The days passed quietly.
Not empty—just unhurried.
Shunya spent them doing small things that didn't look like progress to anyone watching. He helped with route patrols again. Assisted a shopkeeper in carrying supplies when a cart wheel broke. Ran simple errands that paid little, but taught him the shape of the town and the people who lived in it.
Coins accumulated slowly in his pouch.
Not many.
Just enough.
By the fifth morning, Shunya stood near the town gate, weighing the pouch in his hand. The faint clink inside told him what he already knew.
"…This should be enough to travel," he murmured.
Pikachu sat beside him, tail swaying gently. It looked down the road leading out of town, ears twitching with quiet anticipation.
Another town waited beyond that path.
Another route.
Another rhythm.
Shunya felt it too.
And yet—he didn't move.
He turned instead.
"Before we go," he said softly, "there's one place I want to visit."
Pikachu looked up at him.
"Pika?"
---
The town library sat slightly apart from the main square, tucked between an old stone hall and a row of trees that had clearly been there longer than the town itself. The building wasn't large, but it carried weight—thick walls, narrow windows, a door worn smooth by countless hands.
Shunya paused before entering.
He didn't know why he felt nervous.
Then he realized.
This place didn't hold items.
It held records.
Inside, the air was cool and still. Dust motes drifted lazily in the shafts of light cutting through the windows. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, filled with books of all sizes—some pristine, some cracked with age.
A woman sat behind the desk near the entrance, reading quietly. She glanced up as Shunya entered, eyes sharp but not unkind.
"Trainers don't come here often," she said.
Shunya bowed his head slightly. "I wanted to understand the world better… before leaving."
The woman studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. "You may read anything on the open shelves. Some sections are restricted."
"I understand," Shunya said.
Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder and followed him inside, unusually subdued.
They moved slowly.
Shunya didn't search for anything specific at first. He let his hand trail along the spines of books as he walked—titles etched in faded ink:
Routes and Their Changes
Pokémon Behavior Across Regions
Legends of the Early Trainers
He stopped at the last one.
The book was old. Heavier than it looked.
He carried it to a table near the window and sat down, Pikachu curling up beside the chair.
The pages smelled faintly of time.
The stories inside weren't heroic in the way he expected. No dramatic victories. No legendary captures listed like trophies.
Instead, they spoke of trainers who traveled slowly. Of companions who left when paths diverged. Of regions that flourished—or withered—based on how people treated the land and the Pokémon within it.
One passage made him pause.
> Those who rushed forward gained power quickly.
Those who listened lasted longer.
Shunya closed the book gently.
"…So that's how it's always been," he whispered.
Another book caught his eye next—a thinner volume, handwritten notes bound together loosely.
Observations on Partner Synchronization.
He read quietly.
The notes spoke of early-stage bonds. Of shared intent. Of moments when Pokémon moved without commands—not from instinct, but from alignment.
There was a margin note near the end.
> The first layer forms when neither side tries to lead.
Shunya's fingers tightened slightly around the page.
He glanced down at Pikachu.
Pikachu was already looking at him.
No sparks.
No movement.
Just presence.
Shunya exhaled slowly.
"I'm glad we came here first," he said.
Pikachu replied with a soft sound, barely audible.
---
When Shunya finally left the library, the sun had shifted noticeably.
The town gate stood in the distance, road stretching beyond it like an unanswered question.
He adjusted the coin pouch at his side.
Enough to travel.
Enough to move on.
But now—he carried something else with him.
Not knowledge.
Not power.
Perspective.
Shunya looked down the road, then back at the town one last time.
"Tomorrow," he said quietly. "We start the journey."
Pikachu stood beside him, steady and calm.
The road did not call out.
It waited.
And Shunya, for the first time, felt ready to answer.