Day 37 of the journey. Clear skies.
Evening had already set in. After sailing through last night and most of today, the ship finally docked at Kumquat Island. Luana, who'd come to pick them up, had been waiting at the pier for a while.
"That's Travis. Alakazam—Teleport."
A beautiful woman with short red hair stood inside the harbor, wearing a blue dress with a light beige jacket over it. The moment she spotted Travis waving from the rail, she didn't even wait for the ship to fully moor. She had Alakazam use Teleport and blinked straight onto the deck.
"Mom?" Travis jumped when she went from the pier to right in front of him in a second.
"My boy, you've gotten thinner." Luana's voice softened as she fussed over him, hands on his shoulders, then his head, then his arms and legs, checking him like she could read injuries through fabric. "Let me see. Are you hurt anywhere? Did those poachers do anything to you?"
"I'm fine, Mom." Travis tried to edge back, embarrassed. There were a lot of people watching.
"Ha! Travis is blushing!"
The moment someone said it, laughter rolled across the deck. That only made him more flustered.
"Good. As long as you're safe." Luana held him tight for a long moment before finally letting go and turning toward the club trainers who had escorted him home.
She'd already gotten reports from her people: these trainers had come to protect Travis, and she wasn't going to treat them poorly.
"Everyone's worked hard. Please follow the staff to the hotel—go soak in the hot springs first. We're preparing a banquet tonight, and I promise you won't be disappointed. Enjoy yourselves."
That was the polite version. Real thanks were for private conversations, not said out in the open. Still, the point stood: with Team Rocket potentially making a move, these trainers had shown up anyway. They deserved proper respect.
But the situation didn't sit right with her. A few things still wouldn't line up.
Who had gotten Travis out? And who had hired these trainers to protect him?
Her people who'd boarded the ship early hadn't said it clearly. Even the trainers themselves didn't know.
All they could tell her was that a masked man had approached them, asked if they were willing to take a job, and told anyone who accepted to gather at the harbor.
If the goal was simply to get Travis home safely, why keep her out of it? Why not inform the Kumquat Gym?
She was his mother. And if it came to force, their family wasn't short on powerful trainers. There was no need to outsource this to strangers.
And whoever had saved Travis—whoever had arranged all of this—hadn't come along, hadn't even shown their face. As if even a Gym Leader's goodwill wasn't worth taking. That meant something was being hidden.
"Mom, let me introduce you." Travis pulled Gulzar closer. "He's my best friend—and he saved my life. He got me out of the poachers' hands."
"Gym Leader Luana, my name's Gulzar. I challenged the Kumquat Gym before." Gulzar greeted her with a steady smile, like he didn't expect her to remember him.
"Gulzar…?" Luana paused, searching her memory—and then it clicked. She did remember a kid like that.
A month ago, he'd tried to join her Gym. Nothing about him had stood out, his strength had been unimpressive, and she hadn't taken him in.
"I remember now. You challenged the Gym a month ago. You had a Gloom with you."
"Yes," Gulzar said quickly. "After I lost, I planned to go watch the matches at Pummelo Island. I got snatched on the way and ended up living on the poachers' ship. Later Travis was taken too—that's how we met."
"So that's what happened." Luana's expression eased. "You've had it rough too. Go with the staff to the hotel and soak in the hot springs first. I haven't seen Travis in over half a month. After we talk, he'll come join you at the banquet."
"Alright. See you, Travis." Gulzar said goodbye, then followed the others off the ship toward the huge hotel that belonged to Travis's family.
"Gulzar, I'll be right there!" Travis leaned on the rail and waved. "We'll hit the hot springs together!"
As he did, someone slipped up beside Luana without making a sound.
"Boss?" It was the subordinate who had boarded the ship early. Over the last two days, he'd already looked into Gulzar and sent everything back. Luana had surely seen it by now.
"It's fine," Luana said. "The kid's clean. A beginner trainer from Butwal Island. Parents alive, no bad record. He challenged the Gym last month too—he's on the challenger registry."
She'd checked Gulzar thoroughly.
What she didn't have was the missing link: who saved Travis, and who hired these trainers—someone who refused to show up and refused to take any reward.
That meant they weren't after petty favors. They were after something bigger.
And Luana couldn't shake the suspicion that the target was Travis himself—her own foolish son, being watched by someone he couldn't even see.
"Boss, I still can't find that person," the subordinate said quietly. "Every trainer protecting Travis is from the Mandarin Island North club. None of them know who hired them. Even Officer Jenny doesn't."
He hesitated, then added, "I've probed them these last two days. I also tested Travis and that kid Gulzar. I think they know who the masked man is. Every time they get close to mentioning him, they stop."
"Then he's probably still on Rind Island," Luana said, her tone sharpening. "Go check. And don't let him notice you."
"Yes, Boss." The subordinate slipped away with the others, already heading toward his next trip back.
"Travis. We're going." Luana hooked an arm around his neck and practically dragged him off the ship.
Only once she had him back at the Gym did she finally ask what he'd been through.
"Mom… I messed up." Travis dropped his gaze. "If I'd known the outside world was this dangerous, I never would've ditched the bodyguards and snuck out with Pikachu."
"You're home. That's enough." Luana ruffled his hair. "As long as you came back safe, I'm satisfied."
She could already see it in him. This experience had cured him of some of his innocence.
"Mom, I also caught a few Pokémon on Rind Island—Staryu, Hoothoot, and Magikarp." The moment he talked about Pokémon, his eyes lit up again. He wanted to share it with her.
"Magikarp?" Luana didn't react to the first two at all, but the last one made her burst out laughing. "Seriously? Our family has everything. Why would you catch a Magikarp?"
"This one's not ordinary!" Travis insisted. "My friend's Gyarados can use Dragon-type moves. When mine evolves into Gyarados, it'll be strong—and it'll look amazing too."
He wanted to say more. He wanted to say that Magikarp had Elite Four-level potential.
But he'd promised to keep Reiji's secret.
"Did that person help you catch those Pokémon?" Luana asked, meaning the one who still refused to show his face.
"Mom, don't ask me about him." Travis exhaled hard. "That annoying guy already tested me a bunch of times on the ship. I really can't talk about him. All I can tell you is he doesn't mean me harm. He gave me Pokémon. He didn't leave a name or a number. I don't even know if I'll ever see him again."
"He left nothing?" Luana stared at him.
If someone was scheming against her son, you'd think they'd leave at least one hook—something to claim later.
But the truth was, Reiji didn't need a hook.
Reiji wanted Travis to grow strong first—strong enough to be useful. If Travis ever reached Elite Four tier, then Reiji could simply take him in and put him to work. Someone weak wasn't worth the effort.
And it wasn't true that nothing had been left behind.
A seed had already been planted in Travis's heart. Sooner or later, it would sprout—and with Gulzar beside him as "a best friend," it was only a matter of time before it grew crooked.
"He really didn't leave anything," Travis said, completely certain. "No reward, no request. I don't even know what he wants."
"Fine." Luana forced herself to let it go. "I won't push. As long as you become strong, whatever he's planning won't matter."
"Mom—Gulzar saved me." Travis leaned forward, suddenly eager. "I want to apply for a starter Pokémon for him. And I want to invite him to join the Gym so he can train with me."
There it was. The real reason he'd been holding back this whole time.
"No problem." Luana didn't hesitate. "Has he decided which Grass-type starter he wants? Put in the request tonight, and it should be approved in a couple of days."
In Travis's story, Gulzar had been crucial during the confirmation. A starter Pokémon was nothing to her.
And if Gulzar joined the Gym, he could keep Travis company while they trained. Small things.
"I haven't asked him yet." Travis grinned. "I'll go ask right now."
If she'd refused, he'd already prepared himself to beg and roll around like a brat until she gave in.
"Go. And don't forget the banquet tonight." Luana patted his head—then reached down and patted Pikachu too. Pikachu's fur was messy, like it had suffered right alongside her son.
"Mom, I also awakened psychic powers." Travis nearly forgot to mention it. Seeing Staryu's Poké Ball jolted the memory back into place.
"What?" Luana froze. "Psychic powers?"
"I did." Travis said it again, then lifted a coin into the air. It hovered above his palm and spun in a tight, playful orbit.
Luana went still for a beat—then her eyes flashed with joy. "My boy… you really turned disaster into fortune. I'm so happy I could cry."
With psychic power, his position as Gym Leader was practically locked in. No one would dare contest him.
"I still can't believe it." Travis watched the coin dance between his fingers. Even now, it felt unreal.
"Who else knows?" Luana snatched the coin out of the air and glanced around, scanning for anyone watching. Only when she confirmed nobody had noticed did she finally breathe.
"Only Gulzar."
"Good." Her voice hardened. "Make sure he keeps it secret. Don't tell anyone. Not a single person."
"I understand." Travis drew his telekinesis back in, sobering at her tone.
"In a couple of days, I'll take you to see your grandpa." Luana's gaze softened again. "He's a psychic too—and he was the previous Gym Leader. He'll teach you how to control it."
"Grandpa…" Travis smiled faintly. "I haven't seen him in forever."
"No wonder that person gave you Staryu and Hoothoot." Luana narrowed her eyes, thinking. "Those two probably have decent psychic aptitude too."
"He definitely knew," Travis admitted. "I made a huge mess when it first happened."
He still went red thinking about it. That nightmare. Losing control. Sending himself and Gulzar flying.
"Don't use your psychic power for now," Luana said. "Wait until you've met Grandpa. After that, I'll get you some Pokémon with strong psychic potential too—Abra, Ralts, Slowpoke, Metagross, Lat—"
She cut herself off.
That name couldn't be said. Their family had one, but it wasn't something Travis had any right to touch. It was practically a guardian Pokémon.
"…Pick from those." Luana recovered smoothly. "Whatever you want, you can have. And recently, Eevee even gained a new Psychic-type evolution. I can ask around for you."
"Got it, Mom." Travis didn't catch what he'd almost brushed past. He was already too excited to run and share everything with his best friend.
"Go on." Luana watched him bolt and could only shake her head.
Now she just needed her subordinate to return. Once she had the masked man's identity, the lingering unease would finally settle.
Saving a life without asking for anything back, and even helping her son catch Pokémon—what a strange kind of "good person."
But in the end, the most important thing wasn't the mystery.
It was Travis's psychic power.
Now she wanted to see who still dared to call her son stupid. If anyone was going to call him a fool, it would be his own mother—no one else.
…
After leaving his mom, Travis headed straight for the hotel's hot springs and found Gulzar there, soaking with his Pokémon. Travis released all four of his Pokémon, then hopped into the water beside him.
"Travis, could you not walk in like a normal person?" Gulzar wiped water off his face, too tired to even properly complain.
Travis laughed, eyes shining. "I'm just happy, Gulzar!"
He hooked an arm around Gulzar's neck like they were kids again and blurted it out. "My mom agreed to apply for a starter Pokémon for you. Which Grass-type starter do you want?"
"Really?" Gulzar blinked. He hadn't expected Travis to remember, let alone bring it up so fast. He'd already prepared himself to be disappointed.
"Of course." Travis grinned. "When have I ever lied to you?"
Gulzar pretended to think for a moment, then gave his answer. "Alright. I want a Treecko."
Bulbasaur was Grass/Poison, which overlapped too much with Victreebel's role. Chikorita and Treecko were both pure Grass-types.
He chose Treecko because he wanted a fast attacker, not a bulky wall. After catching so many Pokémon on Rind Island, he wasn't short on defensive options—Victreebel could take hits, and Lotad could too.
What he lacked was speed.
"Treecko?" Travis nodded like it made perfect sense. "Okay. I'll tell my mom later."
He added, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and she said you can join the Gym too."
"That's… a lot." Gulzar scratched the back of his head, awkward. A Pokémon, and a backdoor entry into a Gym. Was this what it meant to have a Gym Leader's kid as your best friend?
Second-generation trainers were terrifying.
"It's nothing," Travis said, splashing water at him. "Now we can battle all the time."
Gulzar splashed back, and the two of them started messing around in the hot spring.
Until—
Knock, knock, knock—
"Travis-sama, the banquet is starting. Luana-sama asked me to notify you."
"Got it! I'll be right there." Travis called back, then climbed out with Gulzar. The staff brought them fresh clothes, and the two headed out together for the banquet...
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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