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Chapter 17: Goodbye Saffron City - 1 | Pokémon
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 07:24:01 +0000 UTC“Bro, the taxi’s arriving in five minutes,” Kyle said, checking the app.
“Cool, I have finished eating. Let’s get the luggage out,” Orin said, wiping his hands.
“Yeah, I got it,” Kyle replied, moving to carry the bags outside.
“Wait—hang on! I have a birthday present for you,” Terri said suddenly, pulling out a rectangular, gift-wrapped box from a plastic bag she had set aside.
“Oh right! I almost forgot,” Kyle said, slapping his forehead before grabbing another rectangular package from the same bag.
“Mine too!” Duplica chimed in, holding up a noticeably larger rectangular present than the other two.
“You guys shouldn’t have…” Orin said, his smile widening, clearly touched.
“What? You thought just because you are not in Kanto on your birthday, you wouldn’t get any presents?” Terri said with a bright grin as she handed him her gift.
“Thank you, Terri,” Orin said warmly as he accepted it.
“Haha, I did forget, but these two reminded me in time,” Kyle admitted sheepishly, offering his gift.
“Hehe, it’s fine. Thanks, man,” Orin replied with a nod of appreciation.
“I bought your present last year, so there’s no way I would forget,” Duplica said proudly, flashing him a smile.
“Thanks—I am really looking forward to it then, Copycat,” Orin said with a grin and a wink.
“Yes, but don’t open it yet,” Duplica said suddenly, her expression turning serious. “Open it at midnight.”
“Yeah, that would be best,” Terri agreed, nodding. “That way, even in an unfamiliar place, you won’t feel so alone on your birthday.”
“Alright... really, thank you,” Orin said, smiling deeply, his heart feeling overwhelmed. He quickly packed the gifts into his luggage—Terri and Kyle’s fit easily, but Duplica’s took some rearranging. Thankfully, he had brought a bigger trolley bag with extra space just in case.
He only wished he had something to give back to the girls, at least—a small token to show how much they mean to him.
[Orin Murasaki remaining Clefairy Poké Doll x0]
[Choices: Blocked 🚫]
[Orin Murasaki : Social Butterfly (Trait)]
[Orin Murasaki obtained Terri's Gift (???)]
[Orin Murasaki obtained Kyle's Gift (???)]
[Orin Murasaki obtained Duplica's Gift (???)]
“Brina, let’s head out now, okay?” Orin said to Brina, who was sprawled across a chair, patting her belly contentedly after finishing the entire cake.
“Yesss… burp,” she groaned, struggling to sit up.
“You could have saved the cake for later, you know,” Orin said with a sigh.
“But it was so good! I just couldn’t stop!” Brina replied, rubbing her belly with a satisfied grin.
They all stepped outside the house. The sun was just rising over the horizon, casting a golden glow across the garden. Saffron City was already beginning to stir in the distance—early mornings were the norm here. Orin took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and looked up at the sky.
Flap. Flap.
A majestic bird soared towards them through the dawn light, its broad wings slicing through the air. It had a powerful hooked beak and glossy brown plumage that shimmered in the sunlight like glowing bronze. A decorative crest atop its head streamed in the wind, as graceful as it was long.
“Pidgeoooottt!”
The bird cried out proudly, spreading its wings wide as it descended towards the mansion. Beneath it, secured in reinforced harnesses, was a bright yellow taxi cabin.
“Whoa, the PokeCab’s faster than I thought,” Duplica said, letting out a low whistle.
PokeCab is one of the numerous pokemon travel services in the region. Much like the Corviknight taxis in Galar, it employed strong, high-speed Pidgeots to ferry customers around Kanto. While it wasn’t cheap, it was fast—and right now, Orin couldn’t afford to be late.
The Pidgeot gently set the taxi down by the road just outside the mansion’s main gate.
“I will get your luggage,” Kyle offered, already grabbing Orin’s two trolley bags and heading for the gate.
“Mime mime,” Mimi came out and handed Orin a neatly packed bento box. She mimed eating with her hands and an airplane, clearly telling him to have it during the flight.
“Thank you, Mimi,” Orin said with a smile, carefully placing the box into his backpack. He leaned forward, intending to hug her—only to slam his face into an invisible barrier.
“Seriously?” he muttered, stepping back and rubbing his nose.
A second later, he felt her arms wrap around him. “Mime mime,” she giggled while hugging him.
He sighed, hugging her back. “Take care of yourself, alright? And don’t just watch TV all day,” he said with a soft chuckle.
“Mime mime,” she replied, rolling her eyes as she pulled away.
Next, Orin approached Kaddi. But before he could hug him, Kaddi raised a claw to stop him, making Orin raise an eyebrow.
Kaddi placed the claw on Orin’s shoulder. “Kadabra,” he said seriously, locking eyes with him.
Orin could feel the sentiment behind the gesture—it was Kaddi’s way of telling him to stay safe. “You too, Kaddi. Don’t stay cooped up in the library all day, alright?” Orin said, patting his shoulder in return.
Kaddi snorted and turned his face away, withdrawing his claw. Orin chuckled and turned to Brina, whose eyes have been following him the whole time.
He knelt down in front of her and gently ran his fingers through her soft, purple hair. “Brina, we will video chat every day, okay? So it will feel like I never left.”
“Yes, Niichan,” she replied with a sweet smile.
Ah, looking at her adorable smiling face, Orin realized—it might actually be him who would miss his little sister more. She had been with him the longest in this unfamiliar world, in a way she was his anchor. Leaving her behind, all alone in such a big, empty house tugged painfully at his heart.
Fighting back a tear, he pulled her into a tight hug, holding her small frame close.
“There, there. Don’t cry, Oniichan,” Brina said in a pretend grown-up voice, gently patting his back.
“Heh... sniff... sorry. Must be something in the wind,” he said with a watery smile, ending the hug and rubbing his eyes. He was a bit annoyed but proud that Brina was taking this so well.
“Hehehe, Niichan is so cute sometimes,” Brina giggled as she hugged his neck.
Suddenly, Orin felt something cool around his neck. He looked down and found a silver-coloured chain that hadn’t been there before. He picked it up to examine it and saw a pale purple gem attached to it. “What’s this?” he asked curiously, running his fingers over the smooth surface of the gem. As he touched it, he felt a faint stir in his psychic energy.
“It’s Oniichan’s birthday gift from Brina! Do you like it?” she asked, her red eyes glowing with joy.
He looked at it closely. The chain was definitely silver—he could tell. Psychics had a strange affinity for silver, making it easy to recognize. And the fingernail-sized gem… it was clearly not something ordinary.
“...Yeah. It’s very pretty,” he said slowly, though he had a hundred questions racing through his mind. Where did she get this? Is it expensive? What kind of gem is this?
But he was already running late, and the cabbie was waiting.
“Thank you, Brina,” he said warmly as he started to take the necklace off.
“No! Keep wearing it,” she said quickly, stopping his hand. “You should keep it on you, Niichan,” she added, her red eyes now serious.
“Alright,” he said, slightly puzzled by her insistence. Maybe it’s meant to be a good luck charm for the journey? he thought, slipping the gem beneath his shirt.
“Okay, I have to go now. Take care of the house, alright? Don’t forget to brush your teeth in the morning and at night—especially after eating sweets. And eat your vegetables too! Don’t just keep eating sandwiches every day,” he said, caressing her cheek.
“Mou~ but I don’t like them,” she replied with a pout.
“Haha, okay... just don’t give Mimi and Kaddi a hard time,” he chuckled, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “I will call you as soon as I get there, alright?”
“Okay, Niichan,” she said, kissing him on the cheek in return, making him smile warmly.
“… let’s go,” he said reluctantly, standing up and walking towards the main gate. Outside, waiting on the road, was a yellow taxi. It looked more like a cable car than a regular vehicle. On top of it, perched with majestic poise, was a massive Pidgeot, its talons gripping a large handle affixed to the cab’s roof.
Orin quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a photo. He had seen Pidgeots before—many times, in fact—but he never got tired of how stunning they looked. This one’s colorful crest feathers fluttered gracefully in the morning breeze. It was enormous—easily over eight feet tall and even larger than the cab itself.
From what Orin remembered, Pidgeots didn’t usually grow that big, but the PokeCab company was known to use only the largest and strongest specimens. A harness ran from the Pidgeot to the cab, built to distribute the weight evenly and ensure smooth aerial transport. The big bird was lazily shuffling its feathers, completely unfazed by Orin taking its pictures.
The cab itself wasn’t anything special in design—though it had no wheels, as it didn’t need them. Instead, there was an extra storage compartment underneath where luggage could be securely stowed.
Kyle was talking with the cabbie—a white-bearded old man in a neat black taxi driver uniform. When he came back, he said, “Looks like only two of us can go with Orin.”
“Oh.” Orin nodded. He knew there were weight and passenger limits for PokeCabs. Since the airport was still considered a mid-range zone, the cap was likely three passengers in total, and the driver.
“Then it’s obvious that Terri and I will go with him,” Duplica said matter-of-factly.
“Eh? But I am the one who booked the cab!” Kyle protested, clearly feeling wronged.
“Just stay here, you big dummy,” Terri teased, patting his shoulder with a grin.
“Alright, then it’s goodbye for now, bro!” Kyle sighed, giving Orin a light punch to the chest.
“I will miss your Battle Noodles, Kyle,” Orin chuckled, punching him back.
“Trust me—you won’t,” Kyle smirked.
Orin shook his head and pulled him into a quick hug. “Goodbye, brother. I will see you soon.”
“You too, man. Take care of yourself,” Kyle replied, patting his back.
After nodding to each other, Orin turned and walked towards the cab. “Goodbye,” he said, looking back one last time. He waved to Mimi, Kaddi, and Kyle… but—Brina?
He looked around, but she was nowhere in sight.
“Hurry up or you will miss the flight!” Duplica called from the cab window. She and Terri were already seated in the back.
“Right” Orin nodded and opened the passenger-side door and climbed into the front seat beside the driver. He nodded politely, and the cabbie smiled back. Without a word, the old man raised a silver whistle hanging around his neck and gave it a sharp blow.
Flap-flap!
A sudden gust of wind whooshed around the cab as Mimi, Kaddi, and Kyle instinctively took a step back.
Orin's heart beat faster—this was his first time taking a Flying Taxi, hell he had never even ridden in a Helicopter before. He turned to the closed window, waving enthusiastically down at the others as the cab slowly lifted into the air.
Mimi waved back, cheerful as ever. Kaddi stood stoically, his arms crossed. Kyle looked up too, though Orin suspected his friend was more interested in the Pidgeot than in him. Orin scanned the yard with his eyes, hoping to catch sight of Brina, but she was nowhere to be seen. She had woken up early this morning, and after eating, she usually got sleepy again—most likely, she was napping inside the house.
He checked the time and it was 5:15 already. He hoped the PokéCab was as fast as everyone claimed.
“How long will it take to reach the airport?” he asked the cabbie.
“Around five minutes, sir,” the man replied, putting down his whistle and picking up a walkie-talkie. “We are heading to the airport, partner,” he said into it.
“Pidgeooott!”
A shrill cry rang out above them, and Orin realized that this was how the Pidgeot acknowledged the destination.
“Orin, look! The city looks so pretty!” Duplica said excitedly, her face pressed against the window.
Orin leaned over to look outside.
“Hey, there’s the Saffron Gym! And the tall Silph Co. Tower!” Even Terri seemed impressed.
“Yeah, this is Saffron City in all its glory,” Orin said, smiling as the sprawling city came into view beneath them. Bathed in the early morning light, it truly lived up to its name—of Saffron City.
He spotted the distinctive purple dome of the Saffron Gym. Was Big Sis Sabrina still in her room, seating all alone?… did she throw his gift away? He hopes she didn't… as looking at it should remind her of him.
He gave a small wave towards the distant building and whispered, “Goodbye, Big Sis. I will miss you.”
[Orin Murasaki obtained Brina's Gift (???)]
