Departure

Perhaps it was due to the intense mental breakdown he endured yesterday, Yuga hadn't felt the full extent of his injuries until today when he finally relaxed and the pain hit him all over.

But when he thought about it, it made sense. After all, it was a massive explosion caused by a pseudo-Elite Pokémon, and Wigglytuff's strength was quite lacking, so sustaining significant injuries was expected.

"By the way, how are my Pokémon?" Yuga suddenly remembered that his Pokémon were also injured and inquired anxiously.

Opening a thermos with a bowl of rice porridge and handing it to Yuga along with a spoon, Ryuichi replied, "You just focus on recovering. Your Pokémon are all fine, thanks to Nurse Joy! Don't worry."

With his worries eased, Yuga accepted the thermos from Ryuichi and started eating contentedly. He had hardly eaten anything the previous day, and now he was quite hungry. Even plain rice porridge tasted delightful.

Watching Yuga eat happily, Ryuichi reassured him, "Just focus on resting and healing. I'll take good care of your Pokémon for you."

Wiping his mouth, Yuga expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, Ryuichi!"

Ryuichi chuckled at his gratitude, saying, "You don't need to be so polite with me."

After chatting with Yuga for a while, Ryuichi got up and prepared to leave.

"Rest assured and recover here. I'll come to see you around noon."

Yuga nodded in agreement.

After Ryuichi left, Yuga sighed as he looked out the window at the sky.

"It seems like I won't be able to move around for quite some time."

Upon his return to the Manor, Ryuichi went straight to Mr. Kuni'o's residence.

Seeing Ryuichi respectfully standing below, Mr. Kuni'o inquired, "How is that child doing?"

Ryuichi bent slightly and replied, "He's injured quite seriously, but it's not a big deal. He just needs some time to recover."

Mr. Kuni'o nodded, took a sip of his tea, and remarked, "That's good to hear. When he's healed, he'll be leaving soon. During these days you've spent with him, what's your impression of him?"

Ryuichi thought for a moment and replied, "He's a good kid, just a bit independent and reluctant to rely on others."

Setting his tea cup down gently, Mr. Kuni'o said, "Being self-reliant isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Ryuichi bowed slightly and said, "As you say."

Mr. Kuni'o waved his hand lightly and said, "You may go."

Ryuichi nodded slightly and exited the room.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious villa on the outskirts of Mauville City.

In a study, Genos held a report about Shimizu Yuga, provided by Juliana.

After reviewing Yuga's information, Genos tossed the documents onto the table and remarked with a smile, "He's an interesting person, but how did he become connected to Mr. Kuni'o?"

This was a puzzling question for Genos. One was an obscure daycare owner, while the other was a high-profile figure in the region. There didn't seem to be any apparent connection between them.

Just as Genos was deep in thought, the study door creaked open, and a young girl with a small head popped in.

"Big brother, am I bothering you?"

Seeing the newcomer, Genos immediately smiled and waved, saying, "Of course not! Come in, Adrielle!"

If Yuga were here at this moment, he would undoubtedly recognize this girl as Adrielle, the one he met in the Violet Glow Forest.

Adrielle rushed into the study, jumped into Genos's arms, and coquettishly asked, "Brother, are you going to help me find my big brother, the one who saved me?"

Genos lifted Adrielle into his arms, placed her on a chair behind the desk, and sighed helplessly, "I still don't know what your big brother looks like, his name, or how to find him!"

To be honest, Genos had no desire whatsoever to find this person. His sister had been incessantly talking about this person ever since she returned home yesterday, and he was starting to feel as sour as a lemon.

"Adrielle! I'm your brother; don't you love your brother anymore? Forget about that so-called big brother. Isn't having me as your brother enough?"

But Genos would never admit to being a siscon.

Kidding aside, how could Genos, the great Genos, possibly be a siscon? He could only blame his parents for making Adrielle so adorable.

Genos pretended to be very caring, bent down, and solemnly said to Adrielle, "Adrielle, rest assured. Even though we don't have any leads, I will do my best to help you find that big brother of yours."

Who would actually help you find him? You'll probably forget about this in a while! Genos thought to himself.

However, in the moment when Genos bent down, the sharp-eyed Adrielle noticed the documents on the table.

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped out of her chair, grabbed a piece of material with a photo of Yuga, and happily exclaimed to Genos, "Brother, I found him!"

Genos was left dumbfounded by Adrielle's words and pointed at the photo of Yuga on the table, asking in disbelief, "You mean this person is the one who saved you yesterday?"

"Yes, yes! Brother, do you know him?"

"Heh...heh... No... I don't know him..."

Genos replied awkwardly.

At this moment, he wished he could give himself two big slaps.

Why on earth did he investigate this person when it had nothing to do with him and Mr. Kuni'o?

Now he had dug his own grave!

Upon hearing Genos say he didn't know, Adrielle didn't mind at all and said, "That's okay. If you don't know, you can investigate, right? There's a photo here!"

Genos reluctantly took the photo that Adrielle handed to him, thinking to himself, "I've already investigated, but I'm not telling you!"

Yuga spent over a week in the Pokémon Center, and he felt like he was beginning to rust away.

It was fortunate that people from the Pokémon world had robust constitutions and quick healing abilities. Otherwise, with such severe injuries, Yuga would have needed a month to recover.

After being discharged from the Pokémon Center, Yuga decided it was time to leave Mauville City. He had been delayed long enough, and Director Mond was still waiting for him.

He called home as soon as he left the center.

Yuga hadn't told his family about his injuries, wanting to spare his aunt from worrying. After all, he had been out of contact for a week, and he was afraid she might come to Mauville City if she didn't hear from him soon.

As expected, his aunt was furious when she received Yuga's call, demanding to know what had happened. Thankfully, Yuga managed to evade her inquiries with some vague explanations.

Before leaving, Yuga went to bid farewell to Ryuichi, intending to return the golden key. However, Ryuichi insisted on giving it to him, saying that he could come to the Manor anytime he wished while visiting Mauville City.

But Yuga never got to meet Mr. Kuni'o. Ryuichi informed him that there was no need to say goodbye.

Except for the moment when he first arrived at the Manor, Yuga hadn't seen Mr. Kuni'o again, and the same held true when he left.