The sun was particularly bright and harsh that day in Sunyshore City. It was the first day of shooting for the film, and because she was asked to, Cynthia was present on set. Even though she was more than happy to help out with this film because she wanted the spread the knowledge of the myths of Sinnoh, Cynthia would soon find out that she could only handle so much, especially considering the situation she was in at the time.
"I don't quite get it…" Cynthia muttered, running a hand through her hair. She was in the hair & makeup trailer, watching as Diantha was prepped for the shoot, "I completely understand the fact that I'm to give on-site consultation, but I don't see why I have to be here when there are no scenes scheduled in today's shoot that are about the myths." She turned to Diantha, "I don't want to get in the way when I'm not here to do anything productive."
"Production politics." Diantha explained with a sigh, "The director probably would like to meet with you. From now on, he'll be the one you'll collaborate the most with, alongside the animators when the time comes."
Cynthia crossed her arms and sighed, "I would have been more than happy to meet with him any other time. Like I said, I'll only be getting in the way if I stay."
Looking over at Cynthia out of the corner of her eye, Diantha just shrugged, "Consider it as a learning experience. It's your first time working in film production, which can be very daunting for new faces. It's best that you get exposed to it and get used to it now, and not when you're actually needed. Think of it as getting the intimidation factor out of the way early."
Cynthia nodded, finding some sense in that, "Alright, alright…" She pulled against her blouse collar; she was in her blue sleeveless outfit again, "Will the shoots today be inside or outside?"
"Hmm…" Diantha tilted her head, thinking it over, "A little bit of both, I believe. Why?"
"Ugh…" Cynthia threw her head back, "It's so hot outside…"
Diantha furrowed her eyebrows, "It's barely even fifty degrees, darling."
"Your point…?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment, and eventually Diantha simply shook her head, "Ah, ça va…"
Cynthia felt her pocket buzz, and she reached inside to pull out a pager. The first bulb in a row of four lit up a bright green and started flashing. Clicking her tongue, Cynthia started for the door to exit the makeup trailer, "Looks like I might not be able to stick around after all."
Diantha raised an eyebrow, "What's the issue?"
"Aaron's down." Cynthia explained, opening the door, "Only three members of the Elite Four remain. That challenger is going to expect the Champion waiting for them at the last chamber."
"I'll cover for you." She glanced at Cynthia over her shoulder, "Shall I say family emergency or that you suddenly feel unwell?"
"Neither. I'll talk to the director myself." And with that, Cynthia had left.
Rubbing her forehead once Cynthia was gone, Diantha let out a soft sigh, "So naïve…" She muttered to herself, "Poor thing doesn't even know what's coming…"
Cynthia headed towards the set, moving through crew workers in her search of the director. Granted, she had no clue who the director was, but she eventually started to hear a lot of yelling from a single guy, and...well, she would place a lot of money on the assumption that man was the director. It helped that when she got close enough to him, he noticed her and dropped his shouting match with a poor crew member to approach her.
"You must be Champion Cynthia." The director said, extending his hand forth for a handshake, "Hugo Rustaud. Director extraordinaire."
Cynthia took Hugo's hand, and instantly her face contorted into a grimace for a brief moment. It felt like her hand was being crushed in his grasp. It didn't help that she wasn't digging his attitude, either, "A pleasure." She said, perhaps with a bit too much bite behind it, "I need a word with you."
Hugo nodded, "Sure, but I ask that you make it quick. I have to ensure that everything is in perfect condition for today's shooting."
"Of course." Cynthia felt another buzz in her pocket. Bertha was down too, it seemed… "I do apologize in advance, but I have to return back to the League building. It's urgent."
Hugo narrowed his eyes, "I specifically requested of you to attend the entire day's worth of shooting to acquaint yourself with the process."
Cynthia placed her hand on her hip, returning Hugo's glare, "I've seen the schedule. It's over a twelve-hour long work day. I'll be gone for two at most. I'll still be able to see most of filming."
"You have made a commitment to this film. You cannot only come and go as you see fit."
"To be frank, Mr. Rustaud," Cynthia lifted her chin, "My commitment lies with the League. I'm doing this consulting business as a favor, not requirement. If this challenger arrives to the final chamber and it's empty, the League could be sued and I could be stripped of my title due to neglecting my responsibilities. I am not losing three years' worth of hard work by sitting here and doing nothing all day just because you asked me to."
"Hugo!"
Cynthia turned towards the voice, spotting Diantha walking towards the both of them. Cynthia immediately noticed that Diantha's hair was down for once, and then Cynthia saw the strangely serious expression on Diantha's face. That was a new one, too…
"Diantha." Hugo said, barely acknowledging her, "We're in the middle of a conversation. Whatever you must say can wait."
"No, no. It really can't." Diantha said, voice dripping with a dramatic sigh, "She is under no obligation to be here. You can't make her stay, no matter how hard you try. She has a job to do, just like me, just like you. You best be grateful she helped with the script in the first place, or else you would've lost all respect for having your directing debut be on a movie with such terrible, inaccurate writing." Diantha narrowed her eyes, "Let her go."
Cynthia simply watched Diantha with a raised eyebrow. That was one side of Diantha that Cynthia never thought she'd see- ruthless, unforgiving, and self-important. Then Cynthia realized that perhaps show business was as overdramatic and chaotic as the rumors said, and Diantha was playing the game.
Hugo clenched his jaw, and eventually his eyes went back to Cynthia, "Two hours. That's all you have."
Cynthia didn't even dignify him with a response. She turned on her heel and sent Diantha a grateful look when Hugo couldn't see her face, then walked off. She arrived at the League ten minutes later after flying with Togekiss, entering her chamber mere seconds before the challenger walked inside. She greeted the challenger- a bright, cheery young woman -with a smile that completely hid the fact that she barely arrived in time after arguing with a movie director.
"I applaud you for making it this far, though there won't be any letup from me." Cynthia said, toying with a minimized Pokéball in her hand, "I, Cynthia, accept your challenge!"
The match lasted all of fifteen minutes. The challenger was crushed, but Cynthia told them to try again whether she'd like. Once the challenger was gone, Cynthia looked at the time and let out a sigh. She still was well within the time frame that Hugo laid out for her, but she really did not want to go back to sit and watch them film a movie for over 10 hours.
Just as Cynthia was about to call out Togekiss to fly back to Sunyshore City, she received a phone call. The number wasn't in her contacts, so she furrowed her eyebrows as she lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey, this is Officer Jenny from ECPD. I was told that Champion Cynthia wanted a report on the trespassing incident from yesterday."
"Ah, thanks for the follow-up." Cynthia placed her free hand on her hip, "I'm listening."
"The two trespassers managed to evade authorities by Smoke Screen." Officer Jenny explained, a bit disappointed, "The officers on the case described the suspects as both having green hair. They were the only two people in the building after the investigation."
Cynthia clicked her tongue. She hated being right in this case, "I see… Thank you. Have any members of the International Police contacted the precinct yet?"
"Not yet, no." There was a beat of pause, "Should I be expecting their cooperation?"
"Yes, fully." Cynthia sighed, "Keep on the lookout for any other people that fit the profile. A Team Galactic revival could be in place."
"Understood, Champion Cynthia." If they were face-to-face, Officer Jenny probably would have saluted Cynthia in that moment, "I'll be awaiting to hear from Interpol, then."
"I'll make sure that happens soon. Thank you again for your assistance, Jenny." Cynthia hung up then, placing a hand to her forehead. She wasn't quite done yet with the phone calls, and she dialed Looker's number and hung her head as she waited for him to answer.
"Ah! A response so quickly!" Looker shouted on the other line, "How can I help you, Batwoman?!"
Cynthia narrowed her eyes, "...Batwoman?"
"Yes, Batwoman!" Looker sounded very enthusiastic, "You requested of me to give you a superhero persona name. This is my masterpiece."
"Masterpiece?!" Cynthia growled, "Batwoman's been in use for decades! I can't be that! Besides, I was just kidding!"
There was silence on the other line. Cynthia can just picture the frown on Looker's face in that moment, "...I understand, Champion Cynthia. Forgive my outburst. What can I help you with?"
"I'll need you in Sinnoh immediately." Cynthia explained, "The trespassers in the Galactic Building yesterday match the profile of Galactic grunts. I think there really is a revival happening."
"I see, I see…" Looker hummed, "I will be there as soon as possible. When I arrive, I believe that an investigation of the Veilstone Headquarters is due."
"Fantastic idea. Call me when you arrive." Cynthia was silent for awhile, "And no more superhero names!"
"You wound me, Cynthia." Looker replied, "I'll see you shortly. We'll get to the bottom of this in no time together."
"I hope so, Looker…" Cynthia sighed, shaking her head, "I hope so…"
She put her phone away after ending the call. Running a hand through her hair, Cynthia let out a defeated sigh. This was going to be a thorn in her side for a while now, she could tell that much. Calling out her Togekiss, Cynthia flew back to Sunyshore City, lowkey hoping for an escape from the long day that was going to follow.
When Cynthia arrived back at the set, there was still two hours left until a lunch break. That meant two hours of watching the same thing practically on repeat until they got the perfect take. It was a scene they were shooting outside too, so Cynthia was trapped in the heat the entire time. She at least tried to pay attention at first, then she started to play games on her phone, and then she ended up falling asleep until she got nudged in the shoulder.
Cynthia stirred awake, cracking her neck and opening one eye only to see Diantha standing over her with two cups in her hands.
"There you are, Sleeping Beauty." Diantha teased. She swirled the liquid in the cup she held out to Cynthia, "I figured you'd like something to drink. I didn't manage to smuggle any food from lunch, though."
"I'm surprised you even know what Sleeping Beauty is…" Cynthia mumbled, taking the cup from Diantha, "You have fairy tales over in Kalos?"
Diantha just quirked an eyebrow playfully, "You do know that Sleeping Beauty is French in origin, right?"
Cynthia just took a sip of her drink. It was some fancy tea, apparently. "...You learn something new every day."
Taking a seat in the chair next to Cynthia, Diantha drank some of her own tea, "How did the challenge go?"
"Quick. Poor thing didn't even see it coming." Cynthia explained with a sigh, "How's Hugo been?"
"Learning his place." Diantha's voice went low and quiet, "New directors always come in overly arrogant."
Cynthia laughed a bit at that, "To think he introduced himself to me as 'director extraordinaire' when it's his first film… What a joke."
"I'm sorting him out as best as I can, but I doubt he's going to get over that first impression you made on him." Diantha sighed, "I'm almost impressed that you managed to become the director's number one enemy on day one, but at the same time… I'm a little worried for you."
Letting out a sigh, Cynthia ran her free hand through her hair, "I'll manage. I've made worst first impressions, I'll have you know."
Diantha raised an eyebrow, "How could it be any worse than what you just did?"
"You'd be surprised…" Cynthia just shook her head, smiling a bit, "I, uh… should let you know, though. I might not be around much these next few days."
"That's fine. I can understand how the process may be a tad boring to outsiders." Diantha smiled reassuringly, "Take the time you need."
"Ah, no… It's not that, though I am bored out of my mind right now." Cynthia scratched behind her ear, "It's official Champion business, I should say. Well...perhaps not official, but it's business that I have to see to."
Diantha sent Cynthia a concerned look, "Is everything alright?"
"It will be. A friend and I are on the case. We're a good pair." Cynthia grinned, "I'll still help out if I'm that sorely needed, but I don't want things getting out of hand like they did a few months ago."
Diantha just nodded, not wanting to press further, "We wrap up filming in Sunyshore in a few days, then we're on to Grand Lake Hotel to film at Lake Valor. You still have to show me the lake."
"I know. I should be finished with this little mess in time for that." Cynthia drank more of her tea.
Sparing a glance at the time, Diantha let out a soft sigh, "Well, the lunch break is almost over. I should be hitting the makeup trailer again before filming resumes." She stood up, turning back to Cynthia, "Here's an idea- why don't you work on your book while you're here? So you're not so bored as you say you are."
"That's...not a bad idea, actually." Cynthia nodded, getting behind the idea, "Yeah, I'll do that. Who knows… maybe being around a movie about myths will make me able to actually get stuff done."
Diantha grinned widely, "See? It won't be so bad." She gave Cynthia a wave, "I'll see you later then."
"Later." Cynthia said back, leaning back in her chair. Her eyes still felt heavy, and the hot tea was only making things worse. She watched Diantha as she walked away, pursing her lips and musing things over, before Cynthia just closed her eyes and got herself comfortable.
Screw writing. She wanted more sleep.
Surprisingly enough, Cynthia did manage to get things done during the day after she woke up from yet another nap. She spent a good portion of the afternoon writing, and she had gotten more done in that timeframe than the past week in total. The shooting for the day wrapped shortly after six, ending early because apparently Hugo was immensely satisfied early on with one of the takes. Cynthia could finally go home, which was a blessing, and she had more time to focus on what was happening with Team Galactic. She caught a glance of Diantha talking with Hugo as Cynthia was packing up, and just when she was about to leave, her phone rang again. Cynthia was starting to get sick of that ringtone from hearing it so often.
She was relieved, however, when she saw that Looker was the one that was calling, "Hey, Looker." Cynthia said as she answered the phone, "You're here, I'm assuming?"
"Yes, I just arrived at the Hearthome City airport." Looker explained, "I'll be in Veilstone City in half an hour."
"I'm in Sunyshore City right now." Cynthia added, "I'll meet you at the Galactic HQ, then."
"My next call will be to the Veilstone City Police Department."
"Good idea. 'Til then." Cynthia hung up then, slipping her phone into her pocket. She looked up to see Diantha coming towards her, a large grin on her face.
"Cynthia, darling!" Diantha beamed, "Since filming ended early today, I figured we could maybe go out to dinner tonight. What do you say?" She had the sweetest, most hopeful face when she asked, and that coupled with the fact Diantha looked stunning with her hair down made Cynthia's response all the more harder to say.
Cynthia flashed a sympathetic smile, feeling incredibly guilty, "I'm….sorry. I'm going to have to take a raincheck on that. There's something I have to do, and I have to do it right now. Some other time though… I promise."
Diantha nodded in understanding, smile not even faltering in the slightest, "Sure, sure… Some other time."
"Sorry again…" Cynthia breathed uneasily. God, this was nothing like shooting down Alder or Sycamore or anyone else. This one made her genuinely feel bad, "I just- I need to leave like right now." She waved in goodbye, spinning around on her heel and walking off.
Diantha only watched as she left, expression finally falling now that she didn't have to fake being fine. Her tongue prodded at her cheek and she lowered her head, staring at the ground. She was starting to realize that rejection could really hurt sometimes...
