Taking That First Step

"Ka-kah~~"

Gastly floated inside, casually opening the door for Johan, who had just reached the door with keys in hand. Johan felt a bit awkward.

Johan's eyebrow twitched.

"Gastly, next time, wait until the door's open before going inside."

"Ka-kah?"

Gastly turned around with a puzzled look.

Why?

Johan took a deep breath, "Didn't you see the notice? There are warnings about burglars in the neighborhood. If people see you phasing through doors and unlocking them, we might get mistaken for thieves."

"Ka-kah?! Σ(дlll)"

Seeing Gastly's shocked expression, Johan nodded in satisfaction and closed the door.

"Understand now?"

"Ka-kah?"

As Johan walked away, Gastly's eyes sparkled.

It really was like that! Gastly hadn't noticed it before.

But now... heh-heh—

"Oowu?"

Hearing the commotion, Alolan Vulpix peeked cautiously around the doorframe. Upon seeing Johan and Gastly, her eyes lit up.

She happily darted towards Johan.

"Oowu Oowu—"

"Wait, wait, Vulpix—"

Thud!

Before Johan could finish, Alolan Vulpix had pounced on him, licking his face affectionately.

Wiping the frost off his face, Johan shot an annoyed glance at Gastly, who was laughing heartily nearby.

He picked up the little one and set her down.

Despite Alolan Vulpix's small size, with her fluffy fur making her appear not much bigger than a kitten, her strength was no joke.

She had no problem knocking over an adult like Johan with ease.

However, what surprised Johan the most was Vulpix's psychic power. It was completely unexpected for an Ice-type Pokémon.

Like right now.

As he tried to stand up, he felt himself being lifted by a gentle but firm psychic force.

Is she really an Ice-type Pokémon? Or is this Psyduck reincarnated?

"But you're recovering well," Johan noted.

This was the third day since he had taken in Alolan Vulpix, and in the Pokédex information he could see, her [Status] had improved from "Weak" to "Good."

"There's a fireworks show tonight. Let's get ready, and we'll head out soon," Johan said, patting her soft fur.

"Oowu, oowu?"

Hearing this, Alolan Vulpix hesitated and backed away a few steps, showing signs of anxiety and fear in her eyes.

This was her current state—besides being unaware of her own strength and possibly having a "hidden violent streak," she was also incredibly shy and lacked confidence.

"Don't worry, we'll go together," Johan reassured her gently.

"Oowu, oowu…"

With Johan's calming words, the little one eventually agreed and turned to start packing up with Gastly.

Johan hadn't pried too deeply into Vulpix's past.

For one, the pain of revisiting those memories might be too much. It had taken a lot for her to start opening up, and there was no need to risk reopening old wounds.

Additionally, Johan had been in touch with Officer Jenny at the Rustboro police department to inquire about any illegal trades involving Alolan Pokémon. If results came from there, Vulpix wouldn't have to recall her own trauma.

Still, he had managed to learn from indirect questioning that Vulpix had indeed been abandoned.

However, she had never been officially captured; it seemed like whoever had taken her in had intended to keep her as a pet.

In Johan's eyes, Vulpix's past was important, but if he had to choose, her future mattered more.

If she remained stuck in the past, she'd never take that first step forward.

She needed to take that first step.

Half an hour later.

The streets of Rustboro were bustling, with Alolan Vulpix perched on Johan's head, gripping his hair tightly.

"Vulpix, if you keep holding on like this, I'm going to end up bald."

"Oowu!"

Realizing her mistake, Vulpix quickly loosened her grip and blew on Johan's scalp as if to soothe it.

Cr-cr-crack.

A thin layer of frost formed.

Johan: "…"

He wondered if, aside from Chesto Berries and Pecha Berries, he should start carrying some Aspear Berries.

**[Aspear Berry: Cures freezing or frostbite.]**

"Ka-kah, Ka-kah~~"

In contrast to Vulpix, Gastly was much more carefree.

Especially since it had somehow dug out a big red bow from home and tied it around its head.

Gastly proudly called it a "Vulpix-matching style."

If Johan hadn't stopped him, Gastly would've already been showing it off to strangers, asking if they liked his new look.

One was a social butterfly; the other was socially anxious. Quite the pair.

"Uncle, that Vulpix is so cute! Why is it white?" asked a little girl, around eight or nine years old, holding a Jigglypuff plushie. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Uncle?

"Oowu!"

Alolan Vulpix trembled and dug her claws into Johan's hair again, burying her head.

"Hiss—"

Johan took a sharp breath, forcing a smile. "C-call me big brother."

"Okay, Uncle. Is that really a Vulpix?" The little girl tilted her head cutely.

Just then—

Gastly appeared out of nowhere and made a goofy face, sticking out its tongue.

"Ka-kah!!"

For a moment, the little girl froze, her eyes filling with tears.

Oh no, oh no!

Johan quickly grabbed Gastly and ran, spotting the girl's parents nearby.

After a short jog, they arrived at the riverside park, the venue for the fireworks show. A cheerful crowd had already gathered, chatting and laughing.

Johan found a quiet patch of grass off to the side to sit on, with Vulpix and Gastly beside him.

"Ka-kah?" Gastly pouted.

Why'd you pull me away?

Didn't you see that girl found me so cute, she wanted to cry?

Johan's brow furrowed.

Yeah, cute to death.

"Vulpix."

"Oowu?"

"Didn't you notice? Along the way, a lot of people were complimenting you, saying you were cute and beautiful."

"Oowu?"

Really?

"If you just lift your head and stand tall, you'll find that you're much more popular than you think."

Johan gently set Vulpix down on the grass.

He touched his hair.

Good grief.

It was rock solid.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that.

He patted Vulpix's head softly and said:

"Take a step forward. Learn from Gastly—"

Turning to look, he saw Gastly had wandered over to a lovey-dovey couple, making exaggerated faces and showing off its big red bow.

The startled couple took off running.

Johan: "…"

"Uh, don't learn from Gastly. Just be yourself. Take a step forward, and maybe you'll see a whole new view."

"Oowu…"

Encouraged by Johan's words, Vulpix steeled herself and closed her eyes tightly.

Plip, plip. She took a few hesitant steps forward.

Boom!

Suddenly, a dazzling firework lit up the night sky.

The night was illuminated, as if scattered with stars.

Startled, Vulpix instinctively opened her eyes.

And saw the brilliant display of fireworks.

The colors painted the sky, reflecting on her pure white fur and lighting up her crystal-clear eyes.

"Oowu~~"

So beautiful.

Johan gently picked her up, with Gastly floating back beside him.

The three of them sat on the grass, watching the bright flowers in the sky bloom and unconsciously smiling.

"Make a wish on the fireworks. It's supposed to be really lucky," Johan said.

"Ka-kah?"

"Oowu?"

Really?

Gastly and Vulpix exchanged a look.

"Ka-kah—"

Gastly cackled.

My wish? To help Johan and Little Vulpix conquer Champions and dominate Elites!

"Oowu~~"

Vulpix blinked softly, smiling to herself.

Gastly says Johan's destined to become an amazing trainer. I want to keep up!

They both turned to look at Johan.

"Well, me? The world's so big—I just want to take you both to see it!" Johan laughed.

Boom!

A golden Pikachu-shaped firework exploded in the sky.

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Powerstones?

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