James and Louise

At Hulbury Station, Blake and Lulina came running over, panting. With the sound of a whistle, the train slowly pulled into the station. Ever since Hulbury developed its tourism industry, the number of visitors at the station had surged. They were recently considering expanding it to prevent stampedes. Yet amid this crowded scene was an open space that could only be called an absolute territory.

The reason such an empty space could exist in a place packed with people was simple. A massive Pokémon resembling a crystal chandelier floated in midair.

Its name was the infamous Chandelure.

As a Ghost-type Pokémon born with a nasty temperament and surrounded by endless ghost stories, Chandelure was practically the childhood nightmare of many children. There were countless tales about children who did not eat properly being taken away by Chandelure and turned into monsters that could only eat white clay, or children who did not sleep properly being taken away and turned into little ghosts who could never return home.

On top of that, this kind of Pokémon did not have a particularly good disposition to begin with, making many people avoid it. And this Chandelure was especially huge.

"Gengar!"

Haunter, who spotted Chandelure first, excitedly waved at it.

Chandelure lightly trembled in response. Though it had terrifying legends surrounding it, the Chandelure before them was actually a textbook case of social anxiety. Being willing to respond at all in such a crowd was already quite generous.

"Dad, Mom, you're back."

Blake squeezed through the crowd and saw a man and woman standing beneath Chandelure, laden with bags and packages. Judging by their appearances, they were only in their thirties or forties.

The man was slender and tall, and his already lofty frame looked even straighter in his immaculate, crisp suit. However, a streak of gray at his temple, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, and the dark gray bags beneath them ruined much of his original bearing.

He had gone from looking like an elite businessman to someone on the verge of collapsing from overtime work.

The woman beside him was somewhat smaller, of course only compared to the man next to her. At one meter seventy, she was by no means short for a woman. Her wheat-colored skin looked remarkably healthy, and her long black wavy hair hung loosely over her shoulders.

A pair of brown sunglasses rested atop her forehead, while her aqua-blue dress made her look like a tourist who had come for a holiday. She radiated vitality, seeming more than ten years younger than her apparent age.

The capable air unique to fishermen was especially apparent about her, yet she also possessed the elegance of a noble lady. The muscles on her bare arms added a great deal of wildness to that refined aura.

However, all of that beauty was ruined the instant the elegant lady, Louise, saw Blake.

"My baaaby boy!"

Blake's mother, Louise, tossed aside the bags in her hands and leaped straight at him.

She grabbed Blake's head and vigorously ruffled his hair, instantly turning his originally neat hairstyle into a chicken nest.

"Mom... stop messing around. There are so many people watching."

Blake knew his mother's personality all too well. She was the kind of person who looked like a goddess at first glance, but turned out to be a complete nutcase once you got to know her.

With so many people around, suddenly throwing herself into his arms was absolutely mortifying.

"Ah! Lulina! Let your big sister hug you!"

Clearly, Louise had not heard Blake's complaint at all. She turned and pounced toward Lulina, who had just squeezed through the crowd.

As for that form of address... well, just get used to it.

"Dad, you came back so quickly this time?"

Blake helplessly glanced at his mother, then awkwardly walked over to his father.

He took the packages from James's hands and greeted Chandelure. Chandelure still looked stern and serious, though it was actually terrified stiff by the crowd.

"Mm. That Spell Tag you found is very likely related to a ruin I'm researching. According to the locals, a group of people did indeed excavate the place many years ago and took away some things."

"Most of them were caught at the time, but some escaped by ship. They were very likely the smugglers from the abandoned ship."

The conversation between father and son was completely different from that between mother and son. There was no excessive small talk or greeting; they went straight to the point.

It was not because their relationship was bad. Rather, many things were hidden within these seemingly formal words.

"I see. So you came back this time because of that Spell Tag?"

Blake nodded and carried the suitcase as he walked out of the station with James.

"That's one reason. The other is that you're old enough now. It's time to take you out and let you see the world."

"This time, you'll be leaving with us. It's time for you to see what the wilderness is really like."

James looked at his son, who was nearly as tall as he was, a trace of satisfaction flashing through his eyes. He patted Blake's increasingly sturdy shoulder and smiled.

"To the ruins?"

Blake stopped walking. He truly wanted to go and see them, but he had never had a clear idea of his own capabilities before, so he had never brought it up.

Fortunately, the recent battles had given him a rough measure of his strength.

"Yes, a ruin. It isn't particularly dangerous. After all, it was excavated many years ago, so it can be considered an ordinary ruin now."

"Still, some areas have not been completely excavated. It should be suitable for a beginner like you."

James nodded with a smile.

"When do we leave?"

Blake felt a stir of excitement. Though his dream was to live a peaceful, stable life, men remained boys until they died. What boy did not have the urge to go on an adventure?

Especially in a world of Pokémon.

"No rush. A week from now, probably. Exploring ruins isn't something a few of us can do alone; we need a team."

"I just gave the team time off, so it will take at least a week before they can gather again. Besides, we need approval from the Pokémon League. Otherwise, we might be considered grave robbers."

"This isn't some Trainer accidentally wandering in on their own."

James spoke very seriously. While many ruins were discovered by Trainers stumbling upon them by chance, the subsequent excavation and preservation were not something one or two people could accomplish.

Many ruins were practically underground cities. Without professional equipment, one or two people could not finish exploring them in a year or two, perhaps not even in a decade.

This was not a simple matter of digging up a stone or searching for clues about one or two Pokémon. It was an excavation of the entire ruin and all the stories behind it, something that could never be explained in just a few words.

"I was too impatient."

Blake nodded and admitted his mistake.

"No need to rush. Everyone has a first time. But you need to prepare yourself as well."

"You should have read all my notes. Once we get back, I'll test your Pokémon's strength. Don't disappoint me."

"There are many unknown variables in ruin excavations. Even ruins that have already been fully excavated may still present many unexpected dangers."

"So remember: never let your guard down. Understand?"

James thought highly of his son. Blake was mature for his age and steady, yet still possessed a young man's vigor. He had also developed his family's abilities far beyond James himself.

He would surely surpass him in the future. When that day came, James should be able to retire.

But where should he go after retiring? He certainly could not stay in Hulbury every day. The Great Fishing Festival was far too exhausting, and he did not want to wear that ceremonial outfit.

That was probably something passed down through their family for generations. Once a son turned ten, the Great Fishing Festival work would be thrown onto him, and then his father would head out to enjoy himself.

James himself had gone through the same thing back then.

"Dad, Dad!"

Seeing James standing there in a daze, Blake gave him a push.

James shuddered and finally came back to his senses. They had already reached the outside of the station.

A Corviknight taxi was waiting there, and all the luggage had been loaded. Louise had long since dragged Lulina into the car, leaving only James standing blankly by the door.

"Get in, Dad. What are you thinking about?"

Blake looked at James. For some reason, he felt that his father had been thinking about something rather improper, and he could not help asking.

"Nothing. Let's go home. I need a good bath."

James could hardly admit that he had been thinking about how to trick his son. He hurried forward and climbed into the taxi.

Blake shrugged and got into the cab as well. To the sound of Corviknight's wings beating, the group set off toward home.