Pokémon Heart Journey

Chapter 258 Return to Pallet Town

The train slowly pulled into the platform, and the familiar station announcement echoed in the carriage.

Xiaozhi picked up the backpack and was about to wake up Serena on his shoulder, but found that she had opened her eyes at some point, her eyelashes fluttering, and she looked drowsy as if she had just woken up.

"……arrive?"

"Well, we've arrived. We just need to walk for a while."

The car door slid open, and the afternoon sun fell in like a layer of warm cotton wool. The wind blew through the dandelions by the track, and the white cotton wool swirled away.

"I always feel like," Serena rubbed her eyes, her voice a little nasal, "today is much quieter than usual."

"Yeah, after all, there are only two of us left."

"Yeah, Xiaoyang and the others are gone, leaving only... the two of us!" Serena's face gradually turned red as she gradually came back to consciousness.

The scene of myself resting my head on Xiaozhi's shoulder flashed through my mind. Oh my, what have I done?

"Let's go quickly. I'll let Charizard take us after we get out of the station. It will be faster." As he said that, he naturally pulled up her soft hand before the other party could react.

"Hey! Wait a minute, Xiaozhi! If we look like this...someone will see us!"

Serena's voice became smaller and smaller, and the tail tone almost melted into the wind.

But she didn't pull away, instead she subconsciously shook hands with him - her fingertips touched the calluses on Xiaozhi's palms. It was hard to imagine that he had such thick calluses at his age.

But this is also a testament to hard work.

Ash acted as if he hadn't heard her protests and continued running outside, while Pikachu crouched on top of the backpack, flicking its tail like it was chuckling.

……

The old gate at the exit closed with a clang.

He directly released the Charizard in his hand.

"Roar--!"

He suddenly spread his wings and roared, two puffs of hot air spurted out of his nostrils, and his tail rolled up flames with a "whoosh".

This instantly attracted the attention of the people around them, but Ash and his Pokémon didn't care at all.

"I'll leave the rest up to you, Charizard!"

Charizard raised its neck proudly, and the flame on its tail crackled and shot higher, as if to say "Leave it to me".

It bent down, and the skin on its shoulder blades was reflected by the sunlight, giving it a metallic black luster, like a black cloud ready to burst into action.

Serena was so frightened by the scene that she took a step back - not because she was afraid of Charizard, but because her heart started beating fast again when she thought about "riding together" in public.

"Wait a moment!"

Her free hand gestured in the air frantically, "I'm wearing a skirt. If I ride directly on it, I'll... I'll show!"

Xiaozhi was stunned, his eyes subconsciously falling on the hem of her skirt that was gently lifted by the wind, and his ears were rarely burning redder than the flames of Charizard's tail.

"Ah! S-Sorry!"

He quickly let go of his hand and turned to look around. Pikachu called out "Pikapi" twice and pulled out a neatly folded blue and white motorcycle jacket from the side pocket of his backpack. It had a small golden lightning bolt logo on the back.

"So you were already prepared?" Serena blinked in surprise.

"Uh...actually, my mom sent it to me last time." Xiaozhi scratched his cheek and his voice became quieter. "I didn't expect it would be useful at a time like this."

Pikachu shook the coat open, urging her like a little housekeeper. Serena smiled, took it, and neatly tied it at the waist, so that the hem just covered ten centimeters above her knees.

Charizard was getting a little impatient and let out a low growl, sweeping a shallow scorch mark on the ground with its tail.

"alright!"

Xiaozhi took the lead and stepped onto Charizard's back, then turned around and extended his hand to Serena, "It's okay now." The sunlight shone from behind him, and the boy's silhouette against the light was coated with a layer of furry gold.

Serena took a deep breath, put on a determined expression, held his hand, and used the force to flip to the front seat. At this moment, Serena no longer cared about anything.

The Charizard's back was wider and thicker than she had imagined, and its scales felt warm to the touch.

"pay close attention."

Xiaozhi's voice came from behind her ear, with a little bit of subtle tension. Serena was stunned for a moment, and then she realized that behind her was the boy's hot chest, and around her waist -

Xiaozhi's hands were just hovering around her, as if he was afraid to touch her but didn't dare to let go. In the end, he just gently grabbed the fabric on both sides of her coat.

“…I can grab here.”

Serena blushed as she grasped Charizard's wing protrusions, but her fingertips unconsciously touched the back of Xiaozhi's hand. They both shuddered at the same time.

"Roar!"

Charizard, completely oblivious to the atmosphere, flapped its wings fiercely, and the strong wind blew up the dandelion fluff like a silent snowfall.

Serena's exclamation was torn into pieces by the wind, and finally turned into a string of light laughter—

“Slow down—!”

"Don't worry, it's very stable!"

Xiaozhi's voice was mixed in with the sound of the wind, with a smile on his face.

Charizard flew over the big oak tree at the entrance of the town, and the group of popcorn on the treetops "clattered" in surprise. Xiaozhi soon saw the familiar building and figure.

Serena looked down and saw Aunt Hanako standing in the yard, waving with her head raised. Her apron was blown up by the wind, like a small flag.

"Auntie is watching!"

She subconsciously shrank into Xiaozhi's arms.

"Then you have to fly even more beautifully!"

Xiaozhi patted Charizard's neck, and it spun around, its tail flames trailing a brilliant arc in the air. Pikachu crouched atop Charizard, barking "Pika Pika" into the wind, like a sung, off-key march.

At the doorstep, Hanako was climbing a ladder to hang a banner from the lintel. The scroll unfurled, revealing the golden words "Welcome Home, Champion Alternate." In the lower right corner, a crooked Pikachu was drawn—clearly Hanako's handiwork.

"Mom! I'm back!"

Xiaozhi shouted as he slid down from Charizard's back and turned around to reach out to help Serena. Serena lifted her skirt and stepped carefully onto the ground. As her toes touched the soft grass, she heard a crisp sound of "bang——".

Colorful fireworks exploded above her head, and ribbons fell like a rain of flowers.

Serena was so scared that she screamed and shrank behind Xiaozhi, leaving only her eyes exposed, which just met Aunt Hanako's smiling eyes.

"Welcome home! Serena is welcome to visit us too!"

"Hello, uncle!"

Serena's face instantly turned red to the tips of her ears, and she waved her hands in the air in panic, making the ribbon wrapped in her hair even more tangled.

Xiaozhi couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so he reached out and picked one for her, then added: "Mom, don't scare her, Serena is a little thin-skinned."

"Hey, you're protecting me before I even enter the door?"

"??? Mom, what are you talking about? What do you mean by entering the house? Can't you protect Serena before you even enter the house? What kind of nonsense is this."

Looking at Xiaozhi who looked confused, and Serena who was clutching the hem of her skirt and looking down with a red face, Hanako pressed her head in annoyance, "I should have given you more emotional lessons before. I don't even know how to improve your emotional intelligence."