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Sword and Pen
I was not born weak. Even amongst my brethren, I was special. My eyes were sharper than a Staraptor's and my arms were as strong as a stampede of Tauros. At six years of age, I beat an adult in combat. By the time I turned ten I could paralyze a hardened soldier with nothing more than a glare. I was accepted into the University and graduated at a younger age than most people are allowed in. A month later, I became the leader of the royal guard. Two months after that, Azelf chose me as its companion.
But even all that is a downplay of my prowess. I could sit here and write about every one of my thousands of accomplishments, painting a clear picture of exactly how powerful I was, yet that would be a waste of time. In order to illustrate the very height of my power to anyone reading these words, this is all I need to say:
Look upon the sky as the sun sets in the east, past the horizon. There, rising toward the sky, you will see my two greatest creations.
Rain began pouring the day after that shadow figure had appeared in front of Inyssa, making it impossible to walk out into the bow of the ship unless she wanted to come back in soaked to the bones and possibly suffering from hypothermia. And honestly, she was fine with that. After the events of last night, she had no desire to go there again and risk yet another encounter.
Not that she felt safe inside. Huddled in her bed, hugging her knees and pressed tightly against the spot where two walls met, Inyssa kept glancing out the window every few seconds, looking out for any odd sign. A dark figure, an weirdly shaped shadow, a pale arm or a pair of green eyes. But no; even if she could see past the endless sheets of rain she doubted anything other than shifting waves and dark sky would meet her gaze.
The ship shook, and Inyssa felt her stomach turn. The room grew colder with each minute that passed, to the point where she was seriously starting to consider wrapping herself in blankets. Unfortunately, that would have to wait. She'd promised Barry to meet him for dinner in a few minutes, and figured he wouldn't take it well if she fell asleep on him.
Not that she was worried about such things at the moment, of course.
"As I said, I can only imagine that… thing being a simple figment," said Uxie, its weightless voice reverberating inside her mind. "It is not unheard of. Those I've chosen to partner with usually have this problem early on in our companionship. The line between reality and illusion might as well not exist sometimes when dealing with a powerful Shockeye."
"Not that I'm such a thing, mind you," Inyssa muttered, bitterly, under her breath.
"Yes, well, it depends," said Uxie. "Your powers are generally tied to your state of mind, and their efficacy to your ingenuity regarding how to use them. At that moment you seemed quite happ–"
"What I don't get," she interrupted, not wishing to discuss that particular topic, "is why that specific… thing appeared. What's it mean?"
"That, I do not know."
Inyssa glared, irritation sparking in her chest.
"Well thank goodness for your boundless wisdom!" she cried out, voice thick with sarcasm. "A Scyther trying to knit would be better at their job than you, I'm sure!"
She felt a bit of shame coming from Uxie, mixed with a hint of pride.
"I do not know…" it continued, as though she hadn't interrupted. "…Because demons of the mind are precisely that; of the mind. Each one is different, befit to more successfully haunt the specific mind they reside in. So no, Inyssa, I do not know why your own head chose to torment you in that specific way. In fact, I believe you should be the one to tell me that. Assuming you can, of course."
Inyssa looked down, unconsciously shrinking herself. "Sorry. Didn't mean to upset you."
"It's quite all right."
The last she needed was to anger the only being that might be able to help her with this, so as she spoke again she tried to imbue at least some gentleness into her voice.
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked. "So it doesn't happen again?"
"Perhaps," said Uxie. "Though I fail to see the urgency. That… shade didn't seem intent to hurt you or Barry, did it?"
"I don't care," snapped Inyssa, perhaps too strongly. "I don't like it and I don't wanna see it again."
Uxie said nothing for what felt like an entire minute, yet its presence remained inside the room and Inyssa could feel it thinking, deliberating, almost humming in concentration as it mulled something over. It reminded Inyssa, uncomfortably, of herself.
"May I pull you into your mind for a moment?"
Inyssa gave the empty air a quizzical look. "Uh… sure. But why'd…?"
That familiar feeling of being siphoned away overtook her, and a moment after she felt herself weightless and free of the usual bothers of her own body. She was back in that empty and endless white room, thick mists covering every inch she could see with the exception of those mirrors floating and flying overhead, as though they were planets orbiting the sun that was her.
Nice to see the place hasn't changed much, thought Inyssa, looking around. Are the mists thicker than before?
"So it seems," said Uxie, floating beside her as a shining golden sprite. "It had gotten somewhat clearer recently, at least until you saw that thing."
Inyssa froze, the implication of Uxie's statement washing over her like a punch to the nose. Out of the corner of her… well, not eye technically, she noticed that the pearly white of the mist around her changed into a very slight and soft red, perhaps mirroring her own emotions. If what it was saying was true, then did that mean…?
The mist's not supposed to be here, is it? It's not… normal.
Once again, Uxie said nothing. Yet it didn't bother her, because she knew that its silences often spoke volumes higher than its words.
Why didn't you tell me?
"No mind is perfect," Uxie said, the barest hint of regret in its tone. "Yet they have to pretend to be, in order to work properly. Those spots that threaten the wellbeing of the rest, those memories that are too painful to recall, any sliver of the mind that does not work as it is supposed to, they are often, and unfortunately, purposely hidden by the mind itself. It's a defense mechanism, of sorts."
Kind of like a city, muttered Inyssa. The good neighborhoods try to hide the bad ones and pretend they don't exist. 'Course, that never works.
"Right you are. It is not the most reliable way of dealing with the problem." Uxie's sprite hovered in a circle around her, as though observing the mist carefully. "However, it is an unfortunate truth that not many treat their mind as carefully as they treat their body."
The wisps around them glowed slightly red again, and Inyssa knew that if they were back in the real world her cheeks would have flushed. Uxie's tone wasn't accusatory. Still, she couldn't help but feel called out, considering how little effort she had put into caring for the wellbeing of her own mind before.
Then that's what this all is? She asked, trying to change the subject. The mist is just my mind throwing a blanket over all my problems and calling it a day? There was a pause, and another gleam of red around her. Not much different than how I do it, huh.
"Well… it is your mind," said Uxie, a smile in its voice. "But yes, it is, in my opinion, a rather crude way of hiding the parts of yourself that it does not want to show you. For example; you've mentioned before that you sometimes find it difficult to recall parts of your past, did you not?"
An uncomfortable feeling, like a sudden emptiness in her currently nonexistent chest, made her choke on her words before she could get them out. That was quite right, yes. Not that she had ever wanted to call attention to it, unless it was for some self-deprecating humor, but it had been rather alarming to her that she remembered so little of certain parts of her life. Especially after…
The memory of that night on the S.S Anne came to her, and she saw her sister's cold smile as vividly as she were right in front of her. Her entire being shuddered.
But… She tried to collect herself, with a bit of difficulty. But I can… I can part the mists if I want. Shouldn't that solve the problem?
"Can you really?" asked Uxie, its tone that of an excited teacher. "Go ahead; give it a try."
Inyssa shot Uxie a heated glare, or at least she thought she did; these things were rather hard to identify when she lacked a proper body. Still, she wasn't one to decline a challenge. Facing forward, she stared at the thick mists in front of her and, with every ounce of her will, gave out a command that reverberated like a loud gong.
Move!
Just as it had happened before, the fog retreated in a circle as though it were a reverse waterfall. The empty room was now crystal clear, almost painfully so. Inyssa could make out the vague, blurry shape of the room her body was in, though it shifted in an out of focus to the point where it was barely there as an after-image.
There, she said. I got rid of it.
"Did you really?"
If she'd had eyebrows, she would have raised them at once. What did that mean? Of course she'd gotten rid of the mists, couldn't it see? They were nowhere to be s–
Her train of thought derailed as she took a closer look at the horizon. Far away, almost enough for it to be impossible to see, the circle of fog stood, impassible, as though patiently waiting for its chance to rush back and flood her mind once again.
Move! She repeated, more forcefully this time. Go away!
Yet the mists moved no more. Inyssa fret for a few seconds, wondering if there was any command she could give it in order to fully disappear.
"It's no use," said Uxie. "You might be able to clear your head for a bit, but I'm afraid those mists aren't going anywhere until you figure out the reason they're there. Until you find what they're trying to conceal?"
And how am I supposed to do that, exactly? You just said it was concealed!
"You're a Shockeye, aren't you?." Uxie's tone was smug and knowing. "Under your light even the heaviest stones are upturned, and even the deepest darkness burns to a crisp. Find a way to remember, and this mist shall be no more."
Inyssa sighed. She wanted to be mad, she really did, but something about the fervent, blind faith filling Uxie's tone made it difficult. It wasn't easy, she thought, saying no to those who believed in you.
I guess I'll just… wing it. That's what I always do.
"A good strategy as any, I'm sure," said Uxie. "I expect great things, Inyssa."
Yeah, doesn't everyone? she said, bitterly. Whatever. Just send me back alr–
Just then, Inyssa felt a vacuum behind her and Uxie's presence disappeared entirely. It was a familiar feeling. Like a sudden burst of silence and darkness where previously light had been; the exact opposite of thunder bellowing against the night. Slowly, tentatively, free of the burden of physical fear, she turned around.
The shadowed figure stood before her, its green eyes digging into hers. The shadowy tendrils that coiled around its nonexistent body faded into mist at the tips, filling the white room once again, clouding it in its entirety. Its one pale arm hung lifeless at its right, fingers only half coiled. Inyssa tried to move back, but she felt herself frozen and cold and strangely drowsy all of a sudden.
U-Uxie…
The figure moved closer, at no point taking its eyes off her.
Uxie, pull me out!
Its hand shot forward like a snake jumping on its prey, and a voice that did not belong to her flooded her mind like frozen water.
"Come…"
U-UXIE!
Her scream broke the world in half. It all went black for a second, and then Inyssa came back to herself with a sudden, painful jolt, her fist breath entering her lungs sharply. Darkness had swallowed the room in the few minutes she'd been away. The split-splat of the rain outside seemed even harsher now, pelting her window with tremendous strength, as though the rain desperately wished to get inside. She blinked a few times, extending her legs over the bed, and breathed deeply, her muscles cold and stiff.
"W-what was that?" she asked, her voice so frail it seemed about to break.
"Hm?" Uxie's voice came to her, high and clear. "What do you mean?"
"Huh? T-the thing! The shadow! It appeared just now!"
There was a moment of silence. Concern and confusion exuded off Uxie toward her.
"Inyssa, I pulled you out the moment you asked me to. Are you… feeling all right?"
She said nothing, simply staring forward at the darkness of her room, the least logical –and more easily terrified– part of her mind making tall figures out of nothing, putting eyes and pale arms where there were none.
Her lips parted, but only during the third try did any words come out.
"I-I'm fine," she whispered, jumping to her feet as though pushed by a spring. "Hungry. I better go get dinner."
And without another word she crossed the darkness of the room and threw the door open, her heart beating in her ears as she rushed through the corridors toward the dining room.
The rain did not let up at any point during the following days. Inyssa wished she could get at least one more clear skied night to share with Barry before arriving to their destination, but instead the storm kept getting worse and worse as the days went by. Tonight, their last before disembarking, the endless rapport of droplets was replaced by a slower, yet just as persistent hail which made going out to the bow of the ship downright suicidal, instead of simply unadvisable.
Sitting across Barry in the dining room, slowly and robotically putting food in her mouth which only made her stomach felt worse, Inyssa felt trapped. Everything felt cold and muddy; even the friendliness of the other passengers toward each other and themselves seemed a bit more forced, as though the mere act of keeping up niceties was an ordeal they could hardly stomach. They had stopped the tournaments the day before, after two of the contestants got into a heated debate, followed by an even more heated fistfight. Anxiety and bitterness clogged the air, though perhaps that was just the ship's thermostat making the room feel stuffy and stale; not the greatest replacement to the sharp cold outside, yet it was the only one available.
"Just a few more hours!" Barry kept saying, that golden aura of optimism making him impervious to the to the current mood. "A few more hours and we'll be on our way to Snowpoint!"
"Right," she said, forcing herself to smile. "Can't wait to stretch my legs again."
She took another bite off her shepherd's pie, the amazing flavor of the dish being the only thing keeping her eating. Which, honestly, she kinda needed to. Should she get any skinnier, she was pretty sure she'd have no insulation left in her body for the extreme cold they would have to face on their way to Snowpoint. That and it probably wouldn't be advisable anyway, health-wise.
Through the noise of the hail and Barry's voice she heard hushed whispers, and felt eyes on her back. Somewhat distracted, she made no effort to turn around subtly. As she did, she noticed a married couple a couple tables away sharply turning away, making it very clear they had been looking at her.
Irritation pulsed in her stomach, heating up her insides. For a moment she considered shooting them an angry glare and asking if they needed anything, but she somehow kept her cool and turned around, sighing sharply. It wouldn't do her any favors; not after she'd promised the entire region to be a more understanding and diplomatic person from now on.
"Don't give them the time of day," Barry advised, frowning at the couple. "They're probably just curious or something."
"I know," she said, taking a deep breath. "Still weirded out from that day I almost went overboard. You'd think they would have something more interesting to talk about by now."
Yet, as she said that, Inyssa felt that something wasn't right. The curious stares and hushed whispers had stopped merely a day after that incident, yet today they had resumed in full, even harsher than before. It was probably just a coincidence. Just the result of being stuck in this damn boat for so long. She hadn't done anything else stupid since, she was pretty sure.
"Anyway, I'm already planning out what I'll use against Snowpoint's Gym Leader." Barry interrupted her train of thought, an excitement on his face like that of a Pachirisu on a sugar rush. "Obviously Wrathia, but I was also thinking on Pedri, right?"
"I wouldn't count your Exeggcute before they hatch," she said, absentmindedly playing with her fork. "But yeah, those two are the obvious choices. Who else are you thinking of?"
Barry scrunched up his face, looking deep in thought and utterly adorable. Inyssa made no attempt to interrupt him, happy with simply looking at him until he found his answer, the silence between them just as comfortable as any friendly chat.
"Maybe… I mean Auri is kinda weak to ice but then…"
But he was interrupted as someone got up from her table and walked toward theirs. Inyssa and Barry stared, surprised, as Mikan strolled through the dining room with an incensed and determined look, not quite directed at them.
"Good day, Inyssa," said the woman once she finally reached them. "Could I have a moment of your time?"
Both kids exchanged a puzzled look. They had only seen this side of Mikan during their battles, and only in those rare moments when defeating her had seemed almost possible. It was not an easy glare to meet.
"I… Yeah, sure," Inyssa finally said. "How's it going, Mikan?"
"Congrats on being undefeated!" Barry chimed in, forming a chipper smile. "I mean there was no tournament today but I'm sure you would've won that one anyway."
Inyssa glared, but Mikan simply curled her lips up and gave a courteous bow to both of them.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," she said with an air of dignity. "You were both getting ever closer to beating me with every day that passed. It is a shame…" For a moment she looked at nothing, then she came back to herself. "Anyway, I'm quite fine, thank you. I… simply wanted to tell you something, if you'd be willing to hear it."
Another exchanged look, another sudden sense of dread stretching through Inyssa's body. She had a bad feeling about this. Which was strange, seeing as Mikan looked as friendly as ever, even more so than before if that was possible, so it wasn't likely she was planning on being awful to her.
"Sure thing," she said, trying to control her tone. "What is it?"
Mikan's shoulders tightened, and as she took a deep breath her whole frame seemed to become harsh and pronounced.
"I wanted to make it clear that, despite whatever baseless accusations have been thrown around, I stay firmly on your side, Inyssa." Her dark eyes seemed to gleam with pride. "You're not the first trainer to have been scorned by the media, bothered by their incompetent attempts to discredit your path, but you must hold your head high! I know you can, as I've seen what you are made of, even though we've only shortly met." With that last sentence she flashed her a quick smile. "Don't let your core be shaken by those… idiotic claims, okay?"
No one said anything for a few seconds. Behind her, Inyssa felt the conversation of near tables come to a halt as they dropped all pretenses and simply stared.
"What… do you mean?" she asked, frowning.
"I understand your need to want to ignore it, trust me," replied Mikan, sighing. "But you mustn't lower your head and simply take it, or they'll make it even more…"
"No, I mean…" Inyssa raised a hand, interrupting her. "What… claims? What are you talking about?"
Mikan seemed taken aback, and for a moment lost the firmness of her posture as she swayed back slightly and opened her mouth, looking confused.
"T-the… The article which has…" Her eyes went wide. "Have you not seen it?"
Inyssa felt her stomach drop, and even as Barry opened his mouth to ask the question, she felt like she knew exactly what this was about.
"Article? What article?"
Mikan shifted uncomfortably. Clearly, she had not intended to be the one to break these news to them.
"I see… Well, if I must…" She swallowed. "There has been an article written about you, Inyssa, by that horrible Selena Viper." She spat out the name like it was a mouthful of poison. "It is nothing but garbage and baseless babble, but still… I did not want you to assume I bought into it as I'm sure many have. Though it seems you haven't read it yet…" She furrowed her brow, looking concerned. "I'm… sorry for bringing it into your attention, but I assume you would have run into it nonetheless…"
But Inyssa hadn't listened to the last part. She shot up from her chair, maybe a little too abruptly, and stood still for a moment as that horrible sense of dread spread even further, making the hair on her arms stand up on end. Barry soon followed, eyes fixed on her.
"I haven't read it," she said, her voice so toneless it didn't sound like hers. "I think I'll go do that right now."
"Niss…"
Mikan gaped for a moment. "O-oh. Of course, I just urge you not to take such trash seriously or…"
But Inyssa was already off. She was deeply aware of every pair of eyes on her as she walked across the dining room toward the hallway leading to her room. Barry did not wait to follow. She heard his hurried steps as he struggled to keep up, and she did not need to glance over her shoulder to know exactly what his expression looked like.
The door creaked like a snapping branch as she entered her room, though the sound was drowned by the incessant hail pelting the window. It was dark enough that it took her a few seconds to make out where everything was.
"Niss, hey…" Barry finally caught up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go back. We don't have to…"
"I just want to read it," she said courtly. "It's fine."
She sat in front of the room's computer, Barry standing awkwardly behind her, and searched for the Sword and Pen website. If there was any place for an outlandish note regarding an up and coming trainer, it was there. She began scrolling, passing over a few interesting if irrelevant articles like League Scandal: Did Lucian Really Wear that Outfit to His Recent Interview? and New Single from Unova's Famous Punk Star Roxie! Presenting: 'What is this feeling pulsing through my veins? (It's venom, ya' fucking muppet!)'.
After a couple more notes, she found it. Hard not to, as the header was a picture of her face during her last Gym match, defiantly staring at what at the moment must have been Byron. Above the image, the article was titled The Child of Thorns: A Most Appropriate Name – The Truth About Sinnoh's Most Controversial Rising Star.
Inyssa swallowed with difficulty, feeling a cold tingle in her stomach. Trying to keep her hands as steady as she could, she scrolled down to the actual note while Barry glanced over her shoulder, a worried look on his face.
She began to read:
Selena Viper, she who puts the Sword in Sword and Pen, she whose sharp quill has cut through even the most tangled webs of lies, accompanies us today as she tells us of her discoveries regarding Inyssa Dawn, Ace Trainer in the making and possibly the only other person in Sinnoh whose thorny attitude rivals hers.
Really, who hasn't heard of this lovely young lady? asks Selena, taking a sip of her wine and pronouncing the word lovely as though it were a stab to the face. She's certainly made a name for herself, more thanks to her association with the Champion than to her own skill, but a name nonetheless. And honestly; is it any wonder why? With the rise of Team Galactic and the such and the ever-growing dissatisfaction with the Association by many of Sinnoh's citizens, it only makes sense that they would try to push someone like Inyssa as the next competitor for the throne.
We ask Selena if she believes the Association itself has been secretly promoting Inyssa's career as a trainer, and if they have gone as far as to stage some of the incidents which have occurred around her.
Now, now, I'm not one to throw baseless accusations, she says, giving us a wink. But on the other hand, it can't be denied that it all seems a bit too convenient. Are you telling me that this girl has risen to popularity at the exact same time as Team Galactic, a group she openly despises and swears to oppose to her dying breath? And she just happens to be there whenever they attack, ready to make good on her word? Come on now; I'm all for unlikely events, but this is too much even for me.
Not that I'm defending Team Galactic, or that I want them to succeed, of course. Still… We all heard that man's speech during the Festival of Spirit, did we not? Can any of our readers claim, in full honesty, that what he said was completely untrue? That his points were all inaccurate? Now I know what dear Lucian would say, that the fact that he attacked the town afterwards makes his points null, but then what of everyone else who has been repeating them ever since? Have they been given an ear? A platform to voice their concerns? Of course not.
It's brilliant, really, the system that our dear Champion has created. So brilliant that I would happily take my hat off to her, were it not because I also find it to be repugnant in principle. All she did was make it so you need to be officially certified by the Association if you want to be a trainer, and then turn the process by which you accomplish that into a screening test of sorts, overseen by those in power. Then only those who benefit from the system will become trainers, and why would they have a reason to complain when the system itself is built to keep them compliant? Indeed, the only ones capable of bringing about change are rich, spoiled teenagers for whom the word privilege has absolutely no meaning, and who wouldn't recognize hardship of suffering if the word slapped them on the face.
Again; I'm not supporting Team Galactic. I'm just saying; there's a reason so many young people have joined their ranks.
Following this statement, and a few more seconds for Selena to catch her breath and wet her lips on some wine again, we ask her what she thinks of Inyssa's statement following her match against Byron, Canalave's Gym Leader. She raises one of her stylish, sharp eyebrows and gives us a skittish smile.
Come on now, everyone here is perfectly aware of what damage control means. Yes, it is as simple as that. Whoever is behind Inyssa's whole 'tough girl' persona saw how much controversy and hate toward the Association that was spawning, and ordered her to bring it down a notch. Show some humility. Apologize a bit and swear to be better in the future. Right, as if anyone would actually buy that. We've all heard of how sour and unlikable she's been over the course of her short trainer career, so why would this time be any different? People don't change that easily. Trust me, I'd know.
And I can already hear some of you asking 'Oh but dear, beautiful, enchanting Selena! What if the girl really did have a change of heart? What if, over the course of her travels, she's learned of her mistakes and started working toward being a better person!?' and to that I say… Well, firstly, congratulations on still believing in people like that. Do you, by any chance, happen to also think that the Delibird Man is real? Because it kind of seems like you do. And secondly… Oh boy, do I have a story for you. I admit, the thought did cross my mind for a moment and I am nothing if not a thorough journalist, so I deemed it necessary to do a little investigating.
We ask her what she means by this, to which she lets out one of her wonderful laughs and licks her lips.
What better way to find what this Child of Thorns is made of than to take a look at her roots? So of course, I did a little digging on her background. And believe me, some of the stuff I've learned would send your wig flying off faster than a Honchkrow without its hat. Let's start with her family:
Inyssa's father, Leonard Maise, was one of the many unfortunate young souls sent toward their untimely end during the war. He was twenty-eight when he died on Kantan soil, leaving his wife and two children to fend off for themselves, though of course I wouldn't want to imply with that line that Inyssa or her family ever suffered any kind of monetary hardship. Not at all; especially when her mother –Leonard's wife– happens to be none other than Johanna Dawn. Those of our readers who are over thirty or have a fancy for old-time Contest stars surely know who I'm talking about. One of the finest Contestants Sinnoh's ever known, second only to dear Fantina herself, and whose style and grace set the tone for an entire generation of her peers after the war.
And then… there's Inyssa's sister. I admit, I should have seen it coming long before, but even I have my blind spots sometimes. The shock I felt when I realized this young lady was none other than Shadi Dawn herself… I mean, talk about following your sister's footsteps! Anyone not familiar with Shadi can simply go back three years on my career and find the article I wrote about her titled 'Always Darkest During the Dawn: The Tale of the Woefully Graceless Trainer Making Her Way to the Top'. It's one of the finest I've ever written, if I do say so myself. It was such a shame, what happened to her…
So, there you have it. A father who died when Inyssa needed him most, a mother who gave herself to alcohol soon after and an older sister so much more talented than she was, who nonetheless disappeared from the face of the planet, never to be seen again. Mix them all together and you get the perfect recipe to create the Child of Thorns.
Still, I know what you're thinking. Don't those sound like the roots of a heroine in the making; someone willing to beat the odds and claw her way out of her horrible past? Well… that's certainly the image she's been trying to convey. Unfortunately for her, I've done a bit more digging than usual, and have found a most fruitful source of information hidden within Twinleaf, Inyssa's hometown.
I admit, at first I tried to contact her mother directly. But once I learned she was staying in Fantina's residence (another scandal I am DYING to write about. Look forward to that) and went there asking my usual questions, I received a most… cold and harsh welcome. I asked Johanna if she could tell me the reason behind her daughter's cold, bitter, unlikeable personality and… well, you can see how that turned out.
Rolling her eyes, Selena points at a rather protuberant bruise on her face.
What can you do. Sometimes you get punched in your pursuit of the truth. I would have gladly received as many punches as necessary to get the source I got, not that I'm unhappy I didn't. And anyway, it's nice to see that unprovoked violence runs in the Dawn's blood.
We ask Selena who this special source is, and she beams at us
I asked around for people who might have known Inyssa before her… well, region-wide debut, so to speak. Most of the folk I talked to didn't seem to know her much. They've heard rumors regarding her mother and sister, but not much about Inyssa herself, mostly that she was quiet, serious and without many friends. Then, of course, came Cecilia Clearwater. She's one of the town's most… humble citizens, so to speak.
She runs the town's only trainer shop, a dingy little building that very few trainers would ever feel the need to pass through, seeing as there is nothing for them to do in a place like Twinleaf. It's a job she inherited from her father, she told me, right after his death. She was left alone with her younger sister and, unwilling to give her up, skipped out of high school when she was only seventeen and has been working ever since to support both of them.
Why am I telling you this? Because it's not just a tiny detail I'm putting in to endear you to dear Cecilia, but relevant information regarding what I'm about to reveal. You see; in school, not only did her little sister attend the same class as Inyssa, but they actually seemed to be close friends, for a time. Oh yes, Cecilia has much to say in the subject. In fact…
Selena grabs a sheet of paper from the ant table next to her and puts her glasses on.
I hope you folks don't mind a little recursion, because I'm about to read to you the most relevant part of my interview with dear Cecilia. Ehem…
[Tell me, Cecilia; even back then, when your little sister was friends with Inyssa, what did you think of her?]
"Never liked her. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way at first, like… like those creepy, super bright green eyes of hers that she'd use to look around when she was in our house, or that pale face that made her look like a vampire. But Connie always told me I was being paranoid, and yeah I've kinda been that a few times with her, but it was for her safety, you know?"
[What do you mean by 'her safety', exactly?]
"Pfft. Come on, lady. This is a town of mostly rich folk and here my little sister was, attending school with their children while wearing second-hand clothes and looking clearly worse off than most. I ain't stupid. I know how awful these spoiled brats can be sometimes and I feared that they'd start picking on my sister for not having as much money as them. And I mean, what can you say at that point? What do you do if your little sister comes home from school crying and feeling like shit but not wanting to tell you what's wrong because she knows it can't be helped?
"Though luckily that didn't happen for a while. Maybe it was a time just after the war making parents and kids more kind and humble, like I guess tends to happen, or maybe the kids in her class just happened to not be assholes. Except for that Inyssa girl, obviously."
[What can you tell me about her?]
"Nothing you can't see just by glancing at her. Now that's the kinda spoiled brat I was talking about; no heart whatsoever, just rotten to the core. And I guess it's no wonder; as hard as it was for us, I wouldn't trade my family for hers even if you paid me. Dad goes out and dies just before the war ends, like many did. Mom turns to the bottle and ignores her little shit of a daughter for god knows how long, and then the older sister either got herself into trouble too big to get out of, or was smart enough to know when to walk out and pretend her family didn't exist.
"I mean, you can't tell me there's not some kinda bad juju there. No family is that unlucky, that cursed, unless they deserved it in some way. So of course Inyssa comes out all fucked up, all quiet and creepy and lashing out at anyone who wants to be good to her."
[I understand that Inyssa has had a history of anger management issues, as well as a few other mental… hurdles. Can you confirm this?]
"I've got no idea what it was or what fancy name it had, but it was there and you could see it clear as water. And it took an even worse turn after her sister left. I'm sure the other peeps already told you about that one time she broke a few school windows, yeah? Or when she beat up a group of upperclassmen and almost gouged one's eye out? The kid was mental. Rotten to the core, like I said."
[I am of the understanding that, eventually, she lashed out at your sister?]
"…Yeah. Was one of the last days of school before winter break; everything was shitty and bleak and I'd been shoveling snow from the store's entrance all damn day. Not the kind of mood for hearing bad news, right? Then here comes my sis, early from school and wanting to sneak through the back so I don't see her bawling her eyes out. And I'm not exaggerating; she was wrecked, shaking and crying and snot all over her face. Took me like an hour to finally get her to tell me what had happened. She really, really didn't want to but in the end I got it out of her, at least some of it. It was Inyssa.
"I guess the brat had been feeling kinda down ever since her sister disappeared, or so Connie said. She hadn't been attending class and when she did she looked more like a skeleton than a girl, so of course my sis got worried. Really sweet kid, much less than what that piece of shit deserved. Anyway, she tried really hard to cheer Inyssa up and invite her home or whatever she could do to help, and Inyssa didn't take it well at all. Maybe she thought Connie was looking down on her or maybe she just flat out snapped, I don't know.
"She told her to get away from her, that she didn't want to ever see her again and if she approached her again she'd beat the crap out of her. Then… Then she told her something awful. I don't know what it was, 'cause Connie never really told me, I guess she was afraid I'd kill that brat if I ever found out, and she was probably right. All I could make out was that it was something about us being poor, like… She was making fun of her for it. And just like that, it happened. My worst fear come to life."
[What was your reaction to this?]
"I lost it. Who wouldn't have? I bust my ass every goddamn day and here comes this snotty piece of shit thinking she's better than us just 'cause her mother's got money? Thinks she can look down on us? Hell, at least we're an actual family instead of whatever mess she's got! Probably why she said it in the first place, she was jealous or something. Not that I cared, I was too angry to care. So I went out, told Connie I just wanted to do some groceries before it got too dark, and started walking to Inyssa's house so I could give her a piece of my mind. Not that I needed to, though. Found her walking back from school halfway there."
[What did you do when you saw her?]
"…I just told you, gave her a piece of my mind. Sure as shit didn't do anything she didn't deserve. No one says that to my little sis and gets away with it."
[And what happened after?]
"No idea. Never saw her again until she appeared in the news some time ago. If I'd done, it probably wouldn't have been pretty for her.
"All I know is that she tried to off herself not too long after that night. And let me just say this; if she'd gotten her way, you wouldn't have seen me crying about it, you can be sure about that. Still, guess she's been keeping a low profile ever since. I thought maybe she'd learned not to be such a piece of shit but… Guess I was wrong."
[Does that mean you don't approve of her recent rise in popularity? What about her claims that she is combating Team Galactic?]
"I don't give a shit about any of that. She's always going to be the rotten brat that made fun of my little sis for not having money, and that ain't something you can fix. I hope people see her for what she is soon. I hope those Galactic folk call her bluff and give her exactly what she deserves."
[Thank you for your time, Cecilia. Is there anything else you would like to tell our audience?]
"Yeah. You know, I don't care in the slightest about Pokemon training or any of that, but if anyone who's reading does then please, stop supporting that girl and start supporting Barry, the boy who's traveling with her."
[Barry Paladino? You know him?]
"'Course I do. He's always been a good kid, if a little overenthusiastic. And his parents are good folk too, both of them are probably working hard to make Sinnoh a better place, and I'm sure they've taught that well to Barry. So yeah, I'd say he deserves to be the Champion a hundred times more than Inyssa. And Barry, if you're reading this, please reconsider who you're hanging out with, too. Don't be an idiot, don't make the same mistake as my sis. That's all."
[Once again, thank you, Cecilia. It's been a pleasure.]
So there you have it, folks. All anyone would ever want to know about or dear rising star; Inyssa Dawn. Truly a most controversial personality, as most of them are nowadays. I sincerely hope this note was enough to shake some of you off the web of lies that's been shrouding this girl's appearances ever since her debut, and show her for what she truly is, beneath all the bravado and false ideals. The Association isn't our friend, nor is any trainer they decide to place in the limelight.
Keep your eyes open, my dear readers, and don't forget to subscribe to the Sword and Pen Daily for more…
Inyssa took a step back, bright lights dancing in front of her eyes as she blinked rapidly, something she had almost forgotten to do as they read the article. Next to her, Barry stood frozen. His hair seemed more spiky than usual, like a Pokemon's fur standing up on end.
"I… She…" He struggled with the words, so much rage and indignity in his voice that it was choking him up. "How could she write this!? Who'd read this crap anyway!?"
The blunt of Barry's anger hit Inyssa like a powerful gust of wind, but this time she felt it distant, as though she were a few feet away from her own body, at the end of a long and narrow tunnel. She kept staring at the screen, and said nothing.
"I'm gonna call her right now and have her apologize!" Barry kept screaming, his face reddened. "Journalist my butt! Why'd she have to go and write all those awful lies about you; what did you do to her any–?"
"They're not lies."
"–way, and…" Barry paused and turned to her, breathing in. "What?"
"Everything she said is true." The voice that came out of Inyssa's mouth didn't sound like hers. "I'd... forgotten…"
She felt a sharp pain in her temples and staggered back a step, her vision going blurry. A deep groan left her lips. With difficulty she placed a hand against her forehead and hoisted herself up again to her full height, trying to ignore the sudden dizziness.
"I'd forgotten all about Connie… And that night." Her eyes lost focus as she stared down at the floor vacantly. "Why did I forget?"
It was like a thousand flashing images had flown through her eyes in less than a second, leaving her head feeling like a balloon full of helium; hot and weightless. She hadn't thought of Connie in years. Hadn't even remembered her, or her name, until now. The moment she read it in the article, she had felt confusion and a sense of detachment until all the memories came rushing back, less than a moment after.
Inyssa closed her eyes and leaned down, holding her head with both hands. Her temples throbbed like crazy and the skin of her forehead felt burning hot, but there was… something else. A vague sense of relief. Like she'd finally lodged a thorn from her side; it hurt badly, but she somehow knew that once that faded she would feel… better? Maybe?
"Is this what Uxie meant?" she whispered, opening her eyes and staring at her own hand. "What I'm supposed to do?"
"Are you… okay?" Barry's voice brought her back to reality; he stood close to her, looking a mix of angry and worried. "Is it 'cause of the article? Don't listen to her; she's just a lying piece of crap!"
She looked up, meeting his eyes. Then, seemingly from nowhere, sprouted in her chest a bitterness so heavy and pungent she felt like she couldn't breathe at all. Her nostrils flared, and for a moment she felt compelled to push him away.
What can you tell me about her? Inyssa can perfectly imagine Selena's voice asking that question, followed by: Nothing you can't see just by glancing at her.
She stared again at Barry, this time fully taking it all in. She knew exactly what Cecilia had meant; the reason she'd told everyone to support Barry instead of her. It wasn't hard to see why. Barry's face had that distinguishable softness and brightness that only belonged to kids who'd been loved their whole lives. It came through like a ray of sunlight exuding from his chest toward the rest of his body; it's what made his eyes look so bright, what made his smiles so easily drawn and his laughs so vibrant and contagious. It shone through every aspect of him, and for the first time in her life Inyssa couldn't stand to look at it.
"I'm fine," she spat out, and once again the voice that spoke sounded nothing like hers. "And I already told you; everything she said was true."
She turned around, unable to look at him anymore. But as she did so she faced the window, and there behind the still pelting hail and the wet glass she saw reflected her own face, and shivered. There was no brightness like Barry's in there. Every inch of her was sharp and cold and eager to hurt, and it exuded from her just like Barry's gentleness did. She swallowed and her cheeks sunk, making her look like a corpse.
So what? She thought, taking in a furious breath. Is that Barry's fault? Why should it make any difference, then?
She heard Barry speak behind her. "She made everything look a lot worse than it was, and that's lying whether she likes it or not!" His voice was still heated as he said that. "You beat those kids up because they were bullying someone! And… And you breaking those windows wasn't even your fault, it was…"
"What about Connie?" She looked over her shoulder, and was slightly relieved to hear her voice returning to normal. "I really… did say something horrible to her. If you'd knew what it was…"
"I wouldn't think worse of you!" he finished her sentence, swatting at the air with one hand. "You weren't well at the time, it wasn't your fault. That was the day…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence, as both knew exactly what day that had been. Inyssa bit her lip, almost to the point of drawing blood, and slowly turned around to face Barry once again. To her relief, she didn't find the sight of him repulsing as she had done a few seconds ago.
"It wasn't your fault," he repeated, dropping his shoulders.
"How bad I felt at the time doesn't justify what I said." Inyssa shrugged. "I deserve what I got for that."
Barry's eyebrows went up. "I wanted to ask… What'd Cecilia do?"
They stared at each other for a second, and Inyssa knew immediately that she would never tell him the truth. He didn't need to know. Besides, even if he thought differently, she knew that the beating she'd gotten that night was completely justified. Who wouldn't have done the same thing, in Cecilia's shoes?
"Nothing. Just told me off." Inyssa looked away, trying to think of how to change the subject. "Anyway, even if there's justification for all that stuff, that doesn't mean that what Selena wrote isn't technically the truth."
"But it's not!" argued Barry. "You're not a pawn of the Association!"
"I might as well be," she whispered bitterly.
"That apology after you beat Byron wasn't because you wanted to trick anyone!"
"Well…"
"You're not a bad person!" Barry bellowed, pocking her in the chest with this index finger. "We've been through this a million times and I'm gonna repeat it as long as I gotta until you get it!"
She flashed him a quick smile, though it didn't show in her eyes.
"I guess we'll see," she said. "Either way it doesn't matter. I'm not gonna stop trying to get better and if someone is convinced by what Selena said then I wasn't ever gonna get them on my side regardless."
"That's still…" Barry struggled for a moment, shaking his head. "What she wrote wasn't…"
She placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping his rambling. "It's fine. Let's just drop it, okay?" She smiled again, this time more genuinely. "I'm tired and my head kinda hurts so I'd like to go to sleep already."
"But…" He frowned, looking down at his Pokétch.
"I know it's early," she said. "But we disembark in a few hours so I'd like to get as much sleep as possible."
Barry didn't look even remotely convinced; his expression made it very clear that he was willing to stay by her side until then, something she normally would have found endearing, but right now she could do with some solitude. Standing on her tiptoes she gave him a quick kiss and turned him around before he got the chance to protest.
"B-but… Niss promise me you won't think about…"
"I know. I won't," she said, pushing him through the door. "Good night, Barry."
The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the room in almost total darkness, only broken by the brightness of the computer screen. Inyssa glanced over her shoulder, seeing the end of the article in it, taunting her. Without thinking it twice she hurried to the screen to turn it off. Then she threw her hat and coat on top of the computer and let herself fall against her bed, ready for sleep to take hold of her.
But it didn't. Her headache stuck the perfect chord between physically debilitating and slightly too painful to allow her to fall asleep easily. So she turned and turned on her bed, tangling herself in an increasing number of sheets and clothes as she did so. Her mind must have thought it looked like fun, as it began turning too, soon after.
While the sheer bulk of memories had rushed back to her with the speed and bluntness of a punch to the face, smaller and less painful details became clearer in her mind with every minute that passed. She remembered Connie's face; the sound of her voice and the ring of her laugh. She remembered some of the conversations they'd had, and more than a few hijinks they'd gotten into along with Barry. Then she remembered the exact details of that horrible conversation, the weight of every word she spoke to Connie and the way her smile broke down in an instant, tears flooding her eyes. The details were bright and blaring, too much so after so long of being hidden in the depths of her mind. She did her best to endure the pain, knowing well that she deserved every ounce of it.
Part of her wanted to talk to Uxie, tell it what had happened, but she knew that it was pointless. What would it say? Congratulations on unearthing yet another memory of you being a horrible human being? No, she wasn't in the mood for that conversation again. Besides, Uxie would know soon, anyway.
She raised a hand above her face and stared at the nothing between her fingers, eyes distant and lost. Did she expect a sudden rush of power? An understanding of her abilities? No, she knew it wouldn't be that easy. It never was for her, but that was okay. These things wouldn't be fun if they weren't so hard, right? So what if she didn't have Barry's attitude or disposition to make everyone like him? She was just playing on hard mode, that's all. Putting a little more effort than everyone else had never killed her, and she would make sure that would continue to be the case.
Her arm fell back to the bed, bouncing on the thin mattress. Okay, now that she was at peace with that, what next? She found it surprising, if pretty relieving, that she didn't care much about what Selena had said about her in the article. It made no difference, really. Like she told Barry; she wanted to prove herself anyway; now it was just going to be slightly harder, which, again, she was completely fine with.
Still…
There was one thing she felt like she needed to do. The idea bounced around in her head for a few minutes, making her turn and turn even more as she tried to think of a way to ignore it. Yet, no matter how much she thought it over, she knew it was the right thing to do. It just happened that it would also be pretty nerve-wracking.
After taking a deep breath she sat up on the bed and untangled herself with a little difficulty, setting her feet on the ground. It wouldn't do any good to keep fretting over it. Better to get it over with as fast as possible.
She pressed a button on her Pokétch and the sudden brightness of the screen made her wince, her temples throbbing. Eight minutes to eleven. There was a chance that she'd be asleep, but Inyssa doubted she would get the courage to do this a second time, so she got to work.
First she logged on to the only social media site she –barely– used, and entered the name in the search bar. Finding her was easy. Not many people lived in Twinleaf, and certainly no more than one young girl with that name. Then she looked through her profile and was pleasantly surprised to see that she kept her contact information public. After copying the number, she exited the app and opened the phone part of the Pokétch.
Then, after a few seconds, her trembling fingers began to dial.
It was hard keeping her wrist still as the beeps of the call mounted, each one sending a shiver of anxiety from her stomach outwards. For a moment, she had the fleeting hope that no one would answer. Unfortunately, just as the thought had formed there was a sharp sound followed by a voice coming out of the device.
"Hello?"
Inyssa's heart leapt. She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again and tried her best to control her voice.
"Hi, is this Connie? Connie Clearwater?"
"Yep, that's me! Who is this?"
The pain in her temples exacerbated. It was one thing remembering the sound of her voice, but having it right there, so close…
"Um… It's me, Niss." A second passed, and then she added: "Inyssa, sorry. You know, Inyssa Dawn."
No sound came from the other side for what felt like an eternity, though it most likely had been just a few seconds. When Connie spoke again, she didn't sound as chipper.
"Oh… Um. Hi." There was an awkward pause. "Hi, Inyssa. What can I do for you?"
Inyssa didn't know if it was just a reflex, but Connie's voice had slipped into what she called 'customer service voice' so fast that she didn't know how to respond. Was that a good thing? A bad thing?
"Sorry to be calling this late," said Inyssa, trying to buy time. "Hope I didn't wake you or anything."
"No no, don't worry about it. Just got done with dinner actually," she replied. "Don't usually got to bed 'til midnight, you know?"
"Right, right." Inyssa said those two words, and then froze. She could feel the confusion and impatience coming from the other side of the call, and mentally slapped herself to get on with it already. "Um. Sorry for calling after so long, it's just… I wanted to talk to you about that… I mean I don't know if you've seen it, I just read it today and…"
"The article?"
Connie's tone was court and tired, as though she knew this was coming. Inyssa swallowed.
"Y-yeah."
"Look," said Connie. "I told my sister not to do it. And then she did it anyway and I told her I didn't approve at all, but she's super overprotective and keeps repeating that she did it for my sake or… Whatever." She let out a scoff of exasperation. "Point is, that wasn't me."
"Oh…" Inyssa felt an odd relief at hearing that, and for the first time a smile formed on her face. "No, no! I didn't call to blame you or anything. I know you wouldn't…"
But she didn't say no more. Did she really know that? No, she would have fully believed that Connie was willing to drag her reputation through the dirt for what she had done to her. And, worst of all, she found herself unable to blame her for it.
"Alright." Connie clicked her tongue pensively. "Then… what's up? Why did you call?"
"I wanted to apologize."
The words came out of her before she thought of what to say. Better this way, she thought. Like ripping off a band aid.
However, Connie didn't reply right away. She took her time clicking her tongue and pacing through whatever room she was in, judging by the incessant sound of steps echoing off the Pokétch.
"You called to say you're sorry?"
Inyssa bit her lip. "I mean… Yes? For what I told you, and for what I did. And I guess for being an awful friend. Past tense. I'm sorry."
From the other side there was a sound of drawing and sitting on a chair, and then a low sigh.
"Why now?"
"I… Huh?"
"Do you wanna feel better about yourself? Is that it?" Connie's voice was harsh and blunt. "You haven't called in, like… ever, Niss. What do you want me to… What am I supposed to say?"
"N-nothing, I just…"
"Look I'm not mad at you," Connie hurried to say. "Or… I wasn't, I don't know. It doesn't matter. It's been a real long while and… I wasn't happy to read that article either, you know." She spat out a heavy sigh. "Do you really mean it? That you're sorry? Or is it just so I forgive you and you don't have to feel like crap with yourself?"
"N-no, I really mean it!" Inyssa sputtered. "I'm sorry I didn't call before, I just…"
But what was she supposed to say? I forgot? Even if it was true how on earth was she supposed to make that sound good? She struggled with her words for long enough that Connie spoke again.
"Niss, look…" She sighed again, and the way she said 'Niss' made her heart ache. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the time or energy to deal with this now. You calling was probably a bad idea to begin with but…" She left the sentence hanging. "Anyway, I haven't thought about you in forever until now, and I've been doing okay for myself. Congrats on doing awesome so far on your trainer journey, I guess."
"Connie, I…"
"I accept your apology. Though really, if you actually gave a shit you probably should've given it to me before you were called out like that." There was a sound like the creak of wood, and when she spoke again her voice sounded distant. "Anyway, good luck with becoming the Champion. See ya."
The sound of the call ending came before Inyssa could say anything. She stared at the empty screen of her Pokétch until it went dark, then with a great sigh she let herself fall against her bed again, and hoped the hail outside would swallow her completely. At least the water and snow would be good at masking the wetness in her eyes.
