July 17th, Friday.
The weather was clear with wisps of cloud drifting across a bright blue sky. The early-rising Caterpie had already been picked off by a hungry Pidgey. Meanwhile the players who'd stayed up all night grinding were still dead asleep.
Luke landed a Yawn on Eevee and dragged her out of bed. She let out a groggy little cry.
"Vee?"
Honestly maybe I didn't even need this cat bed. But if she was going to sneak out at night and come back tracking mud on him then a little pushback felt fair.
Luke sighed and got up to wash his face. He scooped a handful of water and splashed it on. Droplets trailed down through his hair. He touched his chin thoughtfully and felt oddly sentimental.
"Another day waking up this handsome, huh."
Today they were picking up the Sinnoh Champion from her flight and even the usually laid-back Teacher Luke was moving with unusual purpose. An oversized white T-shirt paired with neat black hair gave him a clean and effortless look. Despite his dark sense of humor and love of dirty tactics Teacher Luke still came across as fundamentally sunny. It just made him easier to root for. Readers these days rarely warmed up to a protagonist who wasn't easy on the eyes.
"Haunter, you're on greeting duty!" Luke called out.
"Kojie?" Haunter jolted awake and scratched its head, groggy. I already finished my training for the day though?
Luke made breakfast for the two of them, sipped his orange juice, and texted Cynthia.
Luke: landing time?
Cynthia: Ten in the morning.
Luke: I'll be there!
Cynthia: No rush. I can wait.
______________________________
He caught a taxi out to Metro City Airport, unusually nervous the whole ride. The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror, one hand loose on the wheel.
"Picking up a girlfriend?"
Luke nodded, dead serious. "More or less."
The driver laughed. "Ah, meeting someone from an online romance for the first time?"
Luke blinked. Are all the drivers in this region this sharp?
"Here's my card. If she tries to bail on you at the gate, call me right away."
The middle-aged man shot him a knowing look. "Once they've got their hooks in you it's hard to break free."
Luke accepted the card calmly and gave a faint cold smile. We'll see who ends up more attached by the end of this.
The heat outside was brutal. Travelers with luggage crowded every walkway, Pokémon riding along with more than a few of them. Still, a combination like Luke's — an Eevee perched on his head and a Haunter drifting behind him — turned out to be genuinely rare even in a crowd like this.
"Eevee, want to come down? I think I pulled something in my neck..."
"Vee!" Eevee raised her head proudly and dug her little paws in tighter.
Haunter chuckled and wrapped a thin layer of Haze around Luke's head for good measure. Luke's face went pale and despite the summer heat he shivered involuntarily.
______________________________
There was only one passenger in first class.
Cynthia's reflection sat still in the window glass. She leaned against it with her temple resting on two fingers, lost in thought.
The Orient region. It's been a while.
Find Teacher Luke first. He should know the local details better than anyone.
Watching the wings cut through the clouds outside she noticed something faint stirring in her chest. Nervousness? No — she'd never felt this even winning the Sinnoh League outright.
"Must just be exhaustion," she murmured, rubbing her temples, focus sharpening as her thoughts drifted to tomorrow's match against Lance.
Then it clicked, faintly. Anticipation, then. That's what this is.
Cynthia smiled slightly. "Right. Time for a real battle for once."
______________________________
Luke quickly realized he'd underestimated exactly how the wealthy traveled. Only third-tier celebrities got caught by paparazzi without warning. Anyone above that level either controlled the narrative completely or stayed invisible entirely. Case in point: the VIP corridor Luke currently stood in.
Marble floors gleamed under the lights. He stood completely alone in the massive arrival hall, watched over by four broad-shouldered guards in uniform who eyed him with clear suspicion. They exchanged a quiet glance behind his back.
Who exactly is important enough to warrant this?
No idea, all the flight details are locked down. He's the only one cleared to meet the arrival.
The guards coughed awkwardly and their expressions toward Luke shifted into something closer to respect.
Luke felt a little embarrassed. And here I almost made a welcome sign. Glad I skipped that.
Then the guards' curious expressions snapped instantly serious. The crisp steady click of heels echoed down the long corridor behind them.
Luke tensed up without meaning to.
Tap, tap—
Dazzling blonde hair. A black trench coat over wide-leg pants, paired with sleek black heels. Her expression carried warmth and a faint distance at once. The Sinnoh League Champion.
Cynthia.
Tap, tap—
The sound of heels stopped. Cynthia's gaze lifted, pale gray eyes locking onto Luke standing at the center of the hall.
Silence stretched between them.
"Teacher Luke?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Even Luke, with all his hard-earned composure, felt his heart skip.
He opened his mouth to speak. Before he could get a word out Haunter beat him to it, grinning with unmistakable mischief.
"Kojie!"
Cynthia blinked, caught off guard. Haunter lifted the bag from her hand and passed it off to a flustered Luke, then reached up and gave her shoulders an affectionate two-handed squeeze.
"Kojie? (o)"
Cynthia smiled. "Thank you, that's genuinely helpful."
"Kojie!! (/ω＼)" Haunter's whole face went red, practically steaming, and it bounced around the hall like a released balloon.
Eevee clung tighter to Luke's head, holding on like something precious was at stake, her small face tight with visible tension.
Luke cleared his throat. "Professor Rowan asked me to come meet you."
"Wait — you're the one from the Institute call last time?" Cynthia blinked, something clicking into place. That's why the voice sounded so familiar. "Eevee's Trainer and Teacher Luke are the same person."
Luke nodded.
"Why didn't you say anything then?"
"The person I'd been gaming with turned out to be the Sinnoh Champion," Luke said with a sigh. "No normal person connects those dots immediately."
Cynthia studied him carefully from head to toe, her gray eyes taking their time. After a moment she smiled.
"I don't think anyone would have guessed. Teacher Luke's this young."
Young or not his tactical understanding already outpaced most Master-tier Trainers by a wide margin. Cynthia found herself genuinely curious. According to Professor Rowan's assessment this particular young man had also dabbled in historical mythology research.
"I never expected the person I'd been gaming with to be this beautiful," Luke said.
Cynthia blinked, caught off guard again. "Thank you." A faint smile spread. "Do you say that often?"
"First and only time."
Luke thought about it. "Though if you want to hear it again I can arrange that."
"That won't be necessary." Cynthia laughed. "Shall we head to your place first?"
If the system had a narrator it would've announced with pure sarcasm: [Cynthia's turn to attack!]
Luke faltered. "That — that fast?"
"We need to run Eevee's diagnosis first," Cynthia said, considering it, and stepped closer.
A gentle scent drifted between them, some careful blend of mature and lively all at once. She was suddenly very close. Luke barely processed what was happening before her delicate profile and soft pink lips came fully into view.
Cynthia reached up and lifted Eevee off Luke's head, cradling her gently.
"So this is the little one." She smiled. "The Eevee who can sense danger?"
Oddly enough Eevee's usual resistance melted the instant Cynthia's hands closed around her. She squirmed weakly in Cynthia's arms letting out a soft, endearing little growl.
"Vee! (〃＞皿＜)"
Luke let out a breath and nodded, a little dazed. "Yeah. Let's head to my place first."Chapter 73: Cynthia Arrives in Metro City (Please Vote!)
July 17th, Friday.
The weather was clear with wisps of cloud drifting across a bright blue sky. The early-rising Caterpie had already been picked off by a hungry Pidgey. Meanwhile the players who'd stayed up all night grinding were still dead asleep.
Luke landed a Yawn on Eevee and dragged her out of bed. She let out a groggy little cry.
"Vee?"
Honestly maybe I didn't even need this cat bed. But if she was going to sneak out at night and come back tracking mud on him then a little pushback felt fair.
Luke sighed and got up to wash his face. He scooped a handful of water and splashed it on. Droplets trailed down through his hair. He touched his chin thoughtfully and felt oddly sentimental.
"Another day waking up this handsome, huh."
Today they were picking up the Sinnoh Champion from her flight and even the usually laid-back Teacher Luke was moving with unusual purpose. An oversized white T-shirt paired with neat black hair gave him a clean and effortless look. Despite his dark sense of humor and love of dirty tactics Teacher Luke still came across as fundamentally sunny. It just made him easier to root for. Readers these days rarely warmed up to a protagonist who wasn't easy on the eyes.
"Haunter, you're on greeting duty!" Luke called out.
"Kojie?" Haunter jolted awake and scratched its head, groggy. I already finished my training for the day though?
Luke made breakfast for the two of them, sipped his orange juice, and texted Cynthia.
Luke: landing time?
Cynthia: Ten in the morning.
Luke: I'll be there!
Cynthia: No rush. I can wait.
He caught a taxi out to Metro City Airport, unusually nervous the whole ride. The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror, one hand loose on the wheel.
"Picking up a girlfriend?"
Luke nodded, dead serious. "More or less."
The driver laughed. "Ah, meeting someone from an online romance for the first time?"
Luke blinked. Are all the drivers in this region this sharp?
"Here's my card. If she tries to bail on you at the gate, call me right away."
The middle-aged man shot him a knowing look. "Once they've got their hooks in you it's hard to break free."
Luke accepted the card calmly and gave a faint cold smile. We'll see who ends up more attached by the end of this.
The heat outside was brutal. Travelers with luggage crowded every walkway, Pokémon riding along with more than a few of them. Still, a combination like Luke's — an Eevee perched on his head and a Haunter drifting behind him — turned out to be genuinely rare even in a crowd like this.
"Eevee, want to come down? I think I pulled something in my neck..."
"Vee!" Eevee raised her head proudly and dug her little paws in tighter.
Haunter chuckled and wrapped a thin layer of Haze around Luke's head for good measure. Luke's face went pale and despite the summer heat he shivered involuntarily.
There was only one passenger in first class.
Cynthia's reflection sat still in the window glass. She leaned against it with her temple resting on two fingers, lost in thought.
The Orient region. It's been a while.
Find Teacher Luke first. He should know the local details better than anyone.
Watching the wings cut through the clouds outside she noticed something faint stirring in her chest. Nervousness? No — she'd never felt this even winning the Sinnoh League outright.
"Must just be exhaustion," she murmured, rubbing her temples, focus sharpening as her thoughts drifted to tomorrow's match against Lance.
Then it clicked, faintly. Anticipation, then. That's what this is.
Cynthia smiled slightly. "Right. Time for a real battle for once."
Luke quickly realized he'd underestimated exactly how the wealthy traveled. Only third-tier celebrities got caught by paparazzi without warning. Anyone above that level either controlled the narrative completely or stayed invisible entirely. Case in point: the VIP corridor Luke currently stood in.
Marble floors gleamed under the lights. He stood completely alone in the massive arrival hall, watched over by four broad-shouldered guards in uniform who eyed him with clear suspicion. They exchanged a quiet glance behind his back.
Who exactly is important enough to warrant this?
No idea, all the flight details are locked down. He's the only one cleared to meet the arrival.
The guards coughed awkwardly and their expressions toward Luke shifted into something closer to respect.
Luke felt a little embarrassed. And here I almost made a welcome sign. Glad I skipped that.
Then the guards' curious expressions snapped instantly serious. The crisp steady click of heels echoed down the long corridor behind them.
Luke tensed up without meaning to.
Tap, tap—
Dazzling blonde hair. A black trench coat over wide-leg pants, paired with sleek black heels. Her expression carried warmth and a faint distance at once. The Sinnoh League Champion.
Cynthia.
Tap, tap—
The sound of heels stopped. Cynthia's gaze lifted, pale gray eyes locking onto Luke standing at the center of the hall.
Silence stretched between them.
"Teacher Luke?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Even Luke, with all his hard-earned composure, felt his heart skip.
He opened his mouth to speak. Before he could get a word out Haunter beat him to it, grinning with unmistakable mischief.
"Kojie!"
Cynthia blinked, caught off guard. Haunter lifted the bag from her hand and passed it off to a flustered Luke, then reached up and gave her shoulders an affectionate two-handed squeeze.
"Kojie? (o)"
Cynthia smiled. "Thank you, that's genuinely helpful."
"Kojie!! (/ω＼)" Haunter's whole face went red, practically steaming, and it bounced around the hall like a released balloon.
Eevee clung tighter to Luke's head, holding on like something precious was at stake, her small face tight with visible tension.
Luke cleared his throat. "Professor Rowan asked me to come meet you."
"Wait — you're the one from the Institute call last time?" Cynthia blinked, something clicking into place. That's why the voice sounded so familiar. "Eevee's Trainer and Teacher Luke are the same person."
Luke nodded.
"Why didn't you say anything then?"
"The person I'd been gaming with turned out to be the Sinnoh Champion," Luke said with a sigh. "No normal person connects those dots immediately."
Cynthia studied him carefully from head to toe, her gray eyes taking their time. After a moment she smiled.
"I don't think anyone would have guessed. Teacher Luke's this young."
Young or not his tactical understanding already outpaced most Master-tier Trainers by a wide margin. Cynthia found herself genuinely curious. According to Professor Rowan's assessment this particular young man had also dabbled in historical mythology research.
"I never expected the person I'd been gaming with to be this beautiful," Luke said.
Cynthia blinked, caught off guard again. "Thank you." A faint smile spread. "Do you say that often?"
"First and only time."
Luke thought about it. "Though if you want to hear it again I can arrange that."
"That won't be necessary." Cynthia laughed. "Shall we head to your place first?"
If the system had a narrator it would've announced with pure sarcasm: [Cynthia's turn to attack!]
Luke faltered. "That — that fast?"
"We need to run Eevee's diagnosis first," Cynthia said, considering it, and stepped closer.
A gentle scent drifted between them, some careful blend of mature and lively all at once. She was suddenly very close. Luke barely processed what was happening before her delicate profile and soft pink lips came fully into view.
Cynthia reached up and lifted Eevee off Luke's head, cradling her gently.
"So this is the little one." She smiled. "The Eevee who can sense danger?"
Oddly enough Eevee's usual resistance melted the instant Cynthia's hands closed around her. She squirmed weakly in Cynthia's arms letting out a soft, endearing little growl.
"Vee! (〃＞皿＜)"
Luke let out a breath and nodded, a little dazed. "Yeah. Let's head to my place first."