As pots and pans whipped their way around the kitchen in a flurry of food preparation, Louis scoured the cupboards and pantry for something suitable to Crocanaw's diet.

"Are you sure it's three cups of flour?" Janet asked

"For this meal? Absolutely!" answered the grandmother. "The flour will react with the yeast, and soon we'll have some of the best bread you've ever tasted."

"Do you have any seeds?"

Janet swept past Louis and gathered three containers of different seeds.

"...so she cracked her knuckles, picked up the Magikarp, and threw it as hard she could toward a distant river! Totally incredible! She saved that little fish"

Taki blushed as Louis relayed the tale of the flight of the Magikarp, while his grandma and mother listened on in awe.

Soon, with their meal completed, talk turned to the future.

"Will you be accompanying him, Taki? To the academy?" questioned Janet.

"Sadly...no," responded the girl. "...I...I'm not ready yet."

A silence hung in the air.

The grandma spoke softly, breaking the awkward hush.

"Oh... you will be, sooner than you know, and you can go and join Louis in class," she smiled.

Taki returned a smile in response.

"Anyway...when do you head off, Louis?" asked the grandmother.

The boy checked the day's light through the home's kitchen window.

"I was told that the boat ride would take a whole day," the boy began. "...but I leave in two hours."

"Two hours?!" shrieked Crocanaw.

The fanged beast groaned in annoyance.

"You can't go yet!" it said. "You still didn't tell them where I got my bow."

"Oh, right," replied Louis. "Sorry."

"Crocanaw!" Taki scolded.

Louis cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Crocanaw got her bow from Charicific Valley..." he began. "It originally belonged to a Charizard, but it's trainer had a spare."

The little monster grinned with pride.

"Then that really is a special little bow!" The elder smiled.

Soon, with the last sips of a fresh jasmine tea finished, the group made their way outside.

"Oh, hold on a second," called Louis. "I need to find a good outfit to wear."

The boy dashed to his room, a cacophony of opening drawers and wardrobes found the listeners outside.

After a short time. Louis rushed back downstairs with a bag of supplies and revealed his choice of clothing.

He wore a purple t-shirt, with a black vest, denim knee-length shorts and black and white shoes.

"Cool vest!" Taki was the first to see his choice.

"Yeah, that looks good on you," added Crocanaw.

The boy smiled at the compliments. He then turned his attention to the grandmother.

"Are you staying a little while, grandma?" the boy questioned.

"Of course," the elder answered. "I'll have to see my grandson off, later."

Louis blinked twice.

"You're coming to the port?" he questioned.

"We all are," Janet smiled.

The path to the dock was warm and smooth in the afternoon's sun, and the group walked, sometimes chatting, sometimes in thought. But all were happy.

Crocanaw skipped on ahead, while the family and Taki strolled slowly, relaxed. Ahead, the air of the fields turned salty, as a vast inlet appeared before them.

In it sat a tiny dock, and nearby, a large, white-hulled vessel with multiple decks bobbed effortlessly on the afternoon tide.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Louis. "Is that the boat I'm taking?!"

"Probably," answered Janet.

The docks were quiet, a few people milled around in their daily routine. Cargo was loaded and unloaded from the vessel, and numerous ship workers relaxed near the long wooden pier that penetrated the water's edge.

"Hey! Wait up!" a voice called.

The group turned as one.

Just behind them, a man with a book and a very nice feather pen approached, panting.

"Dad!" exclaimed Louis.

"You think..." he struggled to catch his breath. "...you think I'd miss this?"

"You look exhausted," said Janet.

"I came home earlier to an empty house," Miguel replied. "I figured you all must've left already, so I sprinted."

Louis glanced at each of the group; The smiling grandmother, Miguel and Janet, Taki and Crocanaw.

Something peaceful and warm wrapped his heart from the inside.

Though some weren't related to him, these people were his family, and, looking at them now, he had second thoughts about leaving.

The boy spoke.

"What if I don't go?"

The group turned to Louis, shocked.

"I'm sorry?" questioned the grandmother.

"I...don't know if I want to go, I don't want to leave," the boy finished.

Janet thought this might happen.

She approached her son and met him at eye level.

"What you are feeling right now is perfectly normal," she said, holding his arms.

"You're already missing us, and we feel that, too."

Miguel approached the boy.

"It's tough, kid, I know…" he began. "...but I want you to remember how excited you were when you got that letter!"

"That feeling, where the world is yours to explore, that wonder, and that amazement, this is your calling, Louis."

"And we love you" finished his mother.

The family hugged and said their farewells, as Taki tried to keep Crocanaw from jumping into the sea from the dock.

Then Louis approached the girl.

"I guess this is it," he said.

"For now," replied the girl.

"I promise I'll write" smiled the boy.

"Taki... take care, ok?"

The girl threw her arms open in a hug.

"Of course, you too, you curry-mad fool!" she smirked.

"You too, Crocanaw," added Louis.

Louis and Crocanaw embraced. But then, Louis felt multiple things jab into his arm. He saw that Crocanaw was biting his arm...again.

"AAAAAAAOOOOOWWWW!" the boy yelled.

"Crocanaw! I'll be back, and I'll bring you a new bow!" he cried. "...just let go!"

The blue beast relinquished its grip.

Louis boarded the gangplank and turned to wave, as a chill air built around him.

But then, voices, not belonging to his group, found the boy's ears.

"Now?"

– "Almost, just wait!"

"C'mon, kid, two more steps..."

Louis looked from side to side, wondering where those noises were coming from.

"Did you guys hear something?" he called while taking small steps on the gangplank.

"Hear what?" replied Taki.

Before Louis could take his first step onto the vessel, three ghostly figures appeared before the boy.

"BOO!" all three exclaimed.

"AAAHH!" yelped Louis.

Louis stumbled, moving closer to the edge of the boardwalk. He threw his bag of supplies onto the boat before toppling over and landing in the water below.

Gastly, Haunter and Gengar laughed at the boy's misfortune.

Louis emerged from the sea, and spat water from his mouth, while his family looked on in confusion.

"Really?!" he exclaimed.

The purple spirits laughed again.

"You DID say 'anytime', ghost-kid," Gastly pointed out.

With a second attempt, and this time with no overdue and owed scares, Louis finally boarded the vessel and waved his family and friends, the ghost Pokémon, and the Johto region a fond farewell.

There we go. Louis' next journey is about to begin.

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