Footsteps That Would Not Stop

In Fallarbor Town on the Hoenn continent, a place where all kinds of Pokémon lived.

The aroma of food filled Qinggu House.

Terrance looked with satisfaction at his handiwork. The hearty yet light and nutritious lunch was the last present he would leave for everyone.

He did not know what he would accomplish after leaving, but rather than sink into an ordinary life, Terrance would rather burn his bridges and give it his all. This world was not as wonderful as it was in the anime; even becoming an ordinary Trainer came with many conditions and restrictions.

Qinggu House was called an orphanage, but it had only seven children, and just one person looked after them: Grandma Oran. In her youth, she had been a Coordinator, but now she was alone. She had no children of her own, and with what remained of her savings, she had established the orphanage called Qinggu House.

Thanks to Grandma Oran, the children had all grown up listening to stories of her youth, so they had naturally developed a great interest in Coordinators.

Nearly every child at Qinggu House dreamed of becoming an outstanding Coordinator someday, and Terrance was no exception.

But today, the children, usually so lively, seemed rather quiet. Clearly, they already knew that Terrance had decided to leave.

As they gathered around the table, one boy finally could not hold back. "Terrance, are you really leaving?"

Terrance nodded. He had been here for four years, and when all was said and done, he had been relying on Qinggu House the whole time. Although he usually did a lot of work, it was not enough to repay the kindness Grandma Oran and Qinggu House had shown him. Without them, Terrance could hardly imagine whether, lost and bewildered as he had been when he first arrived, he might have gotten into serious trouble. He had not inherited any property, either, so even simply making a living could have been a major problem.

He had been all alone in his previous life, and Qinggu House had given him so very much that he had never had before.

So now that things had come to this, Terrance naturally could not keep imposing on them by staying. The children had grown up and no longer needed him to look after them. After all he had built up over the years, Terrance felt it was time to set out on his own journey.

Perhaps only after he went out into the world could he do something truly meaningful for everyone at Qinggu House.

"But..." Their voices choked up. Although they already knew Terrance's choice, they still hated the thought of parting. The older brother who had always looked after them was about to leave. Even if they could still see him again, such a long separation was more than these children, none of whom were ten yet, could bear.

"Sigh, children, let's respect Terrance's choice."

Grandma Oran came in from outside, her hair streaked with gray. When they saw her, the children immediately made room for her.

"Grandma Oran, you're here," the children said in unison.

"Come eat lunch, Grandma," Terrance said.

With the children pleading for him to stay, Terrance could not help but waver a little. Although he had never thought of himself as a child their age and had initially looked after them to repay a debt of gratitude, and although their mischief often gave him headaches, they had been through so much and lived together for so long. He was only human; how could he feel nothing?

After living here for four years, Terrance did not want to see Qinggu House desolate and dilapidated many years from now.

"Let's eat," Terrance said, looking at the downcast children.

And so, at Grandma Oran and Terrance's urging, the children hurriedly ate a few bites of lunch. That was how the fine meal passed, in such a gloomy atmosphere.

The cheerful atmosphere of the past was nowhere to be found. Grandma Oran tried to lighten the mood, but anyone could see that both the children and Terrance were distracted.

The long lunch finally came to an end.

"I'm going to pack."

After quietly saying that, Terrance left.

Lying lazily on his bed, Terrance fixed his gaze on the ceiling.

Although the children had pleaded earnestly for him to stay, none of it would change his resolve.

Terrance's footsteps, his heart, would not allow him to remain in this place.

Perhaps he would fail, but who could say what the future held?

Terrance's four years of effort had not been in vain, and he certainly did not lack confidence!

"Beautifly..."

The beautiful Beautifly fluttered above Terrance. For now, she was the only one who had come to comfort him.

Everything outside the window was spotless, all thanks to Beautifly. She could already control some of her moves perfectly, using them with delicate precision to help Terrance clean the yard.

Beautifly was Terrance's first partner, and the first little Pokémon he had trained as a beginner.

Having grown up listening to Grandma Oran's stories, Terrance was also very interested in Coordinators. Even Wurmple had longed for that dazzling stage.

But reality had made Terrance realize that he had no advantages. After much consideration, he had ultimately decided to become a Pokémon Breeder instead.

Becoming a Pokémon Breeder offered considerable benefits in Terrance's current circumstances.

Pokémon Breeders, like Coordinators, were a type of Trainer.

They raised many different Pokémon. Although they might be a notch weaker than professional Trainers in terms of strength, their Pokémon generally formed a complete team, and they were far better than ordinary Trainers when it came to growth, health, care, and other such matters.

Most Pokémon Breeders made a living through the specialized work of running a Pokémon Day Care, and being a Pokémon Breeder was also well suited to surviving in this world.

No place could do without an outstanding Pokémon Breeder.

If Terrance could pass the examination to become a junior Pokémon Breeder, his starting position would improve considerably, perhaps even sending him straight to the top.

After all, he was still so young.

His age, combined with his mature way of thinking, was Terrance's greatest advantage! With such a good start, even though his starting point was somewhat low, there were still many things Terrance wanted to do after coming here.

"Knock~ knock~ knock~"

As Terrance looked at the ceiling, he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Without having to think about it, Terrance knew that whoever had come at this time was most likely Grandma Oran.

"The children are feeling very down," Grandma Oran said with a sigh as soon as she entered.

"I know," Terrance said.

"You child, you always sound so forceful. You're only going on a journey, but you make it sound like a final parting."

Grandma Oran shook her head and looked at Terrance, somewhat puzzled and helpless.

"It's not just a journey."

"Grandma Oran, if we all stayed at Qinggu House, how much longer do you think your savings could support it?"

"Do you really think these children could find the lives they long for?"

Grandma Oran fell silent.

"So, for my own sake and for Qinggu House, I can only choose to leave."

Lying on the bed, Terrance spoke to himself, paying no heed to Grandma Oran's shocked gaze.

Terrance understood that if he stayed at Qinggu House, life might be peaceful and comfortable for a while, but he would waste his greatest advantage and, in the end, truly fail miserably!

So Terrance said those things quite naturally.

Perhaps, besides seeing the wonders of this world, Qinggu House was also something Terrance cared about. Unwilling to watch it fall into decline, he could only change things through his own efforts!