Early in the morning on the fourth day of his vacation, John found himself waiting at the airport in Aethermere. He turned on his phone, activating parental controls, and locked onto the location of his little gadget—a watch equipped with a tracking feature.
Sure enough, Delibird had lost its way again. The owner of the famous potato brisket shop lived in the southern district of Aethermere, but the tracker showed Delibird wandering the northern district for days.
John couldn't help but chuckle. If he hadn't pulled it back from an earlier misadventure, Delibird might have made it halfway to New York by now.
Glancing at the clock, John saw it was only 6 a.m. His flight wasn't until 8 a.m.
"Good thing I woke up early," he muttered, relieved he'd checked in at a hotel near the airport the night before.
After grabbing a quick breakfast, he flagged down a cab and followed the tracker's signal. It led him to an alley where Delibird had made its makeshift camp. Cardboard boxes shielded it from the wind, and there it rested alongside a familiar companion.
Both Delibird and Togepi greeted John with excited waves, as if nothing was amiss.
John sighed in relief at their energy but couldn't help imagining the tough life they'd had before meeting him. He crouched down, meeting their eyes.
"Lost again, huh?" he asked with a teasing grin.
Delibird tilted its head as if playing dumb, but John wasn't buying it. With a soft sigh, he reached into his bag and handed each of them a warm scallion pancake he'd picked up on the way.
"Eat up. You look like you could use it," John said, patting Delibird's head. Then, scooping Togepi into his arms, he gestured toward the road.
"Let's go, you two. We've got a flight to catch."
"Toge!Togepi!" Togepi cheered excitedly.
Delibird waddled after them, its gaze lingering for a moment. The rising sun cast a soft glow over John, and Delibird was struck by the resemblance to a figure from its past.
"Dee-lee!" it cried, flapping its wings as it hurried to catch up.
John glanced back with a smirk. "Hurry up, or I'll make you fly there yourself!"
Delibird puffed its cheeks in mock frustration but picked up the pace.
Meanwhile, in Greenwood City, Anna stood in the lobby of the Snorlax Hotel, surrounded by a small crowd. She introduced a guest speaker, her tone calm yet professional.
"This is Max, a graduate from the class of 2020. He was a key member of the Berry Club and now works in the multi-state joint research lab."
Max smiled warmly, waving to the group of underclassmen. "It's my pleasure to join you all on today's adventure into the Forest of Evergrowth. Spending time with bright young minds like yours brings back the excitement of my college days. And, well..." He chuckled sheepishly. "It's a nice break from staring at data in the lab all day."
The students nodded, starstruck by his mention of the prestigious laboratory. It was rare for anyone to make it into such a competitive program.
Of course, Max had ulterior motives. His real goal for the day was impressing Anna Armstrong, daughter of the famous Breeder/ Senator, Steven Armstrong. Winning her favor—and by extension, her father's—would all but guarantee his future in the industry.
He'd even dressed sharply for the occasion, his tailored suit standing out amidst the group's more casual attire.
However, Anna seemed unaffected by his charm. As the group prepared to leave, she excused herself.
"I'll join you later," she said. "I'm waiting for someone."
"Waiting for someone?" Max echoed, feigning nonchalance. "Your boyfriend, perhaps?"
Anna shook her head. "No, just a friend. He's a freshman who signed up late for today's event. His flight landed a few minutes ago, and he'll be here soon."
"Oh," Max replied, his relief poorly hidden. "Well, if it's just a friend, why not let someone else wait for him? The Forest of Evergrowth can get pretty hot later in the day. You wouldn't want to miss the best part."
Anna gave a polite smile but didn't budge. "It's fine. He's on his way. He'll be here in ten minutes."
Max opened his mouth to argue further but was interrupted by another voice.
"Wait, are you talking about John Pokemon?" a younger student asked eagerly. "I heard he was joining this trip, but I haven't seen him yet!"
Anna nodded, and the student beamed. "Then I'll wait too! I've always wanted to meet him. He's practically a legend at school."
The mention of John's name drew the attention of several others, who also decided to stick around.
Max frowned. "Is he really that famous?"
One of the students nodded. "Oh, absolutely. John's the guy who won the freshman military competition. He's a breeding major, but he's better at battles than most of the combat students!"
Max scoffed, trying to mask his discomfort. "Military training competitions are one thing, but real breeding skills are what matter. I'm sure he's just riding on his family's wealth."
The students exchanged glances, then shook their heads.
"It's not just that," one said. "John beat the senior champion at last year's Univerity competetiton. And get this—Professor Scarlett personally recruited him to join her lab team. That's practically a golden ticket in the breeding world!"
Max froze. Scarlett's lab was the stuff of legend, a place even his own boss dreamed of joining. The thought of someone so young already securing a spot there sent a pang of jealousy through him.
"Still," Max muttered weakly, "breeding success is a marathon, not a sprint."
His words fell flat, as the students had already turned their attention to the road, eagerly awaiting John's arrival.
A taxi pulled up moments later, and John stepped out, Delibird and Togepi in tow. The crowd erupted in cheers, welcoming him like a celebrity.
Max stood at the back, his jaw tightening as he watched Anna greet John with a warm smile.