The moment they heard the story, everyone immediately understood—
That old lady must have already passed away. That explained why she hadn't come back home in so many years.
But Espurr… Espurr believed something completely different.
It thought that the old lady had abandoned it, no longer wanted to play with it.
So, it kept waiting here. Day after day. Year after year.
And every single time it came, it always carried a purple flower in its paws.
Because purple… was the old lady's favorite color.
Espurr had never forgotten that. Yet each time it came, it would wait inside the villa for days on end. The flowers it brought would wither and fade, but the old lady never returned.
"Espurr… things might not be what you think they are."
Click—
Just as Serena couldn't bear to see Espurr suffer anymore and was about to tell it the truth, the door creaked open.
A young girl stepped inside.
"Ah? And you are…?"
This girl's name was Elise.
She was the granddaughter of the villa's owner—Grandma Lacy.
Ash and his friends quickly explained everything to Elise, telling her about Espurr and its heartbreaking story.
"So… Grandma Lacy had such a dear friend here all along… If only I had known sooner, I would've come right away… Espurr, Grandma Lacy … she's already passed away."
"Meow? …Meowww…"
The moment Elise said those words, Espurr's eyes drooped. Its ears fell flat as deep sorrow washed over it.
The kind and gentle old lady who loved it so much… was truly gone?
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all exchanged glances. Yes—there was no doubt. Grandma Lacy had passed away.
"I came here in a rush tonight because I was just passing through," Elise said softly. "Originally, I had planned to demolish this old villa… but after meeting Espurr, I changed my mind. Instead, I'll renovate the villa. Grandma Lacy's portrait in the main hall will remain untouched. Espurr, would you… like to come with me to visit her grave? And in the future, you can always come here to play, alright?"
Her voice was filled with warmth.
Espurr's eyes flickered with life again. It nodded vigorously.
To express her apologies, Elise prepared a room in the villa's back garden so Ash and the others could spend the night.
The next morning, as the sun rose, Ash and his friends bid farewell to Elise and Espurr, continuing their journey toward Cyllage City.
Meanwhile, Elise brought Espurr to Grandma Lacy's grave.
Clutched tightly in Espurr's paw was a single purple flower.
Grandma Lacy's favorite flower.
And Espurr's favorite flower.
As it gazed at the blossom, memories came flooding back.
The day it first met Grandma Lacy.
The gentle smile on her face.
A single tear slid silently down Espurr's cheek…
-----
Ash and his friends soon left the forest behind and arrived at an unfamiliar town.
"Cyllage City is still so far away. We've been walking forever, but we're not there yet…" Serena sighed.
"Let me check… Hmm, Cyllage City… about three more days on foot. But if we run into another storm like yesterday, it'll be rough."
Serena looked at the map, then stuck out her tongue playfully.
Ash felt his heart stir. He knew—this was the perfect opportunity.
Taking a deep breath, he announced,
"Everyone, from here on out, I'll take you to a special place. Don't resist."
It was time to reveal his secret.
Over the past few days, Ash had been quietly working on expanding his System Space. Little by little, he had poured effort into it, and now, it was no longer the same as before.
It had grown into something incredible.
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie didn't resist as Ash extended his Aura Power to check for others nearby. Finding no one around, he focused—and in an instant, the four of them vanished.
When they reappeared, they were standing in Ash's System Space.
Now, the space looked like a vast courtyard—almost no different from the outside world.
Day and night here matched the outside perfectly.
When it rained outside, it rained here too.
When it was sunny, it was sunny here.
Indeed, aside from Pikachu perched on Ash's shoulder, all his other Pokémon were gathered here.
A table stood nearby, lined neatly with Poké Balls.
"This is amazing, Ash!" Clemont exclaimed. "A space completely separate from reality, yet synchronized with the outside world's time… Your friend is truly remarkable."
He adjusted his glasses, already brimming with curiosity.
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all promised not to reveal this secret to anyone. And Clemont, ever the inventor, was already imagining the possibilities.
Being able to come here at any time during their travels—what a huge advantage!
His mind whirred with ideas.
"Science changes the future! Clemont Engine, activate!" he declared proudly. "I'll invent an all-purpose robot—like the one I used in the Lumiose Gym—that will help transform this place into the ultimate base! Hmm… judging by the size, half the space should be enough for now."
Clemont grinned, already sketching plans in his head.
But Ash shook his head firmly.
"No. Use the entire space. This place will only get bigger from here on!"
"…Understood!"
Clemont could barely contain his excitement.
Ash couldn't help but smile. Clemont's inventions would make this space even better than he imagined.
"In the future, whenever we don't have a safe place to stay, we'll sleep here," Ash explained. "We'll build a courtyard, and it'll protect us from bad weather like yesterday's storm."
The group nodded, their eyes full of wonder.
Ash guided them back outside. Bonnie squealed in amazement as the world around them shifted again.
Once in town, the four of them split up—Serena and Bonnie together, while Ash and Clemont went shopping for building materials to expand their new home inside the System Space.
Meanwhile, Ash contacted Anabel back home.
He instructed her to bring Gardevoir, Metagross, Garchomp, Lucario, and Sceptile to Professor Oak's lab—
so that they could all be transferred over to him.
The old companions were about to return to the team!
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T/N:
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