Without paying attention to Caitlin, Ryuuske made his way to the competition venue, where he saw Ash receiving congratulations from a crowd of people. He walked up and patted Ash on the shoulder with a smile.
"It was a piece of cake, wasn't it, Pikachu?"
Ash adjusted his gloves confidently.
"Pika pika~~"
Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, also chirped happily.
"I thought you'd participate in the tournament here. I was really looking forward to battling you," Ash said, unable to hide his disappointment. There were many trainers on the S.S. Anne, but the one he most wanted to face was Ryuuske—someone who was both a friend and a rival.
"I'm not really interested in this kind of competition. If you really want a battle, let's wait for this year's Indigo Conference," Ryuuske shrugged.
"Alright, it's a deal then! We'll meet at the Indigo Conference! By the way, do you know that girl from earlier?"
Ash had also seen Caitlin run up to Ryuuske to talk to him. Like the curious onlookers around them, he couldn't help but wonder.
"No, I don't. She's probably some young lady from a noble family in the Sinnoh region. Her name's Caitlin," Ryuuske shook his head. Ash thought for a moment but couldn't recall hearing the name before. Since Ryuuske said he didn't know her, Ash lost interest in pressing further.
"Once everyone on the ship is asleep tonight, come to my room, Ash. We'll investigate this cruise ship together."
"Got it, no problem!"
After finalizing the details, the two went their separate ways. Ash decided to explore the ship, while Ryuuske, feeling hungry, headed to the restaurant for a meal.
---
Born into a prestigious family in the Sinnoh region, Caitlin was anything but happy.
As a young lady from a noble house, she had been adored by countless people since childhood. With her elegant, princess-like appearance, innate talent as a trainer, and even possessing psychic abilities so rare they were almost unheard of in human history, Caitlin seemed like the perfect star of her generation, the center of everyone's attention.
But all of this came with one critical condition—if only she could control her psychic powers.
Caitlin clearly remembered that when she was very young, she had many friends. Back then, she was like a true little princess, spending her days laughing joyfully, receiving people's blessings and praise from elders. She didn't need to think about anything, lacked nothing, and lived the most privileged life a young lady could have.
But everything changed when she turned five. During a childish squabble, Caitlin's toy was snatched away. The distraught little princess burst into tears, her emotions spiraling out of control—and for the first time, her psychic powers erupted. The price was severe: all the children playing with her were severely injured.
Though Caitlin never saw those friends again, she later heard they had survived—but with lifelong aftereffects.
This single incident didn't make people resent her. Instead, the adults grew even more fascinated by her immense psychic potential, believing it was simply due to her young age. They were convinced she'd learn to control it as she grew older.
But things didn't go as hoped. As Caitlin aged, her psychic abilities only grew stronger, and the risk of losing control increased. Even the slightest emotional fluctuation could lead to irreversible consequences. Anyone living near her was at risk of being caught in a devastating storm.
She didn't dare make friends—it would only bring them pain. Her family, too, grew increasingly disappointed in her. Over the years, the costs and damages from her uncontrolled outbursts had exhausted them, yet the young princess showed no signs of ever gaining control.
Eventually, the family could no longer tolerate having such a ticking time bomb in their midst. After a collective decision, Caitlin was sent away, forced to live in remote areas of Sinnoh where her outbursts would cause minimal harm.
She was forbidden from participating in Pokémon battles because every loss triggered violent emotional swings. Caitlin could have refused, could have acted as she pleased—but her innate kindness stopped her. She trained her Pokémon daily but gained almost no battle experience.
The gentle, Sleeping Beauty-like girl grew increasingly erratic due to isolation. The only person willing to care for her was an elder her parents knew—her butler, Darach. A skilled trainer, Darach could avoid harm from her psychic outbursts with caution.
Through Darach, Caitlin engaged in indirect Pokémon battles. She was deeply grateful to him, even if he was merely a hired butler.
Hearing that there was an equally powerful psychic expert in Kanto—one who could freely control their abilities—Caitlin traveled there, hoping to learn how to master her own powers. But the expert, Sabrina, refused to meet her, remaining elusive and impossible to track down.
Her family, fearing she'd cause another disaster in Kanto (where their influence was minimal), urgently summoned her back. In despair, Caitlin had no choice but to leave.
Yet she never expected that, aboard the S.S. Anne—the ship taking her away from Kanto—she'd meet an even more extraordinary psychic. One who could forcibly suppress her out-of-control powers. To Caitlin, it was like seeing the only light in an abyss of darkness.
In her fifteen years of life, she had only one true friend—her closest companion, her best confidante, and the person she admired most. Now, this friend was the only one she could turn to for advice.
"...Cynthia, I'm on a cruise ship back to Sinnoh right now. Listen—Kanto really is the birthplace of humanity, a land of extraordinary people! I didn't get to meet Sabrina, but on this ship, I found someone who might be even stronger! He—he actually suppressed my psychic powers when they were about to go berserk! Do you... do you know how happy I am?"
Caitlin stood on the deck, trembling with excitement as she spoke into the phone. Her voice was choked with tears, the kind of fragile sorrow that made one want to pull her—delicate as a porcelain doll—into a tight embrace and comfort her.
"Calm down, Caitlin. I'm listening. Don't get too worked up," came a gentle, slightly mature woman's voice from the other end—though it still carried traces of youthful softness.
Cynthia understood Caitlin's exhilaration. For someone constantly on the verge of causing catastrophic harm, unable to even make friends, discovering a person who could not only suppress her powers but potentially teach her control—it was like finding an oasis in a desert. It was enough to drive anyone to madness.
Caitlin took a few deep breaths, wiping her eyes before speaking with burning intensity. "...But he seems to dislike me. He won't talk to me. I want him to teach me how to control my powers—no, if possible, I want him to stay by my side forever. That way, I'll never have to worry about losing control again."
Hearing Caitlin's self-centered words, Cynthia sighed on the other end. "...Caitlin, what exactly are you planning?"
"I want to kidnap him and take him back to Sinnoh!!!"
Caitlin's voice suddenly rose before she quickly covered the phone's microphone, whispering, "...But he seems really strong. I looked him up—his battling style is fierce. I don't think I can beat him. And he might have ties to Kanto's Elite Four leader, Lance... Oh! He has a Gabite—it looks a lot like yours!"
"Gabite?!"
Cynthia's voice also rose slightly. "...Grandmother mentioned that my Garchomp's sister found a trainer perfectly suited for it. If there's a Gabite in Kanto, it must be that one!"
"Right?! So Cynthia, you have to help me! Darach would never agree to this. With your Garchomp's speed, you could get from Sinnoh to Kanto in no time! I'll give you the location—come quickly so we can kidnap him together!"
Listening to Caitlin's frantic rambling, Cynthia had already calmed down. Unlike the impulsive noble girl, she was far more level-headed.
She could only laugh wryly. "...You're really giving me a tough problem here, Caitlin. I'm Sinnoh's Champion, not its Frontier Brain. Kanto's Elite Four aren't pushovers. If you say he's connected to their leader, I might not even be a match for him."
"...Besides, the Sinnoh League is undergoing reforms. They're talking about increasing the prestige of the Champion title. From now on, the winner of the Sinnoh Conference can participate in some kind of Champion Challenge. They want to make the Champion position unique."
At this, Cynthia sounded exasperated.
As the Champion during this transitional period, she'd likely face endless challenges from past and future Champions.
Caitlin was equally frustrated. No matter what she said, Cynthia kept coming up with excuses—she just wouldn't help!
"...Caitlin, you can't keep acting like this. I remember you weren't like this before. As a noble young lady, no matter how difficult life gets, you must remain elegant!"
Cynthia's tone was pleading.
Why does everyone keep telling me to be elegant?! Am I not elegant enough?! Is 'being elegant' really the most basic requirement for controlling psychic powers?!
Caitlin screamed internally.
To be continued…
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