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 had recently been considering expanding the station to prevent stampedes. Yet amid this crowded scene was an empty space that could only be called an absolute exclusion zone.

The reason an open space could exist in such a packed place was simple: a huge 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 could be said to be the childhood nightmare of many children. Stories like, "If you don't eat properly, Chandelure will take you away and turn you into a monster that can only eat white clay," or, "If you don't sleep properly, Chandelure will take you away and turn you into a little ghost that can never go home," were everywhere. Coupled with the fact that this Pokémon's personality was not exactly pleasant, many people avoided it. Especially one as enormous as this Chandelure.

"Kehehe!"

Haunter, who spotted Chandelure first, excitedly waved at it. Chandelure gave a slight tremble in response. Although it had terrifying legends surrounding it, this Chandelure was actually a textbook case of social anxiety. Giving any response at all in such a crowd was already quite generous of it.

"Dad, Mom, you're back."

Blake squeezed through the crowd and saw a man and woman standing beneath Chandelure, carrying armfuls of bags. From their appearance, both looked to be in their thirties or forties. The man had a lean build, and his already tall frame looked even straighter in his meticulously pressed suit. However, a streak of white hair at his temple, crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, and dark gray bags beneath them ruined more than half of his original bearing. He had gone from an elite businessman to someone on the verge of dropping dead from overtime.

The woman beside him was somewhat smaller, though only compared to the man. At one meter seventy, she was certainly not short for a woman. Her wheat-colored skin looked healthy, and her long black wavy hair fell loosely around her shoulders. A pair of brown sunglasses rested on her forehead. Her aqua-blue dress made her look like a tourist out for a trip, and she radiated vitality, seeming more than a decade younger than her apparent age. She had the unmistakable capable air of a fisherwoman, yet also the elegance of a noble lady. The muscles visible on her bare arms added a wild edge to that refined aura. But all that beauty was ruined the instant the noble lady, Louise, saw Blake.

"Sweetie!"

Blake's mother, Louise, tossed aside the bags in her hands, leaped forward, and pounced directly on Blake. She grabbed his head and gave it a vigorous rub, instantly turning Blake's neat hairstyle into a bird's nest.

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

Blake knew his mother's personality all too well. From the outside, she looked like a goddess, but once you got to know her, she was a complete nutcase. With so many people around, suddenly throwing herself at him was unbearably embarrassing!

"Ah! Lulina! Let big sis hug you!"

Clearly, Louise had not heard Blake's complaint at all. She turned and jumped toward Lulina, who had just squeezed through the crowd. As for that form of address... better get used to it. Better get used to it.

"Dad, did you come back this quickly?"

Blake gave his mother a helpless glance, then awkwardly approached his father. He took the luggage from James's hands while greeting Chandelure, which still looked stern on the surface but had actually been scared stiff by the crowd.

"Yes. That Spell Tag you found is very likely connected to a ruin I've been researching. According to the locals, a group of people did excavate the place years ago and took some things away. Most of them were caught at the time, but some escaped by boat. They were probably the smugglers from the abandoned ship."

The conversation between father and son was completely different from that between mother and son. There were no excessive greetings or small talk; they went straight to the point. It was not because they lacked affection for each other. 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 walked toward the station exit with James, carrying the suitcase.

"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 come with us. You should see what the wilderness is really like."

James looked at his son, who was already nearly as tall as he was. A hint of satisfaction flashed through his eyes. He patted his son's increasingly sturdy shoulder and smiled.

"To the ruins?"

Blake paused. He really did want to go, but he had never had a clear understanding of his own capabilities before, so he had never brought it up. Fortunately, his recent battles had given him a better sense of where he stood.

"Yes, a ruin. It isn't particularly dangerous. It was excavated years ago, so it's considered an ordinary ruin now. But some areas haven't been fully explored yet, which makes it suitable for a beginner like you."

James nodded with a smile.

"When do we leave?"

Blake felt a surge of excitement. Though his dream was to live a peaceful life, men remained boys at heart until the day they died. What boy did not have the urge for adventure? Especially in the world of Pokémon.

"No rush. A week from now. 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'll take at least a week to gather them again. Besides, we need approval from the Pokémon League. Otherwise, we might be considered tomb raiders. This isn't some trainer accidentally wandering in."

James spoke very seriously. Although many ruins were discovered by trainers stumbling across them by chance, the later excavation and preservation were not things one or two people could handle. Many ruins were practically underground cities. Without professional equipment, one or two people could not finish exploring them in one or two years—or even ten. This was not some simple search for a stone or clues about one or two Pokémon. It was the excavation of the entire ruin and every story behind it, something that could never be explained in just a few words.

"I was too hasty."

Blake nodded and admitted his mistake.

"No need to rush. Everyone has a first time. But you need to be prepared. 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 unknowns during ruin excavations. Even ruins that have already been fully excavated can produce unexpected accidents. So remember: never let your guard down. Understand?"

James thought highly of his son. Blake was mature and steady beyond his years, yet still possessed a young man's vigor. His development of his own abilities far surpassed James's. He would surely surpass him in the future. When that happened, James ought to be able to retire. But where should he go after retirement? In any case, he could not stay in Hulbury every day. The Great Fishing Festival was far too exhausting. He had no desire to wear that ceremonial outfit. Perhaps it was a family tradition passed down through generations: once the son turned ten, the Great Fishing Festival was dumped on him, while the father went off to enjoy himself. That was how James had grown up too.

"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, the luggage had all been loaded, and Louise had long since dragged Lulina into the vehicle. Only James remained standing foolishly at the door.

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

Blake looked at James. For some reason, he felt his father had been thinking about something highly inappropriate, so he could not help asking.

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

James could hardly say that he had been thinking about how to trick his son. He hurried two steps and climbed into the taxi. Blake shrugged and got in as well. With the sound of Corviknight's wings beating, the group set off toward home.