Pokemon: The Legacy of Dragons

Logan was earnestly advising her, internally sighing at how his responsibilities kept piling up. He wasn't just a Trainer anymore—it felt like he was also a therapist. If his college professors saw him now, they'd probably be moved to tears, thinking he'd finally returned to his main field of study.

Caitlin just stared at Logan, her bright green eyes as clear as a pristine lake, shimmering softly like sunlight reflecting off still waters, painting the space with dappled light.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Logan asked, puzzled. He touched his own face instinctively, feeling around, but found nothing unusual.

He looked back at Caitlin, not understanding why she seemed to be spacing out while staring at him.

"N-No reason..."

Caitlin stammered, quickly lowering her gaze, her cheeks flushing a soft pink. A strange, unexplainable shyness had overtaken her.

"Um... your hand..."

Her fingers nervously fidgeted in front of her, and she mumbled in a small voice.

"Huh? Oh... sorry."

Logan blinked, suddenly realizing his finger was still resting on her chest. Her dress was light and thin, letting him feel the soft curve beneath it. From the feel alone, her development was quite healthy.

"I'll do my best to train calmly and stay in control."

Caitlin bit her lip, legs straight and stiff. She noticed her speech had started to stutter, her heart thumping like a drum. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Logan.

"Good. Just remember that. Don't expect yourself to master control over your psychic power like I have right away. This level of precision only comes from long-term, focused effort. Your goal right now isn't to make your abilities your weapon—it's simply to keep them from spiraling out of control. Just like eating—one bite at a time. One step at a time."

Logan smiled encouragingly at her. These were probably things her family had already told her, but she'd never really listened. The way she looked at him now, like he was a figure to be admired, made Logan believe she might actually take his words to heart this time.

He wondered—if one day she really managed to control her powers—how grateful her family would be to him?

In the distance, cheers erupted again from the battle arena. Both Logan and Caitlin turned to look, seeing the giant screen light up—Red had won another match.

Red had originally come over hoping to chat with Logan, but noticing Caitlin by his side, he wisely chose to step away and continued looking for challengers elsewhere. Maybe it was his way of burning off the energy and restlessness bubbling in his teenage blood.

Logan, however, hadn't placed any bets this time. The odds on Red's matches had dropped dramatically. Yesterday, no one knew him, and Logan made a tidy sum betting on him. But today, Red's growing fame had lowered the odds. There wasn't much to gain—just a few desperate fools gambling on a miracle.

"Red won again," Caitlin said, awkwardly attempting small talk.

"Haha, not surprising. There aren't many real experts on this cruise—just a few who travel frequently. Apart from people like me and Red, who got on this ship for specific reasons, most top-tier Trainers wouldn't waste their time on a luxury boat."

"But... that's not always the case. Some people stop training once they think they're strong enough. Others give up gradually under hardship and risk. And some? They get comfortable being idolized, enjoying a lavish life like this—and eventually, they rot from the inside out."

Logan took a sip of his cold drink, his tone casual.

"I've never been on a journey myself... never really battled in person either. I just invited some Trainers to my place and battled with them under Shirlan's guidance. But whether I win or lose, I get too emotional. That's when my psychic power goes out of control, so I've always avoided real battles."

Caitlin's voice carried a hint of envy. Being a Trainer and not being able to battle, not even able to travel—that felt like torment.

"Shirlan only accepted my employment because he knows my parents. But sometimes he needs to take care of his own affairs. When I'm especially bored, Cynthia visits me and tells me stories—about the dangers and wonders she's seen in her travels. Logan, could you... tell me some of your own stories?"

She looked up at him like a child waiting for a fairy tale, her green eyes gleaming with curiosity, almost pouting.

"Me? I've only been traveling for a few months. Not much exciting has happened—though plenty of danger…"

Logan's response was half-hearted at first, but Caitlin's words sparked some intrigue in him.

"…You know Cynthia? The Sinnoh Champion? She visits you often? Wow. That's like a princess in a castle being visited by her knight."

He was genuinely interested now. Logan hadn't watched much of the anime, and barely paid attention to storylines in the games, but Cynthia's name was legendary—known even to the most casual fans.

Princess and knight? Caitlin thought to herself. More like a princess and a queen…

To her, Cynthia wasn't just noble and kind—she was powerful, graceful, commanding. A queen, not a knight.

But when she saw Logan's interest in Cynthia, Caitlin suddenly felt a pang in her chest. Nervous and flustered, she turned red and blurted, "Cynthia? We get along, I guess... but honestly, she's really hard to deal with. Just like how she looks when battling on TV—always so fierce and scary…"

Her heart was pounding, practically leaping out of her chest. It was the first time she'd talked behind her best friend's back like this.

"Really?"

Logan raised an eyebrow, skeptical. From what he remembered, Cynthia was known to be gentle off the battlefield. And considering how volatile Caitlin could be when her powers flared up, anyone who stayed close to her must have had incredible patience.

Still, Logan played along and pretended to believe her. Maybe the real Cynthia was harsher than expected—after all, Red was nothing like the boy in the cartoons. This world was real, not a script. If he ever met Cynthia in person, only then could he really know what she was like.

Letting the topic drop, Logan finally gave in to Caitlin's pleading gaze and began to tell her a story. A tale from the road, filled with uncertainty, danger… and the spirit of adventure.

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