After resting for a day in Mauville City, Gary and Zinnia set out early the next morning for Verdanturf Town.
It took them three days to arrive.
Since they were back in Verdanturf Town, Gary naturally went to visit Wally—mainly to let Kirlia reunite with her family. So, they headed straight for Wally's house.
"Brother Gary, why are you here?"
Wally, who happened to be home, was surprised to see him. He was both happy and curious about Gary's sudden visit.
"Wally... you're looking great!" Gary remarked, pleasantly surprised.
It had only been a little while since they'd last met, but Wally no longer looked sickly. Though still slim, his overall energy and spirit were much better—he no longer looked like a frail patient at first glance.
"Brother Gary, I've been training every day just like you taught me. I feel great now," Wally said proudly.
"That's awesome. Looks like you'll be ready to start your journey soon." Gary smiled.
"Yeah!" Wally nodded enthusiastically, then asked, "But you haven't told me—why did you suddenly come here?"
"I'm heading to Petalburg City. I plan to take the Rusturf Tunnel, and I thought I'd drop by and visit you along the way," Gary explained.
"Then come in quickly!" Wally said warmly.
Gary followed Wally inside.
"Where's your family?" Gary asked, noticing the quiet house. It was almost noon; they should have been home.
"They're busy preparing for Wanda's wedding, so I'm home alone," Wally explained.
Since Wally's family had accepted his dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, Wally had started living more independently. He exercised daily and even cooked for himself. Seeing how well he managed on his own, his parents and sister stopped hovering over him, especially now that they were busy with wedding preparations.
"By the way, do you know if Ralts' parents are still staying with you?" Gary asked.
After they had parted ways, Gary had learned from Gardevoir and Gallade that another Ralts had been entrusted to Wally's care. Gary figured that Ralts' parents were probably nearby.
"They're living in my backyard now. I'll take you to see them," Wally said.
Eevee looked around cautiously. With its sharp senses, it checked for any threats but didn't sense Gardevoir and Gallade nearby.
Gary released Kirlia from her Poké Ball.
"Oh! Kirlia!" Wally exclaimed in surprise.
Kirlia gave Wally a familiar greeting.
Wally immediately recognized her as the same Ralts from before, especially because of her shiny coloring, which made her easily identifiable.
"It's been a while! I didn't expect you to evolve so soon," Wally said.
"Raa." Kirlia nodded. She'd enjoyed her time with Wally—good food, fun games—but traveling with Gary had helped her grow in new ways.
Before long, another small figure appeared: a Ralts.
[Level 16 Ralts / Quasi-Elite Potential]
Kirlia excitedly grabbed Ralts' hand. They were sisters who had grown up together, and after being apart for so long, they were thrilled to reunite.
Soon after, two taller figures appeared in the backyard: Gardevoir and Gallade. Sensing that one of their daughters had teleported away, they rushed over, feeling the familiar psychic presence of their other child.
Kirlia joyfully ran to greet her parents.
Gallade and Gardevoir were both shocked when they saw how much Kirlia had grown. They hadn't expected their daughter to evolve so quickly under Gary's care, while the Ralts who stayed home hadn't evolved yet.
At first, both Ralts were at similar levels, both trained by Gary. But after just a month apart, the difference in growth was huge.
"Gallade, Gardevoir, why don't you spend some quality time with Kirlia?" Gary said kindly.
This trip was, after all, meant to let Kirlia reunite with her parents.
Kirlia, who couldn't resist showing off, demonstrated several of the new moves Gary had taught her. Her parents were stunned.
Gallade, in particular, was shocked when he saw Kirlia use Ice Punch and Thunder Punch. He himself knew Thunder Punch and understood how difficult it was to learn. He hadn't expected his daughter to master it so quickly.
For a moment, Gallade was deeply satisfied with his decision to entrust her to Gary. He almost regretted not giving both daughters to him for training.
Then he glanced at Wally. Despite Wally's good intentions, he wasn't very skilled at raising Pokémon—and he spoiled his Ralts too much.
But with Gardevoir present, Gallade didn't dare voice such thoughts. He knew that if he said he wanted to give both daughters to Gary, Gardevoir would scold him immediately. Check latest chapters at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Well... Gallade was a bit of a henpecked husband, after all.
After showing off for her parents, Kirlia followed Ralts back to Wally's room to play video games.
Kirlia was a big gaming fan, and after a month without playing, she was eager to catch up.
Gary didn't stop her. Although Kirlia loved games, she was also serious about training. Since they were back in Verdanturf Town, he figured she deserved a little fun.
Gary chatted with Wally about his plans for the future.
Originally, Wally's parents had given him a year to prove his independence, but seeing how much progress he'd made, they'd shortened it to six months. If he could maintain his efforts, they would allow him to travel as a Trainer.
"Please give my best wishes to Wanda for a happy wedding. I'll be heading out now." After spending the afternoon at Wally's house, Gary was ready to continue his journey.
"Okay, I'll pass along your message."
Wally didn't insist on Gary staying for Wanda's wedding, knowing that Gary still needed to collect Badges for the Ever Grande Conference.
"Kirlia, you've had enough fun. Time to go," Gary called out.
Kirlia came out of the room reluctantly.
"Don't be sad. After the Ever Grande Conference, I'll buy you your own game console when we get home," Gary promised.
"Raa!" Kirlia lit up with excitement and made a pinky promise with Gary.
"Gallade, Gardevoir, we'll be heading off now. Take care of yourselves," Gary said warmly.
He didn't know when he would return to the Hoenn region again. It might be a long time before they met once more.
Suddenly, Gardevoir walked over to Gary, opened her palm, and revealed a sparkling gemstone.