On the deck of the S.S. Anne, a man in his thirties stood at the bow, watching as the passengers boarded lifeboats in an orderly fashion.
"Mr. Lawrence, it's your turn to board now."
A sailor stood behind the man and reminded him.
"Ah, my turn already..."
The man named Lawrence seemed to snap out of his thoughts. He turned to the sailor, his tone both fervent and expectant. "...Do you know? I'm a renowned collector. I once believed I had gathered the rarest treasures in the world. But after witnessing that battle earlier, I realized—the most beautiful things in this world aren't lifeless objects, but these powerful and magnificent Pokémon!"
"...I truly want to add those legendary Pokémon to my collection. Even if only for a fleeting moment!"
The sailor gave an awkward smile, unsure what this world-famous collector was rambling about. Still, he dutifully urged him to board the rescue ship.
---
In front of a luxurious villa in the Johto region, Caitlin and Garach stood quietly by the entrance, waiting.
Before long, the clouds in the sky began twisting in a spiral. From an extreme distance, a black dot—nearly invisible to the naked eye—approached rapidly. The dot's speed reached Mach 1, breaking the sound barrier with a sonic boom. Yet, despite the intense vibrations, the dot remained perfectly steady. In the blink of an eye, it descended from the sky, stirring up gale-force winds as it landed.
It was a Garchomp, standing roughly eight meters tall. Its form adhered to the most perfect aerodynamic design—its wings could retract and extend like those of a supersonic fighter jet, allowing it to fly at speeds exceeding Mach 1.
The energy field generated by the Pokémon itself effortlessly protected its trainer from the effects of high-speed travel. In the Pokémon world, Garchomp was one of the rare species capable of such extreme flight.
Of course, not every Garchomp could achieve—let alone surpass—Mach 1 speeds. Only those trained by the most elite trainers and evolved to perfection could attain such power.
And Cynthia was undoubtedly among the best of trainers.
A tall young woman leaped down from Garchomp's back. She was extraordinarily beautiful, dressed in a long black chiffon dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Her slender, jade-like legs shimmered faintly beneath the sheer fabric, a sight that would make any man's heart race.
Yet, when anyone met this woman, they would instinctively overlook her appearance—because her presence was simply overwhelming. Her calm, intellectual demeanor and the resolute warmth in her eyes overshadowed even her breathtaking beauty.
"Cynthia!"
The moment Caitlin saw the woman dismount from Garchomp, her eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over.
"You really gave me a tough request, Caitlin!"
Contrary to her cool exterior, Cynthia was an exceptionally gentle woman in daily life. Her gaze shifted behind Caitlin, and she nodded. "...It's been a while, Garach."
"Indeed, it has been some time, Miss Cynthia."
Garach bowed slightly before stepping back to give the two women space.
"Suddenly, I feel like you've changed a lot, Caitlin."
Cynthia studied Caitlin closely. The sides of her hair now defied gravity, floating upward in a completely new style. But what Cynthia truly admired wasn't the change in appearance—it was the shift in Caitlin's aura and the look in her eyes.
It was as though a once-willful girl had finally matured.
"I went through some things. If I hadn't changed at all, I really would have been hopeless."
Caitlin smiled gracefully, not elaborating on what exactly had happened.
Cynthia wasn't the type to pry into others' privacy either. She simply nodded with a smile.
"...You've become even more outstanding, Caitlin."
Then, she looked around with interest. "...So, where's that boy with the Dragonair you mentioned?"
"He went straight back to Kanto. Cynthia, do you want to meet him? With your Garchomp's speed, you could reach Kanto from Johto in no time."
Caitlin spoke casually, though for some reason, her heart tightened with nervousness—she hoped Cynthia wouldn't agree.
"If I didn't get to meet him, then so be it. It's better not to intrude uninvited. There'll be chances in the future."
Cynthia pondered for a moment before declining. There was something she didn't tell Caitlin—her woman's intuition told her that now wasn't the right time to meet that person.
Caitlin exhaled in relief and quickly added, "...Right, he's still on his journey. We shouldn't disturb him."
Her reaction didn't escape Cynthia's notice. She gave Caitlin a knowing, amused look until the younger girl's cheeks flushed red, then finally averted her gaze.
Still, Cynthia couldn't help but marvel. If this had been the Caitlin of the past, such teasing would have sent her into an emotional frenzy, likely causing her psychic powers to spiral out of control.
She really had grown.
"I've never been to Johto before. Oh, Caitlin, did you know? I've been investigating ruins and studying ancient legends in Sinnoh—and recently, I made a huge discovery!"
"...In some ancient stone tablets, I found evidence suggesting that Arceus might not have had an ordinary relationship with other Legendary Pokémon. Some carvings even depicted other Legendaries ganging up on Arceus—it's unbelievable! Especially since the ruins also featured Legendaries from other regions. Johto has legends of Ho-Oh and Lugia... Maybe I should investigate here too."
Cynthia's voice suddenly brimmed with excitement and fervor. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with intense curiosity. The idea that other Pokémon would attack the almighty Arceus—she felt there had to be some monumental secret behind it.
"Just take me back to Sinnoh first!"
Seeing Cynthia fall into indecision, as if torn between researching in Johto or returning to Sinnoh, Caitlin hurriedly interjected.
She knew her friend had an intense passion for ancient legends and history—but she also had a chronic case of decision paralysis. Whenever faced with trivial choices, she'd get stuck in endless deliberation.
Caitlin didn't want Cynthia wasting time here in hesitation, so she made the choice for her: Return to Sinnoh. Don't linger in Johto!
Hearing Caitlin's suggestion, Cynthia finally stopped agonizing. Her furrowed brows relaxed, and her expression eased slightly. Noticing the folder in Caitlin's arms, she asked curiously,
"...What's that, Caitlin?"
"To repay Lord Ryuuske for his help, I need to give him a proper gift! I spent a whole day compiling this—it's a report on powerful Dragon-type Pokémon in the Unova region!"
Caitlin eagerly opened the folder and showed Cynthia an image. "...Look, Cynthia, this is the one! I want to catch it and give it to Lord Ryuuske. After thinking it over, this is the one gift I know he'd never refuse!"
Watching Caitlin's exhilarated expression, Cynthia shook her head with a wry smile. Caitlin seemed almost bewitched—like some smooth-talking charmer had swindled her out of her entire family fortune.
She could only hope Caitlin wouldn't get hurt. Emotional wounds were far harder to heal than physical ones. Still, she spoke seriously. "...This Dragon is incredibly rare even in Unova. There are very few sightings, and these ferocious creatures possess immense power even in the wild, untrained. This isn't something you can handle as you are now, Caitlin."
"...But Lord Ryuuske won't be traveling to a distant region like Unova anytime soon. That means this Dragon will be exactly what he needs most! Once I get to Unova, I'll gather more information on it. I know the hardest part will be finding it in the first place. As for the battle... well, that's where you come in, Cynthia! I'm sure you'll help me catch it, right?"
Caitlin gazed at Cynthia with pleading, puppy-dog eyes.
Unable to withstand the look, Cynthia sighed in resignation. "...Fine. If you really do track it down, I'll help you catch it."
But a Dragon as rare as Garchomp wouldn't be so easy to find.
Cynthia thought to herself.
To be continued…
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