An old friend's legacy

Fang Yan glanced at the text box that had popped up, curious about what good thing would happen tomorrow, but soon closed it and looked at Gengar, who was still laughing heartily.

Fang Yan tugged Gengar's tail, then turned to Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny and said:

"Sister Xiaoye, will you and Sister Xiaoshui be free in a few days? Donghuang's Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up, and I'd like to invite you over for a meal."

"Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Officer Jenny looked puzzled. Nurse Joy beside her chimed in, "I know. It's a festival that means family reunions over in Donghuang, right?"

"That's right. It's also a good opportunity to thank you for helping me so much."

Fang Yan had come here alone. After spending this time with them, he already thought of them as family.

"A family reunion? Sure. When?"

Officer Jenny smiled and nodded as she asked.

"In three days."

"Okay, I'll ask a colleague to cover my shift."

Officer Jenny clapped her hands as she spoke.

"I happen to have that day off. Sorry for the trouble, then."

Nurse Joy wore her usual warm smile as she said, "Xiao Lan should be able to make it too."

"All right, I'll let Sister Xia Lan know."

Fang Yan continued, "I'll prepare a special food from back home-mooncakes will be waiting for you."

"Gengar?"

Mooncakes? Are they tasty?

Gengar stopped drifting around, came up to Fang Yan, and stared straight at him.

"I'll make some ahead of time for you to taste."

Fang Yan pushed away the big, round face in front of him and spoke helplessly.

"Gengar-"

Hehe.

After seeing Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy out and watching them leave with Shauna's family, Fang Yan took out his phone and asked Xia Lan. Once he received her confirmation, he went back to the backyard and called Dali over, asking him to watch the shop, then returned to the backyard with Petilil in his arms and Gengar beside him.

He took Petilil to the lake to keep playing with Torterra, then walked around with Gengar.

Since Shauna would be coming tomorrow, Fang Yan planned to add some things to the backyard that children could play on, such as a swing and a slide.

That way, some of the smaller Pokémon could play on them, and Shauna could too, enjoying themselves for a win-win result.

From the spot where the large tree he had brought back had been split into planks, Fang Yan picked a fairly sturdy board. Then he found two fairly strong ropes in the storeroom, chose a fairly sturdy tree near the afternoon tea area, and asked Gengar to tie them to it. After taking out his tools and working on it a little more, he had a nice swing.

Fang Yan sat on it and bounced his weight against it a few times. It felt quite sturdy.

Then Gengar ran behind him and pushed the swing with his little chubby hands, sending it gently swaying.

As the swings grew wider, Gengar felt a little tired. His eyes lit up, and a purple glow enveloped both the swing and Fang Yan.

Immediately afterward, Fang Yan experienced the Pokémon Day Care's version of a pirate ship ride.

"Help-!"

His screams startled several Starly resting in the forest.

By the time the evening sunlight spilled over the Pokémon Day Care's backyard, Fang Yan was gently pushing Gengar on the swing.

Not far away, a fox watched Fang Yan and Gengar intently. Beneath the setting sun, their shadows stretched endlessly. A trace of reminiscence flashed through his eyes before he headed toward the Pokémon Day Care.

Fang Yan looked at Gengar, who was having a wonderful time on the swing, then at the other Pokémon in the backyard, each going about their own tasks. Everything seemed so lovely.

Sighing, Fang Yan felt himself growing increasingly fond of this life. He glanced at the afternoon tea area, which had never been used, and decided to hold the Pokémon Day Care's first afternoon tea when Shauna arrived tomorrow.

"Gengar, how about we get ready for afternoon tea tomorrow?"

"Gengar?"

Gengar turned back and looked at him in confusion.

"It means eating tasty food and drinking tasty drinks."

"Gengar-"

At those words, Gengar drooled all over the ground again.

"All right, it's getting late. Time to cook."

Gengar slurped, then pushed off with his bottom and landed steadily on his two short legs. He clapped his hands and couldn't help nodding.

"Gengar-"

I'm amazing.

Just as Fang Yan was about to take Gengar back to the kitchen to cook, a Pokémon caught his attention.

Covered in cream-colored fur, with nine tails swaying gently in the evening breeze and golden highlights at their tips, he walked elegantly up to the fence in front of Fang Yan. Then he crouched slightly and leaped, landing before Fang Yan and Gengar.

Fang Yan glanced at the fence and fell silent for a long while.

The Ninetales before him kept studying Fang Yan and Gengar with his vivid crimson eyes.

"Gengar?"

Gengar stepped in front of Fang Yan and watched Ninetales warily.

Dali and the other two nearby also gathered around.

[Ninetales]

[Gender: Male]

[Type: Fire]

[Ability: Flash Fire]

[Known moves: Flamethrower, Disable, Fire Spin, Confuse Ray, Fire Blast, Safeguard, Will-O-Wisp, Imprison, Extrasensory, Nasty Plot, Psyshock, Heat Wave, Substitute, Overheat.]

[Mood: Slightly excited]

[Condition: Lost in memories]

[Friendship: 99 (an old friend's descendant)]

[Description: An old friend's descendant, with that old friend's potential as well. He sees traces of his old friend in you.]

An old friend's descendant?

Fang Yan fell silent at the description on the simple status panel.

He must have been a friend of Great-Aunt's when she was still alive.

Fang Yan patted Gengar's shoulder to signal that it was all right, then stepped forward.

"Hello."

"Fang Yan."

The moment Fang Yan spoke, a voice entered his mind.

"Don't worry. This is Telepathy."

Ninetales's words rang out in Fang Yan's mind, his voice mature and gentle.

Looking at Ninetales sitting before him, Fang Yan came back to his senses and answered in his mind, "Are you... here to see Great-Aunt?"

"Great-Aunt? So she was your great-aunt."

Fang Yan nodded.

"I know she's already gone. Don't worry. I came to see you today."

"Me?"

"Yes. This house had been abandoned for a long time, and I kept watching over it. On the day you came, I saw traces of her in you, so I've been watching you ever since."

"Were you the one Gengar saw in the forest that day?"

"He's not bad."

Ninetales glanced at Gengar beside Fang Yan and nodded.

"His strength is decent."

Fang Yan glanced at Gengar. Fortunately, he couldn't hear their conversation, or he certainly wouldn't have accepted that.

"Gengar? Σ(°Д°;"

Why aren't you talking? Why are you all looking at me?

Fang Yan shook his head to indicate that it was nothing, then continued speaking in his mind. "Then did you come today because there's something you want to tell me?"

"Yes."

Ninetales nodded, turned to look at the rest of the backyard, then stood and began walking.

Fang Yan signaled for Gengar to fetch that thing from the room, while he followed Ninetales.

"It used to be very lively here."

Ninetales's voice sounded. "So many Pokémon would come here. She cared for them all equally and played with them."

Fang Yan listened quietly.

"I miss it so much. Watching her come here as a little girl, put down roots, and slowly grow old."

Ninetales reached the afternoon tea area, stopped, and sat down.

"You humans have such short lives."

Fang Yan smiled, then said, "It's precisely because they're short that they're so precious. In our limited time, we forge different bonds and make different friends. Like a beautiful Floette, we let our lives bloom with beautiful, distinctive colors within that limited time."

Ninetales looked at Fang Yan. "She said the same thing back then. She said that as long as we remembered her, she would always exist."

"All right, enough reminiscing. I only came today to see whether you could be like her and carry on this Pokémon Day Care."

"And the result?"

"Not bad at all."

Gengar flew down from upstairs, handed Fang Yan a photo frame, then gave Ninetales a glass of Berry Juice.

Ninetales glanced at Gengar, then lowered his head and drank all the Berry Juice.

"I came today to ask a favor of you."

After saying that, Ninetales brought out a Pokémon Egg, cradled in one tail.

"I intend to entrust my child to you."

Fang Yan was rather shocked by Ninetales's words.

He had seen the moves Ninetales knew on the status panel. There was no need to guess to know that this Ninetales was very strong.

"Entrust?"

Ninetales nodded.

"You've returned, so it's time for me to leave too."

Fang Yan remained silent for a long time.

Then he reached out and accepted the Pokémon Egg. He knew Ninetales was entrusting it to him.

"Are you... leaving?"

Holding the Egg in his arms, Fang Yan asked.

Ninetales nodded. "I only stayed to watch over the house she left behind. Now it has you."

An indescribable emotion welled up in Fang Yan's heart, making his chest feel tight.

"Heh, we've only just met, and you're already sad for me?"

The voice in his mind chuckled as it spoke.

"You really are just like her. As you said, we forge bonds. Each generation has its own bonds to forge. Haven't you also met the one you were destined to meet?"

Fang Yan looked at Gengar and smiled knowingly.

That's right. I've met the one I was meant to meet too.

"All right, take good care of my child. This is my favorite child, after all."

Ninetales shook his head and stood, preparing to leave after speaking.

"Where... will you go?"

"She always used to say she wanted to see more Pokémon, but she never had the chance. Now I'll carry her wish with me and keep traveling."

Looking at Ninetales, Fang Yan held out the photo frame.

"She's always in our hearts."

At those words, Ninetales froze for a moment, then lowered his head to look at the frame in Fang Yan's hands.

The girl inside wore the same smile as when they first met. He gently brushed his tail across the glass, his gaze tender.

"Yes, always in our hearts."

After speaking, Ninetales looked at Gengar without a word for a long time.

Fang Yan saw Gengar nod, and then Ninetales turned and left.

"Goodbye, Fang Yan."

"Goodbye, Ninetales. I hope we'll meet again."

There was no reply. Ninetales leaped away and vanished from Fang Yan's sight.

Drawing back his gaze, Fang Yan looked at the Pokémon Egg in his arms, then at the photo frame, and finally raised his head to look at the glass Ninetales had just drunk Berry Juice from.

Suddenly, an image surfaced in Fang Yan's mind.

A young girl sat in a chair, holding a Glameow in her arms, with an elegant Ninetales sitting beside her. In the clearing nearby, all sorts of Pokémon were playing together, while she simply reclined in her chair and quietly watched them play.

"Is this the most important thing you left me? Thank you, my... great-aunt."

Fang Yan murmured to himself, then raised his head and looked at Gengar beside him. Petilil had also come to his feet at some point. Seeing him lost in thought, she hadn't dared disturb him. Dali and the others were quietly watching from a distance too.

"Gengar, encounters between people and Pokémon really are beautiful beyond words."

Fang Yan suddenly sighed with feeling.

"Gengar? Gengar-"

I love Fang Yan most.

"From here on, I'm counting on you all."

"Gengar-"

"Lili~"

"Nii-koh."

"Gengar, what did he say to you just now? Come on, tell me."

"Geh-"

Nope.

"Come on, tell me. Don't be so stingy."

"Geh-"

I! Won't!

"Why's your face red? Come on, tell me. I'm so curious. I'll make you something delicious tonight."

"Geh-"

Don't think you can bribe me.

"Don't run! Dali, catch it."

"Nikeh."

"Geh Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ"

"Laji~"

At the forest entrance, Ninetales sat quietly, watching them roughhouse, just as they had back then.

Ninetales suddenly remembered what she had said back then.

Ninetales shook its head, then stood up and walked deeper into the forest.

An old friend, just as before.

"Thank you, Fang Yan, for letting me see her again."

Behind it, Fang Yan's voice reached its ears.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gengar."

"Geh~"