Despite the Odds
The dawn that met Metchi was a gentle and warm one. A good sign, she decided to see it as, instead of a pre-death apology gift given to her by the universe.
She stood atop one of the thousands of hills that covered the sides of Mt. Coronet like earthy pimples. Far below, enough to force her to narrow her eyes to see it, sat the crystalline waters of Lake Valor. The light of the sun reflected off it, turning it into a a ring of pure light that separated the nearby forest from the small island in the middle. As if they didn't belong in the same world together. They probably didn't, if what she'd learned was any evidence of it.
"Ever walked into a trap, Azelf?" she said at nothing, her voice strangely calm. "Knowing it was one beforehand, I mean."
"I can't say that I have," the disembodied voice replied a moment after. "Although after such a long life I suppose I should be open to new experiences."
She felt something like a tickle inside her chest, her lips unconsciously curling upwards as if someone were tugging at their edges. It was the first time such a sensation came from Azelf.
"Was that… a joke?" Her eyes widened. "Coming from you? I can't believe it! A true miracle, as I live and breathe."
"I wouldn't mind a miracle today. Us surviving to see another day, for example."
Metchi didn't reply. She'd survived plenty of bad situations before, most of which she shouldn't have. Actually, all of them, now that she thought about it. She'd always stroll forward, chin raised, chest puffed and knowing that the sun would rise the next day even if she didn't. And every time…
Despite the overwhelming odds, tomorrow came.
She couldn't help but smile at the familiar phrase. Things were different now; should she fail, should Team Galactic succeed in their plans… she wasn't sure there would be a tomorrow for anyone to wake up to.
What a lousy fucking hero you turned out to be, said the voice in her head.
If she were a trainer she would've had such an easier time dealing with Team Galactic, she might've even gotten the chance to take out some of their commanders by now. If she had a family or money or anyone to help her, it all would've gone a bit smoother as well. If anything, she shouldn't have had to sleep on the floor every night and survive off whatever she could steal.
But no; all she had were the clothes on her back, her street smarts and her desire not to let those bastards achieve their goal.
I've gotten by with worse before, she thought with a smile.
The calluses on her hands stung as she curled her fingers. Still getting used to them. She figured she'd been doing pretty well, since she almost never noticed them recently.
A memory teased itself from the depths of her mind. Her eyes went pale and distant.
A younger Metchi, though not by much. Stockier, cleaner, her pink hair a much more vibrant hue. A forced, difficult smile. Eyes brimming with apathy and shame. She had a different name as well, even before they nicknamed her Ursa.
She was six months into her work as a Team Galactic member when it happened.
She'd walked into the wrong sort of room, heard all kinds of things she wasn't supposed to hear. Were it not for her careful steps and natural stealth, the boss would've surely noticed her. Then it would be a swift death for her, and a hand waved explanation for the few friends she had in the base. She'd been killed in a mission, she'd been arrested by the authorities, she'd slipped on the stairs and broken her neck.
But she went unnoticed, and as such heard the entire conversation. Horror crept up in her chest, and it did not leave her for the days to come. She knew she stood at a crossroads; there was a decision to be made.
She could try to forget what she'd heard. Go back to her usual routine; clean the floors, restock the deposit, give out inventory to the grunts who needed it, force smiles whenever it was her shift at the cafeteria…
Or (and the idea terrified her to her core), she could be the person she'd always wanted to be. It would've meant giving up all the safety and comfort Team Galactic had given her. It would've meant betraying Saturn and the rest of her friends; the first people in years who'd shown her kindness and understanding. The only ones who'd bothered to call her by the name she'd chosen for herself…
It was an absolutely ridiculous idea. She wasn't a hero, she'd known it all her life. She was a thief, a scoundrel. She had no family, no money and no honor. She was not a Pokemon trainer. She wasn't even a good person. What good could possibly come of doing the right thing?
The moment she accepted her role hadn't been one worth remembering; it wasn't the kind of origin a hero would have. But if no one else was going to do it, she figured she might as well sneak into Charon's lab and steal Azelf before she made her escape. After that she would wander the region, looking for someone who actually deserved the title of hero. She would offer Azelf to them, walk away smiling and crawl back into her life of degeneracy.
A perfect plan, were it not for the fact that she never actually found anyone worthier than her to be Azelf's partner. Fate was funny that way.
Almost a year later and she was still playing hero, the title still as unfit as it'd been the first day. Still, she could feel herself easing into it as time went on. Like a pair of shoes that became more comfortable the more she walked on them. For the first time in her life she didn't feel ashamed of who she was. If she were to die today, and her short journey as a hero were to come to an untimely end, she would have no regrets.
"Alright then…" She turned towards the hidden side of the hill. "…y'all ready to walk to your deaths?"
The Monferno barely registered her words, letting out a scoff. He stood with his arms crossed, determination written clearly on his eyes. Lyserg sat next to him, the exact opposite. Her eyes were full of worry and sadness, the bright green of her wings paler than she'd remembered. Under her wing hung Metchi's backpack containing the papers she'd stolen. She'd told Lyserg that, should she not return after two days, she needed to fly west and give them to Professor Rowan.
Still an Association bastard, but the old man's got a good heart, had been her reasoning. Even now she was starting to doubt it.
"That's just in case," she assured her Pokemon with a smile, for the millionth time. "I'll come back to you, I promise."
The Tropius' eyes began to water, which made Metchi feel as if someone had wrung her heart like a wet piece of clothing. Monferno made a face of disgust and took one step to the side; whether due to his phobia to anything resembling water or his disgust for such sentimentalism, she did not know.
"Traa!" the grass Pokemon cried, and Metchi didn't need to be psychic to understand what she'd said.
If that's so then why can't I come with you?
"Because you've never been in a fight in your life," she smiled. "And because I'd rather doom the world than risk you getting hurt."
She tried her best to hide her voice breaking as she spoke. Knowing that she couldn't take much more of seeing her dear friend like that, she looked at Monferno instead.
"Are you sure, too?" she frowned. "You don't owe me anything. You can go back to your trainer if you want to."
For a moment she saw his expression waver, along with the flame of willpower inside of him. After all her practicing she could turn on the Monarch's Eyes at will, and without much trouble.
She saw temptation grow in his heart, until it was swiftly overpowered by what she assumed was his pride. He would not let any more debts unpaid, not while he remained standing and breathing. At least that's what Metchi imagined he was thinking.
Monferno gave a decisive nod, his will as firm as steel. She smiled warmly, nodded as well, and turned to look at the lake one last time.
"Walking to our deaths it is, then," she whispered. "Wonderful."
Despite her best wishes, Inyssa had to admit she'd never slept as soundly in any bed as she did in the one Cynthia provided for her.
She mentally chastised herself as she changed into her clothes the next morning, eyes still half closed. Wasn't she supposed to be careful and vigilant during the night? She was in the house of the one who'd arranged their meeting with Wrathia! How could she trust the woman after that?
True, they'd enjoyed an amicable chat with her during dinner, but those were nothing more than empty pleasantries. From it they'd learned that Cynthia and her grandmother were the groundskeepers of the city's ancient ruins, a job passed down their family line for generations. She'd offered to give them a tour after the festival, and unfortunately Barry agreed before Inyssa could think of an excuse. The poor idiot didn't have a flair for suspicion; a look at his eyes told her he'd forgotten completely about the dangerous stunt Cynthia had pulled on them.
She still remembered, though, and as such decided to keep her guard up just in case.
Still, she couldn't deny that the bed and room she'd been offered were as pleasantly cozy as a summer night. She let out a big yawn as she walked downstairs to the living room, the wooden steps creaking under her boots.
"Good morning Niss!" Barry called out from a nearby table, beaming. "Slept well?"
"Prii!" Auri smiled from between his arms.
"Like a dead Snorlax," Inyssa whispered. "Good morning, Barry. Good morning, Auri."
The living room wasn't as big as the one in her house, though it looked ten times as warm and comfortable. Between the rugs, curtains, pieces of furniture and hundreds of makeshift decorations she could hardly stop craning her neck around like a Noctowl full of caffeine. She noticed an Alolan dream catcher in front of the door separating the room from the kitchen, a Johtoan wind chime modeled after a Chimecho and even a miniature of the Lumiose Prism Tower serving as the table's center piece.
"She must travel a lot…" Inyssa whispered to herself as she sat next to Barry.
"You don't know half of it."
She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of that voice. The door creaked behind her, opening to reveal Cynthia's grandmother walking into the room with a plastic tray on her hands. On top of it sat a steaming plate of chocolate-chip cookies and three mugs full of some dark liquid. They emanated the most delicious, mouth-watering smell one could imagine.
"Homemade cookies!" Barry yelped, eyes brightening. He turned to look at the old woman as if she'd saved his life. "Thank you so much!"
"Nothing to it," she shrugged, her voice halfway between a whisper and a cough. "These are Lava Cookies, recipe straight out of Lavarridge. And these mugs have Komala coffee, so I'd advise you wait a bit until they cool off." Her gaze moved towards Inyssa. "You should eat too, girl. You're more skin and bones than that reckless granddaughter of mine."
"Y-yes, thank you!" she nodded, grabbing one of the mugs. "My name is Inyssa, by the way. I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier."
She gave a stiff nod, "Carolina, it's a pleasure." She sat down and took a bite of one of the cookies, her face as rough and stern as a rock. "So, you've run into Cynthia before? It's rare for her to invite people home, moreso without telling me beforehand."
Inyssa felt a tinge of shame tinting her cheeks, though nothing in Carolina's tone indicated that she found displeasure in their company. Next to her Barry was in the process of swallowing half of his cookie, eyes shining with tears due to how hot they were. Auri had grabbed one as well, as big and wide as her head.
"I met her in a church in Hearthome," Barry said, swallowing down with difficulty. "Then we… ran into her again in our way to Pastoria."
She didn't fail to pick up on his pause, nor the fact that he hadn't mentioned what came of that particular meeting. Carolina didn't seem to notice, or so Inyssa thought.
"Can't be a coincidence then," the woman said. "My granddaughter's not an easy woman to run into once, much less three times. She must have some interest in you two."
Inyssa did not like one bit the way she pronounced the word interest, though she had little time to protest as the front door swung open at that moment. Cynthia walked through, looking as striking and beautiful as she'd done every time they'd seen her and Oh god did I really think that? No, bad Inyssa! You're supposed to be wary of her, it doesn't matter how beautiful she is!
She took the mug to her lips to hide her blush, accidentally burning her tongue.
"Good morning, you two!" Cynthia exclaimed with a wide smile. "I apologize for my tardiness; I was busy helping out with the festival preparations; you would not believe how annoying Lucian can be when he gives me a schedule. Ah, I see you've tried my gran's wonderful cookies already!"
She spoke fast and with little difficulty, which left Barry and Inyssa without much time to reply.
"Someone had to tend to the guests while you goofed around," Carolina muttered under her breath. "About darn time you joined us. I'm no good at small talk. You take care of them while I take care of my cookies."
And with that she got to her feet and left the room, all the while grumbling under her breath.
Cynthia sat in her place, letting out a deep sigh as she let her shoulders fall and her back rest on the wooden chair. When she closed her eyes she looked as peaceful as if she were sleeping, though once she opened them again their stormy grey sent chills down Inyssa's spine. For some reason the way they looked at things put her on edge.
Silence stretched through the room for a few moments –only occasionally broken by Auri's chirps of delight as she chomped on her own cookie– while Cynthia took a sip of her own mug, a satisfied smile forming on her lips. Inyssa looked to the side, exchanging looks with Barry, and could tell exactly what he was thinking.
"I've heard you got Pastoria's badge," Cynthia finally said, setting her mug on the table. "Congratulations. Wake might be a giant goof of a man, but he certainly knows his way around battles." Her gaze went to Barry, whose shoulders stiffened as if he'd been shocked with electricity. "I also heard that you made good use of the Houndoom you caught shortly after our last meeting."
Barry looked as if his throat was completely dry, "Y-yeah… I couldn't have met her without you."
Cynthia nodded and smiled, and Inyssa noticed a strange glimpse behind her eyes.
She knows, she thought. And she knows that we know.
"I pride myself in helping trainers in need," she said, putting a hand on her chest. "Who knows, in the future they might grow strong enough to give me a battle worth remembering."
Inyssa's fingers closed strongly around the handle of her mug.
"So we're an investment, then?" she asked, heat in her voice. "Is that why you almost had us killed by that thing?"
There was a sudden pause, not only to the conversation but to the atmosphere around them. Barry stared at her with something like surprise and alarm, while Cynthia held her mug close to the table, frozen in place.
Then she smiled, though not like she'd seen her do it before. She seemed to shrink into her seat; her look that of a young girl who'd been caught doing mischief.
"I suppose it was rather heavy handed, wasn't it?" she asked, setting the mug on the table. "I couldn't think of a way for that Houndoom to keep the plate without tying it around her neck. I didn't have much time to work with, you see."
They were taken aback by how pleasantly honest she was. Not for a second did serious guilt flash across her eyes, and she hadn't tried to deny what she'd done. That left Inyssa rather speechless, knowing not how to continue the conversation.
"You… really did that?" asked Barry, lips pursing. "Why? We could've gotten hurt! If it weren't for Auri…"
Cynthia raised one of her hands, and Barry ceased speaking.
"I admit that the situation got more out of hand than I expected. I couldn't have predicted the egg to hatch at that moment," she confessed. "However, before you think badly of me I implore of you to listen.
"Neither you nor your Pokemon were in any real danger. I was hidden behind a nearby tree and I would've stopped the Houndoom if your Togepi hadn't gotten to it first," she explained. "I didn't actually leave when we said goodbye. What would be the point, if I was the one to set up the encounter?"
As much as that made sense, Inyssa couldn't feel but be surprised. How hadn't they noticed her?
"That still doesn't explain why you threw a living flamethrower at us," Inyssa said, a clear edge in her voice. "If that's your idea of a prank…"
"It was not a prank. Would you believe me if I told you that I wanted to see you battle?" Her long fingers curled into each other gingerly. "I saw you coming from afar while studying that Houndoom and the idea came to my mind; unfortunately, it was a rather rash one and I've never been good at thinking things through. I had heard so much about the two of you, and after meeting Barry back in Hearthome… I suppose I couldn't help myself."
She squared up her shoulders, a tuft of hair moving like a curtain as it fell against one of her arms. Its bright gold contrasted beautifully with her stylish black coat, something Inyssa couldn't help but be momentarily stunned by. She was alluring in a way she couldn't properly explain.
Curse me and my weakness for beautiful women in cool outfits, she sighed.
"Will you forgive me for my rashness?" Cynthia asked, tone hopeful. "I promise you that I never intended for you to be hurt."
Inyssa and Barry exchanged looks, and she noticed immediately that he'd already forgiven her by his expression alone. With a sigh and a drop of her shoulders she resigned herself to doing the same. Not much use in going against the flow on this one.
"I can understand wanting to see others fight," Barry nodded. "So no hard feelings."
"Yeah, I guess," Inyssa said. "I still don't get it, though. Why go to all the trouble with the Houndoom and that weird plate? Why couldn't you fight us yourself and be done with it? We always accept battles from other trainers."
With movements as fluid as those of a Glameow, Cynthia leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms, the pale skin of her hands contrasting perfectly against the pitch black of her coat. There was a hint of smugness in her expression.
"I believe I already said it before; I wanted to carefully observe your battling styles. Had I challenged you myself, that wouldn't have been possible," she explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You would've lost, swiftly and humiliatingly. How could any of us learn anything then?"
Again Inyssa was struck by how bright and honest her tone was. She could feel anger bubbling inside her, but not nearly as much as if anyone else would've said that to her. Coming from Cynthia it didn't sound like an insult or a boast; she fully believed every word she spoke.
Still, the sudden tension in the air was unmistakable. Like an open field before a thunderstorm.
"Besides, I intended to let you have the Houndoom as a reward for indulging me," she added.
She let her chin rest on one palm, while grabbing her mug with her other hand. Her expression was rather aloof, considering the two teens whose eyes were glaring sparks at her.
"You sound… confident," said Barry, frowning.
"I certainly hope I do, what kind of trainer would I be otherwise?" Cynthia said. "Oh, I hope my comment hasn't offended you. I don't believe you two are weak in any way," she hurried to add. "It's… well, you can't quite replace experience, you know? It's nothing personal, it's just that I've been training Pokemon for longer than you've been alive."
Barry's eyes went wide next to her, but Inyssa found that she wasn't surprised by that information. She could barely make out the lines on the woman's face, since they were often mistook for the wrinkles of her smile, but they were definitely there. If she wasn't in her mid-thirties then she had to be close.
"That might be so…" Inyssa said, slipping a hand into her belt, "…but no one gets to claim something like that unless they're ready to prove it to us." From under the table she raised Kuro's Pokeball, the red on top glistening under the gentle light of the lamp above. "…What do you say?"
Barry seemed stunned, but after a moment he mirrored her cocky smile and grabbed one of his own as well. There was silence for a few breaths.
Cynthia eyed them over, the fingers on her right hand eagerly tapping her bicep. From her expression they understood rather quickly that they were playing with fire.
"Well…" she whispered, trying to stifle a smile. "I suppose there is time for one short battle before the festival starts."
She rotated her right hand and from nothing appeared a black and golden Pokeball. She moved it between her fingers with ease, while the tension in the room rose with every second that passed.
At least until Carolina's voice broke through from the other room, startling them all:
"If you're gonna battle then go do it outside, reckless girl! I will not have you wreck my house again!"
Cynthia was out the door before her grandmother had finished speaking, clear horror in her face. They followed, slightly confused but eager to battle.
They settled in a nearby, almost desolated park which overlooked the inner rings of the town towards the ruins. Inyssa and Barry stood opposite Cynthia, who playfully moved the Ultraball between her fingers.
"This will be an official, League-regulated battle." Her voice was loud and clear from that distance. "Whichever side runs out of usable fighters shall lose." She looked down at the Ultraball. "This particular Pokemon is one I recently caught. I've been training him so he can someday be part of my team; he should prove a good challenge for the both of you."
Inyssa's fingers tightened against Kuro's Pokeball. "I get the feeling you're underestimating us a little."
"It's the other way around," Cynthia shrugged. "I'm giving you the fairest chance you're going to get. Now, show me what you can do."
The black and gold ball flew upwards, exploding into a circle of light that fell to the ground a moment after. It materialized into a quadruped creature, no bigger than Kuro. His face was soft, with a short snout and long, pointed ears. His eyes were bright and pupil-less. Six fluffy tails grew from his back, waving slightly in the wind as if they were tufts of cotton.
Inyssa narrowed her eyes, hesitant. She recognized the Pokemon as a Vulpix, but…
"It's… all white," Barry whispered next to her. "Aren't Vulpix supposed to be orange?" Suddenly his eyes went wide and he gasped. "Oh! Is it a shiny!? I've never seen one of those before!"
Inyssa shook her head. "Shiny Vulpix are gold, not white," she said. "Besides, it's not just the color that's different."
A satisfied grin formed on Cynthia's face. "You have good eyes," she said. "Indeed, this is no ordinary Vulpix. He's a recent addition from my trip to Alola. Feel free to use your Pokédex on him."
She didn't need to be told twice; with a flourish of her hand Inyssa grabbed the device from her pocket and pointed it at the creature. A red light flickered on the corner and an electronic voice spoke shortly after:
Vulpix: The Mystic Fox Pokemon – Regional Variant: Ice/Fairy Type: This species has undergone a drastic change in their anatomy due to living for so long in the snowy peaks of Mount Lanakila. They live in packs as to protect themselves, with only one Ninetales as their leader. They can create ice shards with the tips of their tails and their breath is cold enough to freeze the moisture in the air.
"Regional variant…" Inyssa whispered to herself. "I thought that was a rumor."
Barry nodded, "Then… it's true? Some Pokemon can change their type depending on where they live?" Excitement was clear in his tone, bubbling under the surface of his voice. "That's amazing! That Vulpix is so cute and I wanna pet it!"
She turned to look at the Vulpix, who was busy licking his tiny paw and then using it to clean the fluffy tuff of hair on top of his head. As much as she hated to admit it, she agreed completely with her friend's sentiment.
"There'll be plenty of time for that after the battle," said Cynthia. "Now, shall we start?"
Inyssa and Barry's Pokeballs opened at the same time, their combined flash of light materializing into Kuro and Razen. The first lowered his body almost to the ground, the fur on his back crackling with electricity, while the second simply stood with his arms crossed. Both flashed a smile at their seemingly harmless opponent; Razen's was mocking, while Kuro's was slightly sadistic.
"And the battle officially starts…" Cynthia raised her arm to the sky, grinning from ear to ear. "NOW!"
Inyssa threw her hand forward, "Spark!"
"Aqua Jet!" Barry yelled a moment after.
Both Pokemon jumped forward as if propelled by springs, a coat of their own elements swirling around them. The air cackled and split behind them as they flew like bullets through the air; two bright blurs of blue and yellow now almost on top of their opponent.
Vulpix, frowning ever so slightly, lowered his front legs and did a short jump, cart-wheeling on the air. His body hovered for a moment, back facing the ground, and he could see his opponents mere moments from him. He hit the ground with all six of his tails. A small shockwave erupted around him as his body was shot upwards almost ten feet; more than enough to avoid the double assault that would've surely put him out of the fight.
Razen and Kuro stopped on their hind legs, slightly dragging themselves and barely avoiding clashing against each other. They looked up at the sky, the light of the sun blinding them for a moment. Vulpix' figure stood out like a shadow against the intense light.
A few feet from them, Cynthia swatted the air with one hand and yelled. "Hail!"
Vulpix closed his eyes, his body taking on a bright white glow as he drew out all of his power into a single spot. He could feel the air crystallizing around him, wisps of cold rising like mist from his fur.
"Vaaaaa!"
With a cry that came from the deepest part of him, Vulpix extended all four legs, releasing the attack. The glow of his body exploded outwards, forming a maelstrom of glacial wind that covered the entire battlefield in a dome of cold. The moisture inside slowly started to freeze, forming jagged pieces of ice that flew like knives in every direction.
"F-fuck me, it's cold!" Inyssa yelled at the other side of the arena, hugging herself as her legs shook and teeth chattered. "K-Kuro, try to dodge!"
"Razen, look out for Vulpix!" Barry said, not quite as bothered by the cold as her.
Both Pokemon could barely see each other inside the hailstorm. Most of their attention was set on avoiding the hundreds of ice spikes swirling all around them, and with what little time they had left they tried to look for their opponent. However, even with Kuro's sharp sight locating him was impossible. He was nowhere to be seen; maybe if he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the sound of his footsteps…
Just then he heard Cynthia issuing a command. "Aurora Beam!"
His breathing came to a halt as he heard a strange crackling at his right. His fur stood up and he lowered his legs to jump out of the way, but he was too late. A blinding, rainbow-colored beam of light reached his right hind leg. He let out a yelp as a sharp cold penetrated his skin like needles. Looking down he saw that the fur on his leg was completely frozen; even his paw seemed stuck to the ground.
His eyes went bloodshot with anger. As he snarled to the hailstorm one single thought came to mind: If… no, when he found that fluffy bastard, he'd make sure to tear him apart limb from limb.
"Kuro! Shake that off with your electricity!" Inyssa yelled.
"Razen, Water Gun to where that attack came from!"
With a growl of pain Kuro coated his leg in as much electricity as he could, thawing it out. Meanwhile, breathing in deep, Razen spat forward a formidable torrent of water which momentarily tore through the hailstorm toward where he thought his opponent was. It phased into nothing.
Fur standing up in frustration, Razen let out a cry of anger and spat another Water Gun at the hailstorm, this time swinging in all directions as the torrent of water covered most of the arena. Still, he hit nothing. He could've sworn he saw small flashes of white and heard the sound of paws against the ground a couple times, but they disappeared as soon as he noticed them.
"I don't get it! Where is he?" Barry muttered, clearly exasperated. "It's like he turned into mist or something."
Inyssa's nose perked up at the sound of that. Could it be…?
She took the Pokédex from her pocket and pointed it directly at the battlefield, whispering into it; "Vulpix, regional variant. Special ability."
The electronic voice came to life once more:
Snow Cloak: An ability shared by few Ice-Type Pokemon. Due to living in frozen peaks constantly assaulted by blizzards they've learnt to perfectly camouflage themselves in any kind of hailstorm. From the outside it will look as though their bodies had turned into mist. This makes them incredibly hard to locate and attack.
"Thanks for the advice on how to counter it, jackass," she whispered. The Pokédex desperately needed fewer nerds and more trainers who documented the actually important information people like her needed for battles.
She heard Cynthia's voice from the other side of the storm. "Good job on identifying the problem, Inyssa! Now let's see if you can solve it." Even from that far she could hear the smile on her tone. "You probably already know this, but sending out your Staravia would've been the correct choice. His Keen Eye ability would've been able to locate Vulpix without a problem."
And what good is telling me now? Inyssa thought bitterly.
She needed to come up with a plan, that was for sure. Through the thick wind and mist she could see their Pokemon endlessly pelted by the ice shards swirling all around. There was a time limit to the fight.
To her surprise it was Barry who declared an order next. With that bright, wide smile of his he sent his hand forward, the glint of one of his wacky ideas flashing in his eyes.
"Come on, this one's easy!" he declared. "Razen, use Aqua Jet and run in a circle around the hail!"
The Buizel did as he was told; coating his body in water he propelled himself towards the edge of the hailstorm and began to circle it. His speed was such that Inyssa couldn't locate him; all she could see was an orange and blue circle blurring in and out.
She narrowed her eyes; what the hell was the point of that? Sure, it would prevent Vulpix from escaping, but why would he want to when the hailstorm kept him safe and hidden? What reason would he have for…?
Her eyes went wide with realization. Turning towards Barry she saw him smirk at her, and she mirrored his expression.
"You really are a genius," she whispered, turning towards the fight. "Kuro! Use Spark and run in a spiral from the center outwards!"
Still seething in rage, it took the Luxio a moment to process her orders; though once he understood them a wicked grin flashed across his face. Having a trainer sure was handy; they had the necessary brains to come up with the best way to annihilate one's opponent.
He jumped towards the center of the storm, zapping away any incoming ice shards as they landed on him. In the distance he heard the sound of Cynthia's voice and a moment after another beam of light tore through the hail at his right. Of course; the blasted thing had attacked him while he was in the middle of the air so he couldn't dodge. He grinned to himself; how little that woman and her bastard of a Pokemon knew him.
With a thought he discharged the stored electricity inside of him, sending it all to his muscles and nerves. A moment after, he was gone. To anyone looking from the outside it must've appeared as if he vanished into thin air, but only because they possessed the poor sight of humans. He landed on the ground a moment after, the trajectory of his previous jump crackling with residual energy.
He began to run in ever growing circles, like his trainer had ordered him to. The world around him became an incomprehensible blur of shapes and colors, the only thing he could see clearly being the glowing beams of electricity he left behind him. That, coupled with the static that had begun to materialize above him would ensure that his opponent had no possible place to run. That last part wasn't in the plan, but no one needed to know that.
He spotted the Vulpix halfway through his path. Just his afterimage, the wisps of white mist he left behind as he disappeared into the storm. Still, he could mentally map his trajectory from the breaks in the wind; he was heading to the edge of the storm, probably planning to attack Buizel and form some sort of escape.
Kuro's eyes flashed, red as rubies. He would not let him.
Forcing his muscles to their limits he ran faster yet, his body almost a bolt of lightning. With time almost slowing down around him, he finally found the bastard and charged at him. His forehead clashed against the Vulpix' side, creating a shockwave that briefly dispelled the storm in a small circle around them. The fox Pokemon was sent flying like a bullet towards the edge, where Razen was waiting for him. Still covered in a coat of water he veered to the side, head-butting him on the back and sending him tumbling into the dirt.
"Yeah, that's it Razen!" Barry yelled at the other side of the arena, pumping his fist into the air.
"Nice one, Kuro!" Inyssa added. "Now we just have to finish him o–"
Her voice trailed off as she looked at the Vulpix whom, by all means, should've been struggling to even move. That was not the case. He simply jumped back and shook his head, as if the previous attacks had been nothing but mild slaps. To add insult to injury he raised one of his paws and began to lick it nonchalantly.
Inyssa could physically feel Kuro's hatred from where she stood. She was pretty sure that, were he not on his last leg and panting in exhaustion, he would've jumped at Vulpix and sank his fangs into him until his fur went from white to crimson red.
"B-but… that doesn't make sense!" Inyssa complained. "Vulpix have awful defenses! That thing should be eating dirt by now!"
She could see Cynthia press a hand against her lips, stifling her smile.
"Might I suggest you take a closer look at him?" she offered. "Perhaps use that handy Pokédex of yours?"
"Wait, I see it!" Barry elbowed her slightly, pointing at Vulpix. "Niss, look at his fur!"
She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better look. It… did seem like there was something strange about it. It might've been a trick of the light, maybe the sun against the ice shards inside the hailstorm, but it almost looked like he was surrounded by a veil of rainbow-colored aura. She raised her Pokédex without thinking:
Aurora Veil: A recently discovered move known to very few Ice-Types. It allows the user to call onto the mystic power of the Aurora Polaris, surrounding itself with an almost impenetrable defense of solid light. It can only be used during a hailstorm.
Inyssa's eyes went wide; she'd never heard of a move like that, not even back in trainer school. Could it be…?
"That is, indeed, a move of my own creation. One of my proudest achievements, if I do say so myself," Cynthia smiled brightly, placing a hand against her chest. "And I still have another trick up my sleeve, if you'd care to see it. Vulpix; Freeze Dry!"
They had no time to react. Closing his eyes, Vulpix took in a deep breath and called onto the storm. As if the wind itself were obeying him, the hail stopped swirling in circles and retreated back to the one that had called it, until he was surrounded by a smaller, albeit much more powerful storm.
"I suggest you two move to the side." Cynthia raised her index finger, smiling.
"Vaa!"
Vulpix let out a piercing scream, commanding the storm to explode forward in a straight line. Half in fear and half in shock Inyssa grabbed Barry's arm and dragged him to the side before the wind could reach them. It froze the ground as it traveled, swallowing Kuro and Razen whole.
It took the mist about ten seconds to dispel itself into the air. Inyssa looked back, lower lip shaking, and felt her heart jump to her throat as she saw Kuro's unconscious body. He laid on his back on top of a row of ice flows that had been formed by the attack. Most of the fur on his body was tinted white.
"What!?"
Barry's sudden yell startled her out of her shock. She turned first to see his dismayed expression and next towards Razen, who stood frozen to his knees and barely conscious. His muscles shook violently as he tried to free himself, to no avail.
"But… he's a water type!" Barry complained. "He's supposed to resist the cold!"
Inyssa stood similarly stunned, knowing not how to react. Cynthia didn't say anything for a few moments, instead choosing to silently congratulate her Vulpix as she returned him to his Pokeball. She headed towards them with the ease and nonchalance characteristic of her.
"What you meant to say is that he's resistant to ice attacks," she said. "A water Pokemon's outer thermal protection allows them to repel them easily. However, Freeze Dry is a move that creates a cold powerful enough to penetrate fur and skin. Then, since they have much more water inside them than any other type of Pokemon, they suffer the effects twice as much."
She turned her head to look at Razen, who could barely keep himself conscious. "I suggest you return him to his Pokeball, lest he goes into shock from the cold."
Barry did so without a second thought, and Inyssa returned Kuro a moment after. They then stood in silence, staring at the ground for what felt like much longer than a few seconds. They'd lost, swiftly and humiliatingly as Cynthia had predicted. Worse of all, it'd been in a two against one match, and not even while fighting one of her fully trained Pokemon.
Inyssa tried to swallow down her shame, though it went about as well as if she'd tried to eat a handful of gravel.
"Alright then!" Cynthia clapped her hands. "Shall we go to the festival? It should start any minute now."
A few seconds passed in silence.
"You're… not going to say anything about the battle?" Inyssa asked. "We kinda…"
"Sucked," Barry added, frowning.
Cynthia simply waved the matter off with a flick of her hand.
"Oh… trust me, you did better than many would've done," she said. "Besides, I hate when people try to console me after a loss; it always feels condescending. Instead I'd rather treat you to a wonderful day of festivities, so that you may wash down the bitter taste of defeat."
Cyrus stood still and silent in the middle of the crowded room, his breathing slow and his eyes set on nothing. Were it not for his intimidating presence, not one of the many Galactic grunts around him would've noticed him.
However all eyes were on him now, expectant and anxious. He could see the doubt in his subordinate's eyes; the slow creeping regret that had been building up thanks to their growing list of recent failures. He needed to change that.
Today is a good day for a miracle, he thought to himself.
"Jupiter." He spoke, and the entire room grew silent. "Are you ready?"
The woman shivered slightly at the sound of his voice, turning to look at him. Her uniform, for once, was ironed and cleaned and the bags under her eyes were considerably smaller. Cyrus had spent the last week coming up with a recipe for a strong tonic that would help her commander better endure the harsh effects of her hangovers. The last thing he needed was for their mission to fall because of something as feeble as that.
"Yes, I have the machine here with me," she replied, voice rough as sandpaper. In her left hand she held a small, electronic device akin to a metal ball with a button on it.
"Good. Remember that it is a weaker version of the one I'll be using. It will last only ten minutes." He didn't take his eyes off her as he spoke, which made Jupiter's shoulders tense up. "Head down directly to Mars' cell and retrieve Ditto; nothing else matters. Do you understand?"
"Y-yeah. No need to worry."
He gave a small, stiff nod and turned to his right, where Charon waited patiently, a stack of papers in hand. His half-moon glasses failed to hide the excitement in his eyes.
"Eager to see your experiment in action?" Cyrus asked, tone plain. "That is unbecoming of a Galactic commander, Charon. Instead I'd have you hope that everything goes according to plan."
The man grumbled under his breath, in a way that could've been understood as a Yes, sir. Behind him, almost hidden by shadows, stood a bipedal, bird-like Pokemon. The tips of his white wings were colored red and black, and the way he folded them in front of him made it look as if he were wearing a tunic. His expression was remarkably blank.
"Make sure Xatu is following my brain waves, so that he may know at all times where I am," he reminded Charon. "The moment I give the signal, he must use Ally Switch. Do you understand?"
"Of course, sir."
"I expect the Unovan Project will be ready for deployment?" He phrased it in a way that made it clear it wasn't a question. "Along with the disrupting device?"
"Yes, of course. All you need to do is give the signal and it'll activate and come to you."
Cyrus nodded once more. "And to all of you…" The volume of his voice barely rose as he addressed the rest of the grunts around him. "Wait patiently here, and be alert. You know what your task is."
"Yes, sir!"
The cacophony of voices made him flinch, though not with irritation or anything of the like. How he wished that would've been the case…
Taking in a deep breath, he tasted the heavy silence around him for a few more moments. He felt so tired, even though he'd made sure to sleep a few hours the night before, in preparation.
He'd have to make do. Too much hung on the result of today's missions. If all went well, their plans might be able to be forwarded a few months ahead; a pleasant development indeed.
"Let us go, then," he said, turning towards the exit with cold, empty resolution.
"I still don't trust her."
Inyssa sighed in between each chomp of the cone of cotton candy in her hand. Next to her Barry held a similar one, though orange and twice as tall, like he'd requested it. Even so, he'd almost gotten through all of it, the boy's sweet tooth knowing no bounds.
All around them were the familiar sounds of enjoyment and jubilee, coming from the citizens of Celestic and the few outsiders like them who'd come to have a good time. Luckily this particular festival was not as obnoxiously loud as the one they'd visited in Solaceon, thank god. If there was one thing she liked about the people of this dingy, old town was that they knew how to appreciate silence. People rarely raised their volume or shouted, for their voice had the strange knack of being heard more widely and easily than most.
It was as if the wind itself came to a halt for them. Nowhere had this been more clear than with Cynthia and her grandmother: whenever they spoke it was as if the world were holding its breath. Not even nature would dare interrupt them.
Coincidentally, the strange blonde woman was the very topic Inyssa and Barry were discussing at the moment.
"You're just mad 'cause we lost to her." Barry shrugged, and a moment after debated whether to take a step away from his friend. "Don't give me that murder-y look, you know it's true! She beat us fair and square."
"Your face is a square," she grumbled into her cotton candy as she took another bite. "It's not just that, though. I don't know why but I get this weird vibe whenever I'm around her. I feel like I'm missing something." She scrunched up her face. "You're telling me she's a lore-nut and that's it? And she's the most skilled trainer we've met so far?"
Barry shrugged. "She told us she's been training for years, right? You're being a conspiracy nut job." He pointed at her with what little remained of his cotton candy. "Though now that you mention it, we never got around to ask her how she knew about those weird plates."
"We'll get a chance to ask her when she shows us the ruins later." She waved him off with a flick of her hand. "Now let's go where she told us; I think something's about to start in the podium there."
The festival itself grew from the part of the town that climbed up to the side of Mt Coronet, and was situated in many streets from the top of the town and going down in a slight spiral. A few streets down lay the park they'd met Carolina in, which served as the main podium for the event. The park was kind of like a stadium and the streets of the festival were the stands, so to speak.
Cynthia had suggested they head to the park first, since there would be some kind of speech to begin the festival the right way. She hadn't much idea what that meant, but she felt strangely excited for some reason. It was as if she was forgetting something important, which was par for the course with her shitty memory.
They moved down, as close to the park as they possibly could, though it wasn't easy since almost the entirety of the rest of the town headed there was well. Since there was nothing that made her more horribly anxious than being stuck in a sea of people, she decided to stay a street back along with Barry. Far away enough so that she didn't have to rub elbows with people, but not so much that they couldn't hear what was being said.
At the edges of the street and mounted atop black tripods sat the cameras and speakers that had been set up for the event. Apparently it would be broadcasted to the entire world, though if Inyssa's previous experiences were anything to go by she was pretty sure not many folk outside of Sinnoh would be interested in such an event, much less the people of Kanto.
"Look! A guy's walking to the podium," Barry pointed excitedly.
Indeed, a short man with a suit walked to the wood stand built around the gazebo, stopping in front of the makeshift microphone they'd installed there.
"Before the festival proper begins, there is someone who would like to have a word with all of you," he said in a monotone voice. "I hereby present you; the Champion of Sinnoh."
Inyssa's heart jumped to her throat, which choked out the gasp she would've let out otherwise. Barry's eyes went wide and he unconsciously let go of the cotton candy, letting it fall to the ground.
"I… I can't believe I forgot!" Inyssa yelled, putting both hands on her hat. "That's the entire reason we came here! I forgot the Champion was gonna come too!"
"S-shoot!" Barry stammered, looking as if he'd been doused with icy water. "N-Niss! Is my hair okay!? How do I look!? Do you think we can get an autograph or…"
He put one hand on her shoulder, but she was next to catatonic with fear and anticipation. The Champion… she was going to meet the Champion. She wanted to say something, to put on a fierce face should the woman look her direction when she walked up the podium, but she was completely frozen.
Shit, shit! What do I do? Do I walk to her after the speech and challenge her? Will she let me do that? What if she's nothing like I imagined her? What if she's awful? Oh dear Synn above what the hell do I do!?
She didn't have much time to waddle in her anxiety, as someone appeared from behind the podium and started walking up the tiny stairs towards the microphone. Like it had happened before, it felt as if the world itself had gone to a pause, waiting for the woman to act and speak. From afar Inyssa could hear the thump of her shoes against the wooden floor, which perfectly mirrored the frenzied beating of her heart.
The woman delicately put one hand on the base of the microphone, interlacing the fingers of the other with the cable as she lifted it up. Her stormy grey eyes were unmistakable even from that distance, and her beautiful blonde hair shone as if it were made of sunlight.
Cynthia's lips curled up, and the entire world felt the weight of her smile.
"Welcome, each and every single one of you, to the Festival of Spirit," she spoke, her voice as smooth as the wind. "My name is Cynthia Artemis; I am the Lorekeeper and Champion of the great nation of Sinnoh."
She paused for a moment, letting her words linger as she breathed in.
"I would like to have a word with all of you, if I may be allowed that."
