The two beneath the moonlight

A rock jutted out of the ground where Garchomp had struck and attacked Empoleon.

"Water Pulse!"

Water Pulse stopped the protruding rock.

I thought the follow-up attack would come right away, but Garchomp hadn't moved from his previous position.

*?*

Hikari felt doubtful, but immediately changed her mind and gave Empoleon an order.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

The dragon wave struck at an angle, deflecting Hydro Pump. The diverted Hydro Pump landed beside Garchomp.

Then Cynthia noticed. The area around Garchomp was flooded.

"!"

"Ice Beam!"

Garchomp dodged Empoleon's Ice Beam.

However, Hikari had already accounted for him dodging. The purpose of this Ice Beam was to freeze the field, not inflict damage.

"Don't do that."

Icy Wind lowered his speed, while the frozen field made it difficult to stand, further slowing Garchomp, who struggled with ice.

This meant Garchomp had been completely locked down.

"Garchomp's strengths are his high attack power and speed. Swords Dance can boost his attack, but Garchomp can't learn a move that raises his speed!"

With this footing and my current speed, there's no way to dodge Ice Beam. Considering his remaining stamina, even accounting for the level difference, Garchomp couldn't withstand it.

"Epert! Aqua Jet!"

The stream of water slid over the icy footing, surging toward Garchomp with even greater force than before.

Close the distance with Aqua Jet, then land Ice Beam at point-blank range!

Unable to move smoothly on the slippery footing, Garchomp was struck by Aqua Jet. His remaining stamina fell to around twenty percent.

"This ends it! Ice Beam!"

Ice energy gathered in Empoleon's mouth.

At such close range, dodging Ice Beam would have been impossible even under the best conditions.

Hikari was certain of victory.

But just then, Cynthia came into view. Beneath her black coat, her eyes flickered, but the fight in them had not died.

"Wait! Empoleon! Wait!"

"Cancel!"

Empoleon, who had gathered ice energy, was sent flying upward, and Garchomp's Rage Point boosted his power. Empoleon immediately defended himself with Steel Wing, but his stamina dropped sharply.

Oh no! I didn't dodge Aqua Jet! I deliberately took it to build up my Rage Point! And the reason I didn't follow up earlier was to use Swords Dance again! I was guarding against it. The damage I just took proves it!

"I'll show you how terrifying a cornered dragon can be!"

With a roar, Garchomp stamped down, shattering the ice-covered field. The ground itself barely changed, but the icy footing collapsed.

His attack power was that high?!

"Garchomp! Do it!"

"Empoleon!"

Struck directly on the chin, Ept staggered slightly. His Steel typing made Dragon-type moves less effective; otherwise, he would already have been unable to fight.

Both were covered in wounds. But she could not afford to lose.

"Water Pulse!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

The moves collided and unleashed their force. The aftermath flooded the battlefield again.

With this much stamina left, Empoleon's ability, Torrent, would activate!

Epert also understood Hikari's intention and used Nasty Plot.

A massive volume of water rose beneath Empoleon's feet, then surged toward Garchomp in wave after wave.

"Surf!"

For a moment, Shirona did not know how to deal with the enormous wave before her.

Just then, the ornament on Cynthia's hair clip brushed against her hair.

"I'll defeat you head-on! Garchomp! Draco Meteor!"

The meteors summoned by Garchomp collided with Empoleon's enormous wave with a thunderous roar.

The moves did not cancel each other out; instead, their aftermath wore down both Pokémon's stamina. Each had only ten percent left.

Now that Torrent's power had increased, Aqua Jet could finish him off!

Certain of this, Hikari immediately gave Empoleon an order.

"Epert! Aqua Jet!"

But Cynthia did not move.

Knowing Aqua Jet was coming, she calculated the timing needed to overpower it head-on.

"Garchomp."

She looked straight at Hikari as she spoke.

"Rebellion."

Despite his rage and madness, Garchomp moved without losing his reason, meeting Empoleon's Aqua Jet head-on with physical strength enhanced by anger.

Smoke rose with a roar, and the field vanished from view.

"Oh!"

Hikari instinctively covered her face with both hands.

Cynthia, meanwhile, stared straight at the field, unconcerned by the dust coating her face.

The smoke cleared.

Two figures stood there.

Empoleon's beak had not reached Garchomp, while Garchomp's arm had caught Empoleon squarely.

Empoleon had lost consciousness while still standing.

"Apt is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner of this match is Champion Cynthia!"

Deafening cheers filled the Stadium.

Hikari returned Epert to his ball and took a deep breath.

"Haah."

What Hikari felt now was not merely the frustration of defeat, but the sense that it was all over.

The battle with Cynthia was so much fun and so fulfilling that I wanted to keep fighting. A glance at the clock showed that nearly an hour had passed since the battle began. It had been an evenly matched fight.

"Hikari."

Before she knew it, Cynthia was standing in front of her. Large beads of sweat dripped down her face, which wore a refreshed smile.

"Cynthia."

"That was a wonderful battle."

"Yes. I had a lot of fun."

"I never expected you to push me this far. You're an incredible Trainer!"

"Thank you very much."

"So did I. That really was a wonderful battle. Let's do it again."

"Yes! Let's battle again!"

The two shook hands and waved to the audience.

Meanwhile, Shirona turned her gaze toward the gate. When Kaim noticed her looking, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, as expected, and he mouthed, "Well done."

Filled with gratitude, Shirona smiled and said, "Thank you."

Amid the cheers, the commentator came onto the field to conduct an interview.

"Champion, congratulations on defending your title once again!"

"Thank you."

"The final battle was incredibly spectacular and intense."

"It's been a while since I was pushed into a corner, so I got fired up too."

"What do you think decided the outcome this time?"

"That's a difficult question. So many things built up to create that situation that it's hard to sum it up in a single word."

"I see. Victory comes from the accumulation of little things. Next, we'll move on to the award ceremony, but first, please say a few final words to everyone."

Cynthia took the microphone and turned toward the audience.

"Thank you to everyone who supported me. Thanks to your support, I've been able to claim the Champion title again. I didn't get where I am today through my efforts alone. Together... I can stand here thanks to the Pokémon I've spent my time with, everyone who has supported me, and everyone who stood by me. I'm grateful to everyone who supported me. Thank you."

Cynthia waved amid the cheers, returned the microphone, shook hands with Hikari one last time, and left the field.

The two Trainers left the pristine playing field to thunderous cheers.

Night.

The League was over, and a nighttime festival was now being held across Lily of the Valley Island.

The once-bustling Stadium was now deserted, with only security guards and staff preparing the fireworks for the finale.

Kaim stood at the entrance to the roof of that Stadium. The lights of the festivities surrounding it spread out below, and he looked down at the people enjoying themselves with his usual expressionless face.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the festival?"

A woman approached Kaim from behind.

Before he knew it, Cynthia was there.

"I'm working."

"Even though the other Gym Trainers are patrolling to keep the festival safe?"

"Orders from above. Besides, I don't like crowded places like that."

"I thought you'd say that."

In a good mood, Cynthia leaned against the same railing as Kaim.

"Be careful."

"Yes."

It was a considerable drop below the railing. Falling would have been unfortunate, but Kaim knew perfectly well that Cynthia was not the sort to make that mistake.

"Finished your interviews?"

"Yes, I've finished the photos too, so my work is done for now. I'll make a brief appearance at the closing ceremony, but that's no big deal."

"I see."

A brief silence passed.

Since the Sinnoh Region was in the north, its nights were cool even in summer. The breeze felt pleasant.

"You defended your title this time."

"It was very close. Kaim, you really have explosive power, and it was incredibly tough."

"I just thought, 'That's an exceptionally good Trainer.'"

"I'm so lucky to be able to fight alongside a Trainer like that."

As she spoke, Cynthia sat on the bench by the entrance, and Kaim sat beside her.

"Kaim, you said you're working. Is this all right?"

"I'm the security guard here. Everyone wants to go to the afterparty, so no one wants to come somewhere like this in their free time. My shifts are flexible, so I figured I should be the one to do it."

"You're so devoted."

"I just think I should fulfill my obligations and show some humanity."

Shirona smiled at Kaim's unchanging attitude.

After taking a breath, Shirona began to speak.

"Kaim."

"Yes?"

"Thank you. It's thanks to you that I was able to defend my title this time."

"I was just doing my job as your assistant."

"I thought you'd say that."

All the lights around them suddenly went out.

Cheers erupted at the same time.

"It's time for the fireworks."

"Is it that late already?"

A fireball rose from the center of the Stadium and burst in the sky, blossoming into a flower of colored light.

The two near the Stadium looked up at the fireworks.

"Beautiful..."

Illuminated by one firework after another, Cynthia's profile looked breathtakingly beautiful, and a little otherworldly.

"Yes, truly beautiful."

Who were those words meant for?

"Hey, Kaim."

"Yes?"

"I can be Champion now because of your support. Without you all, I couldn't have won."

"Unusually pessimistic."

"Maybe. But that's how I feel right now."

"I've known you for over two years now. I never imagined you'd become someone so important to me."

"Really?"

"It's thanks to you all that I've made it this far."

Other than her family, there was no one she cared for this deeply. Cynthia was so attentive to Kaim, and she felt the same way.

"Really."

His husky voice seemed to vanish amid the fireworks.

But that voice did reach Cynthia's ears, and she continued.

"I made a few decisions during this tournament."

"In the finals, I would fight wearing this Arceus you gave me. Without it, I don't think I could have beaten Dawn."

"As the person who gave it to you, that's good to hear. And? What else?"

"The other thing was to thank you properly if I won."

"I see. Then you've already done that."

"No."

At Kaim's words, Cynthia shook her head.

Cynthia gazed at Kaim with moist eyes. Kaim remembered the feeling of being drawn into those eyes.

"There's still more?"

"I decided that if I won, I would tell you how I felt."

Cynthia looked into Kaim's eyes.

The instant Kaim's eyes widened slightly, the largest firework rose into the sky.

"Kaim, I love you as a man."

Though she spoke at the same moment the firework burst, her words reached Kaim's ears without being drowned out.

"Hehe. Ah, I said it."

Cynthia smiled like a child whose prank had been discovered.

I've already decided. Even if Kaim rejected her, Cynthia could no longer keep these feelings to herself.

Kaim lowered his eyes, then looked up at the sky again.

"These past two years have been the most fulfilling of my life."

Kaim uncrossed his arms and began to speak.

"I'm not saying the nearly twenty years before that were meaningless."

"Yes."

"Everything I've been able to do is thanks to you, Cynthia."

"Those two years with you helped me grow."

It was Cynthia who had changed his life so dramatically. Until he went to university, he had traveled to many places without any great goal.

Kaim believed he had grown not only as a trainer and a scholar, but also as a person.

Above all, he had found a place where he felt his soul telling him, from the bottom of his heart, "This is where I want to be."

"Where?"

"Ugh, damn it."

"Yes, baring your heart really is embarrassing."

"I didn't know that."

Blushing and scratching his head, Kaim turned to Cynthia.

"I want to stay by your side, Cynthia. My heart, my soul-they're crying out to be with you."

"When you cry, laugh, or feel happy, when your heart trembles, I want to be closer than anyone else to see it. I want to share what's in your heart."

"I want to live beside you, Cynthia."

Kaim spoke without looking away.

Cynthia smiled and placed her hand over Kaim's.

"Will you stay by my side forever?"

"Are you sure I'm good enough?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I'll stay forever."

"Will you always hold my hand?"

"I'll never let go. Ever."

Her fingers clasped his hand, and Cynthia wrapped her arm around Kaim's.

"Don't let go."

"Yeah."

Cynthia rested her head on Kaim's shoulder.

They were close enough to hear each other's heartbeats, just as they had been one night before.

"Thank you."

"That's my line."

They watched the fireworks bloom, feeling each other's warmth.

The final, enormous firework illuminated them both.

Their shadows merged into one, and as the firework faded, that shadow dissolved into the night.

They felt each other's presence in the darkness.

The battle was over.

But the road went on.

That day, their paths became one, and they vowed to each other that they would walk the same road together from then on.

Night quietly drew near.

The full moon shone in the sky, as though blessing them both.

After a long flight, they finally arrived at their destination, Mistralton City.

After getting off the plane, collecting their luggage, and leaving the terminal, Cynthia stretched with all her might.

"We're finally here!"

It had been a long journey, and stretching helped loosen her stiff body.

Kaim turned his head, his joints cracking.

"It's been a while. It's good to be back."

"Yeah."

"We're using Caitlin's villa as our base again, so her butler, Mr. Cochran, should be here to pick us up."

As Cynthia looked around, she spotted an elderly man dressed as a butler.

"Oh, there he is."

"I've been waiting for you, Lady Cynthia, Master Kaim."

"It's been a while, Mr. Cochran."

"Indeed. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Cochran smiled gently as he spoke.

"Thank you for coming all this way to pick us up."

"Not at all. Lady Caitlin asked me to."

"Right. How is Caitlin?"

"She's very much looking forward to seeing you both."

"Hehe, then we shouldn't keep her waiting. Sorry for the trouble."

"Please, lead the way."

They followed Cochran to the car.

They loaded their suitcases into the trunk and got in.

"Well then, let us be off."

"Yes."

Cochran started the engine and pulled away.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Lady Cynthia. Congratulations once again on defending your title as Sinnoh Region Champion."

"Oh, thank you."

"I was able to watch it live with Lady Caitlin."

"It was the toughest battle I've had in years, but that made it all the more enjoyable."

A battle like that was exceedingly rare. For one thing, few trainers could match Cynthia's strength, but considering what had been at stake, it might have been one of the two greatest battles of her life.

"That was the first time I'd seen you pushed that far, Lady Cynthia."

"Perhaps."

"To think you could win a battle like that. Just what I would expect of you, Lady Cynthia."

"I didn't do it alone. It was because my Pokémon responded to my wishes. And..."

Cynthia broke off and turned her gaze toward Kaim, who was fiddling with a tablet beside her.

"My supporter was wonderful."

"Hehe, indeed. Master Kaim."

"I'm honored."

"You don't have to be embarrassed."

"Shut up."

Cynthia poked Kaim's cheek with a finger, and he brushed her hand away, but she did not miss the way his expression softened slightly.

Smiling at the two young people, Cochran drove toward Shallow Wave Town.

The moment they got out of the car, they heard the waves. Under the intense sunlight, Shirona involuntarily narrowed her eyes.

"This is still such a lovely place."

Feeling the sea breeze, Shirona took a deep breath. She could feel the scent of the tide and the fresh air filling her lungs.

Beside the sea, the beautiful Shallow Parallel Town attracted many vacationers. As a result, it was crowded this time of year. It was not a large town, but its many lodging facilities made it clear how many people visited.

Of course, the two of them were staying at Caitlin's villa rather than in tourist accommodations.

"No matter how many times I see it, this mansion is enormous."

Kaim gave a wry smile at the villa before him.

It not only overlooked the sea, but was also close to the beach. It even had a small pool. The fact that this mansion, larger than Cynthia's home, was merely a villa rather than a main residence made Kaim feel the gulf between them.

"I'll carry your luggage to your rooms."

"No need. Just tell me where the rooms are, and I'll carry it myself."

"Then let me take half, and we can go together."

"All right, I'll take half."

"Of course. Lady Shirona, Lady Caitlin is waiting for you in the guest room."

"Um, but..."

She felt uncomfortable going off alone to see Caitlin while the other two carried the luggage.

Seeing through Cynthia's thoughts, Kaim spoke.

"Don't worry. Caitlin wants to see you, so go on ahead."

"All right. Thank you."

Looking slightly apologetic, Shirona entered the mansion first.

Kaim took out the luggage, closed the trunk, and turned to Cochran.

"All right, please take half."

"Please, take your pick."

Kaim bent down to lift the heavy luggage. As he did, the pendant beneath his clothes slipped into view. A blue ring hung from it. Cochran had recently seen a similar ring.

If I remember correctly, Lady Cynthia was wearing a red ring on her finger.

Looking closely, he noticed small blue earrings on Kaim's ears. Cynthia was supposed to be wearing earrings of the same shape.

I see.

That alone gave Cochran a fairly good idea of what had happened.

I wonder what Caitlin will say. Still, it's good to be young.

He instinctively regarded Kaim with warmth, but Kaim had begun carrying the luggage and did not notice Cochran's reaction.

In the living room sat a sleepy-eyed girl with long, wavy blonde hair.

"It's been a while, Caitlin."

"It's been a while, Miss Cynthia."

"Yes."