Luxurious silk kimonos lay scattered alongside a jet-black robe, the faintly tangled scent of passion still lingering in the air.
"…What exactly is your relationship with Cynthia?"
On the tatami mat, Erika looked a little worn, her cheeks still flushed, her skin damp with a sheen of sweat.
"Relationship? What relationship could there be?" Logan replied lazily, stretched out at Erika's side. "You've seen it yourself—we barely even speak to each other."
The farce earlier in the afternoon, courtesy of Alder, had not lasted long. The Unova Champion had slunk away awkwardly, and under Erika's hospitality, the visitors from Kanto and Sinnoh had settled temporarily into her courtyard. Of all of them, the most delighted with the arrangement was the Sinnoh noblewoman Planteena, who seemed to find the elegant, Japanese-style residence befitting her own stature.
As for Cynthia—Logan really hadn't done anything with her. And even if he had, he'd deny it to his last breath.
Erika was already his. No matter what happened, she couldn't escape him now. Logan's strength had grown to the point where, even if he forced her, he could keep her at his side.
Call it possessiveness, call it arrogance—he didn't care. In his eyes, what belonged to him could never be tainted by another, nor could it ever be allowed to slip through his fingers.
In this world, where Pokémon and power defined everything, Logan's strength had fueled ambitions greater than ever before, along with a pride that was no longer the same as in his past life.
"…Then… what about Caitlin?"
Erika's voice was muffled as she lay on her stomach, moonlight spilling across the curve of her bare back, glistening with sweat and making her skin look even more delicate. There was a helpless note in her tone, almost a plea.
This world was firmly monogamous. From childhood, everyone had been raised with that belief. Of course Erika would feel that Logan should belong to her alone, not become some wandering philanderer scattering affections everywhere.
"Caitlin?"
Logan understood her thoughts perfectly. In his old life, if he'd ever had a goddess-tier beauty and wealthy heiress like Caitlin as his girlfriend, he would have clung to her desperately, never daring to stray. He wasn't worthy back then.
But men are strange creatures. Eating from one bowl while eyeing another pot. With power came confidence, and with confidence came restless desire.
They say money makes men stray. But when a man possesses both overwhelming strength and limitless wealth, unless he's some saintly moral icon, he will inevitably hunger for more.
And Logan? He had only one thought now.
He would not stop for any one woman. He wanted them all.
That was the swelling ambition born alongside his strength.
"Caitlin… she's just a noble lady from Sinnoh I happened to meet on the S.S. Anne."
Logan recounted the story without hesitation, brushing it off with complete nonchalance.
Erika listened quietly, her expression shifting. From his account, it was obvious nothing had happened between him and Caitlin. But a woman's intuition whispered to her that Caitlin had feelings for Logan—and worse, Logan had feelings in return.
She realized, with a pang, how much he had changed over the past year and a half.
Since becoming Champion of Kanto, Logan had grown stronger, more arrogant, as if nothing in the world could matter but his own will.
The Logan she first met would have dodged the topic, changed the subject, anything to avoid discussing Caitlin. But now… he spoke freely, as if it were nothing at all.
That realization sent a sharp pang of fear through Erika. For the first time, she felt her place in his heart might no longer be secure, that she could be cast aside at any moment.
But she didn't lash out, didn't scold or sulk. Instead, fear rooted deep inside her, stirring a desperate urge to cling tighter, to hold on to him no matter what it took.
People are strange like that. The more easily something is gained, the less it is cherished. But when something precious feels just out of reach, the instinct is to seize it tighter.
Erika let out a bitter smile. Their beginning had hardly been clean—forced together by Rocket's pressure, they'd surrendered to temptation.
Over time, though, what started in chaos had softened into warmth. Their shared days had woven together, making separation unthinkable. But even so, she couldn't deny it: she hadn't exactly been a saintly woman. After all, Misty still knew nothing about their relationship.
A soft sigh escaped her lips. Strong men weren't unappealing—far from it. A man's dominance could give a woman an irresistible sense of security. She, too, wanted to be like a girl again, standing behind someone who could shield her from every storm.
Her heart was not as strong as her appearance suggested. The weight of the League's expectations had pushed her into Logan's arms in the first place.
And of all the men she had ever known, only Logan had the strength, the qualification, to stand before her as her protector.
It wasn't mere affection anymore. No, what bound them was something else—an emotion long steeped in time, grown into something called love.
But even if she accepted his dominance for now, she would not so easily surrender.
"This year's Rainbow University Anniversary will host a grand performance battle," Erika said softly, closing her eyes. "As Champion of Kanto, you will undoubtedly be invited. And as the Gym Leader of Rainbow City, I must participate too…"
"And since the Sinnoh Champion is here in Kanto… to make the celebration even grander, I will challenge her to a performance match."
Logan's eyes widened slightly.
"Hey, hey, Erika—you're seriously going to fight Cynthia?"
"Don't worry," Erika smiled faintly, her face stubborn yet radiant beneath the moonlight. "It's just a performance battle, with a time limit. There shouldn't be any danger… assuming, of course, that the Sinnoh Champion lives up to her reputation."
There was no resignation in her voice. No fear. Only determination.
She could not simply surrender. If this man was truly worth fighting for, then she would test herself against Cynthia, Sinnoh's Champion. She would not yield.
"Go back to sleep, Logan… You may have challengers of your own. Since the Unova Champion is here as well, the organizers might pit you against him in a friendly exhibition."
With that, Erika lay back against her pillow.
Logan thought for a moment, then slipped under the blanket, pulling her into his arms before drifting into sleep.
…
The next morning, as everyone sat down to breakfast, commotion suddenly stirred outside Erika's courtyard. Amidst the noise, a girl's voice rang out, clear and unyielding:
"Is the Dragon Master Logan staying here? I, one born in the homeland of dragons and a future Dragon Master myself, have come to challenge him!"
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