A medal beneath the moonlight

The group set off, with Kaim taking the lead. The path was dim, but they could still make out the ground. There was hardly any dampness, either, so aside from the darkness, they had no trouble moving along.

Before long, they reached an open space.

The plants formed an archway. Unlike the path they had followed, this place was bright and filled with warm light.

"Here?"

"Wow, that's a beautifully maintained garden."

As they stepped forward, a garden spread before them, just as Cynthia had described. Flowers bloomed among neatly trimmed plants, and the faint murmur of water drifted from a fountain.

"Amazing."

"It certainly is. But there's no one here, not even that girl from earlier."

Just as she was about to continue, Shirona spotted a figure. It was a girl wielding a brush in front of a canvas. She looked exactly like the girl Kaim and the others had chased earlier.

"Isn't that the girl from before?"

"She feels different. I can't say for sure, but she's probably someone else."

"There's no one else around for now. Let's talk to her."

"Yes."

The two approached the girl painting and spoke to her.

"Excuse me, miss. Could we have a moment?"

"Whoa! Where did you come from?"

"That's a little hard to explain, but I'm pretty sure we were invited here."

"Invited?"

"Yes, by a girl who looked just like you."

"Just like me? Oh, don't tell me!"

When the girl turned around, someone with a face identical to hers peeked out from behind a tree.

"Did you transform into me again, Latias?"

At the girl's words, the figure who looked exactly like her shimmered with light and turned into a red Pokémon resembling a fighter jet.

"Latias..."

"So this little one is Latias."

"It looks like Latias transformed into me to invite you here."

The girl turned toward the two, looking astonished.

"This introduction is overdue. I'm Garon, one of the caretakers of this garden."

"I'm Cynthia, a Pokémon Trainer. This is my assistant, Kaim."

"I'm Kaim. Nice to meet you."

"Thank you very much."

"Yes, yes."

"Well, all right. Actually, this isn't normally a place people are allowed to visit."

"There must be a reason for that."

Garon nodded, walked over to the fountain, and beckoned him closer.

When the two approached the fountain and peered inside, they found a sphere sparkling like a jewel.

"It's beautiful. What is it?"

"It's called the Soul Dew. It protects Alto Mare and allows everyone here to live in peace."

"It sounds like it's more than just a jewel."

"Yes. If someone tried to exploit it, the consequences could be terrible. It's the reason Alto Mare is called the most beautiful city in the world, but if it were misused, the city could be destroyed in an instant. That's how dangerous this place is, so only people acknowledged by Latias and Latios can enter. Most people don't even know this place exists."

"Is it all right for us to be here?"

Although Shirona was the Champion of the Sinnoh Region, she was an outsider in Alto Mare. Kaim asked Kanon because he wanted to know whether they were allowed to learn such an important secret.

"Yes. Latios is mischievous and friendly, but he's sensitive to people's malice. He's also a good judge of character, so I think it's fine, since he didn't stop you."

"Latios is here too?"

"Yes. He's right behind you, Kaim."

When he spun around, a blue Pokémon with sharp eyes—Latios—was staring at Kaim.

"Huh?!"

"I wonder how long it's been since you two last invited anyone here."

Latias seemed torn about approaching a new friend after so long, but she wanted to play with him right away.

"If you don't mind, let us play with you two."

"Yes, we'd love to. Hey, everyone! We've made some new friends!"

"Wow, opportunities like this don't come around often. I'm going to play to my heart's content!"

Cynthia and Kaim brought out all their Pokémon.

"Come on. Want to play? You're coming with me."

At Kaim's words, Latias took flight, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Ah, I'm exhausted."

After playing with Latias and the other Pokémon for a long time, Kaim sat down on a bench, panting.

No matter how much Kaim trained, his stamina couldn't match that of the Pokémon. He had tried hard, but he had finally reached his limit.

"Oh, you sweet thing. Heehee."

Latias, meanwhile, seemed to have become thoroughly attached to Cynthia. She flew around carrying Cynthia's Glaceon and Kaim's Kuroki, showing off to Cynthia and seeking praise. Cynthia gazed at Latias as though she were looking at something she adored, hugging her, bringing her face close, and stroking her.

The combination of a beautiful woman and adorable Pokémon was so pleasing and peaceful that it made him want to keep watching forever.

"Hm?"

Latios, who had been competing with Staraptor in speed, came over to Kaim. According to Karon, Latios was the older brother and Latias the younger sister.

"You have your troubles too, Latios. Your little sister is so energetic."

Latios gave him a look that seemed to say, "Isn't yours the same?" Kaim answered with a wry smile.

"I have a pretty formidable partner myself. It's tough sometimes, but I've never hated it."

Latios nodded.

When he turned toward Cynthia, she was making flower crowns with Roserade, Glaceon, Umbreon, and Latias. Latias seemed pleased with the crown Cynthia had made, and Cynthia watched her with a smile.

"Let's both do our best to protect the people we care about. Though mine might not need my protection."

At those words, Latios leaned toward Kaim and licked his cheek.

"Huh?! What's that for? It tickles!"

"When Latios licks someone's cheek, it's a sign of affection."

He heard a voice behind him, and when he turned around, Garon was standing there.

Garon sat down beside Kaim and spoke.

"What is it? Has Latios taken a liking to you?"

"Maybe."

"I'm not sure whether I should be happy about that."

"Don't you think being liked by Latios is a gift?"

"Either way, I've met a Pokémon called a legend. That's quite an experience, isn't it?"

Kaim gently stroked Latios, who brought his face closer.

"Do you usually look after this place alone?"

"No, it's not just me. Pengola from the gondola repair shop helps manage it too."

"Oh, him."

"You know him?"

"Yes. Cynthia is entering the upcoming Water Race, so we met him through that."

"Oh! Cynthia is entering?"

"Apparently."

Kaim spoke as though he wasn't interested, but he was the one who had given Cynthia a reason to enter. In fact, he was looking forward to the Water Race even more than she was.

"You were painting earlier, Kanon. Do you paint often?"

"Yes. It's my hobby, so I usually paint a lot."

"Could I have a look?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

Kaim took the sketchbook offered to him and opened it.

It held all kinds of drawings. There were streets in Alto Mare, scenes of this garden, and pictures of many Pokémon, including Latias and Latios.

"These are wonderful. You're really good."

"I've been drawing since I was little."

"They say you get good at what you love."

"Is there anything you've kept doing, Kaim?"

"Hmm..."

Asked what he had stuck with, he couldn't give much of an answer. He had kept battling, but he hadn't studied it seriously until he began learning archaeology under Cynthia. To be honest, he hadn't done much archaeology as a student either. It was something he had studied more deeply since becoming Cynthia's assistant.

"I can't say I've stuck with anything the way you have with painting, Garon. But since becoming Cynthia's assistant, I've kept studying archaeology and battling."

"I see. By the way, are you two dating?"

Seeing how close Cynthia and Kaim were, Kanon wondered whether they were dating. Cynthia had only introduced Kaim as her assistant, but as a young girl, Karon wanted to know what was really going on.

"Oh, you're interested in that?"

"I'm curious!"

"Well, aren't you precocious?"

"I may still be a kid, but I wonder about things like that sometimes!"

"I see."

Kaim stood and stretched, looking annoyed.

"So what's the truth?"

"Don't worry. I'm her assistant, her assistant. You can imagine whatever you like about what comes next."

Just imagine.

With that, Kaim walked over to Shirona and the others.

Left behind, Karon and Latios looked at each other.

Kaim hadn't given a clear answer to the question, "Are you dating?" He had neither denied nor confirmed it. That meant she could take it either way.

He apparently didn't want to answer, no matter what. If Kaim was like that, Cynthia probably wouldn't want to say anything either.

"Adults are so sneaky!"

Latios gently stroked Karon's head as she puffed out her cheeks.

A few days later.

The day of the Water Race.

"Wow, there are more people than I expected."

Standing in front of the registration desk, Kaim let out an impressed exclamation.

There were more spectators than Kaim had imagined. Pengola hadn't been exaggerating about how much people loved festivals; the atmosphere was livelier than usual.

"It's one of this city's specialties."

"So? What are your chances of winning?"

"Who knows? But I don't intend to lose."

As an amateur, Kaim had no idea how likely Cynthia was to win. Even so, he believed she could take the championship. Her fiercely competitive smile only strengthened that feeling.

"All right. Will you be waiting for me?"

"Yes, I'll wait at the finish line."

"Then you won't get to see the start, will you?"

"True. For now, just watch me being brave."

"Yes, yes."

With that, Shirona joined the gathering participants.

"Now, as for me..."

Kaim took out his smartphone and began searching for the shortest route from the starting point to the finish.

He didn't notice Kaim's gaze following him from behind.

All the contestants gathered at the starting point, each waiting aboard a boat with a Water-type Pokémon attached to the reins.

Among them, Cynthia drew the most attention. After all, she was using a Milotic, which was very rare in the Johto Region. Kaim smiled wryly at her; a beautiful woman commanding the most beautiful Pokémon was bound to stand out.

As the start approached, the timer began its countdown.

After a count of three, the contestants set off together amid a burst of crackling noise.

Shirona glanced at Kaim on the bridge, then worked the reins and raced down the waterway.

"Now..."

The moment Cynthia disappeared from view, Kaim released Lucario and Blaziken from their Poké Balls and started running.

"I'm getting to the finish as fast as I can. Sorry for the trouble, but I'm counting on you."

Lucario and Blaziken understood what Kaim meant and followed him.

After running for a while, Kaim called out to the two.

Blaziken sprang in front of Kaim and clasped both hands together to form a foothold. Lucario jumped onto Kaim's back.

"Go!"

With that shout, Blaziken launched Kaim and Lucario into the air. They landed on a rooftop. Blaziken then kicked off the wall, climbed the building, and caught up with them.

"Thanks."

Kaim called out to the two of them as he ran again, heading for the water race's finish line.

To meet Cynthia at the finish line, Kaim planned to take the shortest possible route and arrive before her. He tried to do so with parkour, but Alto Mare's buildings were generally tall. Even with his training, Kaim thought taking the shortest route would be impossible, so he relied on the support of his two Fighting-type Pokémon.

Still, the Water-type Pokémon swimming across the water were fast.

He had heard about the race over the broadcast, but honestly, keeping up with this pace was difficult. Since this was an exhibition match, the course was much longer than usual, but even so, there was no telling whether he could make it on foot.

"Yeah, maybe we won't make it."

Not only was the footing poor on the rooftops, but the height also made it impossible to run at full speed. Even the shortest route was only a little shorter than the racecourse. He could barely keep up.

He hadn't wanted to resort to this, but just as he considered having Blaziken carry him, he suddenly sensed a presence beside him.

"Huh?"

There was nothing there. Yet something was there.

Remembering what had happened that day, Kaim immediately realized what it was.

"Latios?"

At those words, Latios partially dropped the invisibility. A translucent figure appeared.

Latios flew alongside the running Kaim and glanced at him without a word.

"Oh, wow! I never thought I'd get a chance like this!"

Understanding Latios's intention, Kaim quickly recalled Lucario and Blaziken into their Poké Balls and jumped onto Latios's back.

"I'll leave getting to the finish line to you."

Latios made Kaim invisible and accelerated.

Suddenly, a light flashed before his eyes.

"What?!"

Without warning, Kaim's view changed.

Meanwhile, Cynthia was struggling a little.

The race had reached its middle stage. Cynthia was currently in second place. There was barely any distance between her and the man in first, but she showed no sign of overtaking him.

He must be experienced. He's much better at handling the reins than I am. Milotic is faster in a straight line, but he can take turns without slowing down at all. I'd have to outdo him in technique. That's impossible. In that case, I'll have to make my move somewhere else.

With Kaim looking up to her so much, giving up as his teacher was out of the question. Even so, her current chances of winning were no more than fifty percent. Once she pulled ahead, she could widen the gap from there.

Where should I pull ahead?

Cynthia sensed a presence beside her. She couldn't see anything, but she could still feel its presence and its gaze.

Cynthia immediately knew what it was.

"Latias?"

Just as Cynthia murmured that name, the presence drew closer and touched her.

With a faint glow, something unbelievable appeared in her field of vision.

"Kaim?"

"Cynthia? What's going on here?"

Kaim was riding Latios. But they looked translucent, almost as though they weren't really there.

"This is a dream!"

"Is this Latias and Latios's Ability?"

Latios and Latias projected the Dream World into Cynthia's vision, letting her see Kaim riding Latios toward the finish line as she and Milotic headed there too.

"Wow, that's a clever trick."

"It feels strange. But being able to see what you see is nice."

"You can't handle the boat, can you?"

"Oh, be quiet. Are you trying to provoke me?"

"I am. Let's see it!"

At those words, Milotic accelerated.

The man in first noticed and picked up speed, but Cynthia's fired-up Milotic was faster still. The gap gradually narrowed, but then they approached a bend.

Cynthia didn't have the technique to turn without slowing down.

Yet Shirona wanted to show off in front of her student-someone important to her.

"More power! That's it!"

She took the turn without slowing down. Centrifugal force threatened to sweep the boat away, but she compensated with her natural sense of balance and Milotic's swimming, leaving courage to carry her through the rest.

There was no technique to it. If anything, she simply forced her way through.

It was messy, yet beautiful. Whatever it took, she didn't want to lose in front of Kaim. That thought kept Shirona on her feet.

Cynthia shot into first place as she cleared the corner without slowing down.

The race was decided. Cynthia grinned fearlessly at Kaim, who was the only one besides Latias and Latios who could see her.

"How's that?"

"All I can say is that you really did it. But I'll get to the finish line first."

"Of course. I want you to be there to see me."

"Leave it to me. Latios is the one doing the flying, though."

"That hardly counts."

"Never mind that. Just head for the finish line."

With that, Kaim disappeared.

Latias was still flying beside her, so he must have cut off Latias's dream.

"Come on, Milotic! One last sprint!"

On the final straight, Milotic accelerated further.

Cynthia's Milotic had a higher top speed than the other competitor. Once Cynthia overtook him on the last bend, her victory was practically assured.

She could see the finish line.

At the finish-line arch, she could see Kaim riding Latios. Of course, thanks to Latios's power, only Cynthia and Latias could see Kaim and his companion.

Kaim raised his right hand.

Understanding his intention, Cynthia let go of the reins with one hand.

The instant she crossed the finish line, Kaim and Cynthia's hands met with a crisp slap.

Night fell.

Shirona stood at the harbor, where the sound of the waves echoed.

"This feels nice."

The gentle night breeze soothed her as she looked up at the sky. The moon shone among a sky full of stars, and the sea glittered like gemstones in its light.

"What a lovely night."

Kaim spoke from behind her.

Latias and Latios were beside Kaim, with Umbreon riding on their backs.

"Oh, you two are here too."

"They've been beside you all along. Umbreon seems to have made friends with Latias. He wants to play."

"Fufu, that's good then."

Cynthia smiled as she watched Latias fly happily with Umbreon on her back.

"Is it all right for you to show yourselves like this? It'll be trouble if someone spots you."

"It's fine. They know that better than anyone."

In fact, only Cynthia and Kaim could see Latias and Latios. For Legendary Pokémon like Latias and Latios, making themselves visible only to certain people was no great feat.

"I really like this."

"Yes, they're so beautiful."

Cynthia held her prize up in the air, a medal made of Alto Mare specialty glass. A closer look at the blue glass revealed the shapes of Latias and Latios engraved on it.

The medal glittered in the moonlight.