After thinking it over again and again, Pryce still could not bring himself to put the Johto League in a passive position. In the end, he simply said, "Give me some more time to think about it."
That same day, Tetsuya took a train and left Mahogany Town. This was indeed something Pryce needed time to think through quietly. If he could recall how the League had treated him over the years, perhaps he would finally make up his mind.
Meanwhile, Tetsuya was also thinking about how he could make Pryce completely give up his illusions about the Johto League.
After returning to Ecruteak City, Tetsuya stopped by Ecruteak Gym to say hello before heading back to his own home.
By now, the old nun had fully adopted the appearance of an elderly woman. Naturally, Tetsuya had changed the way he addressed her as well. Before becoming a nun, her name had been Madeleine, so he could only call her, ugh… "Madeleine-baachan" now. Most importantly, Slowbro was in excellent health under her care.
"I spent more than twenty years at the Slowpoke Temple. Long ago, the New Year lost all meaning to me. I never imagined I'd have another chance in this lifetime to experience this celebration atmosphere, and to have you here to celebrate it with me too…
Come, come, take a look at all the New Year's stuffs I've prepared~ Is there anything else we need?" Madeleine busied herself around excitedly.
"Hai."
Tetsuya merely went along with it. He did not care about any of those things and left everything to her.
---◓---
After returning to his room, Tetsuya turned on his computer and looked through the latest News concerning the Johto League. Television was filled with praise, while the internet was full of criticism. What Tetsuya needed now was something that could serve as a catalyst for Pryce.
Pryce was currently caught in a dilemma. All it would take was one incident that made him lose faith in the League for him to finally make his decision.
Tetsuya carefully browsed through the information online.
"Hmm…?" A familiar photograph immediately caught Tetsuya's attention. The headline of the article read, [Loving Father Still Searching for Missing Daughter After Five Years, Offers Entire Fortune as Reward].
The girl in the photograph below was Aurora…
Her arrogant personality was something Tetsuya still remembered vividly. However, Aurora had died on Shadow Island four years ago. Her loving father was destined to be heartbroken.
Tetsuya had met Aurora's father once before, during the Ecruteak Gym examination. Aurora's personality was inseparable from the way her father had spoiled her. A daughter was always her father's precious little princess. Aurora's sudden disappearance had undoubtedly dealt him a devastating blow.
Tetsuya began planning around this matter. The key was figuring out how to connect it with Pryce.
The next day, Tetsuya found out Aurora's home address. In Ecruteak City, the only other people he knew were Takuya and Haruto. When the time came, Aurora's father could be the one to carry out the plan.
---◓---
Tetsuya and Madeleine spent their first New Year's celebration together at home. Since his rebirth five years ago, this was actually the first time he had celebrated the holiday at home. It inevitably filled him with emotion…
That day, Madeleine also prepared a lavish amount of Pokéfood and fed it to the Pokémon at the neighborhood's recreation field. The purity and kindness deep within Madeleine touched Pokémon more than anything else. Even a mischievous troublemaker like Skorupi became unusually calm.
There were also many old men and women in the neighborhood walking their Pokémon, but they were all "pet" Pokémon with no combat power.
Many people, driven by vanity, held simple, flashy battles among themselves. Some even wanted to ask Madeleine to let her Pokémon battle for their amusement, but she refused them all. After so many years of quiet meditation at the temple, she no longer had any desire to battle.
Besides, she knew Tetsuya's Pokémon were extremely strong!
If one of those pet Pokémon were accidentally injured, it would become impossible to explain.
Tetsuya also sat in the neighborhood for a while. Today, he was planning to visit Aurora's parents.
"Madeleine-baachan, I'm going to take a walk around Ecruteak City," Tetsuya said.
"Alright, come back for dinner tonight~!" Madeleine replied.
Tetsuya nodded, then recalled his Pokémon one by one. It would be troublesome if those little troublemakers caused any problems in the neighborhood. Madeleine certainly would not be able to keep them under control now.
The streets of Ecruteak City were decorated with colorful lights and ornaments, while the sound of firecrackers rang out without end. Men, women, young and old alike walked through the streets and alleys in their new clothes, all wearing joyful smiles.
Following the street, Tetsuya arrived at Aurora's home. Her family was fairly well-off. Her father was in the Pokéfood business, and raising Pokémon was also his hobby. Their level of wealth was evident from the detached mansion they owned in the city center. Otherwise, Aurora would never have developed the temperament of a pampered young loli.
The atmosphere outside Aurora's home was completely different from that of every other household. Forget festive decorations. Even the dust had not been cleaned away, and the front of the house looked neglected.
Tetsuya rang the doorbell, and before long a middle-aged man came out. His face was filled with dejection, his beard was unkempt, and his hair was disheveled. Let alone looking festive for the New Year, he did not even look as though he had maintained his usual appearance. The contrast with their luxurious mansion could not have been greater.
"…May I ask who you are?" Aurora's father walked to the door and looked at the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar face before him. He wanted to call out his name but could not remember it.
"I'm Tetsuya. Five years ago, we met at Ecruteak Gym. At the time, Aurora and I were competing for a place as pupils of the Gym," Tetsuya said.
Aurora's father suddenly realized who he was. A look of disbelief appeared on his face as he hurriedly opened the door and said, "Tetsuya… Tetsuya… N-No… that can't be right! Back then, shortly after Aurora disappeared, I specifically went to Ecruteak Gym to ask Matsuba for help. I remember Matsuba saying that his pupil Tetsuya had also disappeared. How are you…?"
"I came here to tell you about Aurora," Tetsuya said.
"… … ...!!!"
The moment Aurora's father heard those words, he was overwhelmed with joy. He quickly invited Tetsuya inside. At that moment, Aurora's mother was sitting at the dining table. Although she had prepared a table full of dishes, she simply stared blankly at them without touching any of the food.
"Oh… who's here?" Aurora's mother asked listlessly.
"It's a long story! In any case, this young man has news about Aurora, Auroraaa!" Aurora's father said. The moment he finished speaking, Aurora's mother seemed to come back to life. She sprang to her feet from the dining table in an instant.
"Really!?"
Tetsuya nodded, looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated.
"Tetsuya-kun, where is Aurora? Where is she!?" Both of them looked at him with hopeful expressions. The love of parents truly knew no bounds. At that moment, even Tetsuya found it difficult to bring himself to tell them that Aurora had already died.
However, it was equally obvious that if he did not tell them, they would never allow him to leave peacefully. After all, they had been searching for her for five full years.
"You need to prepare yourselves," Tetsuya warned. Countless terrible possibilities flashed through Aurora's parents' minds, yet they still longed for a miracle. They desperately hoped that Tetsuya's next words would reveal Aurora's whereabouts.
"Aurora… is already dead." Tetsuya said heavily.
"!!!"
"…"
Thud!
Aurora's mother failed to catch her breath and collapsed unconscious on the spot.