My mother stands in the doorway with her arms crossed, already halfway between worrying and pretending she isn't. My father leans against the wall beside her, relaxed in posture only, eyes sharp the way they always are when he's paying attention.
"You've got everything?" my mother asks.
"Yes," I say. "Clothes. Supplies. Poké Balls."
My father nods once. "If something feels wrong, you stop. You don't push through just because you think you can handle it."
"I know."
That's it. No lecture. No dramatic goodbye. My mother steps forward, hugs me quickly, then pulls back before it turns into anything bigger.
"Send a message when you can," she says.
"I will."
Kai shifts beside me, suddenly very aware that this is real now. "Uh thanks for letting me tag along," he says, a little awkward.
My father snorts. "Try not to get him into trouble."
Kai grins. "No promises."
Outside, the street is already busy. Fraxure stays in his Poké Ball; there's no reason to draw attention before we're even out of the city. Shinx walks a few steps ahead of us instead, clearly Kai's, stopping every so often to stare at something new and then moving on when it stops being interesting.
Kai watches him with a grin. "He's been like this since this morning."
"He'll calm down," I say. "Eventually."
Shinx immediately proves me wrong by darting toward a discarded wrapper, skidding to a stop when it doesn't react. He straightens up like nothing happened.
Kai laughs. "Smooth."
We turn the corner toward the main street instead, the Pokémon Center already visible a few blocks ahead. The glass front catches the morning light, busy but familiar, trainers coming and going like this is just another day.
Kai exhales slowly. "Okay," he says. "So this part first."
"Yeah," I answer. "Paperwork before freedom."
Shinx stops in front of the doors, ears twitching, staring up at the building like he's deciding whether it's impressive or suspicious.
Kai nudges him forward. "Congratulations," he tells him. "This is where it becomes official."
I push the door open.
"After this," Kai adds, glancing at me, "we're actually leaving."
I nod. "After this."
The Pokémon Center is busy in the normal way nurses moving between stations, trainers lining up, the low hum of machines filling the space. Near the front, a smaller counter sits under the League emblem, functional and unremarkable.
Kai slows when he sees it. "Okay," he says. "This is… official."
Shinx stays close to his feet, eyes bright, tail twitching, clearly deciding that this place is interesting but suspicious.
We step up when it's our turn.
"League registration," I say.
The clerk nods and looks at Kai. "Name?"
"Kai," he answers, then glances down. "Partner Pokémon is Shinx."
Shinx chirps sharply, sitting up straighter like he understands this part matters.
The clerk types without comment, then looks at me. "And you?"
"Arin. Already registered."
Her eyes flick briefly to my belt and she nods. "Right. This will link you together for travel."
The terminal chimes softly.
"Trainer ID active," she says, and a slim card slides out. Kai takes it, turning it over once, like he's making sure it's real.
She reaches under the counter and places two devices down side by side.
"Pokédex units," she says. "Assigned to your League IDs. Badge tracking, regional data, standard functions. Don't lose them."
Kai freezes. "Wait really?"
"Yes."
He picks his up carefully, like it might vanish. Shinx immediately noses it, the screen lighting up, and hops back half a step in surprise.
I smile despite myself.
The clerk finishes a final entry and looks back up. "You're cleared to travel. Good luck."
Kai exhales, then laughs, short and disbelieving. "Okay. Wow. Okay."
Shinx chirps, clearly deciding this was a good decision.
I pocket my Pokédex, nod once. "Thanks."
Kai doesn't say anything as we turn toward the doors. He just grins, wide and a little stunned, and follows.
The doors slide shut behind us and the noise of the Pokémon Center drops away all at once. Outside it's brighter, busier, and somehow already less forgiving. Trainers pass without slowing, a couple of kids argue over directions, someone recalls a Pokémon a little too loudly for comfort.
Kai takes three steps, stops, then looks down at the Pokédex in his hand like it might start talking. "Okay," he says. "So this thing definitely works, right?"
Shinx hops up onto a low stone railing, leans forward, and taps the screen with one paw. It lights up immediately.
Kai flinches. "Don't touch that."
Shinx taps it again, harder.
"I said don't"
I clear my throat. "He's already registered. You can't break it that fast."
Kai squints at me. "You sound very sure."
"I am," I say. "Mostly."
That doesn't help him relax. He tucks the Pokédex away anyway, then looks around like he's trying to match the city to whatever mental map he's built. "So… which way?"
I don't answer immediately. Instead, I step a little to the side, looking past the street toward where the buildings thin and the rock line starts to rise in the distance. The edge of Mount Coronet isn't dramatic from here, just… present. Solid. Hard to ignore.
Shinx jumps down and trots a few steps ahead, then stops and looks back at us expectantly.
"Don't you dare," Kai mutters.
I check the signpost at the corner, worn but still readable, then nod once. "West. Route 211."
Kai exhales. "Good. I was about to guess."
"That would've been worse," I say.
We start walking, the pavement giving way gradually to rougher stone, then dirt. The city doesn't disappear all at once it peels back in layers. Fewer people. Fewer voices. More wind.
Shinx keeps weaving ahead, doubling back every so often like he's making sure we're still there. Fraxure stays in his ball; there's no reason to pull him out yet, and I can feel the familiar weight at my hip without needing to see him.
Kai adjusts his bag again. "You're not nervous at all, are you."
"I am," I say. "Just not about the direction."
He laughs. "Great. That's comforting."
The path narrows slightly as the terrain shifts, rock pressing closer on one side, trees thinning on the other. Gravel crunches underfoot, and I watch where I step without thinking about it.
Kai slows just enough to fall into step beside me. "So if this is Route 211… then after Coronet we head south, right?"
"Route 207," I say. "Straight down to Oreburgh."
He nods, then grins, smaller this time but more real. "Okay. Cool. First Gym."
Shinx chooses that moment to try scrambling up a rock that's clearly too steep, slides back down, and lands in a huff.
Kai points. "Day one and he's already challenging geography."
"He'll learn," I say.
Shinx glares at the rock like this isn't over.
We reach the next sign, half-buried but unmistakable, the route number etched deep enough that time hasn't erased it. I stop, check it, then straighten.
"This is it," I say. "We're on the right path."
Kai looks at the sign, then ahead, then back at the city we can barely see anymore. He doesn't say anything for a second.
Then he smiles. "Okay," he says. "Let's not mess this up."
Shinx chirps and bolts forward like he's already decided that part.
I step onto the path after him, and we keep going.