Chapter 198: Welcome Home
The journey from Unova to Hoenn was a very long one, a distance no less than his original trip from Hoenn to Sinnoh. Luckily, his fisherman friend was a true bro, sailing for months on end to take them directly to the port in Ever Grande City.
By the time they arrived in the Hoenn region, it was already the 30th year of the League Era.
When the fishing boat docked, Will and Meowscarada disembarked, carrying some local specialties they had picked up in Alola. The moment they stepped onto the shore, they both froze.
Standing not far from them was an old, white-haired man who, despite his age, still looked sturdy. And by his leg was a Corphish.
"Captain Tom! Corphish!"
Will was the first to react, raising a hand and waving at the two, who seemed to be just watching the commotion at the port. Seeing his gesture, Tom and Corphish paused, staring at him, then at the big cat Pokémon beside him.
"AAAAAH!!"
"HEY-HEY!!"
Tom and Corphish's mouths dropped open in a shout of surprise. They hadn't recognized them at first. After all, when they had parted ways, Will had been a Grovyle and Meowscarada had been a Sprigatito. Now that they recognized them, they were beyond excited. They rushed over and immediately pulled Will into a hug.
"Meow," Meowscarada rolled her eyes, but a smile played on her lips. Although it was a memory from ten years ago, she still remembered it clearly: singing and dancing with these two strange "uncles" as a child. It could be said that her current love of singing was deeply influenced by them.
"Sceptile! Long time no see! Hahaha, you've gotten so big! It's absurd!"
"Hey-hey!"
Smack, smack.
Tom and Corphish, one on each side, slapped Will on the back.
"...You two haven't changed a bit," Will couldn't help but grin. Ten years... Tom's hair was much whiter, but that seemed to be the only change. In this case, not changing was a good thing.
"Meowscarada, come over here! Let Uncle Tom and Corphish get a look at you!" Will said, pulling her out from behind him.
"Ooh~ so this is Sprigatito~ I didn't expect her to grow up to be so beautiful! Just like a young lady!"
"Hey-hey!"
Tom and Corphish looked at the big cat, shaking their heads in wonder. The soft, silly-looking little kitten from back then had changed so much.
"She is a girl," Will sighed, rubbing his temples. He was already having a hard time dealing with this energetic duo again.
"But seeing you two back safe and sound, loud and proud, I can rest easy," Tom said, patting Will's arms. "I had Leaf ask around for you back then. When I heard you were heading north, I was a little worried. It's good that you're back."
"Hey-hey!" Corphish nodded, then pointed north (inland).
"Ah, right! Hurry home! Auntie Sola's legs aren't doing so good lately. Now that you're grown up, you can help her out a lot."
"Yes, we'll head there now," Will nodded. He handed one of the bags of Alolan specialties to them. Tom and Corphish looked inside and didn't bother being polite.
"Remember to come by the port often! I'll take you out on the sea~"
"Hey-hey~"
Tom and Corphish waved as Will and Meowscarada said their temporary goodbyes. Will and Meowscarada would be staying in Ever Grande for a while. He didn't know for how long; it could be decades. So, there would be plenty of time to catch up later. Right now, he had to go home.
...
Walking on the not-so-familiar roads of Ever Grande, Will felt a little excited. It was the feeling of bringing a daughter he had raised abroad home to meet the elders.
"Meow-meow~"
Meowscarada, on the other hand, had no particular reaction. She just looked around, as if she had arrived in any other new city. If she had to say, it was just... that she would be living here for a long time. She hoped this city would be interesting.
So far, she liked it. Ever Grande City was a paradise of flowers and Pokémon. The city, as well as the surrounding plains, forests, and mountains, were all covered in flowers, which in turn attracted all sorts of Pokémon.
"Meow?" Meowscarada tugged on Will's arm. She was pointing at a trainer on the side of the road, or more accurately, at the Sceptile next to him.
"Hm? Oh, a Sceptile. It's well-raised. That's probably a Hoenn League staff member. The League is only about ten kilometers from the city, so a lot of the staff live here," Will said, glancing at the "little" Sceptile. It was 1.8 meters tall, a little above the Pokédex standard, so it was indeed well-raised.
"Meow? (Is that so?)" Meowscarada frowned, glancing at the other Sceptile, and then at her own. Are they even the same species? she thought, a look of doubt on her face. That thing is less than half my dad's size, and you call that 'well-raised'?
"Don't be so surprised. The Sceptile line is mainly distributed in the Hoenn region. You'll probably see them often when you're out walking around. You'll get used to it," Will said, shaking his head. He knew what she was thinking, but he couldn't very well explain that he was the abnormal one.
"Meow," Meowscarada nodded, but she still gave the short Sceptile a few more looks. At the same time, she felt a little envious. If Will was that short, wouldn't she be able to achieve her childhood dream?
Will had no idea what his "filial" daughter was thinking, or else he would have had to teach her a lesson before they got home.
...
Half an hour later, they stood at the entrance of the "Tranquility Daycare."
"Granny is still taking care of those Pokémon," Will sighed, hearing the sounds from the backyard. He remembered Tom saying that her legs weren't doing well.
"You go knock on the door," Will said to the big cat. He was too large now; if he suddenly appeared at the door, he might scare Sola. And even if he didn't, he couldn't fit inside.
"Meow," Meowscarada nodded and walked up.
Knock, knock.
But the voice that came from inside was not Sola's.
"Meow~"
"Meow?!" Meowscarada was stunned and turned to look at Will.
"That's the little cat I told you about. Granny's Pokémon. Don't let her size fool you; she's two years older than you. You two get along, okay?" Will grinned. It seemed the Skitty had become a good girl, even knowing to answer the door.
Click.
The doorknob turned. The moment the door opened, the Skitty saw the two giant creatures outside and immediately hissed, entering a battle stance.
"Skitty, who is it?" Sola's voice came from the living room, followed by the sound of wheels on the wooden floor.
Then, Will saw Sola emerge from the living room in a wheelchair. She was also wearing a pair of thick glasses.
"Granny..." Will's eyes softened, and he sighed. She should be ninety years old by now. It was normal for her legs and eyesight to be failing.
"Oh my... Sceptile... welcome home~"
Sola, unlike the Skitty, recognized him at a glance.
"Granny, how did you know it was me?" Will asked, waving his hand.
"Sceptile are very famous, you know. Your picture has even been in the League newspaper. I just took one look at that backpack of yours, and I knew. My, you've become so magnificent," Sola said, wheeling herself forward. She then looked at Meowscarada. "Is this child... your girlfriend?"
"No, she's my daughter," Will said, shaking his head and patting Meowscarada's head.
"I see, I see. That's right. Sceptile is such a gentle child. You would never abandon a baby who had lost its parents," Sola said, not at all surprised. She seemed to be projecting Will's own past onto the new cat. She looked at Meowscarada with a kind and loving expression, then she came to Will, held out her arms, and said again:
"Welcome home, Sceptile."
"I'm home," Will said, kneeling down to embrace her, his voice soft.
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