Wow, only one chapter in and the support is already incredible! Thank all of you who viewed, followed, or favorited this story!
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it last chapter, but I obviously don't own Pokémon or anything. If I did I'd be way too busy to write stories like this ;]
Enjoy!
Lucas and Cynthia walked side-by-side through the streets of his hometown, their path illuminated only by the porchlights of the houses they passed. As night had descended upon Twinleaf, few people were out- though the streets weren't empty, as zubat fluttered about and the occasional bidoof or glameow could be seen scurrying by.
"What a nice place," Cynthia mused as she looked around with a smile beneath her relaxed grey eyes, "Have you lived here your whole life?"
Lucas nodded. "My parents were actually from Oreburgh but moved here before having me. They thought that it would be better to raise their children out in nature rather than near all those mines."
Cynthia hummed. "You mentioned that they were mythology buffs. Did they by chance work at the Mining Museum there?"
"Yeah, Mom did," He answered, "She was one of their lead archeology researchers. Dad actually worked in the mines all day but visited the Museum a lot. He really liked fossils, so he and mom got along really well."
One of Cynthia's eyes shifted to the boy walking beside her. "That's a lovely story. I wish I could have met them."
Lucas smiled sadly. "They were… Great people."
The pair walked in silence for a few moments before Cynthia changed the subject. "Are you sure it's alright for me to drop in like this? I wouldn't want Johanna to think that I'm imposing on her."
Lucas shook his head, his expression easing. "Not at all! She's always been more than happy to have people over, and it's getting too dark for you to travel anyway."
She chuckled. "I guess you're right. How much further until we get there?"
"It's not very far at all. Just down this hill."
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the two found themselves in front of a modest two-story house. The building was well-kept and quaint, even among the other houses they had passed to reach it. As Lucas led Cynthia to the porch, he noticed that Johanna had left the light on for him. He smiled- she would certainly wonder what he had been up to, and why he had brought this stranger home with him.
Oh well, he thought as he reached the door and held up his fist to knock, I'm sure she'll understand.
With that he rapped his fist on the wood, then stepped back as he heard footsteps approaching from the other side. A moment passed, then Johanna opened the door and smiled at her adoptive son. She had medium length blue hair with a red clip to keep the bangs out of her eyes. She wore a white sweater with an orange apron above blue jeans and house slippers.
"Lucas! I was wondering when you'd come back home. Where have you been, kiddo?"
He chuckled sheepishly. "I just wanted to get out for a bit, I guess. Hey, is it alright if my new friend joins us for dinner? She's not from around here, and I figured-"
As Lucas continued to talk, Johanna's kind blue eyes shifted from him to the woman standing beside him. Cynthia smiled right as Johanna's eyebrows raised with surprise.
"Wait a minute..!" Johanna spoke as she raised a hand to cover her mouth, "You're… Y-You're-"
"Hello, there." Cynthia said with a close-eyed smile, "I'm Cynthia, it's very nice to meet you- Lucas has told me so much about you."
"I know who you are!" Johana said as her shocked expression shifted back to Lucas, "Lucas, how in the world did you meet someone like her?"
He tilted his head. "Huh? We met at the pond down the road. Why? Do you two know each other or something?"
Cynthia's eyes lit up in amusement while Johanna let out a hardy laugh. "I thought everyone knew who she was! Please, do come in! It must be so drafty out there!"
"Thank you," Cynthia said with a nod, entering as Johanna held the door for her. Lucas, still confused, scratched his head before walking into the house as well.
"My, what is that wonderful smell?" Cynthia asked as her steely eyes drew toward the kitchen.
"Oh, that," Johanna answered with a small laugh, "I just put a stew on for dinner. You're more than welcome to join us if you'd like- there's plenty for everyone!"
Cynthia nodded at her. "That sounds lovely. Thank you very much."
"Oh no, the honor is all mine!" Johanna answered before quickly walking toward the kitchen, "Please, make yourself at home- Dawn! Please come downstairs right now! We have a guest!"
Cynthia shed her large overcoat and hung it on a nearby prong. As she did so Dawn came running down the stairs, still in her clothes from that day. She was roughly Lucas' height, with long blue hair that she tied into a braid around her head with yellow clips. She wore a white beanie cap with a pink pokeball pattern, along with a black and pink skirt with a white blouse. The only article missing from her usual outfit were the pink boots she usually wore, which were instead replaced with slippers similar to what her mother was wearing.
"What is it, mom? Who's-" She froze as she reached the last step, her mouth hanging open as Cynthia turned to smile at her.
"Why, hello there," the blonde greeted, "Dawn, is it? It's so nice to meet you!"
"C-Cy-Cy…" Dawn mumbled before her surprised expression lifted into a large grin, "You're Cynthia! The one and only Cynthia is in my house right now! Is this a dream?"
Cynthia waved her off with a giggle. "Your flattery is too much! Please, try to think of me as any other person. I'm the guest in your house, after all!"
While Dawn continued to fawn over Cynthia, Lucas grew steadily more confused. Not only had Johanna known who she was, but Dawn too? What was going on here?
"How did you- I mean, why are you here?" Dawn asked as she excitedly ran over from the stairs.
"Lucas invited me over," Cynthia replied while her eyes shifted to the boy who was still scratching his head.
"Lucas, you know her?" Dawn asked in disbelief.
He tilted his head at the bluenette. "Yeah, we met today while she was on her way to the lake. Why is everyone so worked up about this?"
"I can't believe this," Dawn breathed, "You seriously don't know who she is?"
"I'm sorry Champion Cynthia, but dinner will still be a bit," Johanna apologized as she stepped out of the kitchen, rubbing her hands on her apron. "I hope that's alright."
While Cynthia ensured her that she was fine with waiting for as long as it took, Lucas' eyes widened. Had Johanna just called Cynthia a Champion? Champion of what?
"I can see those wheels turning in your head," Cynthia said as she turned and smiled at him, "I suppose you haven't quite figured it out yet, have you? Would you like to know who I am?"
Lucas nodded vigorously. He was tired of feeling left out.
Cyntha giggled quietly before her hands found rest on her hips. With a small smile and steely eyes she answered him.
"I, Cynthia, am the Pokemon Champion of the Sinnoh region's Elite Four."
His eyes widened even further. Suddenly it all made sense- her incredibly rare pokemon. Her powerful aura. Her question about whether or not he had a television- they were all clues to let him know who she was.
She was Sinnoh's most powerful trainer.
"No way," He breathed as he stared at her with unrestrained shock, "You're THAT Cynthia!?"
The three girls lit up with laughter before she bowed her head in his direction. "Indeed, I'm that Cynthia. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but it isn't often that I meet someone who doesn't recognize me. I thought it would be fun to be treated like a regular person for a while, and not as the leader of the Sinnoh Pokemon League. I hope you understand."
He nodded dumbly, an expression of pure astonishment still on his face. Her eyelids lowered at him before she again turned for Johanna.
"I don't suppose you have a shower I could use before dinner, do you? Lucas and I visited the lake today, you see."
"Say no more!" Johanna answered as she turned for the stairs and waved Cynthia after her, "I've also got a dryer if you need it. Let's see about getting you washed up and into some fresh clothes."
Cynthia thanked her before following her lead, leaving Lucas and Dawn alone together.
"You seriously didn't recognize her?" Dawn asked as she gave him a look that made him feel hopeless, "She's only one of the strongest pokemon trainers alive, you know."
"I knew that our Champion was named Cynthia, but I never would have thought it was her!" He answered, "How did you recognize her so quickly?"
"Because she's just as famous for her looks as she is her battling!" Dawn shot back, "She's featured on magazines all the time and has turned down more modeling agencies than I can count. Not only that, but she even wore her signature outfit! Really, the better question is 'how could you not recognize her?'"
A blush of embarrassment warmed his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, man… I can already tell I'm not going to live this one down."
She shook her head and sighed. "That's the truth."
After a moment Johanna came back down the stairs. "Lucas, Dawn, I'd like the two of you to change into something more casual. The only clothes I had for our guest were some old pajamas, and I don't want her to feel out of place at dinner."
"Pajamas?" They asked in unison, "Does that mean..?"
"Yes, it does," She answered with a wink, "She just wanted some dinner before her trip home, but I insisted that she stay the night. Champion trainer or not, nobody should have to travel in the dark."
"Wow, I can't believe that Cynthia is staying at our house!" Dawn squealed, "Barry is going to explode when he finds out!"
Lucas chuckled. "He'll probably sue me for not telling him sooner."
"No, he'll sue you for not knowing who she was." Johanna shot back before putting a hand to her cheek with a sigh, "Really, Lucas, of all people I expected you to know who our reigning Champion was! Though, if I'm honest I think that she enjoyed being treated like a regular person for a while."
"Yeah, that must be a rarity for someone like her!" Dawn agreed.
Lucas chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was just glad that Cynthia didn't have an ego that would cause her to feel offended by his ignorance.
"Now get going, you two," Johanna said as she returned to the kitchen, "Get changed before she comes out. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."
With that the two teens made their way upstairs, parting at the top to head toward their respective rooms. Along his way Lucas passed the restroom that Cynthia was currently bathing in, and felt his face redden as he heard the water rushing from inside. He couldn't help but remember how she had looked in her bikini earlier that day, with smooth, fair skin that perfectly filled out her suit. He imagined the hot water tracing down that same skin and-
He suddenly raised his hands and lightly slapped his cheeks twice, trying and failing to clear the image from his mind.
"Wow, what a beautiful meal!" Cynthia exclaimed as she beamed at Johanna, "I hope you didn't throw this together just for me."
Johanna wiped her brow and smiled back at her guest. "Oh, it was no trouble at all! It's not every day that someone famous comes to our little town- let alone the Champion herself! This was the least I could do!"
Lucas stared in awe at the table. In addition to the stew that Johanna had mentioned earlier, there was also a whole loaf of freshly baked bread with a side of butter, a tray of homemade sandwiches, a rice and sushi platter, and even a pink cake. He hadn't the slightest idea how she could have pulled all of this together so quickly, though he assumed that a trip to the local grocery store was part of it.
"Well it all looks marvelous," The blonde replied while lightly clapping her hands together, "I can't wait to dig in!"
"Don't wait on my account! Please, help yourselves!"
With that as a go-ahead, the four bowed their hands and clapped their hands together, giving thanks for the food, before quickly making their plates. Lucas' eyes shifted to Cynthia as Johanna passed her a plate, the blonde smiling warmly as she began stacking an impressive amount of food onto the dish.
Just as Johanna had said, she now wore a light blue set of pajamas that consisted of a suede shirt and pants. She was also lent her own set of slippers, giving her a very casual and comfortable appearance. Her bountiful amounts of blonde hair were hardly tamed, tumbling down her beck in several directions- though her left eye was still covered despite the fact that she was no longer wearing the beadlike adornments that she was seen with earlier. The only part of her outfit that remained the same was the strange stone necklace that hung loosely around her neck.
He was shaken from his thoughts as Dawn suddenly pinched his right arm.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"It's impolite to stare," She answered with a knowing smirk.
He averted his eyes while rubbing the spot, his cheeks a light shade of pink.
Once everyone had made their plates and begun to dig in, Cynthia and Johanna began to talk in-depth about pokemon training and contests. There was also an extensive conversation about Lucas' trip to the lake, in which Cynthia vouched that he had indeed seen Mesprit. After a bit of excited chatter about their little adventure, Johanna was quick to change the subject by pointing out the wall of hanging newspaper clippings and photos of her when she was part of the contest scene. She had once been a fairly successful coordinator, who won many awards with the assistance of her beloved glameow.
"That's incredible," Cynthia said after a moment, wiping her mouth with her napkin politely. "I've always had respect for coordinators- it takes a lot of time and effort to come up with unique move combinations for your pokemon."
"I certainly does, but it's a labor of love." Johanna answered with a nostalgic smile, "I would show you my darling Glameow now if she weren't out of the house… During the day all she does is lounge about, but at night she can't sit still. I suppose that's fitting for a cat pokemon, though."
Her blue eyes shifted to her daughter, who had heard her mother's stories countless times and was currently more focused on her meal than the conversation.
"You know, my Dawn here wants to become a coordinator just like me. I told her that the first step is becoming a great pokemon trainer."
Cynthia nodded in agreement. "I think everyone could learn from going on a pokemon journey, no matter what their dream is. You form a powerful bond with your partners that way- you learn to rely on them, and they come to trust you."
Her steely eyes shifted to Dawn. "So, I take it you got your own starter pokemon today?"
The bluenette nodded her head before planting the side of her fist against her chest proudly. "Sure did! He's a cutie, too!"
"May I see him?"
"Sure thing!" Dawn said as she quickly hopped from her chair and hurried to the stairs, "I'll be right back!"
"Don't trip, dear!" Johanna called after her daughter before sighing, "She's so excited to finally have her own pokemon, I'm surprised she didn't show it to you right away."
While Cynthia giggled, Lucas lowered his head. He was still feeling down about not having his own partner yet, and couldn't be totally happy for everyone who did have one without being reminded that he would have to wait at least another year before it was his turn.
"Speaking of which, I heard that Lucas wasn't given his starter pokemon today." Cynthia said as she leaned back and took a long sip of her tea, speaking as though she had read his mind. "Even if egg yields were low this year, I would have thought that one of the younger children would be held back. It hardly seems fair for him to have to wait any longer than he has."
Johanna nodded in agreement. "That's what I said, but they insisted that it be a completely random drawing- my guess is so that no blame could be placed on anyone. It was inevitable that someone would be left out… If not Lucas, then some other child would be left heartbroken."
"It is unfortunate," Cynthia said in a low voice, "Lucas, how do you feel about it?"
The teen's eyebrows furrowed in a conflicted expression. "I'm not sure… I was really excited to meet my partner, you know? I wouldn't want to take that experience away from anyone else, but at the same time… I feel really hurt that it wasn't me."
Johanna sighed. "Is that why you went to the pond again today?"
Lucas avoided their collective gaze. "Yeah, that was part of it… Also, I got into a fight today."
Johanna's eyes flickered between Lucas and Cynthia, but at seeing no trace of surprise in the Champion's expression, her eyes widened a bit.
"I wasn't going to say anything in front of our guest about it, but it would seem the two of you have already had this talk." Johanna said with a sad smile, "I'm sorry to hear that those three are still giving you trouble… If you'd like, I can go to school first thing tomorrow morning and talk with the teacher about it. If that doesn't work then I could take it straight to their mothers instead."
Before Lucas could answer, Cynthia set her tea back down on the table and leaned forward, her chin finding rest between the palms of her hands as her elbows propped them up.
"They'll still be at school tomorrow?" She asked, "I was under the impression that everyone began their journeys immediately after being given their first pokemon."
Johanna shook her head. "I'm sure that's how it works in most places, but not here. We're very tight-knit, you see, and want to make sure our children are the safest they can be when they head out into the world. That's why we wait until there's a large enough group before giving everyone their starter pokemon. Another thing we do to ensure that everyone's ready is to give them a week of lessons from a strictly pokemon-based curriculum. Of course, some children decide to shadow an established trainer for a few days instead, but a majority of the kids attend the school for a week before setting off."
Cynthia hummed. "What an interesting system. I can't say I've seen anything like it, but it's nice to see a community that cares so much for the safety of its youth."
Johanna grinned at her. "I'm glad you can understand where we're coming from. It's certainly unique, but us parents all feel just a little better knowing our little ones are properly outfitted for the outside world."
Cynthia nodded, then paused for a minute as she traced the outline of her tea glass with her fingertips. "May I ask you something?"
"Sure, anything at all!"
"Do you think it would be a problem for me to accompany Lucas and Dawn to school tomorrow?"
There was a moment of shocked silence, both from Lucas and Johanna, before the elder responded.
"N-No, I don't see how that would be an issue. Especially since it's you, Cynthia, but… Might I ask why? After all, someone like you must be terribly busy."
Cynthia's eyes closed as a smile played at the edges of her lips. "It would be my honor to sit in on a class full of aspiring trainers. Besides…"
Her eyes opened again, a spark in the one that wasn't concealed by her hair. "I wouldn't worry about those bullies, Johanna. You can leave them to me."
No one had the opportunity to ask her what she meant before Dawn ran back down the stairs, a pokeball clenched in her hand.
"Sorry that took me so long! In my rush I kinda knocked over a few things, and had to pick my room back up… But anyway, here's my partner, Turtwig! Come on out!"
As Dawn showed off her new partner to Cynthia, Lucas stared at the Champion in surprise. As if her coming to school with them wasn't crazy enough, she also implied that she was going to do something about his bullies.
Could this day get any weirder?
"Lucas. Lucas, wake up. Come on, don't make me pull the covers off you."
Lucas groaned and slowly opened his eyes to find a completely dark room. Standing above him was someone he didn't initially recognize- it was a tall blonde woman wearing all black, which made her even harder to see in the dusk of the room.
"It's time to get up. There's a lot to do."
Hearing her voice again caused the memories of the previous day to return to him. At realizing that the Sinnoh League Champion was asking something of him, he sat up in bed with a yawn and stretched.
Cynthia giggled. "Sleep well?"
"I was," He mumbled, rubbing his eyes before turning to look at the clock on his dresser. He could hardly believe his eyes when it read 5:00 AM.
"Uh, Cynthia..?" He asked, "Why are we up so early? School doesn't start for, like, three hours."
"I'm aware." She responded, her usual small smile on her face below two relaxed eyes.
"Is this punishment for you having to sleep on the couch or something?" He asked, "I offered for you to take my bed, you know."
She brought a hand to her mouth as she laughed again. "Yes, and that was very sweet of you. No, this isn't about last night's sleeping arrangements- and just so you know, the couch's pull-out mattress was very comfortable."
"Good to hear," He breathed with another stretch, "So if you aren't upset, then why did you wake me up so early?"
"You said you wanted to become a great pokemon trainer, right?" She asked as one of her hands found rest on her hip, "Getting there takes discipline. Get dressed and meet me outside, okay?"
"Okay..?" He responded as she exited the room and closed the door behind her. He was still highly confused- what did getting up before the break of dawn have to do with raising pokemon?
Whatever, he thought as stood from bed and scratched his back with another yawn, If anyone knows what they're talking about, it's her. I may not see her ever again after today, so I should try to learn as much as possible while she's still around.
It took him but a moment to get ready, and once he had done so he looked himself over in the mirror. He wore his usual outfit, consisting of a blue jacket with black trim. Beneath it he wore a red button-up shirt and a white scarf, which almost perfectly matched his red cap. Black jeans and grey tennis shoes finished off the look. He smiled into his own deep grey eyes and nodded before running out of the room.
Cynthia was waiting outside as promised, idly smiling off at the distant trees in her usual outfit with the exception of her overcoat. Strangely enough her long blonde hair was pulled into a loose ponytail behind her head, though she allowed her bangs to remain so that they could cover one of her eyes.
Lucas pulled his jacket tighter to his body as he approached her. "Alright, I'm here. What now?"
"Now," She answered as she turned to face him, "We're going to go for a jog."
He deadpanned. "A jog? This early? When it's this cold?"
She giggled. "Well of course. Jogging is much more enjoyable in the cold than in the heat, you know. Unfortunately I don't have any of my running clothes with me, so we'll be exercising in our regular clothes today."
He fought for a moment to remind himself that she knew what she was doing, and that any guidance from her would be helpful in the long run… No matter how random and disciplinary it felt in the present.
"Alright, let's get going, then." He said, but she shook her head.
"First we stretch." She explained as she raised her hands high above her head before bending and touching her toes.
"O-Oh, right." He replied as he quickly copied her.
They did a multitude of different warm-ups while she talked. "Warming up is an important start to your day. If you jog without doing your stretches, you risk lowering the benefits or even getting injured."
Once they had finished, she turned for the road. "The goal is to do two laps around Lake Verity before coming back here. Sound good?"
His jaw dropped. "Two whole laps around the lake?"
She nodded with a carefree smile. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Come on- the sooner we get started, the sooner we can have breakfast."
With that she started to jog off at an impressive pace. Lucas shook his head, but quickly caught up to her.
"Cynthia? Can you remind me why we're doing this?" He asked between his timed breaths.
"Training is about much more than leveling up your pokemon," She explained as they exited the town and turned left on the path, "If you want your team to give their all, then you have to give your best as well. Improving your physical condition doesn't only show them that you're growing alongside them, but it has a lot of other relevant benefits. For example, it helps you travel farther distances in all different types of terrain, and keeps you from getting too tired during a battle."
"During a battle?" He echoed, "I thought that pokemon were the ones fighting. Why would the trainer get tired?"
She giggled at him as they jogged. "You'll understand when you get your first pokemon. I can't really explain it, but you're tied to them. When they get hurt, you sense it. When they're victorious, you share their pride. It's a surprisingly exhausting connection."
"Huh,"
The two jogged in silence for a while, Cynthia's steely eyes never wavering from the path in front of her. Lucas, however, often found himself looking over at her from the corner of his eye.
"Tell me something, Lucas," She began after a moment.
"Sure, what is it?"
"How would you go about battling when you're at a type disadvantage?"
"A type disadvantage? You mean like a water type versus a grass type?"
"Exactly, though for this exercise let's say it's your grass type versus someone else's fire type. What would you do?"
He hummed as his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not sure. I guess I would focus on neutral moves, since it's unlikely that my grass type would have anything super-effective against a fire pokemon."
"That's a good start," She replied, "What else would you do?"
He thought for a long moment, but ultimately couldn't think of anything else. "I don't know. What would you do, Cynthia?"
"Me?" She asked, "I'd look for the chink in the armor."
"Huh? What's that?"
"Every pokemon is good at certain things, while being not so great at others." She answered, "This balance means that no pokemon are perfect, even if they have a type advantage. Take for example my lucario- what can you tell me about a lucario's battle stats?"
His eyes fell to the path in front of him while he thought. "They're pretty fast, right? I've also heard that their attack stats are super high."
"That's all true," She replied, "So what about weaknesses? How would you go about fighting a lucario?"
"I think they have pretty low defense, if I remember right... That would have to be the flaw you were talking about, so I guess I would use a slower pokemon with higher defense. That way I could survive its first attack and strike back."
"Very good!" She said, "That's a very considerate strategy. Now, back to our hypothetical battle. Let's say you're using a turtwig and your opponent has a chimchar. Chimchar is kind of like lucario- it's fast and powerful. Turtwig, on the other hand, is built more for defense. How do you think your opponent would attack, and how could you counter?"
"I think they'd go straight for a fire attack, like Ember or Flame Wheel. If one of those attacks landed it would do a lot of damage… And an average turtwig would be too slow to evade those hits on its own."
"Right, but it's not on its own," Cynthia replied with a sideways wink, "It has you. Remember, you're in the battle along with your pokemon. If you know that your opponent is going to use a fire attack, you can tell your turtwig to evade before the attack hits. Usually a random order like that requires trust, but if you sound confident enough then even a new pokemon is likely to listen."
"Oh, I get it…" He muttered as he thought through the scenario in his head.
"Alright, so you've evaded the first attack. What do you do now?"
"Now…" He paused to think before answering, "Now I guess I would use a defense-boosting attack like Withdraw. That way I'm maximizing my advantage over the opponent."
She hummed. "That's a good idea, but I think you're skipping a few steps there. Think harder about what your opponent would do after you evade their first attack."
Lucas thought about it for a moment. While it's true that they would likely be surprised that he read their move, that probably wouldn't be enough to deter them from using it again. After all, one super-effective hit could likely decide the battle.
"You're right, I didn't think about that…" He muttered, "They would probably use their fire attack a few times before trying something else."
"Mm hm. While that's happening it's absolutely vital that you give your pokemon clear, confident directions. Tell it what to look out for and where to evade. After your opponent has given up on a quick victory, then you can began bolstering your own defense."
"Right."
"What happens next?"
"Next… I guess they would give up on the fire attack and try using something quick, like a Scratch attack. Though at that point Turtwig's defense would be raised, so even if it got hit there wouldn't be too much damage. I could take my time using tackle to lower their health while defending against Scratches and dodging any fire attacks."
Her eye shifted to look at him, a smile on her slightly parted lips as she breathed in time with her footsteps. "I think you've just envisioned a victory."
He chuckled. "Thank you, but… Why are we talking about this now? And why with a turtwig and chimchar, of all pokemon?"
Her grey eyes shifted forward once again. "Call it a trainer's intuition."
The rest of their run was filled with more talk about training and battle strategy, with an emphasis on being in tune with your pokemon. Normally such a long trek would have seemed endless to Lucas, but Cynthia's company made the time go by incredibly fast. Even his tired legs and burning lungs were overshadowed by the interesting and informative things that she had to say.
Before long they returned, arriving at Johanna's porch just before the sun could fully rise over Twinleaf Town. As was usual, Johanna's glameow was waiting for someone to let it inside and perked up considerably when it saw Lucas and Cynthia approaching. It rubbed against Cynthia's legs while Lucas opened the door, the Champion giggling and bending down to scratch the pokemon's chin before following him inside.
"Ah, there you two are!" Johanna greeted as she walked out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee in her hands, "How was your little jog?"
"You knew about it?" Lucas asked as he removed his shoes, "Also, it definitely wasn't 'little'."
The bluenette nodded. "Last night Cynthia asked me if she could take you for an early morning workout. I tried to warn her about how difficult it is to get you out of bed… I certainly hope you didn't give her any trouble."
"Not at all," Cynthia answered with a smile, "Getting him awake was the hard part, but after that he did a great job keeping up with me."
"Oh, that's great to hear!" Johanna said with a beaming grin, "Would you care for some coffee, Cynthia?"
"No, thank you. Though I'd love a bottle of water, if you have one."
"Make that two, please." Lucas added as he was still catching his breath.
Johanna obliged, the pair immediately taking a long drink- though Cynthia was much more restrained and elegant in her refreshment than Lucas, who guzzled the whole bottle down in one go.
"How far did you two say you went this morning?" Johanna asked as she returned to the kitchen, "Two laps around the lake?"
The two nodded in unison, though Lucas let out a small groan and Cynthia giggled at him.
"I can tell it was a long haul for you, Lucas, but Cynthia- my, it doesn't look like you even broke a sweat!"
"It helps when you make a habit of it," She answered as she followed Johanna into the kitchen, "By the way, is there anything I can help with? You've cooked so much for me, I'd love to pay you back."
"My, aren't you such a dear! If you wouldn't mind handing me the flour from that cabinet- oh, and Lucas? Why don't you take a shower before breakfast? I'm sure your classmates would appreciate it."
While the two women disappeared into the kitchen he did a quick sniff test and recoiled at the result. A shower was definitely in order.
Lucas walked down the roads of his hometown, Cynthia on his right side and a chattering Dawn on his left. There was no end to the surprised gawks and excited talking that seemed to surround them no matter where they went, as the inhabitants of Twinleaf Town marveled at the Champion in their midst. Some of the more brash fans of hers even walked over to ask for autographs or a quick picture, which Cynthia consistently agreed to with a pleasant smile.
Normally these setbacks would have made Lucas and Dawn late for school, though Cynthia had encouraged them to leave early just in case something like this were to happen. It was a good thing she had, too, as it was taking them more than twice as long to reach the schoolhouse as it normally would. Finally, though, they arrived at their destination.
"Might I ask where your principal's office is?" Cynthia asked as they stepped into the building, smiling at the countless kids who were blatantly staring at her.
"Sure, it's right down the hall to your right." Dawn responded, to which Cynthia nodded before turning that way.
"I'll join you for class in a moment. Before I do so I'd like to meet your teacher and make sure that my participation is allowed." She winked at them before giving a small wave and beginning to walk away, "See you both soon."
"Participation?" Lucas echoed, "You mean, she's actually going to teach the class?"
Dawn squealed with excitement. "Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
He smiled inwardly as the two began making their way to their classroom.
It sure would.
Before long they reached the classroom that all of the new trainers would be sharing for the next week. While this class would temporarily be dedicated to those who were beginning their journeys this year, Lucas was still allowed to sit in on their lessons. He wasn't sure if it was out of pity for him or just because it would be easier than sticking him in another class, but either way he wasn't complaining. After all, learning about pokemon was infinitely more interesting than any other subject the school could offer.
Lucas had just reached for the handle when the door suddenly flung open, a blonde blur colliding with him at an incredible speed. As Lucas fell backward from the impact and winced in pain, a nasally voice reprimanded him.
"Hey, watch where you're going! If you do that again I'm fining you for one million big ones!"
Lucas rubbed his head as he looked at the familiar form of his childhood friend, who had also fallen onto his rear after the collision. The teen had messy blonde hair above two wide orange eyes. The same orange was used in the striped pattern of his sweater, which was topped with a green scarf.
"What's the rush, Barry?" Lucas groaned as he stood and extended a hand to his fallen friend.
Barry grunted ambiguously before accepting the hand, and quickly began dusting himself off once he had been hoisted up.
"I have to spread the news!" He replied as he sporadically looked between Lucas and Dawn's faces, "Everyone has to know about this!"
"Know about what?" Dawn asked.
"The Champion!" He replied while practically running in place, "She's here! At the school! Everyone's talking about it- but just in case someone doesn't know, I have to pass it on!"
"I should have figured that it was about this," Lucas sighed, causing Barry to shoot him an amazed look.
"How are you not surprised by this!? It's an incredible event!"
"Well, we already knew about how Cynthia was coming to school," Dawn answered with a finger to her cheek, "After all, she came here with us this morning."
Barry's eyes widened even further. "She WHAT?"
Lucas winced again at his friend's booming voice. "Yeah, she stayed at Johanna's house last night and walked us to school this morning. She said something about participating in class later, whatever that means."
Steam practically shot from Barry's ears at hearing that news. "No way! The Champion of all of Sinnoh stayed at your house last night!? How can something like that even happen!?"
"Barry, you might want to calm down a little…" Dawn said with an awkward chuckle, "I mean, people are starting to stare…"
"Okay, you want me to calm down? I will, but only if you tell me everything that happened!"
"Fine, but let's talk about it at our seats, okay?" Lucas asked as he tugged on the strap of his backpack and nodded at the far corner of the room.
Barry agreed, so the three made their way to their usual seats near the back. A variety of different age groups filled the room, as this would be the Pokemon Ed class for the next week, though it wasn't much of a change for the three friends. After all, this had already been their main classroom before everyone was given their starter pokemon.
"Alright, spill it!" Barry demanded with his hands on his hips above a tapping foot.
"It's not all that exciting, really," Lucas admitted with a shrug, "I was at the pond when she just sort of… Showed up. She asked me for directions to Lake Verity, and-"
"The Champion asked you for something!?"
"So anyway, I walked her there and she invited me to check out the cave-"
"You got to see the cave!?"
"And once we were there I kept hearing this weird voice. It turns out that it was Mesprit-"
"You met a legendary pokemon!?"
"After that we left- oh yeah, we were carried across the lake by her milotic-"
"her what!?"
"And then she asked if I happened to have something to eat, so I invited her over for dinner-"
"A dinner with the Champion!?"
Lucas sighed. He knew that Barry was excitable, but this was almost too much.
"Anyway, she ended up staying the night and insisted on coming to school with us. that's pretty much how it went down."
Barry quickly crossed his arms, a large frown on his face. "So you've known the Champion for, like, half a day and you're only telling me now? Forget the million fine, I'm suing you for a billion! A trillion! Whatever comes next, I'm fining you for that too!"
"Aw come on, don't be too hard on him," Dawn interjected, "In his defense, he didn't even know who Cynthia was until after he brought her home."
Barry's anger turned into genuine disbelief before he sighed and shook his head. "That's Lucas for you. I guess I won't fine you, then… After all, your embarrassment has got to feel worse than any amount of debt."
"What's that supposed to mean..?" Lucas half groaned.
"It means," A fourth voice answered, "That you're a hopeless wannabe that doesn't know anything about the profession of pokemon training."
The trio looked over to see three kids roughly their age. Dawn's eyes narrowed while Barry's frown deepened. Lucas reached up and rubbed the bruise on his cheek, the sight of their sneering faces reminding him of the beating he had taken yesterday.
"Really," the bully in the middle continued, "What kind of novice doesn't even recognize our own Champion? That's gotta be a whole new level of ignorance."
While the cronies at his side chuckled, Lucas grit his teeth.
"For your information," Dawn shot back with her fists at her sides, "Lucas is the whole reason that Cynthia is even here! That has to count for something!"
"Yeah, yeah," The head bully replied with an unamused expression, "I heard all about it from the loudmouth over there. Big deal."
"Yeah, so what if she brought the loser to school?" The teen at his side asked.
"She probably saw how hopeless he was and felt bad for him." The right one agreed.
The three began to chuckle at his expense, but were cut off as a warm feminine voice came from the front of the class.
"Much the opposite," It said, "I was intrigued by his earnest heart and genuine love for pokemon."
In an instant every eye in the class, bullies' or otherwise, turned from Lucas to face the front of the room. Standing in front of the chalkboard was their Pokemon Ed teacher, who stood beside a confident Cynthia. The blonde had her arms crossed as she looked at the class with a small smile.
An excited whispering filled the room at the sudden presence of the Champion, though it was quickly extinguished as their teacher cleared her throat loudly.
"Now then, students, let's take our seats." She instructed, to which the bullies begrudgingly turned away from their prey.
Once the class had settled in, she continued. "As you've already noticed, today is a very special day! That's because a surprise guest is going to be joining us- I'm sure no introduction is needed, but would you care to tell them a bit about yourself?"
Cynthia nodded at her before lowering one hand to her hip while the other hung casually by her side.
"My name is Cynthia, and I am the current Champion of Sinnoh's Pokemon League." She paused for a minute to allow the chattering to die down again before continuing, "Thank you for letting me join you all today. I hope I can be of use to you all before you begin your journeys."
"It's our pleasure!" The teacher answered for them, "Is there anything else you'd like to say before we get started?"
"Actually, there is something I was curious about." She answered before her steely eyes shot toward the three teens who had been antagonizing Lucas a moment before. "You three. Please tell me, what qualities do you think a good pokemon trainer possesses?"
After exchanging surprised looks at being singled out, the three answered in turn.
"It's gotta be strength, right? After all, a weak trainer can't control powerful pokemon."
"Yeah, and you have to be smart too. An idiot wouldn't know the first thing about battling pokemon."
"I guess having money helps. That way you can support your pokemon with battle items."
Her eyes narrowed, though her smile didn't waver.
"Those are certainly interesting answers," She said, then turned her gaze to Lucas. "How about you? What do you think makes a good trainer?"
As every eye turned to once again watch him, Lucas flinched in surprise. "M-Me?"
She chuckled briefly. "Yes, you."
He looked down for a moment while he scratched the back of his head.
"Well… I think…" He raised his eyes to again meet her own. "I think you have to care about your pokemon, first and foremost. They're not just weapons, after all... They have personalities, ambitions, strengths and weaknesses- learning about those things will not only bring you closer to them, but will help you out in battle as well."
Cynthia nodded with a hum before turning back toward the bullies. "How do you feel about what he just said? Do you agree? Be honest."
They exchanged looks again before the one in the middle chuffed dismissively. "I don't think he knows what he's talking about at all. All that sappy crap is for hippies and Pokemon's Rights Activists."
"Yeah, a real trainer has to be the boss over his pokemon," Another one chimed in with a raised fist, "You have to show them who's boss to earn their respect!"
"Besides, Lucas doesn't even have his own pokemon, so how would he know the first thing about raising them?" The third added on.
An ambiguous spark lit in Cynthia's exposed eye. "I see… Tell me, do you think that you all possess those qualities? Are you strong, smart, and rich?"
"Of course we are!" All three answered in unison.
"Except for the rich part," One muttered as an afterthought, "But once we start our journeys we'll be rolling in the cash from all the butt we kick!"
Her eyes narrowed again. "I see. You're all so confident… How would you like to test your mettle for the whole class to see?"
Their eyes immediately widened, while the rest of the class began to buzz with excitement again.
"Y-You mean, right now?" One of the trio asked.
"Mm hm." She answered before turning to their teacher, "Would that be alright?"
"So long as we proceed on the training ground outside, it shouldn't be an issue! Class, we're taking a little field trip!"
The elated cheers of the class carried them all the way to the training grounds outside. This area of the school really wasn't much to speak of- just a grass field behind the schoolhouse with a few rows of battlefields on them. Each field was indicated by a white rectangle in the grass with a small box on each end for the trainers to stand in. In the center of the rectangle was a line that divided the two sides, a pokeball design in the middle of it.
The students stood along the side of the field, hardly containing themselves as the three teens stood in one box with Cynthia standing in the other.
"This is nuts," Barry breathed as he stared at the battlefield with wide eyes, "They can't seriously think they'll beat the Champion, can they?"
"I don't know, but they certainly seemed confident earlier." Dawn thought aloud.
Lucas shook his head. "I don't think they're confident in their victory, but at this point it's too late to back out. They're too proud to back down in front of the whole class."
"Alright, here are the rules!" The teacher called from the other side of the field from the students, a flag in hand. "This will be a three-on-one battle! Each trainer will be allowed to use one pokemon each, and the match ends when one side's pokemon are immobilized! Do you understand?"
"Yes." Cynthia answered as a breeze caused her hair to sway behind her.
"Yeah, of course!" One of the teens called out.
The teacher nodded before raising her flag. "Alright then, let the battle begin!"
No sooner had the signal been given, Cynthia drew a pokeball from the inside of her coat and threw it onto the field. The class gasped in surprise and awe as a pokemon materialized from right in front of them. For most, it was the first time they had ever seen this pokemon.
Lucas, however, was already familiar with it.
Lucario let out a rattling growl as it flexed its muscles, its red eyes piercing its opponents despite its face being lowered. Even from where Lucas was watching, he could see the three flinch. Not that he could blame them, but it still brought a smile to his face.
"This is the part where you send out your own pokemon," Cynthia said coolly after a moment of silence had passed.
Her taunt seemed to break the stasis over her the three, who scrambled for their own pokeballs.
"Alright Chimchar, show 'em who's boss!"
"Come on out, Turtwig! We've got work to do!"
"Don't let me down, Piplup!"
Three more pokemon quickly materialized on the field facing Lucario. Lucas had already seen these starter pokemon before, but studied their appearances anyway.
Chimchar was the tallest of the three, though that wasn't saying much. It was a chimplike pokemon that was partially covered by orange fur, with a lighter stomach and face with red eyelids. A strong fire burned from its rear as it stared at Lucario with a curious expression.
Next was Turtwig, a pokemon that resembled a green tortoise. It had an earthy brown shell with yellow feet and a small sapling that protruded from the top of its head. The pokemon tilted its head at its adversary before looking back at its trainer uncertainly.
That left Piplup, a water type that looked like a small penguin. On its head was a feather pattern that resembled a dark blue hood, while its body was a lighter blue with two white button-like designs on its chest. Lucas couldn't help but admit that, even among its fellow starters, Piplup looked the cutest as it preened itself carelessly.
"Those are some lovely starter pokemon you've got there," Cynthia called across the ring, "If you'd like, you can make the first move."
"That's awfully bold of her," Barry muttered while stroking his chin in thought, "Even if Lucario is stronger than the others, she's still facing three pokemon at once."
"Yeah, she must have a lot of trust in her pokemon." Dawn agreed.
Lucas didn't say anything and instead watched carefully while running through possible scenarios in his mind. It was only when Cynthia's eye shifted to him and winked that he realized what was happening here- the three troublemakers didn't pose any threat whatsoever.
It wasn't a real battle at all… It was an attitude adjustment.
"Alright, Fury Swipes attack!"
"Use Tackle!"
"Peck, Piplup!"
The three starter pokemon nodded in recognition of their trainers' commands before rushing forward. The class held their breaths as they watched the three descend upon the unmoving lucario, until a single phrase broke the tension.
"Extreme Speed."
It happened before anyone could realize it. One moment, Lucario was standing calmly on its side of the ring. Then, with a flicker, it vanished.
The three would-be attackers skidded to a halt at seeing their target disappear, though they were helpless to do anything as the foxlike pokemon reappeared behind them. In one swift movement it grabbed all three and forced them to the ground, Chimchar and Piplup's heads in its hands while its knee pinned Turtwig to the dirt.
Every eye but Cynthia's widened as complete silence engulfed the area. After a moment of disbelief had passed, a flag was raised in the Champion's favor.
"T-The starters are unable to battle! Cynthia and Lucario win!"
The announcement seemed to snap the crowd out of their daze, the onlookers breaking into cheer as Lucario released its hold on its opponents and retuned to its trainer.
"Great job out there, as usual." Cynthia praised it while ruffling the fur on its head, causing it to emit a low growl of satisfaction before she returned it to its pokeball.
While all of this was happening, the three continued to stare in utter shock at the Champion.
"N-No way!" One of them exclaimed, "No pokemon can move that fast! It must have been a trick!"
"Yeah, totally!" Another agreed, "We definitely would have won that if you weren't using your overpowered pokemon!"
"Right! If you were using starters like us, then you wouldn't stand a chance!"
She smiled pleasantly at them. "Oh? Is that so?"
The three nodded vigorously. She hummed in response.
"How about a rematch, then? One where you fight against a pokemon that's your own level?"
"Not a problem!" One of them replied.
"Bring it on!" Another agreed.
"Alright then," She murmured, "Though I won't be participating this round. Instead, your opponent will be…"
She scanned her eyes over the crowd of onlookers until they locked with Lucas'.
"Him." She finished with a point in his direction.
Lucas' eyes widened while the three teens burst into laughter from their box.
"Him?" One of them managed to get out, "You really do know how to pick 'em, lady!"
"Yeah, that wouldn't be a battle- it'd be a crime scene!"
"Besides, he doesn't even have his own pokemon! How are we supposed to fight that way?"
"That's simple," She answered with a close-eyed smile. "Dawn, would you be so kind as to lend Lucas your turtwig for a moment?"
"Y-Yeah, of course!" She answered, fishing out her pokeball before handing it to him.
Lucas froze as the ball met his palm. Once again everyone was watching him, and now he was supposed to have his first match in front of an entire class of people?
He shot a nervous glance at Cynthia, a look that read 'are you sure about this?'
Her smile grew microscopically. 'Absolutely.'
He gulped before slowly walking to Cynthia's battle box, clenching the ball tightly in his hand. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as the Champion stepped aside, allowing him to turn and face his bullies head-on.
"One condition," She suddenly called out, "Only one of you gets to battle Lucas. After all, 'he doesn't know the first thing about pokemon'- remember?"
The head bully flashed a nasty grin. "Leave it to me. He's using a turtwig, right? My chimchar will turn it to ash in no time at all."
As the other two backed away, retrieving their pokemon so that only Chimchar remained, Lucas' eyes widened again. He recalled what Cynthia had talked with him about at length during their jog this morning and shook his head in disbelief. Had she predicted this battle? Everything down to the participating pokemon were completely as she had said!
He shot a look at the woman who stood behind him. All she did in response was narrow her eye at him, even as her smile remained. It was a look of utter confidence in his abilities.
Taking a deep breath, he turned back toward the field and prepared to throw the pokeball.
"Turtwig!" He called out in a voice so strong that it even surprised him, "I choose you!"
With that he launched the ball, just as he had when he was skipping rocks yesterday. The capsule released Dawn's beloved partner before returning to his hand and shrinking into the size of a marble.
The grass type looked back at Lucas curiously, obviously sensing that he wasn't its trainer.
"Please, Turtwig," He began with a pleading smile, "Lend me your strength for this battle."
The pokemon stared into his eyes for a long moment before returning a determined smile and nodding.
"Turt!"
Cynthia hummed to herself, a finger covering her coy smile as she watched over Lucas' shoulder. Meanwhile, the crowd began to cheer wildly in anticipation for the next match.
"Give it your best, Lucas!" Dawn cried out, "And Turtwig, make sure he wins, okay?"
"Lucas!" Barry called with his hands cupped around his mouth, "If you lose this, I'm fining you one million big ones! You hear me!?"
Lucas chuckled and adjusted his cap with the tips of his forefinger and thumb. Despite still feeling nervous about his first battle, he had this sudden rush of excitement that he couldn't quite explain.
And besides, he thought, even if it is my first match, it feels like I've already won. Cynthia said so herself.
"Whatever," His opponent said with a smirk, "It's in the bag. Chimchar, use Fl-"
"Dodge, Turtwig!"
"-ame Wheel!"
By the time Chimchar had rolled itself into a blazing wheel and charged toward its target, Turtwig had heard Lucas' order and hopped out of the way. Even though its reaction time was considerably slower than Chimchar's, countering the oncoming attack before it was even spoken gave the grass type plenty of time to evade.
"Hmph…" Lucas' opponent eyed him angrily for a second before a dangerous smile covered his face. "One more t-"
"Dodge again!"
"-ime!"
Once again Chimchar rolled itself at Turtwig, and once again it was too slow.
Just like Cynthia said, Lucas thought with a smile, He'll probably try it one more time, and then..!
"You coward!" His opponent yelled across the field, "Take it like a man! Chimchar!"
This time Chimchar didn't need to be told what to do, as it surrounded itself with fire and began to spin. Lucas' eyes widened- he had been thinking so much that he failed to read his opponent in time!
He eyed the oncoming attack in slow-motion. If Turtwig were to get hit with an attack like that it would be disastrous, and his window to act first had now closed. That meant…
My only option is to dodge it perfectly! He thought with clenched fists, Any misdirection could cost me the match, so I have to watch carefully… Find the chink in its armor…
Chimchar finally began to charge at Turtwig, who remained planted in place while it awaited instruction. As the fiery wheel approached, the crowd murmured restlessly- though Lucas could hardly hear them. He was fully focused on the chimchar as it barreled forward in a crackling ball. The speed was incredible, but the angle was slightly off… Rather than coming head-on, it seemed its rush had misaligned its attack somewhat. Lucas' eyes widened.
"Turtwig, three o'clock! Dodge!"
Turtwig immediately listened, reassured by the confidence in Lucas' shout. Jumping partially at the oncoming chimchar and partially to its right, the turtwig narrowly avoided the brunt of the attack. As soon as Chimchar rocketed past, the turtle pokemon pivoted to face its opponent.
"Gah! You little..! Fine, let's try something else!"
That statement was the indicator that Lucas had been waiting for. Without wasting a second he called out his next order.
"Use Withdraw, Turtwig!"
Turtwig nodded and pulled its head back until it met its own shell, which shone in the morning sun's rays.
"Ha! You finally have a chance to attack and you don't even do any damage?" The bully taunted from his box, "You really are a novice! Chimchar, Fury Swipes attack! Let's see 'em dodge this!"
Not needing as much time to prepare as it did with Flame Wheel, the orange chimp was on top of Turtwig in an instant. The crowd gasped as it unleashed a volley of scratches against the grass type's face before hopping away with a self-assured cry. Its trainer seemed to share in its confidence, planting his fists on his hips while he beamed at Lucas.
"See? You don't stand a-"
"Tackle attack!"
The bully's eyes widened just in time to see Turtwig ram into Chimchar, who was sent flying several feet before skidding to a stop. Its trainer growled, his eyes widening in fury.
"Don't just stand there! Use a Scratch attack!"
"Char!"
Chimchar rushed forward on all fours, ready to strike, but Lucas wasn't worried. After all, he had seen this coming.
"Meet it head-on with another Tackle, Turtwig!"
The turtle nodded before galloping toward its opponent. While Chimchar immediately swung its arms down, scratching Turtwig's face with both hands, Turtwig threw its head up and caught the fire type on the bottom of its chin. While Chimchar sprawled backward from the hit, a glint shone in Lucas' eyes. His opponent's pokemon was quickly growing tired, as it was struggling to stand back up. Turtwig, on the other hand, looked fit to fight despite having a few scratches and some slightly labored breathing. It seemed the strategy he had worked on with Cynthia was serving him well.
"We're not done yet! Chimchar, use another Flame Wheel!"
Lucas' eyes narrowed. Going back to fire attacks wasn't in the plan, but at this point it wasn't a matter of life-or-death anymore. He had already raised his defense once, but another couldn't hurt.
"Give me another Withdraw!"
Chimchar began spinning in place while Turtwig once again pulled into itself, the shimmer of its shell intensifying even further. This was it- the moment that his calculations would be tested. Could boosting a defensive pokemon's endurance allow it to stave off a super-effective hit?
Chimchar spun in place for a long moment, the flame that surrounded it growing larger and more intense with each passing second. Meanwhile, Turtwig's shell continued to harden. The class was watching in a moment of complete suspense, Dawn chewing on her fingernails while Barry's fists shook in front of him. The trio of teens watched with growing grins at seeing Chimchar's attack charge up. Meanwhile, Cynthia watched without letting her confident smile waver.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived. As Chimchar's flame hissed in a scorching orange ball, Turtwig's entire body began to faintly glow. With clenched fists, both trainers cried out in unison.
"Charge!"
Chimchar's wheel spun in place for a moment before kicking up scorched dirt and rocketing forward. Meanwhile, Turtwig sprinted toward the flames with its head lowered like a ram. The space between them quickly shrunk until they finally met head-on. Despite the intensity of their meeting, however, neither side gave in. Chimchar's flames leveled off against Turtwig as its feet dug into the earth. Their exertive cries filled the air, and then-
The ground shook as the air combusted in all directions. Surprised screaming filled the area as hot wind burst outward from the impact. As smoke filled the battlefield, its audience struggled to remain standing against the powerful energy that had resulted from the incredible explosion. Rocks and loose bits of soil rained upon the crowd as they squinted into the smoke, looking for any sign of the victor. Finally a stray breeze parted the black cloud, causing everyone's eyes to widen in utter shock.
In the center of the field, Chimchar lay unconscious beneath a turtwig who was still miraculously standing.
A flag raised in Lucas' favor. "Chimchar is unable to battle! The winners are Lucas and Turtwig!"
A cacophony of cheering filled the area as the rest of the class rushed toward the victor, who was still staring at the fallen chimchar in astonishment. His opponent fell to his knees, his mouth agape as his cronies looked on in disbelief.
It was only once the crowd had surrounded him that Lucas fully realized that he had won. As Dawn clung to his arm and jumped for joy, Barry was in the middle of launching a series of frantic questions- all of which were drowned out by the swarming excitement of the crowd. Lucas hardly noticed them, though. With wide eyes he turned to look at Cynthia, who watched him with her arms crossed.
She was beaming at him. It wasn't her usual smile consisting of an upturned lip- no, she was grinning ear to ear in pride, her eyes closed in joy.
Lucas felt his heart lurch as he saw that expression- it made him incredibly happy. It made him proud.
With a returned grin, he lifted a triumphant fist into the air. No matter what luck had decided for him the day prior, in that moment he was a pokemon trainer.
And it was a feeling he never wanted to let go.
I've come to the realization that Pokémon Platinum is my favorite video game of all time. The character designs, the plot, the music, the playability and post-game... It's just way too good. I seriously hope we get those Gen 4 remakes soon.
A huge shoutout to XDiamondX90 for your wonderful review on my last chapter! I'm so glad that you're enjoying my writing, and I hope that I can continue to win you over with how I portray these characters ;]
If you have a moment to spare, please leave me a review with your thoughts! I'd love to hear what you think of the story!
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next time!
-S/L