Did I just win?

Austin thought before he pinched himself to make that he wasn't dreaming.

( ~ Giggle ~ )

" It's not a dream, Austin you won," Cynthia said as she moved closer to dazed Austin.

" And I have to say that was a beautiful use of strategy."

Cynthia said before her smile vanished when she saw her friend look down at the ground.

" What's wrong ?"

" I... It's nothing."

" Austin, can you please tell me what's wrong ?"

" .... "

( ~ Sigh ~ )

" Ok, then I'll respect your boundaries."

Austin in response whispered," I didn't win."

" Huh, what was that ?"

Cynthia said before her eyes widened," Austin, what are you talking about? You won this match."

" No, I didn't. You didn't use any power-up moves, you had many opportunities throughout the battle to defeat my strategy. You could have used roar to destroy my entire strategy, you didn't use any items or anything."

A frustrated Cynthia rubbed her eyes together before it finally her.

Her friend was in self-doubt.

For anyone suffering from PTSD, their worst enemy is themself. Even the smallest mistake is blown out of proportion.

Yeah, she had also gone through a similar phase after she lost her parents.

Cynthia placed her hands on Austin's face and forcefully made him look at her.

" Austin; You won fair and square."

" But..."

" ( ~ Sigh ~ ) You damn idiot, every one of your pokemon laid their trust in you to win and now you're just disrespecting everyone's efforts."

" No, No, I didn't..."

" Austin, I know you didn't mean that. You're just doubting yourself, you're being too hard on yourself. You remember Harrison right."

Austin nodded as Cynthia continued," He asked me for a battle during the after-party."

Austin's eyes widened as Cynthia asked," Can you tell how many moves it took me to defeat him ?"

" .... "

" 1 "

" .... Wow ."

" And you defeated the same pokemon that wiped out the floor with Harrison."

" But."

" Yes, I didn't go all out but I battled you on a level that I thought you would be after all that training, and guess what you surpassed the level I was expecting you to be at. Austin; you have gotten stronger and I know for a fact that you will only continue to grow stronger and stronger. I am sure that Raticate would have been happy seeing her family get so much stronger."

A tear flowed down Austin's face which Cynthia wiped with a thumb.

" Now don't give me that Tauros shit that you didn't win."

( ~ Sniff ~ )

Austin wiped his tears as he said," Y..yeah."

" Now let's get everyone healed up, I still have to give you your present."

" Yeah."

Austin picked up Pikachu while Cynthia returned Garchomp as she glanced at her friend staring at her.

" Like what you see," Cynthia asked with a teasing smirk causing me to turn away with a blush.

" I didn't expect you to curse."

" Now, now Austin I can't always be the sophisticated champion of Sinnoh."

" So do you ever curse on the battlefield?"

" That is a really good question that I am not going to answer."

" Hey, come on now I am curious."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

[ At Dusk ]

Austin and Cynthia had left everyone to rest as they enjoyed the peaceful stroll through the beautiful landscape of Sulpha Island.

" And currently my grandma is working on discovering the secrets of the machine ruins."

Austin nodded while his mind was racing.

' Machina ruins isn't that the place where Arceus and the Jewel of Life movie took place.'

" Austin, will you listen to what I have to say ?"

Hearing the seriousness in Cynthia's tone, Austin nodded.

" You need help."

" W..what ?!"

" Austin, I know you feel like you don't need help but I am worried about my friend. You have been showing more and more symptoms of PTSD."

" .... " Austin opened his mouth but no words seemed to come out.

" Austin, why did apologize for what was essentially my decision? I choose to spend my vacation with you. Why did you think that didn't deserve to win ?"

" .... "

" Austin, I gave you Munna so that your health doesn't deteriorate due to your nightmares but for everything else, you need to go into therapy. I know personally that you don't think you need help but you do, so as a friend I ask of you, can you please just think about going to therapy ?"

" I'll.... think about it."

Cynthia smiled and she pinched his cheek with a finger. "Good, and then… there's this." She pulled out what seemed to be a tear-drop-shaped glass ornament, just like the one she always wore on the front of her shirt. Said ornament was black, crystalline, and had a chain tied to it, to be worn around the neck.

' Isn't that ?!'

"This is for you."

"Matching ornaments, eh?" Austin quipped while he looked in disbelief at the item in front of him.

She rolled her eyes. "It's more than that. This ornament… contains a wing feather given freely by Cresselia, one of the legendary lunar duo of Sinnoh. It keeps away nightmares from harming your sleep."

Austin gazed at the crystalline artifact in his fingers. "A legendary's… wing feather?"

"Yeah," Cynthia confirmed. "My grandmother gave me a pair to help with my nightmares when I was little. I have one with me," she touched the ornament on her neck, "and now you have the other. Munna can't always be with you all the time."

"But… shouldn't you be" Austin stopped his question midway, at her gaze, "all right. I accept it. Thanks." He looked away at a distance, as a sight caught his attention.

"Cynthia?"

"Huh?"

"Look at that."

The two of them looked towards their right, staring in surprise as hundreds of Wingull and Swablu, flew together in the sky. It was a beautiful sight as the light moved passed each pokemon in such an intricate manner that one could only look at it in awe.