They ate silently, though it was not the result of an argument or a lack of things to talk about. No, they were simply enjoying their food. Or trying to...
"May, what's wrong?" Silver asked, raising his head from his food and realizing that her plate, which would normally have been emptied and refilled three times by now, was still full of the salad she had heaped onto it twenty minutes ago. Her fork merely traced patterns through the greens, and it looked as if very little of it had passed through her lips.
"Hm?" May asked, looking up to meet his gaze.
"Normally you'd be on your fourth helping, but you've barely touched your food!" Silver said. "When you of all people aren't eating, it's a pretty clear sign that something is worrying you."
"Oh, it's, err, ah...". She tore her gaze away from the earnest scarred face with its long, unruly mop of thick grey hair, trying to think of an answer. The ringing of the doorbell produced a reason for her to avoid answering the question for the time being, and she leapt up so quickly that she sent her chair skittering across the floor. Disregarding this, May hurried from the room. Silver sighed and returned to his food, stabbing a leaf moodily.
He looked up as May returned to the kitchen, looking rather flustered and followed by Cynthia.
"Cynthia! Good to see you again," he boomed, and she smiled at him in return as she joined him at the table.
"Silver, I'm glad you're here," she said. "I was hoping you'd be able to help me with something."
"Anything, though I don't know that I could tramp around the world again at my age," he responded, and Cynthia laughed.
"Silver, I can guarantee that you're just as healthy and energetic as you were twenty years ago. Don't worry though, it won't involve any travelling."
"Then what-" he began, and Cynthia winked conspiratively at him.
"Later," she whispered before returning her attention to May, who was hastily filling a plate for Cynthia. "This looks wonderful, May," she smiled. "I hope that Silver told you I was planning on coming?"
"Er, yes, he did... he didn't say when though," she added, giving the grey-haired giant a glare.
"I didn't know myself!" he protested. "Cynthia was as vague as ever when she told me she wanted to talk with you."
"I'm so sorry, May," Cynthia apologized. "I must have forgotten to tell him the date. Please don't go to any extra trouble just for me."
"It's no trouble at all, Cynthia; it's just a salad," May said, giving the former champion a smile as she brought over the plate and sat down with them. "Besides, I can tell you must have other things on your mind," she added, glancing towards her stomach. Cynthia merely smiled in response and began eating.
"Has there been any word of Rey yet?" Silver asked after a few moments, breaking the silence. Cynthia's eyes grew grave and she shook her head in the negative.
"No. Nothing," she answered. "She definitely arrived in Sinnoh; I spoke with several of the Gym leaders there, and they all remembered her. From the path she took, I'm guessing she was on her to Veilstone City when she vanished. It's been three years now since that happened. People are still looking, but nobody holds out much hope that she'll be found now." May's head bowed.
"Oh Rey," she whispered.
"Well... Anyways, Cynthia, tell us; what are you doing in Kanto?" Silver asked, changing the subject. "Tired of Sinnoh?"
"I wish," Cynthia answered, shaking her head. "Some of the most valuable Sinnoh artefacts are being brought over as part of a travelling exhibition. Even though I'm no longer the Champion – and despite my pregnancy – I've been assigned to guard the objects in the exhibit. They wanted a powerful trainer to ensure their safety, and since I'm the strongest in Sinnoh..." She let her sentence hang and shrugged. "Personally I think that Lucian could have done just as well, but they were insistent that I take the position."
"Do they really think that somebody is going to try and steal them after what happened last time?" May asked. Cynthia hesitated and had to momentarily prevent herself from looking around the room.
"Keep this quiet," she warned. "Nobody is supposed to know about it, but you are two of the most trustworthy people I know, and if anyone has a right to know..." She let the pause stretch on a beat longer than was necessary. "You see, we suspect that some elements of Team Galactic have returned. They've been pretty quiet for the last thirteen years or so but they were never completely disbanded, unlike Aqua, Magma, or Rocket; for a few years after Cyrus vanished they became a legitimate company, but..." She sighed.
"We never really thought they'd gone away for good, even though we'd hoped they had. I always suspected that they were using the business as a front while they regrouped and made plans for the future. Now it seems that my worst fears are reality; we don't know what exactly they want to do, but it may very well involve the Sinnoh artefacts. Hence why I've been assigned to protect them."
"Galactic," Silver muttered with revulsion. "And I used to think after my history with them that nothing could top the Rockets..." May unconsciously grabbed Cynthia's hand, and the former Champion winced at the pressure. She turned towards May, a sharp comment in her mouth, but it quickly died away when she saw the fear in her eyes.
"Galactic is in Kanto?" she managed to whisper, and Cynthia instantly understood her reaction. May had lost the man she loved, one of the strongest trainers in the world, to Team Rocket. Now her daughter, having only just started her own journey, was wandering the land with a group of merciless criminals on the loose. That, combined with Silver's comments about Galactic being worse than the ones who had caused Ash Ketchum's death...
"Alex will be fine, May," Cynthia said soothingly, returning the pressure to give her some reassurance. "Galactic are in Sinnoh; that's why we brought the exhibit here, to keep it safe. If Galactic are in Kanto and they are after the artefacts, then I will be there too. If by the miniscule chance that Alex happens to be there when they make their move, I will be able to protect her. And that's assuming that she visits any museums at all; it's very difficult for a travelling trainer to synchronize with the kind of hectic schedule we have planned out, even if they are aware of it."
"Alex doesn't have anyone!" May shouted, wrenching her hand from Cynthia's grip and standing so violently that she was almost dragged onto the floor. "Every second that I spend awake I think about her and worry. Everywhere I look, everything I see and do... it all makes me worry and think back..." Her voice broke. "I was nervous before she left. And then seeing her standing there on the path, carefree and unconcerned... It's a dangerous world out there and she doesn't have a clue! And then the incident with that bastard in the woods on her very first day..."
"May," Cynthia began, trying to choose her words as tactfully as possible, "I know that you are scared for her. It's natural considering what happened to Ash. But we all have to let go some time. Your daughter has finally begun her life. She needs this to learn and grow into the woman she will one day be. You can't protect her forever."
"I had Ash and Brock when I started," May said, her voice brittle and her body trembling with pent-up emotion. "They were both experienced trainers with strong Pokémon at their sides. There was nothing they couldn't handle, and I didn't have any worries because of that. But Alex doesn't have anyone to look after her, and she can be so pig-headed sometimes that I just know she's going to end up in some kind of trouble."
"She has Yui with her," Cynthia said softly. "I met her yesterday, May, and-" May looked towards her sharply.
"You saw her? Did you see Alex too? Tell me, please, how is she?" she begged.
"Alex is fine, May," Cynthia responded calmly. "They were both a little tired from the trip, but that's to be expected. I imagine they'll be on their way to Pewter City now, since it's the closest Gym that's open. I'm sure she'll stop in and say hello to Forrest and Dawn while she's there; if you like I can contact them and ask them to tell Alex to get in touch with you every now and then. As for Yui, I don't think I've ever met a sweeter or calmer person. She will keep your daughter in check."
"That's true, May," Silver agreed. "Besides, she'll have Pidgeot and Gallade to look after her too, remember? Pidgeot is following them by air, and Gallade can be with her in seconds if it senses something is wrong. I can't think of any person on the planet more protected than Alex is right now."
"Pidgeot and Gallade weren't able to stop the Ursaring attack," May whispered, clutching the edge of the table so tightly that her hands turned white. Then without warning she dropped to the floor, tears pouring from her eyes at all of the horrible memories. She couldn't help it; her body was no longer able to suppress all the pent-up emotion that had built up inside of her over the last decade. It all burst out at once, leaving her unable to do anything but cry for the loss, for the pain, for the happiness, and for the life that she could have and should have had.
Cynthia and Silver were at her side in seconds, the former Champion taking her hand and murmuring soothing words while the grey-haired giant held her close and rocked her silently against his chest. It was several minutes before her convulsing sobs eased enough for her to wipe her eyes with a napkin Cynthia pulled from the table.
"Come on, May," Silver murmured, pulling her easily to her feet and guiding her back into a chair before helping Cynthia up as well.
"I'm sorry," May whispered. "I... I shouldn't be burdening you with this…"
"No, May, you should," Cynthia said firmly. "You can't keep your emotions pent up forever; you have to let them out some time. What reason do you think we are your friends, if not to be there for you?"
"She's right, May," Silver nodded encouragingly. "Why are we here if you aren't going to shout at us? That's all we're good for! Well, all that I'm good for anyways." May gave a watery smile in response, wiping away the last of her tears with the napkin.
"May," Cynthia said presently, "have you thought about taking up Scott's offer of being a Frontier Brain? I passed over the Battle Colosseum on my way here; they've nearly finished rebuilding it. All they have left to do now is install the trainer boxes, plant some trees and grass-seed, and fill the reservoir. I think it would be good for you, to keep you busy and distracted." May nodded.
"You're right," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. "I think I'll go and call Scott now and... and tell him I'll take him up on the offer. Thanks." She stood up and left the room for the hallway phone. Silver looked at Cynthia and grinned.
"Way to get her back up on her feet, Champion," he said. "Now, what do you need my help for?" Cynthia smiled back at him.
"You've already given it," she said. "I needed you to help May relieve all of that emotion she's been building up, and help her to start getting her life back on track." She shook her head sadly. "It was a shock for all of us, losing Ash like that, but it affected May more deeply than anyone. Then Delia dying, and Latias vanishing, with that Ursaring attack thrown in to boot... is it any wonder that she's been so withdrawn, so miserable since then? She looks like a woman twice her age with all she's had to go through."
"You're twice May's age, and you're still beautiful," Silver pointed out.
"Idiot," she retorted, though inwardly she was quite pleased with the compliment. "I'm 38, not 56! That's nowhere near twice her age!" Silver grinned at her false indignation.
"I think training with her Pokémon again will remind her of just how strong they can be if their trainer is threatened," he said, suddenly changing the topic again. "She'll be so busy that she'll have less time to worry about Alex. And if her friend Yui is anything like you've described, I think that she'll be perfectly safe."
"You know, it's funny," Cynthia said thoughtfully. "That Yui... there's something strange about her."
"Strange? How so?" Silver asked.
"I don't know," Cynthia said slowly. "It's almost as if I've met her before."
