I guess I should update this, yeah? Thanks to IanAlphaAxel for reviewing the previous chapter.

If you are a high fantasy fan (swords, shields, dragons etc), I encourage you to check out my fantasy story, 'Chains of Fate Revised!'

Chapter Twenty Five: Confessions

Steven sat by Carolina's bed, cool grey eyes peering down at her face. The elderly woman had been stuck on her bed for the past few days, muttering Cynthia's name and other oddities that he couldn't quite understand. Her thoughts were jumbled – he caught a few words such as 'Cynthia', 'regret' and 'experiments', but he wasn't sure how they all connected.

Her vulnerable state made him realize just how old and worn out the woman was. Her hair had lost its colour - now it was just a dull grey and her skin had thinned making it much easier to see the veins in her arms and legs. She had only been a year younger the last time they had meet, but she was hardly recognizable anymore. It dawned on him Carolina was nearing the end of her days.

"Cynthia…" she gasped, lifting a hand slowly, her fingers reaching for him.

He grabbed her hand and held it tightly. Carolina had always been a fighter – from the stories Cynthia had told him, Carolina was a strong-minded individual who fought passionately for her beliefs. The woman had a golden heart, though it was sometimes hard to notice. Sometimes her rash words could be taken in a different light, even though all she wanted was for the best.

"Cynthia isn't here. I'm Steven, Cynthia's friend," he said gently.

A long drawn out sigh escaped her throat. "…Cynthia…" she breathed again. "…I need… to speak… with her… make her understand… what I did… I did for her…" she added weakly, in between ragged breaths. She released her grip on Steven's hand then forced herself to sit up, swinging her legs over to the side of the bed. Pushing herself off, she tried to stand, but the long days spent in bed had left her legs with little strength. She immediately toppled over, but fortunately Steven was there to catch her.

He pushed her down on the bed again. "Don't push yourself, Carolina. You're still recovering," he said. "Can I get you a glass of water? Or would you like something to eat?"

She shook her head, resting her head back down on the pillow. "…Please…" She grabbed his hand again. "Please tell Cynthia… tell her that I am sorry… I never meant to hurt her… I only did what was best…"

Steven wasn't quite sure what event the professor was referring to, but he didn't press for answers. She looked like she was going to pass out any moment now. "I'm sure Cynthia understands. She admires you."

"…I experimented on Pokemon… some died… and it was all for money… to support our family and give Cynthia the best opportunity to become a success…" she murmured. Steven arched a brow. He knew the woman had been a researcher at one point in career, but he hadn't realized she had taken it that far. "There is… something you must know… Steven…"

He leaned forward. "What is it?"

"I found something… that I never told anyone else… but you must know… someone must know…" She exhaled deeply then coughed. Her coughing fit lasted a few moments, each cough sapping away more energy from her. He wished there was something he could do to help her, but age didn't have a cure. It was actually a miracle she had survived this long seeming to be in perfect health.

"Carolina?"

"In my research… I found a… an ancient set of hieroglyphs beneath Snowpoint Temple left by the druids of long ago… I… I took a drawing of it… it is locked away in a chest in the study room… I hid it away…"

Steven lifted his other brow. "Hieroglyphs? What are you talking about?" Either Carolina's weakness had messed up her mind or she was actually telling the truth. Steven had heard that people in their dying stages unveiled secrets they had kept hidden for so long though so perhaps this was one of those moments.

"In my pocket there is a key… Take it, and unearth the mystery I failed to decode…" Another deep breath left her mouth. "Promise me… promise me you will look after Cynthia… she will need you…" Her fingers released Steven's hand and dropped down the bed.

"I swear it." A slow smile spread across her face, as her eyes closed, her ragged breaths filling the air. She did not open her eyes again. "Carolina? Carolina!" he repeated. Grabbing her hand, he squeezed down, trying to wake her up, but she did not flinch.

He searched for a pulse – there was one there, but it was slowing with each passing second. She was dying and she knew it yet had informed no one. Whatever disease had been in her body had triggered the moment the contents of the syringe had entered her body. No one would've known – there were no symptoms at all to suggest she was even ill.

Cynthia would be devastated to learn her grandmother had passed away during her absence, especially since she didn't have the chance to say her goodbyes. He didn't have the heart to tell her about the loss, but he knew he had to no matter how much it hurt. At least the woman had died in her home and not alone. He lowered his head down to her right hand and kissed it before pulling away.

It was an ancient tradition belonging to the druids of Hoenn to the place a kiss on the hand or the forehead of the deceased to prevent their souls from burning in hell. He wasn't sure if it was a true or just a wives' tale, but he did it anyway to pay his respects to the woman who had sacrificed everything to ensure Cynthia and Jade lived a decent life.

For a moment, he sat there, looking down at Carolina, feeling a strange sense of loss. He didn't know her that well – what he knew from her came from Cynthia – but he wanted to continue looking into the research project she had assumingly abandoned for whatever reason. Reaching a hand down into her pocket, he pulled out the key and held onto it.

"I will finish your research," he whispered. Why had Carolina abandoned it? What did the hieroglyphs mean? Why had she hidden this from everyone? What kind of experiments had she been doing anyway that resulted in deaths? He pushed the thoughts out of his mind and made his way towards the study area, hoping to find the answers inside.

He arrived a few moments later – it was not hard to find as it was the only room in the house with a big golden lock on the front. Inserting the key, he twisted it clockwise and unlocked the door then pushed it open. He entered the study room and was surprised to see it look untouched. It was as if no one had ever set foot in this room before since everything looked so tidy in mint condition. He looked around for a chest, but saw nothing that even resembled one. Perhaps it was hiding behind some books, he told himself, walking to the shelf on the right. He fumbled through the books, but still found nothing. He tried the shelf on the left instead, and spotted a few books hanging over the edge.

A little brown chest, no bigger than an A4 piece of paper, hid behind the books. Moving his hands towards it, he picked it up then sat down on the ground, and used the key to open it. The chest popped open with a click. He pulled back the lid and glanced down. There were a few black and white sketches. Picking them up, he searched through them and counted four pieces then laid them out on the floor.

The first drawing was of Snowpoint Temple itself as it had been before its redevelopment. He hadn't been born then, but the old temple was made of ice and looked a bit like an igloo. The new version, built about a decade ago, was built out of standard building material and was three times the size of the old one.

The second drawing was of the hieroglyphs Carolina had spoken off. Letters had not existed back in ancient days, and for awhile, it was assumed they were illiterate, but that was not the case. Druidic people simply expressed themselves through symbols to share something written as was the case here with the hieroglyphs. The discovery of the Unown had led to the birth of letters.

Squinting, he studied the drawing closely. There were three symbols and a larger one above it. Upon closer inspection, he realized the symbols were actually Pokemon of some nature though he couldn't tell what it was. They looked like rocks with arms and legs. A new Pokemon type? He moved to the next drawing.

The third one seemed to be a map of an amateur drawing of an underground network of tunnels. Every path had a variety of different coloured symbols on it, yet there was no key to tell him what those symbols meant. Underground traps? Diamonds? Pearls? Rubies? He moved his eyes to the final drawing. It was another set of hieroglyphs showing a large Pokemon chasing a druid.

What did these hieroglyphs mean? Did another tyrant-type Pokemon live amongst mankind whose home was far beneath the ground? He picked up the drawings and placed them in the chest again then closed it. Picking it up, he placed it underneath his right arm and stood up. An exploration trip to Snowpoint Temple would hopefully reveal more about its secrets.

But first, he had to tell Cynthia. If he was going to follow up on the research Carolina had started, he wanted Cynthia to be there with him, unearthing the great mystery.

.

The journey down Mount Coronet hadn't been as difficult as Cyrus had expected. There had been a few hostile Pokemon patrolling the area, but it wasn't anything Dawn and Barry couldn't handle. What had been proven to be tougher was the walk down – the bomb blast had resulted in Rowan losing feeling in his legs and that meant Cyrus had to be the one to carry him down.

They survived fortunately, and no one had been injured in the process. He hoped Cynthia had fared just as well since she was the one carrying Johanna. Both Johanna and the baby's survival depended on a safe flight down, but if anyone could do it, it would be Cynthia. She had shown exactly why she was the Champion in the Distortion World. Dawn still had a few things to learn if she wanted to reach the same level.

"There's the Pokemon Centre!" Barry exclaimed, thrusting a finger forward, directing his attention towards the building.

Dawn didn't wait. She sprinted forward, racing her friend towards the entrance, leaving Cyrus behind. Not that he minded though – it wasn't like the building was going to sprout wings and fly away somewhere. He reached the building a few short minutes after Dawn and Barry then stepped inside, panting heavily. Carrying Rowan had been quite the workout. He put Rowan down on the chair then looked around for Cynthia. To his relief, Cynthia was standing there right by the counter. He spotted bloody patches on her clothes and even a few marks on her arms she had yet to wash off. Standing next to her was some male with grey hair that he didn't recognize.

Cynthia turned her head towards him, a smile spreading across her face then hurried over. The smile did not last though, quickly replaced by a grim expression. "You made it safely," she commented. A couple of staff members rushed over to attend to Rowan, placing the man on a stretcher to whisk him away to another empty ward.

"You made it unscathed yourself," Cyrus remarked.

"We were lucky – the weather wasn't nearly as bad as we had assumed." She tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder then continued. "Johanna is in the ward now," Cynthia said. "She's lost a lot of blood, but the medical staff are in there with her doing everything they can to help her." Dawn's face brightened, but Cyrus wasn't so easily convinced.

"And?"

She paused. "The doctors believe Johanna will make a full recovery. The baby's outlook is unknown at this moment. That's what we're waiting on."

"Baby?" Dawn repeated. "I'm going to be an older sister?" Her smile widened. Possibly, he thought, but kept that to himself. Crushing Dawn's hopes when the girl had received some good news in the wake of tragedy was cruel. He remained quiet.

"Um, excuse me, are you Johanna's family?" a nurse asked, walking towards them, a few blood patches on her clothes. "I need to speak to her immediate family members." All eyes turned to Cyrus and Dawn.

"Can I see my mother?" Dawn blurted.

The nurse's face softened. "In time." She turned to Cyrus. "Spouse?"

He wasn't married to her. He didn't actually know what his relationship to Johanna would be called. Definitely not a de facto and he didn't consider her as his 'girlfriend' – they'd gone through that stage a long time ago. So what was it now? Ex-partner, but reunited? He nodded anyway. It made things easier to be called 'spouse'.

"Please, come this way."

He followed her. Dawn came as well, but the nurse shook her head. "Sorry, but you're too young to hear this." Dawn frowned. Obviously, she was disappointed, but Cyrus could see why the nurse prohibited her from hearing anything. Dawn headed back to the waiting room area. Already she was talking to Cynthia – probably trying to learn as much as she could from the Champion.

He continued following the nurse until they reached an empty room. The nurse closed the door then turned to him, a solemn expression on her face. "The trauma Johanna has suffered has resulted in the placenta separating meaning she'll be giving birth prematurely. The baby is only twenty nine weeks old, and still quite a few weeks off reaching full development, meaning he or she will have to remain here under our care until the baby can breathe properly without the assistance of equipment."

"How long?"

"At the least, nine weeks. Possibly more should there be any health problems." The nurse pressed her lips together and looked away briefly.

He thought he caught her eyes water, but the nurse quickly wiped her eyes removing any evidence and looked at him again. "And?" he asked.

"You need to understand that even if the birth goes smoothly, there's still a chance the baby could die within the next couple of hours," she said softly. He felt his blood run cold at the word 'die'. Possible death? Johanna would never recover from that. "We will do our best – do not celebrate just yet. I will pray to Arceus to let the child live."

She headed to the door and opened it again pointing down the hallway from the direction they had come from. He felt a sudden burst of anger towards his former commanders. He may have committed a few crimes himself which he regretted, but to actually cause physical harm towards an unborn child? Abuse against children was something he strongly despised hence why he allowed no children to work for Galactic during his reign. Perhaps it had something to do with own past, but seeing other children abused reminded him of his own upbringing. No one deserved that.

Before leaving, he had one more question to be answered. "Will we have a chance to see Johanna?"

"Normally, you'd be allowed to be with her during labour, but because her situation is so serious, we can't allow you in. You'll have a chance possibly tomorrow or the day after at the latest. She'll need lots of rest. You'll be able to sleep over the Pokemon Centre unless you have accommodation someplace else?"

Cynthia's grandmother lived in the area, but he didn't really want to be staying under the same roof as her. After what had happened the last time they had met, he doubted she'd be thrilled to see him. Staying at the Pokemon Centre was a better option. "I'll stay here."

She nodded. "I will inform the administration staff of your decision. You'll be given your own room." She left the room and Cyrus headed back to the waiting area. Dawn rushed over immediately.

"What's happening?" she blurted. "Can I see mum?"

What to tell her? That everything was going to be all right? "Not yet. Not for a couple of days at least."

"I'll wait then."

He shook his head. "Your mother wouldn't want you to wait around, Dawn. She'd want you to take on the final gym and claim your badge."

Cynthia came to his defence, nodding. "There's nothing much you can do for her. I know you want to see your mother, but waiting around will not change anything. Your mother will need rest."

Dawn's expression faltered. "I don't want to leave her…"

"Your mother won't be alone," Cynthia said. "She's well-protected. The doctors have Pokemon of their own to defend themselves should anyone try to attack. Besides, your father will be here."

She fell silent, probably debating with herself what was best. He knew she wanted to stay, and he didn't blame her, but it wasn't like Johanna would be in a talkative mood straight away. "Well… all right, but you have to let me know when we can see her," she said slowly, reluctantly. "Cynthia, are you staying as well?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I must return to the league and find someone to look into Charon's whereabouts. He could be plotting something big right now - I would like to be one step ahead of him." She bent down and gave Dawn a quick hug. "When we meet again, it will be at the league, but please be careful when you reach Victory Road - Charon could be laying an ambush." She turned to acknowledge Cyrus. "Keep me informed."

Cynthia headed towards the exit, but before leaving, she whispered something into Barry's ear. Barry whispered a few words back that he couldn't quite read then nodded. Whatever discussion the two had it must've been something Cyrus and Dawn weren't meant to hear. Cynthia left, and Barry stuck closer to Dawn, more so than before.

"We should leave, Dawn," he said. "I got a message from Lucas. He said he has recovered and he's in Sunyshore City now. He says he's got some exciting news we'd be interested in hearing. Something about a Pokemon exhibition battle between two top trainers."

Sunyshore City, his birthplace. It was the last place in the region he wanted Dawn to visit, but she had to go there to claim the final badge. He hadn't set foot there himself since running away all those long years ago and he didn't want to return either, but somehow he knew it was going to happen eventually. His grandparents still called Sunyshore their home and most likely they were worried about him.

Dawn gave him a hug, which took him by surprise. He didn't understand the reasoning behind giving hugs, and stood there idly while she hugged him, not quite sure what to do. She removed her arms, said her goodbyes and best wishes for Johanna and Rowan, and followed Barry out of the door. Once they were gone, Cyrus headed over towards a coffee machine and helped himself to a free coffee then sat down.

What would the future bring?

.

With a groan, Volkner opened his eyes and glanced up at the ceiling. He was in a room of white – white ceiling, white walls, white floor… even the items in the room and the bed itself was white. That could only mean one thing – he was in the human section of the Pokemon Centre. Next to his bed, was Maylene and Flint, both of whom were looking down with concerned expressions. He sat up immediately.

"Hey there, Volkner. How are you feeling?" Flint said.

"I've had better days," Volkner replied stiffly. The last time he had met with Flint it had resulted in his best friend punching him in the face and him having to surrender his Pokemon to the Elite Four member. Needless to say, he wasn't too delighted to see him there.

Maylene reached out a hand and tenderly grabbed his arm. "Sorry Volkner."

He knew he should've mad – she was the reason he was here in the first place – but the anger wasn't there. He couldn't be angry at her. She had gone out of her way to try and help him, but he had thrown it back in her face, believing there wasn't anything wrong. "You're forgiven." Briefly, he considered swinging his legs over the side of the bed to stand, but the slightest movement caused pain. So he wasn't going anywhere just yet.

A nurse entered the room carrying a brown wooden tray with an assortment of food. She smiled at Flint and Maylene then carefully placed the tray next to Volkner's bedside table. "Here is your food. If you need anything, please push the red button attached to your bed and a nurse will come." She turned around and left, closing the door behind her.

Flint peered down at the food and frowned. "You know, I don't mean to be picky, but the food options in these Pokemon Centres aren't quite up to the same standards as the one at the league." He picked up a spoon and dipped it in the bowl of 'soup' then brought to his nose. "Tomato soup." He put the spoon back down and helped himself to the bread bun instead.

Volkner frowned. "Go right ahead, Flint. Eat it all up. It's not like I need to eat or anything…"

"You can have the soup."

Maylene picked up the bowl and handed it over to Volkner. "Flint didn't come all this way to eat your food, Volkner."

"Why has he come then?"

Flint swallowed his food before answering. "Your Pokemon." He helped himself to another bread bun, this time grabbing a knife to cut it open, so he could make use of the butter spread. "Maylene told me what happened in Sunyshore."

"And he told me about your Pokemon."

"Your Pokemon miss you."

"Are you giving back what's rightfully mine?" Volkner asked, trying not to sound too hopeful, encase Flint changed his mind. "And the gym as well? There'll be no challengers arriving at the league otherwise. I'm the only one qualified enough in my city to hand out the final gym badge." He knew that sound arrogant, but it was true – no one else in Sunyshore City had the skill to become the leader.

"So you're starting to see it, aren't you? What it means to be a gym leader," Flint said.

"I've always known what it meant to be one. I just…"

"Became lost along the way?" Flint finished.

"…Yes."

It was quite pitiful now that he thought about it. He had pushed aside everything he had loved, allowing the grief to win the battle and influence his thoughts. Instead of continuing his father's legacy as a powerful and upstanding gym leader, he had taken the opposite path leading to darkness. Giving away the final badge had become something of a habit because he just didn't care anymore, nor saw any reason why he should.

But the past few weeks had made him realized that way of thinking had been wrong. If Maylene and Flint hadn't intervened, he was sure he might've ended up dead on a beach somewhere…. or locked up in some mental ward until they thought he was fit to leave. Fortunately, neither event had happened.

"I guess I screwed up big-time," he murmured, lowering his gaze, glancing down at the bowl of tomato soup before him. It didn't look very appetizing. No wonder Flint didn't want anything to do with it.

"Everyone screws up, Volkner. Even gym leaders do. The most important thing is that you've realized the errors of your ways and you can admit it freely," Maylene said, her hand still resting on his arm.

It was nice actually. Most of the girls he had been with only cared about his appearance and battling prowess, but cared little for anything else. On the other hand, Maylene seemed not to be as shallow. Had he been chasing after the wrong girls for years when the right girl was standing right in front of him the entire time?

"So when you're ready, you and I will have a battle," Flint said, adding more butter to his bun, discarding the rubbish onto the tray. "You won't be able to beat me, but it'll be fun watching you try," he teased.

Volkner raised a brow. "You're confident."

Flint grinned. "A battle will help you get your spark back… excuse the pun."

"You're hilarious, Flint," Maylene commented, rolling her eyes at his lame joke. "Where will the battle be held?"

"Volkner needs to rebuild his reputation, right? So we'll stage a battle down near the beach." Flint stood up and dusted the bread crumbs of his pants. "We'll battle tomorrow at midday." He turned to go then stopped, removing the pokebelt around his waist. "Oh, you'll need your Pokemon of course. Don't disappoint me, Volkner." He handed the item to his friend then walked out of the room.

Volkner suspected he was probably going to inform everyone in the city a battle was being held. It made him a little nervous – it had been quite awhile since he had last fought a serious battle. Would his Pokemon still put up a good fight or would he be humiliated before his city by a member of the Elite Four? A loss would confirm he was no longer needed. He tightened his jaw. No. He had to think positive thoughts. The days of negative thinking were over now.

"You're going to be there, right?" Volkner asked Maylene before he could stop himself. "I want you to be there," he whispered. Fortunately, she didn't appear to have heard the latter part of his sentence.

"Of course I'll be there."

He smiled. "Great." A voice in the back of his head told him to invite her out for dinner afterwards, but he couldn't quite build up the courage to speak those words right now. Don't be a coward, he scolded himself. You can do it. "Uh… Maylene?"

"Yes?"

Lifting a hand, he rubbed the back of his neck, hoping his nerves didn't show. This was tougher than asking Jasmine out on a date – although short, Maylene could easily kick his ass as she had done just earlier in the week. What if she said no? She had confessed, but perhaps she wasn't quite ready to take the next step? He took in a deep breath and raked a hand through his hair.

"Well you know… I was… uh… wondering if you would be… how do I say this? … be interested in getting something to eat after the battle?... You don't have to accept, of course… I was just curious," he blabbered. Way to sound smooth, he told himself. Why oh why did it have to be so hard to ask a simple question?

She grinned. "Are you trying to ask me out on a dinner date?" she said slyly.

"Uh, maybe?" he replied sheepishly.

Her smile widened. "All right then. I hope its fine with Cynthia."

"And if it isn't, we'll do it in secret."

She chuckled. "Hmm, maybe it's not such a good idea after all." She pulled her hand away and stood up. "I should probably go and let you rest. I'll be with Flint – I'll see you at the lighthouse around dinner time, all right?" He nodded. Maylene left the room and closed the door as Volkner watched her retreat. When she was gone, he looked down at his Pokemon and smiled. Things were finally starting to change for the better.

.

Although part of Sinnoh, Stark Mountain was separate from the mainland, located in the central of a tiny island. The island itself didn't currently have an official name, but most people just called it Stark Island because of the active volcano. This was the island the rich people visited for a tropical vacation. There were quite a number of activities for holiday makers – stunning beaches with golden sands unlike any found on the mainland, bush and mountain trails and even volcanic sightseeing tours.

But Charon wasn't interested in holiday activities. He was here on business. The failure at Mount Coronet had been unexpected, but fortunately he still had another plan. That plan involved capturing Heatran with the use of the Magma Stone and using his power to cause the volcano to erupt and unleash its fury upon the people of the Sinnoh region. The region would be shrouded in ash for days and the food and water supply would become tainted and unavailable. Within a few weeks, the population of Sinnoh who could not afford to leave (which was a large majority) would perish.

The Magma Stone had been in the chest hidden away in the Galactic headquarters. Cyrus had locked it away, believing it to be a rare stone of some sort, not realizing it was actually the tool to control Heatran. So he locked it away in a safe, and ensured no one but one of his Pokemon could unlock it. Of course, the possibility of Dawn unlocking the safe had never occurred to him. The silly girl had actually believed his sob story about Rotom's ashes. What a fool. The Magma Stone only had to be dipped into some lava and the power of it would be activated. Death would come.

But before he brought doom upon the local residents, he wanted to deal with a certain troublemaker who had escaped his fate. Cyrus had lived – and as long as he and his stupid daughter survived, his plans were threatened. They had to be dealt with immediately and he knew the perfect person to send on the mission. "Hunter J," he started, turning to face the stern woman, who stood across from him, her arms crossed over her chest. "I have a new task for you."

"I'm expecting my payout."

"You failed to kill Dawn."

She glowered. "Do you actually have the money or are you simply leading me on? I'm beginning to lose patience."

"You will get your money, but not until the job is done. I am not going to pay for a job that is incomplete," he hissed. Walking over to the far wall, he stopped in front of a table, and ushered the woman over. A drawing of the map lay top. The grunts were currently stationed on the slopes, guarding every path leading up the volcano, making it virtually impossible for anyone to climb up it.

"So, what's my new task?"

"Dawn seems to have been too difficult for you to eliminate directly, so I've decided it would be better to put out the bait and lure her in." He removed the drawing of the map revealing a poster which had a photo of Cyrus, Dawn and the mother. "This is her family. My scouts inform me all three are currently in Celestic Town's Pokemon Centre. The woman is reported to be receiving treatment."

"And?"

He moved his finger to Cyrus's profile photo. "Capture him and bring him here. Use whatever force is necessary. The daughter will come after him and that will be your moment to permanently deal with her." Fighting the girl head on would be difficult, but if he could control Heatran with the Magma Stone, he could bring the volcano to life and use its defences against her and anyone else in her company. "I want her brought to me alive."

"You're going to have her killed before her father then?"

Tortured preferably. Better to draw out the pain then make it a quick death. "I'll make her suffer for ruining my plans."

"And what of the Champion?"

Cynthia. The woman was powerful, but even the strongest could be defeated. "She is strong, but even she cannot face the volcano's wrath." He walked over to a table and picked up a box containing a couple of syringes. Opening the container, he picked one up and handed it to Hunter J. "Use this to put him unconscious. One jab is all that it will take."

She refused to take it. "I do not win my battles with poison."

He flinched, annoyed by the accusing tone in her voice. Did she think of him as a coward? "What were you hoping to do? Challenge him to a battle within the walls of a Pokemon Centre? I'm sure that will go smoothly," he snapped.

Her cool eyes rested on him and for a moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of rebellion in her eyes, but it was gone. "You insult my skills. I am not afraid of any man," she said, but took the syringe off Charon, placing it within a pocket in her coat. "I will use your cowardly method, but this is the last time I do things your way." She turned her back and walked away.

Balling his fingers into fists, Charon stormed away from the poster and wondered over to the crater. Hunter J thought she could make the plans… she was wrong. The foolish woman believed it was just a matter of hunting people down for money, but she knew nothing, and he had no intentions of telling her anything. She still didn't know his true name nor did she know anything about the Distortion World and Giratina. Those who desired nothing but money were blind to everything else.

"Master Charon!" Commander Mars called. Master Charon. It was the new title he demanded his commanders and grunts call him. "Would you like us to accompany Hunter J?"

Charon shook his head. "No, Mars." He summoned her to come closer then placed both his hands on her arms, gazing deeply into her eyes. "You and Jupiter will remain here with me. I will need your leadership and your influence over the grunts to protect this volcano from being invaded."

"You believe there will be a war?"

"I am certain of it and we need to be prepared."

"What about Saturn?"

Ah, yes, Saturn. He hadn't heard anything from the commander since the bombings of the lakes. The commander had seemingly vanished – his phone number no longer existed and none of the grunts had spotted him. The commanders themselves knew nothing. Saturn's whereabouts were unknown, but Charon suspected the commander had switched loyalties. How else would Dawn have gained entry into Galactic's headquarters? But he couldn't worry about Saturn now – if Saturn had indeed ditched then he'd die along with the rest.

"Saturn is of no concern to us." He tightened his grip on her shoulders. "You and Jupiter will command two separate groups of grunts. You will take the grunts on the eastern paths and Jupiter will lead the grunts on the western side. Only Dawn must be allowed up the mountain – everyone else who dares to make the trek must be defeated. Do you understand?"

Mars nodded. "Understood, Master Charon." She curtsied, and left him alone. He could already hear her bossing grunts around. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about them - the commanders had it under control and he could focus all his efforts on capturing Heatran. It wouldn't be long now until the end came.

.

The room the nurse had given him was a small room which looked quite similar to the one he stayed in before after the blood transfusion episode with Dawn. This time though, he wasn't the one lying on the bed being treated – it was Johanna fighting to stay alive for both herself and the child. He sat himself down on the white bed, and tried to sleep, but couldn't.

Everything had changed now. He had set out on a mission to change the universe and rid the world of emotion, but he had failed, his ideals being proven wrong by the Champion and his own daughter. For a long number of years he had blamed emotion for being responsible for the strife in the world, having chosen to overlook the positives feelings brought. Without emotion, there would be no capacity to love, to feel joy and to forgive.

He was still becoming accustomed to actually expressing emotion rather than suppressing them. It was still foreign and simple actions like hugging made little sense to him, though it did feel good to be on the receiving end of one. Right now he was trying to work out whether or not he'd feel the same anger if someone he didn't know was in Johanna's place. Emotions were complex and confusing. It had been so much easier to pretend they didn't exist.

Now he was on the opposite side of the playing field, trying to make amends for the crimes he had committed during his reign as Galactic's boss. To fight against the company he had created felt odd, but he was glad he had been given a second chance to make things right. What did people often call it? A fresh start? Turning over a new leaf? Closing a book and starting a new one?

A knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts. "Are you awake?" the nurse said.

"Yes."

The door opened and the nurse that had spoken to him earlier stepped in. "Johanna wishes to talk with you," she said. "I advised against it, but she has insisted." He sat up straight then hopped off his bed and followed the nurse towards Johanna's room. Johanna was lying down on her bed, looking quite exhausted, but at least she was alive. She managed to conjure up a weak smile as he entered the room with the nurse. "You've got fifteen minutes. She really needs to rest. I'll be waiting outside." The nurse left the room and closed the door and Cyrus grabbed a seat and sat down.

"You shouldn't have insisted. You heard what the nurse said," he started.

"I wanted… to know… that you were safe…" she replied softly.

"We're all safe."

She forced herself to sit up. He grabbed one of the pillows and moved it so it was sitting vertically, giving her more comfort. "I don't want to know… what made you change your mind… but I'm glad you came back." She smiled again. "Do you remember what brought us together in the first place?"

"A tub of ice-cream," he replied, a little confused, unsure of where the conversation was going. "You had the first bite." And she had somehow managed to get some on her face which he had scraped off. He remembered it clearly because it was the first time anyone had actually wanted to share something with him.

"You remembered."

"Yes."

She continued smiling, a misty sort of look appearing in her eyes. Perhaps the doctors had put her on medication. That probably explained why she was bringing up memories of the past for no real reason. "You told me you couldn't be loved… that it was dangerous to become attached to someone like you," she whispered. "But I'm glad I ignored your warning – if I had then we wouldn't have been blessed with Dawn."

He felt uncomfortable, not accustomed to conversations of this nature. She must've noticed his discomfort because she laughed. He hadn't heard her laugh in a very long time and he found himself wanting to hear it again, the sweet sound filling him with a warmth he hadn't felt since the day he stumbled across Rowan's place. "You should get some rest now."

"You bought me flowers. A bouquet of roses."

Not actually purchased though. He had handpicked them in a garden one day after sneaking out of the house. He had heard that females liked roses and figured it would be the best way to show his appreciation for her care. At the time though, he hadn't realized giving flowers to girls was perceived as a sign of romantic interest. "…Yes."

"And then we went down to the lake and made love," she said then sighed happily. "Rowan was… quite upset when he found out." She giggled. "I think he chased you around the living room for a couple of hours."

The doctors must've given her a strong dosage of medications. Her current behaviour was highly unusual. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… yes." She was about to say something more when the nurse entered. Cyrus sighed. Thank Arceus. The conversation was heading into a direction he didn't feel too thrilled to be discussing.

"Time is up."

Johanna pouted. "When do I get to see my daughter?"

"After you've had some rest. Come on, Johanna. You need to sleep. You'll have a chance to see her tomorrow." Daughter? Another girl? The nurse turned to face him, a stern look taking hold of her features. "You. Out." She shooed him out. He left, the door closing behind him. The nurse was probably giving Johanna a lecture.

He made his way back to the room, taking a different path instead. He walked past an occupied room and peered inside, spotting Rowan talking to someone. Averting his gaze, he continued heading back, briefly stopping at a vending machine to get something to eat. There wasn't much other than a few packets of chips and some biscuits. He settled for a large choc-chip one, paid the money then finally arrived at his destination.

Entering inside, he was surprised to find someone else standing at the end of his bed. Another nurse? What was a nurse doing inside his room? He closed the door behind him, but did not take another step closer. The woman turned around then smirked. "I'm glad we finally get to meet, Cyrus."