The Promise

Rudra and Cynthia were lying down, side by side on their beds in the Pokémon Centre. They had agreed to stay here so that they could be near their partner Pokémon. They were perfectly healthy as Parvati had healed them of their injuries the moment they had come to the Pokémon Centre.

It was night already and Blaziken, Garchomp, and Paimon were sleeping beside each other, with Garchomp and Paimon using Blazikens feathers as cushions. The softest cushions ever!

Rudra and Cynthia were talking to each other about today's match. She was giving him advice on how to train his Blaziken and if Cynthia gives you advice, you always take it seriously.

"You have to train him to be faster. And teach him to find out and attack opponents' weaknesses. He didn't land one critical hit in today's match Rudra, not one."

"He just evolved today Cynthia, please cut him some slack, and don't worry, you know I always take your suggestions to heart. And you will be there with me to train him. So if I do anything wrong you just have to teach me at that moment."

Cynthia sighed and looked at him. She ruffled his hair and said,

"I am here now, but I won't always be there looking after you. You know that right?"

Rudra frowned when he heard her say that and said,

"What do you mean you won't be there."

"I will go on my own adventure when I turn sixteen, you know. I want to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference and win it. I wonder what you'll do when I won't be there? I am pretty sure you'll start increasing your shenanigans after I'll leave. I won't be there to put you on a leash, so you would pretty much go buck wild along with Luffy and Ash."

She turned on her side to look towards him and was about to say something when she saw him looking at her, sobbing. She panicked and started trying to ask why he was crying.

"Hey, why are you crying Rudra? Did something happen? Did you get hurt? Did someone do something to you? Come on, please talk to me, Rudra?"

"Please don't go Cynthia," Rudra replied.

Cynthia looked at him surprised, and a little smile formed on her face.

"There are still four years, Rudra. We have so much time to spend together."

"But still, why do you have to leave? I won't be able to play with you for soo long. Who'll train with me after you leave? Who will be willing to study history with me?"

"Come on now, Rudra. We have so many friends-"

"But they are not you Cynthia!!! No one can replace you!!"

"Ohh so I really am special huh?" Cynthia asked teasingly, but Rudra was in a serious mood and was not willing to understand anything she said.

"Yes!!!"

Cynthia just smiled again and embraced him close to her bosom and ran her hand through his hair.

"Listen, Rudra, I will be going after four years, there is still so much time we can spend together. And even after that, I will be gone for only four years. I will return before you start your own adventure and join you, alright? I will always be by your side after I return."

"Promise?" Rudra asked while looking at her.

She too looked him in the eyes and nodded,

"Promise."

They smiled at each other. Cynthia pulled him into an embrace again, and they went to sleep.

After that special day, Rudra and Cynthia started spending more and more time together. Every little bit of free time they would get, they would spend it together.

They would train together more, they would continue getting lectures from the different Professors together, they would eat and sleep together, and they would do everything together.

The Professors, especially Parvati and Carolina didn't seem to mind and were even happy for them.

They just continued with their work and research.

The gang of kids too seemed unbothered as they always knew the two of them were best friends and were always close. Nothing else mattered to them as long as they got to play with them, and for some of them, to train with the two.

So just like that four years passed by and it was time for Cynthia to leave to train for and participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference....