Mysteries and Champions

Lance

"All three shrines were vandalised. That was why they attacked the island. Those shrines kept them in check, now though... they're roaming free." The look in the boys' eyes was one of terror. For what he had witnessed, he seemed to be keeping it together well... barely.

"Lewis, how powerful are we talking? Legendaries?"

The boy nodded, "They are called the Kami trio. Tornadus, Thundurus and Landrous. They're nature guardians. They keep the natural elements like the weather balanced. Now though, they're free to be captured and used by anybody."

"The people who attempted to capture them, what did they call themselves?"

"Team... Rocket?" Lewis quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, that's right. They, weren't from around here."

I suppressed a groan. No they weren't from around here – here being a small fishing community on Milos Island, Unova. If Team Rocket were back, it meant they hadn't finished what they'd started the last time I'd faced off with them. I shivered in the cool of the afternoon. Silver clouds drowned out any sunlight, bringing with them an ocean gale that blew right through us. I tugged my cape over my shoulders in attempt to shield myself from the wind and salt spray. Winter hadn't come yet but already there were ice sheets drifting on the water. Some of them had been shattered – evidence of the battle that had taken place only days before. Exploded boulders lined the rocky island, bearing the scars of Pokémon attacks. It would've been an intense scene. Battles with Legendaries were never easily won.

Too caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice the phenomenon at first – the way the clouds began to form a dark swirl. In fact it wasn't until a brilliant light suddenly exploded from the centre of this swirl that I straightened and took notice.

"Oh my Legendaries!" a hand immediately went to the young islander's mouth. "Is it them?"

The light – a beam a first – began to expand outward, the expansion opening what looked to be a perfectly straight crack in the sky. The crack shone the brightest and with it brought an immense pressure so great that the air around us seemed to form bubbles that boiled and exploded.

"Quick! Find shelter!" I ordered the boy, grabbing him by the arms and throwing him behind the nearest boulder.

The immense pressure pushed the two halves of the crack apart, forming into what looked to be a Diglett hole in the sky. A gateway? A portal? I was amazed, standing transfixed. The shapes of two human figures formed in the entrance of the gateway – a boy and a girl. It spat them out and dropped them in the freezing ocean below before it dissolved completely. It took me a moment to register, I just stood there blinking, counting down the seconds from when the figures had hit the water.

"They're not surfacing," I whispered suddenly. I was running to the shore without a second thought. Yanking a pokéball from my belt, I pitched it into the ocean. "Gyarados! Find those people! Now!"

The giant, red serpent didn't hesitate, merely following my order and plunging into the icy water. I watched its red form from above, locating its target. It moved under an ice sheet and I lost sight of it. Moments felt like an eternity.

"Come on..." I exhaled an urgent, foggy breath, fingering Dragonite's pokéball on my belt.

CRACK! SPLOOSH!

The ice sheet exploded, Gyarados bursting upwards after it. Ice and water rained down over me, drenching me in my uniform. But that was of least importance, as carrying two figures in its jaw Gyarados carefully placed them on the rocky shore before me. Two teenagers - a boy and a girl. They were unconscious.

"Lewis! I need you!" I bellowed at the kid who still hid behind his boulder.

I didn't wait for his arrival, I started working on the first teenager, pumping at his chest and blowing air into his lungs.

Lewis got my point and offered me a look of panic that spanned from me to the girl at his feet.

"Just follow my lead!" I growled.

More precious seconds passed as we worked on them tirelessly. Then a cough. The kid started to convulse. Quickly turning him on his side, I allowed him to expel water from his lungs and he partook of his first breath of air in what seemed like an age. The girl soon followed after, harking and coughing at the ground.

The boy - a red head - watched me for a moment, eyes wide and delirious before he slipped back under. I went to pump his chest again but noted he was still breathing. The girl followed suit.

"What do we do? Whatdowedo?!" Lewis was panicking.

"Calm down!" I ordered, "We need to get them to a hospital right away!"

"Th..th...the hospital is back in Driftveil."

"Alright," I pulled two pokéballs and seconds later Dragonite and Aerodactyl stood before us. "Lewis, take the girl and ride on Dragonite. I'll take the boy on Aerodactyl. Lead the way."

We reached the hospital in record timing, pushing our way through the door right on sundown. The nurse on duty spotted us and leapt to attention.

"We need medical assistance right away," I practically bellowed across the foyer.

She was on the job, providing us stretchers to place the kids on before they were whisked away into the emergency room. Half an hour later the nurse returned with a brief report.

"They're stable. They just need rest. What I need to know however, is what happened? You do realise I have to report all incidents to the police."

"It's alright, I am the police," I semi-lied, flashing my government ID too fast for the nurse to really see it. "We found them in the water off Milos Island. I'll be compiling a full report to my superiors."

The nurse gave me a hesitant nod, more-or-less relieved that she didn't have to pull out the paperwork. It was the last thing she had time to do. "There isn't a lot we can do for them now. As I said, they just need rest."

"Can I see them?"

"Once the doctor is finished. In the meantime, perhaps you should rest and eat. The Pokémon Centre is just across the street." She signalled then bowed before retreating back into the medical rooms.

There wasn't any point in heading back to Milos so late in the day. I'd already sent Lewis home on the back of Dragonite with an offer of thanks for his help, so I was stuck here until she returned anyway. I heeded the nurse's advice and made my way into the Pokémon Centre cafeteria which was only half full. Brightly coloured, the place - like many other Pokémon Centre eateries – reminded me of a circus tent with brilliant reds, pinks and purples splashed all over the walls. Green and purple tiles lined the floor and tables with brilliantly decorated table cloths that finished the effect.

It was a small gaggle of teens that grabbed my attention, however; in particular, a boy with his Pikachu. He played with what looked to be a batch between his forefinger and thumb, the proud look in his eye denoting the fact that he'd just earned it at the local Pokémon Gym. He locked eyes with me and immediately paled.

"Hey Lance," he chirped though there was a waver to his voice.

His friends followed suite and turned to greet me. Cilan and Iris, I believe their names were.

"Hey kids," I made an attempt at sounding casual. "What's up?"

"I just earned my Quake Badge." Ash couldn't resist showing me the earthy-coloured piece.

"Congratulations, Ash. I hear old Clay is a tough one to beat."

Ash beamed, going to mention something of the battle I still owed him but I stopped him, moving along to more pressing matters.

"Ash, can I speak with you a moment?"

The kid blinked and then nodded, "Sure."

"Who are they?" asked Ash, his concern blatant on his face. Back in the hospital, we stood facing a window just outside the ward where the two teenagers slept soundly. Their clothes had since been replaced by hospital garments and hung on a drying rack by the heater.

"I'm not sure," I frowned in reply. Ash, there was an incident on Milos Island involving three legendary Pokémon. I don't suppose you-"

He nodded, "Yeah, I saw the whole thing. Tornadus, Thundurus and Landrous... and yes Team Rocket were involved." He heaved a guilty sigh though he had done no wrong.

I knew what he was referring to. For whatever reason, Ash had been given a gift from the Legendaries. They were drawn to him. The boy had seen more legendary Pokémon in his short journey than anyone had seen in their entire lifetime. Unfortunately this hadn't escaped the notice of Team Rocket either, and his gift was something they seemed determined to take advantage of.

"I don't suppose you know what Team Rocket wanted with them?" I questioned and Ash snorted.

"What they always want to do with powerful Pokémon – they want to control them."

The Guardians were free for now. Free to roam about and be captured by Team Rocket. I had a feeling this wasn't the last we'd hear of them. What was their potential? According to Lewis they were nature guardians put here in Unova to control the balance of the otherwise tempestuous seasons. With that much power in his hands, Giovanni of Team Rocket could hold Unova to ransom.

My glance fell back across to the kids who slept in their hospital beds and again Ash asked who they were. He had a look of familiarity in his eyes, though it seemed like he couldn't quite put two and two together just yet. Had he met them on his travels previously? He shook away a stray thought and half-smirked.

"Can you identify them by their trainer cards?" he asked.

"They didn't have cards... in fact they had no identity on them at all. All I can say for sure is that they're a long way from home."

"How do you know?"

"They're wearing the garb of Dragon trainer apprentices of the Dragon clan in Kanto. The weird thing is that the outfit designs are so old that they're outdated. I haven't seen this outfit since I was an apprentice."

I referred to the red and blue tunics and slacks to match. Then I had a sudden thought; no, the last time I'd seen this uniform was when I first met Kair as a young girl training under the instruction of Sa'lu. The old Shadow Dragon Master had adopted the uniforms for her own set of sinister training. But Sa'lu was long gone. Had someone else taken over the training regime? If so, then where were they? Here in Unova? I had no idea. Ghetsis of Team Plasma would be the only connection to Sa'lu. Were these students of Team Plasma? And legendaries, why did they seem so familiar?

The kids were in no condition to talk - not right now anyway. I would have to get back to them. In the meantime however, there was one place I could look for some answers.

I planted a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Thanks Ash, I'll let you get back your friends now. All the best on your journey. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten our battle."

The kid gave me a smile and a nod, "You too with your investigation, Lance."

Scarlett

I woke slowly, groggily, and found I was lying on a step.

"Hnnnggghh," I heaved a loud moan, feeling my muscles protest as I stiffly sat up. Concrete was not my friend.

Pikachu still slept soundly next to me and my head still felt like it was spinning. The last images of the face of a Bronzor haunting my foggy memories.

"Was that a Hypnosis attack?" I asked no one. That jerk had used a Pokémon attack on me!

Unfortunately, that was the least of my problems right then as I soon registered I was now somewhere else entirely.

"Okaaay," I said slowly and again to myself, taking in the sight of a massive building whose step I sat on. A sign hung over my head, Celectic Town Research Centre.

"Celectic Town?" I repeated. "Where is that?"

"Right here, silly."

I snapped upright at the older woman who was suddenly standing before me, her hands on her hips and a somewhat bemused smirk on her face. "You look like you've been there all night, can I help you with something?"

I had no idea where to start. "What time is it?" I asked her stupidly.

The woman glimpsed her watch. "About eight in the morning. My name is Professor Carolina, I'm just about to open up the research centre."

Random flashes of memories were beginning to gather in my head. The portal, Team Rocket, Wilblur and his Bronzor. Then waking up in the sunlight with my head resting on someone's shoulder, flying on the back of a Skarmory before... that Bronzor again. Waking up at sunset being gently place on the ground... then that stupid Bronzor again! Had he really knocked me out three times?!

"Are you alright, young lady?" My brain snapped back to the situation at hand and the woman who stared down at me. "You look like you could use some tea."

Lance

"Dragonite, go in for another circle, this time concentrate on the northern face, maybe we missed something."

I was just kidding myself, the castle was deserted. Only weeks before it had been crawling with Team Plasma as they used it as a base. Now, it was as though they were never there. Left as mysteriously as they'd come. But that was Unova - known as the true homeland of Dragon masters, the region was littered with old and abandoned castles. Still we circled another time, but again came up empty. It was a fruitless search and the sun was already beginning to set. Dragonite gave me a chilled grumble, time to find somewhere to lodge for the night.

"Alright, I hear ya," I muttered flatly. "Head for Lacunosa Town."

I barely finished my command when I heard the loud shout from far off, "Dragon Master!"

Her voice so familiar, my head shot around. She came up from behind on the back of her Garchomp, the sunset setting her golden hair alight. Though technically Garchomps couldn't use fly, hers was strong enough to carry her... not that it would've been difficult, she was as light as a feather.

"Cynthia?" I bellowed, genuinely shocked to see her, of all people here.

Sinnoh's Champion came up beside me and Dragonite, the two dragons exchanging the greetings of old training partners and rivals.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same about you too, Lance."

"I'm... investigating a mystery," I said slowly with a half smirk.

She smiled gently, her eyes full of the warmth I remembered from when we dated back in the day. "Always solving mysteries in your spare time, Dragon Master. You haven't changed a bit."

I snorted, knowing all too well the truth behind her statement.

"I have a villa on Undella Bay not too far from here, if you're finished investigating, you should come by for dinner. We have much to catch up on."

Typical Cynthia, always to the point. Fortunately, given the state of my grumbling stomach, the offer was too tempting to pass up.

"Sounds good, lead the way!"

The woman smirked, pitching her dragon forward, "Let's see if you can keep up!"

"So how is Kair anyway?"

A quiet, moonlit ocean lapped at the shore only meters from where we sat on the deck of Cynthia's private villa. It really was beautiful here – a secluded paradise – and no wonder why she chose to spend six months of the year here.

I took a sip of my wine to gather my thoughts, "She's alright, we're doing well," I said though my wavering voice seemed to give away otherwise.

Cynthia gave me a knowing nod. Kair and I were still fairly new to not only marriage but parenthood too. Hiccups were expected... at least that's what I had to keep telling myself. The truth was, I had barely seen her lest the times when we'd exchanged our daughter Scarlett between us. She'd been so distant. Something was eating at her, but I just didn't know what.

"It must be hard with the twins and all," Cynthia sympathised but I had to blink.

"Twins? We only have the one daughter," I corrected.

"Oh..." Cynthia seemed genuinely shocked. "I'm so sorry, I was sure you and Kair had twins." She shook her head, bewildered at her own mistake. The Sinnoh Champion seldom made mistakes.

"You must have gotten confused with someone else," I smirked, secretly relishing catching her off guard – it was rare.

The woman had to take a moment to gather her thoughts, just in time for another figure to step up onto the deck from the beach. Similar to Cynthia in appearance but younger and her hair a more sandy blond rather than Cynthia's vibrant yellow, it was evident that they were related.

"Cassie!" Cynthia exclaimed with a gentle smile. Getting up from the table she pulled her obviously pregnant sister into a hug.

"Hey Sis," the woman named Cassie beamed, accepting Cynthia's offer for a seat at our table for two. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything..."

"Never," Cynthia scoffed, "Cass, this is Lance, the Champion of Johto."

"I remember you," Cassie grinned, "You dated my sister, years ago."

I nodded, "I'm impressed, that was a long time ago. Am I really that unforgettable?" I gave Cynthia a cheeky leer.

Cassie threw back her head and laughed. "More likely the lack of boyfriends in Cynthia's life has made you leave a stronger impression."

Cynthia had to chortle, "I've had one or two since," she argued, though we all knew it was always her career that took precedence over any form of love life. It was how I had been for years too, before I met Kair and everything changed.

Cassie smiled and gave her large belly a rub. She toyed with a wedding ring that hung on a chain around her neck that had probably once been on her finger before the pregnancy caused them to become too puffy. I recalled Kair's frustration; even the task of getting into a pair of shoes became too difficult in the latter stages of her pregnancy.

"How long have you got to go?" I asked.

"Any day now," the woman smiled but she didn't glow like most pregnant women. No, in fact it was quite the opposite. She looked anxious, pained almost.

"I better be getting back to my walk," pulling herself to her feet, she made an attempt at hiding her discomfort and offered a quiet farewell before hobbling from the deck and back onto the beach.

My glance fell back on Cynthia who looked solemn. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's alright," Cynthia interjected with a sigh, "I don't even really know the situation myself, to be honest. The man she married turned out to be dangerous. All I know is that she ran away at the beginning of her pregnancy, for whatever reason – perhaps even for her own safety. I don't think she's even heard from him since."

My face took on a pained look, "Oh man that's doing it tough. I hope she isn't in any sort of trouble."

"Me too," Cynthia admitted. "But she's a tough girl, my baby sister. She's a researcher similar to our grandmother, Carolina. She spends her time here looking for an undersea temple that is said to reside off shore. So she keeps herself busy."

"It runs in the family I see," I said playfully and Cynthia nodded.

"It does, absolutely," getting to her feet, she signalled for her butler to take away our plates. "Lance, I have a spare room that you're welcome to use. Please make yourself at home-"

The phone blared to life in my pocket. "Hold that thought." The number on my display was the hospital. I answered it only to be greeted by a panicked duty nurse.

"Officer Lance, you need to get down here right away. There has been... a situation."

"What happened?" I demanded, immediately switching back into investigation mode.

"Those teenagers you helped the other day; they woke up." The nurse took a moment to gather her thoughts, breathing into the phone, "You're not going to believe this. They ran away... they used... powers... please, just come right now."

"I'm on my way," I hung up, offering Cynthia an apologetic look. "Thank you for the offer, but I need to get going. Duty calls."

The Sinnoh Champion offered me a knowing nod. "It was great seeing you, Lance. Take care."