Chapter 75
Mike sat on the blanket now since Gengar had put the quilt away.
Looking at the woman sitting across from him with Marill in her arms, he gave her a quiet greeting.
"Hello. My name is Mike. I’m Marill’s friend."
"Gar—"
Gengar leaned closer and greeted the woman as well.
"Hello. My name is Nicole. I’m... the owner of this house."
Nicole held Marill in her arms as she introduced herself to Mike.
"Marill, Marill."
Marill was extremely excited in her embrace.
[She’s the person I told you about! I knew she would come back once she wasn’t busy anymore!]
Marill raised her head and looked at the woman holding her.
After thinking for a moment, she wriggled free from Nicole’s arms and hurried toward the vegetable garden.
Once Marill had left, Nicole looked at Mike and Officer Jenny, stood, and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for taking care of Marill all this time."
Mike quickly shook his head.
"No, I only met Marill a few days ago. Joy is the one who has been looking after her all this time."
Hearing that, Nicole turned toward Officer Jenny and nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, Officer Jenny. I’m sorry that the payments stopped later on."
Officer Jenny hurriedly waved her hands.
"It’s fine, really. I like Marill too since she’s lively and adorable. It isn’t only me either—the neighbors around here are all fond of her."
Nicole smiled toward the vegetable garden.
"She’s still exactly the same as before."
Officer Jenny hesitated before quietly asking, "May I ask what happened during that time? I tried contacting you, but I could never get through."
Nicole sighed.
"It wasn’t that something happened. You were blocked, Officer Jenny."
"Huh?"
Officer Jenny stared at Nicole in disbelief.
Nicole quickly waved her hands and explained, "I wasn’t the one who blocked you. My boyfriend did."
Only then did Officer Jenny relax.
For a moment, she had thought she had been used and discarded after serving her purpose.
Gengar sat beside Mike and offered him a walnut kernel.
"Gar?"
[Want some?]
Mike glanced at the walnut in Gengar’s hand, then at the enormous bag beside him.
"Exactly how many walnuts did you swipe from Professor Rowan?" Mike whispered.
Gengar gestured with his hands.
[One whole sack.]
Mike: "..."
Fine.
They belonged to the laboratory anyway. He might as well eat them.
They were perfect for snacking on while listening to the gossip.
Mike popped the walnut into his mouth and listened to Nicole and Officer Jenny’s conversation.
"Why did your boyfriend block my contact information?"
Officer Jenny held out a hand toward Mike.
Mike froze for a moment before placing the bag of walnuts in front of her.
Officer Jenny didn’t hold back. She grabbed a handful and crushed all of them with a single squeeze!
Gengar: Σ(°∀°)ﾉ
Mike: Σ(°∀°)ﾉ
Gengar quietly withdrew the hand that had been reaching to take the walnuts back and pulled out another bag instead.
With an apologetic expression, Nicole said, "Let me explain what happened over the past two years. You don’t mind listening, do you?"
Mike shook his head.
"Not at all. Go ahead."
Officer Jenny nodded as well.
"Don’t worry. I handled the assignment the League gave me very well, so they specifically gave me a day off. Take your time."
"Gar—"
[Same here.]
Looking at the two people and Pokémon eagerly waiting to hear the story, Nicole didn’t mind and began recounting what had happened during the past two years.
"Back then, I received a call from my parents asking me to come home because my grandfather wasn’t well.
"I had only just bought this house and was preparing to live here with Marill.
"By the way, do you know how Marill and I met?"
Mike and the others shook their heads.
"When I first came here from the Paldea region, I opened a flower shop. Every week, I would go into the wilderness to search for inspiration for my flower arrangements and learn how to combine different flowers in more beautiful ways.
One day, I was sitting in a meadow admiring the flowers when Marill came over. She thought I was feeling sad, so she shared some fruit she had just picked with me.
We spent the entire day talking. Before I left, I asked whether she wanted to come home with me and see the flowers I had grown.
She followed me without the slightest hesitation.
After that, we worked together at the flower shop and saved enough money to buy this house. The time we spent living here was probably the happiest period of my life.
She learned how to grow vegetables, and everything she grew tasted delicious. In return, she thought the noodles I made were wonderful. That was how we lived together.
Then, half a year later, I received a call from my family asking me to come home because my grandfather’s health had worsened."
Nicole paused, and Gengar immediately poured her a glass of water so she could soothe her throat before continuing.
"I originally thought I would only be gone for ten days or two weeks, so I told Marill to wait for me at home.
To stop her from overthinking things, I told her that the vegetables in the garden were almost ready and asked her to watch over them so other Pokémon wouldn’t steal them. That way, when I came back, I could eat the fresh vegetables she had grown.
But after I returned to Paldea, the doctor told me my grandfather didn’t have much time left. He also wanted me to stay with him for a while longer.
I couldn’t refuse, so I remained there to keep him company.
Perhaps because I had returned, his condition gradually improved, but he still needed to stay in the hospital and couldn’t be put under too much stress. I found a job in Paldea and sent my salary to Officer Jenny, asking her to help take care of Marill.
But in the end, my grandfather still passed away.
By then, I had also started dating someone.
For various reasons, I couldn’t leave. It was only recently that I discovered he had intercepted all the money I sent and blocked your contact information, Officer Jenny!"
Nicole’s expression turned furious as she squeezed the glass in her hand.
Mike could clearly see cracks spreading across it.
"When I found out he had only dated me because he wanted my family’s wealth, we had a huge argument.
I originally intended to return to Sinnoh immediately, but he kept trying to stop me. My younger sister was still young too. She didn’t want me to leave and wanted me to stay until I saw her become a Champion, so I remained there.
A few days ago, after my sister won the tournament and earned the Champion title, I broke up with him without hesitation and rushed back to Sinnoh.
Before returning, I couldn’t stop worrying that Marill might have already left. But thankfully, she was still here."
Nicole’s eyes reddened as she continued.
"I never imagined she would be so foolish..... All because I said I wanted to eat the vegetables she grew when I returned, she stayed here the entire time.
She could have left. She could have gone back into the wilderness!"
"Marill!"
Marill’s cheerful voice interrupted them.
The three turned and found her running over with an armful of vegetables, which she presented to Nicole.
At the sight, Nicole could no longer hold back her tears.
She hugged Marill tightly and apologized from the bottom of her heart.
"I’m sorry, Marill. I made you wait for so long!"
Marill smiled and wiped away her tears.
"Marill."
[It’s all right. I knew you would come back, Nicole.]
[I heard you say you were busy, so Marill knew not to bother you.]
[Look! Marill made lots of friends too—Officer Jenny, Mike, Gengar, Snivy, Glameow...]
[Marill took good care of the house and the vegetable garden. The house kept breaking, though. Thankfully, Mike and the others helped me fix it a little...]
Mike translated Marill’s words one sentence at a time.
Nicole looked at Marill and forced a smile through her tears.
"Don’t worry. If the house is damaged, we’ll repair it together. Just like when we used to arrange flowers, we’ll slowly make it beautiful again."
Marill nodded seriously.
"Marill—"
[Okay!]
The story was touching..... though Mike might have been more moved if Gengar hadn’t been using his clothes to wipe away his tears and snot!
Mike let Gengar rub his face against his shirt and looked toward Nicole as she spoke with Marill.
She had just called Marill foolish, but in Mike’s eyes, wasn’t Nicole the same?
Marill had never forgotten her, but Nicole had never forgotten Marill either.
Every month, she had sent her salary to Officer Jenny so Marill could be cared for and the house maintained.
Had her boyfriend not interfered, the house probably would never have fallen into such disrepair.
After seeing her grandfather through his final days, Nicole had also suppressed her desire to return to Sinnoh so she could care for her younger sister and remain beside her until she became a Champion...
Wait.
A Champion?
The Paldea region?!
???
Nemona?!
Mike looked at her and quietly asked, "Nicole, I heard you say earlier that your younger sister became a Champion in the Paldea region, right?"
Nicole stopped playing with Marill and looked at him before nodding.
"That’s right. She seems to have an extraordinary talent for battling. Later, she joined Naranja Academy’s Treasure Hunt, and just as she said she would, she reached Champion rank."
"Your sister..."
"Her name is Nemona, though we aren’t related by blood. Do you know her, Mike?"
’It really is her?!’
Mike stared at Nicole with his mouth hanging open.
’You really are Nemona’s sister?’
"I’ve heard viewers in my livestream mention her. They said there was an incredibly talented girl in Paldea who had already reached Champion-level strength at a very young age."
Mike immediately shifted the blame onto the wealthy viewer all the way over in Paldea.
"I see." Nicole nodded.
Looking at Nicole and Marill, who had finally been reunited, Mike stood.
He had heard all the gossip there was to hear, so it was time to leave the rest of the evening to them.
Nicole walked Mike and Officer Jenny to the gate and insisted that they come over for dinner the following day.
"Definitely. Once I finish participating in the Pokémon Contest tomorrow, I’ll come over and try those noodles Marill has been talking about."
"You’re entering the Pokémon Contest tomorrow? Then Marill and I will definitely be there to cheer for you."
"Marill!"
[We will!]
"In that case, thank you."
With that, Mike left with Gengar and headed back toward the hotel.
Nicole closed the iron gate and returned to the house with Marill.
She looked around the worn-down home, then at Marill beside her, and smiled.
"Let’s work together and make this house beautiful again."
"Marill!"
[Yes!]
"Would you like me to make you some noodles?"
"Marill—"
[I’ll make them for you!]
"You’re making them for me? All right. Remember to add my favorite vegetables."
"Marill!"
[I will!]
"This is wonderful, Marill.... We’re together again."
Nicole smiled gently.
"Good thing we both remembered our promise."
"Marill~"
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