"It hurts... Why is the forest trail here so hard to walk on?"
Leaning against a tree, Cynthia winced as she rubbed her delicate, pale feet. Her brows furrowed slightly from the sting of a fresh injury.
There was something in her expression—equal parts pain and vulnerability—that could stir the heart of anyone watching.
Cynthia had come to Kanto under the restrictions of the League. She could only bring two Pokémon—Lucario and Garchomp—and with no Flying-type among them, she was forced to travel on foot through the forest.
As for her arranged marriage to Ash... she could only maintain a facade of calm indifference. Even as the Champion, she had no real autonomy in such matters.
Her clan—the Yoto family—was a large and fractured household, split into four or five factions, always on the verge of collapse.
Were it not for her status as Champion and the twenty percent medicinal quota granted to her by Professor Oak, her father's position as the family head might have already crumbled.
"We need to find that girl quickly. Who knows what kind of trouble she might cause," Cynthia muttered, standing up after a few minutes of rest. She leaned on the tree behind her, then began moving toward the Bill's Lighthouse. According to the latest intelligence from her family, Ash was currently staying there.
She had a phone, of course, but in the dense forest, signal was a fantasy.
After hours of trekking, Cynthia finally reached the lighthouse—just in time to hear the rumble of an explosion from the nearby beach.
She turned toward the noise—Ash's Pokémon were in the middle of intense training. Their eyes had already caught sight of her. One of them trembled inwardly at the sheer presence she carried, shouting in its mind:
"He's not just a talented trainer… he commands multiple Campion-level Pokémon! And one of them is a Legendary Pokémon!"
Cynthia had only ever seen Ash in photos. She knew he was a skilled pharmacist, but had no intel on the Pokémon he kept with him.
"Who's there!?"
A stern voice jolted Cynthia back to reality as she stared at the beach. She was startled and instantly alert.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," she responded quickly, her voice shaky from the sudden interruption.
"Sis!"
A new, cheerful voice rang out—Giselle ran over with uncontained joy, throwing herself into Cynthia's arms. She rubbed affectionately against her older sister, prompting looks of jealousy from those nearby.
"Sister? Champion Cynthia!?"
Ash's eyes widened in recognition as Giselle's words gave her identity away.
So this was Cynthia—the Champion of the Sinnoh League, and the idol of the World Pokémon Championships.
Ash gave her a once-over, nodding internally. "No wonder she was so popular in my past life. She's definitely a beauty."
"Hello, I'm Cynthia from the Yoto family of Sinnoh. I've come on behalf of my family to apologize for my sister's earlier behavior."
She approached Ash with practiced grace, extending her slender, pale hand.
"I'm Ash Ketchum of the Oak family. Your sister's already apologized—no need for you to go out of your way," he replied, shaking her hand briefly before letting go.
Cynthia was undeniably beautiful, but to Ash, she was a stranger—and had nothing to do with him.
"Huh?"
She raised an elegant brow, clearly displeased. "Only held my hand for a few seconds? I'm this gorgeous and that's all I get?"
Beautiful women often struggled with contradictions like these—wanting attention but disliking the trouble that came with it. Ash's dismissive attitude clearly irritated her.
Wait a second…
He doesn't know I'm his fiancée, does he?
Cynthia had come here intending to bring it up, but she suddenly realized that Ash likely had no clue about the engagement at all.
"I actually came to check on my sister," she said smoothly, shifting her tone. "I heard she's been traveling with you, and I was worried she might be causing trouble."
Ash gave her a skeptical look but didn't press the point. "Well, you're just in time. Take her with you—she's been like sticky brown sugar. Impossible to shake off!"
"Sister, ignore this petty guy! He's stingy and mean!"
Giselle huffed in Cynthia's arms, slandering Ash without pause. Her endless stream of insults made Ash frown—some of the things she said, even he had no idea where she came up with them!
Just as Giselle was about to label him the world's greatest villain, Ash snapped.
"Shut up! Women really are unreasonable… Even if I wanted a girlfriend, I'd never choose a loud-mouthed flat-chested brat like you!"
"What did you just say!?"
Giselle's righteous fury exploded. "You're the stingy one! So what if I teased you a bit? You act like it's the end of the world!"
"Tch… If you weren't a girl, I'd knock some sense into you right now."
Ash clenched his fists, finally deciding to ignore her completely.
"Hmph! Just ignore that idiot and I already feel better," he muttered to himself, breathing deeply to calm down. Cynthia, meanwhile, was watching with amusement.
He's good-looking… and strong, she thought, unable to stop her cheeks from flushing. It was an odd feeling—one she was usually above. Yet this time, she didn't resist it.
"Sister? What's wrong? Do you have a fever?"
Giselle, seeing her sister's red face, looked up in concern.
"H-Huh? Oh! It's nothing—just a little warm out here!"
Cynthia stammered, her cheeks flushed. Embarrassed, she waved her slender hand in front of her face, trying to cool down.
Just then, Brock returned after delivering dinner to Bill at the lighthouse. Because Bill was waiting eagerly for the appearance of the giant Dragonite, he refused to leave the rooftop for even a moment.
"Ash, dinner's ready!" Brock called out, spotting the group.
Then, noticing Cynthia for the first time, he blinked in surprise. "Who's this?"
Before Ash could respond, he was already making his way over to the dining area, flanked by his Pokémon.
"That's Cynthia of the Yoto family—the Champion of the Sinnoh region. Also, the sister of that idiot," Ash replied flatly, pointing a thumb toward Giselle, who huffed in response.
Without another word, Ash sat down and began eating the meal Brock had prepared with his usual focus and appetite.
Pikachu and the other Pokémon gathered beside him, eagerly digging into their bowls of high-quality Pokémon food. It was clear Ash treated his Pokémon with great care—only the best for them.
Ordinary food? His team wouldn't even glance at it. Their tastes had been spoiled, and their standards raised sky-high.
...
TN:
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