"I'm back."
Akari pushed open the door and shouted loudly.
Soon after, two elderly people walked out.
Akari set down her basket, introduced Lucas and Cynthia to the two elders, and then asked if they could let Lucas and the others stay there for a couple of days.
Lucas also spoke up, saying that they had come from a distant place and planned to stay for two days; naturally, the two elders did not refuse.
Afterward, Akari whispered something into the ears of the two elders, then came before Lucas and the others, scratched her head, and said sheepishly, "Um, sorry, there's only one room left in the house."
Lucas looked at Cynthia, leaving the choice to her.
Cynthia didn't hesitate. "One room is enough."
Lucas: ?!"
Lucas's eyes widened instantly.
Akari, holding Celebi, led Lucas and Cynthia to the room and pushed open the door. Inside, there was only one double bed. The entire place had an ancient style; everything looked quite old, and the door even creaked.
Akari took out quilts and pillows from a nearby cabinet and placed them on the bed, preparing to make it for them. Gothitelle popped out of her Poké Ball, took the bedsheets from Akari's hands, nodded to her with a smile, and began to skillfully make the bed.
Akari: Such a reliable Pokémon.
Sensing the atmosphere in the room was clearly a bit awkward, Akari spoke up: "We have a bathhouse here, would you like to try it?"
A bathhouse?
Cynthia's eyes lit up upon hearing about the bathhouse, and she nodded. "Thank you for the trouble."
Akari quickly shook her head. "Then you guys get ready first, I'll go make the arrangements."
"Okay, thanks."
Lucas said politely.
As Akari passed by Lucas, she gave him a cheeky grin.
Lucas silently gave her a thumbs up.
After Akari left, only Lucas and Cynthia remained in the room; the Pokémon had all hidden behind the door.
Meeting Cynthia's gaze, Lucas looked away with a bit of a guilty conscience.
"I think I saw many empty rooms when we were coming over."
Cynthia said, looking at Lucas with a smile.
Lucas coughed. "That was her own arrangement. I can go ask if they can find another room for me."
Cynthia stared at Lucas. "You don't want to stay in the same room as me?"
Her eyes were already narrowing.
Lucas: "It—It's not that—it's just that there's only one bed, so if we're going to sleep, we'd have to share it. Actually, the weather is cold now, and my embrace is quite warm, it just so happens—"
"You're sleeping on the floor."
Cynthia's words ruthlessly pulled Lucas back from his fantasy to reality.
Lucas: ——
"Can I not sleep on—"
Just as Lucas was about to try and argue for himself, he saw Cynthia tilting her head and looking at him.
"Hmm?"
"Sleeping on the floor is great, the floor is very warm, hehe."
Lucas chickened out instantly.
Cynthia turned her head in satisfaction, took another quilt out of the cabinet, and placed it in Lucas's arms.
"Make your bed, Uncle~ Lucas."
Cynthia playfully dragged out the words.
Lucas looked ashen-faced and turned to Gothitelle, blinking his eyes repeatedly.
Gothitelle took the quilt from Lucas's hands and, along with Lilligant, briskly laid it out on the floor.
Seeing this, Cynthia held her forehead. "Are you two really not going to spoil him rotten?"
Hearing Cynthia's question, Gothitelle and Lilligant turned to look at Lucas, only to find him grinning foolishly at them.
They sighed, turned back, and continued their work.
Cynthia didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Just then, Akari came to knock on the door. "Sister Cynthia, Lucas, you can go to the bathhouse now."
Cynthia was the first to walk out of the room, followed closely by Lucas. Akari led them toward the bathhouse. "Sister Cynthia and I will go to the girls' side; Lucas, you go to the boys' side yourself."
Hearing this, Lucas felt a bit disappointed.
What, so it's not a mixed bathhouse.
Cynthia looked at Lucas's face full of disdain and gave him a sharp look.
Just what are you disappointed about?
Cynthia ignored Lucas and instead took Akari, Garchomp, Gothitelle, and the others to the women's bathhouse.
Only Lucas, Gengar, Darkrai, Luxray, and Celebi were left in the men's bathhouse.
After bathing, Lucas put on the unique clothes of the Hisui Region that Akari had prepared in advance and walked out of the bathhouse, just happening to run straight into Cynthia as she came out of the women's side.
Seeing Cynthia with her blonde hair tied up high and wearing clothes similar to Akari's, Lucas's eyes lit up, then dimmed again.
What, it's not a bathrobe.
Cynthia saw the regret in Lucas's eyes and ignored him. Instead, after saying goodbye to Akari, she went back to the room.
Lucas looked at Akari, who had a silly grin on her face. "Good luck!"
She even made a cheering gesture after saying it.
Lucas sighed; the road ahead was long and difficult.
Lucas handed the Celebi in his arms to Akari. "Do you want to sleep with it?"
Akari was a bit surprised. She looked at Lucas and saw he was smiling, so she happily took Celebi into her arms.
"Then I'll head back to my room first. Bye-bye!"
Akari clattered back to her room in her wooden clogs, holding Celebi.
By the time Lucas returned to the room, Cynthia was already lying in bed, covered with a thick quilt. Lucas listened to Cynthia's breathing and carefully closed the door, but it was clearly a futile effort.
The door still creaked.
Lucas simply used force to shut the door, then walked to the floor bed Gothitelle and Lilligant had made for him. Ninetales was already lying there; Lucas found a comfortable spot in Ninetales' embrace and covered himself with its tails.
The sounds of breathing in the room rose and fell.
Lucas opened his eyes. Lilligant was lying beside him. Smelling the fragrance emitted by the flower on Lilligant's head, Lucas stared blankly at the ceiling.
The room was also filled with a strange, delicate scent, and Lucas found himself unable to sleep for a while.
"Are you asleep?"
Lucas asked softly.
The room was silent.
The Pokémon all knew who Lucas was asking, so none of them spoke at this moment.
Seeing that Cynthia didn't respond, Lucas closed his eyes, preparing to sleep.
"I remember, aren't you supposed to participate in the Wallace Cup?"
Cynthia's voice rang out in the darkness.
Lucas: ——
Oh no!
"I remember Wallace saying that once the town's affairs were handled, he would hold the Contest again. Did you tell him you'd be staying here for a few days?"
"When he sees I'm not in the courtyard, he should be able to understand that I had something to do and left first, right?"
Cynthia didn't answer him.
Lucas tossed and turned, only able to say with a wry smile: "Forget it, I'll just let him scold me then and explain it to him. Giving him a bit more tea should make it okay."
"Why did you want to stay here for a few more days?"
Listening to Cynthia's voice, it took a long time before Lucas answered: "Because I can't go to where the other Celebi is; we can only wait for it to come find us."
Cynthia was also staring at the ceiling with her eyes open. In all her years, this was the first time she had shared a room with a member of the opposite sex, which made her very uncomfortable, even if it was the person she liked.
"Let's go for a walk tomorrow, look around the surroundings, and see the scenery of the old Sinnoh Region."
"Mhm."
After Cynthia gave a soft hum, the room fell back into silence.
A long time later, the sound of Lucas's deep, sleeping breath echoed in the room.
Cynthia recalled the great battle not long ago: Palkia, Dialga, Darkrai, Lugia, Latias——
That battle had also cost her a great deal of energy. In this quiet space, she began to slowly close her eyes.
"Goodnight, Lucas."
Then she fell into a deep sleep.
Beside the bed, Garchomp was leaning against the wall, guarding Cynthia.
Gengar and Darkrai were also on the ceiling, guarding Lucas.