Act 3: Valor


Inyssa wasn't thankful for much. Most things in life she considered truly valuable (Barry, her Pokemon, her skill as a trainer and her analytical mind) she'd all acquired herself, without anyone's help.

Still, all things considered, she had to admit her family's health insurance had pretty much paid for itself ever since she began her journey.

A grunt of pain escaped her lips as she sat on the chair in front of her doctor's desk. Its metal felt uncomfortably cold, since she was wearing nothing more than a hospital gown. The woman across her looked down at a stack of papers on her hand, absentmindedly biting the cap of her pen while her gaze flew through what was written in them. The nameplate on top of her desk read: 'Dr. Sandra Moore'. She looked young, probably no older than thirty.

"All right… shall we start?" she asked after clearing her throat.

Inyssa shifted uncomfortably on her seat.

It wouldn't have been accurate to say she'd been worried sick all week. After all, about half of it she'd spent in and out of consciousness, mind hazy and deliriously feverish. Even four days after stabilizing, her body still felt like someone had wrung it out like a wet piece of cloth. Walking more than a few steps made her lightheaded, and her appetite had pretty much dropped to the negatives. Not to mention the searing pain on her back every time she moved.

Still, she might be slightly nervous. It wasn't every day you got told the results of your medical tests which would determine whether you'd suffer permanent muscle damage or not.

That's just what she needed, on top of everything else. She'd already gotten tired of silently wishing she could tear apart her body piece by piece and replace it with something else, so of course things had to get worse.

With a gulp she swallowed down whatever was stuck in her throat and replied. "Yeah… I'm ready."

"First, I'd say congratulations are in order." She looked over her glasses, forming a tiny smile. "I've been told you're recovering a lot faster than expected. Kids nowadays must be made of stronger stuff than in my time."

Inyssa let out a nervous laugh, trying to ignore the feeling of someone smiling smugly behind her. Even though she knew the doctor couldn't see Uxie, its presence still made her uneasy.

"Now… let's work from your lesser injuries up to the more severe ones," said the doctor. "Looks like the bruise on your leg and the cut above your eye have stopped swelling. I didn't want to give you painkillers for those in fear they might mix badly with the rest of the medicine you've been taking, and because I considered them not to be very serious injuries."

Inyssa nodded. "I didn't notice those much, to be honest. They only hurt when I touch them."

"I'm sure they'll heal shortly," said Sandra. "As for your shoulders… it seems you pulled a muscle on each. Have you been applying ice bags like the nurses told you to?"

She tried to reply, but her words weren't feeling very cooperative at the moment. A memory resurfaced when she closed her eyes; she saw herself again, struggling furiously to set herself free from the Galactic bastards trying to immobilize her. She remembered the pain when they pulled at her arms with much more strength than necessary. She remembered the sound of electricity and the smell of blood and burnt flesh, though strangely enough no images were attached to those particular sensations.

It was a very vivid memory, one which vanished the moment she opened her eyes again, which flashed golden for a moment before returning to normal.

"Inyssa? Are you okay?"

She startled back to reality, and nodded weakly. "Yeah… yeah, I've been doing that. It doesn't… hurt anymore."

"As expected." Sandra looked down and wrote something in one of the papers. "Now… for the big one."

Inyssa held her breath, fingers curled painfully against the gown over her lap. This was it, the moment of truth, if one could even call it that.

A clearing of her throat, and Sandra spoke, "It looks like… you won't suffer any long-term damage from the attack you received from that Pokemon." Her painted lips stretched into a smile. "Congratulations."

She didn't exactly collapse from relief into her chair, but the way she sighed and slouched her shoulders could've been mistaken for that.

"When looking at wounds caused by electrocution, there are three things we focus on," Sandra explained. "The circulatory, respiratory and nervous system. It seems your heart might've stopped for a moment after you were attacked, but we haven't noticed any irregularity or arrhythmia since then. Your lungs are fine too, as strong and healthy as they've ever been, for how much that's worth. As for the rest…" She clicked her tongue, tilting her head slightly, "…there is some minor damage to the skin and nerves on your back, but nothing that can't be healed. You might suffer minor spasms and cramps on those particualr muscles, but that's as worse as it'll get."

A throaty, weak laugh left Inyssa's throat. She leaned back into her chair and looked up at the ceiling, her breathing getting less shallow as the seconds passed.

"Thank fucking god…" she whispered. "I… guess I lucked out, huh."

Sandra pursed her lips in an attempt not to imitate her laugh. "That depends on what you consider lucky. People survive being struck by lightning all the time. What happened to you isn't much different. Honestly, what almost killed you wasn't that, it was the fever and exhaustion you arrived here with."

"I'm sturdy enough to survive that," Inyssa shrugged. "Though I kinda underestimated how taxing teleporting is on your body."

She tried to sound as confident as possible, something which had never been her strong suit unless she were talking about Pokemon fighting. Still, it was the lie she'd chosen and she needed to stick with it. She'd told everyone except Barry that she'd escaped Team Galactic's grasp by stealing someone's Pokeball and using their Pokemon to teleport away.

"You're not the first to make that mistake," said Sandra, apparently not noticing her lie. "Most people think using a Pokemon to teleport is like opening two doors in different points in space and stepping through them. In reality, when your body is teleports it loses as much energy as it would've expended covering that distance on foot. Roughly." She made a 'so-so' gesture with her hand. "In the past people have died of exhaustion by trying to teleport themselves to other regions. Your case wasn't as bad, though you certainly came close."

While the thought did make her feel like a Charmander whose tail someone had dumped a bucket of water on, she was shocked to realize how accustomed she'd gotten to the sensation. The words 'You almost died' didn't seem to carry the same weight as before, after everything she'd been through.

That's… good? She thought, biting her lip. I… think?

"Despite your rapid recovery, I'd suggest you stay here for at least another week before we discharge you," the woman said. "Just to be sure."

She let out a sigh. "If I have no other choice…"

"You don't," Sandra smiled. "But let's try to make the best of it, all right? Give your body the rest it deserves."

Inyssa smiled back, and it surprised her how easily it came to her. Normally smiling to people other than Barry was something she had to prepare for.

Even then, she noticed a hint of nervousness in the doctor's smile. As the silence in the room grew, she looked down first at her papers and then at the other side of the room, where close to the door lay a tall piece of furniture much like a wardrobe, only flat. The dual doors were wide open, a six foot mirror stuck to the inside of each one.

Sandra finally spoke, "We can postpone it if you…"

"No," said Inyssa, jaw set. "I'll do it."

She stood up, the muscles on her back flaring as if they were being stretched to their limits. Slowly she turned toward the double mirrors, and did not move. Strange, considering that's exactly what she was telling her legs to do.

Come on, she chastised herself. Putting it off won't solve anything.

Sandra placed a hand on her shoulder, and with premeditated care she helped her make her way there. As soon as she stepped in between the mirrors her breathing became shallower. Infinite copies of herself stretched at her right and left, all looking equally brittle, while another endless row of Uxie floated above her. She felt its invisible eyes on her back. Quiet and observant. Curious.

"Whenever you feel like it," the doctor reminded her.

Inyssa let out a sound which could've been a throaty 'yes' and, wanting to get it over with as fast as possible, undid the straps on the side of her gown and let it fall to the ground.

She closed her eyes just before the image appeared on the mirror, and hated herself for it. What was she, a fucking child? All she'd been through, all the times she'd looked at death in the face, and it was her own body that really terrified her? She'd seen herself naked in the mirror before, even if the sight made her irrationally furious. She was better than this. Pushing her fear to the deepest part of her mind, she forced herself to open her eyes and look up.

Her blood turned cold. There wasn't any fear, or sadness, only shock.

Gruesome was the first word which came to mind, and if she were fully aware of what she was thinking she would've considered it pretty accurate.

She could see the exact place where the attack had hit her. A few inches below her left shoulder blade there was a patch of burned flesh the size of a fist. The skin was wrinkly and mangled, and it reminded her of the disgusting film which formed over milk as it boiled.

It was painful to look at, yes, but if that'd been as far as it went Inyssa could've at least reacted normally to it. Unfortunately, there was more.

From the center of the burn mark grew dozens of thinner, vine-like scars, each of which broke off into a dozen more as they carved their way through her body. On her back they reached up to the base of her nape and down to her tailbone. And on her arms…

O-oh my god…

Another memory flashed through her eyes. Suddenly, she was a child again. Her tiny hands grabbed onto Shadi's arm strongly as she tried to bury her face on her sister's coat, afraid of the painting she'd just seen. Afraid of that terrible woman, of her bloody sword and the boundless rage burning behind her eyes.

She remembered the way her bare arms looked. Those vine-like scars carved onto them, twisting around each other like ropes of fire.

They weren't exactly the same, no. Inyssa's had a different shape, more resembling lightning bolts than flames, but it was hard to ignore the similarities. They curved the exact same way along the length of her arms, and both ended at the base of their palms.

"I know this can be a lot to take in…"

She barely registered the doctor's voice. Her gaze was set, unblinking, on the image displayed in front of her. She didn't move, couldn't move, her bones feeling made of ice.

"This type of scarring is common to those who have been hit by lightning or by some electric Pokemon's attack," Sandra continued. "In the medical field it's referred to as a Lichtenberg figure, though most people know it by the name 'lightning flower'."

Inyssa wanted to laugh. She didn't know why, it would've been incredibly out of place, but still she couldn't help it. Something about what she'd just heard was terribly funny to her.

"As I said before, there is very little chance of these scars causing you pain or discomfort after you leave this hospital. However…" There was a short, heavy pause. "I'm… afraid there's only so much your body can do to heal them. Eventually they will fade from that bright red to a pale silver, but I don't think they'll ever fully disappear."

Somehow, she'd known that from the moment she'd seen them. The way they looked, the way they felt, there was a certain finality to them, and as she spun her arms to examine every inch of the burning spider web of scars, she might've come up with an idea as to why.

You made your bed, now lie in it. That phrase came to mind, and Inyssa couldn't help but smile.

"I apologize for not being able to help you further," she heard Sandra say behind her. "I know it must be hard, but if you need any–"

"No, it's fine."

Her fingers curled strongly into fists, and the stretching of her muscles sent a slightly painful shiver throughout her body. As she closed her eyes, she could almost feel a small crackle of electricity surging through her scars, which made the hair on the back of her neck stand up on end. She felt Uxie smile behind her.

When she spoke, her voice carried some of the strength it'd lost during the past week. "I… kinda knew something like this would happen eventually. Honestly, I was ready to deal with much worse." She remembered the day she'd dug Bertha's grave, how her thoughts had been similar to what she was thinking now, only much gloomier. "These are just cosmetic, like you said. If a few scars is the price I have to pay to stay true to myself and oppose Team Galactic… then I don't have a problem with it."

She turned around to face Sandra, arms raised to the side and a lopsided smile on her face.

"Besides… they look kinda cool, don't they?"

Sandra shot her a tender smile, nodding.

"That they do, yes. I'm… glad you're taking this well, Inyssa. A positive attitude will work wonders toward speeding your recovery."

To tell the truth, Inyssa wasn't feeling very positive at the moment. But… so what if she'd forced herself to say those words; wasn't that what it meant to look on the bright side? She was proud of what she'd done and no one could take that away from her, but until she could also learn not to feel bad about it… where was the harm in slightly faking it?

A positive attitude… she thought, smiling. God, I'm starting to think like Barry.

Despite her best efforts, a slight blush tinted her cheeks. The idea didn't bother her as much as it would've done so a few months ago.

The examination only lasted for a couple more minutes, in which Sandra explained how she should take care of her body after she left. What ointments to use for her scar, what pills to take for her somewhat latent fever, etc. Inyssa was about to leave, hand already on the doorknob, when she heard her speak once more:

"By the way…" The tone of her voice felt less formal as she spoke, "…everything I said to you today was from me as a doctor. But… there is something I'd like to tell you as a citizen of Celestic."

Inyssa looked over her shoulder, brow furrowed in confusion. As a citizen… what'd she mean by that?

"You know, I was attending the Festival of Spirit with my daughter when… it happened." She gulped, looking down. "The cold in that man's eyes… he passed right by us, you know. I feel confident in saying that I've never been more terrified of anyone in my entire life."

Absentmindedly, she lowered her glasses and placed them on top of her desk. Her eyes set on Inyssa, the same stormy grey as those of Cynthia and every other Celestic citizen she'd seen.

"And yet you and your friend chose to stand up to him, you chose to protect us," she said. "It might not mean much coming from someone like me, but… in the name of my town, my family and myself…thank you."

Inyssa didn't know why those words stunned her. She didn't know why she failed to come up with a response or to even say something back. She'd been thanked before for doing stupid, reckless stuff, right? Why would this be any different?

And yet, as she thought that, the answer was pretty clear in her mind. Before, she'd been too stubborn to accept her actions as anything but selfish and self-serving, because that's what she believed herself to be. Maybe if Sandra had told her these things a month or two ago, she would've dismissed it with a wave and a smile, never to think about it again.

But this time, it was different. Pride sprouted from the depths of her chest, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling widely. Her eyes stung, and for once she didn't feel bad about who she was.

All and all, it was the first time Inyssa really felt like a hero.

"T-thank you too," she muttered back. "And uh… farewell, I guess."

Sandra did something strange; arm still at her side, she brought her left hand over her heart and formed a half-circle with her thumb and index finger. Inyssa felt like she recognized the gesture from somewhere.

"Until we meet again," she said. "May the moon always guide you."


Barry hated waiting. Despite his mother's best intentions, patience was the one thing she'd never been able to pass on to him. At no point did that become more obvious than at a time like this, being told that he needed to stay in the hospital for at least two more days.

"But daaad!" he whined, his free hand holding onto a sleeping Auri. "Niss is getting discharged tomorrow, and she was more hurt than me!"

Palmer, who walked alongside him through the hospital hallway, smiled apologetically and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. He carried himself with his typical, contagious energy and exuberance, despite the heavy bags under his eyes.

"A broken arm ain't something you should scoff at," he said. "I know it's frustrating, but sometimes you gotta know when to take a break. If you keep having life-risking adventures every day then you might end up like me!"

Barry chuckled, though without much enthusiasm. Looking down, he was met with the grim sight of the white case currently holding his right arm hostage. The nurse had told him he'd been lucky, that it was a clean fracture and it wouldn't take much to heal, but he was having trouble looking at the bright side despite her encouragement.

To make matters worse, Palmer would be leaving soon, just like Sarah had done a couple days ago. He understood, of course, there were only so many free days they could take from their jobs, especially when they were tasked with stopping Team Galactic, but it still stung a bit.

At least I have Niss, he thought with a smile. It'd been almost two hours since he'd left the room for an examination, and he was already starting to miss her. He unconsciously hugged Auri closer to him, earning a sleepy snore as a response.

"All right kiddo, here's where I drop you off," Palmer said as they reached the door to their room. "Gotta go make some calls, make sure I haven't been fired yet."

"They'd need to find a better Frontier Brain for that," he smiled. "And I know that's not gonna happen."

Palmer placed a hand on his head and shuffled his hair enthusiastically. The gesture was one Barry had been at the receiving end of a million times, and it felt as reassuring as ever.

"Remember what I told you: your mom and her boss will drop off in the afternoon to talk to you kids. Try not to say anything too irreverent, or she'll end up blaming me," he said with a cheeky smile. "Go off, now. I'll see you later for dinner."

At first his intention was to obey and enter the room, but as his hand hovered over the doorknob, something hard forming on his stomach, he couldn't help but blurt out the question.

"Dad… is mom angry with me?"

Palmer was caught off guard. Not very noticeable, his face simply scrunched up a little, but Barry could feel it. He tapped onto Mesprit's power, turning his eyes golden and searching for a slight change in his father's emotions. He'd kinda gotten the hand of it lately, but he never expected he'd have to use it on him.

Anxiety, panic, apprehension. They hit him like gusts of wind, each one slightly different than the other. After a few moments Palmer managed to reign himself in, and his emotions went silent.

"I… you know it's not like that, kiddo." His smile was forced. "It's just, you know. I'm not good at… these kinda things."

Barry stopped himself from sighing. That was just like him; whenever Palmer didn't feel like discussing a touchy subject, he'd blurt out the same excuse. Barry still loved him, but it was a frustrating habit to deal with.

"It's okay if you gotta think about what to say for a while," said Barry. "But I'm not leaving without an answer."

Geez, I'm starting to sound like Niss, he thought with a smile.

Palmer rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "Your mom's… just worried, all right? Between all her work and you two getting caught up in increasingly more dangerous situations…" He struggled to find his words for a moment, "Look, Sarah's not a trainer like us. Our pride, our… wanting to help even if it's not the logical thing to do, she thinks it's all stupid and pointless. And though I'm a Frontier Brain I gotta admit, sometimes she's right."

"We were just trying to do the right thing," he argued. "Does… does she really think we're stupid for that?"

"Sometimes there's a lot of different ways to do the right thing," Palmer shrugged. "You kids chose the high risk, high reward option. I can't blame you for that, honestly I would've done the same, but there were probably better ways to go about it than throwing yourselves at that monster and hoping you'd win."

Barry looked down, the gold in his eyes dissipating into a brown which reflected shame like a mirror. He felt another hand on his shoulder. It felt less reassuring the second time.

"It's nothing against you or your friend. Sarah just… hates that kinda mentality, and the idea of lone heroes in general. To her, heroism is inspiring others to act instead of doing everything yourself." He didn't say it, but there was an implied 'Even though she's working herself to the bone to keep you out of trouble' in his voice.

"I'm… sorry."

"Don't. It's not your fault you're like this, you have most of my genes after all," he said. "And I know there's no way in hell I can keep you from trouble, but at least before you do something dangerous remember that we worry, and we love you. All right?"

There was no need for a verbal response; Barry simply turned toward him and let himself be hugged by his father, landing his chin on top of his shoulder.

In the back of his mind, something stirred. For a moment he thought it could've been Mesprit waking up, but excitement left him as the legendary Pokemon's voice didn't sound inside his head. It hadn't spoken a single word to him ever since the attack, or more specifically ever since Niss came back with Uxie.

Still, whatever was Mesprit's problem, that was definitely it just now, he could feel it. Was it something he'd done?

Though, just as he began wondering, Palmer had come to the conclusion that so much fatherly wisdom at once was unbecoming of him. As such, he decided to sully his own record just a bit.

"All right, I'll stop hogging your time and let you go back to your friend." He pronounced the last word with a strange, deliberate intonation, something Barry wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't seen Palmer wink as well. "After two hours apart you must be missing her. Why, at your age me and your mom couldn't take our eyes off each other for two seconds!"

Barry's hair felt like it stood up on end, a wave of heat rushing to his cheeks.

"D–DAD!"


Barry noticed two very different things as he entered the room, gaze locking onto Niss.

First was that he felt relieved. An unconscious reaction, one which he knew would be hard to get rid of. It hadn't even been two weeks since that day, since the moment he'd seen her vanish into the air along with that man. He remembered the fear that had flooded him then, the fear that it'd be the last time he ever saw her. The past few nights, he'd found himself waking up abruptly and in a cold sweat, looking to the side to make sure she was still in the room with him.

Such an experience was not something he could get over so quickly. It'd be some time before the fear of losing her eased a bit.

The second –and most important– thing he noticed was Niss' reaction. The moment he'd opened the door he saw her staring down at the screen of a tablet she held, brow furrowed tightly. However, as soon as she heard the sound her body shook. Eyes going wide, she lowered the tablet to the sheets of her bed and looked up at him like a child who'd been caught doing something inappropriate.

They stared at each other, frozen, for a couple seconds.

"H-hey…" Barry said as he closed the door behind him. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine."

Her voice sounded strained. She cleared her throat and looked around the room, in that way she did whenever she wanted to avoid staring at someone. Were it not for Auri's soft snores, the room would've been completely silent.

Really? Barry thought, raising an eyebrow. He didn't even need Mesprit's powers to read her emotions, not that he would've done so without her permission.

"How… was the examination?" she asked after a moment.

"Good. They said it'll probably heal fast," he shrugged. "Also, dad told me that mom and someone else from the Association would come visit in an hour or so."

"Right. Yeah."

Without saying another word she shuffled her feet out from under the blankets and stood up, eyes squinting in pain as she did so. As she turned around to grab something, he caught her wiping part of her face with the sleeve of her sweater. He could've sworn he also heard her sniffling.

"Niss, really. Are you okay?"

She paused, shoulders tensing. Then a moment after she turned around and smiled. "I'm fine, dumbass. Might've caught the sniffles thanks to the cold, but that's it."

Barry narrowed his eyes in that 'I don't believe you, now stop being an idiot and tell me the truth' way that Niss was accustomed to. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to notice. Either that or she intentionally ignored it.

"I think I'll go take a shower," she said. "The spiffier I look when Sarah visits, the sooner she'll believe that I'm feeling better, and I'm aching to get out of here as soon as I can."

She said all that in a fast, hurried tone and left for the showers before Barry had a chance to stop her. Not that he'd do something like that, but it would've been nice to at least have the chance to.

What the heck is up with her?

Once again, he expected Mesprit to say something, to crack a joke or make an insensitive comment toward Niss. Once again, he was disappointed. Letting out a sigh of defeat, he approached his bed and placed a sleeping Auri on top of the pillow. The Togepi frowned in her sleep at first, but the softness of her new bed must've counteracted the fact that she was away from her trainer, and soon she was snoring peacefully once more.

"Jeez, you sleep more than Niss," he whispered, smiling. "Guess it's because you're so li–"

His voice drifted as he spotted a familiar glow coming from Niss' bed. Through the thin fabric of her sheets filtered the light of the tablet's screen, flickering on and off in a uniform rhythm. Barry stared at it, an idea forming on his mind.

It was a bad idea; he acknowledged that right out of the gate. Problem was, knowing one of his ideas was terrible seldom kept him from doing it anyway. His entire life stood as proof of it.

Niss is gonna kill me if she finds out.

With that thought clear in his mind, he grabbed the device from under the sheets and turned it on. The screen came to life, showing him an almost empty Home panel, most of which consisted of a colorful wallpaper of that one shounen anime Niss loved, with a few apps sprinkled here and there.

None of them seemed opened, but he knew better. He pressed the square button on the lower right corner of the screen, revealing the last app Niss was looking at. It looked like an internet forum of sorts; the top part was covered by a banner which read 'Sinnoh League Challenge and General Trainer Discussion', and the page itself was opened to a specific thread where the users were discussing…

His fingers tightened, making the tablet's sides creak slightly.

O-oh…

The name of the thread was 'Inyssa Dawn/Barry Paladino Official Discussion Post', and the messages on the displayed page read as such:


VenusAureous

Not gonna lie, not a big fan of the rookies we're seeing lately. These two have been making a lot of noise but I don't think they're anything to write home about. I saw their fight with Fantina online and it was acceptable at best.

Also I feel like they're kinda soapboaxing and bullshitting us with that whole "Fighting Team Galactic" schtick. Yeah, I'm just gonna believe you coincidentally run into them all the time. Sure.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

CakeOfLies

Overrated. Next.

Arceus-Dakimakura

Barry: Cute/Badass-looking + cool attitude = win.

Inyssa: Meh. Looks like a tired vampire.

0bliterat0r

I like the girl's style I guess, but what's up with that resting bitch face? I haven't seen a single pic of her in which she's smiling.

AlderFan001

I don't buy into the Team Galactic stuff either, but I appreciate them trying to at least set an example for other trainers. Also from what I've seen they're actually pretty good and their team is badass and diverse.

0bliterat0r, fuck off. Her appearance has nothing to do with what we were discussing. Besides, grown ass adult criticizing a 17 year old's looks? How pathetic can you be?

0bliterat0r

Nice to see your white-knighting isn't reserved just to the good-looking trainers out there.

I'm just telling it like it is, appearance is a big part of being a trainer and a Champion and if you don't have what it takes then you just don't. Tell me with a straight face Sinnoh wouldn't turn into the laughing stock of the continent if we replaced someone as cool and beautiful as Cynthia with… whatever the hell this kid is.

I could accept that Barry kid, but Inyssa… yeah, no.

ModSakura

Remember to keep it civil. This is your first warning; I'm not above closing the thread if things get out of hand.

Punkerst

I'd be a lot more inclined to defend her if she weren't such an asshole. Any of you hear the rumors of how she acted when she was in Pastoria?

What's there to be angry about? Your parents are paying you to go on a trainer journey and you decide to be a dick to everyone you meet? No wonder people don't like her.

Also yeah, she's not exactly Cynthia levels of pretty, is she?

AlderFan001

You guys are unbelievable, seriously. A bunch of adults with too much free time criticizing a kid just because you don't think she's 'hot' enough to be the Champion.

I'm out, this thread is a fucking shithole already.

UmadBronzong

Honestly I'd like her to become the Champion just to watch all the nerds rage. It'd be priceless.


Barry had to put the tablet down before anger forced him to throw it across the room. He could feel his heart beating fast, the blood rushing to the skin of his hands and face, turning them a pale crimson.

His eyes flared golden, and immediately that rage turned into panic. Funny thing about the powers he'd gained from Mesprit: just like he could feel what other people felt, his own emotions were broadcasted to everyone close to him if he didn't control them. He closed his eyes tight and breathed in and out, slowly easing the burning knot which had formed in his stomach. The last thing he needed was for Niss to feel his anger from the other room and figure out what he was doing.

After almost a minute the heat faded, though it didn't mean he was feeling better. Shoulders down, he looked at the tablet on his lap and sighed. Reading more wouldn't make him feel better, it wouldn't change anything, but he couldn't help but be curious. Niss had probably felt the same way, that's why she'd kept reading, why…

That's why she was crying.

The thought felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He didn't understand… why would people say stuff like that? Why would they go out of their way to insult Niss when she'd never done anything bad to them? They didn't know her at all and yet they were casting a lot of judgment on her, based on nothing but rumors and appearance.

All appetite left him as he stood up from her bed, leaving the tablet under the sheets like he'd found it. It was just so unfair, he thought. Why couldn't they see how cool and nice and pretty Niss was?

Why couldn't they see her for who she was?


The first thing Inyssa noticed was that Sarah didn't quite look like herself.

At first she thought it had something to do with her 'serious face'. Whenever she was at work, all semblances of a motherly attitude would vanish, replaced with an expression as cold and hard as ice. No smiles, no tenderness, nothing. It was kind of scary, actually, though Inyssa would've never said so out loud.

But no, that wasn't it. She looked… drained, almost. Her cheeks were hollow and the bags under her eyes had grown since the last time she'd seen her. Her usual black suit fit a bit more loosely than usual, too.

Barry seemed to have noticed too, if the guilt and worry on his face were any indication of it. Still, it wouldn't have been polite to point it out, especially when the three of them were waiting for her boss to arrive.

"Ah… finally." Sarah sighed as she looked past the door window. With unsteady hands she opened it and let someone in. "You're late, as usual."

"Yes, yes, I know."

Inyssa didn't know what she expected, but it certainly wasn't for that person to greet them. The room grew silent as the man closed the door behind him, looking up at them through his violet-shaded spectacles. The weight of his gaze sent a powerful shiver down her spine.

"I apologize for my tardiness." He raised a hand palm up, a tiny smile forming on his lips. His voice was deep, but strangely delicate. "I'm afraid I lost myself in the pages of a book I was reading, and only when I finished it I remembered our appointment."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, "Again?"

"Yes, I know. Books are truly wonderful, are they not?" he said. "What people pour into them, their thoughts and feelings, are able to stretch beyond time and space. I was just reading a collection of essays on the science-fiction genre. There was one quote attributed to a novelist I found remarkable: 'Though love may lose, kindness wins.' I find that philosophical and, at the same time, compassionate."

No one had a reply for that. Sarah was too busy placing a palm against her face, and Inyssa and Barry couldn't quite form words at the moment. They stared at the man with eyes wide as plates.

"Ah… I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I?" He let out a barely audible chuckle, shaking his head. "Apologies. My name is…"

"Lucian Dusk!"

Barry and Inyssa spoke in unison, their screams echoing off the walls and all around the room. The man froze, startled, and behind him Sarah sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand.

"Kids, please…"

"You didn't tell us an Elite Four would come!" Barry protested, throwing one hand up in the air. "I could've… brushed my hair or something!"

Inyssa placed both hands against her chest. "I am… such a big fan! Oh my god I can't believe you're here!"

"Well this is… different," she heard Uxie say inside her mind. "Your overt excitement is a change of pace from–"

"I used to follow your career!" she blurted out, interrupting it. "Is it true that when you lived in Kalos you earned the highest title in the Battle Chateau less than a year after becoming a trainer!?"

"Also that you're the second youngest trainer to be an Elite Four!?" Barry added.

"And… and…" Inyssa had to take in a quick breath before continuing, "…is it true that you're only second to the legendary Sabrina when it comes to Psychic-type specialists!?"

They only stopped due to the glare Sarah shot them. Next to her, Lucian blinked a few times before the shadow of a smile formed on his lips.

"Once again, my reputation gets in the way of a formal greeting. How truly pesky it is." He crossed his arms, raising his index finger slightly. "Inyssa Dawn and Barry Paladino, yes? A pleasure."

Despite saying that, he made no effort to shake their hands or greet them any other way.

"All your accusations are true. However, I'm not here as a member of the Elite Four, but as the Chief Manager of the League Association. As such, I would like you to look past my accomplishments as a trainer so we can move on with the subject at hand. I am here to speak to both of you, after all."

As he said that, Sarah made a gesture with her face which could've been mistaken as rolling her eyes if one were looking closely. Inyssa could kind of understand why.

Way to try to act humble and praise yourself at the same time, she thought.

"Well… whatever you wanna tell us, feel free to," Barry said with a smile. "We're all arms! Wait, I mean… we'll listen to you with open ears! Crap, no…!"

Inyssa bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh. "Y-yeah, what he said."

Lucian didn't speak right away, no, that would've made too much sense. Instead he let himself rest against the piece of wall next to the door, arms crossed and the shine of his spectacles hiding his eyes from view.

He is so fucking extra, Inyssa realized. I guess that explains why younger me liked him so much.

"I'm… aware that you already gave your testimonies to the police, regarding what happened during the Festival of Spirit," he said. "But there's a few questions I'd like answered nonetheless. First of which being; what happened during your confrontation with Team Galactic's leader?"

As he spoke the last word, he raised his index finger once more. The room grew tense.

"Huh? What do you mean what happened?" asked Inyssa, feigning innocence. "You were just talking about the testimony we gave, right? It's all there."

Lucian was probably not a psychic himself –like Sabrina was rumored to be– but still she felt nervous lying to someone who spent so much of his time around Pokemon that could read people's minds. Uxie had assured her that as long as it and Mesprit resided inside them, they would be immune to any kind of psychic influence. Still, it didn't ease her anxiety much.

"I am aware of what the report says," Lucian replied. "But I happen to be doubtful of the veracity of some of your statements."

She tried her best to stay impassive, though she could feel a bead of sweat start to form on her forehead. Why was he asking these questions? Were they in trouble? No, if that were the case then Sarah would've warned them beforehand. So what…?

"According to your testimony, you engaged the leader of Team Galactic in combat in order to protect the Champion. You claimed that, at that moment, she was weakened and unable to move, which made it difficult to escape and look for help. Thus, you decided to fight."

Inyssa swallowed. "Y-yeah, that's what we said."

"She almost passed out on us," Barry said. "It's because of those… rune thingies she used. We were so worried, we couldn't just leave her to die!"

The boy's performance was the perfect blend of concern and aloofness; Inyssa couldn't help but be surprised.

"Your friend is a surprisingly good liar," Uxie said. "Considering he seems the most earnest of the two of you, I mean."

Good enough to fool Sarah, she thought at the sight of the face she made.

Lucian nodded. "They're called lavender runes, but that's neither here nor there. You said she used two of them previous to the fight breaking out? A Barrier and a Teleport one?" He waited until they nodded, then kept talking. "See, that's the part I'm having trouble with. As much as she and I might not get along, I can't help but give her credit where credit is due…"

He paused, raising his head slightly to look at them over his spectacles. A small crease formed on his forehead.

"That woman is the very personification of stubbornness. Using two of those runes would've left her weak and tired, yes, but by no means unable to move or escape." His voice gained a bit of intensity as he said that. "Which leads me to believe you're trying to cover up for her."

Inyssa felt as if someone had slipped cubes of ice into the back of her shirt. Keeping her face from showing any emotions was a lot harder than she'd thought, especially when faced with someone as sharp as Lucian. Now she understood… despite being such accomplished trainers, people like him didn't need Pokemon to possess an intimidating presence. It was a sight to behold, if slightly terrifying.

"Why would we do that?" Barry said after a few moments. "What would we be covering up anyway?"

"Perhaps the fact that, if Cynthia wished to, she could've stopped you two from engaging in such a pointlessly suicidal fight?" replied Lucian. "Which, I'm sure I don't need to remind you, is what any responsible adult would've done in her position."

So I was right! Inyssa thought, gritting her teeth. We're not the ones in trouble, Cynthia is!

"You two wouldn't be the first trainers to find yourselves in unsavory situations due to Cynthia's shortsightedness. She has taken an interest in you two lately, has she not?"

"Not really," said Inyssa. "We just ran into her a couple of times. Before the festival we didn't even know she was the Champion."

A slight grunt was heard as Lucian hoisted himself to his feet, arms dropping at his side. "That is not a coincidence. Every single thing that woman does is to further her own plans, and that includes following and grooming trainers like you two, so that one day they might grow strong enough to pose a challenge to her." Inyssa noticed his fingers curling into fists. "On top of all that, she is an adult and thus fully capable of taking blame for her mistakes; you don't need to cover up for her."

Jeez, that's one hell of a mood swing, Inyssa thought. Is there a schism inside the Association or something like that?

It was clear Lucian's believed his words, and she detected a hint of worry coming from him toward them, but still she couldn't agree. She'd met Cynthia firsthand, she'd heard her speech during the festival. The Champion wasn't the kind of person to take advantage of people. Of that much she was sure.

"We're not going to repeat ourselves," she said. "What's written in our testimony is the truth."

There were a few more things she would've liked to say to him, but for once her self-control kicked in and she realized angering Sarah's boss was probably not the best idea. The last thing she needed was to inconvenience her after all she'd been going through. Still, her image of the famous Lucian wouldn't be the same after today, that was for sure.

The man continued to stare at them for what felt like an eternity, and then lowered his head and sighed. Suddenly, he looked a lot older.

"I suppose I have no proof of the contrary. I'll have to take your word for it.

"Still, I would like to remind you that there's a reason only trainers who've attained all eight badges are legally allowed to help in emergency situations such as this. Unskilled aid is sometimes worse than no aid at all." He passed a hand through his hair, closing his eyes for a moment. "It couldn't be helped during the Veilstone and Celestic incidents, since according to your testimonies you were simply defending yourselves. However, I would implore you to do everything in your power so this doesn't repeat. Otherwise, I will be forced to take measures. Is that clear?"

"Y-yeah," whispered Barry.

"Transparently," said Inyssa.

Lucian's eyes narrowed for a moment, "…Good. I hope you will take my advice to heart, for your own good."

As he said that, the atmosphere in the room relaxed. Inyssa hadn't noticed how tense her body was, how tightened her shoulders and the rest of her muscles had become.

"Now that's taken care of, there's two other small matters I wanted to inform you of," he said. "Firstly, the silver Pokeballs you let us burrow for our investigation will be shortly returned to you. We've also contacted their creator, along with Professor Rowan, so that we may replicate them in masse in case another, similar incident occurs."

"…Okay."

"Secondly, I've been told your Pokétch and Pokédex were harmed beyond repair thanks to the EMP which was released throughout the town." He paused and looked to the side, his gaze falling on Sarah. "I would like to fix that, at the very least."

On cue, Sarah reached into the depths of her purse and took two small, cardboard boxes out. They were painted white, the image of a familiar device pasted onto one side of it. As she handed one to her, Inyssa felt it reassuringly heavy. A tiny smile formed on her lips.

"Holy crap…" Barry's eyes had gone wide, his mouth forming a tiny O. "They're the latest models!"

"It's purple!" She couldn't help but cry out. "How did you… I didn't think they had Pokétch in this color!"

For the first time that evening, she saw Sarah smile, though the gesture lasted only a second before dissipating back into her serious face. She cleared her throat as she spoke:

"The Association always compensates trainer losses after a tragedy. But… yes, I picked the color myself."

"Consider it a gift of gratitude," added Lucian. "For your efforts to protect the citizens of Celestic."

Inyssa raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were against that."

"I've said so before, haven't I? I always give credit where credit is due." He crossed his arms and looked to the side, a smug smile stretching across his face. "Your actions might've been reckless, but they were also brave. Besides, I can't blame you for wanting to protect others."

Would you pick a stance and fucking stick to it? She thought, frowning. Or do you just love the sound of your own voice?

"As for your Pokédex, I've already instructed Rowan to give you a new one when the opportunity arises," he said. "The Professor shall stay in Canalave during these next few weeks. I'm guessing you'll travel there too, for your fifth badge?"

Sarah replied before any of them had a chance to:

"Once they're discharged from the hospital, Palmer will fly them toward Floaroma," she explained. "From there they'll travel to Canalave by boat."

Lucian nodded. "Then there should be no problem."

Wanna ask for our opinion on the matter maybe? Inyssa thought bitterly. Not that we'd disagree, but…

"I believe that is all," Lucian clapped his hands slightly, looking up at them. "…is what I would like to say, but I actually have one more matter to discuss."

Oh my god.

Luckily, it wasn't what either of them expected. From the pocket of his burgundy coat Lucian retrieved a perfectly flat white envelope, and handed it to Inyssa. She furrowed her brow in confusion, until she looked down and saw what was written on it:

From: Cynthia Artemis.

To: Barry Paladino and Inyssa Dawn.

She heard Barry gasp next to her. "S-she left us a letter?"

"Yes, I find it unusual as well," said Lucian. "However, I suppose she didn't want to leave both of you in the dark after disappearing so suddenly." He sighed. "Not that she'd need to do such an unnecessary thing, but that's the kind of woman she is."

They weren't listening to him. All their attention was completely focused on the piece of paper Inyssa had extracted from the envelope. It read as such:

My dearest Barry and Inyssa,

It shames me to my very core that you had to put your lives on the line to save me, when it should've been the opposite. As a Champion, it is my duty and pride to be able to protect my nation, and yet I have failed miserably at doing so.

I sincerely hope you can forgive my inadequacy. I swear on my name, on my power and on the everlasting moon that I shall do everything I can to make it up to you and stop Cyrus once and for all.

To this end, and though I've enjoyed your company immensely, I'm afraid I won't be able to meet with you anytime soon. I have a job to do, and no time to waste. Additionally, my peers said I should discourage you from trying to chase Team Galactic and find out what their plan is.

A shame; I really wanted to show you the wonders of the Celestic ruins. I also heard you're heading toward Canalave soon? Make sure to visit the city's famous library; it really is a wondrous and chaotic trove of secrets.

In any case, I hope you will continue to chase your goals and reach even greater heights as trainers. Until we meet again,

xC.V.A – 2/5/18

"Huh… bummer," said Barry after he finished reading. "I really wanted an autograph."

Inyssa said nothing, lips pursed tightly. She didn't take her eyes from the letter, reading it over and over to make sure she wasn't mistaken.

"You noticed it too?" asked Uxie. " I suppose it is rather heavy handed."

Lucian cleared his throat to get their attention. "I hope you'll heed her warnings," he said. "I'll be taking my leave now. It was… nice to meet both of you."

They mumbled a half response back as they saw the man exit the room. Were Inyssa not preoccupied with another, more important matter, she would've lamented the fact that one of her childhood idols turned out to be such a stick in the mud.

Sarah, however, didn't leave right away. She stood with her arms behind her back, staring at the two of them as if she had something to say. Her lips parted for a moment, but then she closed them again and sighed.

"I need to go back to work. Stay safe."

Then she left, a grim expression on her face.

The hell was that about?

"Well… that was a thing, I guess." She let out a forced chuckle and leaned back against the frame of her bed, letter still in hand. "At least now we have a lead."

She saw the way Barry's worry turned into confusion as his brow slowly furrowed. Adorable, as always.

"Huh? What do you mean a lead?" he asked. "We just got told not to make any more trouble, even the Champion said so."

She shook her head, a sly smile forming on her face. "That's because you weren't paying attention. Here, I'll show you."

Her body unwittingly tilted to the side as Barry sat in the mattress next to her. He stared at her finger as she pointed at a specific part in the letter.

"See here? Cynthia says 'my peers said I should discourage you from chasing Team Galactic and trying to find out what their plans are'."

Barry shrugged, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Don't you get it? That's what the people from the Association told her to do, but nowhere in the letter does she actually discourage us!" She grinned, excitement flooding her body. "Also, why would she need to specify that thing about Team Galactic's plans? She's clearly trying to tell us something."

"You… think so?" Barry frowned, clearly not convinced.

"Of course! She must've known someone else would read the letter before it made it to us, so she made the message intentionally unclear." Poking the paper with more strength than necessary, she pointed at another sentence. "Here, why would she mention the ruins and the library? And that line about a trove of secrets… there has to be something in there that'll point us to Team Galactic's plans!"

Barry didn't reply right away, instead choosing to scratch the back of his neck and look away. A noticeable crease had formed on his forehead.

"…You don't believe me?"

He pursed his lips. "It's not that. S' just… I don't know." He sighed. "Do you think we should… keep doing this? I really wanna believe you and keep trying to fight Team Galactic and help people, but what if Lucian and mom were right? What if… we're just not ready for stuff like this?"

Something inside Inyssa's chest tightened as she saw the doubt and shame in his eyes. Without thinking she reached across the space between them and placed a hand on top of his, forming a reassuring smile.

Part of her wanted to tell him he was worrying too much. It would've been the easy road; dismissing his feelings and fears to get what she wanted, like she'd done so a million times before. She knew she could make him cave in eventually, and that thought made her so disgusted with herself she had a hard time not heaving.

I promised him I'd change, she told herself. I can't back out now.

Another part of her wanted to follow his advice and just… give it up. She could certainly use the freedom of not having to worry about Team Galactic anymore. But as soon as she thought that, another memory resurfaced from the depths of her mind. A single phrase, something Shadi had told her long ago:

'A trainer is someone who uses their power not for their own selfish reasons, but for the good of all.'

Her hand tightened over Barry's, and her smile grew into a grin full of confidence.

"We can help without putting ourselves in trouble," she told him. "Tell you what; let's go to the ruins and the library and try to find out as much as we can about Team Galactic's goal. Then if we find something, we give the information to Sarah. No more fighting or risking our lives, unless it's absolutely necessary."

Barry's look of shock at her proposal only made her feel more shitty (Had she really been that bad at taking his concerns seriously?) but she pushed past it and kept smiling. Eventually, he turned to look at her and returned the gesture, making her heart jump.

"Yeah… yeah, that can work!" He grinned one of his usual grins, excitement returning to his voice. "Then we can help and still make mom proud! Wow Niss, you're a genius!"

She scratched her cheek, feeling heat rise to her face. "I do what I can."

Her feet landed on the floor as she pushed herself off the bed, determination burning in her eyes. The gesture sent a shockwave of pain from her back throughout her entire body, but she did her best to ignore it. Her fingers curled into fists as she looked down at them. The pale red of her scars was still there, though barely visible.

"I'm sick to my stomach of staying in bed and doing nothing," she said. "As soon as we're discharged, we go to those damn ruins and we learn as much as we can!"

"I can certainly get behind that," Uxie said in her mind. "More knowledge is always a good thing to possess."

Barry nodded. "I'm not usually one for learning stuff, but this does sound really cool."

"It's decided then; our quest for secrets begins!"

She pointed at the ceiling as she said that, her voice echoing all throughout the room. However, as she did so, she noticed the sleeve of her shirt stretching back toward her forearm. She cringed; it'd been such a long time since she'd worn anything that wasn't her red coat, she'd forgotten how uncomfortable long-sleeved shirts were.

"Though… first we need to do some shopping," she said, frowning. "I need a new coat and scarf; can't go running around the region wanting to be the Champion without the proper wardrobe for it."