"What did you say?"
Grey's attention was still on the little Riolu, and he had not caught what Caitlin had said at all.
"N-Nothing…"
Caitlin laced her fingers together and quietly edged half a step closer to Grey.
Only when she could feel that unique aura around him did the tension in her nerves begin to loosen on its own.
"Hm?"
Just as Grey was about to turn his head, he suddenly felt a featherlight touch on the back of his hand.
Caitlin was using her pale fingers to gently tap at his fingertips.
That cautious little movement was like a lily-of-the-valley bud testing the temperature of the water, carrying a bit of hesitation and a bit of expectation.
Grey's fingertips twitched slightly. The lonely ripple he sensed through his aura told him everything he needed to know.
He turned his head and exchanged a look with Sabrina.
There was no need for words between psychics.
The next second, Sabrina's left hand and Grey's right hand rose at the same time, like wings unfolding, gently covering Caitlin's hand from both sides.
Then they drew her into the middle.
"Eh? E-Eh?"
Caitlin's fingers instantly stiffened. The warmth from Grey's palm made her shiver as if she had been shocked.
As for Sabrina…
They were close friends, so she subconsciously did not mind.
The warmth unique to aura spread from their fingertips, and it actually brought a faint blush to Caitlin's usually pale skin…
"W-Wait… I-I… this…"
Flustered, Caitlin tried to pull her hand back. She turned her face sharply away from Grey, only to accidentally meet Sabrina's calm gaze instead.
For someone like Caitlin, who was used to being alone, this kind of contact was still far too unfamiliar.
And this feeling of being understood was even harder to deal with than the fiercest psychic shock.
Even though she had acted first on impulse, the response the two of them gave her still moved her deeply.
Then—
Grey did not let go. Instead, he tightened his fingers and completely wrapped up Caitlin's cool palm.
Their fingers slid perfectly together, and the warm current formed by aura reached resonance at that very moment.
Their fingers interlocked.
"Mmh…"
Caitlin's eyelashes trembled violently several times, and her pupils slowly widened.
She…
Was Grey really holding her hand right now?
This was the first time a boy around her age had ever held her hand, and they were even interlacing their fingers…
It had to be said that the sense of security washed over her like a surging tide, instantly breaking through the defenses she had built over so many years.
For a moment, Caitlin actually closed her eyes.
And before her vision fell completely into darkness, the last things she sensed were Grey's arm wrapping around her waist just in time, and Sabrina's cushioning psychic field surrounding her…
"She passed out just from that?"
Grey scratched his head. He had not expected Caitlin to faint outright just from holding hands.
"What do we do?"
Sabrina did not understand this either.
When Grey held her hand—or even touched her thigh—she had never fainted on the spot…
Could it be that Caitlin was just especially sensitive?
Sabrina did not really get it, so instead of overthinking, she tested it directly by grabbing Grey's hand.
Then she started swinging it around vigorously.
Even after she stopped, Sabrina still felt there was nothing particularly special about it.
So why had Caitlin fainted just like that?
Thinking that far only made Sabrina lose interest in the question. She looked at Grey instead, wanting to see where they were going next.
"Let's just head back to the dojo first and settle her in. I should get some rest too. I've still got a match tomorrow."
Grey decided to go straight back to the dojo.
There was nothing else to do after dinner anyway.
Might as well go back, wash up, and get some sleep.
"Sounds good."
Sabrina thought that was a fine idea.
A moment later, psychic power wrapped around all three of them.
By the time their vision steadied again, they had already returned to the dojo.
"Then I'm going to wash up and go to bed."
It was close to nine o'clock. By the time Grey finished cleaning up and handled a few other things, it would be close to eleven.
He still had to battle Koga at nine the next morning, so he needed to rest properly.
"Alright. I'm getting ready for bed too."
Sabrina nodded.
The two of them wished each other good night and separated for a while.
…
…
The next day, nine o'clock.
Saffron City, Silph Co.
Grey had gotten up early and rushed here, all for the sake of his third Gym challenge match.
This time, his opponent was Koga.
A trainer whose strength was on par with the Elite Four of other regions.
And a specialist in Poison-type Pokémon, no less.
When it came to Poison-types, Grey had always lived by one principle: avoid them whenever possible.
Because he really had developed a fear of Poison-types.
A huge number of Team Rocket's Pokémon were Poison-types, and along the way he had fought no small number of them.
And now he had to face a Poison-type trainer at the level of the Elite Four.
He definitely needed to stay sharp.
[They're here, they're here! Today it's Leader Grey versus Leader Koga? Who do you all think will win?]
[Hard to say. Both Leader Grey and Leader Koga are trainers with Elite Four-level battle power. But Fighting-type moves don't seem very effective against Poison-type Pokémon, right? Feels like Leader Grey might be at a disadvantage.]
[Exactly. And according to some insider rumors, Koga is preparing to take up a seat in the Johto Elite Four before long. That's the Elite Four we're talking about, so his strength has to be incredible!]
[Unlucky for Leader Grey. The type matchup really isn't in his favor.]
When everyone in the livestream saw that Grey was facing Koga, their expressions immediately turned serious.
Among Kanto's eight Gym Leaders, Koga was the very embodiment of tricky, underhanded battle tactics.
He especially liked dragging battles out. If you could not resolve his first Pokémon within a certain amount of time, the pressure from everything that followed would become extremely fierce.
Still, in a public match like this, Grey could not quite tell what Koga had in mind.
Koga stood at the command position on the opposite side of the battlefield.
After meeting Grey's eyes, he showed a faint smile. "Leader Grey, I am Koga. I look forward to your guidance in this battle."
"Leader Koga, you give me too much credit. I'm the one who should be asking for your guidance."
Grey hurriedly waved his hand.
Whether it was strength or seniority, Koga stood above him in both.
And Koga was not as casually familiar as Lt. Surge, so Grey had no intention of throwing out any trash talk either.
Once the two had finished exchanging courtesies, the battle was about to begin.
Both sides threw their Poké Balls onto the field.
Grey sent out Lucario as his lead.
Koga sent out a large pink-and-purple moth that flapped heavily in the air.
[Pokémon: Venomoth]
[Type: Poison/Bug]
[Level: 65]
[Ability: Tinted Lens]
[Moves: Omitted]
A level 65 Venomoth.
It had successfully stepped into Elite Four-level strength.
Its power was roughly on par with Grey's Lucario.
"It seems," Koga said, looking at Grey's Pokémon, "that I am the first Gym Leader to successfully make Leader Grey send out one of his main team Pokémon."
The moment he saw the Pokémon Grey had sent out, Koga could tell at a glance that it was an Elite Four-level combatant.
Not just barely at the threshold, either.
This was true Elite Four caliber!
That made Koga's ninja heart begin to stir.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.