"You've already done so well. From now on, leave the days ahead to me."
In the glow of the fireworks, Grey's voice softened, gentler and gentler.
Hearing those words, Sabrina's ears reddened. She suddenly didn't know what to do with herself, awkward and restless.
It was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to her.
The first time someone had told her she'd done well…
And because Grey said it, Sabrina felt that everything she'd done up until now had been worth it.
"Mm."
She nodded lightly and smiled back at Grey. "Then from now on, I'll leave the Saffron Gym to you."
As she spoke, the fireworks' embers slowly sank into the night, like a dream that vanished in an instant.
But that brief brilliance had already burned itself deep into their memories.
On the streets below, children stared up with mouths still open. Couples' clasped hands grew slick with sweat. Even office workers hurrying along stopped in their tracks.
These trails of light would fade eventually—but on some ordinary day…
Maybe a coffee-cold afternoon, or a midnight rain tapping at the window…
They would suddenly bloom again in memory, carrying that breath-stealing flutter from the very first moment.
"From now on, leave the days ahead to me. The Saffron Gym—Saffron City—under my lead, they'll shine."
Grey's tone grew firmer, more resolute.
Hearing him say it again, Sabrina nodded once more.
"I believe you."
Her voice was light, but it landed like a pebble dropped into a still lake.
In her pupils, Grey's outline reflected clearly, as if she'd already foreseen this moment across countless parallel worlds.
Grey didn't say anything else. He only covered her cool hand with his palm.
Outside the window, the last trace of fireworks faded away—and between their interlaced fingers, a bond more solid than any contract quietly took shape.
At the same time, not far away—
"Woo! Perfect wrap-up! You two did great today!"
Green clapped with Bumiao, then looked toward the middle-aged man stepping out from the shadows. With genuine feeling, she said, "We also have to thank you, Giovanni. If you hadn't helped us so much, we wouldn't even have known where to buy fireworks."
"No need to thank me. I'm doing this for Gym Leader Grey. He's done me a favor—this is just me doing something small in return. It's nothing."
Giovanni walked out of the alley with a genial smile, his gaze sweeping over the three of them before stopping on Silver.
"So you're the new apprentice Gym Leader Grey recruited, right? I heard Officer Jenny in Celadon City mention you played a huge role in the recent incident—and you nearly lost your life because of it. Is that true?"
"Yeah. I was careless and underestimated them."
Silver looked a bit helpless.
The people guarding Celadon Game Corner fought way too dirty.
They actually had Pokémon launch sneak attacks from the shadows—zero sportsmanship.
Luckily Grey arrived in time to save him. Especially Articuno freezing the place up and Annihilape smashing through the wall with brute force—Silver had been completely stunned.
It was so cool.
After that, whenever he got into street fights, he started sticking to a "two out, one in reserve" tactic.
Meaning: two Pokémon set up to ambush from the shadows, and one kept back—just in case.
"It was Team Rocket being unreasonable. To stand up in a crisis and volunteer to scout the enemy—you're a very good Trainer."
As Giovanni spoke, he took out a black card. "I'm optimistic about you. This card can spend five million a month. Consider it my investment in a new Trainer."
"What???" *3
Silver, Green, and Bumiao all blurted it out at the exact same time.
Why is Giovanni treating me so well?
Why is Giovanni treating Silver so well?
Is Giovanni trying to poach him?
Different thoughts flashed through their heads, but all of them were shocked by Giovanni's "kindness out of nowhere."
Wait—no way?!
Green suddenly thought of a possibility and started scanning back and forth between Giovanni and Silver.
Rumor online said Giovanni still wasn't married.
And now that he'd met Silver, he immediately started investing, and with a high-limit black card… it was hard not to think in that direction…
"Ahem. I'm investing because I recognize new Trainers' potential. You might not know this, but every year, the days Viridian Gym opens its doors are also the days I invest in Trainers."
Giovanni explained, and only then did the three of them realize what he meant.
So he just thought Silver had promise.
"So what, Giovanni—are you hoping Silver will go challenge the Indigo League?"
Green thought of that possibility.
After all, if Silver accepted Giovanni's investment, he'd have to actually accomplish something.
And for a new Trainer, the League tournament was the best stage to stand out.
The best stage to show what you can do.
Countless Trainers who performed well ended up being recruited by the League and living on a steady salary afterward.
So as a Gym Leader, Giovanni wanting Silver to participate wasn't impossible.
Thinking that, Green quietly took a few steps back, flipped open her phone, and opened her chat with Grey…
"No. I think that should be up to Silver himself. Whether he wants to participate in the Indigo League or not won't change my decision to invest in him."
Giovanni waved a hand, then offered the black card forward. "Silver, if I remember right, you only recently became an apprentice. You don't have money on hand yet, do you? Take this card as an emergency cushion. Once you truly start working later, you can pay me back."
"It's too valuable, Giovanni. I can't accept that."
Silver stepped back and refused Giovanni's kindness. "Gym Leader Grey doesn't let me go hungry, and anything I need when I go out gets reimbursed, so I can't take it. Thank you for your goodwill."
For some reason, Silver instinctively felt like Giovanni's black card should belong to him.
But after spending time with Grey, Silver had changed a lot.
He felt that something so tied to money—and so easy to convert into cash—was not something you should take.
And this was a black card.
Five million a month.
It was way too valuable.
"Then… treat it as something I'm giving to Gym Leader Grey."
Giovanni paused slightly, like he was searching for the best explanation.
If Grey were here, his eyebrows would definitely be twitching.
Right now Giovanni felt like a friendly neighborhood uncle—nothing like the kind of person you'd associate with Team Rocket's Boss.
And Green, Silver, and Bumiao didn't know that at all. To them, Giovanni was just a saint who showed up at the right time to help.
After all, the Fighting Dojo really was short on money.
Wages were being paid as usual, sure—but at Grey's current saving speed, how long would it take to finish expanding the dojo?
"I appreciate your kindness, Giovanni, but you should take the black card back. It really is too valuable."
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