Chapter 61 - 61 - Komati, the Big City!

The next day is Saturday, and for Rico, it's just another normal day for him and his team. Nothing strange happened, nothing but the normal, usual happenings at his hometown like traffic and the busy crowds at the busy streets, markets, and other public places. After his usual morning training routine at the beach, Rico and his team rushed back home to eat the hot and crispy breakfast his mother was making. Back at home, his father was sitting in the dining room drinking his hot cup of coffee with milk while watching some random, but useful and productive, videos in his smartphone. Their Pokémon are waiting for Rosario to give them their special food. The steaming hot scents of empanada with cheese and chocolate fillings and the French Toasts, pan-fried in buŧŧer, permeated across the first floor of the house. They were almost done before 7 o'clock struck, while the empanadas are prepared an hour ago. Then, suddenly, Rico and his team bursted through the gate and to the front door with positive enthusiasm, greeting them greatly.

"Oh, Rico, good morning," greeted his father positively upon seeing him across the living room. "How's your training?" Walking through the living room and sitting at the dining room, Rico placed his hands calmly and mildly onto the table, Rico answered back, "It's good, as usual. Starly's Gust gets a bit stronger." His Pokémon are near the kitchen countertops with the rest, waiting for their special food. Finally, the breakfast is now done and they were served by Rosario to her husband and son, before proceeding to feed the Pokémon with their special food. After that, Rosario washed her hands and joined her family in eating breakfast. They then eat up, biting the hot empanadas and the French Toasts in embracing their taste quickly.

"Wow, mom, I really liked your cooking," Rico commented happily as he eat up.

"Yeah, but most of my cookings are taught by your father," replied his mother with a fact. as she sliced her empanada with her spoon and fork and ate one of them. Lucas then finished drinking his cup of coffee before finish eating his meal. Rico finished the meal first, before getting a glass of water and drink it quickly. After that, he carried his plate and utensils, left them at the kitchen sink, and went upstairs to his bedroom, concluding the breakfast with a short silence in the dining room.

At his bedroom, Rico was having a call with Ben, talking about his life as a Pokémon Trainer and independent way of training. Ben seems to be impressed by Rico's good news, commenting, "Wow, I can't believe you could be stronger without me."

"Yeah, I was," responded Rico as he sat on his bed cross-legged and his notebook and pen was next to him. "And a lot of things had happened my life."

"Like what?" Ben replied back. Taking a deep breath, Rico told him all that happened while Ben is absent, especially the masked man who told him his future destiny. A few minutes later, Ben was shocked and surprised simultaneously at Rico's story.

"What? That was kind of cool," he commented in response.

"As well as weird and strange," Rico replied back while rearranging his books on his bookshelf and wipe the dust off with a small, white towel. "I never experienced anything like that."

"Wow, that might be once in a lifetime," responded Ben back.

"Thanks, Ben," Rico brightly replied. Then, suddenly, Lucas called him because Juan came to their house. Hearing him calling, Rico. responded back, "Coming!" Then to Ben in the phone, "Sorry, Ben, I gotta go now. See you soon;" he then ended his conversation with Ben and bolt out of the room while leaving his phone on the desk. His Pokémon looked surprised and puzzled by Rico's quick action.

Downstairs, Rico rushed to the front door, only to see Juan and his team waiting in the front yard. Rico's Pokémon then followed their Trainer and got surprised at Juan's sudden appearance.

"Morning, Titus," Juan happily greeted them.

"Oh, good morning, Juan," greeted Rico back positively. Juan's clothes was colorful and a bit thicker than his usual ones, as if he was going to travel somewhere.

"Hey, uh," Juan asked him for an invitation, "if you have any free time, can you accompany me to the city of Komati?" Rico and his team then looked a bit concern by his question, while Rosario was washing the dishes and Lucas preparing for work.

"Because I'm meeting up with my father and his friend there for a few days," Juan continued in reasoning his question to him. Rico then think about it for a moment, and then consulted with his parents about it. Then, at the living room, Rosario and Lucas are concerned about Rico's safety in a big, metropolitan city, where safety and security are bit concerned, especially those who were residents of that city. But Rico persuaded them to let him come with Juan due to a fact that his school was closed until Wednesday, as if the school had maintenance repairs on that period of time. Then, thinking about it carefully, Rico's parents finally agreed to his request, but with one condition: Rico must call them at morning, then at lunch time, and finally before bedtime. Rico, however, agreed with their condition and went upstairs to pack up his backpack for the trip to the city. It was a bit protective, but Rico doesn't have any problem with that.

Later that morning, at Kawayan City's international airport, at the departures hall just outside of the check-in halls, before Lucas's departure for work, Rico and His thanked them for letting Rico to come with him to Komati. At this time of day, the airport was busy and always in a hurry, with timetables changing flights and statuses almost every a few seconds. Rico was wearing his long sleeve in dark blue, dark green, and white textile pattern instead of the jacket he always wear in his adventures, preferring to use the latter at other times.

"You're welcome, you two," Lucas gratefully responded. Rosario then gave the two their prepared lunch boxes filled with empanadas and vegetable-filled onigiri, complete with a few pieces of cucumber and carrots. Receiving these delicious and healthy meals, the two kids thanked her gratefully. After that, Rico, Juan, and their Pokémon turned around and went to the check-in halls as Lucas and Rosario wavered them goodbye, with Rosario commenting how Rico would turn 12 in a few months.

Inside the check-in halls, Rico and his group went to a check-in counter for their flight. Juan had a ticket for that flight, but Rico didn't have one, so he have to purchase one at that check-in counter. After some time with Juan's ticket, the check-in agent turned her attention to Rico and asked him if he is coming with him and have a ticket.

"Uh, no, ma'am," Rico answered her quickly. "I don't have any ticket for that."

"Okay, so you want to purchase one for this particular flight?" the check-in agent gave him a solution.

"Oh, yes, ma'am, I'm buying one round-trip ticket for Komati City," Rico replied with a request positively with confidence.

"Okay, until when?" the check-in agent asked him when while making a ticket for him.

"Until Tuesday afternoon," Juan answered back confidently. Rico's Riolu then responded with answering. Since it is just a short trip, they only had backpacks and shoulder bags.

"Alright, that'll 65 Poké Dollars," the check-in agent told him the price of his ticket. In response, Rico pull out his wallet, get some banknotes, and gave it to the check-in agent. Receiving it, the check-in agent gathered it, count and calculate them, and gave Rico the change while the others into the cash register as payment. The printing of Rico's ticket was done, and the check-in agent ripped it off neatly and gave it to Rico, saying with a smile, "Have a nice flight." Receiving the change and the ticket, Rico gratefully thanked her for it, and he, Juan, and their Pokémon then left the check-in counter and on the way to the waiting rooms through the security as the check-in agent wavered them goodbye with a safe trip. Luckily, they only brought backpacks and shoulder bags so they didn't have to check in their baggages.

After passing through security, they trek all the way to the waiting room where their gate is near. Once they found it, they settled down on a metal bench and put their belongings beside them, finally resting from their trek. Their flight is at 9:45 a.m. Now Rico's day was getting filled with fun and adventure.

Later, 20 minutes before departure time, all of the passengers en route to Komati are lining up at the gate for their flight as one flight attendant checked their tickets before letting them one by one. Then, when they were cleared up, Rico and his group, along with other traveling passengers, walked along a jetway that goes straight into their plane, which, unlike the propeller one to and from Galen, is a bigger, turbofan one with 2 fuel-efficient engines on the wings. Inside the aircraft, another flight attendant guided the passengers to their seats by showing them where. Rico, Juan, and their Pokémon, however, got seats that is separated by an aisle, but they were okay with that. Upon finding their seats, they opened the overhead bins, stored their baggages in it, shut it closed, and settled down on their seats, buckling up their seatbelts. The Pokémon that went out of their Poké Balls are Riolu and Oshawott, and they settled in with their Trainers. The seats are comfortable and had grey, red, and arctic blue in curved, straight, and diagonal patterns complete with the airline's logo sewn on the headrest. Since it is a short flight, no IFE touchscreens are required, only back seat pockets and a foldable back table are available. And as the other passengers and their Pokémon are searching and settling down on their seats, Juan commented how excited he was heading for the capital.

"Yeah, I know right," replied Rico with positive enthusiasm, "I can't wait to arrive there. It's been a long time since my last visit there."

"Right, when you're 7 years old," Juan responded with a fact. His Oshawott then responded with excitement.

"Yup, that's really true," Rico replied with embarrassment.

Later, right on schedule, the jetway detached and left the plane, and the jet plane left the terminal and to the runway for takeoff. It's a bit long, but with less traffic on the tarmac, it took less than 15 minutes to taxi to the runway. Upon stopping at the runway, the plane was preparing for takeoff, running through the runway in rising speed and.the pilots are preparing their plane for takeoff. Then, less than two dozens meters from the end of the runway, the jet plane took off for the skies and head towards northwest for Komati. The day was getting more adventurous as enthusiasm and sense of adventure increases.