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Professor Oak told Liam that he wouldn't be returning just yet—he still needed to send the Pokémon he currently had back to their original storage locations. That might take a few more days, so he told Liam to go back first.
As Liam watched Professor Oak Agatha, leave together, a knowing smile appeared on his lips.
"Let's go home, Aerodactyl! Garchomp, come back now—you did well in that battle just now."
Seeing that Professor Oak and Agatha were out of sight, Liam turned to Aerodactyl and called out, then patted Garchomp's hard-scaled head a few times before recalling it into its PokeBall. Garchomp had used up quite a bit of stamina in the previous fight.
"Let's go! Head toward Pallet Town!"
Liam climbed onto Aerodactyl's back, using its extended wing as a foothold. His face was lit with excitement as he pointed in the direction of Pallet Town and shouted out the command.
Although being a Champion came with a lot of responsibilities and obligations, which were honestly pretty troublesome, Liam was still genuinely happy. He had fulfilled his promise—his promise to become Champion. Now, it was time to fulfill the most important part of that promise!
"ROOOAAAR!!"
Sensing Liam's urgency, Aerodactyl let out a fierce roar, then flapped its wings hard and surged into the sky, kicking up a powerful gust of wind as it soared rapidly toward Pallet Town—faster than it had flown on the way there.
———
"Larvitar! Larvitar!!"
Back at the Oak Residence in Pallet Town, the little Larvitar that Liam had left behind hopped over to Delia, who was sitting stiffly on the sofa with a blank expression of worry on her face. Its sudden shout startled her.
"Ah! Larvitar! You're such a little rascal! You scared me half to death!"
Delia, jolted from her daze, feigned annoyance and scooped up Larvitar, pulling it close to her face as she scolded it.
"Laaaar! Larvitar!"
Larvitar waved its little arms innocently and pointed toward the sofa, where Lorelei was sitting with a mischievous grin.
"Aha! So it was you, Lorelei! You put Larvitar up to this, didn't you? Ugh, forget it—I'm not talking to either of you!"
Delia plopped Larvitar down onto the coffee table and turned away, ignoring both Lorelei and the confused little Pokémon.
"Hehe~ Delia, come on, don't worry so much~ Liam's so strong—even if he loses, he'll be totally fine. If he comes back and sees you like this, he'll definitely be upset~"
Giggling, Lorelei ran up behind Delia and hugged her around the waist, her expression soft.
Delia turned to look at Lorelei, who rested her chin on her shoulder, then sighed and wrapped her arms around Lorelei's waist in return. Their cheeks pressed together as she replied playfully, voice half-mocking.
"Oh, you're talking like I'm the only one worried. Weren't you just as anxious? And he wouldn't even let us come along... left us here to worry for nothing."
Lorelei's arms tightened slightly around Delia's waist as she denied it stubbornly.
"I wasn't worried! I'm not worried at all!"
"Hehe~ You were pretty brave when you confessed to him. What happened now? It's just concern—what's so embarrassing about admitting it?"
Delia laughed softly and gently pushed Lorelei away, pinching her cheeks as she teased.
"Mm-mm! Don't pinch meee~ And it's not like I really like him or anything~ hmph!"
Lorelei mumbled incomprehensibly as her cheeks were squished.
"Huh? What did you say?"
Delia let go, tilting her head in confusion.
"Nothing! Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore! I'm going to find Auntie Fumiko! You can sit here and mope all by yourself!"
Lorelei pouted, rubbed her face, and ran off before Delia could say anything else.
Delia: "...Ugh~ Liam... How are you doing? When will you be back...?"
Watching Lorelei vanish from sight, Delia curled her legs up onto the sofa, hugged her knees, and rested her chin on top of them. Her eyes stared at the unmoving Larvitar on the coffee table, and she muttered softly.
"Larvi? Larvitar?"
———
Time passed steadily.
Riding on Aerodactyl's back, Liam flew through the sky at speeds several times faster than before. What was originally a four- to five-hour trip took only an hour this time before Pallet Town came into view on the horizon.
"ROAAAR!!"
Noticing that they were close, Aerodactyl flapped its wings harder and accelerated once more, speeding into Pallet Town. Once it spotted the Oak residence, it began a slow descent and landed in the yard.
"Huff! Huff!"
Aerodactyl panted heavily, clearly exhausted from the high-speed journey.
"Thanks, Aerodactyl! Take a good rest in your PokeBall for now. I'll give you a reward later."
Liam slid off its back, smiling as he spoke. He recalled Aerodactyl into its PokeBall, then quickly walked to the Oak house's gate. He reached for the front door—but suddenly paused.
He swiftly pulled his hand back, stood up straight, and neatened his clothes with a gulp. Then, nervously, he reached out again to open the door.
But just as he was about to do so—
Wham! The door swung open on its own, and Delia burst out with a strange expression—a mixture of tears and laughter—as she threw herself straight into Liam's arms.
"Uh—Hehe, I'm back..."
Liam wrapped his arms around her tightly, resting his chin on her head and whispering gently.
"Hmph!"
"Ah!"
"Oww!"
But right after he spoke, Delia let out a snort and suddenly looked up—only to headbutt Liam's chin. They both yelped in pain, one clutching his chin and the other holding her head, squatting at the doorstep.
"Waaah~ You jerk! You're finally back! That really hurt!!"
Delia cried with misty eyes as she hugged her head.
Liam winced and rubbed his chin, speechless. But when he saw the tears brimming in her eyes, he immediately reached out and gently rubbed the top of her head, complaining softly.
"Does it still hurt? Geez! You're always so reckless—can't you be a little more careful?"
But as soon as Liam finished admonishing her, Delia's expression began to shift again—her eyes watery and trembling, on the verge of bursting into tears. Seeing this, Liam's heart instantly softened.
"Alright, alright~ It's my fault! I was wrong! Don't cry, don't cry..."
He cupped her face tenderly, his voice filled with concern.
"Hmph! Bully! And to think I was so worried about you!"
Delia puffed her cheeks, glaring at him while her hands reached behind his back—clearly ready to go in for the kill.
"Uhh... Yeah, it's all my fault, hehe. Don't be mad. Come on, stand up."
Liam, feeling those hands on his waist, started sweating nervously. He quickly put his arms under Delia and lifted her up—using the motion to dodge her oncoming attack.
"Ahem... Delia, there's something I want to tell you. It's really important. Please listen carefully."
Liam's face turned serious as he looked at her. Delia blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in mood.
"Eh? Oh... Okay. I'm listening."
She withdrew her hands reluctantly, now looking just as serious as him.
"Alright. Then listen... I.. I did it! I defeated Professor Oak and became the new Champion of the Kanto League... So.. Now… I want to keep my original promise to you."
Saying that, Liam promptly went down on one knee, looking at her affectionately.
"Delia, will you marry me?"
Liam's sudden proposal left Delia frozen in place. She blinked blankly for a few seconds—then a dazzling smile bloomed across her face. Tears of joy welled up and streamed down her cheeks.
Just as she was about to open her mouth to say "yes," a loud clatter came from inside the house. Liam and Delia jumped and turned, faces flushed—
Only to catch a glimpse of a very familiar silhouette dashing away.
On the floor of the hall lay a tray... with cookies scattered across the floor.