The fire had died down to embers, casting a dim glow over the lakeside camp.
Misty was fast asleep, curled beneath a thick blanket, her arms protectively wrapped around the large Gyarados egg resting beside her. A peaceful smile touched her lips, unaware of the quiet conflict that brewed just meters away.
Skylar moved away from the camp, PokéGear in hand, stepping into the moonlit shadows. The breeze was soft, the night quiet.
He hesitated for a second, then tapped her name.
Cynthia – Secure Line.
The call rang once.
Twice.
Then her face appeared—half lit by soft lamplight, hair slightly tousled from travel, eyes sharp even in the calm.
"Sky," she said, voice low and smooth. "It's late."
"For both of us," he replied with a faint smile.
"Mm. Good point."
Her face softened. "You look better than I expected. First gym yet?"
"Not yet," he replied. "Still in Viridian. Training."
"Always taking your time… but making it count," she murmured.
Skylar nodded, then reached for the Gyarados egg beside him, lifting it slightly toward the screen.
"This is why."
Cynthia blinked.
"Is that…?"
"A gift. From a wild Gyarados we helped. Misty and I."
There was a pause.
Her tone didn't shift immediately, but her eyes narrowed—just a touch.
"You and Misty?"
"Yeah. She was training at the lake. We met by chance. Fought together when the Gyarados attacked."
Cynthia listened silently.
"She asked if she could travel with me," he said after a pause. "For a while, just during Kanto."
Another pause.
Then a smirk.
"Well, well… you didn't take long, did you?"
"Wait—what?"
"Already recruiting your next companion. Or maybe your next… conquest?"
Skylar flushed. "Cynthia—what? No. It's not like that! She asked, and I told her I needed to talk to you first."
"Mmmhm."
He rubbed his temples. "You're doing the thing again."
"What thing?"
"The evil teasing thing."
A slow laugh escaped her lips.
"Good. Still works."
He sighed—but smiled anyway.
"So… what do you think?"
Cynthia tilted her head.
"If she wants to travel with you… I won't stop her."
"Really?"
"But," she added, raising a finger, "I want to talk to her first. Privately. No audience."
Skylar nodded. "Of course."
"Then we're fine."
The call lingered a few moments longer—casual updates, shared smiles, small things that felt big when distance weighed on both of them.
They said their goodbyes, and the screen went dark.
Cynthia set the PokéGear on her nightstand and leaned back in her chair, staring at the wooden ceiling of the cabin she had rented in northern Sinnoh.
The room was silent.
But her mind wasn't.
"Misty…" she whispered. "Of all the girls…"
She closed her eyes.
And her mind drifted—not to Misty, but to the final night before their journeys began.
Skylar's hands on her hips.His breath hot against her neck.The whispered promises. The fire behind his calm. The way he had pushed her limits…
And the moment she realized she wouldn't win that fight.
Not even close.
"He wasn't gentle. He was a monster."
She'd gone into that night thinking she could keep up. Match him in strength and rhythm.
But he had broken through every defense—mind, body, and soul.
She never stood a chance.
"I never even reached my final form…" she thought bitterly—but not unhappily. "I collapsed before I could even mount a full offensive."
Cynthia licked her lips and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands.
"Misty doesn't know who she's dealing with."
But maybe…
Maybe she could learn.
"She could be a good partner… for battle. For the League. Maybe even for him."
Then her gaze darkened—smirking, playful, possessive.
"But if she wants to fight beside us… she'd better be ready. On the field… or in the bedroom."
She reached for her blade-shaped hair clip, twisting it slowly between her fingers.
"You're mine, Sky. And I share only when I say so."