Cynthia had a problem.

  Or, well, maybe calling it a problem was a bit of a misnomer. That made it sound trivial, like an overcooked dinner. This was… not that. She stole a glance at her side, eyes flicking briefly toward Myst. And, as if on cue, heat crept up her neck.

  Again.

  She forced herself to look away, fixing her gaze on the uneven tunnel floor. Yesterday, they had walked mostly in silence, with both Johanna and Myst seemingly content to focus on making progress. Today wasn’t much different, and while that might’ve felt awkward under other circumstances, it honestly came as a relief. The quiet meant she didn’t have to talk after all.

  Then again, it also meant she was left alone with her thoughts. And her thoughts? They just wouldn’t shut up.

  “If he asks, you should sabotage him.”

  She cringed, remembering her own words.

  Why had she said that?

  There was no reason to say that.

  Like, she had literally made up her mind just a second earlier. She wanted to focus on the circuit, on her Pokémon. She didn’t have time for a relationship. She wasn’t interested… well, maybe she was interested, but not in a relationship.

  That was the truth.

  Myst brushed past her slightly, and Cynthia flinched, almost jumping to the side. He gave her a curious glance, and she quickly looked away before he could ask anything.

  Absolutely, unequivocally, the truth.

  She stared at the ground like it held the answers to every question she wasn’t ready to ask.

  …And, well, even if she was interested in a relationship, that didn’t really matter now did it? She could want it all she wanted, but Myst also had to be interested. Sure, they were friends, but that didn’t really mean anything. Honestly, just the idea of asking him, only to get rejected?

  A cold shiver crept up her spine.

  What would she even do after that? They were supposed to travel together. Her only real option would be to fake her death, change her identity, and continue the gym circuit under a new name. And that would take way too much time.

  So a relationship was clearly out of the question.

  She flicked her eyes toward him again. He was watching the path ahead, feet careful on the slick stone, both Navi and Rei resting in their Poké Balls.

  But what if he said yes.

  Then they’d be together. That would mean… what? Holding hands? Going on dates? Kissing? She’d never been interested in any of that. Not really. Not until—

  Her gaze lingered, just for a moment, on his lips. Then she wrenched it away and with an act of pure will, she exhaled sharply and glared at the ground like it had just insulted her.

  Focus.

  There were far more important things to worry about. They had maybe four days left in Mount Coronet, and once they crossed the range, Hearthome City would be just a week away. Week and a half, tops, if they took it slow. And Hearthome meant a Gym. Which meant preparation, figuring out tactics, and more targeted training.

  All of it easier said than done.

  After all, there was a reason most trainers waited until their fifth or sixth badge before taking on Hearthome. Ghost-types were a nightmare. Not just strong, weird. The way they moved, the way they fought—it was completely different from every other type. They could fly, vanish into thin air, phase through Normal and Fighting-type moves, and ignore solid objects like they were made of water instead of anything substantial.

  Of course, she had beaten Ghost-types before, but that mostly came down to Queenie having the tools. With her moveset containing long-range elemental attacks, Dark-type coverage and enough raw power to knock out most Ghost-types in only a couple of hits, Queenie could probably walk into the gym right now and start throwing hands.

  But Riolu and Roselia?

  Yeah, neither of them were ready yet.

  Maybe they could fight at a fourth badge level they would do fine, but if she wanted them to fight against Ghost-types at a fifth badge level? Well, they needed training. Specialized training. Especially Riolu. He barely had any moves that could even hit a Ghost-type, let alone hurt one. With Quick Attack and Force Palm both being attacks that a Ghost-type could instantly dodge through phasing, Ice Punch and Metal Claw couldn’t just be side options anymore. They had to become reliable, core parts of his strategy.

  Not that she didn’t have drills planned—of course she did. They’d start with Ice Punch, since Metal Claw was more tied into Leaf Defense than a standalone move. Once Ice Punch was up to speed, they’d shift focus to polishing Metal Claw. That one would probably take longer anyway—

  “Have you thought about it anymore, come up with any questions?” Myst asked suddenly.

  Cynthia's foot struck something solid.

  “Ah—!”

  She stumbled forward with a yelp, arms flailing. Her hand shot toward the wall, missed, and she pitched forward. Cold, jagged stone rushed up to meet her—

  —until something yanked her back.

  A muffled oof escaped her as she collided straight into Myst’s chest, knocking the wind out of both of them as he staggered under her weight. They swayed for a beat, off-balance, until he steadied them both, one arm wrapping awkwardly around her waist, the other still gripping her wrist.

  Cynthia’s eyes snapped open.

  And locked with his.

  She froze.

  They were so close. Too close.

  Way, way too close.

  For a second, she became hyper-aware of everything. Her chest pressed against his. Her breath caught somewhere between lungs and throat. His jacket smelling faintly of charcoal and dried berries. The way her breasts squished against his chest, how solid he was.

  But most importantly?

  The way he was looking at her.

  “Sorry,” Myst said, his voice quiet, a guilty smile tugging at his lips. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  She didn’t answer.

  She couldn’t. Her brain had short-circuited.

  Her heart was pounding, too loud, too fast, and she knew, in some surreal way, that her face was probably red enough to outshine a Magcargo. And she was still holding him. He hadn’t let go. Neither had she.

  And yet—

  He didn’t tease her. Didn’t smirk. Didn’t say anything clever.

  He just smiled, face somewhat red as he took an awkward step back, giving her just enough space to breath. Then, the next moment, he gently reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, before opening his mouth.

  He said something about Johanna. About the match. About questions.

  She didn’t register a word.

  Even after stepping back, he was still too close. Close enough that she had to tilt her face up to meet his eyes. Close enough that the first thing she ended up watching... was his lips.

  Myst paused, realizing she was staring, and for a second, he stared back.

  Then his lips parted—

  And Cynthia’s eyes finally flicked past him.

  Queenie watching them with slit eyes. That was fine. She could handle that. It was the other person standing there who was the real problem. Johanna’s grin had spread so wide it looked like it might split her face in two. Her eyes were practically glittering with glee as she raised a hand to her mouth, only to end up nearly biting her finger to keep from laughing.

  Cynthia took a careful step back.

  “What did you say, Myst? Didn’t catch that,” she said. Her voice came out flat and stiff. Distant, even to her own ears.

  Myst hesitated, then tried again.

  “Just… asking if you’d thought of anything. Like, questions I should know or stuff I might’ve missed. You know, the things we discussed…”

  He trailed off, suddenly aware that Cynthia’s eyes weren’t on him anymore. With a raised eyebrow he turned, and—

  His face turned red instantly.

  Johanna raised an eyebrow beneath their combined stare, still smiling like she'd just discovered something very juicy.

  “Hey, I didn’t do anything…” she said innocently, then quickly changed the subject when no one responded. “Anyway, weren’t we just talking about the stuff Myst should know, right?” She shot Cynthia a smile. “I mean, we tried, but it’s hard separating common knowledge from, well, common knowledge.”

  Myst let out a tired sigh. “I know. That’s why I shot it down to begin with. I’m not stupid, but most of what I struggle with is stuff you only learn through experience. Training. Situational stuff. I mean, I’ve got a good example right—”

  He patted her head.

  “—here. So it’s not like I’ve got gaping holes.”

  Cynthia’s brain rebooted. She brushed his hand off with a huff.

  “First—don’t.”

  Myst smirked. “I thought your grandmother said—”

  “Myst.” Her glare cut sharp. “Finish that sentence and I will bury you in this cave.”

  He raised his hands in surrender, grinning all the while.

  Cynthia shook her head and turned to Johanna. “Anyway, you had a couple of points, right? One about the clans, and one about... shoes?”

  Johanna nodded. “Right. Honestly, I mostly came up with things by thinking about what I’d tell someone from Hoenn about Sinnoh. And, well, I’m pretty sure a lot of it applies to you too.” She looked at Myst. “So—clans. How much do you actually know about them?”

  Myst pursed his lips. “I mean, I know Cynthia’s part of one—the Shirona clan, right? And from what I’ve picked up, a lot of people think clan members have an advantage over regular trainers.”

  “You’re basically dead on,” Johanna said. “Though people don’t think clan trainers have an advantage—they do. That’s kind of the whole point.”

  Cynthia frowned slightly, but she couldn’t deny it. In the end, trainers from clans did have a better starting point. Not only did they usually have greater access to resources, but, maybe more importantly, they grew up surrounded by other trainers. She’d experienced that herself: how a small tip from someone experienced could save months of trial and error.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Not that she’d really thought about any of that until recently.

  Johanna glanced at Cynthia. “I could keep going, but honestly? Most of it’s historical, and I never paid much attention to that stuff. Most of what I know is secondhand, so I don’t actually know all that much. Like, Cynthia can probably explain it better.”

  Myst turned toward her, and Cynthia composed herself, throwing away her previous thoughts.

  “Right…” Cynthia hesitated, before continued, “Well, she’s right, I can’t really deny that. But it’s important to note that there are generally two kinds of clans in Sinnoh: old clans and new clans. The old clans, like the Shirona, Suzuna, and Diamond clans, are mostly remnants of Sinnoh’s original inhabitants. They can trace their roots back to before settlers from Kanto and Johto arrived in what people then called Hisui. The new clans—"

  She paused for a moment, irritation beginning to creep in as she recalled how her clan’s elders spoke about the so-called new clans. She didn’t really have anything against them herself, but she’d heard enough over the years that her first instinct was to reach for… less-than-flattering words.

  Still, before she could blurt any of them out, Queenie walked over and nudged her side, nuzzling gently. Cynthia took a deep breath and patted her partners head, before steadying herself.

  “The new clans mostly formed during the colonization period. At the time, they effectively took control of much of Sinnoh, dividing the region into territories as they established their influence. Bekara’s clan, the Natane, is one example, having claimed most of Eterna Forest and the surrounding lands.”

  Cynthia licked her lips, glancing back toward the path they had come from.

  “Of course, a lot of those newer clans have faded over time, but some still hold considerable power. The most influential today is the Kamado clan. They control nearly all major industry on the western side of Mount Coronet, mining, freight, manufacturing. Even the mayors of Oreburgh and Jubilife belong to their lineage.”

  Cynthia paused for a moment, then added, “Honestly, if you’d come here a couple hundred years ago, you could probably differentiate them just based on their names. The Shirona clan was called the Celestic clan back then. The Suzuna were the Pearl clan. But after a political mess, a bunch of clans adopted Johto-style names. It blurred the lines.”

  She shook her head slightly. “Anyway, that part doesn’t matter much now. What does matter is how they operate. The new clans, like in Johto, tend to be type-based. They’ve passed down knowledge through generations and are pretty strict about sharing it. There are rules. Secrets. Rituals. Outsiders aren’t supposed to know much.”

  She glanced at Johanna, then back at Myst. “The old clans, by comparison, are looser. They don’t generally focus on a single type, instead having a little knowledge of all of them. You can say that they are broader in what they teach, with fewer restrictions on what can be shared, but that they have less in depth knowledge.”

  Johanna blinked. “Wait, aren’t all clans, like, ‘you leak our knowledge and you die’?”

  Cynthia shrugged. “Maybe if you go back far enough. But at least in the Shirona or Suzuna clans, there aren’t any rules like that anymore. And honestly? Even the new clans have eased up. The gap between what a clan knows and what the scientific community has figured out is getting smaller every year.”

  She gave a dry smile. “I mean, maybe they’re still holding onto a few secrets. But that’s just a matter of time. In ten years? I don’t think there’ll be much difference at all, at least for anyone who’s actually trying to learn. Even now, Oak’s Pokédex is starting to spread through Kanto, and from what my grandmother says, it won’t be long before it’s more accurate than anything in her own library.”

  For a moment, they all just walked in silence, with only the sound of Myst’s hmm being heard.

  Then he tilted his head. “Is ‘being a clan trainer’ actually a thing people say? I’ve never heard it before.”

  Cynthia blinked, caught slightly off guard. “Ehm... not really? I kind of made it up. I don’t think it’s an actual term. Usually, people say the opposite, if you’re self-made, you get called a grassroots trainer. That’s about it.”

  Myst nodded, a smirk forming on his lips. “Alright, got it. Clans are a big deal. Hoard secret knowledge like dragons. Understood. Anything else you two came up with?”

  Cynthia rolled her eyes at his tone but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. She opened her mouth.

  “Well, you do know you’re supposed to take your shoes off before walking inside someone’s hom—”

  …

  “Holy shit… like I know you said the place would open up, but holy shit.”

  Myst’s voice echoed faintly as he looked up at the impossibly high ceiling above them. Cynthia followed his gaze, feeling a ripple of awe shiver down her spine. She’d been inside parts of Coronet before, but this?

  Never.

  This wasn’t like the Coronet caves near Celestic. This was something else entirely, vast, almost sacred. The cavern stretched wide and deep, bathed in a faint glow from scattered lightbulbs bolted into the rock. The light danced across the stone, casting everything in a soft, ethereal gleam.

  Johanna grinned beside them.

  “I know, right? When I started my journey, I imagined Mount Coronet would be cramped, damp, and miserable. But instead...” She swept her arm toward the open cavern. “It looks like this.”

  Myst turned slightly, as if about to respond, when another voice chimed in.

  “So big!”

  Navi’s telepathic voice echoed lightly in their minds, the Kirlia spinning in place with wide, sparkling eyes. Her blue hair, always stuck as twin ponytails, flared out with each twirl as she took in the enormous space.

  Cynthia couldn’t help but smile. “It really is.”

  Navi turned to her, eyes swirling with iridescent color as she beamed. For one vivid moment, Cynthia could feel the raw emotion radiating off her, joy, curiosity, a sense of wonder that matched her own.

  Myst let out a soft sigh. “Well… I guess this is as far as we’re going today, right?”

  Cynthia nodded. “Yeah. Or well, Johanna?”

  Johanna shook her head, her smile fading just slightly. “The halfway house is still way further in. First time I came through here, I thought we’d get there in a few hours. But the path’s a mess, twists, bridges, really stupidly designed stairs. It’ll probably take us two days. Maybe more if we’re unlucky.”

  She paused, tapping her belt, while flashing grin “Unless, of course, one of us has had a Water-type that knows Surf at the ready all along!”

  She slowly moved her hand toward her belt, as if about to bring one out.

  Myst raised the world’s most sceptical eyebrow.

  Johanna childishly stuck out her tongue in response. “Hey, you still haven’t met my entire team. For all you know, I could have a Floatzel hidden away.”

  Myst opened his mouth, then paused. “Wait. You’ve got more Pokémon than Sassy and Midna?”

  Johanna blinked. “Well, yeah. I’ve got six badges. Not everyone’s wild enough to challenge Gyms while one Pokémon down. The sixth badge is where battles upgrade to four-on-four, so I still have two more Pokémon.”

  Myst looked baffled. “You mean… you keep them in their Poké Balls the whole time? You can do that?”

  Johanna laughed. “Oh, that’s what you meant? Of course not. Both Jumpy and Wings are back home, taking a break this season. After all, you can only keep a Pokémon in a Poké Ball for…” She paused, glancing toward Cynthia. “Actually, what’s the recommended amount of days again?”

  Cynthia didn’t answer, even as she kept one ear on the conversation her mind had drifted away, eyes following the slow-moving stream cutting through the stone floor.

  “You okay?” Johanna asked gently.

  Cynthia paused, turned to her, and tried to smile. It didn’t take.

  Still, before Johanna could press, she shook her head. “Really, it’s nothing. I’m fine. Just ended up thinking about some stuff.”

  Johanna didn’t look convinced.

  Cynthia exhaled softly. “That talk about Water-types… your team staying behind… it reminded me of my second Pokémon. She didn’t want to come with me when I left. So, she stayed with my little sister.”

  Silence followed. Navi stepped quietly to her side and gave her a clumsy, heartfelt pat.

  Cynthia gave her a small, grateful smile, then straightened with a breath.

  “Never mind that. Camp. That’s what we were talking about, right?”

  That snapped both Myst and Johanna back to the present.

  “Yeah,” Johanna said quickly. “We just need a flat spot for three tents. Shouldn’t be too hard. Queenie can soften the ground, right?”

  A low rumble rolled through the air in reply, and Cynthia glanced over at her partner. The dragon-type had been shadowing them the entire time, her presence alone having scared off any wild Pokémon they might’ve run into.

  That was par for the course though. After all, usually, Queenie was a steady wall of confidence. A source of quiet strength and sound judgment.

  Usually.

  But this? This was different.

  It might’ve been impossible to notice if you didn’t know her. But Cynthia saw it, the faint twitch of muscle under her scales. The sharp, frustrated flicker behind her slitted eyes. The way her jaw flexed like she was resisting the urge to smash something.

  Cynthia gave her a quiet smile and stepped forward, stroking the dragon-type’s neck. She could feel the tension running through her, tight and unrelenting.

  As Myst and Johanna moved ahead toward a rocky outpost, Navi and a half-released Midna trailing behind, Cynthia lowered her voice.

  “Beauty staying behind… it was her choice. As much as both of us wanted her to come, she didn’t. We have to respect that.”

  Queenie stood still for a few long seconds. Then, without a word or sound, she turned and stalked after the others.

  Cynthia didn’t need anyone to tell her, Queenie still didn’t agree.

  …

  Johanna let out a wide yawn as she stretched, arms over her head. “Honestly, gotta love that you can light a fire in here. Would be ice cold without it...” She paused, then added, “Still, I think I need to head to bed soon, so remember to put it out properly. Don’t think much can catch fire in a cave, but hey, no harm in being careful, right?”

  Cynthia nodded, yawning in sync, her motions slow and absent.

  Myst, meanwhile, rolled his eyes.

  “Of course, Mother. Want me to do the dishes and brush my teeth too?”

  Johanna just grinned and shot him finger guns before zipping open her tent and slipping inside.

  Cynthia sighed. “Do you ever think before speaking?”

  Myst paused like he was genuinely considering it, then offered an awkward grin. “I can give you an honest answer... or the one you want to hear.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  He shrugged, unbothered. “Work in progress.”

  Rei, curled up on Myst’s right side, let out a snorting exhale like she could sense the nonsense radiating off him. Then, on his left, Navi mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a reprimand for anybody who dared to cross her trainer.

  Cynthia stifled a laugh as Myst gave her a helpless smile, before following it up with a mock glare.

  “You’re just jealous Roselia makes himself a hammock and doesn’t try to claim my lap,” he muttered across the fire.

  Cynthia, maintaining her best neutral expression, reached over and patted Queenie’s head, then whispered conspiratorially, “Wouldn’t matter. Queenie would never let Riolu or Roselia sleep in my lap anyway. As long as she wants it, this spot’s hers alone.”

  Myst grinned.

  She grinned back.

  For a few seconds, they just looked at each other. Quiet. Comfortable.

  Until she realized she was staring.

  And that he was staring back.

  She turned quickly toward Queenie, ignoring the way Myst’s face seemed to flush ever so slightly.

  What is wrong with me? she thought.

  She’d spent nearly two months traveling with him, eating, talking, laughing by fires just like this, and now she couldn’t even hold his gaze for ten seconds without getting flustered?

  Nothing had changed.

  And yet...

  She glanced back and met his eyes again. Slowly opened her mouth, then hesitated. Words jamming in her throat. Myst noticed. His hands stopped mid-pat, hovering over Navi’s head.

  When she didn’t speak, he did.

  “You thinking about the egg?” he guessed.

  Not even a little.

  Cynthia nodded anyway. “Yeah. You said you didn’t want it, right?”

  Myst sighed. “Honestly? Forget I said that.” He paused, then grimaced,” Actually, just—pretend everything I said back in Oreburgh didn’t happen. I was... out of it.” He looked away, searching for the right words. “The stress from prepping for a level-jump Gym. Talking to your grandmother about my amnesia. Kael.” He spat the name like it tasted wrong, before pausing for a second to gather himself. “All of it kind of sent me spiraling. Like, I didn’t really realize it at the time, but I was honestly just being a drama queen.”

  Cynthia blinked.

  She knew that he had been annoyed with himself, but from the sound of it…

  She narrowed her eyes. “You had a whole ‘I suck and need to prove myself’ moment, didn’t you? That’s why you wanted to fight Byron, to prove yourself. I even called you out on it. I was right all along.”

  Myst winced. “Yeah, guilty as charged. During the whole fight against Kael, I just felt completely useless, so I went into the Gym challenge thinking I had to win. And when I didn’t just glide by…” He shook his head. “Honestly, both my battles with Byron were just a mess. Totally killed the fun. Zero out of ten experience, would not recommend for future travelers.”

  She pursed her lips, wanting to be annoyed at him. Sure, she might like Myst more than she wanted to admit, but she still hated how he talked about himself. Like failing once meant he was worthless. Because if he was terrible... what did that make everyone else?

  Garbage?

  What did that make her, considering she was profiting off his methods?

  Less than garbage?

  Myst gave a lopsided smile. “You don’t need to glare at me. I know I was being stupid. But... hey, overthinking led somewhere this time. I realized something as Navi was evolving.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What mythical mid-battle revelation did you stumble into?”

  Myst looked at her, eyes catching the glow of the fire, shining like. Then he blinked, slower this time.

  “You’ve got goals,” he said. “Champion. Archeology. History.”

  Champion might’ve been more of a dream than a plan, but Cynthia still got his point. She nodded slowly, brows drawing together. “Yeah?”

  Myst flicked a stone into the fire.

  “Well... I realized I don’t.”

  He let out a breath.

  “In Eterna Forest, I was chasing answers, trying to figure out who I am. And when that didn’t work out, I just wanted to get out. But after that? I had nothing. So I just... started following you.”

  Myst let his eyes lock onto hers.

  “And suddenly, that was everything. No direction. No goal of my own. Just coasting while you gave me one.”

  They blazed a wondrous crystal blue under the firelight.

  “But that’s not fair to you.”

  A small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, familiar and boyish.

  “Nor to me.”

  He shrugged.

  “So yeah, I figured, maybe it’s time I did have goals. Try to move forward a little for once, instead of just letting myself be dragged along.” He took a breath. “Make some friends. Finish the circuit. Understand how Type Energy actually works.” He hesitated, then added more softly, “More than that… I want to feel like I can have—”

  He didn’t finish his sentence.

  Just looked at her.

  Cynthia felt her cheeks flush again, heat rising before she could even begin to untangle what that was supposed to mean.

  Myst chuckled, not mocking, but almost embarrassed.

  “Anyway. I want to stop living in the past. That’s the real point of all this. So... I changed my mind about the egg. I want to take care of it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Though I’ll probably need some help.”

  For a minute, neither of them said anything, his words hanging between them, suspended in the warmth of the fire. Instead, the crackling of embers filled the silence. It could have been awkward.

  It wasn’t.

  So, as she pulled her knees back up to her chest, she smiled slightly at him, cheeks still warm.

  “So does this mean I can start asking you questions again?”

  Myst raised an eyebrow. “As long as you stop asking about history I clearly know nothing about, I’ve always been fine with it.”

  “What? No you haven’t. After Kael, you got super annoyed when—”

  “When you asked who built the Snowpoint Ruins for the sixth time. Yeah. That one broke me. Now name one time I got mad when you asked about Pokémon.”

  She pouted. “It happened.”

  “Uh-uh.”

  “Really.”

  “Sure.”

  She glared.

  He grinned.

  With a huff, Cynthia gently pushed Queenie off her lap, stood, and stomped—quietly—toward her tent. She paused at the flap, then turned.

  “After training tomorrow, I’m going to ask you every single question I can think of about Pokémon.”

  Myst shivered dramatically. “Whoa. Scary. You might even make me theorize about Type Energy. Or worse, make me help plan for the next Gym.”

  He paused for a moment, then grinned and gave one final, exaggerated shiver.

  “Truly, a fate worse than death.”

  Cynthia shot him one last glare, then ducked inside her tent. She didn’t see the way his eyes lingered on her.

  And he didn’t see the small smile she wore as she zipped the flap shut.