"Hoo~ It looks like we missed a wonderful battle."
A familiar voice reached their ears.
Turning around, Tetsuya saw that it was Pryce and Matsuba. More than four years had passed, and both of them looked much more haggard and aged. Even so, the smiles on the two old men's faces at this moment were radiant.
"I've caused both of you a great deal of worry." Tetsuya said.
Pryce patted Tetsuya's arms and said, "Good. It's enough that you've come back! Otherwise, I would never have known peace for the rest of my life…"
"Elite Four Pryce, you-"
"No! If it weren't because of me, how could you have suffered such an ordeal!? I failed to protect you… I let you down, and I also let Matsuba down…" At that moment, the emotions Pryce had been suppressing were on the verge of bursting out.
"L-Let's go inside first. So much has happened over these years. Let's hear Tetsuya tell us everything slowly."
Matsuba did his best to calm Pryce's emotions, though he himself had nearly lost control as well.
Pryce nodded. At that moment, Mamoswine cried out twice, drawing Pryce's attention once more.
Pryce walked over to Mamoswine and gently stroked its mane, his face full of satisfaction. "You've grown so much. You should be grateful that you met such a good Trainer."
Mamoswine also appeared to enjoy being petted. Pryce suddenly thought of something and asked, "Now that you've evolved into Mamoswine… can your Ice energy still maintain Hail?"
"I really have to thank the 'Shadow Team' for that. Deep within the snowy mountains on the island called Shadow Island that was destroyed, I happened to find a piece of Eternal Ice by chance. After Mamoswine finished licking it, it regained its ability to maintain Hail," Tetsuya said. He fell silent for a moment inwardly.
There was no way to verify this lie anymore. After disappearing for more than four years, Tetsuya could make up almost anything. Shadow Island had already been destroyed, so there was no way for anyone to investigate it.
"The Shadow Team, huh…? Mm, that was also your good fortune…" Pryce nodded before following Matsuba into the main hall of Ecruteak Gym.
---◓---
Pryce, Matsuba, Tetsuya, Catherine, Morty, and Ryuto took their seats in order.
Once again, Tetsuya recounted everything that had happened to him from beginning to end. Naturally, he glossed over the parts that needed to remain hidden.
He also introduced Catherine to Pryce and Matsuba, the girl who had gone through life and death alongside him. Everyone treated Catherine with exceptional warmth, asking her all sorts of questions, leaving her thoroughly embarrassed. In their eyes, Tetsuya and Catherine were already an unofficial couple.
Pryce had always despised "evil". After hearing Tetsuya's experiences over the past few years, he immediately slammed the table and stood up. "The Shadow Team!This cancer within Johto must be eradicated! The only people capable of hiring the Shadow Team are those three. Tetsuya, don't worry. I will definitely avenge you!"
Matsuba, as calm and reserved as ever, said, "Revenge must certainly be taken, but it requires careful planning. Right now, the most important thing is helping Tetsuya restore his identity. His assets are also currently under my care. Once everything has settled down, we'll begin making our plans."
Tetsuya also nodded and said, "That's right. The first organization that has to be eliminated is definitely the Shadow Team. They abduct children, and they must be brought to justice as soon as possible. As for those three Elite Four… they have the League backing them, so we'll have to deal with them gradually."
"That's for the best. Matsuba, I'll leave Tetsuya's affairs to you for now. I'll return to Mahogany Town tomorrow and gather my old comrades to investigate the Shadow Team first.
There are only three months left this year… Tetsuya, take this time to get some rest. Once everything has been taken care of, come visit Mahogany Town. Sheila has missed you very much," Pryce said.
Tetsuya nodded. "I definitely will."
Matsuba agreed. "Don't worry. Tetsuya's affairs are now our top priority."
"About my friend Catherine. I'll have to trouble you to help restore her identity as well," Tetsuya said.
To his surprise, Matsuba burst into laughter. "Mahahaha! I've been waiting for you to say that! Heh~ This girl is quite good. You live in Hearthome City in Sinnoh, don't you? As long as I contact Fantina's father, the Leader of Hearthome Gym, this is a simple matter.
I'll have him add certification as an official pupil of Hearthome Gym to your ID Card. That way, things will be much more convenient for you in Sinnoh, and you'll also enjoy many benefits at Pokémon Centers."
"Ee… thank you…?" Catherine did not know what else to say. Those two words were all she could manage.
Afterward, Ryuto organized separate rooms for Tetsuya and Catherine. That evening, Matsuba prepared a reunion dinner, and dish after dish was brought to the table. Everyone took their seats. It had been a long time since they had enjoyed a gathering like this. Pryce and Matsuba immediately began competing in a drinking contest.
'Pryce… like that!? There's no way, right!?' The two old men were truly overjoyed today…
After dinner, everyone went off to rest.
Since Catherine's room was right next to Tetsuya's, after taking their baths, the two of them went for a walk in the courtyard. Having lived in the wilderness for so many years, they had grown accustomed to breathing fresh air whenever they could.
The moon hung high overhead, as round as a great platter, its bright light covering the entire courtyard.
"No matter where you are in the world, the moon is always the same," Tetsuya said meaningfully.
"Uh... Mm, that's true," Catherine replied. By now, they both understood each other's feelings. Each of them had something they wished to pursue, and neither would abandon their own dreams for the other. For now, and perhaps forever, the only thing they could do was quietly drift apart…
"It's getting late. Get some rest."
"Good night, Tetsuya…"
---◓---
The following morning, everyone saw Pryce off. Matsuba then began making arrangements to restore the identities of both Tetsuya and Catherine.
That very day, Tetsuya and Catherine had digital photographs taken. Matsuba had already transmitted Catherine's current information to Sinnoh.
For an entire week, Morty and Ryuto took Tetsuya and Catherine sightseeing and dining all around Ecruteak City. They visited nearly every attraction in the city, which had become completely different from the Ecruteak City of four years earlier.
Throughout that week, none of their Pokémon trained. Instead, they all received care and massage treatments at the Pokémon Center.
These Pokémon had gone through life and death alongside Tetsuya and Catherine and could be said to have never had a single day of rest. If this had continued, their bodies would inevitably have been overworked. This was the perfect opportunity to restore all of them to peak condition.
Although Catherine also enjoyed the sightseeing during that week, she always seemed preoccupied. She asked Matsuba about her ID Card three separate times. Her heart was already in the Sinnoh region, but Tetsuya naturally chose not to point it out.
One week later, Matsuba handed Tetsuya his ID Card along with a Pokédex.
"Your ID Card has been taken care of. Your missing-person status has also been removed. This Pokédex certifies that you are an official pupil of Ecruteak Gym, and it can also record Pokémon data. It's the latest model and can be replaced or updated free of charge. From now on, you'll be able to travel anywhere without any obstacles."
'Finally…'
Tetsuya accepted the ID Card and the Pokédex. These were undoubtedly the two most important items he could have received.