"Damn it, I'm still over ten thousand points short on talent to redeem Tornadus."
Late at night, in a small inn in Michina Town, Rosa is soaking in the tub and scrolling through the app.
When she sees how many redeem‑merit points Tornadus needs, her face falls.
Even though this Sinnoh trip has earned her a ton of points, it's still not enough.
"You're asking for too much."
Outside in the bathroom, Hilda is wiping down Poké Balls with one hand while checking her phone with the other.
She really does admire Rosa.
The girl grinds like crazy.
She only joined the Arceus company one day earlier than Hilda, yet Hilda's points are barely at eighty thousand now, while Rosa's already about to scrape together enough merit to redeem Tornadus.
Rosa practically lives on missions.
This woman really does nothing but grind.
"You don't get it. Heh‑heh~ once I get Tornadus, you just wait—I'll stomp your face on my way to the top at the Vertress Conference and claim Unova."
Rosa hums back smugly.
"Heh~"
Hilda just gives her a dry little chuckle.
But inside, her heart skips.
Her Trainer level and Rosa's aren't that different.
Battles come down mostly to state on the day, improvised play, and tactics.
If Rosa really does get the Legendary Incarnate Forces Tornadus, she might actually end up above her.
Hilda's brows knit.
Still, it's not hopeless.
If Rosa redeems Tornadus, then she'll redeem Thundurus.
Sure, according to the myths, the legendary Landorus is "dad" to both Tornadus and Thundurus.
But never mind that Landorus is currently the single priciest thing on the redeem list.
It costs a full 150,000 merit.
And the app shares part of its info: that Landorus is insanely strong, almost at Top‑tier Champion level, with a warning that you really shouldn't redeem it lightly.
Sure, in theory you can use words and emotional bonds to catch Landorus…
But the odds are… not great.
So Thundurus is a better choice.
Or maybe Zapdos wouldn't be bad either?
Hilda studies Thundurus and Zapdos.
Both are Legendary Electric‑types and hard‑counter Tornadus, Rosa's favorite.
Which one to pick?
After a bit of hesitation, Hilda's gaze settles on Zapdos's portrait.
Looks‑wise, Zapdos and Thundurus are about the same to her.
But Zapdos is one of the legendary bird Pokémon from Kanto—straight out of Kanto's myths.
That's got some serious appeal.
Decision made.
Once her points are high enough, she'll trade for Zapdos.
At the Vertress Conference, she'll throw out Zapdos and absolutely blow Rosa's mind.
Rosa will be so surprised.
Thinking about it, a sweet little smile creeps over Hilda's pure face.
Heh‑heh‑heh~
All day long Rosa just chants "Damian, Tornadus."
If Hilda doesn't smack her down at least once, it'd feel wrong.
Sorry, Rosa.
I want that Unova Champion title too.
"What do you mean 'too much'? Without a Legendary Pokémon at my back, how am I supposed to go steal Damian from his girlfriend later?"
The bathroom door swings open.
Rosa, wrapped in a towel, strides out on long white legs, drying her hair as she grumbles.
"You still haven't given up? Mr. Damian already turned you down."
Hilda stops short.
"No way. I'm not giving up on Damian until I've got him."
Rosa doesn't even hesitate.
Hilda tilts her head.
"And getting rejected the first time you confess is totally normal. Damian already has a girlfriend. If he accepted me right off the bat, that'd be what's weird."
Rosa's tone is totally casual.
"You really are… I honestly don't know what's going on in your head."
Hilda can't help roasting her bestie.
Rosa's conditions are actually good.
Her family might not be rich, but they're solidly middle‑class.
And once Rosa's strength grows, money won't be an issue anyway.
She's gorgeous too.
Why insist on poaching someone else's boyfriend?
Okay, sure, Hilda has to admit it—someone Damian's age, that young, that accomplished, that strong, that easy‑going, and that handsome is one in a million.
Even so, Hilda could never bring herself to chase another girl's boyfriend.
And she's not that into romance to begin with.
What she really wants is to chase her dream—become Champion, become one of the world's top Trainers.
"You wouldn't understand. Just wait till I end up being your boss's wife, heh‑heh~"
Rosa dries off, throws on her pajamas, and looks very pleased with herself.
"Oh, give it a rest."
Hilda laughs, taking a jab at her friend.
"You really think you can beat Mr. Damian's girlfriend just like that? You're not underestimating the kind of girl he'd actually like, are you?"
"And even if you do beat her, Rosa, don't forget Miss Caitlin, the one always with Mr. Damian."
"Miss Caitlin's eyes when she looked at you this afternoon were… not friendly."
Hilda reminds her.
"That woman's definitely a pain."
Rosa's pretty brows scrunch too; she's noticed.
When she confessed to Damian earlier, Caitlin's eyes were downright scary.
Honestly, Rosa isn't all that worried about Damian's girlfriend.
No matter who she is—even if she's excellent—could she really outshine Rosa?
Absolutely not.
No way.
But Caitlin's a different story.
She's a year older, clearly super talented, and she's a powerful Psychic on top of that.
Her looks are refined and elegant, her family background is top‑tier aristocracy, she's a Champion‑tier Trainer, and she's practically glued to Damian 24/7.
If "the one near the water gets to the tower first" ever applied, it's here.
And right now, Rosa is obviously not Caitlin's match.
"Damn it! That blonde vixen!"
Rosa curses under her breath.
Most crucially—Caitlin is obviously up to no good.
She's totally thirsty for Damian's body.
"…"
Hilda honestly doesn't know how to react to that.
Sis, if anyone should get called a "vixen," it's you—the one who wants to steal someone else's boyfriend.
"Hilda, if she bullies me, you gotta help me!"
Rosa flashes her world‑shaking "wisdom."
She definitely can't beat Caitlin yet—but that's fine.
She's still got her Sis.
"Huh? Me?"
Hilda stares at Rosa, pointing at herself.
"Did you catch a fever or something? What good am I gonna do you?"
She's half‑laughing with exasperation.
This woman just wants to drag her down with her.
"And Miss Caitlin's stronger than Cyrus. You really think the two of us together can beat her?"
They'd only beaten Cyrus earlier because the five of them fought as a team.
Caitlin is absolutely stronger than Cyrus—and not by a small margin.
Her Psychic‑type lineup is way more of a nightmare to deal with than Cyrus's mostly Dark‑type crew.
"Friendly reminder: Miss Caitlin's ace is Mega Metagross. She's also got a Tapu Lele that's not weaker than it."
Hilda glances sidelong at Rosa.
"And on top of that, the Lugia she's always carrying around is the 'guardian of the seas' from Kanto's myths and legends."
"So what? I'll have Legendary Pokémon too!"
Rosa's mouth is still rock‑hard.
"It's not 'so what'—right now even if we tied ourselves together, we wouldn't be enough for Miss Caitlin to beat up."
"And need I remind you—Caitlin's actual Psychic power can smack the two of us down on her own. If it comes down to hair‑pulling, we're not winning that either."
"Just drop it, Rosa. You can't beat her yet. Don't go diving in headfirst and end up getting punted into the gutter by your rival before you even get the guy."
The more Hilda talks, the more she feels like her Sis has no shot.
Seriously.
Forget Damian's girlfriend for a second—even if there were a real battle, Caitlin's absolutely got the higher odds of "winning" Damian.
What's Rosa even going to throw at Miss Caitlin right now?
Her bust?
"Tch~"
Rosa is seriously annoyed, but she can't think of a single way to argue back.
"She's only one year older than me. I'm not losing to her."
Rosa refuses to back down.
She's convinced she's not inferior to Caitlin at all.
If she's behind now, it's only because Caitlin's older.
"Fine, fine. So, which Item are you going to pick?"
Hilda rolls her eyes and drops the topic.
If Rosa doesn't want to give up, what is she supposed to do?
As a Sis, all she can do is support.
If Caitlin really does bully Rosa, there's zero chance Hilda will just stand there and watch.
Even if the two of them get "beaten up" by Caitlin together, Hilda can live with that.
"Mega Stone, obviously. No contest there."
Rosa answers without even thinking.
"Got anyone on your team that can Mega Evolve yet?"
"Nope."
Rosa sounds completely justified, making Hilda stare at her.
"So I'm gonna catch something that can Mega Evolve and raise it up."
Rosa is matter‑of‑fact.
"I just don't know which Mega Pokémon are actually strong after they evolve—but I already have a strategy."
Rosa blinks, eyes crinkling with a sly little smile as she waves her phone at Hilda.
"You're planning to ask Mr. Damian, aren't you?"
Hilda finally gets it.
Her thoughts are actually the same as Rosa's.
Mega Evolution can massively boost an individual Pokémon's strength; as Trainers aiming for the top, there's no reason to pass that up.
Even if raising a new main from scratch is a pain, they have to do it.
Otherwise, if you've got no Mega while your opponent does, you're just starting at a natural disadvantage.
"Of course. Damian definitely knows which Mega Pokémon are monsters. Asking him can only help."
Rosa's answer makes Hilda nod.
Elsewhere—
Damian is currently enjoying maid Cynthia's lap pillow and massage.
He's about as comfy as it gets.
He's just finished his shower; for the record, Cynthia's the one who scrubbed his back.
The room is brightly lit.
Cynthia's slender, pale hands lightly press Damian's temples; her exquisitely beautiful face is calm, golden hair pinned up neatly behind her head.
Yeah.
That hairstyle is dangerous.
His phone suddenly goes off.
Damian opens his eyes, picks it up, and glances at the display.
"Damian Damian, you there?"
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