"So… our journey is coming to an end?" Mark suddenly sat up straight and asked blankly.
"When exactly are we heading back? I need to adjust my travel plans." Joseph was much calmer, but there was still a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
"No rush. The tournaments are still three months away, and the other two inauguration events are over a month off."
Sato quickly added the timeline. Seeing them like this, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional himself.
"Then once we finish the last stop at Lake Acuity, it'll be time to head back…" Joseph nodded.
"It's really ending soon… time flies," Mark muttered to himself off to the side, no longer his usual carefree self.
Sato shook his head and continued outlining the rest of his plans. It wasn't like they'd stop being together.
…Just no more traveling, that's all.
"…"
---
Early the next morning, Cynthia arrived at the inn with a special Celestic Town breakfast, just as promised, ready to give them a tour of the town.
"Celestic Town isn't big, and being in a remote location has slowed down modernization, but that's exactly why so many ancient buildings and ruins have been preserved. They're really worth seeing~"
At the breakfast table, Cynthia munched on a local specialty while giving an enthusiastic introduction.
It was obvious: her excitement didn't come from playing tour guide, but from her genuine interest in history and legends.
Sato nodded from time to time. Cynthia's commentary often included mentions of Legendary Pokémon, which made it all the more interesting.
Mark, on the other hand, just thought the food was pretty tasty and wondered if he should suggest Mama Joseph learn how to make them, to spice up their menu a bit.
After breakfast, the four of them got ready and set off. Their first destination was the Celestic Ruins in the center of the town.
"Palkia, the god of space, and the god of time…"
Along the way, Cynthia had already started telling the legends that had been passed down in Celestic Town since ancient times.
It was still early, so there weren't many people on the road. That helped avoid the usual interruptions from townsfolk greeting Cynthia.
After walking for more than ten minutes, they arrived at the ruins. In a large sunken pit nearly three meters deep was an ancient, crumbling… entrance.
Though both sides of the entrance had signs of being manually carved, there were no stone doors or similar structures, so "entrance" was a generous description.
But before they could go in, the three of them instinctively stopped in their tracks.
Because standing at the entrance… was Cynthia's grandmother!
"Don't worry. Grandma's the guardian of the ruins. She won't follow us around all day," Cynthia offered kindly. But judging from Mark's horrified expression, her explanation clearly didn't help…
"Aren't you coming?"
Cynthia's grandmother's voice rang out from ahead. Mark flinched and immediately put on his most obedient face, hiding behind Joseph.
Sato and Joseph exchanged a glance, then braced themselves and followed Cynthia to her grandmother's side.
"Once you're inside, don't touch the murals, don't shout, and don't send out any destructive Pokémon. Got it?" Her voice was calm and quiet, but it still made the three of them extremely tense.
"Mmhmm!!" x2
"…Mhm" Sato.
"Alright, take them in," the grandmother nodded at Cynthia and looked away.
In that instant, the "pressure" lifted considerably.
"Yes, Grandmother."
Cynthia answered softly and was just about to lead them into the ruins when her grandmother spoke again.
"Wait!"
All four of them turned their heads at once, feet still mid-step, frozen in place as they waited for Cynthia's grandmother to speak.
"Put away the Pokémon you're hiding in your shadow. The ruin's structure is fragile, it can't handle something like that running around."
Sato froze for a second. He had no idea how Cynthia's grandmother had detected Gengar, but he called it out and returned it to its Poké Ball.
It wasn't until they had gone nearly a hundred meters deep into the ruins, with the entrance no longer in sight, that the three finally let out a breath of relief.
"You guys had me feeling nervous too, just watching you all twist around like that at once," Cynthia said with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"S-Seriously though… just how strong is your grandmother? The pressure around her is insane," Mark muttered, still shaken.
Cynthia glanced back toward the entrance of the ruins, then said thoughtfully, "Even with my strongest lineup right now, I might not be able to beat a single one of her Pokémon…"
"Hissss…"
A sharp inhale rang out, Mark's eyes widened in disbelief. In his eyes, if Sato didn't use Mega Evolution or Dark Energy, he still wouldn't be a match for Cynthia.
And now Cynthia, as strong as she was, said she couldn't beat even one of her grandmother's Pokémon.
That was terrifying…
A giant like that… 'Better not mess with her. Definitely not!'
The three of them went silent. Cynthia said nothing more either, and began guiding them through the ancient ruins.
She explained everything in detail, and soon Sato and the others were completely drawn in. Many of the legendary tales revealed their true faces, and the awe from earlier was slowly left behind.
By the time they finished touring the entire ruin and were preparing to leave…
"Phew~ I'm ready… Let's go!" Mark let out a heavy breath like he was heading to his doom.
But when they reached the entrance, they discovered the one guarding the ruins had been replaced by an old man.
"Oh, I forgot to mention~ Grandma only comes to check the ruins early in the morning. The rest of the time, it's other elders from the town standing guard."
Cynthia blinked innocently, then greeted the man casually and even chatted a bit.
Mark: What do I do when the cool goddess turns mischievous? Asking online, it's urgent!
---
(＿＿)ノ｜
---
After that scare, the whole group finally relaxed, and suddenly realized they were getting kind of hungry.
A quick glance at the time confirmed it was almost lunchtime.
No need to say it.
Let's eat!
And then… they got blocked by a bunch of twelve-year-old kids.
"…Look at those three guys! I heard they're the ones traveling with Cynthia-oneesan!"
A little girl covered her mouth and whispered to the kid next to her, but loud enough that everyone present could hear her clearly.
"Hmph! They don't look that impressive to me… who do they think they are?" another boy muttered with envy and jealousy, also not bothering to lower his voice.
"Yugi! Kuroki! What are you two doing?" Cynthia frowned, clearly displeased with her little friends.
The two who had just spoken looked visibly nervous under her glare, but at the same time, their eyes were full of unconcealed admiration.
Sato clicked his tongue… 'How could these little brats express such complex emotions with just a look? Truly impressive.'
"Ane, if they're your travel companions, we believe these three, must be really strong too. We'd like to challenge them and learn something!" said another boy as he stepped forward, holding a Poké Ball. His wording was noticeably more tactful.
You're an "aniki," and you're strong… would you dare to deny it now?