The next morning, Natsui had breakfast at the Pokémon Center and went to the Celadon Gym again.
Because it was still early, the construction workers had not yet started work, and the door to the temporary wooden house was still locked. Seeing this, Natsui was not in a hurry but found a sunny spot and stood there waiting quietly.
The morning breeze was a bit cool on his skin. Before long, Erika, accompanied by a few pretty girls, walked over from the distance.
Her attire today was still a kimono, but compared to her usual more elaborate style, today's outfit was clearly more suitable for travel. Not only was it more form-fitting, but the sleeves and trousers were also tied with thin cords.
It had to be said, every time he saw Erika, she was wearing a different style of kimono. He didn't know if it was a family rule or if she just really liked this kind of dress.
Walking up to Natsui, she bowed slightly and said apologetically, "Sorry, I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"
"No, no," Natsui smiled. "I just got here myself. Um… are you all ready? If there's no problem, let's set off now."
Nodding, Erika took a backpack from one of the girls and then waved to them.
"You can go back now. This is far enough. From now on, I'll leave the gym and the shop in your care."
The girls' eyes were teary, and they surrounded Erika, clearly very reluctant to see her go.
"Take care, Erika!"
"Erika, you must come back soon!"
"Erika…"
For a moment, Natsui's ears were filled with the chattering of the girls. Although each voice was pleasant to listen to on its own, when they were all together, it was just noisy and gave him a headache.
"You all…" Seeing them like this, Erika smiled and shook her head, comforting them in a low voice, "There's no need to be so sad. It's not a life-or-death parting. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
In fact, from this, one could see that although Erika had an employer-employee relationship with them, their relationship was very harmonious. Natsui even remembered that when he first came to the perfume shop and the Celadon Gym, the atmosphere there was very relaxed and harmonious, which also showed how approachable Erika was.
After saying goodbye to the reluctant girls, Erika turned and left with Natsui, out of the gym area and onto the street, until they were out of sight.
"I can tell they're really sad to see you go."
Hearing this, a nostalgic look appeared on Erika's face. "After all, I've known them for a long time. Some of them I've even known since they were little. After all this time, we've long since become very good friends."
Tsk, such a deep friendship. It really makes one envious…
The two of them walked down the street for a while. When they reached a crossroads, Natsui suddenly stopped and faced Erika.
"Next, we should also choose a route to Johto. Do you want to take a plane? Or a ship? Or should we go to Saffron City first and then take the magnet train to Goldenrod City?"
Just as Natsui had said yesterday, transportation was now extremely developed. Besides walking or riding a Pokémon, they could completely consider other, faster modes of human transportation.
Besides having an airport on the outskirts, although Celadon City was in the central part of Kanto, because of the inland sea, the city also had a large port, with many ships traveling to and from other regions every day.
Of course, taking a plane was the best choice, the shortest and most efficient. The magnet train was second, but it required a detour back to Saffron City. As for taking a ship, because the waterway was slow, it would undoubtedly waste more time and was the route Natsui recommended the least.
Originally, Natsui had thought it would be most appropriate to ride Charizard back to Johto. But this time, traveling with Erika, out of respect, he couldn't make the decision on his own and had to ask for her opinion first.
Erika pondered for a moment but didn't make a choice. Instead, she asked, "Normally, how do you travel?"
Natsui said without thinking, "For short distances, I walk. For longer distances, I rely on Charizard. Although Charizard's flying speed is not fast, it's convenient. You can stop when you want and go when you want. It's very free."
"Then let's ride Charizard together," Erika smiled. "You're still challenging the gyms, so you must need to constantly train your Pokémon on the road, right? Then we can just do it your way. You don't have to accommodate me."
"Well…"
"Don't worry," Erika said, making a fist. "I'm a trainer too, you know. I'm not that delicate."
She really is considerate…
Natsui was still a bit hesitant, but since Erika had said so, he didn't try to persuade her further.
"Alright, then let's take Charizard back to Johto. But it will be a long flight and the journey will inevitably be a bit tough. If you feel uncomfortable, don't hesitate to tell me. We can stop and rest for a bit before setting off again."
Seeing Erika nod, Natsui took out a Poké Ball and released Charizard.
He first helped Erika hang her luggage on one side of Charizard, then gallantly helped her onto it. After she was seated firmly, he then mounted Charizard himself.
When traveling with Sabrina, she usually sat in front, leaning against Natsui's chest. But now, with Erika, out of respect for the distinction between men and women, she sat behind Natsui, keeping a certain distance from him to avoid physical contact.
With everything ready, Natsui patted Charizard's neck, telling it to fly as steadily as possible. Then, with a kick of his heels, Charizard leaped into the air, spread its wings, and soared high, diving into the clouds and carrying them towards Johto.
…
Johto, above some unknown region.
After setting off from Celadon City, after a day of flight, they finally arrived in Johto before nightfall.
On the way, the two had only stopped once for lunch. The rest of the time, they had been rushing on their journey until now.
Just as Erika had said, she was indeed not as delicate as she looked.
Whether as a perfume shop owner or a flower arrangement master, setting aside those two identities, she was first and foremost a Gym Leader, and even more so, a trainer. Therefore, whether it was the cold air or the tedious journey, she had endured it all without any complaint.
At least on the surface.
Glancing at the time and seeing that it was already late, Natsui turned to Erika and said, "Alright, now that we're in Johto, let's not rush any further. I think we should rest here for the night."
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