Hoenn Region, where countless species of Pokémon made their homes.
Fallarbor Town.
The smell of freshly prepared food drifted throughout Verdanturf House, filling every corner of the building.
Wally stood back and looked over the meal he had prepared.
It was both hearty and nutritious, yet not overly heavy.
More than anything else, he regarded it as the final meal he would personally prepare for everyone before leaving.
He had no idea what kind of future awaited him once he stepped beyond this place.
Perhaps he would accomplish something remarkable.
Perhaps he would fail miserably.
But Wally had no intention of settling for an ordinary existence.
If he was going to leave, then he would commit himself completely and stake everything on making his own way.
The Pokémon world was not quite the carefree paradise depicted in the anime.
Even becoming an ordinary Pokémon Trainer came with numerous requirements, qualifications, and restrictions.
Verdanturf House was technically an orphanage, yet only seven children lived there.
And looking after all of them was a single elderly woman—
Grandma Agatha.
When she was young, Grandma Agatha had been a Pokémon Coordinator.
Now, however, she was alone.
Having never had any children of her own, she had used her remaining savings to establish this orphanage, which she named Verdanturf House.
Because of Grandma Agatha, the children had all grown up listening to stories about her youth, and naturally developed a strong interest in Pokémon Contests and Coordinators.
Almost every child at Verdanturf House dreamed of becoming an outstanding Pokémon Coordinator in the future.
Wally was no exception.
However, the children who were normally so lively and spirited seemed unusually quiet today.
Clearly, they already knew about Wally’s decision to leave.
Sitting around the table, one of the boys finally couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Big Brother Wally, are you really leaving?”
Wally nodded.
He had been here for four years.
Ultimately, he had also been relying on Verdanturf House all this time.
Although he had done many things to help around the orphanage, that was nowhere near enough to repay the kindness Grandma Agatha and Verdanturf House had shown him.
Without them, Wally could hardly imagine what would have happened when he first arrived in this world, confused and lost.
He might have gotten himself into serious trouble.
He had not inherited any property, either.
Even making a simple living could have been a major problem.
In his previous life, Wally had been alone with no family to rely on.
Verdanturf House had given him far too many things he had never possessed before.
Therefore, now that things had reached this point, Wally naturally could not continue staying here forever.
The children had grown up and no longer needed him to look after them.
After accumulating knowledge and experience for all these years, Wally felt that it was finally time to embark on his own journey.
Perhaps only by venturing outside could he truly do something meaningful for everyone at Verdanturf House.
“But…”
The children’s voices were slightly choked with emotion.
Although they already knew about Wally’s decision, the thought of parting still filled them with reluctance.
The big brother who had always taken care of them was about to leave.
Even if they could meet again in the future, such a long separation was something these children, all of whom were under ten, found difficult to bear.
“Sigh.
Children, respect Wally’s decision.”
Grandma Agatha, her hair already white with age, entered from outside.
When they saw her, the children immediately made room for her.
“Grandma Agatha, you’re here.”
The children greeted her together.
“Come on, eat your lunch, Grandma.”
Wally smiled.
Faced with the children’s attempts to persuade him to stay, it was impossible for Wally not to waver slightly.
Although he had never considered himself a child of the same age as them, and although he had initially taken care of them simply to repay the kindness he had received, he had lived alongside them for so long.
The children could certainly be troublesome at times, and they often gave him headaches, but after everything they had experienced together and four years of living under the same roof…
People were not made of grass or wood.
How could they be without feelings?
After living here for four years, Wally did not want to wait until many years later only to see Verdanturf House reduced to a bleak and dilapidated state.
“Let’s eat.”
Looking at the children whose spirits were low, Wally spoke up.
Under the urging of Grandma Agatha and Wally, the children began hurriedly eating a few mouthfuls of lunch.
The exquisite meal passed in such a gloomy atmosphere.
The cheerful atmosphere they had once shared was nowhere to be found.
Grandma Agatha tried to lighten the mood, but anyone could see that both the children and Wally were distracted.
At last, the long lunch finally came to an end.
“I’m going to pack my things.”
Wally quietly said this before leaving.
…
Lying lazily on his bed, Wally stared at the ceiling.
Although the children had earnestly begged him to stay, none of it would change his decision.
His footsteps—and his heart—would not allow him to remain in this place.
Perhaps he would fail.
But who could say what the future held?
Four years of hard work had not been for nothing.
And confidence was something Wally certainly did not lack.
“Beautifly…”
The beautiful Beautifly flew above Wally’s head.
At this moment, it was the only one that had come to comfort him.
Outside the window, everything was spotless.
This was all thanks to Beautifly.
With certain moves, it had already achieved an extraordinary degree of control, allowing it to help Wally clean the courtyard with incredible precision.
Beautifly was Wally’s first partner, and the first little Pokémon he had ever trained as a novice.
Having grown up listening to Grandma Agatha’s stories, Wally had also developed a strong interest in becoming a Coordinator.
Even Wurmple had once yearned for that dazzling stage alongside him.
Reality, however, made Wally realize that he had no particular advantage as a Coordinator.
After carefully considering his options, Wally ultimately decided to become a Pokémon Breeder.
Becoming a Breeder offered considerable advantages given Wally’s current circumstances.
Pokémon Breeders, like Coordinators, were a type of Trainer.
They raised large numbers of different Pokémon.
Although their Pokémon might generally be somewhat weaker in battle than those of professional Trainers, their teams tended to be well-rounded.
Their Pokémon were also generally superior when it came to growth, health, and overall care.
Most Breeders made their living through a specialized business known as a Pokémon Day Care.
And the profession of Breeder was particularly well suited to surviving in this world.
Almost everywhere could benefit from an excellent Pokémon Breeder.
If Wally could pass the examination to become a Junior Pokémon Breeder, his starting position would improve tremendously.
He might even be able to change his circumstances in a single step.
After all, he was still so young.
His age, combined with his mature mindset, was Wally’s greatest advantage.
With such a favorable foundation, even though his starting point was low, there were still many things Wally wanted to accomplish after arriving in this world.
“Knock~ knock~ knock~”
As Wally stared at the ceiling, he heard a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
He did not need to think about it.
The person who came at this time was most likely Grandma Agatha.
“The children’s spirits are very low.”
Grandma Agatha sighed as soon as she entered.
“I know.”
Wally replied.
“You child.
Your tone is always so stern.
You’re only going out to travel, yet you’re making it sound as though you’re saying goodbye forever.”
Grandma Agatha shook her head and looked at Wally with a mixture of confusion and helplessness.
“It’s not simply traveling.”
“Grandma Agatha, how long do you think your savings can continue supporting Verdanturf House if we stay here?”
“Do you really think these children will be able to find the lives they dream of?”
Grandma Agatha fell silent.
“So, for my own sake, and for Verdanturf House’s sake, I have no choice but to leave.”
Lying on his bed, Wally spoke to himself without paying attention to the shocked expression on Grandma Agatha’s face.
Wally understood that remaining at Verdanturf House might allow him to enjoy a stable and comfortable life for some time.
But if he did that, he would simply waste the greatest advantages he possessed.
And eventually, he would end up failing completely.
That was why Wally had naturally said these things aloud.
Perhaps, aside from wanting to witness the beauty of this world, Verdanturf House itself had also become one of the things Wally cared about.
He did not want to watch Verdanturf House decline.
So the only thing he could do was change its fate through his own efforts.