Mai woke with a dry throat, dragging herself out of sleep like surfacing from water. Her head was heavy and buzzing. She groped blindly for the glass on her nightstand and downed it in one gulp.
Strange… she didn't remember leaving a glass of water there. Just as she didn't clearly remember what happened last night.
She vaguely recalled drinking stubbornly, as if to prove something, one glass after another, until her memory dissolved into nothingness. Somewhere in the blur, she thought she heard Luther's voice calling her name.
The banquet table, which had been a chaotic mess, was now neatly cleaned. Leftovers had been packed away and placed by the ventilation outlet across the room, keeping the smell contained.
Pachirisu was curled up atop Eevee's tail, tucked under a tiny quilt Mai had stitched herself, sleeping soundly.
Eevee, who had also indulged in alcohol the night before, was still fast asleep. Mai couldn't resist poking her forehead but there was no reaction.
Slowpoke, however, was awake. Not because he was an early riser, but because Corsola had rolled over in her sleep and landed on him. He had gone from dazed confusion to clutching his head in pain to being jolted fully awake. Now he sat hunched in a corner, eyes gleaming in the dark, giving off a ghostly impression.
Mai checked the clock. It was 6 o'clock. Normally, this was the time to get up and either head out or start training. But after last night's commotion, all the Pokémon were still dead asleep, snoring in chorus.
If she were awake now… what about Luther?
Usually, when she overslept, Luther would come to wake her. Had he also drunk himself into unconsciousness?
Mai got dressed, only then noticing a washbasin set carefully by her feet. She froze, then realized that it must have been Luther, leaving it there in case she threw up in her sleep.
Not wanting to disturb the Pokémon, Mai tiptoed out, closing the door softly behind her. She hesitated outside Luther's room, then knocked lightly twice.
No answer.
Just as she wondered whether to try waking him, the door creaked open on its own.
But no one was behind it.
Looking down, Mai saw Chikorita bounding happily toward her. The little Grass-type leapt into her arms, rubbing against her with unrestrained affection. Mai opened her mouth to whisper, but Chikorita quickly pressed a Vine Whip against her lips, signaling her to stay quiet.
Inside, Luther was fast asleep. He held Kirlia in his arms, Kirlia cradled Espurr, and Jumpluff had claimed a pillow of her own.
Chansey slept in the corner, hugging a Pokémon egg under a blanket.
Marill lay sprawled on the floor, snoring, clearly having rolled off the bed sometime in the night. How she managed not to wake up from that fall was anyone's guess.
Even the ever-punctual "living alarm clock" Chansey was dozing deeply, not even noticing when Mai stepped close.
In the dim light, Mai caught sight of something that made her pause. Adhesive patches, medicine strips, were stuck to Chansey's head, her stomach, and her right arm.
The faint smell of Potion hung in the air.
Marill's back bore one of the same patches. Espurr's chest, Kirlia's hand, and Jumpluff's face, all marked with wounds.
Mai's breath caught.
What… what happened last night after she blacked out? A battle? No, a clash so fierce it left every one of Luther's Pokémon injured?
Clutching Chikorita close, Mai quietly shut the door. Chikorita's Vine Whip flicked wildly in explanation, and from her frantic gestures, Mai caught a single name.
Cynthia.
Curiosity tightening in her chest, Mai turned toward Cynthia's room. She raised her hand and knocked.
The door opened almost immediately.
The door opened to reveal Lucario. Upon seeing Mai, he raised a finger to his lips in the same hush gesture as Chikorita.
Cynthia's sleeping posture was anything but graceful. She was sprawled across the bed, face buried beneath a pillow, both feet sticking out uncovered. If not for the heater running, she would have long since woken from the cold.
In the corner, Garchomp stirred. He instantly registered Mai's presence, cracked his eyes open, and unceremoniously shoved the slumbering Gastrodon off his back. Then, with deliberate care, he shifted Togekiss, who had been resting against his wing, so he could maintain a more dignified image.
Gastrodon, soft and pliant, simply rolled over and continued snoring, utterly unbothered. His body, however, was covered with no fewer than five medical patches.
Togekiss bore one as well, strapped across her right wing, which explained why Garchomp had moved so carefully just moments ago.
Glaceon had curled herself into a ball inside the trash bin for some inexplicable reason. The patch on her forehead was proof enough that she too had joined last night's battle.
When Mai entered, she had already noticed Milotic asleep in the bathtub, unscathed, without a single mark. Now, seeing Garchomp equally intact, she couldn't help but flash him a thumbs-up.
Garchomp arched his long neck with pride, silently telling Cynthia's little fangirl: Of course. As expected of me.
Only after Mai slipped back out did Garchomp's composure crack. With a guilty glance, he tilted his head to peek at the glaringly white patch stuck across his back. He wanted desperately to claw it off, but Cynthia had decreed it must stay until after breakfast.
It's just a scratch. Why the ridiculous patch?!
At breakfast time, Garchomp stubbornly refused to leave the room. Cynthia, toothbrush in mouth, glared at him.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? You let yourself get nailed by Marill's Ice Beam in the same spot, over and over. If Luther hadn't been saving up a Blizzard, you'd be wearing a lot more than one patch right now."
She spat out the foam and added flatly, "Wear the patch, take the lesson. Don't come out, don't eat. Simple as that."
Gastrodon, his whole body covered in injuries, lifted his head high with zero shame. Four opponents, one after another, he had taken them all on. A true war of attrition.
Now that… that's prestige.
Glaceon, too, wore her wounds with pride. After all, she had faced Chansey directly, who had fought like a self-destructive maniac, flinging explosive Aftermaths at point-blank range. Getting injured wasn't weakness; it meant she had been properly calculated into Chansey's madness.
Togekiss, however, was far less content. Her injury was Espurr's fault. But how? That tiny little thing hadn't even moved… so how had she ended up hurt?
She'd need to interrogate him later.
Milotic and Lucario, of course, were spotless. They hadn't even entered the fight. Instead, they had sat back like spectators at a show, snacking while their teammates bled for honor. Watching them now, the two seemed positively radiant with smug satisfaction.
By the time Luther and Cynthia entered the dining hall, both looked ravenous. Their Pokémon, sluggish and battered, huddled together, passing along feeding bowls. Under Chansey's weary coordination, they lined up before the attendants to collect the meals Luther had pre-ordered for them.
The two Trainers themselves tore into breakfast without restraint. After all, midway through last night's match, they had both staggered aside to vomit from the excess alcohol. Their stomachs had been empty ever since.
Only when they finished did Mai finally lean forward, eyes darting eagerly from one to the other.
"You two had a secret battle without telling me? Come on, spill it, what happened? I need details!"
Luther wiped his mouth, then gave a sheepish grin.
"Long story short? I lost. Don't ask."
Mai pouted. "But Cynthia's Pokémon are all banged up. It must've been intense, right?"
Luther scratched the bridge of his nose awkwardly.
"…All I managed was knocking out her Gastrodon and Glaceon. That's it."
When he glanced up, Cynthia was already looking back at him, smiling the same sly smile.
"Oh, my poor Gastrodon," she sighed dramatically. "What did he ever do to deserve being thrown into a four-on-one brawl?"
(End of Chapter)
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