Chapter 40: Cynthia and Caitlin
"Caitlin. Is there nothing you want to say to me?"
Cynthia looked at Caitlin, her expression carrying a hint of complicated emotion — but her voice remained as calm and rational as ever.
"..."
Caitlin remained silent.
Watching this unfold, even Kukui and company — dense as they might have been — could tell that Cynthia's relationship with this Caitlin was clearly no simple matter. And in fairness, they weren't dense in the first place.
"My Lord, should we withdraw for now?" Lance walked over to Mammon's side, speaking in a low voice.
He felt the situation had become precarious. Cynthia was Sinnoh's Champion — her combat strength an entirely unknown quantity.
But judging from the imposing presence of that Garchomp alone, Cynthia was absolutely stronger than Kukui.
And on top of that, Cynthia and Caitlin appeared to be old acquaintances? That was bad for negotiations.
What if Cynthia managed to talk Caitlin into defecting from Team Rocket?
Honestly, both for the organization's sake and his own personal feelings, Lance didn't want to see Caitlin leave.
Caitlin was unfailingly polite and elegant with her colleagues — keeping an appropriate distance, yet never coming across as cold. Her social calibration was remarkably deft.
Lance genuinely enjoyed working with a colleague like that. As members of a dark organization, excessive closeness wasn't actually ideal anyway. A coworker who kept some distance but was easy to cooperate with — that was the ideal colleague.
And Caitlin's talent and potential were exceptional, her abilities formidable. Even from a purely organizational standpoint, keeping Caitlin in Team Rocket was the optimal outcome.
"No rush. Let's watch a bit longer."
Mammon waved off Lance's suggestion, watching Caitlin and Cynthia.
Beyond wanting to enjoy the spectacle, he also genuinely wanted to see what Caitlin would actually think when confronted with her best friend.
"Caitlin."
Seeing that Caitlin still hadn't spoken, Cynthia called her name again.
She knew that despite Caitlin's outwardly refined and reserved exterior, her inner self was deeply proud and sensitive. So Cynthia's tone wasn't forceful.
"Cynthia. It's been a long time."
Caitlin finally broke her silence, her lips curling into a faint smile.
"I truly didn't expect to see you here, of all places."
"You know why I'm here." Cynthia pressed her lips together.
She'd always been an intensely rational and composed person. Even now.
"Have you really joined Team Rocket?"
"Does it matter?" Caitlin countered softly. "Or rather — are you here to arrest me, Cynthia?"
Cynthia fell silent.
Kukui and the others also didn't interject to disturb the conversation between the two — or rather, they were acutely aware of exactly what kind of atmosphere this was, and that they should probably be hiding under a car right about now.
"As you can see, I am currently a Team Rocket senior executive." Caitlin gave a clear, direct answer.
"Why?"
Cynthia didn't understand. She couldn't understand. Things shouldn't have turned out this way.
"Team Rocket is an evil organization from the Kanto region. Caitlin — why would you join an organization like that?"
Cynthia's tone had grown considerably heavier.
"Caitlin, come back to Sinnoh with me. If this is just because of some past unpleasantness, I'll help you."
Cynthia genuinely didn't want to watch her dear friend sink into darkness. In her eyes, Caitlin's future shouldn't look like this.
"Help me?" Ripples spread through Caitlin's eyes as she gazed at Cynthia.
"What a lofty, condescending posture, Cynthia."
"..."
Cynthia pressed her lips together.
"Cynthia, you have no understanding of what I actually want. Why is it that you can always, so self-righteously, believe yourself capable of doing anything?"
Caitlin lowered her head slowly, strands of golden hair falling forward and casting shadow across her cheeks.
But you could hear it — the girl's words had picked up considerable speed.
"Yes. How talented you are. You defeated every trainer in Sinnoh. You are Sinnoh's Champion. You shine so brilliantly."
"..."
Watching Caitlin grow increasingly agitated, Cynthia's pupils began to tremble ever so slightly.
"And what about me? The owner of the Battle Castle? How laughable. I was a Frontier Brain who wasn't even qualified to battle her own opponents — because my innate ability made me a monster."
The elegant girl's voice was drenched in self-mockery, even as she fought to keep it in check.
But blue light flared irrepressibly in her eyes, her internal psychic power beginning to churn and boil.
Mammon was about to use Power of Viridian to help calm her down, but surprisingly, Caitlin suppressed the rampaging psychic energy entirely on her own.
She'd actually gotten control of it.
The corner of Mammon's mouth lifted into a smile. As expected of the one I chose.
"Caitlin…"
But Cynthia, looking at this so-strange version of her dear friend, felt a wave of bitter emotion curling around her heart.
So… this was what Caitlin had been thinking all along…
"You don't know what I've felt, Cynthia. You're not like me. You've never lived my life. You don't know what I've gone through."
"I envied you. I've always envied you, Cynthia. You had such exceptional talent. You got to battle and travel freely. You got to bask in everyone's admiration."
"I couldn't accept it. I wanted a better outcome! By what right?! By what right could they so easily dictate the course of my life?!"
The rims of Caitlin's eyes were tinged red, her voice rising with greater intensity as she stared at the one friend she had ever truly had.
Cynthia's expression grew even more complicated.
"Yes — but Caitlin, that doesn't mean you had to join Team Rocket. No matter what happened, your aunt and uncle wouldn't want you to end up like this."
Cynthia sighed inwardly, trying to reason with her. She didn't know what to say, but she couldn't bear to watch Caitlin fall like this.
Because that was exactly what this was — joining a dark organization like Team Rocket was a fall, wasn't it?
"This is my own choice. It has nothing to do with them." Caitlin drew a deep breath, forcibly steadying her emotions.
She was deliberately severing that connection. She didn't want to drag her family into her own decisions.
"You don't understand me, Cynthia."
Caitlin's gaze turned to Mammon. Mammon was the one who truly understood what she wanted — and supported her in pursuing it.
"I see. I had always been looking forward to that moment. I had sincerely hoped that you would one day stand before me and face me in a battle with everything you had, Caitlin."
Cynthia's eyes gradually grew clear. She had made her decision.
Rational as Cynthia was, even her emotions were running high right now. But she kept them in check.
"But not like this!" Cynthia said in a low voice.
As if sensing its trainer's resolve, the powerful, ferocious Garchomp slowly stepped forward, its heavy, commanding dragon eyes fixed on Caitlin.
"Even if you hate me for the rest of your life because of this — I can't sit by and watch you sink into darkness. I will bring you back."
Cynthia's voice had grown somewhat low. She knew what she was about to do might make Caitlin hate her forever.
But…
She genuinely couldn't stand by and do nothing. She wanted to pull Caitlin back into the sunlight — not watch her drown in the gutter with her future destroyed.