As Akg opened his eyes, he glanced at the wall clock and saw that nearly two hours had passed. The golden hue of evening light filled the room.
Stretching lightly, he noticed the soft warmth of Rena still curled up on his chest. Smiling gently, he rubbed her head as her eyes slowly opened.
"Master... why did you wake me up? Are you going somewhere?" her sweet voice echoed softly in his mind.
Akg chuckled and ran his fingers through her silky green hair.
"Yes, Rena. I thought I'd take a walk and maybe go to Ash's house to hang out for a bit," he replied softly.
"Would you rest in the Pokéball for now?"
Rena looked up at him with a trace of sadness in her expression. Seeing that, Akg smiled warmly and added,
"Don't be sad. Once I get my Trainer License, I'll make sure you walk beside me always. And to make up for this… how about I make you a chocolate cake tonight?"
At the mention of chocolate cake, Rena's eyes sparkled and she nodded happily before returning to her Pokéball.
After freshening up, Akg stepped outside and made his way toward Ash's house. When he arrived, he noticed that only Delia was home, watering flowers in the small but lovely garden attached to her flower shop. Ash was out in the forest playing with Gary and some other kids.
Akg's eyes softened as he saw Delia—graceful and radiant in the golden glow of the setting sun. A thought crossed his mind: "Maybe I can help her and build a little more goodwill…"
Stepping closer, he greeted warmly, "Aunt Delia, would you like some help watering the flowers?"
Delia looked up, surprised, then smiled. "Oh? I thought you were going to the forest to play with Ash."
Akg chuckled gently. "How could I go play while a beautiful lady is working hard all alone? As a gentleman, it's my duty to help."
Delia blinked at his words, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. She looked at the boy standing before her—already reaching her shoulder and clearly destined to grow taller soon.
"What a sweet tongue you have," she said with a teasing smile. "You're going to break hearts when you grow up. I wish Ash thought like you… he's always running around playing with Pokémon."
Akg laughed along with her, and the two began watering flowers together. The work was peaceful, filled with light conversation and laughter.
After they finished, Delia turned to him with a smile.
"Would you like to come in for some tea? It's my way of saying thank you."
"Of course, Aunt Delia," Akg replied with a grin.
They sat together in the cozy kitchen, sipping warm tea and chatting comfortably. After a while, Akg stood up and politely said goodbye.
"Thank you for the tea, Aunt Delia. I'll go find Ash in the forest now."
Delia nodded as she watched him leave. As the door closed, she returned to her living room and sat on the sofa, her thoughts wandering.
"Such a calm and kind boy… if I were younger… if I weren't a mother already..."
She smiled faintly. "Unlucky me, to meet someone like him in this life…"
Meanwhile, Akg wandered into the forest. It wasn't long before he spotted Ash and a few other boys by the river, playing with a group of Magikarp while fishing and laughing.
He joined them for a short while, just to see what they were doing, but his heart wasn't in playing with kids. After some light interaction, he bid them goodbye and made his way home.
As he opened his front door, the Pokéball on his neck glowed—and with a flash, Rena appeared, throwing her arms around him.
Akg smiled and hugged her back tightly.
"Missed me, huh?" he whispered.
Settling on the sofa with Rena in his lap, he looked into her eyes.
"I think we should start training tomorrow, Rena. It's time we get stronger together."
Rena nodded with a warm smile, her eyes shining with determination.
Later, after resting for a bit, Akg got up and moved to the kitchen. With a peaceful heart and clear purpose, he began preparing dinner—and kept his promise by baking a soft, sweet chocolate cake just for Rena.