Pokémon the Movie: The Journey of a Slate

The sky of Sinnoh was dazzlingly blue, and the warm sunlight shone on the road leading to the airport. Aislo dragged Mary's not-so-big suitcase, and the two walked side by side, their shadows stretching out long behind them.

"So..." Mary tilted her head, a mischievous glint flashing in her emerald eyes, and a beautiful curve at the corner of her mouth. "Did you really slap your resignation letter on Senior Wusong's desk?"

The sadness of parting on Aisiluo's face was instantly replaced by a trace of guilt. He touched his nose and muttered softly, "Hmm... It's piled in the corner of the pile of documents..."

"Pfft!" Mary couldn't help but burst out laughing, her crisp laughter like wind chimes. "Master Champion Aislo, your 'term of office'... I'm afraid you're almost catching up with Mr. Red, vying for the title of 'second shortest tenure'?" She deliberately counted on her fingers. "Mr. Green's five-minute record is legendary. You've... all in, a whole morning? You haven't even had lunch at the Alliance Restaurant yet!"

Aisiluo laughed at her, the slight embarrassment vanishing, leaving only relief and a hint of pride in his own "feat." "People often say that freedom is more valuable! Besides, Dakoto is definitely more suitable than me." He paused, looking at Mary with gentle eyes, "And... this way I can find you sooner."

A faint blush appeared on Mary's face. She snorted softly and turned her head away, but did not refute.

We soon arrived at the airport. People were coming and going, the announcements were humming, and the atmosphere of farewell seemed to be diluted by the sunshine.

In the terminal, Aislo helped Mary check in her luggage, leaving her with only a small backpack. Like a magic trick, he took out an exquisitely wrapped cardboard box from his shoulder bag and stuffed it into Mary's arms.

"Here, eat on the way." Eslo smiled restrainedly, but the tenderness in it remained unchanged. "I bought some of the chestnut Mont Blanc and strawberry daifuku that you said you wanted to try last time from the newly opened dessert shop in Sinnoh. And... this." He took out a small object wrapped in soft velvet and stuffed it into Mary's palm. "It's not a valuable thing. I saw it in a small shop at the foot of Tianguan Mountain. I think it suits your eyes..." It was a small green snowflake brooch. The material seemed to be some kind of jade, reflecting a warm light under the light.

Mary looked down at the dessert in her arms and the cool touch of her palm. Her heart felt like it was being gently tickled by a feather, warm yet a little sour. She said nothing, but silently opened her backpack, pulled out something carefully wrapped in a plain handkerchief, and stuffed it back into Aisiluo's hands.

"For you." Her voice was very soft, with a hint of subtle nervousness. "It's not a good thing, it's just... a modified version of the Galar-style energy block that I made myself. Don't dislike it." Inside the handkerchief were several deep red energy blocks with an attractive luster, exuding a familiar and unique scent that belonged only to Marie.

Aislo tightly grasped the pack of energy cubes that still carried the warmth of her palm, feeling that somewhere in his heart was filled. "Why would I dislike it? This is a special gift for the champion... the former champion." He carefully put it into his pocket.

The boarding prompt came from the radio, clear and urgent.

Mali's brother Nie Zi was already standing by the gangway of the small private plane waiting. He crossed his arms and looked at this side from a distance. There was no expression on his face, but there was urging in his eyes.

Time is up.

Mary took a deep breath, put on her small bag, and picked up the dessert box. She looked at Aisiluo. Her figure was clearly reflected in the boy's clear eyes, which were filled with reluctance and... a certain fiery light she had longed for.

Without hesitation, Mary stood on tiptoe, and in front of Eslo's slightly surprised gaze, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply and forcefully.

This kiss carried the salty taste of parting, thousands of unspoken words, and the girl's unreserved passionate emotions. Aislo was stunned for only a moment, then immediately responded to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood.

The noisy voices around seemed to have disappeared, leaving only each other's rapid heartbeats and mingled breathing.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

Mary's cheeks were as red as ripe fruits, and she was breathing slightly. She looked at Aislo's equally red face and surprisingly bright eyes, her heart pounding.

"A Luo..." She spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly but very clear, "I..."

"Mary!" Aisiluo interrupted her. He held her hand, his eyes more serious and solemn than ever before, as if he were performing an extremely sacred ritual. "I like you! No, not just like you, I love you! I've wanted to tell you this for a long time! Be my girlfriend, okay?"

The boy finally spoke out the words from the deepest part of his heart that he had rehearsed countless times without reservation at this moment of parting.

They already knew each other's feelings and had already decided to spend the rest of their lives together, but without the final solemn confession, it would always feel like something was missing.

Mary looked at his nervous and expectant expression, her heart feeling as if soaked in warm sweet wine. However, she did not answer "OK" immediately. Instead, she stood on tiptoe, quickly pecked his lips again, and then took a step back, a cunning and gentle light flashing in her moist eyes.

"As for the answer..." the girl drawled out her tone. Seeing Aisiluo holding his breath for a moment, she smiled and said, "I'll tell you next time we meet!"

After saying this, as if she was afraid of regretting it, or as if she was extremely shy, she turned around and ran towards the gangway, her steps as light as a deer.

Aislo stood there, watching her run to the gangway, meet up with Nie Zi, whose face was a little dark, and then board the plane. The cabin door slowly closed.

He watched the small silver-gray plane taxiing and accelerating on the runway, finally breaking free from gravity and rushing into the blue sky. His heart seemed to be taken away by the plane, feeling empty, but at the same time, it was filled with a strange warmth and anticipation by the kiss and her smile just now.

……

Inside the cabin, the plane climbed steadily, and the land of Sinnoh gradually shrank beneath their feet, turning into a colorful puzzle. Mary sat by the window, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the emerald snowflake brooch.

I'll tell him the answer next time we meet...

The girl looked at the rolling sea of clouds outside the window and thought silently in her heart.

"Next time we meet, I'll be even stronger... On the Galar stage, I'll shine the brightest. I won't be a shadow beneath his radiance, but a being who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him and make him proud of me. By then..." The girl's lips curved into a firm yet gentle arc, and she continued to whisper in her heart, "By then, I'll take the initiative to tell him my feelings!"

She imagined the surprised expression that Aislo might have at that time, and couldn't help but smile, and her cheeks felt a little hot again.

At this moment, she seemed to catch a glimpse of something approaching at high speed outside the porthole out of the corner of her eye.

"?!" Mary moved closer to the window in astonishment.

I saw a familiar figure, parallel to the side of the plane, floating in the biting wind at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

It's Aislo!

He was surrounded by a light blue halo that flowed like water waves, his black hair dancing in the wind, but his eyes penetrated the porthole and were fixed on her. There was even a hint of smug and a little nervous smile on the corner of the boy's mouth.

He actually... flew? Using wave power?! Mary's mind went blank. Just as Yaxuan had said, she had never heard of anyone being able to do it, and this seemed to be the boy's first time doing it.

Aislo tried hard to maintain a speed parallel to the plane and stabilize his body in the violent airflow. He stretched out his hand and gently placed his palm, which was cold from the high altitude, on the cold and hard glass of the plane's window.

Through a transparent barrier, the boy's palm was facing Mary's hand pressing on the glass inside the window, palm to palm.

At that moment, Mary seemed to feel the warmth of his fingertips, and felt the burning longing and persistence.

——Now, it’s “the next time we meet”.

Aislo showed the same cunning smile as Mary did before. He couldn't wait for the next time. Even though he was not afraid of waiting, at this moment, the warmth and heat in his heart urged him to take action, so he appeared here.

Tears burst through the dam of her eyes without warning, rolling down in big drops, hitting the back of the girl's hand that was pressed tightly against the porthole glass, warm and hot. The sadness of parting and a surge of burning emotions surged into her heart.

What "see you next time" and "confess after you become stronger" seemed so pale and powerless under the boy's gaze and in front of these silent palms, and no longer important.

Through the thick porthole, Mary saw Aislo's lips move. The boy did not use the power of wave guidance, so there was no sound, but she seemed to hear those three words clearly, and understood all the questions and expectations in his eyes.

Mary nodded vigorously, tears blurring her vision, but leaving the figure outside the window even more vividly imprinted in her heart. She opened her mouth and, with all her strength, shouted to the boy outside the porthole who had pressed his palm against her world, even though she knew he couldn't hear her, "Aluo, I love you too! I do—!"

The voice echoed in the cabin, with a tearful tone, but extremely firm and happy. Nie Zi raised his eyebrows not far behind her, and finally just shook his head helplessly, but a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Aislo saw her lip movements, her tears flowing and her vigorously nodding head, and felt the same passionate emotions coming through the glass.

Through the glass, the young man showed a smile that was brighter and more dazzling than the sun. He hovered in the wind, took a last deep look at Mary, and then slowly withdrew his palm from the glass. The blue halo around him flowed, and his figure began to descend slowly and reluctantly.

The plane, carrying the girl with tears streaming down her face but a bright smile, continued to fly towards Galar.

Aislo landed steadily on the lawn outside the airport, looking up at the plane that was getting smaller and smaller and blending into the blue sky until it became a tiny dot of light and finally disappeared.

He subconsciously shook the hand that had been pressed against the window of the plane. The palm of his hand seemed to still retain the touch of cold glass and the unspeakable throbbing. He touched the bag of spicy cherry energy cubes with her body temperature in his pocket. After being processed by the girl, the spicy taste had disappeared, leaving only the unique fragrance of cherry fruit.

The sweetness lingering on his lips and the silent response from the porthole resonated in the boy's heart.

The story of youth may always involve separation.

But love and courage will help them find the way out of the maze.

His adventure and her journey have just begun.

From then on, their adventure maps marked each other's directions.

And at the other side of the sky and in front of the earth, they will eventually meet again.

The young man faced the wind, looked at the boundless blue sky, with a clear and determined smile on his face.

The story of Aislo and Mary will not end here. The next adventure has already begun in the wind.

………………

Volume 1: (Sinnoh) Champion Arc (End)