Chapter Three

"Connections by the Shore"

Approaching the lake, Steven noted they were both slightly embarrassed. Being the older of the two, he decided to break the silence.

"So, Cynthia, I hear you just turned ten. Have you received your starter Pokémon yet?"

Cynthia stopped in her tracks and lowered her head, letting her hair fall to cover most of her face. "Well… in a way… yes… I suppose," she murmured.

Steven had taken a few more steps before realizing Cynthia had stopped. He turned around slowly, taken aback by her demeanor. While he knew his father was here to examine a stone, he had no idea of the true situation at hand. Approaching her cautiously, he gently asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Unsure how much she should tell him, Cynthia hesitated before replying. After all, she hadn't even spoken to her grandmother about it, still unsure if what happened was a dream, reality, or somewhere in between. Slowly, she raised her head, and their eyes met. Sensing her reluctance, Steven reached out for her hand and gently squeezed it.

"Sorry if I caused any offense. I don't wish to upset you… Did something happen to your starter?" Steven asked, hoping to understand more.

Sensing his gentle nature, Cynthia felt more relaxed and began explaining about the egg. Even though it was now stone, she still felt like it was her starter Pokémon. She left out the details of hearing strange noises from the egg, not wanting to scare Steven.

Seeing her more at ease brought a smile to his face. Content with her response, he continued to hold her hand while saying, "How about we continue to the lake? It is a beautiful day, after all."

Cynthia, now smiling herself, gladly accepted the offer, and hand in hand, they went to the lake. In turn, Cynthia asked about Steven's Pokémon, knowing he was a year older and probably had more than one.

Steven gladly told her about his love of rock and ground-type Pokémon, especially those he discovered as fossils. Despite this, his first Pokémon was Treecko, the grass starter of Hoenn. None immediately stood out to him given the limited choices of Pokémon typing available. Taking his time, he decided on Mudkip, knowing it would one day have the ground typing upon fully evolving. Eventually coming back to reality, he noticed the Mudkip was gone; another boy present had already chosen it and left. So, he decided on Treecko, knowing one day his team would consist of rock and ground types, having a grass type would be a good counter to the many water-type Pokémon he imagined he would face.

Cynthia was very impressed; she had never encountered another child with as much knowledge and enthusiasm for Pokémon as she had. Steven saw the smile on her face, knowing what she was thinking. He was glad to see her in a better mood and knew that he was the one to do it. He couldn't help but blush at her smile and notice how sweet she looked.

Arriving at the lake, they took in the beautiful scenery, surrounded by lush trees and the shimmer of light sparkling off the lake. A flock of Starlys flew high above, and even more could be heard chirping in the trees. They lay down, watching the clouds go by and deciding what each cloud looked like. The scent of fresh grass and the gentle rustling of leaves added to the tranquil atmosphere. After a while, Steven noticed a shed in the distance. Cynthia saw him stare and told him that it belonged to her family; they kept fishing rods and canoes there so they didn't have to carry them back to the house each time.

"Do you want to try fishing?" she asked, sensing his eagerness after hearing about the rods.

"I'd love to! I've always wanted to try fishing, and it would be a perfect way to train my Pokémon against types they are weakest to!" Steven replied with great enthusiasm.

Cynthia couldn't help but smile at him. "Well then, what are we waiting for?" she said while rising. "Let's go grab some. Hopefully, the Pokémon are biting today so I can see your Pokémon in action. I've never seen a battle up close before."

Hand in hand, they ran excitedly towards the shed.

At the lake, Steven had released his Treecko and Lileep to be at the ready. After an hour of no biting, Steven turned around to find Cynthia sitting down with his Treecko in her lap. Slightly shocked but glad his Pokémon was finally warming up to someone. Both looked so at peace enjoying the warmth of the sun. He admired how serene she looked, a soft smile playing on her lips as she stroked Treecko's head.

About to apologize for not being able to show her a Pokémon battle, he suddenly felt a tug on the rod. As he pulled back the rod, a Feebas emerged from the lake. In awe at the rare Pokémon, Steven almost missed his chance to attack. Luckily, his Lileep was more alert to the situation and leaped forward, waiting for a command.

Cynthia's eyes widened in excitement for what was to come. "Vine Whip!" shouted Steven, now ready to attack. While a rare sight, a Feebas is one of the weakest Pokémon, so one attack was all that was needed. Wanting to ensure Cynthia had a show, he decided to catch the Pokémon to make up for the lack of battle. One throw and three shakes, and the Pokémon was now his.

Cynthia rose from the ground with glee and applause, forgetting about the poor Treecko who managed to land gracefully despite being thrown off her lap in the excitement. Delighted with the rare catch and the excitement he brought out of Cynthia, Steven was smiling, feeling rather proud of himself.

"Steven, that was amazing," Cynthia exclaimed, "I can't wait to make my first catch. Maybe we could even battle one day."

"Well, having a Pokémon would certainly help with all of that," Steven smiled. He reached out his hand and placed the Poké Ball in her hand. Cynthia gasped in shock, lost for words. Steven spoke up, "I want you to have this. I'm sure you will be able to bring out its true beauty. I have seen already the effect you had on Treecko. I know you'll take great care of it."

The two locked eyes, an unspoken gratitude felt between them. "We should head back. I'm sure my father must be nearly finished with his research." Once again, they left hand in hand back to the manor. "I can't wait to show off my new Feebas; grandmother will be so pleased," Cynthia managed to say after being so lost for words. "I can't thank you enough."

The rest of the walk was in blissful silence; once again, both could feel themselves blushing.