Pokemon: Skybound

Groggily, Kai opened his eyes only to realize he had fallen asleep without noticing.

Having remained in the same position for a long time, his shoulder felt slightly stiff. Turning his head, he saw Misty hugging one of his arms, fast asleep, her breathing soft and even.

On Misty's other side, Bea was also asleep, eyes closed, her breathing calm and steady.

Glancing at the time, Kai realized it was already three in the afternoon.

He looked toward the cave entrance. The rain had stopped at some point, though fierce winds still swept past outside, a reminder that the typhoon hadn't fully moved on yet.

Still no rain meant they could finally leave.

Just as Kai was about to wake the two girls, he gently withdrew his arm. The moment he moved, Misty stirred and woke up.

"Huh…?" She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "When did I fall asleep?"

Her voice also woke Bea.

Compared to her usual stoic expression, Bea's drowsy look was unexpectedly blank and slightly cute a rare contrast that caught Misty off guard.

Although the campfire had long gone out, Dragonite's body heat had kept them perfectly warm. Listening to its steady heartbeat, all three had drifted into sleep without realizing it.

Kai turned his head and saw Dragonite smiling back at him with its usual simple, honest grin, completely unbothered by having sat motionless for so long.

"Thanks for sticking it out," Kai said quietly.

Misty stood up and stretched dramatically. Noticing the clear cave entrance, she blinked in surprise.

"The rain stopped? I thought we'd be stuck here all night!"

Kai shot her a sideways glance. "You sound kind of disappointed."

"Hey, no I don't~" she said, sticking out her tongue.

But truthfully, she was a little reluctant to leave.

Being trapped in the cave had been boring, sure but it was also a rare and memorable experience. Cut off from the world, time felt slower, quieter. Returning to normal life suddenly felt… strange.

Still, she knew they couldn't stay forever.

After cleaning up their trash and stamping out the remaining embers completely, the three left the cave behind.

The wind outside was still strong, but nothing like before.

Looking into the distance, they saw the massive storm clouds drifting away from Dewford Island. This time, the typhoon had truly passed.

"Let's head back to town first," Kai said.

"Huh?" Misty looked toward the Gym, "Now that the storm's gone, shouldn't we go check it out?"

"Better tomorrow," Kai replied, shaking his head. "It's already late, and I doubt the Gym staff would reopen immediately after a typhoon, Plus, we're still a mess, Let's clean up at the Pokémon Center first."

Misty sniffed herself.

…Yeah. Even dry, the lingering rain smell wasn't great.

After descending the mountain, they returned to Dewford Town within fifteen minutes.

The town looked as though it had been washed clean.

As Kai had said before, Dewford's drainage system was excellent. Despite the prolonged downpour, aside from damp ground, there was barely any standing water left.

That said, some signboards had fallen over, trees leaned at odd angles, and debris littered the streets. Residents were already outside, cleaning up together.

When they reached the Pokémon Center, dozens of Trainers were gathered inside.

Seeing them return, Nurse Joy visibly relaxed.

"Where did you go? Your luggage was in your rooms, but you were gone I was really worried!"

As the Center's supervisor, missing guests during a disaster was no small matter.

"Sorry to worry you," Misty said apologetically. "We got stuck outside and waited until the storm passed."

"I'm just glad you're safe," Nurse Joy said with relief. "Go get some rest. I've prepared ginger soup in the cafeteria it'll help warm you up."

After thanking her, the three split up and returned to their rooms.

Kai took a hot shower immediately, washed away the lingering rain smell, tossed his clothes into the washer, changed, and headed to the cafeteria.

From afar, he saw Bea sitting alone in a corner, Misty hadn't arrived yet.

Without hesitation, Kai sat down across from Bea.

She glanced at him briefly, then returned to her soup. After what they'd been through together, she seemed to have quietly accepted Kai and Misty as friends.

They didn't talk much. When Chansey brought over the ginger soup, both drank quietly.

A few bold Trainers had initially considered striking up a conversation with Bea, but seeing her seated with a male companion, they quickly gave up.

Misty finally arrived after they'd finished drinking.

Her hair was still slightly damp, and when she saw Kai and Bea sitting face-to-face, her gaze paused.

This feels familiar…

Why does it suddenly feel like I'm the extra one?

She quickly shook the thought away.

Kai was great, sure but not everyone liked him. And someone as reserved as Bea definitely wouldn't end up like Sabrina or Erika.

…Probably.

---

The next morning, after breakfast, the three set out together for Dewford Gym.

All traces of the typhoon had vanished from the town.

Passing the mountain path again, they walked by the cave where they'd sheltered, Misty glanced over with clear nostalgia, and even Kai and Bea lingered for a moment.

Soon, they reached the Gym's unusual signboard location—

Only to find it gone.

The typhoon had blown it away completely.

Misty's eyes lit up with petty satisfaction.

After all, if the Gym had been open, they wouldn't have ended up trapped in a cave.

Bea, on the other hand, looked genuinely disappointed.

As a Fighting-type specialist who trained Machop, Machoke, and Machamp, she'd actually admired that sign.

Crossing the empty spot, they reached the Gym entrance.

Unlike yesterday, the doors were wide open.

Inside, they immediately spotted a group of young women in swimsuits sitting by the battlefield, surfboards beside them. Their skin was sun-bronzed, clearly the result of long days spent surfing.

At the center of the group sat a man who stood out immediately.

Spiky blue hair. Sunglasses. A sports shirt and shorts. Sun-kissed skin and a relaxed, confident air.

There was no doubt about it—

This was Brawly, the Dewford Gym Leader.

Seeing them enter, Brawly grinned.

"Whoa, challengers this early? I was thinking today'd be perfect for surfing after the storm but looks like that'll have to wait!"

"Surfing?!" Misty snapped. Hands on her hips, she glared at him. "We beat the preliminary match the day before yesterday! You said you'd accept our challenge yesterday! Why was the Gym closed?! We got drenched and trapped in a cave because of that!"

Brawly blinked. "…Preliminary match?"

Misty frowned. "Don't play dumb! The one against your so-called acting Gym Leader your top student your girlfriend!"

Realization dawned on Brawly's face, and he let out a helpless laugh.

He turned around and called out, "Makoto!"

From the crowd, a girl who already sensed trouble panicked and bolted.

She ran fast.

Misty stared, completely lost.

Brawly sighed and turned back. "Sorry about that. Truth is, Dewford Gym doesn't have any qualification matches. No acting Gym Leader either."

"…What?" Misty froze.

"She was never authorized," Brawly continued. "She was just guarding the Gym on her own while I was away."

Kai could only admire the audacity.

She'd staged a full Gym battle and sold it perfectly.

Honestly impressive.

Seeing the awkwardness he'd caused, Brawly abandoned any talk of surfing and cleared the field.

"So," he asked, "who's challenging the Gym?"

Kai glanced at Bea. She met his eyes.

Smiling, he stepped back slightly. "Ladies first."

Bea nodded and walked to the challenger's side.

Instantly, hostile gazes locked onto her.

Compared to the girls around Brawly, Bea stood out far too much.

Brawly studied her carefully, eyes lighting up.

Even before the battle began, he knew—

She was a Fighting-type specialist.

After the referee announced the rules, Brawly smiled confidently.

"I'm Brawly! Dewford Gym Leader—and a pro surfer!"

He flashed what he thought was a charming grin.

Bea didn't react.

At all.

Brawly stiffened.

"…And you are?"

Silence.

The girls around him exchanged looks.

Misty snorted quietly.

Yeah… good luck with that.

After a full day together, she knew Bea's personality perfectly.

Trying to flirt with her?

That was asking to hit a wall hard.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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