34 Chapter 34: Dessert and After Dinner Stroll

Once the group was finished with their dinner, the waitress came by to ask if they wanted to eat some dessert. Cynthia almost looked offended when she heard the woman's question, causing Marley and Xander to laugh at her expression. 

"We'll take dessert," Xander answered. "Can I get the crepes with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries as the fruit, lemon custard and whipped cream as the filling, and Combee Honey as the sauce?"

"I'll take the Gogoat Neapolitan Sundae," Cynthia came for the ice cream and she was not planning on leaving without it

"C-C-Can I get Charizard Cheesecake?" Marley asked quietly but her eyes were full of desire. Cynthia and Xander shared a look, noting her liking for spicy food. Charizard Cheesecake was one of the spiciest things a person could order for dessert and only those that really loved spicey food would eat it. 

"No problem. I'll be right out with your food," the waitress took their menus and left to go put in their orders.

"What are your plans after the Great Crusade?" Xander asked, figuring he should try to talk with the shy girl. He usually wasn't one to interact with shy people since he did not like trying so hard but when he remembered that she was one of the companions on Victory Road and in the Battle Frontier, he changed his mind. Even though she was shy, she was strong enough to compare with the Elite 4 in strength which meant that she was a good trainer who was at least able to connect with her Pokemon well.

Marley looked startled and huddled up to Cynthia, not daring to meet Xander's gaze.

"I-I'm going to go to Hearthome City and battle the Gym there," Marley whispered

"Oh, fun. Wanna go together? That's our next destination as well," Xander didn't mind having another companion. He felt sorry for the girl who was so shy so he had the urge to look out for her.

"I-I wouldn't be a bother?" Marley looked up at Xander for the first time. Just like when she got sucked into Cynthia's gentle smile, she also got sucked into his red eyes. 

"Not at all. We are gonna try to finish all the Gyms in the next 3 months though so we might move a little fast," Xander warned her, not wanting her to feel overwhelmed.

"Really? I thought the plan was to finish them all a month before the conference so we could focus on training during that last month," Cynthia pouted. She wanted to take her time to explore and enjoy the sights. 

That was when Xander remembered that he had yet to inform her of Prof. Carolina's plans. When he told her and Marley about them, Cynthia was no longer pouting and had her 'I wanna go on an adventure' look. 

"Who cares about sightseeing? We can do that after that conference," Cynthia changed her tone immediately when she heard that she could get some intense training from an old friend of Prof. Carolina. Even if the old woman wasn't strong herself, she had traveled with a large number of trainers that had all grown up to be powerhouses around the world. Having one of those people train Cynthia would help her improve her strength by a large margin. 

"So what do you say, Marley?" once he had Cynthia on board, Xander turned to Marley to see if she wanted to join them. 

"I-If I won't be a bother. Thank you for your care," Marley bowed her head to thank them. She really wanted to travel with others but she was afraid of saying the wrong thing in front of people. 

Soon after Marley agreed, their desserts arrived. The three kids each dug into their sweet with gusto. Even Marley couldn't help but become more active as she ate her cheesecake that was covered in a red sauce that screamed 'spicy'!

When they finished their desserts, Xander paid the bill before the trio went separate ways at the front of the restaurant. Marley had rented out a room at one of the inns so she wasn't returning to the Pokemon Center. 

Instead of heading right back to the Center, Cynthia and Xander took a walk on the beach. Xander was holding Cynthia's shoes in one hand and one of her hands in his other. The cries of several aquatic Pokemon filled with air in a harmonious tone while the moon and streetlights provided them just enough light for them to see their way. 

Neither spoke a word while they walked, enjoying the quiet night and beautiful sight in front of them with a comfortable silence between them. When they got to the end of the beach, Cynthia did not let go of Xander's hand.

"In 3 months, we are going to be separated for the first time since we were born," Cynthia declared, the realization having slowly sunken in. They had never been away from each other for more than a few hours, no need to mention an entire month of not seeing each other.

"I know. But if we do this, we're gonna be much better trainers and our Pokemon will thank us," Xander was also reluctant to part but he was not willing to stay comfortable. He knew that in the future, a large number of disasters would fall upon the Pokemon World and if he wasn't strong enough, he would not be able to protect the ones he loved. 

To make sure that his family was safe, Xander was willing to even fight the Creation Trio themselves. 

"I know. I'm still gonna miss you though," Cynthia squeezed his hand tighter

"I'll miss you too," Xander leaned over and kissed her forehead. Cynthia wasn't the only one who had gotten used to the other's presence. He couldn't imagine sleeping a full night without her by his side. 

"Good," Cynthia broke off from holding his hands and punched him in the shoulder. She then took her shoes and put them on before looking back at Xander with a predatory smile. "If you said anything else, I would have sicked Gabby on you."

Xander chuckled nervously, not sure if Cynthia was serious or not. But he was relieved that she liked him so much. 

So even though they knew that they would separate from each other in a few months, the walk back to the Center was filled with bliss.