The wind blew quietly through the field as Flint and Volkner faded into the distance.
Cynthia's blonde hair was flowing in the wind as she gave Eric a polite, respectful nod before turning away to take her leave as well.
"Wait," Eric called out.
Cynthia paused, glancing over her shoulder.
"You are Professor Carolina's granddaughter, right?"
Cynthia blinked, turning fully toward him. It wasn't uncommon for her to be recognized - she was one of the most famous trainers in Sinnoh right now. But people usually recognized her as Cynthia, the undefeated prodigy, not as Carolina's granddaughter.
"I am," Cynthia replied, her voice soft but curious.
Eric reached into his spatial watch and retrieved the small, secure titanium lockbox. "Actually, I had a parcel that I needed to give to her."
Cynthia's curiosity deepened. "A parcel?"
"It's from Blaire Williams," Eric explained, walking over and holding out the box. "Since I was coming to Sinnoh, she asked me to deliver it to—"
"From Blaire?!"
Eric was taken aback by the sudden burst of energy in Cynthia's tone, completely different from the reserved tone she had been using till now.
She cleared her throat, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks from embarrassment. "Oh! Excuse me. I didn't mean to cut you off."
"It's fine," Eric said as he smiled faintly, handing the box over.
Cynthia gently took the parcel, running her fingers over the titanium casing. "May I ask, how do you know Blaire"
"We met recently," Eric said, leaning back slightly. He gave a brief rundown of his interactions with the William sisters, causing her to chuckle softly here and there.
"That sounds exactly like her. She loves keeping people on their toes."
"She does," Eric agreed. His expression then turned a bit more serious as he began telling her about the William convention.
"Based on your reaction, I'm guessing you are not aware of what happened in the Williams Estate?"
Cynthia's smile faded. "News? No... I've been busy with my research on some newly discovered ruins. I haven't checked the network at all. What happened?"
Eric didn't sugarcoat it. He concisely relayed the events of the Williams Convention - the sudden spatial tear, the massive, overwhelming invasion of armored operatives, the desperate struggle, and finally, Seth William's disappearance as he was pulled into the spatial crack.
As Eric spoke, the color rapidly drained from Cynthia's face.
Her hands gripped the lockbox so tightly her knuckles turned white. Shock, disbelief, horror, all of these emotions flashed through her eyes.
"No way..." Cynthia whispered, "Mr. Seth... How could that happen?"
"I'm sorry," Eric said quietly. "It's been all over the Kanto news cycle for days."
"I... I have to go to Kanto," Cynthia said, panicking.
"Excuse me, I need to call Blaire right now."
She offered a hurried, stiff bow and quickly walked some distance away, pulling her phone up to her ear.
Eric stood quietly by the rocks, giving her the space she needed. He watched as she paced back and forth, her voice hushed but frantic. After about ten minutes, she slowly lowered her phone, her posture sagging for a brief moment before she took a deep breath.
When she walked back to Eric, her eyes were slightly red, but her expression had returned to its steady, resolute calm.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Cynthia said, offering a small, grateful smile. "And thank you... for telling me."
"No worries. I completely understand," Eric said. "Are you heading straight to the airport for Kanto, then?"
Cynthia shook her head slowly. "Not right now. Blaire told me not to come. She said she is completely swamped with managing the estate and securing the family's assets against the other factions. If I show up now, it will only draw more attention and complicate things for her. I'll go in a month or two, once she has solidified her position."
Eric nodded. Blaire was practical, and Cynthia, despite her obvious worry, was strong enough mentally to understand her friend's reasoning.
"So, what are your plans now?" Cynthia asked, seamlessly transitioning the conversation to keep her mind occupied. "You mentioned you came to Sinnoh for a reason."
"I'm heading to Eterna Forest," Eric replied. He gestured to Haunter, who was floating nearby, looking particularly smug after breaking through his bottleneck. "He needs a highly dense Ghost-type environment to evolve properly."
Cynthia's eyes lit up slightly. "Eterna Forest? That's quite a coincidence. I was actually heading there as well. There is a particular ruin near an Old Chateau deep within the woods that I wanted to investigate."
"In that case," Eric said, "we might as well travel together."
"I would like that," Cynthia agreed softly. She didn't want to travel alone in her current mood.
They stood there for a moment. Eric could still sense the lingering tension radiating from Cynthia. He considered proposing a quick sparring match to take her mind off things, but immediately discarded the idea. Asking for a Pokémon battle right after dropping the news that her friend's father had gone missing felt incredibly tone-deaf and rude.
He was about to suggest they hit the road when Cynthia suddenly looked up at him.
"Eric," Cynthia said, stepping forward. "Your Pokémon aren't tired, right?"
Eric blinked, slightly taken aback. "No. Haunter is fully rested. Why?"
Cynthia unclasped an Ultra Ball from her waist. A small, competitive smile formed on her lips.
"Then, how about we battle?"
"Are you sure?" Eric asked, studying her face.
"Yes," Cynthia nodded, her aura completely changing. The polite, reserved girl from before vanished, replaced by the fearsome prodigy of Sinnoh. "Battling really calms me down and makes me feel at ease. It clears my head. Besides, I'm curious about that Haunter."
Eric felt a sudden chill run down his spine as a familiar memory appeared in his mind. The current Cynthia gave off a similar vibe to the Cynthia he remembered facing for the first time as a kid while playing Platinum. The one that had one-shotted his team with her Garchomp.
The chill soon went away as the memory faded.
'She really is passionate about battling.'
Beneath the elegant, quiet scholar exterior, Cynthia was a complete, unapologetic battle maniac.
"Alright," Eric said, stepping back a few meters away. "I'm quite curious of how strong you are as well."
Cynthia smiled as she gracefully threw her Ultra Ball.
"Go, Gabite!"
A bipedal, shark-like dragon appeared with a heavy thud. Its sleek blue and red scales gleamed under the sunlight, looking incredibly threatening.
Eric's system instantly ran the scan.
---
Pokémon: Gabite
Gender: Female
Level: 47
Type: Dragon/Ground
Ability: Sand Veil
Held Item: Dragon Fang
Potential: Light Gold
---
Level 47. Light Gold potential.
"Haunter"
"Kekeke!" Haunter emerged from the shadows, releasing a burst of ghost-type energy that clashed with Gabite's draconian energy.
"Let's begin," Cynthia said, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto the battlefield.