Synchronization

Chapter Two: Tournament Day

James grunted for the umpteenth time as he stepped out of the shower. Even though he had taken the hottest shower he could stand he still suffered from stiff muscles, likely due to lack of sleep.

As he wrapped his towel around his waist, he caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror. Remembering Kimono's reaction from the night prior, he took a close look at himself to see what could have upset her. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; while he didn't exactly have a bodybuilder's physique, he at least looked like someone who hit a non-Pokémon gym a few times a week. It occurred to him that he usually didn't interact with his Pokémon in any state of undress save during the hot summer days, when he might go shirtless while outside. For the most part, he appeared to be a fit, healthy twenty-six-year-old man... "So why did Kimono seem so upset?" he wondered out loud. Since the mirror didn't give him any answers, he tucked the question to the back of his mind and focused on the upcoming tournament as he dressed.

He was still rubbing his head with the towel as he entered the living room to find his friend pacing back and forth with worry in her eyes. "Are you okay, Kimono?"

She turned to him, studying his face for a moment. "I'm fine, James. I guess I'm...a little nervous."

"About the tournament?" he asked as he walked up to her and placed reassuring hands on her shoulders. "You'll be fine. You've worked hard, and I'll be there for you."

Her eyes noticeably widened. "Yes....you will, won't you? You've been there for me from the beginning."

"Uh, yeah," he replied, puzzled by her choice of words. "I'm your trainer; that's...what I do."

Her mouth shifted to a rare smile as she gazed up at him. "I know. It's just..."

"What's bothering you?" he asked. "I'm no psychic, but even I can tell you haven't been yourself lately. Am I asking too much of you, competing by yourself like this?"

"No, no!" she exclaimed, stepping away from him to wrap her arms around herself. "I believe that I can win this, thanks to your guidance. If anything, I think I'm expecting too much of myself!"

"What do you mean?" James asked, pulling the towel from his head to toss it over the back of a nearby chair. "How are you asking too much of yourself? Do you...Can I help?"

"STOP!" she cried with a shudder. "You're my trainer, and I can't..."

"Can't what? Kimono, talk to me here; what's wrong?"

She suddenly glided forward, grabbing his shirt with a surprisingly strong grip in spite of her relatively small hands. "Please...let's...just go."

"Sure...okay," James replied, still clueless as to what was bothering his partner.

***

The Gardevoir seemed lost in thought as they headed away from their hotel and to the arena. Fortunately, even though James was well-known and well-liked like most Pokémon trainers, his fans made sure to respect his space, allowing him to walk relatively uninterrupted. He would normally give his time to the fans after a tournament, signing autographs and the like, but he preferred to redirect their attention to whomever he had brought with him.

As they headed down the last stretch to the competitors' entrance, he noticed a poster stuck to a nearby wall. On it was what he assumed was an artist's interpretation of a Gardevoir. The figure depicted looked more...human than his partner, with wide hips and a ridiculously large bust. Disgusted, he tore the poster off the wall and stuffed it in a dustbin as they passed. He then heard Kimono's familiar giggle in his mind. "It doesn't bother me...I actually think it's funny."