Taking three years to surpass a champion shouldn't be an issue. Even though Carl usually takes a laid-back approach, five years should be enough to catch up with Cynthia.
"What's the wager?" Caitlin raised an eyebrow.
"Let's make it big," Carl replied confidently. "The loser must unconditionally agree to one request from the winner. Living together? I'm in."
"What if I ask you to jump off a cliff?"
"Of course." Carl accepted without a second thought. He was sure he wouldn't lose, so the bigger the stakes, the better. What should he make Caitlin do if he wins? Maybe have her livestream washing his feet for the world to see?
"Fine, if you dare bet, I'll go along with it!" Caitlin was confident in Cynthia's abilities. As for what she'd have Carl do, she'd decide later.
"Deal!" Carl admired her decisiveness. "Let's put it in writing."
He pulled out paper and pen from his belt, quickly drafted the terms, and signed it. Caitlin followed suit, and they both pressed their thumbprints on it, with Lillie, Serena, and Sabrina acting as witnesses.
With the agreement safely tucked away, Carl felt great. This was a win-win situation.
Caitlin secretly felt pleased too; she had been waiting for an opportunity to give this irritating guy a piece of her mind.
Both felt an inexplicable joy.
"Cheers!" Carl raised his glass of mango lassi, and Caitlin clinked her teacup against it. This bizarre harmony left the three girls exchanging confused glances.
Lillie couldn't hold back any longer. "Carl, are you really a semi-elite-level trainer?" She had been itching to ask since Caitlin brought it up.
After Pokémon reach the elite level, the next step is the master level; there's no such thing as a "semi-master" level. However, the league and the public often recognize trainers with an unofficial "semi-master" level based on special abilities.
This primarily arises due to unique circumstances. To become a master-level trainer, both the trainer and the Pokémon must reach that level. However, there are two special scenarios: One where the Pokémon reaches the master level but the trainer lacks the necessary skills, and another where the trainer reaches the master level, but their key Pokémon remains at the elite level. Such trainers are stronger than standard elite-level ones and are thus categorized as "semi-master."
The latter scenario is rarer. The former is often seen in prominent families, where strong Pokémon accompany individuals from a young age, allowing them to train Pokémon that surpass their level once they reach adulthood.
But Carl was clearly not in that category. He was more likely a prodigy who had reached the master level himself.
"Semi-master?" Carl chuckled and shook his head, "I'm not."
"Impossible!" Caitlin immediately retorted. "You must be a semi-master."
"How can you be so sure?" Carl countered.
"Well..." Caitlin was momentarily at a loss for words.
Lillie breathed a sigh of relief; if Carl was truly at the semi-master level, it would be astonishing. But then Carl added, "Don't underestimate me. I'm actually at the master level."
Everyone froze. Sabrina gave Carl a knowing glance.
Suddenly, Carl clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Buddy, come out and say hi."
With a swift movement, a majestic Lucario appeared by his side.
"A master-level Lucario?!" Caitlin jumped from her seat, her face filled with disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"
Though this Lucario was in a sealed state, its strength was still at the peak of the master level. It boasted dual steel and fighting types, a calm demeanor, and special mental fortitude, making it immune to intimidation effects. As a Pokémon with near-legendary potential, its bond with Carl was unparalleled, mastering over twenty powerful skills including Aura Sphere, Extreme Speed, and Close Combat.
While Caitlin had an elite-level Metagross, she could instantly gauge the formidable power of Carl's Lucario. Being familiar with Cynthia's champion-level Lucario, she could see that Carl's was among the best even at the master level.
"How is this trickery?" Carl casually sipped his mango lassi. "You started the topic, questioned me, and proposed the bet. I never said I was a semi-master. That was your assumption." With that, he finished his drink with satisfaction.
Strictly speaking, this Lucario wasn't entirely his. It hadn't been captured in a Poké Ball nor registered in the league, so it couldn't officially compete.
The day after Carl awakened his aura abilities, Lucario approached him, claiming they had once fought side by side to prevent a global crisis. However, the specifics were unclear, as some details seemed sealed away with its power.
Anyone else might not believe such a tale, but Carl accepted it quickly. Having watched countless animations in his past life, he was familiar with time-travel themes. In a world where Dialga controlled time, and Arceus and Celebi could traverse temporal dimensions, even the electric-type Rotom had similar abilities. Carl speculated that he might travel back in time in the future, experiencing events with Lucario that led to its current sealed state.
Though he hadn't fully recalled past events, Carl was certain that Lucario was his partner. Their bond was such that they didn't need a Poké Ball to remain connected; when the time was right, everything would fall into place naturally.
This confidence was why Carl could declare himself a master-level trainer so assuredly. Lucario was always ready to fight for him. Moreover, with his psychic abilities, aura powers, and dual-life experience, his command skills truly met master-level standards.
"You..." Caitlin was too exasperated to speak.
She knew Carl wasn't lying, but she couldn't shake her frustration. Normally, her psychic powers would have gone wild by now, but in Carl's presence, she felt powerless, only able to glare. This unprecedented feeling of helplessness annoyed her even more.
"What's going on?" Cynthia's voice called from the doorway.
Caitlin immediately found a target for her frustration.
She rushed over to Cynthia, hugging her tightly and rubbing her face into Cynthia's chest like a petulant child.
Carl watched, feeling slightly defeated despite having won the argument.
"What happened?" Cynthia gently patted Caitlin's back, sensing genuine distress. Caitlin wouldn't usually be so clingy unless truly upset.
"He tricked me!" Caitlin pointed accusingly at Carl, her head still buried.
Cynthia looked at Carl with curiosity.
"She's too proud. A lesson won't hurt," Carl admitted nonchalantly, the truth evident.
After hearing the whole story, Cynthia thought it was for the best. "A little setback will do you good." She knew Caitlin's straightforward nature and brash words would eventually get her into trouble. Correcting it now was beneficial.
"It's your fault for calling him a semi-master. That's why I fell for it," Caitlin pouted, still grumbling.
Carl just smirked, knowing he had the upper hand this time.