"Battles, huh..."
Cynthia lightly tapped the Poké Ball at her waist containing Garchomp, falling into thought.
From her brief time here, she'd come to realize—not every person in Hisui was like Elias when it came to martial discipline.
Especially when it came to Pokémon battles.
Some members of the Pearl Clan couldn't even win against the Pokémon they raised themselves.
Here, in this barren land, the point of catching Pokémon seemed more about keeping them as pets or using them for home security.
Cynthia felt like… if she sent out Garchomp, it would be like bullying a group of native villagers.
"I'll pass. Just battle me when the time comes."
She shook her head, politely declining.
Elias noticed the conflicted look on her face and had a rough idea of what she was thinking.
"You think the Pearl Clan's Pokémon are too weak, don't you?"
He asked, straightforwardly.
"Mm…"
Cynthia nodded, slightly embarrassed.
She didn't want to sound arrogant—but it was hard to deny the obvious.
Elias, however, didn't take offense. It was the truth.
In Hisui, the prevailing belief had always been: How could some creature match up to a body trained through battle and survival?
Only in recent years, under the vision of the two clan leaders, had the idea of raising and training Pokémon gained traction.
Hence the reason for this tournament.
"Actually, the real contenders aren't from the clans."
"If they show up, your Garchomp might finally get a good workout."
After thinking a bit, Elias told her about the so-called "ten kings."
As he expected, Cynthia was immediately intrigued.
"There's a whole group like that?"
"They're entering too?"
Strong Pokémon weren't rare—but ones that had been empowered by external forces and passed that power down across generations? This was a first for her.
And just like that, her dormant competitive streak began to stir again.
"Barring any surprises, they should all be participating."
Elias answered as he recalled what Irida had told him.
Like Cynthia, he also wanted to test himself against these so-called "kings."
The only problem…
Zoroark absolutely refused to take part.
Which left him with only Lucario—a dangerous gamble with no room for error.
He'd have to try persuading her again.
No way that big fox would really let him go in and lose, right?
---
[Once you returned home, Cynthia immediately said she'd find her own place to live.]
[You had no objections. You hadn't known her for very long, and living together might feel awkward.]
[Cogita, on the other hand, nodded in approval. In her opinion, Cynthia was already far more likable than Irida.]
[Unfortunately… that impression didn't last long.]
[Why? Because Cynthia set up her new home just a short walk from Cogita's cabin—close enough to visit every day. Much easier than Irida ever managed.]
"Elias, I think you're not using your [Aura] to its full potential."
"I found a new ruin with Garchomp yesterday. Want to explore it with me?"
"Don't worry—I'll make a copy of the notes we translate and give them to you."
In the courtyard, Cynthia was bartering with Elias.
All the while, she kept a wary eye on Zoroark, who was draped lazily around his shoulders.
That damned fox—last time, she had secretly cast an illusion on her.
She'd ended up spending the entire day "exploring" an ancient ruin inside a dream.
Only to wake up in bed, realizing she'd wasted the entire day sleeping.
Even Garchomp had no way to counter that kind of ability.
All she could do now was stay on high alert and avoid falling for it again.
"I might need to postpone the ruins for a few days. I promised Zoroark I'd help her train today."
Elias declined her invitation with an apologetic tone.
Thanks to his persistent coaxing, Zoroark had finally agreed to enter the tournament.
On one condition—Lucario had to be knocked out first.
Only then would she step in.
Elias understood her reasoning perfectly.
She probably trusted Lucario's strength so much that she believed there'd be no need for her to ever battle.
But the funny thing was… Zoroark hadn't even seen the ten kings yet.
She'd only heard a rough description of their species—and was already convinced she wouldn't be needed.
If she knew that one of them was a Glalie the size of a mountain… she might not have agreed so easily.
Cynthia looked disappointed by the rejection.
Most of Hisui's ruins were nestled in mountains, half-buried and shadowed, crawling with Pokémon that preferred the dark.
Without someone like Elias—who could wield [Aura]—it would be much harder to explore them safely.
"Well, when you're free, promise you'll come help."
She waved with a sigh, then turned to leave with Garchomp.
But as she glanced back, she caught Zoroark smirking to herself—and suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
Ugh. I really hate foxes…
---
[After Cynthia left, you kept your word and began Zoroark's training.]
[To your surprise… she trained with intense seriousness—almost to the point of overexertion.]
[Predictably, the high-intensity regimen ended with her injuring one of her front paws.]
"Elias, the [Power of Viridian]…"
Zoroark didn't show the slightest trace of pain on her face.
On the contrary, when she raised her injured paw, she looked a little hopeful.
Back in the Alabaster Icelands, Elias had once used the [Power of Viridian] to heal her.
And she'd discovered something incredible—
That energy didn't just heal her wounds.
During the process, it felt like her entire body was soaking in hot spring water—warm, tingly, and blissful.
And more importantly… it felt like it deepened the connection between her and Elias.
To Zoroark, it had become a treasure beyond words.
Noticing her expectant look, even Elias—dense as he sometimes was—understood why she'd been training so hard.
Letting out a helpless sigh, he took her paw and released the [Power of Viridian] into it, just as she wanted.
Zoroark instantly closed her eyes, ears twitching as a wave of pleasure washed over her face.
Unlimited access to the [Power of Viridian]'s healing—that was one of the perks she had negotiated in exchange for agreeing to battle.
In her mind, the outcome was already settled: Lucario would breeze through the tournament, and she'd never even need to lift a paw.
She'd collect her benefits, stay beside Elias, and avoid causing anyone trouble.
After all, the peaceful days she'd had recently—quietly staying by Elias's side—were something she'd once only dreamed of.
---
T/N: freaky...