Chapter 33: I'm Afraid Gardevoir Might Misunderstand
Green stopped Asahi and told the receptionist, "One standard room and one deluxe suite, please!"
She then paid for her own room.
After handing over the money, Green winced as if she'd taken a physical blow. Even a standard room was a significant expense for her.
At least she'd managed to stop Asahi; if she had stayed in a deluxe suite, her wallet would've been emptied in a single day.
Watching Green's reaction, Asahi chuckled. "You didn't have to do that. Did you really think I was going to make you pay for your own room?"
"Isn't that the case?"
Green still remembered she was technically under probation. Would Asahi really be kind enough to cover a luxury hotel for someone he was still evaluating?
"Do I seem that petty to you?" Asahi raised an eyebrow.
The truth was, he didn't care about the money.
After all, these expenses fell under his travel budget and could be reimbursed by Wataru. Ultimately, it was the League's money being spent.
Hearing this, Green reflected on their journey so far.
He had shared high-quality Pokémon food with her, casually given her a whole box of custom Pokéblocks, and even lent her what was clearly an expensive tent without hesitation...
Maybe Asahi really was as generous as he claimed.
He had actually intended to let her stay in a luxury hotel!
Realizing this, Green felt like she had missed out on an enormous opportunity.
Her heart ached. Breathing became difficult.
"Is it too late to change my room now?" Green clasped her hands together and gave Asahi a hopeful look.
"Of course… not!" Asahi smiled slightly, paid for his own room, and took the key cards from the receptionist. He handed the standard room key to Green.
"I think you made the right choice. Girls should learn to be independent! I believe in you!"
Green: "..."
Her wallet hurt even more now.
...
After taking a hot shower in her room, Green enjoyed a hearty meal at the hotel's buffet, trying to make up for her expenses through sheer eating.
But unless she turned into a Snorlax, she quickly realized there was no way to "eat her money's worth."
Meanwhile, in Asahi's suite…
"Who exactly is he?"
Hugging her Clefairy, Green sat on the couch, glancing at Asahi, who was calmly sipping tea and reading a newspaper.
He was wealthy, had close ties with Professor Oak, and had the authority to access the League's database. Despite his strength, he had an odd habit of picking on random roadside trainers…
A cloud of mystery surrounded Asahi, and Green couldn't make sense of it.
"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm afraid Gardevoir might get the wrong idea," Asahi said, folding his newspaper and meeting her gaze.
Startled, Green turned to see Gardevoir staring at her intently.
Under Gardevoir's watchful eyes, Green averted her gaze and began to recall a question Asahi had asked her back in Cerulean City.
At the time, unfamiliar with him, she had chosen to remain silent.
But after spending the past few days together, she had concluded that, no matter what, Asahi was a good person.
After a moment of hesitation, Green finally made up her mind.
"Twelve years ago…"
"Wait a moment!" Asahi interrupted, giving Gardevoir a signal.
Gardevoir's eyes glowed, and an invisible psychic force swept through the room.
After ensuring there were no listening devices, Asahi said to the confused Green, "I've upset Team Rocket recently, so I have to be cautious about potential surveillance. It's all clear now. Please continue."
"?"
That was Team Rocket. How could he be so casual about it?
After organizing her thoughts, Green continued:
"Twelve years ago, I was kidnapped to the Johto region by someone called the Masked Man and forced to join a group called the Masked Army.
"I don't know how many members there were in the group, but six of us, including me, were specially chosen for our exceptional potential. We were forced to wear masks and divided into three pairs for training based on our ages.
"This went on for twelve years.
"Until recently, a companion and I managed to escape from the Masked Army's base while the Masked Man was weakened…"
As Green recounted her experience, Asahi noted the complex emotions on her face.
Fear when speaking of her kidnapping. Hatred when mentioning the Masked Man. Relief when recalling her escape…
Aside from the timeline being extended to 12 years, Green's story matched the plot of the Pokémon Special manga Asahi remembered.
That companion must be Silver, Giovanni's son, Asahi thought, recalling the storyline.
Although he had no idea how Giovanni had managed to lose his son back then, imagining his reaction upon learning that his child had been kidnapped by Pryce was certainly amusing.
As Asahi pondered this, Green took two feathers out of her bag.
"These feathers were stolen from the Masked Man when I escaped the base. I don't know their purpose, but he seemed to value them greatly…"
One feather shone with a silver glow, like molten silver, while the other shimmered in a rainbow of colors.
Asahi took the feathers and examined the energy they contained.
"Silver Wing and Rainbow Wing—just feathers that fell off Lugia and Ho-Oh."
While they were items from Legendary Pokémon, their value paled in comparison to the Dragon Crystal and Psychic Plate in Asahi's possession.
Their main use seemed to be summoning Lugia and Ho-Oh under specific conditions.
Asahi handed the feathers back to Green. "Keep them safe. While they're not particularly useful to me, they'd be valuable to those seeking Legendary Pokémon or groups like Team Rocket."
Green was surprised. She had already prepared herself for Asahi to take the feathers.
But not only did he return them, he even claimed they were of no use to him.
"Don't look at me like that. I told you I'm a good person—why don't you believe me?" Asahi sighed, exasperated.
What had he done to earn such suspicion? Sure, he'd bullied some rookie trainers, but was that really so bad?
"Then… who are you, really?" Green asked for the third time, now having revealed all her secrets to Asahi.