Chapter 82 - Matcha Revisited
Logan flipped through the pages of one of the books that Yurie had given to him. He would read through all of it slowly when he was alone but enjoyed looking at the different sketches that Yurie drew in the book. She was by no means an artist, but she did a great job at capturing each of the Pokémon's attitudes on the page. Logan's favorite picture was of Torchic and Poochyena cuddled up next to a fire.
Yurie set down a small glass cup. Hot steam escaped from the top, warning Logan that he needed to be careful when he partook.
"Matcha," Yurie said.
The two had finished their small visit in Saffron City, and they had made their way to Vermillion where Yurie would catch the ferry back to Hoenn. They stayed overnight, and in the morning, Yurie had to prepare everything. In the meantime, Logan was researching Johto and the different places he could go. Yurie's appetite had rubbed off on him, and the first thing he did when researching a new town was look up what specialty food there was.
Yurie was set to take off for Hoenn in only a few hours, and although the two wanted to enjoy every minute that they could together, it was challenging, and they were mostly quiet. They drank their green tea in silence as Logan looked through the book and Yurie watched the time.
"What are your plans when you get home?" Logan asked once he shut the book.
"I'm gonna rest in my own bed for a while and play with my Pokémon," Yurie said. "I'll make sure to visit Yuta and see how he's doing. And when I'm home, I'll help my mom with the shop."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate that," Logan said.
"And you?"
"Mr. Goodshow asked me to go to Goldenrod, so that's where I'll be heading."
"Oh! The takoyaki in Goldenrod is said to be delicious! I highly recommend it!"
Logan couldn't help but smile, but he couldn't look at Yurie in the eyes. "I'll try it. After you get on the ferry, I'm heading back to Saffron where I'll get on the bullet train. When I'm there, I'll get the information for battling the Elite Four."
"Are you nervous?" Yurie asked.
Logan shook his head. "No, it's just a really fast train."
"Not that. The Elite Four?"
Logan took a moment and then pet Mightyena behind the ears. "Win or lose, we did our best this last year, and that's something to be proud of. Not everyone can say that they've won a league conference."
"That's true," Yurie said.
"We'll go, fight the Elite Four, and if we manage to beat them, then I'll get to stand across the battlefield with a champion," Logan exclaimed. "Seven-year-old Logan Stephenson is overjoyed."
"What about fourteen-year-old Logan Stephenson?"
He sighed. "He's also excited. But, I had prepared myself for a loss. I wanted to win so badly, and I fought with everything that I could. I can still see the effects of the battle on my Pokémon. They gave it all they had and then more. I'm proud of them. I'm proud of myself. However, I don't know if I truly believed that I was gonna win, and when I did, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I'm still not sure. Everything feels like a dream right now."
Yurie nodded, smiled, and then grabbed his hand. "I agree. Everything feels so crazy, and I'm light-headed. Have faith in yourself moving forward. I want to see on the news that fourteen year old, Logan Stephenson, has become the new champion of the Indigo Elite Four."
"I'm going to do my best," Logan said. "As long as you do too. You're still going to do contests, right?"
"Right!" Yurie exclaimed. "This is going to be my year! I was so close to beating Michika but came up ever so slightly short. With Michika out of the way, then no one can beat me!"
Logan sat back in his chair and smiled. He thought of Yurie's different rivals over the two years. He was curious to see what kind of people she would meet moving forward, but he knew that it was her adventure, and he hoped that they could share their stories with one another when Yurie finished traveling.
Yurie looked up at the clock and sighed. "We should probably get to the port. I don't want to accidentally miss my ferry."
He nodded, finished his hot tea, stood up, and then held out his hand. "Let's go."
The two walked to the port, which was packed with people. They no longer had any private time between, and public displays of affection were frowned upon in Kanto. Logan couldn't help but repeatedly look at Yurie's hands and lips. He wanted to hold her and kiss her again, but he was too embarrassed to try.
Instead, the two found a spot at the docks and looked out at the sea together. They stood close, and when Logan built up the courage, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her as close as he could.
"There's my ferry," Yurie said as the large boat started to come into view from a distance.
Logan nodded and sighed. "These last two years, Yurie, they've been so fun. Every moment, good and bad, is important to me. But, I think I know why so much feels blurry right now."
"Why?" Yurie asked.
"Before I met you, my one focus was Pokémon training and becoming the best that I could be. I had a clear goal in mind. I eventually broke down and was unsure of myself, but I still knew that I wanted to become a champion. But then, I met you."
Yurie frowned. "What are you saying? Am I distracting you?"
Logan smiled. "Yes! But, it's not a bad thing. Maybe, I needed to be distracted, because when I focused too much on training and then failed, it hurt more than I could imagine. I have you in my life, and you helped me realize how unimportant losing is. If I lose, I know that I still have you and my friends. If I lost at Indigo Conference, then I still would have had you, Seshiru, and Himawari at the end of the day. I would have the opportunity to go home to an aunt that loves me. I'd have my dad, my mom, my cousin, my younger brother. I would still have my Pokémon. It's not about winning or losing for me anymore. It's about maintaining the relationships and friendships that I've made with the people that I love. It's good to focus on my goal, but it's not good to let that goal destroy what I've built up between people."
Yurie couldn't help but laugh. "I'm happy that I could help you not take everything so seriously. But, I want you to do your best against the Elite Four."
"I promise that I will," Logan said. "And then, when my story is done, and your journey is finished, I want to meet again and talk all about it."
Yurie nodded. "Thanks. I look forward to that day."
"I'm not good with words or expressing my thoughts," Logan said. "I'm sorry if some of it doesn't make sense. But, I want to give you something, since you gave me the books." Logan put his bag on the ground and then unzipped the top. He pulled out a cylindrical plastic container with a single yellow flower on the inside.
"A sunflower?" Yurie asked while taking it. She was delighted to receive it, and she couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. Little did she realize, she had also started to cry.
Logan looked at her, noticing the tears that streaked down her cheeks. He then felt himself choking, and he struggled to say anything. "Your-your brother. He said that-that-"
He put his hand to his mouth as he started to cry. His eyes became red and poofy, and he couldn't look at Yurie directly. He turned to the sea and realized just how close the ferry was.
"He said that the sunflower is a promise," he managed to say. "A promise that I'll only look at you. I'm not good at keeping promises, Yurie, but I promise that I won't forget you. And, I promise that when everything is done, I'll be there to hear your stories."
"Thank you so much, Logan," Yurie said while wrapping her arms around him for one last hug. They held onto each other as the ferry pulled in and people started to board. They just stood still and enjoyed each other's company while they could. "I'll take care of this flower. It won't last long, but the memory of receiving it will remain forever. Thank you so much."
Logan pulled back and let go of Yurie. He took a step back, and Mightyena followed. He looked at Yurie one last time and then stood up straight. "Get goin'. Do your best."
Yurie nodded, and she looked down at Torchic, who was yet again brokenhearted.
"Torchic," he muttered.
Mightyena silently whined.
"I love ya. I'll start writing you letters immediately," Logan said.
"I love you too," she muttered. "I look forward to your letters."
Yurie slowly turned and faced the ferry. She started her walk and decided not to look back. With every step, she felt unsure of her decision to go to Sinnoh and her future. A long-distance relationship between the two wasn't going to be easy, and she knew that much. Torchic followed her, looking back to Mightyena and Logan on occasion.
Logan watched her the whole time, tears streaming down his face. He silently sobbed and wiped his face clean with the sleeve of his shirt.
"We'll be okay," Yurie said.
"Good luck, Yurie," Logan whispered.
Two Years Later - Rustboro Airport
Yurie was exhausted from the flight. She grabbed her bag from the carousel and then waved Torchic over from examining other people's luggage. Excitement filled the Fire-type Pokémon, who got to rest comfortably in his Poké Ball during the trip.
"I'm excited too," Yurie said. She removed her red jacket and put it into her bag. She wore a white v-neck shirt and short jean shorts. She was thin but tall for a Hoenn girl, standing at five foot five. She had recently turned fourteen, and she was expecting a welcome home and birthday party all wrapped up into one when she arrived in Littleroot Town. It was still going to be a train ride away, but her legs were exhausted and her back hurt. She wasn't sure how much more traveling she could take.
The two took an escalator into the underground tunnel. They were set to ride the subway to the center of Rustboro City where they would then take a train. If it weren't for her jetlag and eagerness to eat eastern food, she would take her time and simply make the journey on foot. But a train would cut out days of walking.
The ride on the subway was much shorter, and they were in the bustling center of Rustboro in a matter of thirty minutes. Next would be a train that would take her straight to Littleroot Station. It was out of the way, so she would spend a lot more time sitting.
She bought her ticket and then quickly bought some food from the station convenience store, opting for onigiri. She ate it as though she had never eaten food in her life. She missed it so much, and it almost brought her to tears.
"How does it feel to be home, Torchic?" she asked.
Torchic suddenly perked up and jumped from the bench. He chirped and then ran into the crowd of people. Yurie had no time to call him back, and she followed, her mouth still full of rice. She was embarrassed as she ran through the station, but embarrassment quickly turned to shock once she found Torchic.
"Chick! Torchic!" he exclaimed as he wrestled with a familiar grey and black Pokémon with a Wailmer print towel tied around his neck.
"Mightyena?" Yurie wondered. Her eyes widened when she looked past the two Pokémon, finding a sixteen-year-old boy standing nearby. He was tall, a couple of inches over six feet, and he wore a button-up black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He had on nice grey jeans with a white belt keeping them up, a collection of various kinds of Poké Balls attached. Over his bushy brown hair was a hat with a white Poké Ball insignia on the front. "Logan."
Logan smiled and then stuck out his arms. "Welcome home. How was Galar?"
Yurie didn't answer him. She instead ran forward and dove into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. They hadn't seen each other for a year, and with how busy they both were, mail between the two had greatly decreased.
"I missed you so much!" she said. "I'm so happy you're here!"
"Not just him," a voice called from the side. Yurie turned, finding Seshiru, who was still half a foot smaller than herself. She still had her short bobbed haircut, but she wore a purple suit. Standing next to her and holding her hand, was the boy with lightning hair and dragon's blood, Himawari. She was relieved to see them so close to one another, as they had broken up countless times in the past two years.
Yurie couldn't help but smile. She dashed to the two and gave them hugs.
"I'm so happy to see you both!" she said while pulling away. She punched Himawari in the arm, making him recoil. "How's the Elite Four?"
He rubbed his arm and took in a deep breath. "There's a lot more pressure than being a gym leader. We have to train almost every day, but it's more rewarding."
Yurie nodded and then looked at Seshiru. "And the Battle Frontier? They've made you the leader, right?"
Seshiru folded her arms and grinned. "Well, to be fair, Jindai retired to explore the world and look for more titans. And Ukon is too old to take up the mantle. So, I wasn't the first choice. However, I do think that being the leader of the Battle Frontier, in a sense, ranks me higher than any Elite Four member."
Himawari rolled his eyes.
Logan approached the group, and he tapped Yurie on the shoulder. She looked at him and couldn't help but smile.
"So, you gonna tell me all about your journeys?" he asked.
Yurie nodded. "Yeah! But, you first!"
THE END
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So, this is the end of Logan and Yurie's adventures together. Healing in Hoenn and Kickin' It In Kanto were so fun to write. I also wanted to give a more definitive ending for Seshiru and Himawari. One is the leader of the Battle Frontier and the other is an Elite Four member. I definitely don't see them lasting as a couple though. As for Logan and Yurie, I want to tell the rest of their story in their individual adventures. But, this ending kind of hints at a couple of things.
Yurie's story will continue in a month or two. I really need time to organize her next full journey, and I want to focus and finish Cyan's story and Ascending Alola. You'll see Yurie again in Shining in Sinnoh. New rivals, a new traveling companion, and new evils.
Logan's story will continue sooner than later. He'll head off to Johto where he'll train and challenge the Elite Four. The story will be around fifteen chapters, but it'll take place over the course of a year. You'll see Logan again in Mr. Stephenson vs. The Indigo Elite. (working title)
I'll post up one more author's notes after this to respond to final reviews and to give some fun facts about the characters and the stories.
REVIEWS:
pokemonking0924 - "Still much to look forward to seeing especially since you hinted Yurie getting her own story and Logan getting a side story, not to mention a future Unova story. Can't wait to see what you have planned." - So much! So so much!
The Imprisoned of Hell - "Once again. Beautiful chapter. I especially love the ending." - Thank you very much!
UKEagleClaw - "Aah, liked the fourth-wall break with the story names/books appearing in-universe. That was a cool, unexpected twist." - I think if anyone was going to appreciate it, it would be you!
CrescentApple - "Fun chapter. I forgot Logan doesn't like onions. The way they keep narrating about their little doubts, will they eventually break up after a year apart? Unintentionally I mean." - At the very least, we can see that they're still friendly two years later. Whether or not they're still together is maybe up in the air.
pokestets23 - "Love chapters like this! So creative! Can't wait for more!" - Well, you have to! Whahahaha!
wisdom-jewel - "I love this. I like how Yurie wrote their adventures down. Will she publish them later on or keep them to herself? And how will they keep their relationship going? Like, will they keep in contact, or will Yurie go to Johto so they can stay together?" - Sinnoh and Johto ain't too far, so maybe we'll get the occasional cameo or something? But, I see them contacting each other through mail and e-mail.