As Louis turned to leave the temple, the chief spoke again.
"You Serrano's just can't stay still, can you?"
The elder reached into his folded yukata, and drew something from it, something on a chain.
"Chief?" the boy questioned. "Is that another pendant?"
"That's right," responded Chief Tanaka.
– "W-...what's it for?"
"Since you're heading to that academy..." the Chief began. "...I figured you could give this to a Pokémon on your team."
The boy's eyes lit up in gratitude.
Taki stood, arms crossed.
A thought pulled at her, but she couldn't find footing within it.
Something about Louis being back so soon after the cataclysmic events they'd narrowly avoided before, sat at ill-ease upon her.
"You alright, Taki?" asked Crocanaw.
"It's...nothing, Crocanaw," answered Taki, shaking her head of the haze.
"Where are you going next, Louis?" she questioned.
"Well...if my grandma is heading to my home, I'll head there," the boy answered.
"It's kinda on the way anyway," he finished.
"Mind if we come with you?" inquired Crocanaw.
"Of course I don't mind. I-..." Louis paused.
He turned his attention back to Taki.
"Actually...has Crocanaw ever been to Flash Town?" he asked.
"Not since I've had her," the girl answered.
"Is that a 'yes'?" The small beast enquired again.
"It's a yes," Louis smiled.
As the group left, the chief ignited another stick of incense.
"Taki," he spoke. "I know you are keen to discover where you fit in this..."
"...but you are right where you need to be, you two are bound by things we don't have words for."
"Follow him," he finished.
Taki nodded and continued on her way.
As the temple faded behind them, thoughts of the past emerged to the travellers.
"Taki...I never thanked you," said Louis.
"For what?" The black-haired girl stopped.
"In the last week, I've realised some things that I couldn't process properly during our last...journey," the boy explained.
"I don't know why they offered ME the academy spot. It should rightfully be you," he continued.
She looked him square in the eyes.
"It shouldn't 'rightfully' be anything, Louis," she said.
"You were selected because they felt you are ready, that's all," she finished, smiling.
They continued, around wood and bend, past thicket and glade, until eventually, they arrived at the bridge.
"This bridge smells," grumbled Crocanaw.
"It is old," Louis pointed out.
The Pokémon continued to sniff the air, quizzically.
"No. It's...fishy," it said.
Louis thought better of telling Crocanaw about the Gyrados' lurking below.
"Bridges...err...smell like that when they're old," he replied.
The boy glanced at Taki, who was stifling a laugh.
Unconvinced, the Pokémon followed on, occasionally darting a suspicious eye toward the waterway.
After a while, the bridge was out of view of the group. At that moment, Louis felt a little unsure about something.
"Hey, Taki?" said Louis.
"Yeah?" responded the girl.
"Do you have any advice on being a Pokémon trainer?" the boy asked.
The girl paused, almost honoured at the question.
Finally, she spoke.
"Yes."
"Louis, only you know what's right for your Pokémon, don't let anyone tell you differently," she answered.
He thought on the words longer than he realised, and soon, they'd crossed the leagues between the bridge and the Serrano family home.
As Louis was about to enter his home, he stopped.
With Taki here, he would never hear the end of the Pidgeotto's little 'jokes' and a thought crossed him.
"Hey Crocanaw…" he began.
"If my Pidgeotto says something to rile us up, I'll say 'Watch it. She'll bite!'," the boy finished.
Crocanaw nodded.
The door swung open, but where there should be his mother and grandmother, only an empty kitchen stood.
"Uh...Mom?" called Louis.
The group fell silent before some quiet voices found their ears, from somewhere in the garden.
"You've done beautifully here, Janet," a familiar voice said. "The flowers are blooming happily."
Janet smiled and enjoyed the compliment.
"It keeps me busy while Mig is away," she said.
The group emerged from the house, as Janet and the elder turned to another plant.
"Hello?" said Louis.
The two adults stopped. They spun around and saw Louis, Taki and Crocanaw standing at the portal into the house. The grandmother, with her green yukata, smiled at the sight of her grandson. She bore a striking resemblance to his father. The eyes. It was as if they shared the same eyes.
"Oh! It's some of my favourite people!" The grandmother exclaimed, before sweeping Louis up in a tight hug.
"I've missed you, bestest boy in the world!" Louis blushed at this.
Taki giggled.
"Your mother has been showing me her garden! It's astounding!"
Now it was Janet's turn to blush.
The black-haired girl shifted on the spot.
"And Taki's here too?!" exclaimed the grandmother, surprised.
"This IS exciting. Where are you headed?"
Louis turned his attention to his mother.
"You haven't told her yet, have you?" he whispered.
Janet shook her head.
"I wanted you to tell her," she answered.
Louis smiled. He then returned his attention to his grandmother and spoke.
"I've decided to become a Pokémon trainer!"
The words felt right, for the first time.
"Of course you have!" The elder responded. "You can be anything you want if you try!"
This made the boy's smile even brighter.
"Have you two eaten?" Janet posed.
"Your grandmother has promised to share a very old recipe with me, and we're about to begin, hang around and get fed up, you two."
"Croc-a-naw?" voiced Crocanaw.
"Oh!" cried Janet. "I didn't realise your Totodile evolved, Taki."
"Yeah we'll find you something too," smirked Louis, looking at the hungry, blue Pokémon.
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