After the Lily of the Valley Conference came to an end, the Contestant Village fell completely silent. Luther and his group were the last guests still staying there.
Everyone got up early that morning. The dining hall was no longer supposed to provide complimentary meals, but the Pokémon League had made a special exception, so everything continued as usual.
The happiest of all were Azumarill and Ash's Snorlax, who happily enjoyed what would be the dining hall's final free lunch.
Silver, who had quickly become friends with everyone after joining the group, was trying so many different dishes for the first time. He spent almost the entire meal with his head down, eating nonstop, one bite here, one bite there, wanting to try everything. That eating style was unmistakably Azumarill's influence.
Just like the day they'd gathered at Kihara's restaurant in Twilight Sea Town, Luther, Ash, Dakota, and Etorre sat together again. Brock was there too, having once again been chased away from the girls' table.
"So, when are you leaving?" Luther asked, turning toward Etorre.
"Right after lunch, probably. And don't come see me off, I can't handle that kind of scene," Etorre said with a laugh.
The only reason everyone had stayed on Lily of the Valley Island so long was because they had been worried about Luther. Now that everything had been settled and Luther was safe, everyone's plans had finally been set.
Etorre was heading back to Kanto. It was a small obsession of his; he always felt that if he returned to Kanto, he might somehow meet Mewtwo again. Luther and Dakota both thought it was unlikely, but neither of them said so. At a time like this, supporting him was all that mattered.
"The Indigo Plateau Conference should be starting again soon," Luther said. "Planning to enter?"
"You bet." Etorre grinned confidently. "I learned a ton from this Lily of the Valley Conference. Once I've had some time to digest everything and review my battles, I know I'll improve a lot. And besides..."
He smirked.
"None of you monsters will be there to steal my ranking this time. Maybe before long you'll hear that I won the Indigo Plateau Conference."
"Congratulations in advance."
Luther and Dakota answered at exactly the same time, both sounding completely lazy and utterly insincere.
Etorre rolled his eyes. "I'm not even going to bother with you two."
Ash looked at Dakota. "So what about you?"
Dakota paused for a moment before smiling. "I'm going to Unova. I want to relax for a while, sharpen my own heart, and keep improving, not just my Pokémon's strength, but our bond as well."
His gaze moved between Luther and Ash. "I still believe the path I chose before wasn't wrong. But... after meeting the two of you, I'm more willing to believe in the hidden power inside Pokémon... and in the potential of Trainers themselves."
"I overlooked something," Dakota continued. "Luther once told me that he sometimes hears the voices deep within his Pokémon's hearts, even understands their little conversations."
"I thought it was just his imagination, but it wasn't. It was proof that he and his Pokémon had gradually become truly connected. The same thing happens with Ash and his Pokémon, but not with me."
"In that respect, I'm nowhere near the two of you. So I want to change. I want to become stronger."
This tournament had changed Dakota profoundly. Since beginning his journey, it was the first time he'd made so many genuine friends. From Luther, Etorre, and Ash, he had learned far more than battling techniques; he had gained a completely new perspective.
When he traveled to Unova, he planned to start over, just like Ash had. He would travel slowly with Girafarig, Slaking, and the rest of his team. This time, the journey itself would be the goal. He wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way, not rush from Gym Badge to Gym Badge.
Etorre pulled out his phone and glanced at it. "What a coincidence. Registration for this winter's Vertress Conference in the Unova region is opening soon. You could enter that while you're there."
"I already told you," Dakota replied calmly after taking a sip of tea. "Competing isn't the important part. I'm going there to clear my head and improve myself."
"So... are you entering or not?" Etorre pressed.
Dakota stroked Girafarig's head. "I'll enter while I'm there."
Etorre clicked his tongue. "Yeah, right." He clearly wasn't buying Dakota's attempt to sound indifferent.
Luther looked over at the girls' table. Mao, Mai, Dawn, Serena, and Mira were chatting happily together. Whatever had happened between them, Dawn and Serena were now laughing and talking as though they'd been friends for ages, nothing like their awkward first meeting.
"What about you, Ash?" Brock asked. "Going to keep traveling? Decided where you're heading next?"
Ash, who was feeding Riolu, froze. He hadn't even thought about it. Then he remembered all the places he'd skipped while rushing through Sinnoh to collect Gym Badges.
"I think I'll stay in Sinnoh for a while," Ash said. "Chasing Badges made me miss a lot of places. I've been reading travel guides lately, and there are a bunch of places I want to visit. And... Serena said she'd like to look around Sinnoh too, so she asked me to show her around. Dawn also decided to keep traveling with us for a while."
Luther, Etorre, and Dakota all turned to look at Ash with meaningful smiles.
Ash looked from one to another, completely confused. "What?"
"Have fun," Etorre said.
"Must be nice," Dakota nodded. "Really nice."
Luther smiled mysteriously. "Holding two stocks at once. Not bad."
Ash blinked, having absolutely no idea what they were talking about.
Etorre finished the last of his tea and wiped his mouth before standing. His Infernape glanced at him, then walked over to Slaking, Azumarill, and Pikachu, bumping fists with each of them before giving them a hug.
Seeing that, Mao stood up with a smile and joined him.
"We're heading out first," Etorre said. "We've had an amazing time these past few days. I'm sure we'll all meet again." The corners of his mouth twitched as he fought back his reluctance to leave, doing his best to keep his voice steady.
Mao bowed deeply toward Luther's table, then toward the girls' table. "Everyone... until we meet again."
Dakota let out a long sigh and stood up as well.
Slaking rolled over and gently poked Gardevoir with one finger. Smiling, Gardevoir reached out and poked his enormous hand back. Pikachu walked over to Slaking and gave him a little jolt of electricity, making the big Pokémon burst into hearty laughter.
"To save you from having to see people off twice, I'll leave with Etorre." Looking at everyone's reluctant expressions, Dakota sighed again. "We'll meet again someday. And we can always stay in touch. So stop making those faces... Ah, forget it. I can't deal with this."
Looking almost irritated, Dakota recalled Girafarig and Slaking, then released Salamence. Climbing onto its back, he looked around at everyone one last time.
"Until we meet again."
Almost as if he didn't want anyone to see the expression on his face, Salamence beat its wings the instant he finished speaking and shot into the sky. He was gone before anyone even had the chance to say goodbye.
He had arrived decisively, and he left just as decisively. That was simply who Dakota was.
Luther and Ash each gave Etorre a hug, while Mai gently rubbed her cheek against Mao's.
After climbing onto Flygon's back, Etorre looked at Luther with a grin. "When you and Mai get married, make sure you let me know. I don't want to miss the wedding banquet."
Mai froze on the spot, her face turning bright red. Luther, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm.
After all... if someone teased you, it was only fair to tease them back.
"So when are you proposing to Mao? When you two have your wedding, don't forget to invite me."
Etorre nearly fell off Flygon. Coughing in embarrassment, he hurriedly ordered Flygon into the air.
(End of Chapter)
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