----
Sabrina stayed quiet for a moment, clearly weighing her options. But in the end, she nodded, choosing to follow Kai's advice.
"All right… I'll head back to the Saffron Gym."
Though reluctant to part, she understood this wasn't something she could avoid. After all, they weren't carefree kids anymore. As adults, life came with responsibilities that couldn't always be set aside for the sake of adventure.
Seeing she still looked a bit down, Kai spoke softly, not wanting her to think he was rushing her off. "It's only for a few days. I'll take you all the way back to Saffron City myself."
Surprised, Sabrina turned to him. "Wait you're not continuing your journey? You don't have to do that. I can manage on my own."
Kai leaned in and kissed her forehead, smiling gently. "What's a few days, compared to you? I'm the one who pulled you out of Kanto, after all. It's only right I take you back personally."
That made her heart stir. Sabrina leaned into his embrace, resting her head against his chest, her forehead just under his chin. The scent of her hair lingered in the air between them faint, sweet, and familiar.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, they took to the skies on Charizard's back, soaring toward Violet City. Though their destination had changed, there was no need to rush through the night. They planned to rest in Violet first, then head for Kanto after a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast.
Charizard's wings beat steadily as they rose into the clouds.
What neither of them knew was that the League's sudden urgency in calling Sabrina back wasn't as simple as it seemed.
In truth, the Pokémon League had always supported Gym Leaders going on journeys to strengthen their skills. It was common practice, and in cases where a Leader stepped away temporarily, the League usually arranged for substitutes to keep the Gym open.
After all, stronger Gym Leaders meant better challenges for Trainers. It kept the League modern and relevant.
But this time, the push to bring Sabrina home was part of Team Rocket's scheme.
Unable to eliminate Kai and Sabrina directly, Team Rocket resorted to political manipulation. They leveraged their influence within the League to pressure Sabrina into leaving Kai's side weakening him by removing one of his strongest allies.
At the very least, separating the two would make Kai easier to deal with.
Night fell. Stars blanketed the sky above.
By the time they reached Violet City's outskirts, Kai and Sabrina were exhausted. They didn't venture into the city center, instead settling into a quiet inn on the edge of town.
After dinner and a hot shower, they collapsed into bed.
Maybe it was the looming separation, maybe it was just the moment but that night, Sabrina was more tender, more passionate than ever. She held nothing back. In her quiet consent, Kai explored new depths of their intimacy… and when sleep finally claimed them, they remained locked in a tight embrace until morning.
---
At sunrise, they set out again.
Charizard carried them eastward, climbing high above the clouds. With no one around to notice, Kai even let out the Legendary Birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres for a rare moment of freedom.
The trio hadn't been outside their Poké Balls in a long time. Now, they stretched their wings and soared with unrestrained energy, diving in and out of clouds, darting past Charizard with bursts of elemental power.
Lightning, frost, and fire streaked across the sky as the birds engaged in a playful but chaotic midair clash. The clouds became their battlefield, each flash lighting up the sky.
'Yep… still as unruly as ever.'
Kai shook his head with a wry smile and let them be. They'd wear themselves out eventually.
As the clouds rushed past, it felt like they could reach out and touch the sky.
It was hard to tell how far they had flown, but by midday, Charizard began to tire. Kai gave it a gentle pat on the neck and guided it down toward the coastline.
The sea breeze was cool and refreshing. The sun, now high in the sky, shimmered off the endless blue horizon. The sight was breathtaking.
"This place is perfect," Kai said. "Quiet, peaceful… let's stop here for lunch."
Sabrina agreed without hesitation. She hadn't taken her eyes off him once.
Kai spread out a picnic cloth and unpacked the convenience store lunch simple sandwiches and rice balls. Then, he released the rest of his Pokémon to enjoy the seaside air.
Gyarados and Steelix lay sprawled under the sun, lazily basking. Gardevoir sat elegantly beside Kai, while the rest dashed off to the shoreline to play.
The Legendary Birds eventually circled back and landed near Kai, finally tuckered out. They preened their feathers quietly, savoring the rare moment of rest.
The lunch was light but satisfying, though Kai found himself wishing for a warm, home-cooked meal. The sandwiches and onigiri were tasty, but they didn't quite hit the spot.
Just a few bites in, Jolteon's ears perked, and alert sprinted back from the beach, pawing urgently at the sand.
Kai followed its gaze and spotted something out on the water.
Far across the waves stood a strange structure, almost like a floating sports arena.
Kai frowned. "A place like this? Out here?"
Sabrina tilted her head, curious. "Want to check it out?"
"Sure. Let's walk off lunch."
They packed up, recalled the Pokémon, and strolled hand-in-hand along the beach. It looked close at first but the walk was surprisingly long.
Their footprints trailed behind them, only to be swallowed by the tide moments later.
As they neared the building, a sign caught their attention.
It was a poster for a water ballet performance. A high-leaping Qwilfish took center stage, surrounded by six elegant pairs of legs emerging from the water in graceful synchrony.
The bold title read:
"Pokémon Synchronized Water Ballet!"
Water ballet?
The first thing that came to Kai's mind was the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City Misty's flamboyant older sisters. He never imagined someone would host such a show all the way out here in the middle of nowhere.
Still…
Kai glanced around. Aside from the two of them, the place seemed completely deserted.
Who builds a ballet stage in a place like this?
Is this even legit? Or… is it a trap?
----
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