Logan could only shake his head helplessly at this.
Cynthia's personal charm was simply too overwhelming. It did not discriminate by gender or age—so long as someone was a normal person, they would inevitably be drawn in by her temperament and aura.
Logan and Erika followed behind the two of them at an unhurried pace, heading toward the medical room as well. Along the way, Erika kept her hands folded lightly in front of her, the expression on her refined face shifting subtly. She seemed as though she wanted to say something, yet hesitated again and again.
"What's wrong, Erika?"
Noticing the girl's hesitation beside him, Logan quietly reached out and took hold of her slender wrist, asking in a gentle voice.
After a moment of hesitation, Erika still shook her head.
"…I'm fine."
"You're not feeling unwell, are you?"
As Logan spoke, his gaze fell upon Erika's wrist. During her earlier battle with Cynthia, it had nearly been twisted out of place. Even with the advanced medical technology of this world, such an injury could not be fully healed on the spot. Bandage-like wrappings still covered her right wrist.
"This kind of injury is nothing," Erika replied softly, lifting her right hand and giving it a slight shake. There was no trace of pain on her face, as though she were deliberately showing Logan that she was strong—that she would not crumble over something like this.
In this world, women who could become Trainers were never the type to burst into tears at the slightest wound. Without resilience, without the strength to bleed without crying, it was impossible to walk the path of a Trainer—let alone become a Gym Leader.
Only then did Logan truly relax. Still holding her hand, he guided her forward.
A faint blush rose to Erika's cheeks. Whether it was because of their close physical contact, or because others might notice the two of them holding hands, even she could not tell.
Her heart thumped wildly.
The reason she had hesitated earlier was Cynthia.
She wanted to ask more—to understand the exact nature of Logan's relationship with Cynthia. Yet she feared that voicing such doubts without evidence would only make Logan unhappy, making him think she was a jealous woman.
Erika's emotions were tangled.
She wanted Logan to remain devoted to her alone, yet she also felt she had no right to demand such loyalty—after all, she had already deceived her good friend Misty.
To Erika, Logan felt like drifting clouds in the sky—impossible to grasp, impossible to hold. He was clearly right beside her, yet seemed as though he could drift away at any moment.
A year and a half ago, at the Indigo Plateau Conference, Erika had also come to know Sabrina. Though they had not exchanged visits since then, they would occasionally call one another.
And every time she spoke with Sabrina, Logan's name inevitably came up.
That made Erika uneasy.
She could not help wondering whether Sabrina also had some sort of connection with Logan—though she feared this was nothing more than her own imagination running wild.
"Big Brother~~!"
Erika's thoughts were interrupted by a cheerful cry.
As they passed through the hall, Logan turned toward the voice and saw Professor Oak, Professor Rowan, Yellow, and the Berleitz family gathered there.
Although this area was meant to be the competitors' lounge, with the two professors present, coming and going was never an issue.
"Yellow, you're here too~"
Logan smiled and greeted her. He released Erika's wrist and said softly to her:
"…I won't be going to the medical room. Erika, you can head there yourself. I might take Yellow to walk around Celadon University for a bit. When you're done here, you can come find me."
"Don't your Pokémon need treatment?" Erika asked, lifting her head and looking at Logan with her calm, elegant eyes.
"Other than some stamina loss, they were barely injured," Logan replied. "Letting them rest inside their Poké Balls will be enough."
"I see." Erika smiled gently. "Then I'll go to the medical room first. You really are very kind to that little girl, Logan."
She covered her mouth as she laughed softly.
Erika genuinely liked Yellow. Or rather, anyone would find it difficult not to like such a cute yet resilient child. And because Yellow was still so young, Erika felt no sense of threat at all—Logan taking her out felt no different from an older brother bringing his little sister along.
"I'll go find Cynthia and Iris in the medical room. See you later."
After nodding to Logan and apologizing briefly to Professor Oak and the others, Erika headed toward the medical room.
As Logan walked over, he heard Professor Oak's hearty laughter.
"Congratulations again on your victory, Logan!"
Professor Rowan, as usual, merely nodded with a stern expression.
"It wasn't anything worth mentioning," Logan replied modestly, though a smile still appeared on his face.
No matter what, defeating the Unova Champion with a single decisive blow was an honor—and an important entry in his life's record. If anyone were to write his biography one day, this battle would undoubtedly be recorded in history.
"Where are you all heading now?" Logan asked with a smile.
"Rowan and I are about to go find Professor Birch," Professor Oak replied. "Would you like to come along?"
"Professor Birch? I actually met him briefly before the match," Logan said. "But I'll pass. You're probably discussing work. That kind of thing doesn't interest me. Yellow—do you want to walk around the university with me?"
"Yes, Big Brother~!"
The little girl nodded enthusiastically and hurried over to Logan, her single ponytail swaying back and forth, as if she were afraid Professor Oak might take her away if she moved too slowly.
Seeing her excitement, everyone laughed.
After a brief exchange, Mr. and Mrs. Berleitz turned to Platinum.
"…Platinum, why don't you go walk around with the Kanto Champion as well?" her father suggested. "No need to follow us around."
"No," Platinum shook her head. "I'll go with you to meet Professor Birch."
Yet Logan clearly noticed her slender body tremble slightly.
The earlier battles had probably frightened her.
Platinum was around the same age as Yellow, but unlike Yellow, she was not familiar with Logan. After witnessing his cold and merciless fighting style, it was only natural she would feel uneasy around him.
"This time we're not discussing academic matters," Mr. Berleitz said with a gentle smile. "Even if you come along, you won't learn anything new. Rather than feeling bored with us, it's better to go explore with the Kanto Champion. With him nearby, we'll feel much more at ease."
As the sole heir of the Berleitz family, Platinum's safety had always been paramount.
From childhood to now, she had faced several kidnapping attempts—fortunately, all had ended safely. While she was usually secure at home, traveling outside always carried greater risk.
Under normal circumstances, her parents would never let her out of their sight.
But with the Kanto Champion at her side?
There was no bodyguard in the world money could buy that would be more reliable. If someone could be kidnapped even while standing next to the Kanto Champion, then nowhere in the world would be safe.
Platinum hesitated.
Deep down, this sheltered heiress possessed the liveliness of a girl her age—she simply had never had the chance to show it. Still, Logan made her nervous, and she stood there wavering.
Logan shot Yellow a meaningful glance.
The little girl immediately understood. Beaming, she ran over to Platinum and grabbed her hand, startling her.
"…Come walk around with Big Brother and me, Platinum~!"
Platinum quickly regained her composure, suppressing her startled reaction. With Yellow's encouragement and her parents' approving looks, she hesitated briefly before nodding.
"Hah, what a prideful little lady," Logan chuckled, ruffling Platinum's deep-blue hair.
He had to admit—her grooming was impeccable. Raised on only the finest things, her hair was so smooth it could have been used in a shampoo commercial.
Platinum puffed out her cheeks in displeasure. She wanted to swat away the hand messing with her hair, but didn't dare. Still, she found the sensation strangely novel.
After bidding farewell to the two professors and the Berleitz couple, Logan led the two girls out of the stadium.
Just as they exited through the competitors' private passage, Logan caught sight of a familiar Pokémon darting past in the distance.
"Huh? That Sylveon and its Trainer… what a coincidence."
After a brief thought, Logan took Yellow's hand. When he reached for Platinum's, she subtly avoided it.
Logan found her reaction amusing and didn't force the issue. Smiling, he followed after the Sylveon and its Trainer at an unhurried pace.
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