Chapter 10

Arceus

Johanna gasped, "He couldn't possibly…"

Chris shaked his head. "Before just a while ago, the same was thought of Dialga and Palkia. But in the end, the Red Chain was able to capture them both. Had Giratina not stopped him, Cyrus's dream of a new world would have been realized, and Sinnoh, no, the entire world, would have been lost to the void in place of Cyrus's new world. If Cyrus captures Arceus, he could do far worse than that. He could create his own world, his own homes, anything he wanted. The world would be entirely bent to Cyrus's will. Because that is Arceus's power."

Jasmine raised her hand, "But who exactly is Arceus?"

Chris and Johanna nearly fell off of the couch in disbelief.

Chris rubbed the back of his head, and gave Jasmine a strange look, "You don't know who Arceus is?"

Jasmine nodded, "Arceus is a mythical Sinnoh Pokémon, believed to have created Sinnoh. It is known as somewhat of a god Pokémon. Pretty much everyone in Sinnoh learns at a very young age who Arceus is."

Jasmine sat back in the couch, "I'll never understand this place. What with the contests, the mountains, the Pokémon, it's all too much."

Chris nodded at her. "It sometimes does get that way, doesn't it?"

Ralman nodded as well.

Chris looked at Johanna. "Well mom, it was nice to drop in, but I still have to tell Cynthia about all of this. She deserves to be prepared, considering that she is going to be the Champion while I'm gone."

Johanna hugged her son, and whispered into his ear "be safe."

He whispered back. "You know it."

Jasmine hugged Johanna, and she and Chris flew to the Pokémon league. When they got there, Chris asked if he could see the Champion. The attendant looked at him as if Chris was telling a joke.

When she saw Chris's serious face, she began reaching into her bag, "No, I don't need a mirror. Just tell me where Cynthia is."

The attendant nodded, "Right this way, Chris."

Chris entered the room in which Cynthia sat on the floor, meditating with her Lucario. Chris waved a hand in front of her face, but she stayed unfazed.

He snapped his fingers next to her ears, and she did nothing. "Hmm… there's one thing that always works." Chris knelt down next to her, and pulled one of the black knob-like things in Cynthia's hair.

Cynthia immediately stood, grabbed Chris's arm, and threw him to the floor, "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU? NEVER TOUCH MY ACCESSORIES!" Chris tumbled to the floor, but stood immediately. Cynthia pulled out a pokeball, and Chris pointed at Jasmine.

Cynthia seemed to notice her presence for the first time, and bowed to her. "And what business does the Gym Leader of Olivine City have in our fair region?"

Chris gave Cynthia a strange look. "Have you ever realized how easily you go from demented to polite?"

Cynthia gave him a poisonous stare, and Chris shut his mouth.

Jasmine shook Cynthia's hand. "Just catching up with Chris. He used to live in Olivine City, you know?"

Cynthia shook her head, and looked at Chris again. "He never struck me as a Johto trainer. Looking at him now, I realize how much he looks like that blue haired boy from Johto with a Meganium who asked for a battle with me the other day. He was quite strange; he had his Meganium following him out of its pokeball."

Jasmine's expression was bemused, "Couldn't be… might I ask, what was this trainer's name, Cynthia?"

Cynthia looked up, trying to remember. "He didn't say it much, but I believe that as he left he said his name was Percy."

Jasmine shook her head. "Of course. Do you want to know who exactly that your mystery trainer was, Cynthia?"

Cynthia nodded slightly. "You have just met Johto's newest Champion, Thomas Percival. He goes by his shortened last name, Percy. He is even believed to be the chosen of Ho-oh."

Cynthia reeled back. "Well, now. Lucario did detect a powerful Aura emanating from him. I thought at first that he was simply sensing me, but if he is all that you call him, then Lucario's senses have once again proven correct."

Jasmine nodded, "His Pokémon fight for him like no other. He shares their pain, their victories, and their sadness. Some even say he shares their powers. I have battled him many times, and still haven't come out with even a near victory. He surpasses all other trainers his age. He is but eleven, you know?"

Cynthia's eyes widened, "What a tender age for a Champion. So he was able to defeat Lance?"

Jasmine nodded deeply. "He was able to use his Khangaskhan's Outrage attack to brutal effect against Lance's dragons."

Cynthia's eyes got even wider. "Even Dragonite?"

Jasmine nodded again, "But that's enough of that. Chris made me a childhood promise that he means to keep. But beyond that, there is something that needs to be brought to your attention. Chris, tell her what happened at mount Coronet."

Cynthia pulled up seats for all of them, and Chris told the story, emphasizing Jasmine's amazing acrobatics, and Cynthia immediately stood, grasping her head. She seethed, "you're certain,and I mean absolutely certain, that the man you saw was Cyrus?"

Chris nodded. "We were in broad daylight."

Cynthia laughed maniacally. "And you just… you just… you let him go? What, did you feel like since it was his first day back in our world, he can just have a little freebee? You do remember that he nearly killed us all? And I don't mean grade-school imagination lie on the ground with your tongue out spread eagled kill, I mean absolute gone, disintegrated, replaced by nothingness, THAT kind of killed."

Chris sighed. "Yes, I do remember that."

Cynthia sat down in a heap and lowers her voice. "And you just let him walk away. You didn't bring him to the police, you didn't get rid of him, you just said 'so long, good luck creating the apocalypse.'"

Chris stood from his seat. "I had a good reason-"

Cynthia stopped him there. "There is no good reason-"

Chris interrupted her by saying "it wasn't for him, it was for his Pokémon. Do you know the way that he treats his Pokémon, and the devotion that they have for him? He looks upon them as stepping stones, and they fight for him as if he were a god. That is why he walked. I told his Weavile that he deserved more than Cyrus, and if Weavile decides to go and bring the other Pokémon to come with him, Cyrus will be without his stepping stones and no other way across the stream. Then, then we will get him, as he tries to figure out how to swim for himself."

Cynthia sighed, "I think that you might take Cyrus too lightly, but if Weavile does manage to get away from Cyrus, and take Cyrus's other Pokémon with him, then Cyrus will have some difficulty initially, but he'll get new Pokémon almost immediately. His troops are trainers, you know."

Chris nodded his head, and pulled something out of his bag.

It was a small handheld screen, which had a moving dot that appeared to be in Veilstone. "No… Chris you didn't! No way!"

Chris smiled. "I thought that you had learned by now that I cover all of my bases."

Cynthia smiled. "Wow. I don't think anyone could've done it better Chris! This is amazing!"

She picked him up in a huge hug and spins him all around the room. Jasmine cleared her throat rather loudly. Cynthia put Chris down immediately, and Jasmine walked next to Chris. Cynthia looked at Chris, then Jasmine, then Chris again.

She sighed and decided not to ask. "So, what now, Chris?"

Chris handed Cynthia the tracker. "You need to be the Champion while I am gone fulfilling my promise. When I return, I'm going to need you to help me end team Galactic forever, if you and my mother haven't taken care of it already. Good luck, Cynthia."

Cynthia nodded, and hugged them both, "Well if Johanna's in on it, you can rest easy knowing that Team Galactic is going to have a run for its money."

Chris and Jasmine walked out of the room. As they walked away, Cynthia smiled to herself. Young love…

Ohohohohohhoho... plots are beginning to entangle...