Hard Enough - Chapter 303 - What lurks in the depths

Cynthia:- Champion of Sinnoh and Lola’s BFF, apparently. 

Diantha:- Champion of Kalos

Alder:- Champion of Unova

Koga - Elite Four of Indigo and shinobi of Fuchsia. Has other titles he doesn’t use much these days. 

The Commodore:- Likes to be called his title. Is part of the Team Aqua long range recon team. 

Lawrence III:- Professional pokemon thief. Sadly has good instincts not great, but good enough.

Yolanda:- Brock’s little sister, budding guitarist and singer. Terra is her starter pokemon. 

Samuel Oak:- The Pokemon professor with bad jokes and a love of video games. He swears that’s all! Nothing else of note to this old man!

                                                    ______________

Diantha scowled at Alder as the older man smiled back placidly. “This is an act of aggression!” she snarled. 

“Hmmm, nah I doubt that.” Alder replied. 

He nodded towards Diantha. “You’ve spent time with Lola.” Alder ignored Diantha’s twitch of annoyance. “She’s not some devious mastermind. She’s chaotic and scatterbrained. If you’d bothered to sit down and just listen—”

“Listen? That woman does nothing but talk at people, there is no chance for a true conversation!” Diantha snapped.

Alder sighed and leveled a disappointed stare at Diantha which made the Kalosian Champion bristle. 

Diantha stomped her foot. “I am a representative of my nation! I am not required to baby some adult-girl child!” 

“No, you’re not, but you do need to keep certain facts in line,” Alder stated tiredly. 

He raised a hand and began ticking off fingers. “Lola appeared on Sinnoh’s beach and made contact. She got into it a bit with the local nurse when they caught onto the fact that Lola had a rare pokemon, but when the nurse proved unable to fight she backed down.”

“She triggered multiple alarms which drew the police and fought them until Cynthia encountered her!” Diantha countered. 

Alder waggled his finger in the air patiently. “My point is that Lola is a woman who is driven by her emotions. The sailor she knocked out said she was talking about people she knew being missing. Now, if she did what I expect, she probably broke out of the local’s detainment and sprinted home, except to hear her tell it she hadn’t seen her family for years. Chances are they might have moved on.”

Diantha inhaled. “That is beside the point! We allowed her to link in with our dark emitters in case she got washed overboard in a storm and she abused our trust to return and steal off with Cynthia!” 

Diantha slapped a hand on the table between them both. “We need to respond to this! It is beyond the pale of what is acceptable.”

“It’s not something they can be held accountable for,” Alder replied. He raised a hand to forestall any more protests. “Just, give them some slack. Don’t push the negotiations. Let's play nice, raise the issue and ask it to be resolved but let it sit for now.”

Diantha snorted and shook her head. “That is a weak approach!” She eyed Alder. “I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything else from Unova’s laziest!” she snapped. 

When Alder simply gave her a patient if tired look, she huffed and stormed out. 

Alder sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I really need people to stop admiring me and just knock me off my damn perch already,” he muttered aloud. 

He took a long moment to stare at the roof before sighing once more. 

Alder thoughtfully surveyed the room before standing and marching to a nearby tea stand. He made two cups and set them at the table before sitting back down.

“You gonna come out?” he said, seemingly to no one. 

A shadow flitted across the room, and Koga appeared in a seat across from Alder. 

Both men eyed each other for a moment before Alder indicated the cup of tea. “Huh, you must be Koga.”

“And you are Alder of Flocessy Town,” Koga replied with a gravelly voice.

Alder smiled. “Heh. I haven’t been called that in a long time,” Alder said, allowing himself to sip from his tea. 

Across from him, Koga took a moment to observe him and sample his own tea. “Hmmm, a simple yet elegant taste,” Koga stated when Alder raised an eyebrow in question. 

“Heh, it’s simple fare like that that makes Unova great,” winked Alder as she reclined in his chair. “Personally I’d prefer some coffee but I don’t think that would quite have the same gravitas now.” 

Both men continued to eye each other. 

Alder spoke first. “I’d heard of you during the war. Weren’t you Kanto’s Southern Shield??”

“I heard of you as well. The Western Wall of Unova, no?” Koga replied. 

Both men smiled before inclining their heads in acknowledgement.

Alder rubbed his chin in thought. “Got a bit of a rundown of things from Lola, when she wasn’t babbling about her kids, or water pokemon. Indigo eh? Different sort of set up but it seems stable enough for you all. Think there’s going to be anyone wanting to stop us linking back up?”

“Old cantankerous people,” Koga replied. 

Alder blinked only to make a face. “Oh, she’s still alive?” 

Koga nodded. “And no longer one of the Elite Four.”

“Tch, it’s true what they say, the good die young,” Alder said only to grimace. Both men allowed a moment of silence to pass between them before Alder spoke again. “Was that your girl zipping around here the other night? She’s good, scary good. If I wasn’t watching for you I’d have missed her.”

“It seems both of us were lacking,” Koga remarked. 

Alder bobbed his head from side to side. “Ah, yes and no. I just cheat,” Alder said knowingly. 

Koga stared but Alder offered nothing further. 

Alder eyed Koga. “So she was your granddaughter yeah?

“Daughter,” Koga replied flatly. 

“Hmm, I got myself a grandson. Fiery kid, doesn’t want anything but to get in fights though.” Alder shook his head. “Think I could talk to Samuel Oak? Heard he was able to step down easily enough, I reckon there must be a trick to it.”

Koga snorted. “Oak always believed that others could rise to the occasion but he did have his tricks to guarantee others would step forth.”

“Hmmm, sounds like a guy worth trading pointers with,” Alder said with a nod before straightening up. “Alright, so, what do you want to know? I think we can do a trade, yes?” He grinned at Koga.

Koga observed Alder for a solid minute before huffing a laugh. He reached into a pouch and set down a case of what appeared to be watches?

“What are those for?”

“These are transceivers. We use them to communicate, access the pokenet, watch television, access radio channels and more.”

“Oh! So they're your version of the pokegear!” Alder beamed. “Heh look at us already exchanging cultural pointers!” he chuckled. 

Koga stared at Alder flatly. “Indeed.” He then pointed at the Xtranscievers. “I have logged specific numbers so more lines of communication can occur between our officials, along with granting you access to our local pokenet.”

Alder hummed and paused to consider Koga for a long minute. Eventually, he nodded. “You’re a scary man Koga. You knew I caught sight of your daughter flitting around didn’t you? But instead of holding it over us you’re making good and exchanging knowledge to help ease tensions.”

“There have been many sticking points during the recent negotiations,” Koga stated placidly. 

Alder nodded. “Can’t say I understand your people’s reasons for burying your heads in the sand with your history. Doesn’t make a lick of sense!”

Koga sighed. “Try uniting two nations that had previously been fighting without identifying who took part in which battle that resulted in a relative or friend perishing or being injured and then talk to me of the wisdom of hiding your history.” Koga swept his hand from Alder to himself. “You and I are men who lived through it. There are some I would be sorely tempted to strike down if they were before me and the chance presented itself.”

Alder nodded. “That… huh.. It makes sense. Not sure that any other nations would have been able to do it, but you somehow managed it and now you are, or rather were, the big Stoutland on the block.”

“We don’t play it that way too often. Hoenn has found ways to… force us to act smaller than we truly are,” Koga said mildly. 

Alder narrowed his eyes before smirking. “Perhaps a trade deal or two with us might alleviate such an issue, but for that, we need to get along.”

Koga inclined his head. “Indeed.”

Alder grinned. “Heh! I knew things would turn out alright in the end if we gave you a chance to be good.”

Koga shut his eyes and shook his head. “You remind me of him,” he said.

“Him?” Alder asked only for Koga to ignore him with a decisive gulp of his tea. 

Alder raised a hand. “Before you go, I need to know. Cynthia? Is she alright?” Only to shake his head. “Oh who am I kidding, she’s a big girl who can take care of herself. Nothing bad has happened is what I mean to say.”

Koga shook his head. “Depends on your point of view. To some, it will appear to be a simple reunion of lost family members.”

Alder narrowed his eyes. “And to others?”

“Lola returned home with a foreign Champion at her side. You can only be gracious in such circumstances is all I will say. That family has its own issues.”

“Sounds like you’re friends of theirs.”

“I allowed my daughter to be an understudy at the Pewter Gym beneath Brock. He is an able young man and will emerge through this storm I have no doubt.”

Alder hummed. “I think I’d like to meet him and your daughter properly one day soon.” 

Koga merely nodded. “Perhaps one day,” he demurred.

Alder raised his glass of tea in salute. “Thank you for the trust. I’ll share it around with the right people so things continue along smoothly.” 

Alder then set a pokegear on the table only for it to vanish a moment later along with Koga. 

Alder shivered. That had been a scary guy. 

He tapped the table with a tilted head as he played over what had been going on since they’d landed. Had he known Alder and a few others caught wind of his daughter and came to make nice? 

How had he known they’d done that in the first place? Had he gotten that good a read on Alder? Or had he snuck close? 

Did that then mean that his sneaking in here was Koga sandbagging? 

Alder slumped in his chair and sighed. “I really need to get a proper heir, no more meat heads and divas but someone actually invested in being Champion for Unova.” 

Sadly, no one came to mind. 

“Wonder how much uproar I’d cause if I suggested letting a foreigner make an attempt?” He muttered to himself with a smirk. “I’ll have to workshop that idea,” he muttered as he swiped up the Xtranscievers. 

                                           ____________________

Team Aqua’s hidden grotto base was a tumult of activity. 

“We have confirmation of the sighting of the Water witch! I repeat! We have confirmation!” bellowed a lieutenant. 

“So what? You want to flee like a cowardly minnow? We need to send out a strike team to avenge our fallen!” snarled another.

“She’s slain all that we sent against her!” snapped another.

The argument washed back and forth with voices and passions rising. 

Sitting at the head of the table, observing all of this. The Commodore of the flotilla grit his teeth and let the other officers argue with each other. 

Nothing had been going well for them of late. 

They’d encountered a strange island and performed reconnaissance only for local elements within Kanto to reveal they’d been tracking their subs along with an honest to Arceus encounter with what had to be a Legendary pokemon.

The Commodore wanted to shake his head. Kanto, Johto, and now the Orange islands had far too many ‘Legendary’ pokemon for their own good. 

Back home their Legends were all inactive and there were only three of them to really consider! Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquazza!

And as a Flotilla Commodore, he only had to worry about one of those! He left it to his superiors to worry about the others. And if any others existed that was above his pay-grade!

Sadly, this wasn’t Hoenn, where patrol routes were simple. 

Here, if you weren’t careful with some of the local islands you could find your sub suddenly frozen due to coming too close to an Articuno’s nesting site. Or zapped into lock down from an errant Zapdos bolt!

The Moltres were the easiest to deal with by simply diving but their islands were uninhabitable due to the magma flows. 

The Commodore inspected the islands they’d had to mark down as too deadly. 

There were far too many of them for his liking. 

In Hoenn you avoided the trench and that was it!

Here you had the Seafoam islands, Ice, Lightning, and Fire islands along with the ‘New’ island were all off limits. 

And now! Now of all things the Water Witch herself had come home.

“We need to find another base to operate out of along with setting up a watch within Pewter,” he announced and was gratified that his men were still loyal enough to fall silent when he spoke.

It helped that he was the strongest among them. 

He turned his gaze knowing he needed to keep his verbal momentum going lest the rank jumpers started mouthing off. He started assigning duties. “We received reinforcements from Home base and I plan to make use of that. We’re going to split our nest egg.” He pointed to two captains.

“You are each to take your vessels and establish a beachhead in gentle waters. Fiore strikes me as an easy location to establish ourselves. Create depots and a home base for extended patrols. We need to know movements.”

He pointed to another captain. “I want you to set yourself in a position to intercept and track the international vessel. We need to know the route they used and how viable it is. Secure your ship for long term deployment.” 

He stabbed a hand at another. “I need a detachment of Marines, people that can blend in and keep their heads down to head to Kanto. They need to keep their eyes and ears open for any movements of note. Specifically that of the Witch. Some of them are to establish themselves in Pewter, but again, spread things around. This too is a long term mission and they will be Magikarp out of water if they are caught.”

The commodore paused on two empty seats. “No word from our depth survey teams?” 

His adjutant shook her head. “None as yet sir… the first submarine has yet to check in… they’re lost to us.”

“Tch, hopefully they’re just out of comms, but we shall proceed with a worst case scenario. Call back the second submarine now,” he stated only for a communication officer to sprint into the room. 

“Sir! This just came in!” he said, shoving a written communique into the Commodore’s hands.

He read it and his jaw clenched. 

“Very well, mark both submarines as lost at sea and prepare a future ceremony to mark their passing.” He then pointedly marked out a large red cross over the centre of the Orange Archipelago. “No one is to go here,” he stated firmly.

None complained. 

The commodore sent them on their way, hoping that it wouldn’t reflect too badly on his command to request another pack of subs to be deployed before he shook his head. No, HQ would never authorise such as it could leave Hoenn potentially exposed. 

If Kalos tried to repeat its previous colonisation efforts Team Aqua was prepared to rebuff them.

                                           ____________________

Lugia adjusted the plates on his back as the water current shifted and corrected itself. The waters were changing. Lugia adjusted his wings and plates, feeling out the way things were shifting. 

All it would take was an errant sweep of his wings, and tidal waves would be unleashed upon the world. Thankfully, control came with power, and the minute changes that occurred with each shift in position allowed Lugia to glide through the water as if it were merely a part of the ocean. 

Lugia continued to swim along the currents, casting his senses out into the world and feeling echoes come back from distant shores. 

In a land to the south one of his brethren raged as corruption seeped into the waterways. He was moving to confront the defiler. 

Another continued her patrol of the continent to the north, her song desperate as much as it was tragic. Her young had been lost and despite her efforts singing into the waves no response was forthcoming. 

Lugia considered singing to her but he knew that only truth could be conveyed through the tidal song. 

He had no desire to crush her under the harshness of the world while she yet had hope for her young. 

Lugia did not believe it possible but the creator had strange plans for the world.

Much like how Lugia could feel the currents around him shift slightly. 

It was the smallest of shifts and only required a slight shift in his plates, but it was still noticeable.

Something significant had happened that was causing the ocean's motions to change, and some pathways were being formed anew. 

Lugia continued to swim, passing the island that the humans knew as Pummelo while keeping his attention far to the north. 

That was where the change was occurring. Humans weren’t aware of how the depths changed but his kind were. It was their duty to the world.

They nurtured the great currents that saw the world linking up in more ways than most understood. With the shift in the current to the north pokemon that had been limited in travelling along the coast of Kanto and Fiore were about to find themselves travelling further afield. 

This would benefit the humans as well as faster shipping occurred along these paths. As long the humans were respectful they would be allowed to use them. 

But should the humans pollute or overfish the currents, the local Lugia would eradicate them and disrupt any further passage for a few passages of the moon.

And if the humans were able to fight back against the natural order?

Well that had not happened in recent times, but a generation ago Lugia recalled mighty Kyogre awakening and making the waves impassable to the point that pokemon had to beg shelter from their local Lugia or flee the oceans entirely.

Lugia recalled taking in several pokemon only for a pokemon with a small girl to approach and plead on behalf of its trainer. 

Lugia had cast his mind upon the girl and she had been stricken at his power, but she had been revealed to be pure of spirit such that Lugia had allowed her to shelter.

Ever since that time however the girl had been marked by him. He could still feel her if he cared to cast even a fraction of his focus towards her.

She was an odd one. She still prayed to him, which was incomprehensible to him. He had merely enacted his duty. No more no less.

Something pinged shrilly and Lugia locked onto it, causing a sudden shift in the waters as he turned and accelerated towards the artificial construct that dared to approach the sacred currents within the depths of the ocean.

Lugia began to accelerate and the ping sounded out faster allowing him to narrow in on the target. 

The metal vessel became aware of him in turn and through the hull Lugia could hear the humans within shrieking in fear as he closed. 

—rise! Get us out of here!”

“It’s closing too fast!” screamed another. 

“Oh sweet Arceus what is that? No Gyarados can swim that fast! Is it an ancient Sharpedo?” 

Lugia swept his tail and with a final burst of speed, he came upon the vessel. 

Lugia swept his wings around and used his psychic powers to grip the vessel so that it could not flee. 

He cast his mind upon the humans within, setting them upon scales of virtue only to find their minds full of greed, wrath, and evil.

Lugia recoiled with a shake of his head as the men within the vessel whimpered. 

“Sir? What’s out there? Is it a Sharpedo?” one cried.

A man approached the only window peering out and shone a light straight at Lugia. 

Lugia met it with narrowed eyes. 

He opened his mouth to roar, and just before he did, the human said one last thing. 

“Send final transmission. Tell them to stay out of the depths. Arceus have mercy upon us for our pride,” said the dead man. 

Lugia roared, exerting his mighty psychic powers upon the vessel. It crumbled easier than a weak shellder before a headbutt and began to sink. 

Lugia snorted, disgusted by the idea of the metal junk lingering within his current. He flexed his psychic might and shot the vessel out of the waters and up onto the beach. 

The humans could have their metal back. Perhaps then they would get the warning not to approach his currents. 

Somehow, he doubted it. Men took so very long to learn a lesson and often would forget it within less than a generation.

Lugia allowed himself to descend back to the depths. He did not wish to converse with the young psychic that had appeared on the northern islands within his range. Sometimes, the young pokemon sought him out to talk. Lugia had no time for such frivolities. 

He had a duty and would stay the course. For now, that meant he circled the islands, but in the future, he knew that when the creator willed it, the current would shift, and a path to a southern continent would open to all.

Eventually, all currents would link back up and on that day the world would be as one with Lugia travelling all through the currents singing their songs. But until then, he maintained his currents. 

And he sang of the righteousness of the creator and how he was the arbiter of his will. 

After an hour of singing, one of the older Lugia sang back to him; his song was saturated with amusement. 

Lugia added exasperation to his song as he considered that perhaps it would be nice if the female to the north found her young. 

Then he wouldn’t be the youngest Lugia in the local waterways. 

                                           ____________________

Lawrence the Third reclined on his throne aboard his Flying Palace. 

The plan was coming together perfectly. He’d had people watching his targets closely for months now, and a recent vulnerability had presented itself with Brock and Sabrina departing for Hoenn. 

Which would mean that there were only pokemon, and some lesser trainers to contend with when he made his play. 

Better still, everyone’s attention had shifted to the south with the recent invasion of Kanto water by foreign nations. The world was all in a tizzy and most of the Elite Four and even Lance himself was away from the Plateau, meaning that truly strong trainers weren’t going to be able to respond if he performed a lightning-fast strike. 

He’d go in and out and there would be no issues!

Lawrence performed a final, long-range sweep to satisfy his paranoia that Brock had been at least clever enough to have a strong trainer watch over his reserve. 

He caught sight of numerous trainers milling about, feeding the various rock types along with the stabled pokemon that had Lawrence smirking to himself. So many pokemon that would soon be his to sell off on the black market. 

His gaze zeroed in on a trio of Larvitar that were chasing an Aggron of all things. 

They would be worth so much. 

Lawrence paused his long range cameras on the Gym’s second in command who was assisting what looked to be the local Nurse Joy in administering some medicine while a Chansey worked along with them.

Hmmm Chansey did sell well, and Rocko wasn’t seen as very strong. The Nurse was a non factor, she would most likely cower somewhere when the fighting started. The Nurse Joy frowned at something and began looking around but Lawrence had moved on from observing her beyond noting her position down.

Lawrence was just starting to push the Flying Palace forward so he could start his attack run when he caught sight of a young girl running to the top of the volcano that Brock had constructed.   

It was Brock’s younger sister, the eldest of the pack that had been raised. She was cuddling another Larvitar while a trio of Growlithe scampered at her heels. 

Lawrence could hear the registers of various black market auctions cashing out already. 

Four Larvitar would make him flush for years of luxury!

He shifted his target just slightly and was powering up the engines when another woman marched out onto the volcano… with a pair of ice cream cones of all things?

Lawrence’s paranoia surged as the woman turned and looked in his direction and he knew right then and there that somehow that woman knew he was there. 

Worse still, he’d seen the news articles that were running day and night!

Lawrence the Third wasn’t proud to admit it, but he turned his Flying Palace around then and there, not willing to face a foreign Champion with who knows what sort of pokemon she could bring to bear. 

He had no idea how Brock had done it, but he truly had a Darkrai’s own luck to get a Champion watching over his pokemon. 

Lawrence made sure to keep his long-range cameras locked onto the black-clad woman as she handed over a melting cone of ice cream to Yolanda. 

Brock might have avoided being raided today but Lawrence merely marked it down as a setback. More opportunities would present themselves, he was certain of that.

Lawrence sighed and began making new plans. If his Pewter heist was out he’d need to look for other targets. 

He turned his attention towards his table which had various Legends and myths strewn about it. His eyes lingered on one such myth that had been cropping up more and more.

The Legend of the GS ball and what it contained might just be what he needed to create some intrigue on his next big sale. 

He just needed to track it down from the Silph Co. research site it had been lost at. 

Lawrence was so absorbed in finding his next score that he missed the flash of pink light behind him along with the small pink pokemon that floated behind him for ten whole minutes before giggling and vanishing. 

Lawrence snapped around only to shake his head. “Must be hearing things,” he muttered to himself as he returned to his work. His hand came to rest on a Legend about the Shamouti islands and the pokemon that roosted in nearby islands. He read it over for a few moments before a smirk reappeared. Yes, this would do nicely.  

Hmmm it would take awhile but it was worth heading there, he concluded turning his airship in a long arc towards the south. 

                                           ____________________

Cynthia turned her gaze away from the small flashing light that she’d long since learned to associate with a long-range camera being pointed in her direction and instead turned her attention to the rather morose girl next to her.

“Your ice cream is melting,” she prompted. 

Yolanda gave a small snort. “We’re next to a volcano, of course it was going to melt.”

“So?” Cynthia replied with a playful tilt of her head as she licked at her own melting ice cream. It was still tasty if bland for being out of a packet. She hoped Indigo had good ice cream parlours she loved trying new flavours. 

“So? So who thinks that’s a good idea?” Yolanda asked, brandishing her dripping cone, only for the little Larvitar to drag Yolanda’s hand down so she could start licking her trainer’s hand to get the melting treat. 

“T-terra! S-s-top that! Ohoho hahah! Nooooo!” squealed Yolanda as her starter pokemon mercilessly ate her fill.

Cynthia smiled, happy that she’d achieved her goal of bringing a smile to the obviously morose girl. 

Things had been very touch and go with her arrival at the house. She’d arrived only to find Lola standing in front of the door while her husband awkwardly barred the door while two younger children watched on. 

Cynthia prided herself on reading a situation and she knew right then and there that she’d accidentally stepped into a domestic argument. Thankfully it didn’t look like her husband was assaulting anyone it had merely been stern words as he held his ground while Lola demanded to get past him with what sounded like playful remarks.

Then Flint had glanced up and seen her and he’d shorted out the instant he recognised her.

Lola had slipped instead, storming through the house hugging children only to return and demand Cynthia come in. The pair of young women who had escorted them had been shooed away despite multiple attempts from Yolanda to politely keep Lola outside.

Cythnia had thus sat through an awkwardly onesided show of affection with Lola kissing Flint in full view of her and the children. The man had been left breathless which didn’t help things as Lola proceeded to gather all the children up and chat away like she’d never left.

Cynthia had felt more than a little rotten and when Yolanda had stormed out of the house after attempting to once more politely ask Lola to leave she’d decided it was better to follow the girl out and apologise for her part in what was occurring.

Terra finished licking the melted treat which allowed Yolanda to collect herself. Yolanda huffed at her starter fondly. 

“So, I’m sorry about my part in… all of this,” Cynthia said as she waved her hand around only to offer Yolanda a hopeful smile. “Should I take her away with me when I leave?” Cynthia asked carefully. 

Yolanda shot her a look and curled in on herself. “No. It’s probably best she’s not dragged away in front of my little siblings… that’ll be a bit too much for them,” she said and Cynthia held back a grimace. Urgh right, she should have thought about that. 

“Care to talk about what’s going on?” Cynthia offered.

“I shouldn’t talk about it. Not to you. Sorry?” Yolanda said, only for Cynthia to shake her head.

“No, I understand. Things seem… complicated.” And that felt like an understatement. “I doubt my arrival has uncomplicated things. I’m sorry for that again by the way.” She observed the girl only to find herself also being looked over. 

“So, you’re Sinnoh’s Champion, yeah? What’s that like?” asked Yolanda. 

She knew a change of topic when she heard one, but Cynthia allowed it instead of attempting to barge into the family drama any more than she already had. “Oh it can be tiring some days but other days it’s one of the best things around. You get to go places and meet all sorts of new people. I love it. In Sinnoh, you are the example of that budding pokemon trainers hope to reach.” 

Cynthia tucked her hair behind her ear for a moment. “Personally I don’t think I’m all that good. I probably let my passions for myth and history get the best of me and spend way too long delving into old ruins, but I just love it too much.”

“Huh sounds different from our Champion, he has to set the standard, I guess, but he’s also expected to handle leading Indigo as well,” said Yolanda.

“Hmmm, sounds tiresome as well as not very well thought out. Strength doesn’t always mean you have a good leader,” Cynthia stated calmly. “Although it certainly helps, I suppose,” she said tapping at her chin in thought.

Yolanda gained an odd smirk. “I think I want to ask some more questions, but I know my brother would also like to ask some.”

“I’d be happy to answer questions,” stated Cynthia as she gave the surrounding reserve an interested look. “I’d certainly like to meet your brother as well. Where is he? This is a marvellous reserve and the pokemon! Some of these are exceptionally well trained and rare!” she stated, glancing towards where what looked like a powerful Aggron played with pokemon little more than hatchlings. Such control!

Her gaze then shifted back to the volcano. She didn’t know of any Gym Leaders in the Trinity Nations that went to such lengths with their Gym! 

“O-oh, I meant a different brother but yeah. I’m sure Brock would like the compliment. He’s… well he was going to be on holiday but he was the one that called to tell us about your arrival and what we should do… He’s not going to be very pleased with us,” Yolanda admitted.

Cynthia rubbed her chin. “Well if he’s any good as an older brother I’m sure he’ll forgive you!” Cynthia declared.

Terra nodded and began chirping while waving her hands back and forth. Cynthia nodded along before smiling. “I have no idea what you’re saying!” she said merrily.

Terra gaped and Yolanda giggled again. “She’s saying Brock, and Titan, who’s Terra’s older brother are great big brothers.” Yolanda smirked. “Did you know he’s one of the only trainers to have beaten Lance in years? Did it during an exhibition match even!”

Cynthia had no idea what an exhibition match was but she nodded along as Yolanda spoke of what sounded like an incredible battle. 

“Your brother certainly sounds amazing, I think I’d like to meet him one day,” Cythnia admitted. 

Yolanda gained a gleam of mischief in her eyes as she glanced at Cynthia. “If you want to meet someone else that’s impressive there is one person that’s probably around,” she said leadingly. 

Cynthia checked her watch. “Well I probably don’t have long until your government finally comes to collect me, but sure. It’s always nice to meet new people in a friendly setting!” 

Yolanda smirked. “Are you any good at video games?” 

Cynthia adopted a cool older sister pose with her hand bracing her chin and a half-lidded look. “I’ve been told I’m impressively terrible at them! The worst ever seen!” she declared shamelessly. 

Yolanda. “Huh, guess it takes a different sort to be Champion in Sinnoh,” she said before gesturing for Cynthia to follow her. 

Cynthia noted that all traces of the girl’s earlier bad mood were gone and a pep had returned to her step. As they passed a healer Cynthia let her gaze linger on the Nurse who met her gaze firmly for a second. 

Cynthia gave the other woman a small nod of acknowledgement. 

Whoever that woman was, she was stronger than the average trainer. 

Without noticing it Cynthia gained a small pep in her own step as she marched back into the Gym, her eyes darting all over the interesting and odd pokemon that were on display in the gym’s reserve. 

She would have to come back here and see about a tour, along with a trip to the museum.

When they reached the loungeroom where the game console was located, Cynthia blinked and found herself locking eyes with a strong trainer. 

His white hair and lab coat didn’t detract from the almost palpable aura of power that clung to the man. 

At his side, one of Lola’s children was seated on the couch, smiling merrily while Yolanda grinned cheekily at Cynthia like she’d just played a wonderful practical joke on the Sinnoh Champion.

Instead of tensing up though, Cynthia found herself relaxing as the man smiled benevolently at her, warmth radiating from him. 

Ah, Cynthia had seen old monsters like this before. Oak’s eyes flickered about the room slightly and he gave a small consoling gesture to indicate things should remain calm. 

Cynthia held back a smile. If he was anything like Bertha then he was going to say something to lighten the mood wasn’t he?

“Hello there! I’m Samuel Oak, Professor of Pokemon! I saw your introduction on the news! Cynthia wasn’t it?” The older man extended a hand in greeting towards her while bowing at the hips like a toy on a hinge. 

Both children giggled at the action and Cynthia relaxed further.

Cynthia nodded, extending a hand to shake him and as their hands clasped Oak locked eyes with her. “Are you a boy, or a girl Cynthia?” he asked with the utmost seriousness. 

Cynthia blinked and looked down at herself before giving Oak an unimpressed look. That wasn’t a very funny joke. 

She ignored the giggles coming from the children as Samuel bid her to sit down on the couch and join him and Salvadore in a racing game.

Before he did so, he tapped something out on his watch before selecting a racer for himself. 

Cynthia came last every time, but she didn’t mind. As they raced, Samuel and Salvadore asked her a range of questions, which she answered while asking her own. 

They were very interested in the idea that in Sinnoh, you needed to win not just a match against the Champion officially but a best-of-three match to prove yourself stronger. 

This led to a discussion about the other prominent battling styles within the Trinity Nations. 

She explained how Unova loved multi-battles whereas many pokemon as six versus six could take to the field, to simulate actual combat with synergy being a key component of the fight. 

Kalos enjoyed time-limited fighting styles where you only had a minute to defeat your opponent resulting in blitz strategies. 

Cynthia found Indigo and Hoenn’s Professional rankings for trainers with matches rather interesting. 

Before she knew it half the day had passed and she saw a pair of police officers were walking into the room sheepishly. 

“Sorry Professor Oak, we can’t delay any longer, President Kruger is getting kind of miffed,” said one officer, bowing towards Oak. 

Cynthia noted that interaction down before giving Oak a side-eye. “You delayed them from coming to collect me?” she asked.

“Hahaha!” Samuel laughed. “Sorry! I was just too curious for my own good!” He rose. “But I think I’d like to continue our talk if possible. Could I come with you to your ship?”

Cynthia blinked, having not expected that at all but still, she nodded. Perhaps this would turn into the break they needed to help ease tensions between the two negotiating parties?

The two officers shared a look and began an aggressive game of Rock-paper-scissors, with the loser having to radio HQ about the new development.

Cynthia found herself shaking her head. For all that they were foreign people, they were still just people after all. 

She felt confident that things could work out soon enough and they get to the good part where they’d get to sample each other’s culture. 

Cynthia was particularly itching to get her hands on a local history book!

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A.N. Thanks go to my Patreons for your continued support!

It also goes to Twmmy for proofreading this chapter!