Chapter 12 – Belief
A chime sounded as the two trainers stepped through the doors to the small café. Espresso and coffee assailed the nostrils of the young man. Looking around he spotted the person he was here to meet. Jill watched as Arthur walked over to the counter to order a drink and a snack. She was still a little stunned from their battle. After putting everything she had on the line, she was nothing compared to this champion. At least not yet. For some reason he believed she would someday reach his level. He had invited her along to this meeting too for another unknown reason. Jill spied Cynthia waiting in the corner booth a small smile on her face.
"How was the battle Jill?" the Sinnoh champion asked. Not hello, no comment on how long it had been since the blonde had seen her cousin, but straight to business. The battle. But how could she know Jill had battled Arthur.
"One can always tell the signs of battle" Arthur commented behind Jill, as if he was reading her mind.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Your look. It has that drained appearance that only comes from a tough battle. One where you've put all you had on the line. The truly amazing battles take some time to recover from" Arthur responded. Jill could only nod along as Cynthia pointed out a chair. "You'd best be careful though Cynthia. Your cousin here will more than likely be as strong as you someday."
"I would relish the challenge" Cynthia said with a full grin. The look transformed the blonde. Gone was the seriousness that everyone attributed to the champion, replaced with a beauty few could match. Arthur seemed completely unfazed by this, or was too absorbed in the lemon loaf he was currently wolfing down to notice.
"So any leads yet?" Arthur asked between mouthfuls. Cynthia took a sip of her coffee before responding. Jill noticed the slight tensing of her cousin's shoulders and the crossing of her legs. Telltale signs that whatever they were talking about was uncomfortable.
"Possibly. The fact that Cyrus was here along with one of his executives worries me. But there was also a tip of something from Maylene apparently so we're spreading ourselves a bit thin."
"What about the international police?"
"No authority over business. They haven't explicitly committed any felonies so there's nothing to follow up on. All we can do is keep our ears to the ground and hope we catch whatever is going on before they start causing civil unrest." Jill was completely lost as to what these two were talking about at the moment, and neither seemed to pay attention as she excused herself to use the restroom.
Cynthia and Arthur watched the young trainer leave before turning the conversation. Jill didn't notice their regard more than likely due to her exhaustion.
"She was that good?" Cynthia asked quietly.
"Still has a ways to go, but there's something there Cynthia. And she's being watched." Bright blue eyes hardened on the Johto champion who was taking a drink. He simply shrugged. "Let's be honest Cynthia, what could we do to help? Whatever is keeping an eye on her, doesn't live in this realm. Argyra would've told me if she was in danger."
"Are you certain?" Cynthia asked. She was incredibly worried for her cousin's safety especially after learning that Jill was the one who had single handily stormed the wind works to save it. The parallels to Arthur were already becoming uncanny.
"I'm certain. I battled her to get a read, and through the whole thing I could feel something. Maybe it was just Argyra, but I don't believe it was. Too old."
"So the legends are true then?" Again the young man shrugged.
"I don't have any proof they aren't. And from what you've explained, with Sinnoh being a convergence point, there's no reason to think otherwise. What we need to find out is if whoever is behind these disturbances is thinking the same thing you are."
"Team Rocket didn't go after the legends though" Cynthia noted. Arthur frowned slightly into his cup.
"No they didn't; but Giovanni tried to create his own four years ago. Red stopped it but it cost him, I think. Just like it costs everyone who goes in search of legends."
"They're that dangerous?"
"If in the wrong hands, or unleashed in a rage. Their power is unimaginable."
"And Jill would set herself in the way…" Cynthia looked over as the young woman emerged and headed back to the table.
"You'll need to keep an eye on her. Help her when she needs it. Cause something big is coming to Sinnoh Cynthia and she can't do it alone."
Jill returned to the table and looked at the hardness in Cynthia's face to the smile behind Arthur's. The young man was completely alluring. His deep blue eyes and faint stubble had Jill thinking all sorts of things that had nothing to do with Pokemon.
"So Arthur, what brings you to Sinnoh?" Jill asked, trying to keep her voice even. She was an ant compared to these two giants.
"There's just something about this regions history that fascinates me. However, I'm not here long. I intend to set out in Unova and travel there. I've heard some interesting things about that region and would like to explore it."
"I met a gym leader from Unova! His name was Clay" Jill said excitedly. Cynthia laughed.
"I've had a couple of interesting conversations with Clay. Seemed completely enthralled with my Garchomp. Something about it being part ground type" the blonde said. Arthur's smile grew larger.
"Well I'm not sure about taking on the gym challenge there yet but perhaps. I doubt they'd be able to handle Blaze though…" Arthur's thoughts trailed off as he pondered the future.
"And Jill what are your plans?" Cynthia asked.
"Well the next gym I need to challenge is here" Jill responded thinking that she needed to set up a time for that.
"Gardenia is strong, but I have a feeling you won't have too much trouble with her" Cynthia said.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because she's a grass type leader" Cynthia began, a statement Arthur finished.
"Meaning your Ponyta and Staravia shouldn't have any issues with that gym." Jill nodded in self-reproach. Of course a flying type and fire type would be advantageous to battling a grass type gym leader.
"When do you plan on challenging her?" Cynthia asked. Jill didn't have an answer just yet as she hadn't had an opportunity to visit the gym and sign up for a time slot. Seeing this on the young trainers face, Cynthia pulled out her mobile and started typing away. Arthur was still staring at Jill with an interesting look, one Jill couldn't place. Almost as if he was studying her, gauging her once more. In another way than in battle.
"Done. Gardenia will battle you tomorrow" the blonde champion said. Arthur laughed at the shocked look on the young woman's face.
"The perks of being champion allows some amount of freedom when it comes to setting up appointments" Arthur explained. "Most gym leader listen when we say something about up and coming trainers. Gardenia will be difficult to defeat. More so than Roark." Jill looked at the Johto champion.
"I can defeat her."
Arthur stepped away from the window overlooking the city. His hotel room had been arranged by Cynthia who was also staying here, albeit quietly. The young champion was happy to not have others hounding his heels. It would instead allow him to do some research. Turning around, hands in his pockets, Arthur looked to his starter Blaze laying on the floor and the egg in its case upon the chair. One deep blue eye opened to appraise his trainer.
"What are you searching for?" the fire type questioned.
"I honestly don't know. There's something here, both Argyra and I agree on that. But there isn't the same pull."
"You said that before. What do you mean by that?" Arthur walked over to the travel case for the egg and opened it so he could place his hand on the slightly warmed shell. Blaze watched his trainer closely.
"There was a certain drive to create back the balance in Kanto and Johto. Something was telling me that what I was doing there was needed and important." Arthur was still looking down at the slate grey egg.
"It was important."
"I know. That feeling isn't here though. It's somewhere else. That girl awakened something in me. When I was watching you battle again…" Blaze was grinning, a look that put a certain feral appearance on his face.
"Felt right. Took her a while to ignite my flames though" Blaze replied. Arthur chuckled turning around after putting the case back together.
"Yes but she was something else. I think she's the reason I don't feel the pull here." Blaze was staring intently at his partner. Arthur sat down at the desk and opened his laptop. The screen lit up as he typed in the password.
"So Argyra was right then? We're needed somewhere else?" Arthur nodded. The real question was where.
In the neighboring room, Cynthia was sitting on the couch with the news on in the background. Nothing on Team Galactic but she was still keeping her ear to the ground. Her thoughts were troubled however. A young woman was putting herself in the path of these rather dangerous people. Not that they had done anything overtly, but that didn't mean they couldn't push things past the breaking point. The Windworks incident was almost the tipping point. Yet Jill went in there and stopped it meaning that this team was a rather underdeveloped. Cynthia didn't like that her cousin was putting herself in the path of someone whose goals were larger and more dangerous than anyone knew. The champion's phone started buzzing.
"Cynthia?" a male's voice said.
"Speaking."
"I have something you might be interested in."
"And what might that be?" the champion asked confused.
"Something to test chosen ones."
Her team was arrayed in the yard behind the Pokemon centre. Jill had a brush and was running it along Epona's fine hair. It was soothing in a way to watch that white hair glisten in the flickering firelight given off by her mane.
"That trainer is something else" Chase muttered under his breath. Star looked over at the electric type noting his subdued demeanor.
"I've never once come across anything that powerful before, and there were those among my herd who were indeed strong" Epona said softly. Star looked at the small team gathered together here and how they seemed somewhat dejected. As if the loss they had just experienced had taken something from them. Jill was smiling slightly as she kept at Epona's fur.
"You guys are looking at this the wrong way" the young trainer said. All of her Pokemon looked at her, even Caladan who had been staring up at the sky, lost in his own thoughts. Jill smiled in truth before continuing.
"Arthur was the trainer we faced today. He's the champion of both Johto and Kanto. His strength rivals Cynthia's and she's the champion here. That means we simply still have a ways to go before we are at their level to compete with them. And besides, it wasn't a total loss! Cal evolved!" The grass type looked at his trainer.
"But I lost…"
"Cal you lost to a trainer who has been doing this for over a year and has conquered another league all together. And Blaze had the type advantage. Granted, I wasn't expecting a ground type move like earthquake. And that's what I mean! We learned something from this loss, and Cal, you faced down fire. We can do this guys, we just have to believe in ourselves. Together we'll get stronger and the next time we face Arthur, we'll beat him!"
Jillian's Pokemon:
Caladan (Grotle) - level 18, ability: Overgrow, nature: Bashful
Chase (Luxio) - level 18, ability: Intimidate, nature: Impish
Star (Staravia) - level 18, ability: Keen Eye, nature: Lax
Epona (Ponyta) - level 17, ability: Run Away, nature: Naughty
A Christmas eve update! Been a while as I've been busy and had a bit of writers block, hence the reason for the shorter chapter. Needed a filler, something to explain a bit more of Cynthia's worry and what Arthur had to do with it all. Hope everyone has a wonderful holidays and will see you all soon!