Roy had long suspected that Gengar had already reached the Elite Four level.
Back then, though, he had no system to confirm it.
It had all been nothing more than an educated guess.
Now that he finally knew Gengar’s true strength, he still couldn’t hide his surprise.
An Lv.
84 Gengar.
A High Elite Four-class Pokémon.
Just as expected from Grandma’s partner.
As for the games describing the elderly couple guarding the Red Orb and Blue Orb as “frail old people”…
Come on.
Could anyone entrusted with protecting the Crimson Orb that awakens Groudon and the Blue Orb that awakens Kyogre possibly be weak?
Before leaving for Rustboro City, Roy stopped by the League Store one last time.
He told Aya that from now on, Phoebe would help drive away the Ghost-type Pokémon that came to play tricks around the shop.
As for himself…
He would be leaving for Rustboro Academy.
Aya was reluctant to see him go.
But she also understood that attending Rustboro Academy would only broaden Roy’s horizons.
He would meet more people.
Learn far more than he ever could on Mt.
Pyre.
Before he left…
Worried that a boy traveling alone might forget important supplies, Aya quietly stuffed several bottles of standard Potion medicine and a handful of high-energy nutrition bars into Roy’s Storage Bracelet.
Naturally…
She paid for everything herself.
There was no employee discount involved.
Roy smiled warmly.
“Take care, Sister Aya.”
“See you again.”
Watching Roy disappear into the distance…
Cleffa had expected to celebrate.
After all…
The human who constantly hugged and squeezed her was finally leaving.
Yet somehow…
Instead of happiness…
She felt strangely empty.
Without Roy teasing her every visit…
It seemed like something was missing.
…
At the cabin atop Mt.
Pyre…
Grandma quietly sensed Roy’s departure.
She sighed softly.
She knew…
The time had finally come.
The old man looked out the window.
“He’s gone.”
“Stop sighing.”
“You should start thinking about how we’re going to explain this to Phoebe.”
Phoebe always claimed she hated Roy.
Yet every snack Roy bought for her disappeared without leaving even a crumb behind.
Ever since her parents entered the Spirit World and never returned…
She had lived with her grandparents.
It was only after Roy arrived…
That the little girl had slowly become cheerful again.
Her laughter had gradually filled the lonely mountain.
Just then…
“Grandma!”
The old couple froze.
The very person they were worried about had arrived.
Phoebe burst into the cabin at full speed.
Haunter floated through the wall behind her.
The moment it spotted the huge bag of snacks sitting on the table…
It immediately pounced.
Crunch.
Crunch.
While happily eating potato chips, Haunter asked,
“Grandpa…”
“Did you buy all these?”
The snacks…
Were actually something Roy had secretly bought for Phoebe during his last trip down the mountain the previous evening.
The old man opened his mouth.
He had absolutely no idea how to tell his granddaughter that Roy had already left.
Helplessly…
He looked toward his wife for help.
Somehow…
Facing this little girl felt even more difficult than battling two Elite Four Trainers at once.
Grandma quietly nudged him with her elbow.
Say it.
Before the old man could gather the courage…
Phoebe had already begun complaining.
“Grandma!”
“Roy definitely went to see Sister Aya again!”
“I went looking for him this morning, and he wasn’t even home!”
“He stayed out all night!”
“You have to scold him!”
“No!”
“You should beat him up!”
She raised her tiny fist and threw an exaggerated punch into the air.
Beside her…
Haunter faithfully copied every movement, throwing a series of completely uncoordinated punches.
The old man finally forced himself to speak.
“Phoebe…”
“There’s something Grandpa needs to tell you.”
Since the decision had already been made…
He slowly explained everything.
Roy…
Had already left Mt.
Pyre.
He was on his way to Rustboro Academy.
Phoebe froze.
She simply stood there.
Unable to process what she’d just heard.
After a long silence…
She shook her head.
“No…”
“That’s impossible…”
“You and Roy are lying to me…”
“Right?”
Neither grandparent answered.
Their silence became the answer.
Roy…
Really had left.
Seeing the expressions on their faces…
Phoebe’s eyes gradually turned red.
Tears welled up uncontrollably.
Without another word…
She spun around and ran outside.
“I’m going to find Roy!”
“I don’t care!”
She sprinted toward the mountain path.
Unfortunately…
Night had already begun to fall.
The trail down Mt.
Pyre was swallowed by darkness.
In the end…
Gengar quietly brought the crying little girl back home.
Looking at Phoebe’s swollen red eyes…
Both grandparents felt their hearts ache.
They had known…
This was exactly what would happen.
Phoebe always called him “Dummy Roy.”
But deep inside…
She had long treated Roy like an older brother.
Someone she could depend on.
Someone who always woke her up.
Bought her snacks.
Called her “Little Charcoal.”
Someone who was always there.
And now…
He had disappeared without saying goodbye.
After a long silence…
The elderly couple finally explained the real reason Roy had left.
Phoebe was still too young to understand things like family inheritances or sacred responsibilities.
The person who had always been by her side…
Was gone.
She looked up with tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Grandma…”
“I don’t want the inheritance anymore…”
“Can Roy come back instead?”
Neither grandparent could answer.
Phoebe’s tears poured down even harder.
She hugged the giant Gengar plush Roy had given her the day before.
Soon…
She was crying so hard that her entire face was soaked with tears.
Seeing her cry…
Haunter immediately panicked.
Having no idea what else to do…
It simply started crying along with her.
Grandma gently handed Phoebe a sealed envelope.
Roy had left it behind.
Sniffling…
Phoebe opened the letter.
The very first words were…
“Little Charcoal!!!”
It was so unmistakably Roy…
That she could almost hear him saying it in person.
The sadness on her face instantly melted into laughter.
She remembered the first time Roy had given her that nickname.
She had chased him around the mountain for an entire day trying to beat him up.
She had nearly fallen off a cliff.
Roy had risked himself to pull her back to safety.
The letter explained that he wasn’t leaving forever.
Whenever Rustboro Academy was on break…
He would return to visit both her and Grandpa and Grandma.
He hoped that by the next time they met…
Phoebe would have mastered Ghost Force even further…
And become the worthy successor of Mt.
Pyre.
He even challenged her to another Pokémon battle when he returned.
The loser…
Would have to wash the winner’s feet.
Roy also reminded her not to forget two important jobs.
Feed the Caterpie at the foot of the mountain.
And help Aya chase away any Ghost-type Pokémon that caused trouble at the League Store.
At the very end…
Only two simple words remained.
Don’t worry about me.
Roy
“Hmph!”
“Who’d miss him anyway?”
“It’s better that he’s gone!”
“I’m taking over his room!”
“I get two bedrooms all to myself now!”
The elderly couple exchanged puzzled glances.
They had no idea what Roy had written.
Yet somehow…
Their tearful granddaughter was smiling again.
That alone was enough.
Still hugging the giant Gengar plush…
Phoebe grabbed an Oran Berry from the table and suddenly dashed toward the door.
“So late?”
“Where are you going?”
Without even looking back…
She answered matter-of-factly,
“I’m going to feed Roy.”
The elderly couple blinked.
“…Feed Roy?”
Hadn’t Roy already left Mt.
Pyre?
Only after asking Haunter did they finally understand.
Sometime during the afternoon…
Phoebe had quietly given the Caterpie living at the foot of the mountain…
A brand-new name.
Roy.