There were far more elderly people and Pokémon in the Welfare House than Sato had imagined.
In the backyard, most of the elderly had white hair and hunched backs; some of them even found walking difficult.
There wasn't a single human caretaker beside them, yet every elder wore a faint, gentle smile on their face.
A Scyther, whose wings had degenerated to the point where it could no longer fly, was quietly pushing a wheelchair, the person in it was the only Trainer it had ever known. That Trainer was an elderly woman, comfortably leaning back in the chair, chatting endlessly with the Scyther behind her.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly excited as she spoke, while Scyther gently nodded along in response.
And throughout it all, Scyther never once changed the speed at which it pushed the wheelchair.
Elsewhere, an old Poliwrath was being helped to the pond by an old man. But just as Poliwrath let its guard down, the old man suddenly dipped his fingers into the water and flicked some at its face.
Poliwrath flinched, startled by the splash, and looked up to see the old man grinning widely, his toothless smile stretching ear to ear.
Poliwrath shook its head helplessly, thinking, 'You're already this old, and you still act like a kid.'
But the next moment, Poliwrath reached out and smeared some water onto the old man's face in return, giving him a splashy rinse.
"Poli~"
'If you want to play, I'll play with you… even for the rest of my life.'
They locked eyes and burst into laughter, then started flicking water at each other again.
Yet from Sato's perspective as an observer, he could clearly tell that during their "play," both were incredibly careful with each other's bodies, afraid that even a single careless move might lead to a fall or injury.
In the Spring-Winter Pokémon Welfare House's backyard, no elder was alone. Every one of them was accompanied by at least one, if not several, Pokémon.
Of course, some of the Pokémon were in worse condition than the humans.
Pokémon age, and so do humans. When Pokémon no longer need to fight for their Trainers, and Trainers can no longer care for their Pokémon, neither side is abandoned; they remain the most important part of each other's lives.
Sato quietly watched the cheerful smiles of the elders. His heart, which had become somewhat restless after winning the championship, gradually calmed down.
"Umbree~"
Umbreon ran over and rubbed itself energetically against Sato's legs, whining sweetly with a hint of clinginess.
Sato squatted down and vigorously rubbed Umbreon's head with both hands, deliberately mussing up its silky fur.
Umbreon let out a "dainty" whine and fled Sato's grasp, running off to fix its fur in peace.
Lil Absol watched all of this silently, and for some reason, a sour feeling rose up in its chest.
The group moved quietly through the backyard, getting a closer look at the elderly residents and their Pokémon.
Dona walked alongside them with a cheerful smile, greeting the elders along the way. The atmosphere between them was so harmonious, it was hard to describe.
And when the elders asked curiously about Sato's identity, Dona casually replied that he was a distant nephew, never once mentioning anything about his donation.
Perhaps it was because everyone here was so old, or maybe the peaceful harmony between the humans and Pokémon was just too genuine. Whatever the reason, Absol no longer felt threatened.
When an elderly person unintentionally stepped within two meters of little Absol, it only glanced at them calmly before silently stepping aside.
Seeing this, Sato quietly let out a breath of relief. Then, under Dona's lead, they left the backyard.
"Mr. Yuga, Pokémon are far more pure-hearted than humans. As long as you give them your sincere heart, I believe Absol will recognize you in time."
Instead of bringing Sato to her office to discuss the donation, Dona led him directly to the entrance of the Welfare House, clearly intending to see him off.
And just after finishing her words, to the surprise of both Sato and Umbreon, she slowly walked toward Absol.
"Dean…"
Sato was just about to speak up to stop her, but saw that although Absol looked nervous, it didn't attack or back away.
"Child, humans can be good or bad, but more than anything, they distinguish between close and distant. Remember to feel this world with your heart; it's far more beautiful than you think."
Little Absol stood there stunned, silently feeling Dona's gentle touch. Its heart screamed for it to run away, yet its body instinctively wanted to lean in.
'I'm touching a human again… but why does it f-feel… warm this time?'
Dona stood up with some effort, then turned and gave Sato a gentle smile before heading back toward the entrance of the Welfare House.
"Thank you, Dean Dona!" Sato called out loudly.
Dona waved over her shoulder without turning around. Though nearly sixty years old, there was something strikingly cool about the way she walked away.
After seeing the dean off, Sato lowered his head to look at Umbreon and little Absol.
"You're both probably hungry. Let's head back to the hotel and eat."
"Umbree!"
Absol instinctively lifted its head, but quickly realized what it had done, and shyly returned to its usual reserved posture, pretending nothing had happened.
Sato didn't call it out. After returning the two Pokémon to their Poké Balls, he took a cab back to the hotel.
As for the donation… Dona had made her refusal quite clear. Sato didn't intend to push the matter any further.
But when it came to Dona, Sato held nothing but sincere respect from the bottom of his heart.
---
The night passed quietly.
Early the next morning, Sato completed his usual morning training in the hotel's VIP training grounds.
Though Absol didn't join in, it watched attentively from the side, as if it had been waiting all along for someone to invite it.
But Sato wasn't in a rush. After finishing his training, he left only Absol and Umbreon outside, recalling the rest of his Pokémon as usual.
"Today, we're going out again. Umbreon, keep an eye on Absol."
"Umbree!"
"S-Sol~"
Umbreon nodded obediently, while Absol turned its head away awkwardly.
That day, Sato still didn't go report to Celadon University. Instead, he wandered around Celadon City with the two Pokémon.
In the Welfare House, humans and Pokémon had essentially become family, an inseparable bond.
But in regular human society, relationships like partners, friends, or even tools were the more common ways humans and Pokémon coexisted.
On construction sites, Machoke were the backbone of the moving crews; in hospitals, Chansey were more professional than most human medical staff; and in the sky above, Pidgey flew swiftly with delivery satchels on their backs, they were the best couriers.
Children, aunties, office workers… more than half the people on the streets had a Pokémon by their side, and most wore smiles on their faces.
Sato wanted to show Absol that humans and Pokémon were already deeply intertwined.