Goldenlight City, he still needed to go through the proper procedures first.
What Nova had not expected, however, was to find Max already seated at the same table as Charlie and his daughter that morning. The sight made his request feel a little awkward before he had even opened his mouth.
Charlie noticed Nova's slight hesitation and smiled, deciding to have a little fun at his expense.
"What's the matter? Did you finally get that Pokémon egg you were after? Can't wait to get out of here?"
"Mr. Charlie, please don't tease me," Nova said, managing a small smile. "Something came up at home. My sister asked me to come back for a bit. I'll return to finish my internship once I've sorted things out."
Charlie leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "Do you honestly think you're still learning anything by staying on as an intern at the Luma Gym?"
Nova thought it over for a moment. There was no reason to be dishonest about this. "I don't think I am, Mr. Charlie."
He was, if anything, being modest. In truth, there was a considerable gap in skill between Nova and the other interns. The material Max typically covered during training sessions was far too basic for someone with Nova's experience and knowledge. For someone who had spent a lifetime studying Pokémon, there was simply nothing left here that could sharpen his abilities further.
To be plain about it, Nova had come to the Luma Gym for access to a high-quality Grass-type Pokémon egg. Improving through standard internship exercises had never been part of his plan.
Charlie gave a slow nod, his expression growing more thoughtful. "I figured as much. Your most pressing goal right now should be finding a high-quality Moon Stone to evolve your Nidorino. I promised to help you with that, and I'll get it to you as soon as I track one down.
"Beyond that, your second Pokémon — Corvisquire— needs to be trained up to Nidorino's level. Steel-type and Flying-type Pokémon aren't the strong suits of the Luma Gym, so staying here for their training would honestly just be a waste of your time.
"Since you have family matters to take care of, I won't hold you back. I wish you all the best on the road ahead. When you're ready to challenge for a Badge during the League, you're always welcome to come back and face me."
Nova straightened up and thanked him sincerely. "Thank you, Mr. Charlie. I really mean it. When I do come back for the Badge, please go easy on me!"
Charlie crossed his arms and put on an exaggerated frown. "Easy? Not a chance. I'll battle you with everything I've got!"
The three of them shared a good laugh. None of them noticed the quiet, heavy atmosphere that had been building on the other side of the table.
The sharp clatter of a spoon hitting a plate cut through the laughter. Three pairs of eyes turned toward Thelma.
She pushed her chair back and stood up. "I'm done eating," she said flatly, and walked out of the cafeteria without so much as a glance back.
The three of them watched her go, exchanging baffled looks.
"What... got into her?"
It was Charlie who asked, though by all rights, it probably should not have been him. If her own father did not know what was wrong, neither Max nor Nova had any hope of answering.
"I'll go check on her."
Nova had a feeling this was somehow his doing. He set down his half-eaten bread and went after her.
He found Thelma in the courtyard behind the cafeteria, sitting alone on a bench. She had pulled a small Oddish from the flowerbed beside her and was holding it in her arms, staring off into nothing, her expression dark.
Nova walked over slowly. When he was close enough, he asked in a light tone, "Mind if I sit down?"
"No. You can stand," Thelma said, not looking at him.
Nova shrugged and leaned against the flowerbed's low ledge instead, which put him right beside her anyway.
"What are you upset about?"
"Why didn't you say anything before deciding to leave?"
"I was just now—"
"You said it to my dad. Did you say it to me?"
Nova paused. "Is that really all this is about?"
"That's all."
"Then it's my fault. Is it too late to say it now?"
Thelma did not reply. She just looked at him, and the longer she looked, the clearer it became that her eyes were red. She clearly did not want anyone to see that she was hurt, but the emotion in her gaze was impossible to hide.
Nova had lived two lives. He understood what was going on beneath the surface, even if Thelma herself did not.
She was a naturally gifted Trainer — talented, praised from a young age, and used to being the best. Then, out of nowhere, a boy her own age had walked into her world and defeated her six times in a row, in the very area she was most proud of. What kind of feelings would someone like that develop toward a person like that?
Probably some jealousy, a fair amount of irritation, a stubborn kind of possessiveness, a growing dependence, and underneath it all — a quiet but genuine admiration.
Thelma could not make sense of any of it herself. But Nova understood it well. It reminded him of a crush he'd had back in middle school in his previous life — the top student in his class. He had thought about her constantly back then.
But when he looked back years later, he could barely remember her face.
He watched Thelma now, her wide eyes full of hurt and frustration aimed squarely at him, and even with his calm, steady outlook, he felt the weight of it.
"Hey, stop glaring at me like that," he said. "I'm just going home for a bit. It's not the end of the world. We'll definitely see each other again. You're looking at me like you're attending my funeral."
Thelma kept her stubborn glare fixed on him, but no words came out.
She had finally realised, in that moment, that she did not want him to leave. But what reason could she possibly give to make a boy stay? What right did she have to make a fuss over this?
"It's just..." she started. "It's just that you won six times and then decided to leave like that. It's not fair."
Nova grinned. "Then we'll settle it properly down the road. By the time we meet again, my Nidorino will have evolved into a Nidoking, and I'll have more Pokémon on my team. We can have a real three-on-three battle — or even a full six-on-six. That's a proper match.
"Speaking of which — you're entering the Norlandia Tournament next year, right?"
Thelma nodded once.
"Then it's a deal. I'm going to start my journey with one goal in mind — winning that tournament. Thelma, I'll see you on the battlefield."
Nova held out his fist toward her.
Thelma quickly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, wiping away the tears that had been threatening to spill, and then bumped her fist against his.
Her knuckles were cool to the touch — perhaps from the cold of her unshed tears.
"Alright," she said quietly. "I'm fine now. You can go."
She turned her head away, clearly having decided she was done talking to him.
Nova stayed where he was for a few more minutes, watching her until he was certain she had steadied herself. Then he said a proper goodbye and headed back inside.
He returned to the cafeteria, said farewell to Mr. Charlie, and left the Luma Gym.
Nova had a full day ahead of him. The most urgent task was getting to the airport before noon to buy a ticket for the airship. If he dawdled, he would miss the midday departure entirely.