A Few Years


Truthfully, until now I have never seen fit to question where my strength came from. Yet it doesn't make sense, when I stop to think about it.

The masters at the University taught us that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, though after enough time has passed it will be scattered into small enough pieces that they will never be able to join together again. This, they said, is called entropy. It is an inescapable truth of the universe. Humans, Pokemon, even those beyond like the Three Siblings or the Creation Duo cannot live forever. Eventually, all must end.

However, if that's true, then it must mean the same applies to the concept of Spirit. Which, of course, begs the question:

If entropy claims all in the end, then why was I the exception? Why did my Spirit grow into a towering inferno, when that of those around me paled and went out as time passed?

Hindsight, as they say, is a powerful tool. Had I known then the horrifying truth behind those questions, I would have surely driven a knife into my own heart before it was too late.

Still, fretting over what-ifs won't do any good. I've doomed the world all the same, in the end.


Percy was sick of waiting. More so because he didn't have to do it alone.

Okay, maybe he was being a bit unfair; Argenta wasn't that bad. She reminded him of his teacher, in a way, though a version of her with a much more questionable wardrobe and vernacular. Mon dieu was her outfit crass. Did the cold get to these Sinnohans' brains too much during the winter? It was the only explanation he could conjure for the way some of them dressed themselves.

Still, at least she was… interesting? Surprising? Odd. Odd was the word. Percy sighed as he held his chin with one hand, staring forward at the woman as she walked around the house, commanding a horde of Starly. She looked right in her element, whatever the hell that was.

He looked down at his Poketch for the tenth time that night, a bored look on his face. Only a few minutes had passed. Not only that, but judging by the absence of those pair of electric blue eyes as soon as the screen lit up, Hao was probably sleeping. Which, unfortunately, left Percy with only one option to pass the time until the other three returned from their trip to Solaceon. Well, two, actually. He stared blankly at the blinking red icon indicating twelve missing calls from his father. Yeah, no. Argenta's weirdness sounded downright delightful in comparison.

Pushing his exhaustion aside, he stood up and began walking toward the woman, wisps of mist trailing past him as he exhaled. One of the Starly caught eye of him, and stared. Then, a moment after, Argenta noticed and looked over her shoulder, wide-eyed.

"Ah, Percy. I'm glad you decided to join me." She turned around, lifting her arms as she continued directing the Starly. "Do you hear it? The wind, whispering? Like a sudden storm, it seems to be carrying more than simple wind amidst the invisible feathers of its wings. These little ones feel it too. They are hesitant to fly, and I don't blame them."

"Right…" Percy sat on a near stump, leaning forward as he rested his hands on his lap. "What are you using those Starly for, anyway?"

"I am so glad you asked." She flashed him a wide grin, the light of the moon shining off her teeth. "They are my eyes in the sky, these little ones. Their small size and sharp eyesight makes them the perfect reconnaissance force; were it not for them, I wouldn't know what happens around us at all times."

Percy couldn't help but frown at that, wordless for a moment.

"Are… Are all those Starly yours?"

A look of surprise and disappointment was sent his way, as though Argenta thought that he had already figured that out.

"Come on, young Percy! You're the sharpest one here, are you not? Or is your mind ailed with a dark and terrible storm, preventing you from truly seeing what lies before you?" She crossed her arms, expression turning deathly serious. "Of course these are all my partners. How else did you expect me to be able to monitor our surroundings?"

A rush of heat rose to his cheeks, and for a moment he thought about snapping back at her, right until he realized she was right. He had been rather useless so far. If it weren't for his damn family distracting him at every opportunity they got…

He shook his head. "But… I thought you could only have six Pokemon on you at a time."

"See? That's more like it!" she smiled. "You forget one thing, though, young Percy. The rules clearly state that one singular trainer can only have six Pokeballs with them at any point in time. It says nothing about Pokemon themselves."

His eyes widened. "Wait, but then…"

"I told you; these are my partners. I do not own them just as the moon does not own the stars." Her fingers came to rest on one of the Starly's head as she began to pet it. "They have no obligation to help me, yet they do, because I've known them since the moment they came into this world, and don't mind doing me a favor once in a while. They are equals to me; not subordinates."

He nodded absentmindedly, staring at the dozens of Starly all around him, chirping and playing and eating their food with a clear spring in their step. A memory came to him, that of the night the five of them met.

"You… said you were a breeder," he whispered, narrowing his eyes. "Are all these Starly…?"

Even though he left the question hanging, Argenta had no problem understanding what he was implying. She gave a decisive nod, her expression full of pride.

"It's understandable that, though it was their parents who fought by my side, they too have formed a bond with me almost instantly." Then her expression grew dark and her shoulders tightened. "Being a breeder… it's not an easy job. Not if you want to do it the right way, that is. There are plenty of sleazy and dastardly people who will force Pokemon together just because they desire a suitably strong descendant to use for their own selfish ambitions. Surely you've heard of such… well, I hesitate to call them people."

It was a good thing, Percy thought, that he was sitting a few feet away from Argenta. Any closer and the furious force in her voice might have been enough to send him tumbling back from fear. He was left mute for a second.

He nodded, then replied as soon as he was able.

"Y-yes. They're not very common in Kalos since there are strict regulations regarding breeding, but they're still there." He frowned. "Especially when it comes to Contests or just showing off. Some rich families employ those… frauds to breed them an appropriately beautiful Pokemon to be their pet." He spat that last word out like a mouthful of poison, though he didn't mention that his father had once done such thing. There was no need to enrage Argenta even further. "Some even go as far as paying an outrageous sum for these bastards to breed them a shiny Pokemon, which I'm sure must take hundreds and hundreds of tries."

"Thousands, sometimes." Argenta's voice had lost its usual glee, and it didn't seem to boom as much as it had before. "The only thing those cowards are good for is squeal like gutted Tepig whenever I got my hands on them. Oh what I would give to hear those screams again." A hungry grin spread across her face, eyes glinting with malice. "As long as even one of them remains…"

"W-were you… did you use to hunt those kinds of people?"

An arrogant scoff left her lips. "I was like a Braviary, soaring through the skies as I unearthed the filth and vermin hiding in the shadows of our region. Not one of them ever managed to elude me, I assure you." One of her hands came to rest on the right side of her stomach. "Not even when I suffered what those bastards surely thought was a mortal blow. Ha! As though a pierced kidney would stop me from enacting justice!"

Percy's mouth gaped. "You lost a kidney!?"

"What's with the shocked face, boy? There's a reason we're built with two of those," she said, laughter clear in her eyes. "Though… I admit, after that my job involved less criminal hunting and more full-time breeding. Ah, if only my health and age weren't holding me down…"

Her eyes seemed lost in the distance for a moment, until she shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Ah, but there is no point in talking about such hopeless subjects." Her toothy grin came back, and with it the strength of her voice. "Those who do things the right way will always triumph, in the end, just as the sun shall always chase away the moonless night. Time and effort always pay, boy!"

And with that she made a gesture toward all the Starly, pride clear on her face. Percy couldn't help but smile. The right way, eh?

"So they haven't been caught by any trainer?" he asked. "They're all technically wild?"

"In a way, yes," she said. "Population control amongst Pokemon can be a tricky subject in such a trainer-filled region. Starly are by far the most sought flying Pokemon this side of Mt. Coronet, and if it weren't for us breeders and our efforts their population would drop at an alarming rate as young trainers kept catching them."

"I see…" he said, surprised by the sudden burst of eloquence coming from her; he hadn't heard a single crazy metaphor in that whole sentence. Moreover, the thought of Pokemon population and the effect of trainers upon it had never crossed his mind, yet it made perfect sense in hindsight. "Then… you usually do work with Pokemon like these? The ones that are most commonly caught?"

"Mostly," she admitted. "Starly and Shinx are the most common, closely followed by the region starters. Bug and Water types don't need my help, however, since they are perfectly capable of replicating their numbers at an alarming rate. After that, it's on a case by case basis." She sighed dreamily, her eyes almost sparkling like the stars above. "There is nothing more worthwhile, not in heaven or earth, I assure you, than weaving the threads of fate for life to enter this world."

Percy nodded, then looked down at his own belt, where Prince's Pokeball sat, polished and shiny. The memory of that day came to him like a sudden gust of wind; that white egg with zig-zagging yellow spots, the moment it opened to reveal the tiniest Mareep he'd ever seen, the proud look on his eyes and that confident smile… he couldn't help but agree with Argenta. Having a Pokemon be born in your arms was a feeling that few others could equal.

"It… must be nice," he said, not wanting to give much away. "No offense Argenta, but I kind of thought you were somewhat…" He pursed his lips, looking for the right words "…mental, before. Yet you seem a lot more knowledgeable than I first thought."

Far from being offended, the woman raised an amused eyebrow and smiled.

"Now, what kind of judgment is that, young Percy?" she asked, astonished. "Just because someone speaks sense for a little while you go assuming that they're fully sane? Honestly, I expected more from you."

That response stunned him for a second, the tone of her voice so painfully familiar that his throat felt like it closed, leaving no room for any words to come out. Just then… The curl of her smile and the tittering energy in her voice… For a moment she sounded just like his old teacher. He swallowed with difficulty, and the knot in his throat untied enough for him to speak a few words.

"I… Argenta, are you being sarcastic?" he asked with amused disbelief.

"I am," she said, beaming. "Isn't it wonderful?"

With a pained sigh she rose to her feet and, immediately, every single Starly around them turned its tiny head toward her, small beady eyes fully focused on her. Argenta gave them a look-over, then smiled, looking decades younger than she was.

"Dinner is over! Off with you now!" She waved her arms toward the sky, her voice booming. "Go on, small ones; may your bodies fly true and your eyes see past even the deepest of darkness, like an arrow of light fired toward the moon! Go and throw yourselves at the endless blanket of the sky!"

There was a sound like dozens of dusters slapping the air and then each Starly shot off in a different direction, sending weak gusts of wind all around and forcing Percy to wince. The darkness of the forest soon swallowed them, leaving the clearing in complete silence. Percy focused his hearing, trying to notice any hint of the flap of wings or the coo of a Starly, to no avail.

"Impressive," he said, turning to Argenta. "They're well trained for being so young."

She raised a finger as though intending to poke him with it. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. Stealth isn't learned, boy. You either have it or you don't."

He wasn't so sure about that, but saw little point in arguing, so he decided to keep quiet and instead focused his attention on the black sky above. A thick cloud of mist covered the stars from view, the only light powerful enough to break through it that of the half-moon, glistening like a pearl against charcoal.

His fingers spun the ring on his left hand unconsciously, the feeling of touching silver easing the knot in his stomach slightly. A slew of questions bounced off the insides of his mind like ping-pong balls, unable to find a place to rest, so he simply let them be. It was a distraction, at least, and distractions made time pass faster, in his experience.

The chill in the air sent a shiver down his spine, and he came back to himself. He gave Argenta a side-glance, then looked down.

"They'll be back soon," she said.

He blinked, then looked up at her with a confused look. "Wha–"

"There's nothing wrong with doubting yourself once in a while. All you need to do is put effort into prove yourself wrong." She turned to look at him, arms crossed, eyes sharp and wise. "Keep that in mind. And look up."

It took him a moment to obey; the sound of rushing wind reached his ears and as he raised his gaze he noticed the silhouette of three enormous Pokemon soaring high above, their wings cutting through the air like butter.

"Now I don't think those are my Starly," said Argenta with a cheeky smile. "Either that or my new nutritious meal plan is really doing work."

An explosion of wind pushed him to his feet as Knives and Palmer's Salamance landed a few feet from them, extending their wings to their full span and breathing in relief. Cynthia's Pokemon appeared soon after, though just as before, the Champion returned it to its Pokeball before he could take a good look at it.

"Reiko!" he beamed. "Hey, how was–"

The smile vanished off his lips as soon as he saw Reiko's face. With a flick of her wrist she returned Knives to its Pokeball; its light sharply exacerbating the worrying and sudden paleness of her skin. She looked sick, and her gaze seemed lost someplace else before she caught attention of him.

"Hey," she said. "Sorry for being late."

Her eyes did not meet his. One of her hands was strongly closed around her bicep, while the other hung next to her thigh, curled into a fist.

"What happened?"

None of them spoke. Palmer, whose face looked –unbelievably enough– sicker than Reiko's, stood looking a lot shorter than he usually did, eyes glued to the ground. Cynthia hadn't moved from the spot where she'd landed. Her back was to them, long hair covering most of her body and making it impossible to see her face.

Argenta was the first to speak, approaching the group with a careful look on her face. "Come now; we will get nowhere by swallowing our tongues and wishing the ground did the same for us, my partners. Let us be honest with each other; what h–"

"Argenta."

A shiver spread through the air, like the feeling of being suddenly jolted awake, and all four of them felt it. Cynthia turned, maybe just a bit too fast, and faced them. She looked different. No, that wasn't the right way to put it. Her appearance was exactly the same as usual, yet for the first time Percy saw her in a different light. The paleness of her face looked more sickly than radiant, and the usual flicker of laughter behind her eyes had completely disappeared. She seemed, for once, less like an invincible demigod than just a really tired woman in her late thirties.

She held the silence for a few more moments before speaking again.

"Palmer and Reiko can give you the details, but I would prefer our official discussion to take place tomorrow." She glared at Reiko, face blank. "I won't be as heartless as to keep you from your bed for a second longer."

At that, Palmer perked up. "W-what are you going to do?"

"I need some time to think," replied Cynthia, her expression turning grim. "It shames me to admit this, but I find my mind too ailed at the moment to be of use for our mission. Still, there is work to be done." She looked for a moment as though she were at a loss for words, then continued. "There are mysteries to be unearthed. Dots to be connected. There's something very basic I'm missing," she said, her tone of voice making it clear she was talking more to herself than to them. "…I don't have a good feeling about this."

And with that she headed straight for the door of the house, the tail of her coat trailing behind her, cutting through the mist as though it weren't there. Percy felt a prick of anger in his stomach. What the hell was her problem? What had they seen back there in Solaceon?

"Real ray of sunlight," muttered Reiko under her breath, though there was no humor in her voice.

"Reiko, what on earth…?"

"Not here," she cut him off. "Cynthia was right about one thing; I can't wait for this fucking night to be over." She sighed. "Let's go to bed. We can talk there."


The next morning came and went, and while Reiko expected sleep to evade her, it seemed the toil of their past mission had been too much even for her. She slept like an Onix and by the time she woke up her internal clock told her it was already past noon. Her stomach, on the other hand, screamed at her angrily to eat something, which she couldn't really argue with.

She paid no mind to Palmer as she entered the kitchen and began preparing her brunch. Since the house did not count with electricity or gas, she had to content herself with making a sandwich and calling it a day. That was fine by her. She'd learned enough from Janine about how to survive in the wild and this was nothing, in comparison.

Absentmindedly she reached for a knife to spread some mustard on the bread, but she froze as soon as the ceiling light reflected off it, making it gleam. The knife suddenly felt cold, and heavy. She stared at it for what felt like a minute before she came back to herself and shook her head slightly, color rising to her cheeks.

Get off it, she thought, angrily. This is nothing. Last night was… nothing.

She looked over her shoulder and, to her relief, Palmer didn't seem to have noticed her short trance. Didn't seem to have noticed her even walking in, in fact. His gaze was fixed on the Pokétch around his wrist, absentmindedly scrolling on the screen with an empty look on his face. Without the usual smile brightening up his features, the man looked about ten years older.

Reiko stared, then an idea came to her. At first she swatted it away like an annoying mosquito, but then Barry's face came into her mind and she felt a knot in her stomach. She had a soft spot for the boy, she couldn't deny that. Still, that meant nothing regarding his father; she had all the right in the world to hate him as much as she wanted. He deserved it. The things he'd done…

She suddenly pursed her lips, remembering last night's scene. Cynthia's words echoed inside her head.

Do you believe these kids deserve the fate they got?

She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling her muscles twice as heavy as usual. Then, with barely a hint of effort, she turned around and grabbed the knife again.

A minute later, a plate with two sandwiches came down somewhat violently in front of Palmer's face. The man jumped, eyes wide, and made a gesture toward his belt. However, all that was in front of him was the plate of food and Reiko, glaring down at him.

"Wha–"

"You need to eat," she said plainly. "You're no use to us hungry or dead."

And without another word she sat across him and began chomping on her own food, making sure not to make eye contact. Palmer blinked a few times. Surely, he must have thought he was dreaming or otherwise he'd been hit in the head pretty hard. Which, knowing his son and the way he acted, might have happened more than a few times. Reiko couldn't help but smile at the thought, though she hid it well.

"Thanks," he said, voice thin. "I am feeling a bit peckish, if I have to admit…"

Reiko paused, the sandwich raised halfway toward her mouth. Her eyebrow lifted. "Peckish?"

A weak smile formed on his lips. "My mother was from Galar. I slip into her accent once in a while."

"Hmm."

It was hard not to notice now that he'd pointed it out, though Reiko knew about these dialects about as much as she knew about 16th century economics. That is, barely at all, with the exception of some boring facts Percy prattled her about sometimes. For a moment she was tempted to ask Palmer about his family. However, a part of her took that idea with its two hands and snapped it in half maliciously, as though mocking her for even considering such a thing. She didn't care. Why would she care?

Uncomfortably, half a sandwich already in her mouth, she leaned back on her chair and began looking around the room, searching for anything to take her mind off… everything. Unfortunately, the room was as bare as ever. That is, with the exception of a single, colorful cross-stitch pattern hanging from the wall at her right. 'Bless this Mess' was lovingly stitched in red and green, vines and flowers surrounding the message and a cartoonishly chibi Cynthia sitting atop the letters, smiling.

'I thought it would liven up the kitchen' she had said two days ago, when she'd hung the horrid thing to the astonishment and disgust of Reiko. 'Morale is the most important part of keeping a group together, you know'.

Reiko scoffed at the thought. Right, there was no better way to apprehend a bunch of terrorists than to believe in the power of friendship. What a bunch of bullshit.

'Sides, not like she's trying to lead by the example, she thought, glaring at the door behind her.

"Hey," she said, startling Palmer. "What d'you reckon she's doing all locked up in her room?"

"Cynthia?"

"No, the fucking gremlin that lives in the secret fifth room of the house," she snapped back. "Yes Cynthia!"

"O-oh." Palmer looked staggered, though after a second he managed to draw what looked like a genuine smile. "Something important, I bet. Cynthia ain't one to bother with something unless it's of ultimate significance."

Reiko frowned. "That's not an answer. Doesn't it bother you that she doesn't share that stuff with us?"

"I reckon she's got her reasons for keeping secrets."

"And you just trust her blindly? You never think that maybe she's got no idea what's going on either and we're just wasting our fucking time here, waiting for her? What kind of 'united group' does that make us?"

"Hey, I never said I don't agree." Palmer shrugged nonchalantly. "It comes down to whether you trust Cynthia or not. I understand why you wouldn't," he hurried to add, seeing Reiko's frown deepen. "And I don't blame you if you don't, but remember; you haven't seen her work yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Palmer looked at her, serious. "I'll just say this; her reputation ain't undeserved. If it were, she wouldn't have dismantled a government and turn the tide of a war by herself." Reiko's nose flared at that last part and he noticed. "Crap, sorry. Still… you can't really argue with her talent, and talent comes with a price."

"And that price is…?"

"Trusting that she knows what she's doing, even if you don't really believe she does," he finished saying, making a 'Oh well' gesture with his hands and shoulders.

Reiko shook her head and shoved the rest of the sandwich into her mouth, mumbling an unintelligible spew of insults and angry comments, none of which could be made out except for a few 'ridiculous' and 'this fucking region…'.

"Maybe she'll surprise you soon," Palmer said hopefully.

She already had, Reiko thought as the memory of last night came to her, that of the terrifying Pokemon Cynthia had called and ordered to make her relive the last moments of those poor kids' lives. She could vividly remember that gut-wrenching scream as though it had just happened.

"Yeah, maybe," whispered Reiko sourly. "I'm in the mood for a surprise. Maybe her not being such a showboating, self-absorbed cryptic bast–"

"And a good afternoon to you as well, Reiko."

Cynthia strolled into the room, so soundlessly that Palmer and Reiko couldn't help but jump at her sudden presence. Heavy bags hung under her eyes. The tiny smile she shot them both did little to ease the knot in their stomach at how unkempt she looked.

"Oh. Hey, Cynthia…" Palmer stood up suddenly, wiping his face with his sleeve and blinking rapidly. "We were just…"

"Talking about you," Reiko finished his sentence. "You look like a punch to the face."

"I suppose I do," said Cynthia with her back to them, filling a glass with water from the tap. "It's been a long night."

Palmer walked toward her, though still kept a distance of about an arm. He looked at her questioningly.

"Any news?" he asked. "Did you discover something?"

A hint of irritation crossed Cynthia's face, something Reiko would have greatly enjoyed at any other time.

"I'm… afraid I haven't made much progress in my investigation," she said, tone ice-cold. "I'm sorry."

Palmer nodded empathically, smiling. "'S fine. You'll get it eventually."

"Might help if you told us what you're investigating," Reiko offered. "But hey, what do I know. I'm not as accomplished as you are, after all."

Cynthia, unsurprisingly, met her comment with a patient smile and a nod of acknowledgment.

"Hey, some coffee might help us all out." Palmer glanced at both of them with a forced cheery expression. "I'll go get some, alright? Then we can think more about all this."

"That's very kind of you," said Cynthia absentmindedly.

Reiko said nothing as he exited the room, looking more like he needed a break than anything else. She couldn't blame him really. After a few seconds of silence, briefly interrupted by the sound of Cynthia emptying her glass of water, the woman finally addressed her.

"I wouldn't want to give the image that I don't trust you," she said. "I am simply… trying to shed some light into the obscure puzzle that is our enemy's plan. Mars and her Ditto, more specifically."

Reiko nodded, somewhat expecting that answer. To be honest, she'd given the matter some thought herself.

"Not much we can do until someone catches her," she said, sinking into her chair. "I'm guessing you haven't got anything on her background?"

"Only theories," said Cynthia sourly. "None of which are substantial enough to fill the blank spaces in this particular puzzle. There are no records of her before she turned eighteen, and even after that it has been extremely difficult to get any information about her. It's… troubling."

"Right... of course we can't just get an answer right away." Reiko narrowed her eyes, exhausted, her gaze stuck on the dingy, moldy ceiling. "Don't know what to tell you. I only know about Mars because of that Ditto of hers and the fact that Charon gave it to her."

There was an immediate change in the atmosphere, so abrupt it felt like a shock to her spine. Reiko opened her eyes wide and turned toward Cynthia. The woman stood still as a plank, her glass halfway toward her mouth.

"I…" She blinked a few times. "Come again?"

Reiko shot her a raised eyebrow, wondering if she had finally lost her mind. What was the matter with her?

"You know… the Ditto?" said Reiko, with a tone normally used to educate children. "Charon created it while he was working with Fuji and Blaine on that M project during the war."

It was as though a ray of divine light had fallen upon Cynthia; at once, all the exhaustion and irritation seemed to fade off her face, and as she stood again to her full height, eyes widening in realization, Reiko felt a powerful shiver run over her like a crashing wave of excitement.

"Of course," she whispered breathily. "How could I be so blind!?"

Cynthia's hand moved so quickly Reiko could barely react, and with a flick of her wrist she produced a shiny Ultraball in her hand. Only when light pooled off it did Reiko lean back, alarmed. A small, elegant creature of soft pink fur and long, pointy ears materialized on top of the table, glancing around regally and whipping the air impatiently with her thin, bifurcated tail. The Espeon blinked twice, then turned toward her trainer. A potent red light glowed between her eyes, the gem encrusted in her forehead pulsing with unbridled psychic power.

"Noria, I need you to teleport a few tomes to me, if you may," said Cynthia, a hint of impatience in her voice. "X-12 and F-5. They're both inside my room back in Celestic. If you need further indications…"

However, it seemed Noria hardly needed any indication whatsoever, as her eyes lit ablaze even before the woman had finished her sentence. An odd feeling overtook the room, one that Reiko recognized too well. It was the same chest-tightening sensation that usually came with teleportation, only not quite as strong or unpleasant. A second after, two books materialized in front of the Espeon with a pop. One of them was massive, easily heavier than Noria, while the other one was a small and dingy journal, dry and leather-bound.

"What are you doing?" Reiko asked cautiously.

"Finally finding some answers, hopefully," replied Cynthia, picking up the larger tome –titled 'Genetic Poke-Mutations and Their Exploitation in Modern Science'– and opening. "I wouldn't want to be presumptuous, of course, but I daresay your comment just now might have finally given me the piece I needed."

"Would it fucking kill you to be straightforward for once?"

It seemed she hadn't heard her at first, her eyes flying through the text with an ever more excited look on her face, but after a few seconds she began speaking without looking up.

"Charon. Charon was the missing piece," she declared victoriously. "You said it yourself, did you not? Had I taken your background into account… Ah, but there is no time for regretting. You are familiar with Charon's work, are you not?"

Reiko rose to her feet and regarded Cynthia with caution, unsure of what she was getting at.

"…A fair bit. Dad worked with him on the M entity project."

"A very interesting project, for sure. It took me months to finally convince Lance to let me take a look inside Cinnabar Manor, and what I found there was… most illuminating." Her gaze stopped on a specific part of the page, lips curling into a smile. "Of course… here it is."

And without prompt she slammed the tome shut and set her eyes on the small journal, resting an inch from a now sleepy Noria.

"Wait… Wait, hold on, you went inside Cinnabar Manor?" Reiko pointed at her with a finger, eyes wide. "But I thought…"

"That it had been regarded as off limits for anyone without high clearance? Right you are, Reiko. Luckily for me, I've always been good at finding knowledge where others have so desperately tried to hide it. You seem the same as me in that regard…"

"Yeah, I broke in too," said Reiko, not a hint of shame in her voice. "Right before heading for Sinnoh, but I didn't find anything important. I'm guessing…"

At that Cynthia grabbed the journal and raised it in front of her face, smiling widely.

"Buried under a rather hefty pile of rubble; it's no wonder they didn't find it. Lucky me." Her fingers grazed the spine delicately as she opened it, looking down at its contents. "This is the diary of none other than Professor Fuji; the very one he used during the entirety of the M entity project. I daresay I'm the only person other than the Professor himself whose eyes have read the words within."

"What!?" Her scream made Noria jump out and scamper under the table. "Why'd you… You should've…"

"I implore you to calm down," said Cynthia, still not looking at her. "I assure you there is nothing in here that would be new information to you or those investigating said incident. Or… so I thought, until now." A frown adorned her face. "Say, how much do you know, exactly, about Mars' Ditto and its relation to Charon?"

Reiko still hadn't gotten over the fact that Cynthia had stolen such an important trove of information for her own use, but there seemed to be more important matters at the moment. Swallowing her anger, she replied.

"It's… supposed to be the last prototype they worked on before they finally got it right," she said. "Or… wrong, depending on how you look at it. All I know is that it's stronger than a normal Ditto and… weirder, too. Why'd you ask?"

"I would also like to ask…" Cynthia said, as though she hadn't heard her question at the end. "…Are you aware of the strange Pokemon released upon my town during the Festival of Spirit?"

Reiko blinked, confused. "The… that bug-looking thing with the cannon on its back? What about it?"

"Just keep it in mind, if you'd be so kind. Ah, here we are." A tiny sound of delight escaped Cynthia's lips, her one visible eye twinkling with excitement. "I would like to read part of this diary to you. I'm sure it will prove most illuminating."

"I… sure?"

At that, Cynthia cleared her throat and –as Noria hissed and whined and threw herself on top of her trainer's shoes, irritated– began reciting the contents of the diary:

"January 13th: Further attempts to stabilize the genetic makeup of the samples have proved unsuccessful, I'm afraid. It's been months now. Morale, as high as it was during the first months of the project, when we could hardly believe we'd been given such an opportunity, is steadily dropping. Blaine is doing his best to push us along, the old chap, always ready to crack a joke or give a strong pat to the back and reassure us that we are getting ever closer to our goal, regardless of whether it's the truth or not. Charon, on the other hand, considers such behavior to be beneath him. He is a man of his work, and nothing else. And while I can't help but admire his determination to see this project to completion, something about his 'all or nothing' mentality never fails to make me uneasy. I pray it is simply my age, turning me paranoid in these times of war.

"January 21st: There's been a breakthrough, finally. The latest sample, like many before, reached the mid-point of embryonic development before its genetic makeup overtook the rest of its body, turning it into the usual pink goo we have seen plenty of before. This time, however, the creature is different. Not only does it boast tremendous shape-shifting abilities, much closer to what texts and myths describe Mew's own powers to be like, but its sense of obedience is absolute. It will follow any order to the T, without a moment's hesitation. And while it does sound like an improvement, this comes as both a blessing and a curse. Our efforts to enhance a certain part of Mew's genetic makeup before the creation of this clone seems to have robbed the creature of its ability to think, and feel. It acts more like a robot than a Pokemon, which neither Blaine nor I are happy about. Charon, on the other hand, seems delighted. My worries continue to mount."

"January 23rd: After many hours of testing, shouting and a broken nose, we have settled on the matter: this latest clone will be deemed a failure. Charon adamantly refused to humor the idea, but unfortunately for him, Blaine and I outnumber him when it comes to voting on the subject. True; the sample is far more powerful and obedient than any other before, but isn't that precisely the reason not to use it? Our instructions were clear. We are to create a clone of Mew, not a mindless beast that follows anyone's orders without a second thought and whose power could very easily fall into the wrong hands. I shudder to think of the possibility.

"January 27th: Charon is gone. At first I believed our argument regarding the latest sample might have created a rift between the three of us, two wide to ever be repaired. Luckily, the reason for his departure is not what we assumed at first. Just today he has sent us a letter, telling us that he's traveled by Fearow to his home town, Cerulean, where he believes lays the final piece of this particular puzzle. I admit, I raised an eyebrow at that particular choice of words. Still, the man hasn't let me down so far, so I shall trust his judgment.

"January 28th: Fuchsia has fallen. Time is running out, and we've no word from Charon ever since his last letter. The fear is palpable all over the lab. Fukawa, bless her heart, broke down during the middle of one of our experiments and had a panic attack from which she still hasn't recovered. It seems most of her family resided in Fuchsia. Chabashira seems nervous as well; Saffron hasn't fallen yet, but still he worries about his wife and child.

Reiko couldn't help but gasp, a terribly sharp pain sprouting in her chest. Cynthia, who until that moment had kept speaking with only minimal pause for breathing, lowered the journal ever so slightly and peered over it, toward her. There was a glint of remorse in her eyes.

"S' fine," said Reiko through grit teeth. She swallowed, and tried to control her voice. "Keep going."

Cynthia held her gaze for a few moments, then nodded.

"January 30th: Charon is back. It seems the tardiness of his arrival was due to the troubles he came across in order to bring… it back. His explanation was quick, and to the point. Cerulean Cave has, ever since the founding of Kanto, been deemed as one of the most dangerous places in all the region for both humans and Pokemon, rivaling even the summit of Mt. Silver itself. This, of course, had always eluded an official explanation. Why was the cave so impossible to navigate? Why were the Pokemon inside so incredibly, outrageously powerful and why did most of their strength seemed to vanish the moment they exited the place? It seems, finally, someone has found an answer.

"Charon, upon reaching Cerulean, hired a team of professional trainers and archaeologists and led them down the cave, refusing to stop until they found what he was looking for. Finally, after days of bloody struggle, he came upon it. Within the deepest and darkest chamber of the cave he found the fossilized corpse of a massive, undiscovered Pokemon. This was old hat for him, of course, as new types of fossils kept popping up all over the world. However, it was not the fossil itself Charon was interested in, but what lay within. He calls it the Berserk Gene, a very odd and incredibly powerful genetic booster which seems to have belonged to a prehistoric beast known at the time only as the Blood Seeker. It should be able to enhance the samples themselves, preventing their forms from shattering upon extended contact with the overwhelming power of Mew's DNA. Unfortunately, it seems the beast's corpse only contained a very scarce sample of said gene. There is a decision to be made.

"February 2nd: Once again, Charon was overruled. I don't believe I've ever seen him so furious, though I can hardly blame him. After much examining the sample he provided, we came to the conclusion that there was only enough for a single use, which put us in a precarious situation. Charon advocated for it to be used on the latest sample, but once again we had to remind him that our task was to create a Pokemon, not an automaton. He strongly disagreed, claiming that a mindless end-product would be much more profitable and that the League would surely prefer a weapon that did as it was told instead of something capable of refusing orders. Unfortunately, again, he was outnumbered. We will use the Berserk Gene on a new sample, and pray that our efforts will not have been for naught.

"February 4th: For the first time, we are seeing hopeful signs. The embryo has retained its form for twice as long as any of the previous ones. Moreover, our machines have detected strong neural activity long before it should have manifested. If it can survive for a few days more like this…

"February 6th: We have done it. The clone has reached a form far beyond anything we could have imagined. It's still small, of course, and bears more than a little resemblance to the legendary Mew, only its fur is white and violet instead of pink. It sleeps, though its neural activity has grown so astonishingly fast that there is no doubt this creature will possess incredible psychic abilities once it has fully developed.

"After all this time… finally, we have done it. A clone worthy of the legendary Mew. We shall name this creature… Mewtwo."

A dreary, drawn-out silence followed the uttering of that name. Reiko waited, expecting Cynthia to continue with the next entry, but she simply snapped the journal shut and took in a deep breath, her voice tired from so much speaking. Just then, she noticed that Palmer stood under the sill of the door, carrying a pair of cups and a coffee bag, eyes as wide as hers. How long had he been listening for?

"As I'm sure you know," said Cynthia, her voice drawing all attention back to her. "Said creature escaped containment only a few months after this last entry, leaving a destroyed laboratory in its wake."

Reiko swallowed, feeling her throat dry. "W-why?"

"It seems, ironically enough, that Blaine and Fuji's decision to give this last clone not only the Berserk Gene but also free will and the ability to think for itself became the undoing of their precious project. Mewtwo was not keen to follow orders, you see." She gave Reiko a meaningful look, a tiny smile on her face. "A feeling you're probably familiar with."

Heat rose to her cheeks, and every single retort or insult that came to her died in her throat. Cynthia kept smiling for a moment, then continued.

"They tried to contain them, of course. No matter how much respect they placed on the creature's ability to choose for themself, they still considered thema Pokemon. And Pokemon, they believed, were meant to follow our orders." Her smile turned sour, then vanished. "Mewtwo did not take that well, as you can imagine. They were reluctant to hurt those who had brought them into this world, but after a brief demonstration of how futile it would be to even attempt to capture them, they made their stance perfectly clear to all present: 'Humans may have created me, but they will never enslave me. That cannot be my destiny.'"

A pang of guilt crept up Reiko's stomach. All these years, she'd harbored a bit of a resentment toward this creature for abandoning the scientists who had created them and turning their back on Kanto when the region needed them most. Still… Could they really be blamed for doing so? Being created with the single purpose of fighting a war and nothing else… What would knowledge like that do to a person? To a Pokemon? Would she had reacted differently, had she been in their shoes?

Her gaze moved down to the odd Pokeball at the end of her belt. No, of course not. Wasn't that the reason she'd been chosen; because she most succinctly embodied the flame of cinnabar; impossible to contain, no matter how strong the chains?

She swallowed, feeling something heavy land on her stomach. Still…

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked. "What does it have to do with… that thing you discovered?"

Cynthia placed the journal down on the table, the curl of her smile making it evident that Reiko had asked the right question.

"A few weeks ago," she said, "the Association received the lab results from the examination of… well, what little was left of that mechanized beast Cyrus used to attack my home."

Reiko frowned. "That robot bug thing? What of it?"

"That 'robot bug thing' was much stranger than any of us expected," said Cynthia. "For one thing, its insides were only partially developed, as though the result of a fossil restoration experiment gone wrong. The metallic exoskeleton surrounding it seems to have served the purpose of not only strengthening the creature but also protecting its weak muscles and bones. Odd, considering fossil cloning has been an almost perfected science for almost a decade now." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Of course, our first assumption was that what lie beneath that armor was a Kabutops, judging by the creature's bone structure. However…"

"That wasn't the case," finished Palmer, a sour smile on his face. "Sarah told me," he explained as Cynthia raised a curious eyebrow. "Says it's the most paperwork she's ever needed to do for the science department."

"It was a long and confusing day for sure," nodded the Champion. "Its strange physiology, its powerful, incredibly confusing genetic makeup… We were unable to identify what Pokemon those remains belonged to… until now, of course." There was a tinge of victory in her voice, in the way she almost chuckled as she said that. "Reiko, I'm sure by now you realize what I'm saying?"

She nodded, the weight of her implication falling upon her like a cold gust of wind.

"You mean it was one of those… Blood Seeker things?"

"Indeed. A prehistoric beast, much older than any of the Pokemon we know today, even those who have been revived from our oldest fossils. From what little I've read, it seems there weren't many of them around even at the peak of their species, since their brutality led them to either starve to death from overhunting their prey or killing each other in an attempt to prove their might. Not many fossils remain, and those who do are too old and worn out for modern science to make any use of. Though of course…" She sighed, looking down at the journal. "Charon seems to be trying as hard as he can, in a way."

"In a way?" Palmer asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, well… I doubt his goal is to revive the beast itself. As it's been proven already; his best attempt was still not strong enough to stand against my strongest partner," she said with a hint of pride in her voice. "No, I reckon he's after a very specific part of the beast."

Realization dawned on Reiko like a kick to the chin, and a second after a gasp from behind her confirmed that Palmer had understood, too.

"That berserk.. thing?" she asked, horrified. "He wants more of it!?"

"That is my guess, yes." Cynthia looked at her, and then at Palmer. "He's most likely trying to recreate the Berserk Gene at this very moment, or at least a sample big enough to rival the one he found in the depths of Cerulean Cave…"

"Wha-wait, hold on!" Palmer took a step forward, the cups on his hands almost falling to the ground. "You're telling me they're trying to… make another one of those things!? Another Mewtwo!?"

"Not just another, I'm afraid. You remember Charon's insistence, even back then, on using the sample on a clone devoid of all thought and free will? I believe him stealing that specific Ditto before fleeing toward Sinnoh is no coincidence."

Reiko let out a sudden, fearful chuckle, driving one of her hands through her hair. "O-oh my god…"

"My thoughts exactly," Cynthia shot her an empathic look. "The idea of a being just as powerful as Mewtwo, only lacking the ability to disobey its masters… and under Team Galactic's control, no less."

"It's insane," muttered Palmer, shaking his head as though wanting to rid the thought off his mind. "Absolutely mental."

Cynthia nodded. "We should consider ourselves lucky that Mars decided to betray Team Galactic when she did."

"Then that's what they're after?" asked Reiko. "Team Galactic I mean. They wanna make another one of those things?"

"I'm sure it's one of the things they're after. Not their main goal, but when the time comes for Cyrus to put his plans into motion, he'll want a way to keep the entirety of the Association, and me most of all, from stopping him. And what better defense against that than the most powerful Pokemon in existence?"

"What do we do then?" asked Palmer suddenly. "I mean, we can't just let them…"

"Not much more we can do, I'm afraid," replied Cynthia. "We are already doing everything in our power to stop them, are we not?" There was a pause, and she looked down. "Still… it would be foolish not to capitalize on this information which, I'm sure, Cyrus believes we don't have."

She turned to Palmer so suddenly that the man jumped. "Could you contact Lucian? Explain to him what we have just discovered, in detail, and tell him to make Mars' capture our top priority. Additionally, urge him to get in touch with the Association's breeding experts and have them raise and train a new legion of dark-type Pokemon, just in case."

Palmer gave a decisive nod. "Right away."

He placed all the objects in his hands on top of the table and promptly turned around, disappearing past the sill of the door.

Reiko set her hands down flat on the table, feeling her breathing a bit busier than usual. She had to admit, when Cynthia said she'd finally figured it out she imagined it would be… something hopeful, maybe? Definitely not this. A defeated sigh left her lips. She figured this was how it'd work from now on. Every new discovery was an inch of the battle lost, yet a hopeful two inches won in the future.

"What's with that long face, Reiko?"

Cynthia's tone was playful, almost excited. Reiko looked up with a frown, keen on asking what the hell was so funny right now, when she saw the look on her face.

"What?" she asked.

"Admittedly… I may have stretched the truth a little bit." Cynthia leaned back on the kitchen counter, arms folded and a skittish smile on her face. "There is something else we could do about this revelation, though nothing Palmer could help me with."

Reiko scoffed. "That's why you got him out?"

"He has too much in his mind at the moment; I'd rather he busies himself with easy tasks." She gave a half shrug. "You, however, might be able to help me."

As sour as Reiko found the idea of aiding someone like her –especially when she looked as though the prospect of fighting one of those things excited her–, she couldn't really say no. There was too much at stake for her standards to be as high as they usually were.

"What do you need?"

"Oh, nothing for you to do, specifically," said Cynthia with a tilt of the head and a smile. "It's just that I have a… friend, who might be able to help us with this particular problem, and I wanted to know if you'd mind accompanying me to meet them."

Reiko was taken aback. "Why me? You know I'm shit at convincing people to help us."

"Evidently," muttered Cynthia under her breath. "But I thought it may interest you, since this friend of mine is currently residing in Kanto."

There was a quick pause in which Reiko simply stared, waiting for Cynthia to say something else or to declare the whole thing a joke. When that didn't happen, she simply let out a derisive laugh.

"You're serious," she said, seeing no hint of a joke in Cynthia's face. "You want me to go with you all the way to Kanto?"

"Wouldn't it be nice to see your region again?"

"Uh… Yeah, but it'd also be nice to not waste a few days just traveling!" Reiko snapped back, shaking her head in disbelief. "There's no way we could make it there and then back before…"

"Oh yes, we could."

Reiko stumbled on her words. "W-what?"

"I don't mean to… insult your usual means of travel," said Cynthia with a smug look. "But I assure you; my Pokemon could get us to Kanto and back in less than a day. The rest would hardly realize we're gone."

"Y-you're joking."

"I usually am," admitted Cynthia. "But not on this. What do you say, then? I'm leaving in a few minutes, regardless of your answer, but I sincerely believe that you will regret not accompanying me, once all this is over."

She considered it, but only for a second. After all, wasn't the wait the worst thing about all of this? Being stuck inside a dingy house, staring at the clock and looking for ways to pass the time until finally they had something to do? Besides… it would be nice to see Kanto again, she thought with a gentle smile.

"Alright," she said, standing to her full height, a look of determination on her face. "Let's go."