6. Saying goodbye

Everyone was now gathered in the lounge of the Leone house, even Jack was here. Eevee and Cufant had already been healed up by Mariah. Margret was a little surprised to hear Mariah was a Pokénurse as this was not an easy field to get into. She quickly accepted it though and was happy to leave Cufant in her hands.

"I'm sure you are aware of how this works. Since it's close to the end of the year. I can personally escort him to where all the new junior league trainers will meet up." Dennis and Jackson looked proud and excited. All three children had made it into the Junior League. Mariah was excited as well, but she was sad that the last of her children were about to leave.

Dennis and Robert soon noticed the sad smile Mariah was giving. Dennis held Mariah's hand and Robert sat on her other side to hold her other hand. Dennis looked at her and said, "We both knew this day would come ever since Roby could walk. We might not have expected it to happen so soon but we both have known for a long time Robert wasn't going to stay here on the farm."

"I know, but I thought that the girls would be here still. Now they are gone as well." Mariah looked even sadder as she said this. "it's ok mum, in another year Sasha and Stephanie will finish and I'm sure the first thing they'll do is come home and visit you."

"humph, they better." Mariah smiled a little after being comforted by Dennis and Robert. "Alright, you two. I'm fine, just a little sad to see my little Roby go. I am excited to see your dreams coming to true Roby. I'm just a little sad that I won't have my little boy around anymore."

Robert felt his eyes getting moist. "Don't worry so much mum. No matter how far my travels take me I'll always come back." Mariah let a radiant smile blossom on her face. "I know my little Roby. Now stop fussing over me and get ready to go. I know how much you have been waiting for this."

Robert Beamed at his mother and hugged her. Then he jumped up and looked at Margret with bright eyes. Margret for once was relieved when the imp focused on her. While the family was having their moment all she could do was sit there awkwardly, not to mention all this was making her miss her daughter.

"Alright imp, I know this is what you have been waiting for." As she said that Margret handed Robert a backpack. Before Margret went inside she sent out her Skarmory and took this backpack out from one of the pockets on its saddle, then returned it. Sasha and Stephanie received this same backpack before they left.

This backpack was special technology only available to trainers who had completed the survival test at eighteen or on successfully entering the Junior League. This backpack allowed trainers to fit far more objects than possible in a normal pack. Robert had no idea how it worked but he didn't care, just that it did.

The pack recognised most items a trainer would need and any items it didn't it would prompt you to name the item, then it would always remember. For any item you wanted you simply needed to say what you wanted and how many.

Robert quickly thanked Margret for the pack, then raced upstairs. During his sleepless night, he sorted everything he needed. All he needed to do now was to put it all in the special backpack. Mariah had even given Robert some things from her medicine cabinet to take.

Twenty minutes later Robert walked back downstairs. Dennis and Mariah had spent the time asking about the twins. Margret couldn't say anything about where the twins were but was happy to answer any other questions.

Seeing Robert come down Margret stood up, "alright if you're ready we should get going sooner rather than later."

"well, there is one more thing I need to get before we go." Robert then led the way outside. Everyone else followed him out. Margret was confused why everyone was going outside but still followed.

Soon they were all next to the pond behind the house. Margret looked even more confused. what could they need from a pond? Robert pulled out a Pokéball and Margret wined her eyes in response. "Wait a second. You have a third Pokémon. This one isn't level thirty as well is it." Robert chuckled a little "nope, I don't know its exact level right now and honestly, I hope its level is lower. The lower the better for me right now."

Margret looked completely baffled now. Robert bent over and splashed the water a little, then he saw the familiar shadow swimming over. Splash, "Karp, Karp, Karp." Seeing the Magikarp, Margret understood why Robert said he would rather its level was lower. Margret was surprised that Robert's third Pokémon was a Magikarp. This was an incredibly unpopular Pokémon for new and veteran trainers alike.

Magikarp itself was near useless and more than a few trainers had met a gruesome end to a Gyrados they were trying to tame. "hey buddy, we are finally leaving on that journey I've been telling you about. Are you ready to head out?"

"Karp, karp, karp." Magikarp was clearly excited and happy to be leaving its little pond. Although there were no other Pokémon to bully it here it was a bit dull. Robert smiled and returned Magikarp to its ball. "Alright, now I'm ready."

Margret eyed Robert, a little surprised. She had met some trainers who had succeeded in training a Gyrados and most had started it as a Magikarp and treated it well, earning its trust in those early stages. "I really wasn't expecting that, of all the Pokémon you have a Magikarp."

Dennis gave a helpless smile when he heard this, "he was incredibly stubborn about it too and insisted it be this Magikarp, even when he found out he couldn't take the test early." Robert gave a relieved sigh "even I was starting to worry that Magikarp would evolve before it was time to go. No matter how I searched I couldn't find a good item to boost its talent when it evolved"

"I've said this before but that is not the part you should worry about if a rage prone Gyrados popped up in the middle of our farm" Dennis's eyebrow was twitching, and his tone sounded annoyed. Clearly, this was not the first time they had this conversation. Robert just chuckled a little and looked the other way.

Margret gave a thoughtful look, "hmmm, I might be able to help with getting that water type item."