Unova region, Nimbasa City.
Grey and Caitlin spent a while walking around Nimbasa City.
They rode things like the roller coaster and bumper cars.
They did not go on that many attractions, mostly because the lines were too long.
Even so, Caitlin was still enjoying herself.
After all, she was at an amusement park with Grey.
By the time night fell, they had reached the familiar Ferris wheel again.
"When we rode the Ferris wheel last time, I couldn't calmly enjoy the view. Now that I'm looking at it properly, it really has a charm of its own…"
Caitlin leaned against the viewing window, her gaze lingering on the flowing lights of the city outside, a faint smile blooming at the corners of her lips.
"It does."
Grey followed her gaze and gave a slight nod.
Caitlin could not help pouting at him. "Is 'it does' all I can ever hear from you? Can't you say something else?"
Grey thought about it seriously for a moment, then calmly nodded again. "It certainly does."
"…"
Caitlin nearly lost her composure. Just as she was about to say something else, Grey spoke first. "Mainly, I wasn't really looking at the scenery back then either, so I can't come up with anything nice to say about it."
Curious, she asked, "Then what were you looking at?"
Grey did not answer. He simply looked at Caitlin in silence.
"Um…"
The moment Caitlin met Grey's eyes, her cheeks instantly flushed pink, and even the tips of her ears took on a faint blush.
She lowered her eyes without thinking, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the hem of her skirt.
"Jerk… Why are you being so direct…"
Caitlin had not expected Grey to be so honest, and her voice trembled before she realized it.
Grey merely smiled at that without saying anything else, then turned his gaze back to the flowing nightscape outside.
The night was gentle.
Grey looked out at the sky.
It had been a long time since he had quietly appreciated a view like this.
The last time he had paid attention to the night sky was when he admired the moon with Sabrina at the Fighting Dojo.
Now, sitting with Caitlin inside the slowly rising Ferris wheel, he tasted a different kind of mood.
It was a feeling that could not be described.
There were no words for it.
For a short while, neither of them spoke.
When the cabin rose to its highest point, Caitlin was just about to speak, but then she saw Grey gently point outside the window.
Boom!
Blue lotus-shaped fireworks suddenly bloomed across the night sky.
The cyan-blue petals unfurled gracefully beneath the darkness, an astonishing sight.
Caitlin let out a soft gasp before she realized it. "So pretty!"
The moment she finished speaking, Caitlin turned her gaze back and happened to meet Grey's eyes.
She understood at once.
These blue lotus fireworks filling the sky had to be a surprise Grey had carefully prepared for her.
Unlike their slightly rushed Ferris wheel ride last time, Grey had clearly made thorough preparations this time.
Thinking of that, Caitlin rose lightly and moved from the seat across from him to sit beside Grey.
Last time, Grey had been the one to take the initiative and move closer.
This time, it was her turn to take that step.
"Grey, you're running all over the world helping people, and you don't care about fame or profit or anything like that. What exactly are you doing it for?"
Caitlin gently leaned against Grey's shoulder, her voice carrying a touch of confusion.
Although Grey was busy, he never chased honors like Champion titles. That kind of pure effort made her curious.
Hmm…
With Grey's personality, he did not seem like the type to be some bleeding-heart do-gooder, right?
So what exactly was it for?
Caitlin could not understand.
"Let's just say I'm building up some connections," Grey answered while lightly rubbing his chin.
Caitlin blinked. Grey's answer only confused her more.
With Grey's current strength and status, why would he still need to deliberately manage relationships?
If some painfully cliché plot really happened, wouldn't he just have Reshiram and Kyurem flatten everything?
Grey only smiled faintly and did not explain any further.
Seeing that, Caitlin stopped pressing him. Instead, she picked up her phone, opened the selfie camera, and handed it over. "I won't ask anymore. Before we reach the bottom, let's take a picture together."
"Sure."
Grey took the phone and adjusted the angle.
"Okay, three, two, one… cheese."
Just as the shutter was about to click, Caitlin suddenly leaned sideways and gently planted a kiss on his cheek.
The sudden kiss left Grey a little dazed.
Caitlin, however, had already sat back across from him as if nothing had happened, casually taking her phone back as though that movement had never occurred.
"When you're done with all this, remember to go on vacation with me in the Alola region, okay?"
Caitlin had originally wanted to ask Grey to stay the night, but when she thought of the unresolved crisis in the Hoenn region, she ultimately swallowed those words back down.
Grey nodded and agreed. "Definitely."
After the two of them made that promise, the Ferris wheel was almost back at the bottom.
When the Ferris wheel slowly descended to the ground, Lacey had already been waiting at the platform for quite a while.
She noticed the subtle atmosphere between the two of them, and a trace of doubt crossed her eyes, but in the end, she did not ask about it.
However, there was still something else she needed to ask right now.
"Gym Leader Grey, do you have any plans after this?" Lacey asked softly.
"I'm getting ready to head to the Hoenn region. There are still things there I haven't finished dealing with," Grey answered.
Lacey nodded thoughtfully. After a brief hesitation, she said, "There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Would this be a convenient time?"
"No problem. Go ahead."
Grey nodded to show that she could speak freely.
Lacey organized her thoughts, then invited him. "Gym Leader Grey, would you be interested in coming to Blueberry Academy as an instructor? We really need an experienced Trainer like you to guide our students."
"Hmm…"
Faced with Lacey's invitation, Grey fell into brief thought, then met her gaze. "Hard to say."
Seeing this, Lacey waved her hand. "It's okay, it's okay. Gym Leader Grey, you don't need to answer right away. You can think it over carefully after you finish handling the matters in Hoenn."
"That works. We'll talk about it later."
Grey nodded.
"Mhm. Then I won't bother you two anymore. See you again if fate allows. Bye-bye."
After Lacey politely said goodbye, only Grey and Caitlin were left in the amusement park.
As the night breeze blew past, Caitlin's cheeks were still red.
She quietly touched her still-warm cheek with her fingertips and glanced at Grey from the corner of her eye from time to time.
Only after the fact did she start to feel shy about the sudden kiss she had given him earlier.
Caitlin asked softly, "When are you leaving for the Hoenn region?"
Grey thought for a moment. "Very soon. Maybe in a little while. We'll talk for a bit longer, then I'll have Riolu send me back."
"So soon…"
When Caitlin heard that, a look of disappointment flashed through her eyes despite herself.
Grey naturally noticed Caitlin's downcast mood. He gently pulled her into his arms and said warmly beside her ear, "Once I finish the serious business in Hoenn, I'll come back and handle some serious business here."
"!!!"
That promise made the tips of Caitlin's ears turn faintly red, and the melancholy from earlier instantly turned into anticipation.
As for the serious business Grey meant…
It was way too embarrassing.
The two of them walked for a while longer.
"Then I'll get going."
With Riolu's help, Grey's figure gradually disappeared.
Caitlin watched Grey's fading silhouette as she stood alone in the darkening amusement park.
After Grey's figure vanished, Caitlin lit up her phone screen and gently tapped the album icon.
The picture they had taken at the highest point of the Ferris wheel entered her eyes. In the image, she was leaning intimately against Grey's shoulder, gently kissing his cheek.
As for the background, blue lotus fireworks were blooming across the sky.
"I'll post this to my socials first."
Caitlin carefully chose a filter, making the glow of the fireworks look even dreamier. Finally, she added the caption, "Tonight's starlight can't compare to you," and set it so that only mutual friends could see it.
After the post went through, she repeatedly opened that photo, her fingertip gently tracing Grey's outline in the picture while a gentle smile unconsciously curved her lips.
…
…
Sinnoh region, Pokémon League.
Cynthia was playing on her phone in her office. As she casually refreshed her social feed, she suddenly froze.
She saw the post Caitlin had just made.
That caption. That picture.
Tsk.
Cynthia repeatedly zoomed in on the photo to confirm it, then finally held her forehead and sighed softly. "When did those two get this far…"
Cynthia had long since grown used to her best friend being this proactive.
After all, Caitlin's feelings for Grey had already been obvious during this period of time together.
But now, looking at Caitlin's undisguised intimacy in the photo, along with the carefully arranged blue lotus fireworks filling the background, Cynthia still could not help sighing.
Such an open display of affection really did not seem like something that elegant, reserved heiress would usually do…
Clearly, Cynthia had mistaken the "fireworks" Reshiram had launched for something Caitlin had prepared while "pursuing" Grey.
She lifted her coffee thoughtfully, not expecting things to progress so quickly.
Just as Cynthia was staring at her phone in thought, the office door was gently pushed open.
Lucian and Aaron walked in carrying thick stacks of files. The two diligent Elite Four members exchanged helpless looks the moment they saw that familiar expression on Cynthia's face.
"You're here."
A smile curved Cynthia's lips.
The two of them had arrived at just the right time.
It saved her the trouble of calling them.
Lucian, Aaron: "…"
The moment they heard that, both of them knew it was over.
They would definitely have to do the work themselves.
Sigh. Life was too hard.
Lucian pushed up his glasses. Nothing more needed to be said.
Aaron had already resigned himself to his fate and started organizing the files on the desk, even neatly setting out the energy drinks necessary for overtime.
Cynthia stood up and took the documents, giving her two capable assistants an apologetic smile. "I'll have to trouble you with overtime again."
Lucian said with feigned elegance, "It is our honor to share your burdens."
Of course, although Lucian's tone was calm, he had already started silently calculating the amount of paperwork they would need to handle tonight.
Most likely…
It would be another sleepless night.
Aaron scratched his head and laughed brightly. "Haha, it's fine, it's fine. My newly caught Pokémon happen to need some special training anyway, so I can watch them while working overtime."
As he spoke, he released several Bug-type Pokémon. The little ones had already started skillfully helping tidy up the scattered documents.
Seeing this, Cynthia handed her phone to the two of them. "The office work isn't that urgent. You two should order some late-night food first. Once it gets here, we can eat while working."
"Whoa! Thanks, Cynthia! You're the best!"
Aaron happily leaned over, his finger already sliding across the screen.
He had thought this was just part of the Elite Four's work, but it turned out there was an unexpected bonus.
He could eat barbecue on Cynthia's dime!
Perfect!
"Uh… I'll just…"
Lucian was just about to politely refuse, but Aaron grabbed his arm. "Lucian, why are you acting so polite? Last time, when you came to my place in the middle of the night to discuss work, you ate through all my snacks."
"Ahem…"
Exposed by Aaron on the spot, Lucian coughed unnaturally, the base of his ears turning slightly red.
Amusement appeared in Cynthia's eyes. After they finished placing the order, she quietly took her coat and left the office.
Once Cynthia left, Aaron and Lucian returned to "normal" and immediately threw themselves into work.
However, with their Pokémon helping, the work did become much easier.
…
…
When Grey returned to the Hoenn region, the midnight bell had already rung.
He brought several Legendary Pokémon down onto the top of Sky Pillar. Sensing the auras of a group of Legendaries, Rayquaza thought enemies had come knocking at its door.
In the end, it was Grey returning.
Rayquaza slowly raised the dragon head it had been resting atop the pillar.
But when it clearly saw the lineup following behind him, even it could not help freezing slightly.
Besides familiar first-tier Legendary Pokémon like Groudon, Kyogre, Reshiram, and Kyurem, there was actually Lugia, along with an unknown Pokémon giving off a Legendary aura.
What concerned it the most was the purple-white figure floating in midair and releasing unique psychic waves.
It was Mewtwo.
Rayquaza narrowed its vertical pupils in confusion. This life-form, which was neither Pokémon nor human, carried an aura that even made it feel wary.
Mewtwo did not meet Rayquaza's gaze. Instead, it suddenly lifted its head toward the night sky, a pale blue glow rising in its pupils.
It sensed special energy ripples coming from beyond the atmosphere.
That was Psychic-type energy permeated by cosmic particles, piercing through the ozone layer at a unique frequency…
Mewtwo unconsciously spread its hands, and a faint protective film of light began to appear around its body.
It slowly closed its eyes, and a brilliant rainbow-colored glow erupted around it.
An invisible psychic barrier spread through the stratosphere, precisely cutting off that energy transmission from space.
"What do you think? Nothing bad is going to happen, right?"
Grey noticed Mewtwo's abnormal behavior and stepped forward to ask.
Mewtwo opened its eyes, with lingering traces of energy still flowing through its pupils. "A Psychic-type Pokémon is trying to break through the atmosphere. Its energy signature shows clear intent. It seems to be looking for something."
It tilted its head slightly, sensing the remaining energy waves. "Although I temporarily blocked this teleportation attempt, the other party probably won't give up easily."
Mewtwo turned its gaze toward Rayquaza. "Do you have any other enemies?"
Rayquaza instinctively glanced toward Groudon and Kyogre, its dragon tail swaying unconsciously.
"Not them." Mewtwo's telepathy carried a hint of gravity. "I can sense a much more distant threat. An aura from deep in the stars."
Rayquaza fell silent. It remembered the countless meteorites it had shattered over the past thousand years, and among them, there had been a few special experiences.
Those meteorites had indeed sealed strange life-forms within them, and those beings carried energy auras that were incompatible with this world.
Although they were Pokémon, they were still different in some ways.
Rayquaza explained the matter to Grey.
Grey thought it over.
One Pokémon came to mind.
Deoxys!
A Mythical Pokémon capable of changing into multiple forms, one that had once beaten up Rayquaza in the movie!
Now that he thought about it, it really did fit.
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