A Starly flapped its wings gently as it landed on a branch overlooking the town of Medali. There was a ripe set of red berries hanging from the branch. Starly took to work pecking the berries, until it got to the last one.
Unfortunately, it pecked a little too hard and the berry came loose, falling all the way to the grass below. Starly gave a moping chirp.
Just then, there was a sound of flittering wings approaching. Starly looked down to see a glimmering Vivillon flap down to the berry Starly had just dropped. It made a joyful noise and circled the air around it.
Starly gasped, and then chirped sadly, which caught the Vivillon's attention.
Next thing Starly knew, it heard the sound of flittering wings up close. Perking up, it saw Vivillon, having flown up to it, holding the berry in its tiny little arms.
Vivillon took the berry, and with great might, ripped it in half. It held out one half of the berry to the Starly.
Starly was surprised. Joyously, it received the berry with its beak and took a juicy bite of it. Vivillon took a bite of its half, and both flying Pokémon chirped happily at each other, having reached their happy medium.
Down on the city streets below, Medali was abuzz on this fine summer day. Kids played outside, adults walked around looking for somewhere good to eat lunch, and amateur Pokémon battles could be heard engaging from the park grounds.
The Treasure Eatery wasn't slacking in activity, either. Plenty of patrons stopped by here for a delicious meal, or hopes of seeing an exciting Gym Battle take place.
No battles of such were happening today, however. Just a casual lunch between three colleagues.
Hassel was the first to step out of the doors.
"Woof… that was such a hearty meal that I'm probably good until supper!" he said, patting his belly. "I can't believe you are three times as much as I did, and still had enough appetite for a take-out box! You are molded from something truly remarkable, Larry."
"I guess it's just my special Ability," Larry remarked, walking out behind him with a bin full of food.
"You ate almost as much as Rika feeds her Donphan when she lets me watch!" Poppy proclaimed, hustling out the door too. "I wanna come here again and eat even more hash brownies with you, Uncle Larry!"
"I'm too busy for that, and it's Mister—" Larry started reflexively correcting, but he bit his tongue and relaxed. "…You know what? That wouldn't be bad. Just come by with Rika or Hass sometime, and I'll be sure to make time. As long as they make sure to let me know first. Okay?"
"Okay!" she answered cheerfully.
Hassel held out his hands. Poppy used them as a stepladder to get up on his shoulders.
"It's so cool that you have your own restaurant, Mr. Larry!"
"… … It sure is, kid."
Hassel chuckled. "You really are becoming the fun uncle, Larry."
Larry frowned. "…Don't push it."
Hassel cleared his throat. "Well, regardless, this was a very pleasant lunch, and a very stimming conversation. I'd also love to do it again very soon. I want to hear even more about some of these old Sinnohian legends."
"… Yeah. Sure. We can figure something out."
"Good," Hassel smiled. "Now then, I'd better get Poppy back to Naranja ASAP."
"Awwwww, I don't wanna go back to preschool!" Poppy whined. "Can't we go to the League instead? I wanna fight some strong Trainers!" She made some punching motions.
Hassel laughed. "We don't have any Challengers scheduled today, you little scrapper! But you have some important classes to attend and what kind of teacher am I if I don't make sure you're prioritizing valuable learning? Besides, if you miss classes, they won't let you eat lunch out anymore, and you'll have to eat cafeteria food from now on!"
"Yuck!" Poppy declared. "Ohh, okay… let's go back."
Hassel smiled as they got ready to walk off and hail a cab.
"Hm-hm! See you around, Larry."
"Yeah, bye, Uncle Lar—Mr. Larry!"
Larry waved goodbye at them.
Following that, he just sort of stood outside the Eatery, hands in his pockets. Contemplating if there was anything else he wanted to do in town before bringing out his Tropius…
Just then, he started to hear small whispering voices behind him.
"Go on, ask him!"
"I don't know, he looks busy…"
"He's just standing there, dude! C'mon!"
Larry turned around to notice… of all people, the same group of boys he had encountered in Medali before, who first asked for his autograph and then got caught in that confrontation with Poppy. But this time, there was another blond boy with them, who they were pushing forward. He looked rather timid.
"E-e-excuse me, M-Mr. Larry."
"Yes?" Larry winced a little at how blunt he sounded.
"Umm, I was just…" The boy kicked his foot around sheepishly. "I was just, wondering if… it would be possible to get your autograph? I-if you're not too busy, that is."
Larry's mouth cracked a bit.
Well, somehow I am one of the most popular Gym Leaders… I guess I should be expecting more things like this? And I guess I should learn to value this as much as Katy does.
"No, I'm not busy doing anything right now at all." Larry stopped. That feels like a weird thing to be saying… "Do you have something to write on?"
The kid gave Larry his autograph booklet, and he wrote out his name in cursive. He thought more on it for a second, and then decided to add something else underneath it.
When the boy received his book again, he went "Huh? What are those symbols?"
"It's my name, but in the old language of Sinnoh, where I was raised."
"Whoaaa, cool!"
"Huh? Let me see!" said one of the other kids, trying to haunch over him.
"I didn't get that for mine! Now you have the better one!"
"Whoa. Hey, hey, settle down," Larry calmed them. "There's no need for a ruckus. Here, if you all still have your little books, then I'll give each of you the same autograph."
"Really?"
"Oh, cool! Sorry for fighting."
"Yeah, sorry, Aaron. And Mr. Larry."
He went through all their books and gave them the same stylized autograph.
"There. Are we all square now?"
"Yeah," all four of them said.
"Wait…" said one of them, pulling out a red slip. "What's this thing?"
"Your name was…" he took a second to remember. "…Daniel?"
"Danny."
"So yes, then. Anyway Danny, uhh… consider that a gift to your dad for raising you well."
"WHOA!"
Larry leaned in close. "But… just please be sure to tell him not to tell the chef inside that it came from me," he said quietly, pointing back to the Eatery. "I kind of stole it."
All four kids gave various murmurs of "Whoaaaaa!" and all ran off. One of them was shouting "Larry's so cool!" as he trailed.
"Hmmph," Larry uttered to no one in particular.
Maybe I could learn to like being a celebrity…
"Excuse me, sir?"
"-!"
Arceus help me, I'm too popular to move from this spot!
He reluctantly turned around. "Yes? Is there something I can- … Oh."
"Hello, stranger! I hope you can help me out! I'm just a stressed old country girl, and this is my first time in the big city! Can you please point me to where the Medali Gym is? I've heard the Gym Leader there is very, very handsome and I wish to see him!"
Katy was dressed in the exact same fancy outfit she wore on her first visit to Medali. Same cardigan, same handbag. The black hat that'd been on many adventures. Plus the crystal earrings that she'd bought from Medali Fashions.
And a pair of green-rimmed sunglasses, which she lowered so Larry could see her wily eyes.
"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" smiled Larry with a raised eyebrow. "I know, from Cortondo! You're a long ways from home. What do you want to see some plain old Gym Leader for? I hear the one in Cortondo is real hot stuff!"
Katy smirked wickedly. "You think I'm hot?"
"I—I didn't… That's not what I—" Larry flushed redder than a Cheri Berry.
"Sorry, that was mean!" Katy giggled. "Let's start over. Hi!"
"Hello, Katy. What does bring you all the way here?"
"Well, actually…" She glanced at his take-out box. "I hope there's room for me to give you one more thing on top of that… is that a to-go box?"
"Yes."
She chortled. "Who are you? I take it back, where is that Larry with the appetite of a Wailord?"
"Hey, knock it off," he chuckled.
"Anyway… I just, well…" She was feeling bashful for some reason. "I just wanted to give you… this."
She held out something. Larry's eyes flew up.
"Is… is that-!?"
"Mm-hm!"
A Terastallized Bug-Berry Cupcake.
The one and only confectionary from the League party all those moons ago. The cupcake that captured Larry's heart and his stomach, tasting so heavenly that he traveled all the way to Cortondo for another one and the rest became history.
It was the same blue cupcake, with the sparkling white frosting on top, wrapped in a glittery silver foil. Bits of fruit poking out.
And, of course, a pick shaped like a Bug Pokémon's Tera Jewel.
"Wh—How d…?"
Katy started giggling again. She marveled at the sight of Larry so speechless.
"I realized a while ago that I still had all the ingredients to make just one more. I was waiting until a special occasion, when the time was right, to make it for you as a treat." She gave a big warm smile, which made Larry's heart feel fuzzy. "Consider it a little piece of motivation for you. One last reminder of everything that helped get you to here in the first place."
Larry graciously accepted the cupcake.
"Katy, I… I don't know what to say." His mouth trembled. "You—After all this time, your generosity really knows no bounds!"
In spite of himself, he found himself smiling bigly too.
Katy was absolutely beaming. This was exactly what she wanted.
A day just like the one we first talked to each other. That was one of the best days of my whole life…
Her smile faded slightly. She cleared her throat, this time adopting a more serious look.
"There is… something else I wanted to talk to you about." She looked very consternated, as if she was very anxious to say this.
Larry's eyebrows piqued with curiosity. "What is it?"
She grasped her hands together. "I want you to promise me something. No matter what happens, whether it's good news or it's bad news…"
Larry gulped. "…Yes?"
Her eyes squinted shut. "I really want us to at least be able to stay friends."
Larry gasped. He wasn't really sure why. Maybe it wasn't the thing he expected her to say. Or perhaps he didn't realize how strongly she felt about this. Even he couldn't say for sure.
"Katy…"
"It's just that, not having you around these past couple of weeks, it… hurt. It hurt a lot more than I thought it would." She looked down to the ground with a dreamy look in her eyes. "That long time apart finally made me realize just… just how much I've come to value you as one of my best friends. So no matter what you do, whether you're quitting the Elite Four, or your job or whatever. Even if a relationship between us is still off the cards, I… I still want you to be a part of my life."
Larry struggled to get the words out of his throat.
Katy began to look remorseful. "I'm sorry. Maybe that's a little much to ask of you right n—"
Then. Before she could say anything else, something happened that made shivers happen all the way down to her feet.
Larry's arms wrapped around her. His head slung over her shoulders. Shaking, she… she wrapped her hands around his as well.
Mark the history books, because for the first time, Larry was the one to initiate a hug.
"L-Larry…"
"Katy."
After the longest, most blissful minute on Earth, Larry let go of hugging her.
"Of course I'll always be part of your life. You bring sunshine and happiness everywhere you go. I'd be a fool to not want a taste of that every chance I get."
Katy's cheeks flushed. She could feel her eyes water, which she tried really hard to keep back, as she smiled that warm smile again.
Larry felt that her smile could melt the coldest tip of Glaseado Mountain.
"And besides, you don't need to worry at all," he smiled back. "It's going to be good news. I promise you that. And you're going to be the first person to hear about it!"
"I just… hope I'm not putting too much pressure on you."
Larry chuckled. "Not at all. In fact… you're taking the pressure off. You always take the pressure off when I'm around you! Just, your happy demeanor it… it always puts me at ease. You give me courage, and the drive to go forwards. I just didn't see it before!"
The tear ducts were fighting back even harder. "Seriously, you're going to make me cry in the middle of the street, and that Iono's going to have the scoop of the century…"
The next thing she felt was his hands gently grabbing her shoulders.
"I don't feel any more doubts, Katy. My head's clearer than the sky itself."
He initiated yet another hug. This time, she reciprocated it warmly. They held onto each other for a long time. They didn't care that it was happening right outside the Eatery. That people around them might see. That Iono, if she happened to be hiding in the bushes again, would indeed have juicy material.
Let them all talk.
"I should… really get going now, I think," said Larry as his fingertips refused to let go of Katy's.
"Good luck," said Katy. "I'll be waiting."
Finally, their fingers let go of each other. And Katy gracefully walked out, giving one last smile behind her shoulder.
Larry smiled back. It was only after her back was fully turned that he let out the big grin he was trying not to flash. He chuckled through the air in his nostrils.
I definitely know what has to happen now…
He marched out onto the streets towards the edge of Medali, looking for a good place to send out his Tropius. As he walked past some shrubs over a park bench, he could hear those four boys from before clamoring.
"I'm telling you, I saw her face! That was definitely her!"
"But what would Katy be doing in Medali? I thought she and Larry were splitsville."
Larry rolled his eyes. Gossipy kids, of course…
"And anyway, who cares if it is Katy? Why not somebody more exciting like Ryme? Isn't she like… one of the lamest Gym Leaders?"
Larry scoffed.
One of the other boys, Danny, jumped from his seat.
"DUDE! Don't tell me you didn't hear about Zeke's battle with her?"
"Wait, was Zeke streaming again? Drat, I missed it!"
"Wasn't he going to battle Katy last because he got all the other Badges and wanted to do a clean sweep for all the subs?" asked another boy.
"Yeah, but get this! She ended up totally curb-stomping him with a bunch of really strong Pokémon! He freaking LOST!"
"What? Come on, you're making that up! He probably brought out his Hydreigon and torched her wooden little treehouse down!"
"I'm not kidding! She sent out this really strong Scizor that took out his Hydreigon like it was nothing! It was one of the most incredible things I ever saw!"
"That's crazy!"
"Holy crap! Now I do want her autograph!"
"Forget the autograph!" shouted the boy who was all shy around Larry. "I wanna BATTLE her!"
"Me too!" they all cried out.
Larry watched, astonished, as they all bounced up and sprinted from the bench in a rush of kid-like energy.
"Huh," he said to himself. "Maybe the kids are alright after all."
As he walked on, he couldn't stop himself from grinning.
Not just because of the kids.
The typing on Rika's computer stopped as she heard the door open and looked up.
It was rare to see Larry walking into the building not slouching like a hunchback. Rika realized she was so used to the look that she had never noticed it until now.
In fact, he looked cool and calm as a cucumber as he walked to her desk.
"Hello, Rika. You look lovely today."
Rika blinked a couple times. "Thanks, Larry! You don't look so bad yourself."
"Is she ready to see me?" he asked, without any hint of unease.
"Give me just a minute to confirm…"
Rika
Larry's here to see you.
Rika relaxed her shoulders a bit as she prepared to wait a full minute for a response. But, all of a sudden, her chat program pinged almost immediately.
Geeta
I'm ready. Send him in.
"Uhh, she's—ready to see you right now."
Larry looked at her bemused, as he had only just sat down.
"That's new," he said, getting right back up.
"Tell me about it."
"Well… this is it then, I guess."
He marched over to the door behind Rika. Rika decided to go back to typing, but then…
"Here."
He pulled out of his briefcase the to-go box he'd left the Treasure Eatery with… and set it down on Rika's desk, much to her shock.
"What's… this?"
"I had lunch with Hassel today. He told me you'd always wanted to come to the Treasure Eatery some time because you heard how good their country fried steak is."
Rika winced. "He—he mentioned that, huh? I suppose he also told you the reason I never have is because I thought I would embarrass you by showing up…"
Larry held back a snort. "He didn't, actually."
"…!"
"But you're welcome to come down any time. For right now though, just take this. Consider it… my thank you for all these years of putting up with me."
Rika accepted the box with a very grateful look.
"Well… gee. I really don't know what to say. Thanks, Larry. I guess I'll find some time to heat this up when I get home. Fully booked today, unfortunately."
Larry scoffed. "Don't worry about that. I know that you don't get many lunch breaks, and I'm probably going to hold Geeta in there for a good long while. Just… relax and treat yourself."
Rika gave him a look that equal parts touched and questioning who this man in front of her was.
Of all the people to encourage me to slack at work…
Larry just smirked at her.
"Live a little for once."
And with that, he walked through the doors.
Rika still felt completely stunned.
She gazed at the box, opened it up. Her eyes glistened at the delicious bready meal inside. It was drizzled in parmesan sauce, and even came with some fries and ketchup.
Rika felt herself cracking several different emotives, but the very last one… was a gentle, very touched, smile.
"Hello, Larry."
"Geeta."
Larry walked through the office, up the small steps, to sit down in the chair in front of Geeta's desk. Geeta was still finishing some typing on her tablet—
Actually, that's new.
She didn't have a tablet propped up on her desk before.
"Is that a new tablet?" he asked directly.
"Hmm?" she asked, briefly looking up. "This? Oh… yes. Rika suggested it, as a matter of fact. I've been handling more correspondences in the past few days than actual written work. So this has been immensely helpful in maximizing being able to reach out to everyone."
"That's good," Larry nodded.
"Just give me one more second."
After a bit more typing up, awaiting a response, reacting to said response, and then shutting the tablet off, Geeta cupped her hands together and faced Larry directly.
"How are you doing today?" was the first thing she asked.
"Pretty well, actually."
She nodded. "You look well."
…
"And… how are you doing?" Larry decided to ask.
"Mmm. It has been a busy morning, but slower compared to the rest of my week, so I should be thankful for that."
"Good."
…
"Can I be honest with you about something?" said Geeta. "…I cannot stand small talk."
Larry smirked. "I hate it too."
This seemed to finally clear the air, as the two both chuckled a little.
"Well then, since I don't really know how to talk in anything other than formalities, let's just get right to the point. So, have you made a decision about what it is you seek to do going forward?"
"…I have."
"Great. Please…" she motioned with her hand. "I want to hear your desires, completely unfiltered. Just tell it to me straight up, and we can work from there."
Larry gulped. "Okay." He bunched his legs together, feeling quite a bit antsy.
"You see, what I want is…"
"Well! You should be glad I'm already a married woman. Otherwise, I'd be flying all the way down there to steal that hunk of meat!"
"Jules!" Katy gasped into her phone.
"Whaaaat? Don't send me his picture if you didn't want my blunt opinion! So what, he still isn't taking you back?"
"It's not the right time," Katy said. "He's got plenty on his mind and needs to get things sorted out. I know the feeling, I needed to take care of myself first too."
Jules shook her head on the video screen. "Even though I'm the one with two kids, you're still the more responsible one of us. If I ever let Val get away that easily, I would've never forgiven myself."
Katy laughed. "Well then, tell me something, party girl. Do you think there is a future with Larry if I keep on waiting? Because right now, I'm just coasting on the relief that I still got to keep him as a friend."
"I mean… you've been a go-getter for as long as I've known you, Katy. You wanted to fight all the Gym Leaders as a kid, you did it. You wanted to become a Gym Leader and a great patisser—patty—really good chef, and you did that too! And you even showed that meanie-pants, Geeta? That's her name? You showed her what's what."
"Alright, alright, I'm getting the picture."
"And besides, if he won't come crawling back to you, he's the crazy one! … The hat looks great on you, by the way. I knew I had immaculate taste."
"Oh, yeah! Thank you!" said Katy, grasping her black hat. She had a bit of a fettered smile, still choosing not to tell her sister about what almost happened to it.
She heard a child's voice nearby.
"Oop! Looks like somebody wants to join the call." Jules's side of the screen whipped about for a second, until she came back holding her young son. "Say hi to Auntie Katy, Micah!"
"Hi, Aunt Katy!"
"Hello, Micah! Gosh, you're getting so big!"
"Get this, we might end up having another great Battler in the family! He's been obsessed with watching all of Viola's matches on TV lately and giving live commentary! Ain't that right, Micah?" Micah shyly nodded. "Who do you think would win in a Gym Battle with Bug Pokémon, Viola or your Aunt Katy?"
"Mmmmm… maybe Viola?" He then giggled like he said something naughty. "She's really strong!"
Jules gasped. "And you don't think Aunt Katy is!? You hearin' this, girl? You might have to come all the way here to Santalune and settle this debate once and for all!"
"Oh ho ho! Really?" Katy said smugly. "Well I've never seen Viola in action myself, but she would have to bring her A-game to—"
She looked up suddenly as people were alerted to a big whoosh in the sky.
"Hey—hey Jules, I should hang up. I think he just got back! Bye for now!"
"Byeeeee! Don't call back unless you brought home that bacon!"
Katy scoffed to herself as she closed her phone. She stood up from the bistro table she was sitting at, in the middle of a courtyard in Medali, as she looked up with a smile to see a familiar Tropius descending towards the town.
She started walking the way that it looked like it was going to land. Then she looked around and saw something fascinating.
Several people around her also stopped what they were doing, and were also gathering towards the end of the street past the Treasure Eatery.
Katy had planned to rush out to greet her friend, but it was starting to become clear she might not be able to push past this growing crowd.
Tropius hit the ground on all fours, causing a lot of wind to rush in as its leafy wings flapped to lower its descent.
Larry was just finishing his Terastallized Cupcake as he hopped off Tropius's back. His Pokémon gave a loud and proud grunt.
This prompted him to look at his last bite of cupcake, which had a bit of Oran Berry in it. He ripped this chunk out of the silver foil and held it up to his companion.
"Here. You can have the last bite."
Tropius sniffed the cupcake bite curiously, and then gently gobbled it from Larry's hand. It swayed its large neck and gave a satisfied cry, which made Larry smile.
Then he walked forward in the direction of the Treasure Eatery… and that's when he finally noticed all the people that congregated in that spot.
"What's… going on here?" he asked into the crowd, who all stopped whispering to look at him. "Is there some… special event happening?"
They all exchanged glances between Larry and each other, which only served to make the man more confused. Finally, a teenage boy spoke up.
"Mr. Larry! Is it true that you might be retiring from the Gym?"
"Or the Elite Four?" another girl piped up.
A few of the older townspeople grumbled at the audacity of the youngsters.
For his part, Larry's head shook in bewilderment.
"Wait, I never… talked about my plans with anybody except my closest confidants! How did this kind of word even get around?"
A few people's heads turned towards one man, a person Larry realized he had seen before. The same day that he and Katy were hiding out in the Eatery from the rabid Ionites.
"…Reginald?"
Reginald grunted in shame. "I… I'm so sorry. I… heard you talking about it with your Elite Four buddy when you were having lunch earlier. I discussed it with my buddy George because I thought he heard it too. I suppose he must've told his wife and then… yeah. So it's all my fault."
"And we also heard you talking to a lady before, and she said something about you quitting your job with the Elite Four!" said one of the boys from earlier.
"Sssh! Quiet, Andre!"
"Wasn't Iono talking about it being a rumor on her stream for a while too?" asked a girl.
"Oh." Reginald frowned. "You know what? Never mind." He pointed at the kids. "Blame the youths with no respect for privacy. I'm innocent."
This made Larry chortle out loud, as he bent over a bit.
"Well, I guess I just underestimated how much everyone in Medali cares about me."
Katy couldn't help but giggle to herself.
"You said you were afraid of everyone in Medali treating you like a celebrity the way they do Kofu. I guess you're in for it now…" she mused quietly.
Larry was drawn in, swearing he had just heard a familiar giggle, and peered around the crowd trying to find it.
"Well out with it, Larry!" the chef Valencia shouted, startling him like a cat. "You just went to see Geeta, right? I got a whole restaurant to run, and if my main attraction's about to bail, I have first rights to know about it!"
"Geez, Valencia. Punctual as always, aren't you?" he said, scratching his head.
He gazed around at the crowd. The people of Medali. The townspeople he lived day in and day out with. His neighbors.
No… at this point, his friends.
"I'm… touched that you all came out to see me," he said sincerely. "Honestly. Thank you all."
There were several assorted of murmurs of "You're welcomes" and "Awwwws".
He tried to get one more look in, seemingly hoping to find a specific face.
Katy was near the back of the whole crowd, and could make out that Larry was hesitating, but wasn't close enough to see that he was looking for her.
With a resigned sigh, Larry decided to address them.
"Well… there was somebody else I promised to tell first. But, you're all my friends and neighbors, and apparently I'm the star of the town. I guess you deserve to know."
He sighed again as he glanced down at his shoes to find the words. This made everyone in the crowd even more anxious.
Larry looked up finally, and with a straight face, began to relay everything.
"I was given a rare opportunity. The ability to make a decision wholly for myself. For my future. As you all know, I've been juggling being the Gym Leader, part of the Elite Four, and maintaining my salary job for years now. As of now, it finally got to the point it was all too much to bear as was. But… with, a lot of help and support…"
He smiled off into the distance, hoping wherever Katy was that she was smiling back.
"I spent all of yesterday deciding what it was I wanted to do. So that's what I went to see Geeta about. Tch… it wasn't an easy thing to decide on. That's for sure. It's… going to change a lot of things around here."
Geeta tossed herself back in her chair. A hand resting over her face touching her forehead. Her face looked absolutely stupefied, a huge break from her typical stoicism.
"I suppose I had a feeling… that's what it might come down to…" she breathed. "I just… That is asking for a lot. And it's well, I'm afraid that it's…"
"Undoable. Right?"
Geeta took a moment to regain her composure, blinking rapidly all the while. Once she got herself back into a state where she felt she could maintain herself, she returned to her default position, hands cupped together, eye to eye with Larry.
"That's a strong word. I don't want to be too pessimistic about it. But, a better word might be… complicated. It would be extremely complex to work out all the logistics for such a decision. You'd…" She gulped. "I would need you to be absolutely sure, 100%- more than 100%, that this is really, really what you want."
Larry gave some pause, but still nodded.
"I'm very certain. This is, it's what I've committed myself to. I've thought very hard about how complicated it will be. And… yes. I'm ready to work through all those things with you and do… everything it would take to make this a reality."
Geeta put her fingers to her temples again.
"It would involve an awful lot of paperwork. Weeks of it."
Larry just smirked.
"Did you forget who you're talking to?"
The crowd continued waiting in anticipation.
"Well, people of Medali… I'm afraid that it's bad news for you all."
He hung his head down. Everyone began to whisper in concern.
Katy, standing between everyone, looked particularly worried to hear this. She tried frantically to push past several people around her.
Then Larry glanced up again.
"Because unfortunately, I'm still the Gym Leader of Medali. So you all won't be getting rid of me that easily."
The small crowd erupted in cheers of relief and joy.
"So does that mean you're giving up on the Elite Four, then?" a woman asked.
Larry shook his head.
"No. I'm not. I was considering it for a while, but… I can't do that either. They've all, become like a family to me. And getting to battle Trainers twice over, once for the Gym, and again for the Championship, seeing how much stronger they've become in in interim, it's… it's all too fun. There's no way I'd want to give up seeing that growth."
Katy continued trying to push past people, now well and truly eager.
"So instead… I quit my office job."
Katy stopped. She looked his way in awe.
The townspeople all began to whisper and murmur to each other in surprise.
"From here on out, I'm going to be bound to a desk… no longer. No more meetings. No more paperwork. Well… no more of those than what's still on my plate for being part of the League. And… Geeta has certainly made it clear that there was a certain amount of leniency on that I won't be afforded anymore…" he muttered to himself.
"But yes. That's the gist of it, I suppose. From now on, my focus will be solely on battling. I'll be making everyone proud as a Gym Leader and an Elite Four member. And that's where all my effort will be for now."
Katy was completely awestruck. A huge smile formed on her face. She wished Larry could see how much she was beaming… and that pushed her to start making her way through the crowd again.
"So what are you going to do about money, then?" asked Reingald. "If you're not earning that salary no more."
Larry scoffed at him. "Did I really complain about my living expenses that much?"
"Mmm, I don't know, just… an honest question," he mumbled.
"It is a good one," Larry admitted. He thought for a bit, but just shrugged. "I don't know right now. I still earn a pretty penny from serving two roles in the Pokémon League, and Geeta insisted on a pretty hefty 'severance' package. So I'm going to be pretty comfortable for a while. I guess that'll afford me plenty of time to think about what else I might want to pursue."
As he put a finger to his chin, someone in the crowd blurted out.
"You should become a food critic!"
"I'm sorry—what?" Larry asked incredulously.
Some murmurs of agreement formed among the people.
"A food… critic?"
"Yeah! You always have such wonderful things to say about every new food you eat!" said a man Larry recognized as a regular patron of the Eatery. "They're like beautiful sonnets!"
"You should see Kofu's restaurant over in Cascarrafa!" said another woman. "My old man and I went there a while ago, and Kofu put up this huge golden plaque inside one of the dining rooms with the most incredible glowing review by Larry!"
"Nearly brought tears to my eyes, it did," said the man next to her.
"Kofu did that? …Huh." Larry looked down, trying to reconcile what he was hearing. It was clear that this was something he had never considered seriously before. "A food critic. That would… come with a lot of perks, right?"
A few people talked between each other searching for answers.
Then…
"A food critic would be a great job for you!"
Larry stopped and looked up. He knew that voice better than anyone.
The townspeople all turned to the source of that mousey voice… and they gave a wide berth as soon as they recognized who the fancy-dressed lady was in front.
Larry dropped his briefcase on the ground. Katy flashed her warm smile at him once again. But it was different than ever before.
It was an extremely happy, very proud smile across her beautiful lips.
"If you became a famous enough critic, it would… it would allow you to travel all sorts of different places and probably even different regions! You'd get to sample food and cultures from all over the world."
"…"
"Remember how… you told me that that was once your dream when you were younger?"
Larry thought back to when he said that, and remembered. That night they were together in Artazon after everything that happened with Katy's hat…
"When I was a kid, I used to dream about traveling the world. Mainly to see how different regions of this world adapt different cuisines and food styles, and the different kinds of Pokémon. I had so many books and atlases."
"I had a dream like that too, kind of!" he remembered Katy saying. "I used to have a bunch of recipe books from different regions because I wanted to learn how to bake foods from every region in the world."
Larry looked at her in disbelief. Like she had unlocked some sort of key to a long-fraught puzzle. He stared at her in wonder, and she twinkled at him in return, feeling herself wanting to tear up again.
"So basically… a trip around the whole world?" he posited, slowly stepping forward to meet her. "Sounds very romantic." Katy giggled. "I suppose… that is something to put on the list to consider then."
He met Katy at eye-level and was about to take her by the hands.
"Give me a break!"
Larry jumped again, and this time looked grumpily in the direction of his now certainly second-favorite chef.
"I never thought I'd see the day when you were told you can literally get paid to eat all the food you want, and actually have to think about it!" Valencia teased him.
"Well, it's a lot to consider!" He retorted, crossing his arms. Katy couldn't help but giggle again at the sight. "Is my palette discerning enough that I could be an objective reporter? Plus, I don't know if that's something you need to get certified for. What kind of rules and guidelines you have to follow. And let me ask this?"
He turned to address the whole crowd.
"Where would I go first? Clearly, I blew my one really big chance with Kofu by giving him his critique for free like an idiot!" This made everyone laugh, which gave Larry pause. It was a surprisingly nice feeling to have an audience. "So tell me that. Where else is a really big place in Paldea to leave your mark as a critic?"
The people all conversed with each other for an answer.
Then someone shouted out, "What about the Patisserie Soapberry?"
"Huh?" Larry looked right at Katy, who blushed.
A bunch more people shouted "Yeah!" "Yeah, that's a great idea!"
…
Larry ruminated on this.
He gave one last look at Katy, who just shrugged with a goofy smile.
Then… he shook his head.
"No. No, if I ever became a food critic, I would never give a review to Patisserie Soapberry."
Katy looked at him in surprise. The whole crowd fell silent.
It was like you could hear a pin drop.
"See, there are two reasons why I would never review that place. For one thing… there's no need for that. Everybody in Paldea already knows that Patisserie Soapberry is the greatest place in the whole region to look for delicious treats and desserts, because it's handled by one of the greatest chefs in the world."
Katy's eyes glistened. Her whole body went completely still. She was absolutely gobsmacked.
Putting her hands over her heart, she whispered "…Thank you."
Larry smiled. He closed his eyes one last time, and exhaled.
"The other reason why is because even if I do decide to follow that path and go around critiquing restaurants, it would be considered highly unethical for me to review any place that's run by the amazing Katy."
He stepped forward to face Katy again.
"Especially… because of what I am about to do next."
That's when it happened.
Katy's eyes opened as wide as they could possibly get, her pupils dancing a merry dance, as Larry grabbed her in a tight embrace and passionately locked lips with her.
It was the biggest kiss he had ever given anyone.
Katy felt like she was being swept off her feet. In fact, for all she knew, her feet were floating off the ground. Her whole body felt like it was in space. She returned the kiss with as much passion and force from her end, and it was like both of them were dancing in the sky.
Tears fell down their faces. Katy felt herself dipping, and Larry dipped alongside her, giving all the feeling of one of those big, classy kisses you see in the movies.
Katy grabbed at Larry's head, grasping his hair. Larry tightened his grip around her back. Both of them were outside of time. Living in a single moment that felt like it lasted several years.
They finally broke off, if only because they needed air more than anything else.
And Katy looked at Larry. Her eyes full of love and joy. Larry's face looked happier and more relaxed than anyone who knew him could say had ever been seen.
He smiled at her again. And her right back.
"Larry…" Katy was completely lost for words. "I… That was—That… I…"
"I finally have all the time in the world to figure out what I want. And yesterday, when I met you again at the mountain, it all became so clear to me… what I really desire and cherish the most. It's not being from free for my job, or battling, or any of that… it's you, Katy."
Katy squinched her eyes shut as if wasn't fruitless to stop the waterworks anymore at this point.
"From now on, I know what I'm going to devote myself to most of all. I'm all yours, Katy." Larry grasped Katy's hand in his. "Nothing else matters. If you'll have me again… then I promise that I'll never, ever let you go."
Katy wanted to respond. She really did. But all she could do was cry, cry tears of happiness.
She gently touched his face, caressed it. Larry did nothing but grin.
"Larry…" she said breathlessly. "It's so funny you should talk about that mountain. You know what I realized that day too?"
"What's that?"
She let herself cry more tears.
"…I love you, Larry. I love you more than anything in the world."
Larry laughed. It felt weird to laugh because he almost felt like he was drowning with the amount of tears going into his mouth.
"When did you decide that?"
"The first time I saw you."
"At the mountain?"
Katy laughed. "No, silly. The first time I saw you… at my shop. The first time I looked into those square gray eyes. The first time I saw you smile, heard you laugh. Listened as you told me how great my cupcake was. I tried to deny it at first, but in the end I knew that whole time. That I was going to catch a little fly."
"A fly?"
"Yeah." Larry was startled a bit when Katy started to run her fingers up his tie. "A little fly, that decided to come down to Patisserie Soapberry. On one fateful evening. Lured in by a sweet sensation. About to make the worst decision of his life."
"Worst?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, worst. Because now… I'm never letting you escape my spiderweb. Come here, my exceptional man."
She grabbed at his tie, and this time, it was Larry who found himself propelled into another grand kiss.
The people that were still gathered around them this whole time all burst into an uproar of cheers. They clapped, hollered, and whistled in delight.
Neither of them cared. The whole world didn't matter right now. They just had each other.
Even when they broke away from their kiss, they didn't let go of one another.
Instead… they initiated the art of negotiation.
The crowd watched lovingly as they held in each other's embrace and began to slow dance right in the middle of the street. It inspired the rest of them to start dancing with one another too.
Eventually, this culminated in a small party that was thrown together in the middle of town. Tables were set up, lights were strung along the lampposts, and everyone was treated to some delicious catering. Courtesy of Patisserie Soapberry.
But most importantly, everyone was still dancing.
As the sun started to go down over the small city, casting a brilliant purple sky over the two lovers, the whole town of Medali felt like it was lit up in a sea of good vibes and happiness.
"I still don't get it," Katy asked as she and Larry danced together. "Just how did you convince Geeta to let you go from your office job? How on Earth are they going to muddle on without everything you did for them?"
"Oh, I found a way to persuade her."
Geeta sat at her desk as she considered things thoughtfully.
"So… you want to have us look at the girl that we'd hired to be your assistant, and consider instead having her… take over for you?"
"Here's the way I see it," Larry calmly explained. "She was already qualified for it because the plan was for her to handle any of my duties as needed, right? What I wouldn't mind doing is, instead of just leaving my job right away, I'll still stay on. For as long as I need to. And help train her until she's ready for the full job."
"Hmmm…"
"I worked with her a bit already," Larry noted. "She's a very nice, very smart young lady. Seems very eager to work too. …Actually, in a way, she reminds me a lot of myself when I was starting out."
"Is that so?"
…
Geeta ruminated on this for a considerably long time.
"You know what? Am I crazy, or… is that the most senseful thinking I've ever heard?"
Larry's eyes shot up a bit.
"That's not a terrible idea at all. It's… actually rather inspired. Just you suggesting that, I… I already feel some of the headaches I was beginning to generate from you leaving your post disappearing. … Wow. Incredible."
"In that way, I am pretty proud of myself."
"Why?"
"Because for the first time… I finally impressed Geeta."
"I'll have to take some time to consider this—" Then Geeta shook her head. "No! You know what? There's no time like the present, and I need to learn to start taking chances."
To Larry's surprise, Geeta held out her hand.
Larry decided to take it… and they engaged in what felt like a good, firm, but above all friendly handshake.
"If you think you can make that work, then I have full confidence in you."
"…Really?"
"Really."
Larry felt an awed smile coming on.
Geeta for her part, couldn't help but twinkle.
…
"I don't know about you, but… I'm looking forward to a new working relationship like this."
"Yeah… me too."
"May you be the light that guides the people Paldea, my friend Larry."
"So…" Katy asked Larry. "What happens tomorrow?"
"For the first time in my life, I can confidently say… I don't know. Got any plans?"
Katy shook her head.
"Well then… let's figure that out first thing."
"Sounds good to me," she chuckled.
They closed their eyes and fell into each other's shoulders, truly embracing the moment. Knowing nothing could break their serenity now.
Almost nothing.
"WHOA-HO-HOOOO! Look at that everybody! A bond that was tested and shaken, but now love is redeemed! And it's all thanks to yours truly! Woo-hooooo!"
A certain somebody's Rotom Phone popped out among the crowd, and began circling in the air around Larry and Katy to match the excited tone of its owner.
"Awwwwww! It's all so gushy gushy mushy mushy!" Iono's voice marveled. "And just LOOK at that viewer count! It's completely going through the roof, higher than all of those big ugly skyscrapers! This is the best stream I've ever had! All of you Ionites at home have just watched the successful debut episode of IONO THE BRILLIANT MATCHMAKER! Come back again to see who the fates pair up with the help of my irresistible charm! I'm like a battery-powered Cupid lighting up the skies with love! Brighter than a 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt! OH-HO-HO-HOOOO!"
"Larry…" Katy's voice grumbled.
"Yes?" Larry opened his eyes to look at her.
"You'd better have been serious about never letting me go."
"…Why's that?"
Katy looked at him with a stony face.
"Because the second you do, I am going to kill that girl with my own bare hands."
Larry looked at her in shock. Then… he did one last thing truly unexpected.
He laughed uproariously.
Larry laughed so loud that a few people stopped just to look at him.
"Well then, my dear Sugarbug, we'd better start planning that world trip right away! Ha-ha, for her sake!"
Katy looked at him, and then she broke out laughing.
The two stood there and laughed, feeling completely happy and at peace.
…
Today is a very good day.
~FIN~
It feels incredibly surreal to finally be here. I started coming up with the ideas for this story just a month or so after the games were out. (We're approaching on their one year anniversary now!) And by the start of April, I had the entire thing outlined.
Now it's all finally put to words for all the world to see.
I want to give one last big thanks to everyone who read and commented! I hope this story brought you a lot of happiness and thrills, and I'm really proud of what I've put here!
I am kind of interested in telling more Scarlet/Violet stories set in the world of this story. I really like some of the headcanons I've made for these characters and might like to explore them again in the future. (Of course, now I'm waiting for the Indigo Disk DLC to come out and see how much all the Gym Leaders getting their own mini-storylines will completely break everything!)
But just like with Larry and Katy, we'll just have to see what the future holds. For now... let's just sit back and relax. And enjoy a nice cupcake.
Thanks again. And take care of yourselves. :)
