Childhood Sweethearts

"Good morning, Blake! I guessed you were already awake!"

When Blake opened the door, an enthusiastic greeting came from outside, carrying the fresh energy of youth.

"Morning, Lulina. No Gym training today?"

Blake smiled. Standing outside was none other than his childhood sweetheart, Lulina. She would one day become the Gym Leader of Hulbury, but at the moment, like him, she was only fourteen and still a Gym apprentice.

"The tourist area opens tomorrow, and my teacher has to give a speech on stage, so we got today and tomorrow off. Hehe."

Lulina had yet to develop the mature style she would have later in life. Right now, she radiated nothing but youthful vitality.

"Chew!"

Lulina's Pokémon, Chewtle, also called out to Blake in greeting.

"Morning to you too. Have you eaten breakfast? Want something to eat?"

After greeting Chewtle, Blake turned to Lulina and asked.

"I already ate. By the way, where's Gastly? Why don't I see him?"

Lulina looked behind Blake but saw nothing. That guy was usually far too restless to stay out of sight.

"Why don't you look behind you?"

Blake smiled and pointed. By then, Gastly had already prepared himself behind Lulina.

"Oooh!"

"Gastly! Σ(ﾟдﾟlll)"

Lulina suddenly spun around and pulled a face. Gastly was so startled that even his color seemed to fade a little.

"Hahahahaha! I knew you were there!"

Lulina burst into laughter at Gastly's expression. She had known him for a long time and naturally understood his playful, prank-loving personality. Even without Blake's warning, she could have guessed it.

"Gastly, hehehe! ヾ(●´∀｀●)"

After the initial shock, Gastly immediately returned to smiling and joined in the laughter. Blake picked up Chewtle, took out an Energy Cube favored by Water-type Pokémon from his waist pouch, and popped it into Chewtle's mouth. Chewtle immediately wore an expression of pure enjoyment.

"All right, what did you come here for? I'm about to head to the shop."

Blake asked Lulina.

"I'll go with you. I've got nothing to do during the break, and if I stay home, Mom will nag me again. So I came to hang out with you. Oh, right, the tourist area opens tomorrow. Have you figured out how to attract customers? Want me to help?"

Lulina asked with a smile, her hands clasped behind her back.

"No need. I don't plan on actively seeking customers. I'll just let things happen naturally. But if you're coming too, wait a moment. I need to get ready."

Blake was not short of money. His parents in this life had left him more than enough. After confirming that he could take care of himself and asking Lulina's parents to look after him, they had gone off around the world in search of ruins.

Yes, they really were that unreliable. Still, Blake was not too dissatisfied with them. His family was unusual, not an ordinary clan. His father's family line had originally come from Lavender Town in the Kanto region. For generations, they had been renowned for communicating with spirits, exorcising ghosts, and soothing Ghost-type Pokémon. They were not frauds; it was their family's special ability, similar to Aura, psychic power, and Viridian Force. Every generation produced someone who awakened it.

As for why his branch of the family had come to Galar, according to his father, irreconcilable internal conflicts had erupted within the family back then, so his ancestors had left with their people. They had chosen Hulbury because a storm at sea had thrown their ship off course, and they had arrived here by chance. Sailors in those days tended to be superstitious, and sunken ships scattered across the sea easily became gathering places for Ghost-type Pokémon. That was how their family had settled here.

However, as the times advanced, sea travel became much safer, and his family's role gradually diminished. But as ancient ruins around the world began to be explored, the Pokémon within them were naturally affected. Such dark places were often inhabited by Ghost-type Pokémon, and his family's abilities once again found a use. That was why his father had registered his name with the League. As for his mother, her inborn spirit of adventure never let her sit still. Once she heard about his father's work, she eagerly followed him along.

As for Blake, he naturally became a child left behind at home. Still, it was not bad. He quite liked his current life. The so-called shop was a small souvenir store in Hulbury's soon-to-open seaside tourist area. It was just something Blake had found to keep himself occupied.

Blake's parents had been very supportive of this over the phone. Although their family's wealth had become an astonishing figure through years of accumulation and generations of having only one child, they still supported their son finding something to do. Even if he did not inherit the family tradition, he could not just lie around at home every day, could he?

"Okay~~! I'll wait for you!"

Lulina clasped her hands behind her back and began fooling around with Gastly, while Blake quickly packed up. The technology in this world was truly absurd. For example, the ordinary-looking backpack in his hands had an ability similar to a spatial item, and it could hold far more than it appeared to. He slung it over his back, put on his shoes, and wheeled his bicycle out to the door.

"Ready to go!"

Blake called out.

"Coming!"

Lulina ran over while carrying Chewtle. She placed Chewtle in the basket at the front of the bicycle, then smoothly sat on the back seat and wrapped her arms around Blake's waist. As for Gastly, he could fly.

"Destination: the tourist area! Charge!"

"Yeah~ yeah~"

Hearing Lulina's energetic shout, Blake smiled and started pedaling.

The wind swept past their ears. The morning streets carried Hulbury's distinct scent of seawater, and many people had already risen to work. The boy and girl rode through the streets, and the people along this road were long used to seeing the pair together. Some familiar faces even greeted them. Blake, who was not riding very fast to begin with, responded to each one.

"Come to think of it, isn't your dad about to return?"

Blake asked. The uncle he meant was Lulina's father, a fairly well-known fisherman in Hulbury who owned his own fleet and had been fishing in distant waters for over a month.

"He called yesterday. He said he should make it back this afternoon. He wants to watch the tourist area's opening ceremony, and he said he'll be the first customer at your shop."

Lulina said with a smile.

"Of course I won't turn him away. But my parents are a problem. The last time we contacted them, they said the earliest they could return would be the end of the year. I'll probably have to fill in for them at this year's Great Fishing Festival again."

Blake complained helplessly about his unreliable parents. They had gone out when he was ten, returning only once or twice a year. Since last year, they had even started skipping Hulbury's annual Great Fishing Festival, tossing the responsibility directly onto him.

The Great Fishing Festival was a Hulbury tradition. Overall, there was nothing particularly special about it. It amounted to temporarily closing the sea and banning large-scale fishing. In a little over a month, fish would enter their breeding season. The fishermen who lived off the sea naturally would not drain the pond dry to catch every fish. The Great Fishing Festival was a ceremony held before the sea closure, both to thank the ocean for its catch and to hope that the waters would continue to provide after fishing resumed.

Blake's father had failed to return last year as well, so Blake had been forced into serving as the chief officiant. Fortunately, nothing had gone wrong. Yet this year, it was happening again.

"Hahahahaha! Then do your best, Lord Chief Officiant!"

Lulina laughed and patted Blake on the shoulder. Blake shrugged helplessly and said nothing more. What else could he say after ending up with parents like these? He could only put up with it.