Saffron City, Fighting Dojo.
Because Caitlin was coming, nobody at the dojo went to sleep.
Besides, Monday meant the dojo was closed anyway—any challengers who showed up would be wasting their trip.
"Alright, we're here. This is the place."
Grey stood at the entrance. Sabrina stood a step behind. Caitlin was caught between them.
Facing the dojo she was about to enter, Caitlin's emotions were anything but steady.
And the moment the doors swung open—
Bang bang bang!
Party poppers boomed, rattling the wind chimes under the eaves into a bright, frantic jingle. Streamers fell like rain right in front of Caitlin.
Green and Riolu scrambled around throwing petals, and even Silver—usually the coldest one—awkwardly held up a glowing sign that read: WELCOME, CAITLIN.
Along both sides of the dojo corridor, the Pokémon Grey had caught lined up in a crooked, barely-organized formation.
Zapdos had even tied a pink ribbon into its feathers—though most of it had been singed black by electricity.
"…Thank you."
Caitlin's eyes swept across the scene, as if she wanted to memorize every face and carve them into her mind.
In that moment, an emotion she had never felt before flowed quietly through her chest.
She lifted a hand and lightly pressed it over her heart.
To be honest… this was the first time strangers had ever welcomed her like this.
"Alright, don't just stand there. Starting today, you're one of us here at the Fighting Dojo."
Grey stepped inside, and Sabrina took Caitlin's hand and gently pulled her in as well.
The welcome was short—but for Caitlin, it was the kind of thing she could remember for a long, long time.
While Caitlin was still frozen in place, Grey quickly—very quietly—snapped a few photos and sent them to Cynthia at lightning speed, so Cynthia wouldn't come after him for answers later.
[Dojo Annihilape: image.jpg]
[Dojo Annihilape: Arrived safely. Caitlin will have a great time here with me, so relax, Champion Cynthia.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: …Alright. If she arrived safely, then I'm relieved.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: If you can, can you explain why you told me not to contact you?]
Cynthia couldn't let go of what Grey had said earlier.
She didn't understand what he meant.
She was Caitlin's close friend—checking where she was, that wasn't over the line, was it?
[Dojo Annihilape: I didn't explain it clearly earlier. I meant don't contact her. I'm worried she'll misunderstand.]
[Dojo Annihilape: Her situation is a bit complicated. If she wants perfect control over her psychic powers, she needs to live somewhere completely new—something like being "cut off from the world" for a while. I think you get what I mean, right, Champion Cynthia?]
Less than a minute after Grey sent those messages, Cynthia replied.
[Archaeologist Cabbage: Got it. I didn't expect you to be this thorough. I overthought it earlier.]
[Dojo Annihilape: It's fine. I get it—worrying about your best friend is normal.]
[Dojo Annihilape: If you want updates on Caitlin later, just message me. If I see it, I'll reply.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: Okay. Sorry to trouble you, Dojo Master Grey.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: Send me your bank account number. Caitlin staying with you will probably cost a lot these next few days. Based on what she usually spends, I'll reimburse part of it in advance.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: Don't refuse right away—this is also the Sinnoh League's goodwill. Oh, and can I ask you something?]
[Dojo Annihilape: What is it? Don't tell me you're trying to invite me to be a Sinnoh Elite Four member? Haha. I'm already Kanto's honorary Elite Four—going to another region would be inconvenient.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: …Never mind. Get some sleep.]
On the other end, Cynthia went silent again.
She'd been thinking that while Caitlin was in Kanto, maybe she could try to poach Grey.
Instead, he saw it coming instantly and blocked her path in advance.
Yeah. Inviting him was going to be hard.
[Dojo Annihilape: Alright. You should rest too. As long as I've got time, I'll keep you updated on Caitlin's situation, so don't worry too much.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: Okay. Thanks for your hard work.]
[Dojo Annihilape: No problem. Here's my account number…]
Grey sent his bank account number.
Then he locked his phone and turned his attention back to Caitlin.
"I'll show you your room first. Tomorrow I'll take you around Saffron City."
"Okay. Thanks for the trouble."
"Come on, we're friends. Don't say that."
Hearing Caitlin say it so often, Grey just waved it off.
In his eyes, all of this was nothing compared to the gifts Caitlin had sent him.
And honestly, his stream kept getting boosted partly because Caitlin regularly dropped huge donations.
With how much money he had now, Caitlin deserved a big share of the credit.
A true boss.
He was just letting her enjoy Saffron City for a few days—how much could that cost?
He was a Gym Leader, so he got discounts when shopping locally.
And now he even had a Silph Co. membership card—buying items like Poké Balls came at half price.
Pocket change. Easy.
But to Caitlin, those words carried a completely different meaning.
Compared to the people who treated her like an "outsider," Grey and everyone at the dojo truly treated her like a normal person.
As if she wasn't a psychic at all—just someone ordinary.
And that had something to do with Saffron City itself.
When everyone is psychic… then, rounding up a little, it's basically the same as being normal.
So Caitlin really had come to the right place.
After bringing Caitlin to her room, Grey explained the layout, the switches, and how everything worked.
Close to 1 a.m., after an exhausting day, the dojo finally began to settle into silence.
Deep down the hallway, a thin line of light still leaked from the crack under Caitlin's door.
But soon, even that light was gently pinched out by psychic power.
The whole building sank into darkness, leaving only the steady rise and fall of Annihilape's snores somewhere in the corner of the dojo…
Caitlin lay on the soft bed.
This was the first time she'd ever stayed somewhere outside her own home.
It felt completely different from the Battle Castle.
The room was small, the furnishings simple, but it felt warm.
And yet… she still couldn't fall asleep.
"Mio~" (Need a sleep companion service~?)
Riolu popped out from who-knew-where, standing at Caitlin's bedside with its cheeks propped in its hands, grinning.
"Hm?"
Caitlin blinked, a little confused by Riolu's sudden appearance.
She'd specifically swept the room with her psychic power before lying down—so how had Grey's Riolu slipped past her notice?
"Mio~" (Don't worry about the details~ With a soft, squishy Riolu here, I guarantee you'll sleep great~)
Riolu covered its mouth and giggled.
Caitlin thought for a moment, then slowly reached out her hand.
The instant her fingertips touched Riolu—
A wave of drowsiness washed over her.
"Mio~" (Sweet dreams~)
Riolu vanished with Teleport.
And as Caitlin drifted off, the corner of her lips slowly lifted into a small, peaceful smile…
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