Chapter 290: Childhood Memories
Aunt Yuki walked over to them carrying a tray of energy cubes.
As soon as she arrived, she spotted the cubes in both their hands and couldn't help but smile.
"You could've just mailed the energy cubes. There was no need to deliver them personally—wasn't that too much trouble?"
But midway through her sentence, she picked up one of the stamina energy cubes and paused.
Her expression gradually shifted into one of confusion as she closely examined the cube.
After a while, she returned it to her daughter and looked at Hikaru.
"Hikaru... aren't these energy cubes a bit too valuable?"
She had assumed the cubes were something Hikaru had made as a thoughtful gift for Yuki.
But she hadn't expected their quality to be so high.
She couldn't even determine the energy composition inside the cube—something she could normally do with expert-level cubes.
In other words, this cube was at least expert-tier, perhaps even higher.
She began to suspect Hikaru had asked his teacher to make them for him.
Just as that thought formed, Hikaru interrupted her.
Scratching his head with a sheepish grin, he said,
"I made them myself. The Articuno Feather senior gave me back then was really useful."
Aunt Yuki was briefly stunned, then smiled warmly and patted his shoulder.
"You're so thoughtful, Hikaru."
Hikaru rubbed his head and laughed bashfully.
"Aunt Yuki, senior, I've delivered what I came for, so I'll head back now."
Tomorrow was the "ceremony" Sakura had mentioned.
So no matter what, Hikaru had to return today.
Seeing that, Aunt Yuki quickly tried to convince him to stay.
"Leaving so soon? It's almost dinner time. How about this—stay for dinner. Go hang out with Yuki for a bit. I'll cook for you two."
"Eat before you go!"
Yuki also looked at him and asked,
"You're leaving so soon? Do you have something urgent?"
Hikaru nodded,
"Yeah, I've got something tomorrow, so I have to head back today."
"Well then, there's still time. Come on, walk with me!"
She grabbed his sleeve and flashed her mom a sweet smile.
"Mom, I'm taking Hikaru out for a stroll."
"Alright, don't go too far. Be back for dinner..."
And so, Yuki pulled a slightly bewildered Hikaru onto the street.
To be honest, it wasn't just about dinner...
Even though Aunt Yuki's cooking was seriously amazing.
They said they were going out to play, but really, they were just wandering around near the Frost Gym.
Maybe because Latias was following them, neither of them said much.
Hikaru watched the young trainers walking by with their Pokémon, lost in thought.
Back in the orphanage, he used to wander around gyms just like this.
He'd watch as trainers emerged from the buildings with their Pokémon, eyes filled with admiration.
That was when he began saving money, dreaming that one day, he and Yuki could become trainers too.
But then Yuki left.
He was left alone.
What was once a budget for two became a budget for one, and he finally had enough to attend Pokémon High School.
Now, with the gym closed for the day, watching young trainers pass by with their Pokémon, Hikaru felt an odd sense of time warping.
He was now a professional high-level trainer.
Soon enough, he'd probably reach the master level too.
"What are you thinking about?"
Yuki had been watching his expression out of the corner of her eye.
Seeing his blank look, she gently tapped his shoulder.
"Huh?"
Hikaru snapped out of it.
"Nothing much, just remembering some things from the past."
Yuki's curiosity was piqued.
"What kind of things? Tell me!"
Hikaru shook his head.
"Nothing big. I used to hang around gyms like this, just to watch trainers come out with their Pokémon."
"Back when my parents were still around, we had a Mr. Mime and a Flareon at home—one was my mom's, the other was my dad's."
"Then they went missing in a secret realm... and we never heard from them again."
For a five-year-old, such memories should've been vague.
But Hikaru wasn't a normal child—he was a transmigrator.
At that time, most trainers only raised one Pokémon.
His parents were no exception.
His mom's Mr. Mime was elite-tier, while his dad's Flareon was gym-tier.
Back then, having a gym-level Pokémon meant you could be a city gym leader or a licensed investigator.
His father had been the latter.
That was one of the reasons Hikaru wanted to become an investigator—
With that title, he could legitimately look into the records of where his parents had disappeared.
Yuki offered a gentle comfort.
"I'm sorry... My dad was an investigator too. The only memory I have of him is when he held me once as a baby."
Then, with a playful tone, she changed the subject.
"Let's not talk about sad stuff. You mentioning the past reminded me of something interesting."
"When I was little, I remember this boy who used to hang around this street every day. I'd always see him when I came home. It was obvious he loved Pokémon."
Hikaru scratched his head awkwardly.
"Oh... really?"
Yuki smiled in recollection.
"Yup. One time, near that Bug and Grass-type pet shop, a freshman had just received their first Pokémon— a Wurmple."
"The student let it out in the middle of the street, and the poor Wurmple freaked out from seeing so many people and charged straight at me."
"That boy happened to be nearby and caught the Wurmple for me. But the price he paid... was getting wrapped up like a mummy in Wurmple's silk."
"I thanked him afterward... but honestly, it was so long ago—maybe when I was seven or eight—I don't remember the details too well. Still, I avoided Bug-types for a long time after that."
Seeing Hikaru's awkward expression, Yuki quickly added,
"That's also why I remember that boy more clearly."
"Uh-huh..."
Hikaru didn't know what to say.
So it turned out he and Yuki had met long ago.
Just... in a rather strange way.
He had been wrapped up like a mummy, after all...
Noticing his helpless expression, Yuki assumed he was embarrassed about the story.
"You're not still upset about it, are you? Come on, that was kid stuff—we were, like, what? Five?"
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