The Pantheon

Day Off

The morning sun streamed through the windows of Ashley's cruise suite, illuminating the ridiculous amount of food spread out before her and her team. The cruise had truly outdone itself—golden stacks of fluffy pancakes, fresh fruit arranged in an intricate pattern, eggs cooked in every imaginable style, and an assortment of fresh-baked pastries that had Ashley raising an eyebrow at the sheer excess. And that was just her breakfast.

The Pantheon had their own meals, each dish custom-tailored to their needs. Neptune's was the largest portion, a spread of specially prepared kelp and nutrient-dense fish, while Chione's dish was a delicate mixture of frozen berries and shaved ice. Vulcan's meal was warm and slightly spicy, Mercury and Venus each had high-energy kibble, and Proserpina's was packed with vitamins meant for Grass-types. Apollo, the newest big boy on the team, was coiled comfortably, looking quite pleased with his upgraded dragon-sized meal.

Ashley sat cross-legged on the plush carpet, still in her oversized pajamas, hair an absolute mess, and completely unbothered by the grandeur of the suite. With a yawn, she reached for a croissant while watching her Pokémon interact.

Apollo, for his part, was basking in the attention. Venus, ever the queen, was carefully inspecting the scales of the newly evolved Dragonair, while Mercury excitedly yipped and pounced at Apollo's long, sleek tail like it was the best new toy in the world. Proserpina swayed side to side, practically humming in delight as she sniffed Apollo's wings.

Ashley shook her head with a chuckle, breaking off a piece of her pancake and popping it into her mouth. "You're all way too fascinated with him. He just grew longer and shinier."

Apollo lifted his head dramatically at that, flicking his tail with an air of faux offense.

"Oh, sorry, did I insult the mighty Dragonair?" Ashley teased, snickering. "Should I start calling you Lord Apollo now? Or, wait, maybe The Magnificent Apollo, Ruler of the Skies and Annoyer of Trainers Everywhere."

Mercury yipped in approval, and Venus, ever dignified, nodded as if considering it seriously. Apollo, however, rolled his eyes and flicked his tail, knocking over Ashley's juice glass in retaliation.

"Oi!" Ashley yelped, scrambling to grab napkins before the spill could get worse. "You did that on purpose!"

Apollo let out a smooth, melodious hum, which definitely sounded like smug satisfaction.

The laughter died down when Ashley caught movement out of the corner of her eye—Mars was sitting near the back, his arms crossed, poking at his food with disinterest.

Ashley frowned, setting down her plate and crawling over to him. "Hey, bud," she said softly, ruffling the fire-lizard's head. "You okay?"

Mars huffed and refused to meet her eyes, his tail flame flickering in irritation. Ashley knew exactly what this was about.

"Still mad about the tournament?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Mars huffed again, his claws tapping against the plate in a slow, sulking rhythm. The rest of the team was celebrating, but he had barely touched his food.

Ashley sighed and leaned against him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I get it," she said, nudging him gently. "You wanted to be out there. Kicking ass. Showing off." Mars' claws clenched slightly. "But you also turn green when you're on a ship for too long," Ashley reminded him, a teasing lilt in her voice.

That got a twitch out of him. A tiny grunt. His worst secret—Mars, the fiercest, most battle-hungry member of the Pantheon, had sea sickness. Not just any sea sickness, severe sea sickness. It was fine when he was on Neptune's back—Lapras' movement was smooth, and he could handle that. But the cruise ship? Too much motion. Too much swaying.