Cynthia's Prank

"Hah."

"Oh my, is it break time?"

When he returned to the mountain cabin, the elderly caretaker greeted him.

Abra was sleeping next to the stove.

"Just sorting out some information and taking a break."

"How diligent. Now then, where is Cynthia?"

"She is completely absorbed in her own work, so she won't hear a thing right now. Once she gets like that, she loses sight of her surroundings."

"Is that so? Her concentration is truly astonishing."

"Even though I told her to take a break for a bit, she probably didn't hear a word of it."

The old man smiled as he watched Kaim shrug his shoulders.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. You two share a wonderful bond of trust."

"Since you didn't stop her, it means you trust her in your heart, doesn't it? Judging by the tone of your voice just now, if you really wanted her to rest, you'd even force her to do so."

"Because I'm a meddlesome person. I just can't leave things like that alone."

"That stems from your personality as well. However, Cynthia trusts Kaim, too. She knows you'll stop her before she pushes herself 'too far,' which is why she can immerse herself in it so completely. It's a wonderful relationship of trust."

Not knowing how to respond, Kaim simply took a sip of the warm tea.

"She is an important person to you."

"Yes. She is my mentor. I owe the position I have now largely to Cynthia."

"It's important to be able to express your feelings honestly."

"Yes."

"Changing the subject, was Kaim born in the Sinnoh Region?"

"No, I'm from the Hoenn Region."

"Oh. Then where did you and Cynthia meet?"

"We went to Corn University. There's a professor there that Cynthia knows, so..."

Strictly speaking, it was a bit different, but Kaim felt no need to explain it in detail here, so he gave a vague, summarized version.

"?"

Sensing movement behind him, Kaim turned his head to find that Abra had grabbed his clothes.

"What's wrong?"

"My, my, that's rare. Abra rarely warms up to others."

"Oh."

Kaim placed a hand on Abra's head and gently stroked it. While it didn't look as comfortable as Murkrow, it didn't show any particular expression of dislike, either.

"Kaim, Pokémon seem to like you."

"Cynthia said the exact same thing to me. Hey, be careful."

Using Teleport, Abra materialized right on top of Kaim's head.

"A bit heavy."

"Hahaha. I've never seen Abra act so playful with anyone."

"Can you do something about it?"

"Visitors are rare around here, so how about playing with it for a little while?"

"It's only break time."

During the remainder of the break, Kaim spent a little time playing with Abra, but much to his surprise, the mischievous Pokémon caused him quite a bit of trouble-though that was a story for another time.

Several hours had passed since the investigation began.

Cynthia remained focused entirely on her research. Normally, human concentration could not be sustained for very long, but she kept going with almost no loss of focus.

"It really is this one."

"Hey."

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, and Cynthia turned around to see Kaim standing there with a blank expression.

"Kaim, what's wrong?"

"You're focusing too much. You've been like this for a week, pushing yourself way too hard right from the start."

"Ah... time just flew by. Sorry, I didn't notice."

".Take a little break."

Kaim motioned for Cynthia to come with him.

They walked over to the entrance of the ruins, where Cynthia sat on a large stone while Kaim leaned against a pillar.

It had been snowing when they arrived, but it had stopped now. Judging that it should be fine to rest outside for a bit, Kaim poured a cup of warm tea from a thermos.

"Here."

"Thanks."

Cynthia took the cup and took a small sip of the tea.

She felt her chilled body warm up from the inside. Although she had taken anti-cold measures, conducting investigations in a freezing environment for long periods would inevitably chill one to the bone.

Her breath condensed into white wisps in the cold air. Moving only her eyes, Cynthia looked at Kaim, whose cheeks were also slightly flushed from the chill.

"Ah... warm."

"Could you exercise a little self-control?"

"Hehe, yeah. Truly, I know I have a tendency to over-focus, and I've considered fixing it before-though I haven't taken action, I at least want to find a way to manage it."

There had been a time when she pushed her body to its absolute limits and even collapsed.

She hadn't met Kaim yet back then, and fortunately, her Pokémon helped her out a great deal so she remained safe, but it caused unnecessary worry and trouble for others, making it a painful memory for her.

"Then put that into practice."

"It's fine now."

"Why?"

"Because you're here."

"What?"

"You'll stop me when I unconsciously push myself too hard, won't you?"

"You really know how to tease me."

"In fact, you made me rest right now. See, you've already stopped me."

Kaim neither confirmed nor denied it.

For Kaim, worrying over others had simply become a habit. Because of that, he wasn't doing it consciously. Even if the other person weren't Cynthia, he certainly would have done the exact same thing.

"You're gentle. That's why you can't just silently watch those around you doing things without regard for themselves. You're just that kind of person."

"Maybe."

"You'll stop me. I know that, which is why I can throw myself completely into my research and battles."

"If you're aware of it, exercise a little self-restraint."

"No."

"Hey, don't be like that."

"Because I like it when you look after me like this."

Faced with Cynthia looking at him with a mischievous smile, Kaim could say nothing and let out a sigh.

His ears were turning red not just from the cold.

"I am able to juggle all of this now precisely because of your help. I'm grateful to you."

"It's nothing. I don't do it to be thanked."

"My, then why do you look after me?"

Kaim was fundamentally a meddlesome person, but he didn't meddle with everyone. He didn't poke his nose into everyone's business, nor was Kaim some kind of saint.

Yet, after establishing a certain level of rapport with someone, he would start looking out for them. It was simply a matter of his nature not letting him ignore them, and though Cynthia didn't actually know why, she knew this about him and posed the question anyway.

Naturally, she also did it just to tease Kaim.

"Let's see."

"You're a meddlesome person, but you don't interfere excessively with others. Yet with me, you interfere a great deal. Why?"

".Perhaps because I'm your assistant, that's the most common reason. Though I considered deliberately making up a different reason, I honestly couldn't think of one-a special reason, that is."

Kaim crossed his arms and twisted his neck in thought, yet still found no reason. He couldn't even come up with a plausible excuse.

"My."

"Reasons don't matter."

"Are you being good to me for no reason at all?"

Cynthia asked Kaim with a hint of urgency, but upon hearing his reply, her words abruptly ceased.

"Ah-ah. Because I like doing it."

"?"

"I should get back to the investigation soon."

"Ah, wa-wait a minute."

Wearing a smirk born of a successful retaliation, Kaim headed straight back inside the ruins.

Left behind, Cynthia sat back down and buried her face in both hands.

"Uu-uu..."

Cynthia's face, visible through the gaps in her fingers, was flushed red.

Anyone who didn't know Kaim would probably interpret those words just now as "I like meddling."

Yet while Kaim was meddlesome, he had never publicly declared that he enjoyed being meddlesome. In truth, he didn't enjoy meddling at all; he simply acted that way toward people he cared about.

In other words, the true meaning of his words just now was...

"He's only honest at times like this."

Usually, he overflowed with love for Pokémon, but toward humans, he was essentially cold. It wasn't because he disliked people, but rather that he couldn't bring himself to treat them with genuine sincerity.

That was why Kaim had rarely bared his true feelings to Cynthia, and precisely because she understood this, she chose this exact moment to openly express her own sincere feelings.

"Oh, seriously, everything feels all mixed up."

Feeling the relaxation at the corners of her mouth and the heat in her face, Cynthia took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks to snap herself out of it.

"Right!"

Resolving to exact payback somewhere down the line, Cynthia returned to her investigative work.

"Good work today, see you tomorrow."

"Thank you. Please take care of me tomorrow as well."

After night fell, the two were escorted back to the town by the old man and his Abra.

Watching the old man and Abra head home via Teleport, Cynthia turned to Kaim.

"Good work~"

"Ah-ah."

"As expected of a newly discovered ruin. There are still plenty of unsolved mysteries waiting for us. Anyway, let's back up this data first, then go get dinner."

"Indeed. It's not too late yet, so the restaurants should still be open."

The town wasn't very large, meaning choices were limited, but they managed to find a few promising-looking places on their smartphones.

Cynthia cast a stealthy glance at Kaim's smartphone screen and turned hers toward him.

"Which one looks good?"

"Ah! How about this one?"

"Japanese cuisine. Looks good."

"Then let's head right over. I'm starving."

"I feel the same way."

Despite the fact that she should have been exhausted from the long investigation, Cynthia's steps were light.

"Should we make a reservation in advance?"

Even at a time like this, Kaim's secretarial instincts remained active.

After finishing the data backup, the two headed toward the reserved restaurant.

"This is it."

"Very nice. It has a bit of a Johto Region vibe to it. I like it."

"You really do like the Johto Region, don't you, Cynthia?"

"Every region has its own distinct character. Among those features, I feel the Johto Region suits me best after the Sinnoh Region."

"If Cynthia thinks so, then it must be true."

"I'd like to visit the Verdant Region next time."

"Take me with you."

"You know your way around, right?"

"Ah-ah, leave it to me."

As they stepped into the restaurant, memories of the Verdant Region drifted back to them.

The interior atmosphere was serene, yet customers filled the seats in an unbroken stream.

"Welcome."

"I have a reservation under Kaim."

"Welcome. Right this way."

Guided by the waitstaff, they arrived at a private room.

While not overly spacious, it was just right for the two of them.

"Here's the menu. Once you've decided, please press the button over there to call us. Take your time and enjoy."

That was all the server said before closing the door.

"Wow. The server was wearing a kimono."

"Yeah. It's pricey, but it feels really upscale."

"I'm glad we found a place like this. But why a private room?"

"You need to think about how famous you are. The staff might be fine, but if the Champion suddenly showed up among the customers, it could cause a bit of a panic."

"That's true."

In truth, they were both a little happy to have some time alone, but after what had just happened, Cynthia couldn't openly express her delight.

If Kaim said something like "I wanted to be alone with you" right then, she probably wouldn't be able to keep her composure. So Cynthia chose not to pursue the subject and opened the menu instead.

"I'll have the sashimi set."

"I'll have the yuan-yaki set."

"What's yuan-yaki?"

"Fish grilled in a sauce made from yuzu, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar."

"That sounds delicious."

"Want a bite?"

"No, thank you."

That surprised Kaim.

Normally, Cynthia would ask for a bite at a time like this. Since she hadn't, Kaim concluded that she probably wasn't very interested in the dish.

That idea, however, was soon dispelled.

"Make it for me next time."

Cynthia's words left Kaim stunned.

His thoughts stopped for a moment, then quickly started moving again.

"Make what?"

"That yuan-yaki."

"You can definitely make it, right? I'm really curious about it."

"Then I'll give you a bite. You can decide after that."

"No, I want yuan-yaki made by you, Kaim."

Cynthia said it with a smile that would turn anyone's head, while Kaim gazed at her ruefully. Soon, though, he sighed as if giving in.

"If that's how it is, you don't even need to ask me."

"."

"All right. I'll check the recipe."

"Yay."

With that, Cynthia inwardly rejoiced at having something else to look forward to once she got back.

Afterward, the two finished their meal and left the restaurant, though one of the staff asked Cynthia for an autograph on their way out-but that was another story.