Pokemon: Skybound

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As Kurt and Professor Elm's eyes turned toward him, Kai raised an eyebrow.

Kurt paused for a moment, then nodded to Professor Elm. "You're right. Keeping the GS Ball here might not be the safest choice."

Kai didn't need them to spell it out he understood perfectly well what they were suggesting.

They wanted to entrust the GS Ball to him.

Before he could respond, Kurt continued, "Now that we've uncovered its purpose, there's no reason to keep studying it. I have no use for it anymore."

Then, turning to Kai with gravity in his voice, he said, "In that case, I'm giving this Poké Ball to you."

Kai hesitated. "I… I don't know if that's really appropriate. Something this important I don't think I can accept it."

But Kurt only smiled gently, lifting the GS Ball in his hand and placing it firmly in Kai's.

"I'm just a craftsman. I don't have the means to protect something like this. You came here with Professor Elm that alone tells me you're someone he trusts. And you won the Indigo League, didn't you? That proves your ability. Giving this to you… puts my mind at ease."

Kai stared down at the mysterious Poké Ball in his hand, visibly moved.

But he and Kurt had only just met. How could he justify accepting something this significant?

He looked to Professor Elm.

Elm nodded with a kind smile. "Kurt is right. Neither of us is a Trainer or a collector. A Poké Ball like this belongs in the hands of someone who understands its purpose and is capable of using it wisely."

A Poké Ball's purpose…

To catch Pokémon.

Erika, standing nearby, gave Kai an encouraging look.

Under normal circumstances, she might have objected to a Trainer using a Poké Ball capable of capturing a Legendary Pokémon. But now…

She said softly, "Since both Kurt and Professor Elm trust you with it, you should take it."

Kai glanced at her and then finally nodded.

"Alright then. Thank you, Mr. Kurt."

Who would have imagined this Poké Ball passed from Professor Ivy to Ash, from Ash to Professor Oak, and finally to Professor Elm would now find its way into his hands?

After all those twists and turns…

Somehow, it had ended up with him.

Kurt smiled with a great sense of relief. One burden lifted.

He called for dinner to be prepared, treating Kai and Professor Elm to a warm, generous meal.

Originally, Kai had hoped to challenge the Azalea Town Gym before nightfall. But between Kurt's hospitality and the weight of receiving the GS Ball, he decided to stay and show his gratitude properly.

The dinner was lively. Glasses clinked, laughter filled the room, and young Maizie blunt and charming as ever kept everyone entertained.

Kurt drank freely, and even the usually reserved Professor Elm couldn't avoid getting tipsy under his insistence.

After dinner, Kurt insisted they stay the night in his guest house.

Perhaps misunderstanding the relationship between Kai and Erika, Kurt's daughter-in-law quietly arranged for them to share a single room.

When the two stepped out of the bath and saw two futons laid out side-by-side, they both froze.

"…Uh." Kai scratched his head awkwardly, wearing a bathrobe. "Should I go ask for another room? Or maybe I could bunk with Professor Elm…"

Erika's cheeks flushed perhaps from the wine, or perhaps not.

She took a breath. "Let's not trouble them. It's late. Honestly, when you're traveling, you can't always be picky."

Traveling? They were guests in someone's home!

But Kai had to admit Kurt and his family were likely fast asleep. It really would be rude to stir them now.

And besides… this wasn't the first time he and Erika had shared close quarters.

Still, back during the Whirl Cup, they at least had a shared suite with separate rooms.

Now? They were in the same room. One space. Two beds. No separation.

If anyone saw this, they'd assume they were a couple.

But…

His thoughts drifted, watching Erika quietly unpack her bag, and then shift the futons slightly apart.

Well—not too far. About half a meter of distance. Just enough to say they weren't touching.

Still… not much of a buffer.

Maybe she was just being polite. Maybe not. She avoided his eyes, pulled up her covers, and said, "It's late. We've got a Gym to visit tomorrow. Let's just sleep."

With that, she lay down, facing away from him her silhouette faintly visible under the moonlight.

Kai stared for a long moment.

Erika wasn't the kind of girl who shared rooms with guys easily. She was elegant, reserved a proper, traditional woman at heart. A lady, raised in the grace of Celadon's old-world customs. She might've been playful and sharp at times, but in her core, she was a Yamato Nadeshiko type.

And yet… here she was.

He shook his head, forcing the thought away, and slipped under the covers of his own futon.

Moonlight poured through the window, catching the curve of her shoulder and the glimmer of her hair. The room was quiet now just the sound of two people breathing.

Though he'd had a few drinks, Kai couldn't sleep.

He turned toward her. From his angle, he could only see her hair… and a glimpse of the curve of her pale neck.

Was she asleep?

She didn't move but something told him she wasn't either.

The silence hung heavy.

His mind wandered back through all their time together. Their teamwork. The glances. The shared unspoken moments.

If someone told him Erika had no special feelings for him he wouldn't believe it. Not for a second.

And not because of ego he felt it. Every shared look, every instinctive step in sync.

He was sure she knew it too. They were both just… holding back.

Any other couple, after all they'd been through, might've grown closer by now. This kind of moment alone together, side by side it would be the perfect chance to confess, to take a step forward.

It felt like a turning point.

But…

Then another face came to mind: Sabrina.

He let out a long breath.

He had a girlfriend. He couldn't betray her not emotionally, not physically.

And then… he remembered a.. woman he'd once shared a night with.

Another sigh.

Right. He'd already betrayed someone once.

How could he forget?

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