"Liko…"
A memory surfaced vividly in Jason's mind—just a few days ago, outside Zapapico when they said goodbye.
"Jason… will I be able to see you again?" she'd asked in a tiny voice edged with tears.
School was about to start; she'd be heading to Kanto.
Jason had been about to comfort her with a "we'll meet again if fate allows," when Liko suddenly seemed to make up her mind. She fumbled a pen and a small sticky note from her backpack, scribbled a string of numbers in a rush, then carefully tore off the slip. Face flushed, head down, not daring to meet his eyes, she held the little note out to him with both hands.
"This is my contact info!" Nervousness made her voice shake. "I'm afraid you won't be able to find me. If you get a phone, you have to contact me!"
Back then, Jason didn't have his own Rotom Phone. He tucked the slip—carrying the girl's feelings—quietly into himself, with no chance to reach out.
Now…
He took out the note and typed Liko's contact into his phone. In the verification message, he pictured that stubborn little cowlick poking up from her black short hair, and his tendril danced across the screen.
—
Meanwhile, in a room in Cortondo, Liko lay on her side on the bed, long, slim legs idly scissoring around a soft lilac Ditto plush that looked exactly like Jason. Her room was small but tidy; textbooks and professional-looking drawing tools lined the desk; Pokémon sketches she'd drawn were taped on the wall. The whole space breathed "teenage girl."
Her mood, though, was anything but bright. Propping her cheek with one hand, she listlessly scrolled her Rotom Phone with the other, face full of boredom and gloom.
"Sigh…"
"I didn't see Jason in Iono's stream today either. So boring."
Since the day they parted, she'd watched Iono's past VODs over and over—only that seemed to soothe her light ache. Having met Jason made her miss him more—his saving her burned into her mind.
Thinking of the moment she'd mustered every scrap of courage to leave Jason her contact, Liko felt her cheeks warm. Why would I do that for a Ditto?! She yanked the blanket up over half her face, only her black eyes peeking out.
"I'm such an idiot…" she muttered at herself. "Jason didn't even have a phone then—why did I give him my info? Useless."
Then came a fresh worry: what excuse could she use to "accidentally" go to Levincia to see Jason?
"Say I'm traveling and just passing through?"
"No, lame—sounds fake."
"Say a relative got sick and I have to visit?"
"No—who'd buy that?"
As for coming openly "to catch" him… that thought had vanished after their first meeting. She knew Jason didn't want to belong to anyone. Considerate as she was, she wouldn't do anything that might make him unhappy.
"Argh! What do I do?! Maybe I should just get 'kidnapped' by some weird Pokémon again?"
Just as she clutched her head and spun wild plans—up to "volunteering to be kidnapped"—her phone, tossed aside, chimed and lit up.
A friend request popped up:
User: Pokémon Aiming to Be the World's #1 Trainer
Message: Ahoge-chan, miss me?
[Accept] [Reject]
Liko froze. Her conflicted expression stuck to her face.
This was… Jason!
Jason was adding her!
With her shy, anxious nature, she had almost no friends in her contacts beyond family—and hadn't made any new ones. No one but a Ditto who already had her number would add her like this. And that cocky username… and the nickname that made her cheeks blaze: "Little Ahoge."
She instinctively touched the lock of hair that always stuck up disobediently. No mistake—it was him!
She practically lunged for the phone. Her excited fingers shook, tapping the screen off-target several times.
Ding.
Accepted.
Liko opened the chat with Jason. Her heart thumped wildly. The blank text box left her at a loss: say hello? Ask how he got a phone?
Dozens of thoughts flashed by—but in the end, her flustered mind obeyed her truest feeling. She typed a single character and hit send:
Liko: Miss.
It sent. Seeing that lone word appear, her face burned hotter. Was that too direct? Would he think she was an immodest girl?
Her social anxiety stirred; she stared at the screen, breath tight.
One second.
Two.
Three.
No reply. Panic rose. Did I scare him? Too forward? I need to fix it!
After a brief inner struggle she quickly added two more characters and a big exclamation mark:
Liko: Miss you!
Back on the big hotel bed, Jason lay flat and stared at the screen, at a loss. He hadn't expected the offline wallflower to be so straight online. The blunt, heartfelt line made him a little bashful—especially since his initial reason for adding her hadn't been entirely pure. Beyond a friendly hello, deeper down it was about that mysterious pendant—Terapagos. He'd been plotting a roundabout way to ask… and she'd lobbed a perfect fastball to the chest. He almost felt like a scumbag tricking a pure girl.
He shook his nonexistent head to clear it. Start safe; ease the mood.
Jason: School started?
Her reply was instant—almost overlapping his send.
Liko: Not yet—still some time.
Liko: Jason, I'm home alone and sooo bored.
After sending it, in another city Liko tossed the phone aside, hugged the squishy Ditto plush, and rolled. She buried her face in its springy belly, eyes glinting with a touch of pride.
"Heehee…" she hummed. "That hint's obvious enough, right? He'll get what I mean?"
Jason chuckled. Translation: come hang out with me. Faced with such a cute girl, he decided to stop circling. If she'd thrown the fastball, he'd swing.
Jason: As it happens, we're going to a very special place in a few days.
Jason: Area Zero. Want to come with us?
In her room, Liko's eyes flew wide—and she sprang from the bed like a cat whose tail got stepped on.
"Wah!"
She squeaked, face lit with disbelieving joy. She hadn't thought her timid hints would work—not only did Jason get it, he'd invited her to explore!
Dreamy.
Then her eyes caught the other word in the message—Area Zero—and a bucket of ice water doused the flame. Joy drained; "yikes" wrote itself on her face.
Area Zero—the most dangerous place in Paldea. Not just a non-Trainer like her—even veteran Trainers dared not tread lightly.
Could she really? Her mind conjured images of herself running for her life from bizarre monsters. She shivered.
But… this was Jason's first time inviting her. If she refused from fear—would he ask again?
In the end, desire to be with him beat fear of the unknown. She bit her lip, as if taking a great oath, and typed with a shy, pleading sweetness:
Liko: Um… Jason, Area Zero sounds really dangerous. You'll protect me, right?
She held her breath for the reply. Jason smiled.
Jason: Of course. Don't worry—Sinnoh's Champion Cynthia is coming with us. Safety won't be a problem.
Reading that, Liko's heart settled. With a Champion—her safety bar filled at once. Fear and hesitation evaporated.
Her fingers trembled as she typed three characters and hit send:
Liko: I'm willing!
In the hotel room, Jason stared at the screen—at I'm willing—and fell into a long silence.
Uh… I only asked if you wanted to go exploring. Isn't this… a bit ceremonial?
To the uninitiated, it looked like he'd just proposed.
He felt his understanding of Liko refresh yet again. Who told me this kid was shy and timid? Shy offline, power hitter online—embracing the gap, are we?
He grumbled inwardly, but didn't correct her ambiguous phrasing.
Jason: Then it's settled. I'll message you before we head out and come pick you up.
Jason: It's late—I've got training tomorrow. Turning in. Goodnight!
Liko: Mm-hm! Jason, do your best!
Liko: Goodnight~
Ending the chat, Liko felt like she was floating on a cloud—everything unreal and buoyant. The day's bad mood—born of boredom and longing—vanished, replaced by overflowing happiness and anticipation.
She finally felt at ease. Setting her phone aside, she hugged the Ditto pillow tight, pressed her face deep into the plush softness—
—and drifted into a sweet sleep.