Seiun Sky's story

Whew, sweet paradise! No one ever comes here, and it's quiet to boot. Not to mention there's a comfy couch here for me to sink right into!

Now then, without further ado...

Wait a sec! What're you doing here?!

Hey now, this empty office is my precious afternoon snooze spot, hm?

That badge you got there... Are you a new trainer? Lemme guess, they told you this room was all yours?

Okay, okay, I get it now. So that's how it is. Goootcha.

Anyways, I'll be borrowing this couch, mkay? Classes today were real tough, so I need to catch up on some Z's.

And with that, I bid you good night.

Yawn... Another great nap...

Wait, who are you?!

Haha, just a joke. Thanks for the blanket, by the way.

Still... Just wondering, but why didn't you wake me up?

I pretty much confessed that I'd been using this empty room to play hooky. On top of that, I started snoozing right in front of you.

This is kinda weird coming from me, but I'm pretty sure a normal person would've kicked me out ASAP, you know?

So why did you let me sleep this long, going so far as to cover me with a blanket?

Hm-hm... I see.

So that's how it is! Well, thanks for the nap! ♪

I'll definitely return the favor... That is, whenever I remember to.

Anyhow, toodle-oo. See you around. ♪

Ah! There you are! Hey you, the new trainer from last time! We've got trouble, it's an emergency!

I said we're in a crisis, so forget about the details and answer me this!

Yes or no question: is it correct to assume that lung capacity affects a racer's stamina?

Say it like you mean it! I'm not looking for a maybe, I need a bold, confident answer!

Okay, from the top!

You're getting the spirit! One more time: yes or no?

So anyways, Teach, this is the person I asked to be my new trainer. Right?

I was wondering why you ran off like that, but I see now. Very well.

Well then, Trainer, I wish you luck with Sky. Really, good luck training her. I'll be rooting for you two!

And Seiun Sky, congratulations on finding yourself a trainer.

Haha, I appreciate it. Then I'll catch you later, Teach.

And there you have it!

You and I are now officially joined as trainee and trainer. Cue the applause! Clap, clap, clap.

Whoa now, easy on the slander. I gave you a yes-or-no question, you said yes.

More importantly, I knew that you were the one destined to be my trainer! Won't you accept my feelings?

Huh? You're really gonna make me say it?

It was love at first sight! Hehe! ☆

...For the record, that was a joke. But that whole shebang in your office last time really left a positive impression on me.

Alsooo, I'm sure this isn't a bad deal for a trainer as green as yourself!

Of course. After all, being my trainer is easy!

See, I won't ever ask for extra training! No personalized routines! If it's more work for you, it ends up being more work for me.

Done is better than perfect, right? It's my personal philosophy that each shortcut taken is extra progress gained long-term.

What I'm saying is, just sit back and relax. Let's take it easy and work as hard as we want to. Woo!

"Trainer, I've got big news! There's a whole school of fish by the river bank! I can't call myself a fisherman if I miss this chance!"

"P.S. I'm skipping training today. Sincerely, Seiun Sky ☆"

Trainer, Trainer, did you know? There's a greeeat tide coming in today! Which means... it's a perfect day for fishing!

Huh? Do you really need to ask? Hmm, I'll pass.

I'd rather work on my wrist flicks than my leg muscles today. The fish are calling, so let's train tomorrow!

Man, time flies when you're talking about Cat Haven: The Purrcadia Project! I guess we both lost track of the time.

Hm? Is that the face of someone who wanted to talk about training instead? Or was I just seeing things? ...Nope, must've been my imagination!

Huh? You're looking for Sei? Actually, you just missed her. She went home a sec ago.

Hmph. Looks like the rumors about the hopeless rookie were true.

I will not allow you to refer to me like some common schoolmate! I am King Halo, a first-rate racer. You shall mind your manners when you address me!

Though... Sigh... From the look of it, Sky really is walking all over you.

My plan to get you to leak information about Sky has gone straight to waste! At this rate, I'll lose again... Arghhh!

Huh?! She's not just fast, she's...

...Hmph! Rather than asking that, you'd be better off seeing firsthand, don't you think?

Well, well... it's finally here. The scrimmage, I mean.

That description is woefully insufficient! Today, you will finally understand how first-rate I truly am! Ohohoho!

Hey, I get it, okay? You're first-rate, all right. Truly amazing.

You don't mean a single one of those words!

Hmph, enjoy it while you can! Because today... Today is the day I will shut you down and achieve victory!

Shut me down, huh? Oooh, scaaary.

Both Sei and King are real fired up... Okay, Spe. No holding back!

Huh? Is Sky that scary of an opponent? You don't really hear many good rumors about her, do you?

Yeah, recently I've only heard bad things about her. Did you know she skips training every day?

Pant, pant... Wh-what the?!

Wait, King is taking the lead?! Doesn't Sky usually race as a front runner?

Maybe she can't break ahead because her stamina's gone down from her lack of training... or something? It makes sense, right?

Pant, pant... Urgh, my leg!

Hmph. I had heard about her truancy, but for her to have fallen this far! Perhaps I was a fool for being so wary of her.

Fine by me. Things are proceeding differently from how I had imagined, but being first-rate is all about adaptability! I'll keep this lead all the way to the finish!

Huff, puff! My stamina... it's...

Mhm, King's best as a late surger. For a front runner like myself, it'd be a real pain if she stuck to my back and passed me in the final stretch.

And that's why... I've been waiting for this!

Wait, whaaaaat?! Sky?!

Huh? Sky's leading now?! No way, since when?!

Wasn't she falling behind because of her lack of training? Don't tell me... this was all her plan from the start?!

King made this too easy! Now all that's left...

Not yet. This race isn't over just yet!

Haaaaah!

Huh?!

An even later surge for first, huh? Spe really accelerates like a rocket...

...

Only got second, though.

It wasn't enough. All that prep, all that planning...

W-whoooa! Trainer?! Y-you were here? Since when? Sheesh, if you're here you gotta say something!

Are you lonely since we never see each other at training? Man, it's tough being this popular!

Sorry, but your autograph will have to wait. I'm tuckered out, so it's time for my afternoon siesta! Duty calls.

I'm coming in. Yoohoo, Trainer, how's it going?

I see, I see. That's great to hear. Staying positive is what matters, no matter who you are.

...

Huh?

Oh? Now this is a sight to see. Is my trainer suggesting we go play hooky?

Sounds like a plan, but what should we do? Sunbathing? Looking for cats? Or maybe, just maybe... fishing?

Haha! You aren't very good at this, are you? Well, I guess I'm not one to talk either. Nya-ha-ha!

Heh-heh-heh. Do I look that way? Do I, now?

Let me give you some words of wisdom, "Love fish, but love fishing even more."

It's not about what or how much you fish up. What's important is how you fish.

You can't just swing your rod haphazardly, nor can you rely on strength alone to reel. You have to keep thinking, keep trying new approaches.

Set your goal, collect intel, make preparations, and then try it out in practice. By repeating this process, you learn what works and what doesn't.

And when the bait you've been prepping finally catches them hook, line, and sinker, it doesn't get better than that.

...Hm. Which part?

...Oh?

Come on, what're you saying? I think you of all people would know this by now, but I'm not that great of a racer, y'know?

It's not like I'm the kid of some famous G1 racer or anything... and I got a pretty dubious rep around the academy, too. There isn't a drop of ambition inside me.

I don't have any lofty dreams. I just want to spend my days peacefully, whiling the time away fishing! That's the kind of life I live.

...The gold?

Hmm? Wait a second... Are you really my trainer?

The trainer I know is a pushover rookie who lets me off the hook, no matter what I say. Right?

Don't tell me... Are you actually a doppelganger that arose from the swamp to take their place? Yikes.

Right, of course... Then how come...

...

...Hey. Anyone ever tell you that you sometimes say the darndest things?

You know... I get it, I really do. This is the part where I open up to you, isn't it?

The part where I drop a sob story about how I'm not talented enough to reach my dreams, or that I just wasn't born with the right build to go pro.

But I still think it's... well, wouldn't it be boring for me to just put down my rod and give up?

That's why I studied, pondered, pondered some more, and prepared all sorts of bait and techniques.

Then one day, I finally reeled in a big one. No one ever expected me to catch something that impressive!

Man, that was fun! I was on cloud nine! You should've seen everyone's faces, with their mouths hanging open in awe!

They were all like, "She caught that?! But how?! There's just no way!"

...I wonder why.

To be honest, I'm not really one for the overzealous sportsmanship. Y'know, passion, guts, hard work! ...All that exhausting hype.

But still, for some reason... I can't stop thinking about how I felt in that moment.

Just to be clear, I'm talking about fishing, but you knew that.

Trainer...

...Whoa there, me. Gotta go back to my happy-go-lucky mode.

Hey, why don't we go hit the training track? I suddenly have the urge to move my legs a bit.

B-but don't get the wrong idea! I'm not saying I'll listen to your coaching from now on, or anything like that!

...Just kidding. I tried to play coy there. How was that? Was I cute? Tee-hee! ☆

Wha?! Wait a sec...

For starters... you're gonna have to learn not to take my jokes at face value.

Please, I'm begging you. We gotta work on our coordination, don't we?

After all, we're gonna need it to reel in a big one!

Woo hoo! At last, the Twinkle Series! Even I'm getting a bit excited. Let's keep up the hard work!

Haha. I see you've gotten used to handling me.

But I get your point. After all, the key to a good fishing trip is preparing quality bait. On that note... let's go for a walk!

Yup. A good idea isn't just gonna pop into your head by racking it for answers, is it? Instead, why don't we go bask beneath the warm sun?

Who knows? Maybe we'll hear some useful info, or get some unexpected inspiration along the way.

K-King, check out the program for my next race! It has the running styles of all my competitors listed on it!

Whoa! Is this the latest in precognitive technology?! The city sure is amaz'n!

Um, that's not quite right. That document only shows predictions based on information from previous races they've entered.

Really?! I-I had no idea!

The race program, huh? Forgot about that. Based on my previous races, I'll bet "front-runner" is listed next to my name.

Oh? Trainer, that's your scheming face, isn't it? Did you come up with something just now?

We're doing scrimmages every day?! Against the opponents in my debut race?! And you want me to run in them as a late surger instead of a front-runner?!

Now, hold up a second! The odds of that working are about as good as me showing up to practice on time!

What. Did. You. Say?

This is horrible! This is tyranny! I can't race under these conditions! I'll lose my motivation long before I even finish!

...Huh. Hm, you're up to something, aren't you?

Fiiine, not like I have a choice! You win, okay? I'll do it!

In exchange... you'll make sure I reel it in, won't you?

Pant, pant... I'm surprised, Sky. Are you really going to race as a late surger?

Well, I guess I'm starting to think it's not so bad? I mean, it feels kinda cool bursting into the lead during the final stretch!

You're not wrong... But you haven't been able to steal the lead even once, you know? You keep running out of stamina.

And therein lies the rub. That's my homework. As you can see, my stamina isn't anything worth writing home about... Hehe.

And the runners are out of the gate, each of them up-and-coming runners vying for glory in their debut race! Leading in first is...

Yaaaaah!

S-Seiun Sky! It's Seiun Sky with the lead! She's running at full throttle, leaving second far behind in the dust!

Seiun Sky is front-running?! Wasn't she supposed to be a late surger?! Did the debut race nerves get to her?

A desperate dash... Par for the course for a rookie. Guess that's one less competitor to watch for. It seems the other racers have come to the same conclusion.

Besides, Sky's biggest weakness is her lack of stamina. There's no way she can keep this pace through to the end.

That's what you'd think, isn't it?

All my stamina training was actually so I could keep up this "desperate dash."

And then... before I knew it, this became my normal front-running pace.

The racers have rounded the third corner! Seiun Sky is showing no signs of slowing down!

Whaaaaat?!

(Haha, that's what I like to hear!)

(The body you're born with decides everything? Your talents? Your pedigree? Nah, that's all so boring.)

(Races are fun because none of that matters!)

Huff, puff... You all took the bait! Haaaaah!

Seiun Sky is flying down the final stretch! This is textbook front-running! What an upset! With a five-length lead, this race is finished!

Man, did you hear that, Trainer? Instead of commotion, there's confusion! Instead of cheers, there are shrieks! I can't get enough of this! ♪

...Now this is how a race ought to be. You get it, and I respect that.

Sooo, what's our next big catch? With you by my side, winning 'em all might not be a pipe dream anym...

Stooooop right there! I won't let that happen!

Whoa?! King and Spe... You both came to watch?

Yup, we saw everything! Congrats on first!

You're really amazing. But I'm not gonna lose to you!

Exactly! Next time, you will have a first-rate opponent, me! l shall give you the right to suffer utter defeat at my hands.

Hm... That sounds like a real chore.

But, well... the larger the catch, the more reason to reel it in.

Isn't that right, Trainer?

Trainer, hello!

It's a fine day for training! I'm practically shaking with excitement at the thought of running!

Whoa, your trainee came all the way here and that's your reaction? Now I'm sad... I thought you'd be happy.

Nah, even I wouldn't skip training with our next race coming up so soon.

Actually, I'm feeling great today! I'm itching for a good run!

And with that, I'm off to get started! Oh, and before I forget...

Keep your eyes on me, okay? I'm expecting a nice reward for my efforts.

Hey hey, got a minute?

The track's real crowded today, so you mind if I join you for some running?

Sure, no problem. Finding a spot today can be pretty rough, after all.

Okay, next, ah.

Excuse me. Do you mind if I join you until another spot opens up?

I guess that's fine. Let's get running, then.

Whew... How did I do in today's training? I'd say I did pretty well considering how crowded it was, don't you think?

Anyways, it'd be nice if I got rewarded for my hard work. Maybe some time... right about now.

Oooh, what are these notes? Let's see here...

"The first person you ran with is easily swayed by her emotions and has a bad habit of getting rushed."

"The second person isn't good at running when someone is marking her from behind."

Hmm... I see, I see. You did well preparing this reward for me while I was running.

Yup, it's perfect. Nobody gets me like you do.

Thanks to this reward, our bond has leveled up again. Da-dada-daaah! ♪

At this rate, I might be able to reel in the big one at my next race... Just kidding.

Sigh... The calm expression and that curled up, innocent tail...

And to retain so much detail, even scaled down to fit in your hand. Truly a soul-soothing masterpiece...

Ah. No worries, just me rambling.

That reminds me, do you have any plans on our next day off?

I've been wanting to get some new shoes and was wondering if you wanted to come with?

All right, then let's hit the mall this weekend!

Hmm, the sporting goods store should be right around...

Huh?

Nah, I just saw something that caught my eye for a second.

Look at those mugs they're selling at that store over there. They're rather cute, aren't they?

Aw...These kitties look so calm, like they could fall asleep at any moment.

I bet my motivation would skyrocket if I could drink tea from a mug like this before training.

Whatever shall I do? Maybe I'll get it, ah!

Look! Over there!

It says if you buy a set of two mugs, they'll give you a free cat-shaped key chain!

A super cute kitty key chain, all for the measly price of two mugs!

It's a steal! They've reeled me in!

That said, I only need one mug. Hmm...

...Oh, that's right.

By the way, this is totally unrelated, but...

Trainer... do you by chance have a mug of your own?

From what I can remember, I get the feeling you don't, do you?

Whoa there, what are you implying?

I just passed here by chance when I suddenly got the urge to buy this kitty mug. That's all.

You could use a mug yourself, and since you don't have one, isn't this a perfect opportunity?

Come on, just picture it, sipping tea out of matching mugs with your trainee before training...

Doesn't it give off that "tightly-knit" vibe? Lavishly lovely, dont you think?

At the very least, I certainly think so... Hint, hint.

Oh, you're in?

Haha, that's my trainer!

I can count on you to keep your trainee's motivation peaked at all times.

Okay then, let's buy one each.

...Huh?

Man, you're so mature! That was smooth!

I didn't think you would buy my mug too!

I think you just leveled up our bond again. Da-dada-daaah! ♪

Hehe, you say that like you didn't just buy me a present. Be more honest with yourself, you sly dog, you.

All right, as soon as we get back, let's fill these bad boys with some tea!

A training camp by the beach... This'll be niiice.

Taking in the marine breeze as I fish in the sea... Drifting to sleep in the sun with waves as my lullaby...

Mm-hm, we're gonna have so much fun! ♪

Oooh, blue skies and blue seas!

It's the perfect weather for fishing! We've gotta go surf fishing tod...

Oh... Do we really have to train?

Fine, fine, have it your way... Hm? Wait, is this a special program?

Let's see here... "Use these hints to dig up buried treasure around the beach..."

"If you can find all the treasure within the time limit, then you will be rewarded with all-you-can-eat meals at the beachside clubhouse for the rest of the camp..."

I get it! You're trying to rouse my adventurous spirit while also testing how fast I can run!

This training program combines both fun and exercise, it's hard to argue with that.

Okay then, you've piqued my curiosity! I accept, let's do this training!

...Eeearth to Trainer. You've been spacing out a bit. Everything okay?

Whoaaa, Trainer?!

Hey now... You okay?!

...Hey, it's almost dinnertime, but Sei still hasn't come back, right? Where did she go this time?

Well, she did say she was going to the beach for some fishing earlier...

Whew... I'd say I've outdone myself this time.

But just in case, I'll do two, no, three more laps.

Wait, whoa! Trainer?!

Oh, um... glad you woke up. I don't know what I'd do if you never got up again.

Still, the more you rest, the more I get to slack off. So it wasn't the worst deal for me.

I had a bunch of fun while you were out, you know.

Those eyes of yours see right through me, don't they?

It's true that I love slacking off, but even I know there's a time and place for it.

How should I put it... You worked yourself to the bone planning all this for me, so I wanted to make good on it.

...Oh?

If I'm not mistaken, and I rarely ever am... Did I... just level up again?

Da-dada-da-dada-daaah! ♪

Yup, I knew it! Our bond just rose another level!

I bet you were all like, "Wow! I'm so proud!" after seeing me train all by myself, weren't you?

Wait, don't tell me that collapsing was part of your plan to get me training of my own free will?!

Yikes, I'm getting chills! You may not look it, but you're a real crafty one! Sheesh!

...Though if we're talking about being crafty, then you and I are partners in crime.

Haha, you think so too?

Then I guess I'll have to look forward to seeing more of your future schemes.

Like, what if we caused a huge upset at the Twinkle Series? ...Just kidding!