After breakfast, Cynthia returned to her room, saying she would change clothes before heading out for the recording.
I handed the washed dishes to Blaziken and Lucario beside me. The Blaziken couple dried the dishes with the towels in their hands, then put them back in the cupboard. After finishing the dishes, I drained the sink and wiped away the water without any trouble. Just as I finished everything and was drying my hands, Cynthia came downstairs.
"Oh, those clothes?"
"Yes. When people think of me, this is part of the picture, right?"
Cynthia wore her usual black coat and trousers. She often wore this outfit when she appeared in magazines and other media. She rarely wore it in summer because of the heat, and there were some seasonal variations during the rest of the year, but plenty of people probably liked the image of Cynthia in these clothes.
"If it's on television, it'll be broadcast throughout Sinnoh. Isn't this a good choice?"
"Right?"
In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that this outfit was the reason black had become Cynthia's signature color.
The outfit was familiar, yet something about it felt strange.
"?"
"What's wrong?"
"Doesn't something feel a little different?"
"If something feels off, maybe it's this?"
Cynthia pointed to her neck. She was pointing at the Black Stone Choker she had bought in the Isshu Region.
"I usually wear a fur necklace, so perhaps that's why it feels strange."
"Oh, that explains it. I see."
"I've been wearing it a lot lately, but this might be the first time I've paired it with this outfit."
"Really."
"What do you think? Does it suit me?"
"Yeah."
It was only a single word, but it reached Shirona's ears clearly. That one word warmed Cynthia's heart. I gave