Pokémon Court
Chapter 3: Winds of Beginning

“Sigh, child, you really are hard to figure out…”

With a sigh accompanying her silence, Grandma Arlan’s thoughts drifted back to the day she adopted Terrance. Terrance was born in Cerulean City of Kanto region and at the age of six, his parents passed away due to an accident. With insufficient support for basic living expenses, Terrance quickly became homeless. Despite receiving subsidies from the League, he struggled to lead a normal life.

At that time, Arlan happened to pass by Kanto, and with Terrance’s consent, went through a series of procedures with the League to adopt him under the care of the orphanage.

Children like Terrance are not the first, nor will they be the last, at Old Green House.

But Terrance was surely the most extraordinary child Arlan had ever seen.

From his initial silence and aloofness to his later maturity and composure, with an understanding and empathetic nature, it was hard to believe that he was just a six-year-old child. Moreover, Terrance’s intense passion for books astonished Arlan. Terrance delved into knowledge that was dry and tedious, something most children his age would avoid. Arlan discovered that Terrance not only became deeply engrossed in such topics but also analyzed them with great insight and relished every bit of it.

Diligent, meticulous, and mature, Arlan sometimes almost forgot that Terrance was an orphan she had adopted. In reality, Terrance was helping her take care of the other children.

“Encountering you, I suppose, has been our luck.” Looking into Terrance’s piercing gaze, Grandma Arlan felt a mix of laughter and tears. She had no idea what this child was always thinking about. He no longer had the innocence of a child. Sometimes, when she observed Terrance’s focus, Grandma Arlan even felt a hint of fear. This child was truly special, giving her a surreal feeling.

“I’m sorry…” Terrance murmured, unsure how to continue the conversation.

Regardless, he would not change his decision to leave the Old Green House!

After a long silence, Grandma Arlan turned her gaze towards Beautifly. “The reason I’m here is to tell you to take this child with you.” With a gentle look at Beautifly, Grandma Arlan sighed, “It has also grown up.”

Hearing this, Terrance suddenly froze.

Take Beautifly with him?

This idea had crossed Terrance’s mind before, but Beautifly was also a member of the Old Green House. Although it was Terrance who primarily took care of it, everyone here also contributed in their own way.

In other words, Beautifly was not Terrance’s Pokémon.

In fact, Beautifly had not been captured by anyone.

Moreover, Grandma Arlan had been covering all the expenses for Beautifly’s food!

“Let it stay here to accompany the children.”

Shaking his head, Terrance refused.

Taking Beautifly with him would undoubtedly give him an advantage in his upcoming journey, but it would be too irresponsible.

After all, Beautifly was not his personal possession.

Each member of the Old Green House had invested their efforts into Beautifly.

“I knew you would say that, but the children have already agreed. They also hope that Beautifly can go with you to experience the outside world.”

Almost as if she had anticipated Terrance’s response, Grandma Arlan spoke up.

“Take this.”

Grandma Arlan patted Terrance’s shoulder and handed something to him—

“This is… a Poké Ball?”

The Poké Ball was pure white in color, and as Terrance examined it closely, his fist involuntarily clenched tighter.

On the pure white Poké Ball, there were scribbled names of the children.

“I obtained this in a Pokémon Contest when I was young. It’s Premier Ball, with the same functions as Poké Ball. However, it carries the support of children for you. Here, child, use it to capture Beautifly. With both of you embarking on this journey together, we can be more at ease.”

His eyes fixated on the Premier Ball, Terrance’s mouth slightly opened, wanting to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

Holding the Premier Ball in his hand, Terrance felt its weight and warmth!

The silence didn’t last long. Finally, Terrance looked at Grandma Arlan and said, “I understand.”

“Leave this child to me. If it agrees to be my Pokémon, I will take it with me to fulfill the dreams of the children,” Terrance firmly nodded and said to Grandma Arlan.

Then, Terrance turned his gaze to Beautifly, who was hovering in the air, and stared at it.

It seemed more like an inquiry.

“Coo, coo~”

At this moment, Beautifly also seemed to understand everything that was happening. Seeing Terrance’s request, it didn’t hesitate at all and let out a joyful cry.

Terrance’s careful nurturing and companionship, the meticulous care during each evolution, and the arduous training they endured together, even though it was harsh and demanding—how could Beautifly ever forget the sweat they shed side by side?

Becoming Terrance’s Pokémon had always been Beautifly’s wish!

“Congratulations,” Grandma Arlan said with a smile. Despite her old age, encountering such a situation couldn’t help but make her feel emotional.

“Thank you,” Terrance said somberly, gripping the Premier Ball tightly.

Grandma Arlan’s smile remained on her face as she looked at Terrance, replaceing it somewhat amusing. “You truly are a peculiar child.”

The pure white color of Poké Ball symbolized the beginning of Terrance’s dream.

Feeling the gentle breeze blowing in from the window, Terrance looked at Beautifly, and his thoughts drifted back to the past.

The scene of Terrance and Beautifly welcoming the morning sunlight and practicing their moves together.

Beautifly’s String Shot, shining under the sunlight, were like a sea of threads, forming a large net. Electric currents flowed through the net, emitting a crackling sound.

Following Grandma Arlan’s suggestion, Terrance and Beautifly worked hard to upgrade their signature move, String Shot, into the powerful Electroweb.

Terrance put a great deal of effort in this special training. From the Wurmple stage, Terrance meticulously trained Wurmple, ensuring that it didn’t neglect String Shot.

In Terrance’s eyes, if String Shot was used properly, its impact will be significant.

So, besides the special training, Terrance also made efforts to supplement Wurmple’s diet with protein. He would often venture into the jungle alone to gather the bitter white berries, which could increase the quantity and enhance the toughness of the insect silk.

The flesh and leaves of the bitter white berries was the favorite food of Bug-type Pokémon. After Terrance blends them, the bitter white berries can provide better nutrition to Beautifly.

After several months of their collective efforts, Beautifly’s String Shot made great progress and gained good electric conductivity. Finally, with the help of Cheri Berry, Beautifly was able to learn the powerful move Electroweb, thanks to its unique bug powder.

This was the greatest achievement during the year that Terrance and Beautifly spent together.

Apart from that, Beautifly’s excellent air flow sensitivity, precise control of wind speed, and the Silver Wind filled with various kinds of powdery scales are all the result of Terrance and Beautifly’s combined efforts.

It could be said that while Beautifly’s strength might not be outstanding, in the application of signature move, it was an excellent contender; a little one born specifically for Pokémon Contests.

Because it carried the splendid dreams of all the children in the Old Green House, along with Grandma Arlan’s experience, it had received the greatest support in its growth.

The gentle breeze blew again, instantly bringing Terrance back to reality. He knew that this was the wind of beginning bidding him farewell.

TN: You can read my other novels too APJ and DBSKS