Ryuuske was patiently offering his advice, silently lamenting how his workload kept increasing—not only was he a Pokémon Trainer now, but he also had to play the role of a psychologist. If his university professors from his past life knew, they'd probably be moved to see him returning to his original major.
Caitlin stared blankly at Ryuuske, her sapphire-blue eyes as clear as a tranquil lake, shimmering with faint ripples under the warm afternoon sun, casting a dappled glow.
"Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?"
Ryuuske found it odd and rubbed his cheek, but there was nothing unusual there.
He gave Caitlin a puzzled look, unsure why she was staring at him in a daze.
"N-Nothing..."
Caitlin flustered, quickly lowering her head as a blush spread across her cheeks. For some inexplicable reason, she felt shy.
"Um... your hand..."
She fidgeted awkwardly with her hands clasped in front of her and spoke in a small voice.
"Huh? Oh... sorry."
Ryuuske blinked, finally realizing he was still pressing a finger against the girl's chest. Caitlin's dress was thin, allowing him to feel the softness beneath—healthy and well-developed.
"I-I'll try to stay calm while training..."
Caitlin bit her lip, her slender legs tensing. For some reason, she found herself stuttering, her heartbeat racing so fast she couldn't even bring herself to look at Ryuuske's face.
"Good. Just remember—don't expect to control your psychic powers as precisely as I can right from the start. That kind of skill comes from long-term training. Right now, your goal is to prevent your powers from going berserk, not to wield them like an extension of your arms. Take things one step at a time."
Ryuuske gave her an encouraging smile. Her family had probably told her the same thing before, but Caitlin had never listened. Now that she idolized him, though, she'd likely take his words to heart.
If she ever gains full control of her powers, I wonder how her family will thank me?
Cheers erupted from the nearby battle arena again, drawing both Ryuuske and Caitlin's attention. The large screen showed Ash winning yet another match.
When Ash had first arrived, he had intended to chat with Ryuuske, but upon seeing him with Caitlin, he wisely chose to go find more battles instead—perhaps trying to vent his restless teenage energy through competition.
This time, Ryuuske didn't place any bets. Ash's victory odds were too low now. Yesterday, when no one knew him, Ryuuske had made a killing betting on him. But today, too many people recognized Ash, and the odds had plummeted—now, only reckless gamblers would bother.
"Ash won," Caitlin remarked, just to make conversation.
"Yeah, well, this cruise ship doesn't have many strong trainers. Aside from a few who are used to traveling, most real experts wouldn't waste their time here. People like me and Ash only boarded because we had business here."
"...Though that's not always true. Not everyone can keep pushing themselves. Some trainers stop training once they think they're strong enough. Others slowly give up after too much hardship and danger. And some get spoiled by luxury, rotting away in places like this."
Ryuuske took a sip of his chilled drink and spoke indifferently.
"I've never traveled or battled myself. I've only invited some trainers to my home and battled under Garach's supervision. But whether I win or lose, my emotions flare up, and my powers go out of control... so I've never dared to truly participate."
Caitlin's voice was tinged with envy. For a Trainer, being unable to battle or travel was torture.
"Garach only works for me because he knows my parents. Sometimes, he has his own things to do. When I get really bored, Cynthia visits and tells me stories about her travels—funny moments, dangers she faced... Could you tell me about your journey, Lord Ryuuske?"
Caitlin's eyes sparkled like a little girl begging for a bedtime story, nearly on the verge of outright pleading.
"Me? I've only been traveling for a few months. Not many interesting stories, but plenty of danger..."
Ryuuske brushed it off, though Caitlin's words piqued his interest.
"...You know Cynthia? The Sinnoh Champion? She visits you often? Hah, sounds like a princess in a castle and her knight."
Ryuuske was genuinely intrigued by Cynthia. Though he hadn't watched much of the anime and skipped game plots, Cynthia's reputation was legendary—practically a household name.
Princess and knight? More like princess and queen...
Caitlin thought to herself. To her, Cynthia wasn't a knight but more of a queen—not because she was domineering, but because of her maturity and composure.
But seeing Ryuuske's interest in Cynthia, Caitlin's chest tightened inexplicably, and panic set in. Unused to lying, her face flushed as she stammered:
"...Cynthia? W-We are close, but she's actually not easy to get along with. Like when she battles on TV, she's always so fierce and scary..."
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her throat. Badmouthing her best friend behind her back was a first for Caitlin.
"Really?"
Ryuuske eyed her skeptically. He had watched Sinnoh battle replays—Cynthia was indeed intense and imposing during fights—but he remembered her usually being gentle in person?
Besides, Caitlin's volatile temper when her powers ran wild meant anyone who could befriend her must have extraordinary patience.
Pretending to believe her, Ryuuske mused that maybe the real Cynthia was as fierce as Caitlin claimed. After all, Ash had grown much stronger in this world—clearly, reality differed from the anime and games. The truth about Cynthia would only be clear once he met her.
Dropping the topic, Ryuuske finally gave in to Caitlin's pleading gaze and began telling the young lady some stories.
To be continued…
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