Lady Caitlin was busily packing for her long voyage overseas to Unova. Inspired by watching the battles at the Battle Castle, she had decided to become a Trainer as well, and a remarkably skilled one at that. She had attracted the notice of Alder, Champion of the Unova Pokémon League, and after an intense interview, had earned herself a position in the Unova Elite Four. Her family was pleased that she had gained such a title, though more concerned with the fact that she would now gain more attention and renown for the family and Battle Castle alike. It was Darach, her valet who had known her since she was a mere child, who was exceptionally proud of the girl, now almost an adult.
"Are you sure you're ready for this, Lady?" Darach asked her while she packed, the same as he did every morning. "Are you sure you can handle the stress, and pressure, and simply the fact of being alone and so far away from home?"
"Yes, Darach, I am beyond sure," Caitlin replied with a smile. "I know I'm ready. I know how to handle myself. I've controlled my psychic outbursts well, haven't I?"
"Yes you have, and I'm very proud of you," he said, passing her a stuffed animal she had treasured since childhood. Even though she was nearing twenty, and had greatly matured over the past few years, she was still childlike, especially when it came to the gift Darach had given her for her eighth birthday.
"Thank you," Caitlin said, packing it snuggly away in her carry-on bag. "I'm so excited! I'm going to travel, and see all sorts of new Pokémon, and meet new people, and Darach, I'm going to be so well-known!"
"You already are, my Lady," Darach laughed. He loved seeing his Caitlin happy. In his eyes, she was even more beautiful when she was smiling. Oh, how his heart ached with her imminent departure.
"But now I'm going to be known on my own terms, silly. I mean, my parents are so famous because they're, well, my parents, and you're famous because you're the Frontier Brain, and I'm just the little supervisor. Now I can go and make a name for myself instead of latching onto you or my family."
"Lady," Darach sighed, knowing she had already made quite the name for herself. Regardless of that, she had become very highly regarded by him without the fame following her. "I'm going to miss you very much, my Lady."
Caitlin stared at her valet, the person who had been her best friend as she had grown up. She knew the hardest part of her journey would be leaving him behind. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling teary at his statement, and he gladly returned the hug. "I'm going to miss you, too, Darach. So very much."
Darach glowed inside at her words. He knew he loved her, was so hesitant to believe that love was true love rather than love for a friend, for fear that she wouldn't reciprocate his feelings. He agonized over keeping his words and actions in check, so as to not let slip how he truly felt for Lady Caitlin. It was beyond difficult hiding his love, but somehow, he managed to do it. "You can always stay here," he mused. "You could take over the Battle Castle and become Frontier Brain. You are more than capable, my Lady."
Caitlin laughed, looking up at Darach while still keeping her arms around him. "Please, Darach. We all know that I could never replace you."
"Excuse me, Lady, but who is now an Elite Four Member? You, if I'm not mistaken." Darach gazed into Caitlin's amused eyes. He knew full well that Caitlin was a much more able trainer than he himself was.
"But you're still much stronger than I am, and much more experienced. Your Pokémon are incredibly powerful."
"Just as yours are," Darach replied. "And another reason why you should stay: you are going to have to raise all new Pokémon, my Lady. Your current team is sure to stand out in Unova. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to bring Gallade with me, of course," she said. Gallade was her loyal bodyguard (when Darach wasn't around), and it reminded her of Darach, who was also in possession of a Gallade and had given her her Gallade in the first place. "And I'm not set to assume my post for many months. I have all the time I need to train a new team of Unova Pokémon. And if need be, I can bring my other Pokémon with me till my new team is ready. You'll watch my Pokémon for me while I'm gone?"
"Of course, my Lady. You don't even have to ask."
"You take such good care of me, Darach. What am I going to do in Unova without you?"
"The answer is simple, my Lady: don't go." He kissed her forehead and finally released her from his grasp. "No one ever said there couldn't be two Frontier Brains here."
"I'm not stealing your glory," she laughed. "I'm going to go and be the best Psychic Trainer the world has ever seen."
"I have no doubt that you'll succeed," he replied. "If you'll excuse me, Lady Caitlin, I'll go and get your tea."
"Go on," Caitlin said. "And bring an extra cup. I want you to join me."
Darach could not suppress a grin as he left her suite to get the tea.
Before anybody knew it, it was the day before Caitlin's departure. Darach was beyond antsy with worry for the young girl. What if she lost control of her powers? What if she got lonely and could not handle being alone? What if she had problems of any sort, and he wasn't there to comfort her? What if she had difficulty raising her new team? What if she met another boy—No, he couldn't worry about that. If Caitlin wanted a relationship, she should have it. She deserved to be happy.
That afternoon, Caitlin was taking a last walk through the Castle Gardens, of course accompanied by Darach. She was trying to hide her own worries from him, unwilling to make him worry any more about her.
"My Lady, I know I ask you this more than you would like, but are you absolutely sure you are ready to do this?" he asked, hoping her answer would change.
"I'm sure I'm sure," Caitlin replied. "I can do this, Darach. I can do this."
"It's such a long travel. You won't be able to come and go at will."
"I know. But that's why I have you on speed dial." Caitlin took Darach's hand in hers, knowing she would find comfort through the simple touch. And she just wanted to have fun with her best friend, the person who loved her most and whom she loved most, on her last day in Sinnoh. "I know I'll be far from home, but I'll be okay. I'll be spending a lot of time at the Pokémon League. They're letting me style my room in any way I see fit. I'm thinking I'll make it like my bedroom, giant poufy bed and all. Doesn't that sound like a good idea?"
"Wonderful," he replied, looking at their clasped hands. "I'm still going to worry about you, my Lady."
"You know, you can call me Caitlin. It's my last day here. You don't have to be so formal with me, not today."
"As you wish, Caitlin," he said, smiling as he said her name. A beautiful name for the equally beautiful girl with him.
"My only problem is that the Pokémon League is so far away from my villa," Caitlin rambled. "It's not like I can even go back and forth from there very often once I finish my training. But I'm going to let people use it, so it's not like the villa is going to waste. Cynthia promised me she was planning on making regular trips to Unova, and I offered her my villa for whenever she comes."
"How nice of you. I'm sure Cynthia appreciates your offer."
"She does. And once I get to know the Gym Leaders and other Elite Four members, I'm going to let them use it, too. When I'm off from the Elite Four, anybody can come and hang out with me."
"Sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun, Caitlin."
"I am," she replied with a grin. "But that doesn't mean that I won't miss you, Darach, if you're worried about that, too."
Darach blushed. "I know you will miss me, Caitlin. I am going to miss you just as much. But I am more concerned with your safety. A lady like you, living all alone. . . of course I am worried about you."
"I promise you, I'll be just fine. Nothing goes on much in Undella Town. It's all quiet and calm. And I'll have Gallade with me. You trained him yourself. I'll be very well protected."
"What about when you get homesick?"
"Like I said before, I have you on speed dial," she answered, looping her arm around Darach's. He blushed more, greatly enjoying this playful side of Caitlin. He hadn't seen this side of her since she was a young girl. "And I'll have a lot of home with me to make me feel better. My room at the Elite Four is going to be modeled after my bedroom, for goodness' sake. And I'll have pictures everywhere in my villa, and Rory." She too blushed, thinking fondly of the stuffed Growlithe Darach had given her, with its childish nickname that she still used, even at the age of nineteen. "Rory will protect me from everything, just like he did when I was a kid."
"I'm sure he will," Darach said. Caitlin loved that stuffed toy now just as much as she did when she had unwrapped it on her birthday. He took pride in the fact that a present he had given her meant so much more to her than any of the expensive gifts her parents had gotten for her birthday or holidays.
"And even more, I'll come home, too," she continued. "For Christmas and New Year's, and maybe the winter months in general. . . I'd rather be here than freezing at the Pokémon League. And I won't even need a holiday as an excuse to come home. If we don't get a lot of challengers up in Unova, I'll come home and relax. And maybe we can even battle, Darach! Promise me that when I come home you'll battle me."
"Have I ever told you 'no', Caitlin?"
"Nope, and I am surprised that I am not a spoiled little brat."
"You are much too sweet to be spoiled."
Caitlin blushed again. "Aw, Darach, you're going to make me cry," she said, playfully swatting him.
"I don't wish to do that, but I think I may," Darach said. "Please sit down, Caitlin. I have a present for you."
"You didn't have to do that," Caitlin said, taking a seat in the garden right against Darach. "You didn't have to get me a present! You're always doing that."
"It's because I love you, and I'm going to miss you," he replied, hoping Caitlin would not pick up on the true meaning behind his use of the word "love."
"Okay, okay," Caitlin said. "Do I have to close my eyes?"
"If you want."
"Then I'll do it." She squeezed her eyes shut. Darach reached into his pocket and pulled out her gift, a key to the Battle Castle. In fact, it was Caitlin's key, which he had taken and decorated for her for whenever she came home.
"Open your eyes, Caitlin," he instructed, holding the key right in front of her face. She opened her eyes and grinned.
"I guess this is where my key went when I lost it last week. I was wondering when it would turn up," she mused. She had a habit of misplacing her key to the Battle Castle, not that she used it very often. "It looks so pretty now, Darach. I love it." She placed her head on his shoulder, and he in turn put his arm around her. "It's my favorite color: pink. And it sparkles so prettily in the sun!"
"And you're so distracted by the sparkles that you didn't even notice the key chain," Darach chuckled. "Do you like that part of it?"
"I love it, too," she replied, looking at the two pictures on the key chain: one of herself with her parents, and one of her with Darach. She kept her eyes on the latter, feeling tears begin to form in her eyes. "You're going to make me want to come home so much just so I can use this."
"I hadn't even intended that," he smirked, but Caitlin knew he was lying.
"You're really going to miss me, aren't you? I mean, more than you say," she said.
"Caitlin, my day is going to be so empty without you to attend to. All I'll be able to do is spend time training for challengers at the Battle Castle, unless your parents decide to use me in some other way."
"Well, if you ever get bored at the Castle, and you miss me so much that you don't know what to do with yourself," she said with a smile, reaching into her bag, "I want you to know that you can come visit me anytime you want." She handed him a small, silver key. He took it and stared at her in pleasant shock.
"A key to your villa?" He asked, just to make sure.
"Unova people aren't the only people allowed to use it," she said. "Come by and surprise me whenever you want. Then you won't have to worry so much."
"Thank you, Caitlin, dear," he said, pocketing the key. "I'll be sure to come for your birthday, and—"
"Shhhhh! I want to be surprised, silly!" Caitlin laughed. "Now you have to come more than once a year."
"Of course I will," he promised. "I'll come as often as I am able."
"Good. Cuz then it won't be so hard to miss you."
Caitlin snuggled up to Darach, much the way she did when she was younger. Darach pulled her closer to him, holding her securely in his arms. "I'm going to miss this," Caitlin said. "This won't happen when I'm in Unova, unless you come."
"I assure you, Caitlin, you'll be fine. You'll meet plenty of people to distract you and spend time with you."
"It won't be the same. I'm still going to miss you."
"And I'll miss you, my love," Darach said, immediately turning red in shock of what he said. The truth was out: Caitlin knew how he felt.
"What if I don't want anybody else to do this with me, because I know that's what you were implying. What if I just want you?"
"Have I ever told you 'no'?"
"Thank goodness you're not starting now," she smiled, stretching up to kiss him, a kiss he more-than-happily returned. "I see now why you're going to miss me so much."
"And now I'm going to miss you even more," he said, kissing her again. "Are you still sure you have to go?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "But I do have a question for you. Will you please be my escort to Unova? I'm kind of nervous about traveling by myself. . . and, if you want, you can stay with me till I'm settled in. . ."
"All you have to do is tell me what you want," Darach smiled, "because you know that I will never refuse you."
"No wonder I love you," she laughed, her head right above his heart. "You've always been so good to me. It was a matter of time before I fell for you, Darach."
"I can't believe you love me, Caitlin. I was so scared to admit to myself that I even loved you, because I was convinced you would never feel the same way about me, not when you could have anybody your heart desired."
"That 'anybody' is you, silly. Who better for me than the person who knows me best? I was worried you wouldn't love me back."
"I'd be mad not to love you," Darach said. "Shall we go and tell your parents—"
"That we love each other?"
"That I'm going to escort you to Unova," he finished. "But I suppose we should mention that to them as well."
"Let's go," Caitlin said. Darach stood up and pulled her to her feet. "We have to get as much lovey-dovey stuff in as we can, because we're not going to be together very often, and we both are going to want memories to hold on to while a huge body of water separates us. . ."
"The way I see it, we'll have one week together on the boat to Unova, and another to get you settled into your villa," he said. "That's two weeks for us to do as much as possible."
"And they're going to be the best two weeks ever," she said excitedly. "You can meet my new team! I'm sure I'll catch my new Pokémon by the time you come back here."
"I'm looking forward to it, my love," Darach said. "I love you, Caitlin."
"I love you just as much, Darach, my love," she replied, an arm happily around him, reaching up for another kiss. "We're going to have to get a lot of this in."
"As you wish," he said, kissing her for what would be one of many times that day.
