"Yeah, it's all prepared for you. Are you happy?"
"No, these are too valuable. I can't accept them," Marcus said, shaking his head.
Whitney puffed out her cheeks and habitually put her hands on her hips. "I'm the boss, and I say you have to take them!"
"Why?"
"Just... just because I worked so hard to prepare these for several months! Luxury Balls are hard to find and expensive. I'd watch the clock every Saturday and go buy them. It took me three whole months to get six of them!"
Whitney said petulantly, clear tear streaks still on her slightly puffy face in the morning light.
Marcus's heart trembled.
Over the past while, Whitney's unusual behavior finally had a logical explanation...
He finally understood why Whitney, who didn't like cooking, had been getting up early to make meals recently...
He also finally understood why last night's meal was so lavish...
Why she spent so, so long every time she went to the department store...
"You..."
"What about me... I prepared so carefully for so long, and some people don't even say thank you..."
"I mean, did you cry last night?" Marcus reached out, wanting to gently touch her cheek.
Whitney's eyes flustered, and she shrank back. "No, I didn't. This is from waking up this morning and yawning..."
Marcus gazed at her for a long time before hesitantly saying, "How about we travel together?"
In his previous life, he hadn't been in love. The one time he was, he was cheated out of money and feelings, which made him not sensitive to emotions. However, the girl in front of him gave him a different feeling, like...
A spring appearing in a dry desert...
Therefore, subconsciously, he extended the invitation to her.
Whitney's starry eyes first lit up, her face filled with eagerness, but then she shook her head with difficulty. "I can't. I'm the Gym Leader of Goldenrod Gym now. I can't just run around... Grandpa, he hopes I can be the Gym leader."
"..." Marcus was silent. He knew that Whitney's Grandpa was the most important person to her.
"Alright, just listen to me, no refusing!" Whitney grabbed a backpack and threw it into Marcus's arms. "There are some other things in here, take your time looking. Mary asked me to go out and play today, so I'm leaving first!"
"Ah? Oh..."
Marcus looked at Whitney, who was walking a little unsteadily, his heart heavy.
He didn't expose the crybaby's poor acting. The tears welling up in her big eyes, the corners of her lips not turning up at all despite her smile, all made him clearly understand her mood.
He really wanted to tell her that the Gym wasn't important, that they could travel together and achieve their dreams together.
But, he couldn't do that... or rather, he couldn't do anything.
He had no standing to ask Whitney to do anything, and at the same time, he didn't have the ability to make her give up her position as Gym Leader.
At least for now, his strength didn't allow it.
"Sigh..." Marcus let out a long sigh, the figure of the pink-haired girl in his heart seemed to become even more deeply etched.
As he was feeling melancholic, an electronic sound came from the backpack. Amidst a cheerful melody, Mary's voice came through:
"Hello everyone, thank you for listening to the Johto Morning program. This program is jointly sponsored by Devon Corporation and Silph Co... For Pokemon supplies, visit Devon Corporation, for technology, come to Silph Co..."
Marcus was startled and took out a portable radio from the side of the backpack.
"Today we received a letter from a mysterious guest. She wants to tell the most important person in her heart her true feelings through the radio..."
Marcus was about to turn off the portable radio when he unexpectedly heard Whitney's voice coming from inside.
"I'm very sorry, I'm saying goodbye to you in this way..."
"On the night six years ago, we met for the first time. You weren't very handsome, but you were very clean. Even sitting in that dilapidated corner, you gave me a strange sense of security. Thank you for taking me home."
"Since then, my sense of direction doesn't seem as bad. At least, every time I get lost, I remember that intersection..."
"And luckily, you were always there."
"Three years ago, I lost the person who was once most important to me. It was still you who accompanied me home when I was crying. Perhaps, from then on, you became the most important one..."
Marcus's gaze was dull, the emotions in his heart constantly shattering and reforming. Whitney... how could she...
"I know today is your twentieth birthday, and also the starting point for you to truly begin realizing your dream... I've been preparing for this day for a long, long time..."
"So, please don't refuse those gifts I gave you, okay?"
"I'm very sorry, perhaps the dream we once agreed upon, I can only slowly realize it here... But I hope you can work hard and include my share..."
"Now, you can open the backpack..."
Whitney's voice gradually faded, and Mary took over the microphone, continuing, "Next, we will play a song specially requested by this guest, 'Gotta catch 'em all'!"
"I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was..." The melody that moved Marcus the most sounded in his ears.
She still remembered, this was his favorite song...
Opening the backpack, the first thing he saw was an envelope.
"Hi, you idiot Marcus, when you see this letter, it means you already know my decision...
Because of Grandpa and you, I've been able to live so happily for so many years. It's time to be content. In the days to come, I hope to achieve your and Grandpa's dreams through my own efforts."
"Because every time I asked you what Pokemon you liked, you wouldn't tell me (so stingy!),
So I prepared a plane ticket for you. You can use it to go to other regions and find your favorite Pokemon. How about it? Surprised?"
"To ensure that you, a novice, can successfully catch one, I also put Grandpa's Miltank in the backpack. As you spent so much time together, it should help you catch a suitable starter partner~"
"By the way, I also took the liberty of preparing jackets for all four seasons and... and what you wear underneath~...
Your old clothes are too small! Wearing them out makes me, Young Miss Whitney, lose face! People seeing them would think we can't afford clothes!"
"Finally, have a safe journey! (Don't come back until you become a Champion! Hmph!) -- Whitney."
Marcus: "..."
He had thought of many, many scenarios for saying goodbye, but he had never thought of this one.
Surprise, emotion, reluctance, and many other emotions were mixed together, surging through his heart.
He opened the envelope and took out a card. This was a global unlimited travel ticket from Pokemon Airlines. In short, Marcus could choose any destination and fly back and forth unlimited times within a certain period.
In addition, there were several sets of clothes in the backpack, for all four seasons. They were all made of durable material, and the style was the casual type Marcus liked.
In the corner was a worn Poke Ball, which was the old Gym Leader's Miltank.
Marcus silently put all the items into the System backpack. Looking at the empty room, his heart also felt empty.
Thinking of Whitney's pretty face, he couldn't help but take out his phone and make a call.