Chapter Eighteen: The Fourth Subject and a Few Minor Incidents

After finishing his midday shift, Heath set the car to autopilot and headed toward the driving school. Today was the day of his final driving test—the fourth subject. This test was essentially a repeat of the first one and posed little challenge, so Heath was confident he would earn his license today.

“Sigh, it’s time to leave,” Heath murmured, sitting in the car and watching the familiar streets of Evergreen City blur past the window. A wistful sigh escaped him.

“Leaving isn’t so bad, Trainer,” Zorua said, leaping onto Heath’s shoulder. It then balanced delicately on its toes and jumped to rest comfortably atop his head.

“But I have so many friends and family here. Going somewhere else means leaving everything behind,” Heath shrugged, gently ruffling Zorua’s small head.

“Quill~” Farfetch’d nuzzled affectionately against Heath’s side, while Charmander comfortingly reached out a claw to pat his hand. Seeing these Pokémon by his side, Heath couldn’t help but smile.

Indeed, with these little companions here, he was never truly alone. Besides, the Pokémon world had phones and video calls just like modern society. Whenever he wanted to reach them, a simple call would suffice.

Feeling much lighter at heart, Heath got off the camper van upon arriving at the driving school. After gathering his Pokémon, he made his way to the test site and patiently awaited his turn.

The test itself was nearly identical to the first one, with no new difficulties. Heath relaxed considerably, and his clearer mindset this afternoon helped him approach the exam with ease.

“Boom!” Suddenly, a tremendous roar filled the air, followed by dust and bits of cement falling on Heath’s head. He looked up, bewildered, and saw a car had somehow crashed through a window, its front end stopping just beside him.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Had the car been just a bit faster, Heath might have met his end then and there—perhaps even an audience with Arceus himself. He shuddered, wondering if Arceus would banish him back to the Sinnoh region.

“Oh my Arceus, this is the third floor! The third floor!” Heath exclaimed, standing up. The instructor rushed over immediately to escort him away from the dangerous spot.

Yet Heath was utterly baffled—how could a car end up on the third floor? He knew the driving school grounds had some dirt slopes but none that could lead a car that high. How had the vehicle gotten there?

Just then, a slightly embarrassed Golisopod climbed out of the driver’s seat. Heath squinted, studying the Pokémon’s distinctive features.

“Is that you?” Heath asked in surprise. Although individual Pokémon appearances could vary slightly, only those who had studied or known them for a long time could truly tell.

Still, Heath recognized this Golisopod—it was the very same one that had once helped him prepare for the first driving test and scored the highest mark.

“Ah, sorry about that! I almost hit you just now,” the Golisopod said, guilt evident on its face. Heath twitched at the irony. If it was this Golisopod behind the wheel, then the bizarre situation made a bit more sense…

Then again, thinking it through, it was still hard to comprehend how a Golisopod had managed to drive the car up there.

Fortunately, Heath had already completed his fourth subject test. The accident investigation came quickly: during the second test, the Golisopod had gotten overly excited and instinctively used its psychic powers to levitate the car, unintentionally crashing into the test site.

Thankfully, no one was hurt. The Golisopod compensated Heath with twenty thousand Poké-dollars for the trouble, and Heath happily received his driver’s license.

What puzzled Heath, however, was that he hadn’t seen Lynn or any of the other Lynn sisters covering shifts at the driving school. Had the heiress of the Joy family gotten into trouble again?

“Forget it, time to drive back to the dorm and pack,” Heath said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

Though he had earned his license, actually driving himself still felt somewhat unfamiliar. But the feeling faded quickly once he set the car to autopilot and settled comfortably in his seat, leafing through a Pokémon world cookbook.

Of course, the Pokémon world had its own recipes—countless varieties, many of which differed greatly from those in his previous life. Strange fruits and berries were commonly used in dishes.

Some ingredient names were entirely unfamiliar to Heath. He figured this was due to varying geography and climates between cities. For example, Evergreen City rarely saw ingredients native to Shion Town.

He recalled reading about a ghost mushroom found in Shion Town—an exquisite delicacy worth thousands of Poké-dollars per unit, with prices rising according to weight.

Unfortunately, Evergreen City had no supply of those ghost mushrooms, which left Heath disappointed. He had a fondness for wild mushrooms and similar ingredients.

“Trainer!” Zorua’s surprised voice brought him back to the present.

Heath looked up to see all the Lynn sisters standing in the parking lot of the Lynn dormitory. They wore sharp uniforms and held bouquets, smiling warmly in his direction. Lynn was among them.

Heath froze for a moment, then his eyes welled with tears. He tried to keep his gaze steady but couldn’t stop his vision from blurring. Hastily wiping his eyes, he hid his embarrassment inside the camper van.

“Heath, congratulations on getting your license. You’re about to embark on your journey. This is a little something from us,” Lynn Ringo said with a smile, stepping forward and handing over a large bag of gifts. Her eyes sparkled, making Heath feel a touch shy.

“Ringo… thank you all so much!” Heath said, moved as he looked at the Lynns who had been part of his life for four years. Now, it was time to say goodbye. He didn’t know when they would meet again, but he would remember every one of their names and their favorite flavors.