Chapter One: Leaving

With Every Legend, There's a Beginning

The morning came and slapped me across the face. It was one of those mornings where I felt like I didn't get enough sleep and I wasn't ready to wake up. However, Grandmother sauntered into my room, ripped the blankets off of me quite viscously, threw open the curtains—even though it was so early the sun hadn't risen—exclaimed, "today's the day!" then left.

Grandmother noticed my long silence as I sat on the sofa. "Are you okay, dear?" She asked, trying to sound concerned but her cheeriness overpowered pretty much everything else. I nodded, even though I wasn't sure.

"When you left…" I choked on the word, "were you scared?"

"Absolutely, leaving home for the first time was so frightening to me. But I know you will be fine." She smiled reassuringly at me, and I fake smiled back. Getting up from the couch, I walked over to the kitchen and attempted to find something for breakfast. Apparently, we were out of berries totally, and there were no components for bread or pancakes. Vegetable soup for breakfast, how appetizing. I thought.

While zoning out during cooking, worries flew through my head. Was I ready? Could I do it without dying? Or getting lost? Or losing Gible? I thought about Gible. She was in her Pokéball on my desk. Was I even ready for a Pokémon? Well, I must be ready for a Pokémon because Grandfather caught one and was going to give me one… Right? Plus Grandmother told me she thought I was ready, and she had been so excited she reorganized my messy drawers so I could pack easier. I hadn't even packed yet, I groaned.

"Here you go." I mumbled and handed Grandmother a small bowl of soup. She tasted it without saying a word, and stood up and grabbed a thing of seasoning. She sprinkled some in her bowl then mine, and I brought the spoon up to my lips. She made the bowl ten-times better. I would never be the cook she is.

A look of concern was on her face now. "Cynthia…Just promise me that, no matter what, you'll be careful. I don't know what's going on with these attacks, and how safe or not the region is for a new trainer, but nevertheless, I don't want you to postpone your journey…So promise me, okay?"

"I promise. I'll be fine. It's not a warzone or something, Grandmother, but…I will take caution and be safe." I gave her a reassuring smile.

Not realizing how hungry I was until I ate, I finished the bowl hastily. "I guess I should pack up." It was pitiful how uncertain I sounded, and for a second I thought of that as a sign that I shouldn't be leaving.

"Quickly, Cynthia. You want to leave soon. It will take you a few days to get to Sandgem."

Groaning again, I made my way to my room and to my dresser. I grabbed handfuls of clothes, not caring enough about it, and stuffed them into the black duffle bag Grandmother had given me. Rifling through my desk for anything else I may need, I found a Sinnoh map and put that in the easy-accessible side pocket, along with Gible's Pokéball. Then, I went into the bathroom for a few other necessities. That was about it for packing.

"I have a going-away present for you…" Grandmother stood in the doorway. She held out something wrapped in newspaper. I quickly uncovered and examined it. It was an oddly shaped rock with a crack trailing down it. "We found it in the ruins last year. I found an old legend that said it is a good luck charm. I want you to have it."

"Oh, thank you so much." I quickly embraced her and tried not to sound confused as I stuffed the rock in my bag. "I guess I'm ready…" I trailed off, originally wanting to continue but I just couldn't say the words 'to leave.'

"Great," she said cheerfully and beamed at me. She led me back into the living room and opened an old cookie jar on the counter, pulling out a wad of money. "This is to get you started. It should be enough."

"You have done so much for me, Grandmother." I said. My eyes started to fill with tears.

"Of course I have, I love you." She wrapped her arms around me.

"I love you too." I whispered. I clenched my eyes to keep the tears back.

A knock on the door interrupted us, and I swiftly walked over to answer it; clearing my face of any emotion as I did. As soon as I turned the knob, the door exploded open and Jamie flung herself into my arms. "I thought we could have missed you!" She quickly stepped out of the embrace, "Why haven't you left yet? Is somebody getting cold feet?!"

"No, I'm getting ready to leave. I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to you two." I nodded to Jamie and Ember. He didn't say anything as he opened his arms and I hugged him; hiding my face in his shoulder so no one could see my moist eyes. This was so much harder than I ever expected. The last twenty-four hours was such a blur, such an odd dream-like memory, that it was hard for me to believe it was real. Now, not for the first time, a thought crept into my mind. Am I making the wrong choice? In my heart I believed I was. But after all the reassurance of my Grandmother this morning I knew I wasn't. I was going to make everyone proud.

A tap on my back reminded me I wasn't sitting on my bed alone, like I normally was when in I was deep in thought, I was still hiding in Ember's shoulder. I let go and took in fresh air, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"I'm going to miss you so much," said Jamie almost inaudibly. Her cheeks became flushed and I knew that meant she was going to cry so I hugged her again. My urge to cry had receded with my worries, which I was thankful for. Knowing I couldn't let my friends and grandmother see the future champion being a bawling fourteen-year-old, I kept my cool.

"I'll be back soon, and I'll keep you all posted." I said, keeping my tone even and my voice strong. Grandmother nodded at me, and I made the mistake of looking at her eyes. They were glossed over with tears, and that was such a stab in the stomach.

"Good," said Ember. He laughed and took some of the odd tension of crying away. "Looks like you're headed out before me… I'll be on your trail soon, though. Heck, I might even become a trainer just to beat you."

Grinning, I said: "Beat me? I'm headed to the League to become the champion as soon as possible, Ember. You won't be able to beat me once I'm there."

"Oh yeah? Is that a challenge, Cynthia Marie?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I think it is." I copied him.

"Then I'll be seeing you at the League." He outstretched his hand. I shook it with a grin.

"It's a deal."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "You two and your challenges. The most competitive people I have ever met." She laughed, and I joined her.

Alas, it was time to go. Sighing, I hugged everyone again. I grabbed my bag and walked out the door without looking at anyone, knowing that as soon as I saw someone crying I would lose it, only taking a glimpse at Ember, knowing it would be safe because he wouldn't cry. He wasn't crying, but his grin was replaced with a frown. Our eyes met for a moment before I was out of the house.

Deciding to quickly look over my shoulder, I realized that was an awful idea. Both Grandmother and Jamie were hugging each other. I ached to turn around and yell "No, I'm not leaving! See? I'm right here." And comfort both of them, like I did a million times in the past. Turning my head forward I bit my lip to resist the strong urge. Forward. Keep walking forward. Resist the urge. I told myself this over and over until I was officially out of Celestic and on Route 210.

Without anytime to think about anything, I had done it. My worries had me in a tight grasp. I wouldn't be able to do it, and I would die. I would be dead in a week. In my head I envisioned a funeral: Jamie paying Ember ten bucks because I didn't last as long as she had bet. How did ten-year-olds do this?

Breathing in deep I stopped in my tracks. Should I turn back? This was going to be a long and hard journey… No. I wouldn't give up before I started. Grandfather wouldn't even say anything to me if I turned back and went home. I was leaving; I was gone; I was ready. I continued walking.

The path I was on was rough and bumpy; and much like Celestic, it was fog-filled. Gradually walking quicker as I moved, my mind was in such a different place that I didn't notice my step had turned into a light jog. According to my map my first stop would be Solaceon Town, where the bombing had been. I wondered if the culprit was still there, watching the town worry with a smirk on his face. What if it was Lea standing in the forest grinning evilly? A tingle shot through my spine. Something about that visual scared me. Something about the attacks scared me. Well, I'm sure it scared everyone at least to some extent. An anonymous invader who randomly bombed towns, seeming not to have any pattern so there's really no way to know what his next victim is. Yes, that was scary.

Sighing, I listened as it bounced off the rock walls beside me and replayed in the wind. That instance made me think of a cherished memory with my grandfather. We were taking a walk, just him and I, on a nice, fogless day. Grandmother gave me the day off from school and Grandfather took off from work. He picked a beautiful purple flower and put it in my hair, "Cynthia, this flower is almost as pretty as you!" He told me with a chuckle.

"Grandfather! You're teasing." I said through a grin. I missed my grandfather so much… Too much. He would love my aspiration to become the champion. It was so farfetched and big that it seemed like something he would love for me to say. I was glad Ember and Jamie had both been happy with my decision. Worried as I was about Ember, thinking that he wouldn't be too pleased, he seemed genuinely fine with it. Of course Jamie would cry, she cries about everything. In fact that's one of the first things she did when we met, or so I'm told. We were both around three, so neither of us remembers, but Jamie's mother teases us about it.

When I first came to Celestic they were new, too. Her mom Bianca and her husband, or boyfriend, I'm not really sure, had just split up and Bianca was so devastated she moved in with her parents. They helped with Clarice, who was only a baby, and with young Jamie. Her mother had never kept a husband or boyfriend, she has had many, from what I understand. I don't even think Clarice and Jamie are full-blooded sisters. Anyway, Bianca had lived there for a few months when I moved in with my grandparents, and at the time there wasn't anyone Jamie's age so she was eager to introduce us. One of my first days there I met Jamie. We were told the first thing we did was grin at each other before running off to the 'fishy pond,' as we called it, in the front of Grandmother's house and splashed around. Apparently, I dipped my hand in the water and splashed Jamie right on the face and she started to bawl. We hated each other for about a day before we were at the fishy pond playing again. Bianca tells us that story all the time and we both laugh just like it was the first time hearing it. Jamie is, and always will be, my best friend. I tell her everything. There are no secrets between us.

The fog lightened. That was a good sign. Looking at the map, that was still clutched in my right hand, I estimated that I still had a few more hours to go before I reached Solaceon. A bit of nervousness crowded around me in-between these mountain walls, mostly because I've never traveled on my own before. I've walked this trail time and time again to Solaceon but never alone, never having to look and keep up with the map. My ankles ached, and I tried to distract myself.

My thoughts spun me back into non-reality so I was mindlessly walking on this turning road. It wasn't really memories that I was thinking about, just random clips from random times. My mind was going all over the place. This was a good distraction from my feet. Normally, people travel on bikes. It's quicker and easier than walking. But there was no point to have one in Celestic, if you could even afford one, because the town was so small you could walk. Walking was a better choice, however, because it gave you enough thinking time.

It felt like at least three hours went by, so I guessed only a mere hour had passed. I had seated myself on a lush patch of grass and had massaged my ankles. Being back up and walking in five minutes, I wasn't very tired. Knowing I was nearing Solaceon—because of the extra-tall grass that had paths made through them by the Ponyta –there was extra enthusiasm in my steps. Through my trip I hadn't come across any Pokémon. The trails and routes are protected because of Lea's laws. They are all scared off because we are ordered to scare them. And because Pokémon are smart, they stay away. Although, I didn't see why this was needed; I had never seen any attack us before. Only a Ponyta run away at the sight of us a few times.

Exiting the grass paths, I smiled; knowing exactly where I was. This is where Route 210 meets Route 215. Surprisingly, there was a large group circled around two people nearby. I recognized the couple immediately, Hilda and Hilbert, Solaceon's town elders and the owners of the day care. When a town doesn't have a gym and gym leader, town elders are chosen to keep peace. Grandmother and I always visit Hilda and Hilbert when we run errands here, they are really nice people who love and care for their town. Approaching the group, I quickly realized what the problem was.

"It's too dangerous living here!" One person yelled.

"Yeah, my kids play around the ruins every day."

"Calm down please! Solaceon is a good family town, we just hit a minor bump." Hilbert yelled.

"A minor bump?!" Someone echoed, "please! I'm considering moving!

"Me too!"

"This… Issue had affected many other towns. We're not the only ones." Hilda said in a soothing voice. One she often used when Grandmother would talk about the worries of Celestic with her. They were great friends.

"I don't care!" With that, the group walked off in separate directions, leaving the day care owners to stare at each other in shock.

"Cynthia dear, what're you doing here alone?" Hilda noticed me and asked. She looked at the black bag slung across my shoulder.

"Well, I've started out to become a trainer." I tried a smile.

"Good for you!" Hilbert boomed happily.

"Thank you, but…What's going on here? I know you had a bombing a few days ago, but that was just madness."

"Yes, it sure was. You walked in on the town meeting, great timing you have, Cynthia." He had so much fake cheeriness, and I assumed it was to make me comfortable…And that made me really uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry that this happened, it's a shame."

Hilda nodded in agreement. "Our town won't be upset for too much longer, though. I can assure you that." She said.

"Really? Why's that?" I asked.

"They'll come around when they realize the attacker scurried off."

"Who do you think the attacker is?" The questions fell out of my mouth before I could really think about them.

"Probably someone with good intentions that aren't bein' distributed well." Hilbert piped in, half joking.

"I'm not sure who'd want to hurt Sinnoh. I think it's a grown man who's mad at the world with nothin' better to do. Some rebel." Hilda said the last sentence with much hatred.

"So, you two don't think it was a Pokémon?" I asked, getting really interested in the whole situation.

"Absolutely not." Hilda said with certainty, and Hilbert nodded.

A few moments passed of silence before Hilbert spoke, "say, Cynthia, you want some Moo Moo Milk? I'm buying, o' course."

Every time Grandmother and I came here we got a bottle of Moo Moo Milk to drink on our walk back to Celestic. It had a sweet and creamy taste, and you could only get it here. Of course I nodded, who wouldn't?

We walked to the building closest to us, and the only building around, to get the drink. It was a small café. It sold pies and pastries along with the Moo Moo Milk. Outside of the building, two men were yelling accusations at one another.

"They're accusing other people for the bombing. That is flat out ridiculous." Hilda said disappointedly and shook her head as we entered the building.

"Why?" I asked mostly to myself. But I knew someone would answer.

"I don't know, honey." Hilda wrapped her arms around my waist. "Let's get some milk and forget about it, okay?" She said in her soothing tone.

Wanting the milk, I nodded; but I was still in thought. Why would a town turn on each other so quickly? And why didn't either Hilda or Hilbert seem surprised? They knew something about this. I would need to ask them later.

We sat at the counter and the nice waitress gave us our bottles of Moo Moo Milk. I licked my lips in preparation for the delicious drink. The scent was absolutely amazing; I kept the bottle at my nose for a moment and took in the smell. I put the glass bottle to my lips and dunked my tongue in the milk, not wanting to wait for it to flow into my mouth. It was so good. The creaminess and the silkiness intertwined into a great drink I could easily live off. The taste was sweet but calming, not something that kept you up all night.

After a while of average chit-chat Hilbert ordered a few bottles to go and we headed for the Day Care Center in Solaceon. There was a little bit of walking to be done to get there, but not much. The sun was setting in the distance. If I was with my grandmother we would have been in the mountains and we would have stopped to watch the sun dip down. We would walk just a little ways in the dark before we made it home.

We reached the day care and they happily invited me to stay the night there. I accepted gratefully. There wasn't really any other place to stay. The Pokémon Center had only three rooms that were very small. I would rather stay with these two, anyways. Everything about Solaceon was small, much like Celestic. The population beat Celestic by about ten, which still wasn't a lot. They had more kids there, that's for sure. And they had more visitors. Celestic never got visitors. It was rare. Solaceon was a walk-through town, you had to pass through or fly over it to get to about anywhere.

Sitting down on the sofa of their little lobby area, which they treated as a living room even though it was officially public, Hilbert had just popped the top off of a Moo Moo Milk bottle and began sipping the drink away. Hilda had sat next to me on the sofa and made an almost mindless comment about how tall I am. I just smiled at her and slightly ignored her.

Debating about how to bring up the attacks again, I finally just went with Plan A, "so what town do you think will be attacked next?" I asked casually, staring at my feet as I tapped them against the hardwood floor, trying to make it seem like an attempt at conversation not my curiosity.

Hilbert raised his eyebrows at me, "curiosity killed the Meowth, don't ya know." Well that worked.

Hilda just ignored him. "Possibly Hearthrome. Since it seems like they're headed that way." She answered nonchalantly.

Nodding at this, I decided to pretend to lose interest by yawning and looking out the window. Then a thought hit me. "Unless it's their plan to get to Cornet." Said I quickly. Great, I just threw the plan of pretending to forget and move on out the window.

Hilda wrapped her arm around me. "Cynthia dear, don't worry so much. Your grandma's fine, along with all of Celestic. Why travel that long and hard just to get to Celestic? And then to bomb the mountain? Silly." Nodding, I yawned for real. "You should sleep." Hilda noted my yawn. "Come with me." I followed her through a hallway; she took me to one of the doors and opened it, revealing her guest bedroom. My first thought: Pink. The curtains were pink, bedspread was pink, and the rug that lined a wall of dressers—with pink potted flowers on top—and a mirror was pink; very Hilda. She smiled at me, hugged me then wished me a good night before leaving. I put my bag on the bed and sat next to it and thought. This was my nightly routine; to clear my head by thinking about everything. One second thinking about Pokémon, the next thinking about my garden, the next remembering an odd thing from that day; it was normally something most people wouldn't even remember. Like an odd sound or the way something looked when the wind hit it. I thought a lot.

A squeaking door opening and closing made me snap out of my thinking-state. I assumed it was Hilbert headed to bed. Yawning again, I remembered what a good idea sleep was and kicked off my pants, completely ignoring changing into pajamas. Turning off the lights I climbed into bed. Hating to admit it, the pink covers were pretty comfortable, and I slept like a baby.

Awaking the next morning confused, I didn't know where I was. In fact, the first thing that occurred in my mind was 'why is everything so pink?' I had moved out of bed slowly and put the pants that were lying on the floor back on. Already wrecking my neat and perfectly organized bag by searching for my hairbrush, I stuffed it back in with the wrinkles of clothes and zipped up the black bag. Slinging it over my shoulder, I left the room; not caring about looking in the mirror.

"Breakfast!" I heard Hilda call, apparently she had heard me wake up. Walking into the large kitchen, I was greeted by four little Pokémon perched up on a counter, munching away at Pokémon food. Recognizing them as a Buneary, Piplup, Luxio and Cherubi, Hilda noticed my staring and said, "they're the only Pokémon we've been watching…The biggest group we've had in I don't even know how long. Can't seem to get them to evolve, and nobody wants to pay people who can't get Pokémon to evolve. I can't afford to buy things to make my home-remedies that I use to help the process along, since business has been so dull and taxes have been so great."

"Now, now, Hilda, don't bother the girl with depressions like that. She just woke up." Hilbert stepped in and nodded a greeting towards me. He stroked the Piplup's head as it ate, "this guy is so close to evolving, I know it. I will make sure he does today." Hilda set the table. A basket full of steaming muffins beckoned me over, so I sat. She placed a mug of warm Moo Moo Milk in front of me—not the way I liked my Moo Moo Milk, but it was good nonetheless—and then the old couple sat down.

Grabbing a muffin, I took a large bite. It was so fresh and fluffy, and the berries inside were gooey and sweet. Mago berries, I presumed, common around this part of Sinnoh. "Cynthia," Hilbert chuckled, and I stopped eating to look at him, "I see you're pretty darn hungry, youngin'." I realized my mouth was stuffed with muffin, and how Grandmother would tell me how unladylike that was, I straightened back up and quickly finished my food.

Hilbert laughed again, and I muttered: "It's not that funny," and continued much slower. I silently excused myself from the table and walked back into the lobby. Sitting my bag on the sofa, I pulled out my map and opened it up. I'll be leaving for Hearthrome today. That's an easy journey, or so I've heard. Clear and Pokémon-free paths that shouldn't take too long on foot. Thought I.

Hilbert walked into the room. "Headed out today?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm planning on leaving as soon as possible."

He nodded and grabbed the television remote, "probably a good idea I reckon." He clicked on the small television in the corner, and the news was on as usual.

"Yes, that's a good point," The girl said. "But what if the attacker, if there is one, is done? He made his point by bombing that saying?"

The man nodded. "Could be it. But why would the attacker stop there? Why wouldn't the attacker bomb other places as well, make his point clearer?"

"I'm not sure, Steven. I guess we'll just wait and see what Lea says." The girl looked into the camera. "Stay tuned for tonight's interview with Champion Lea to hear what he has to say about the attacks." The news logo appeared.

Opening my mouth to make a sardonic comment towards Lea, I remembered I wasn't at home where negative comments and rants were permitted in moderation. Brainwashed, I thought, they have to be brainwashed to be this stupid. Why would they egg on an attacker by talking about him twenty-four-seven? Why would they say things like 'bomb other places as well and make his point clearer'? Why would they be so stubborn to think Lea is such a great person? No one would ever consider anything different, because he's so great and awesome.

Hilda interrupted my in-mind ranting with the scent of those muffins again. She had one wrapped up and held it out to me with a gracious smile. A gift of food in Celestic is a very, very thoughtful thing. That normally means you are well liked by whoever gives you the food. And since no one really has extra food to spare, it's a rare gift.

"Oh, I cannot take this." I said, taking a step back.

"It's the last one and I want you to have it, dear." She stepped forward and grinned. I took it and tried to think of the right things to say. I was never one with words, really, my grandfather used to call me "blunt as a butter knife." Knowing that was one of the worst attributes for someone of any superiority, I gulped and tried harder.

"Thank you so much for the food—gift," I quickly corrected myself, "letting me stay here and everything."

"No problem youngin'." Hilbert said.

"We enjoy your company." Hilda added just as I heard the news come back on the television.

"We just got word from Lea that he's going to Sunyshore to inspect the bomb scene. He says he wants to see for himself so he can provide the necessary for everyone during this time."

"I think it's Lea." I blurted, and my mind started to whirl.

"What?" Hilda asked gently, noting how anxious I was becoming. Thinking about my next words, I decided to just tell them how I felt. Knowing Grandmother trusted them greatly, I knew it wouldn't be a mistake.

"I think the attacker is Champion Lea."

The thing that happened next caught me so off-guard I jumped.

Hilbert started laughing so hard, he spit his milk and it ran down into his snowy beard. He threw his head back and stomped his foot, exploding in laughter I didn't understand. After another minute, he finally choked out a sentence before laughing again. "That's just great, Cynthia!" He coughed. "It could be Lea, he's a slimy snake, wouldn't surprise me." He started to calm down, but now I laughed. It was so ridiculously funny for no apparent reason.

Just then someone busted through the door. "Hilbert!" He yelled. The man was short and round with messy red hair and a matching beard. He put his hands on his hips and glared at Hilbert, who calmly sat on the sofa unaffected by the person who almost broke the front door.

"Yes, Red?" Hilbert asked. He had his professional voice on.

"A minor bump, eh? Fool!" He screamed.

"What's wrong?" Hilda had quietly crossed the room.

"Another bombing in the ruins!" Red was still screaming.

"What, where, when and was anybody harmed?" Hilbert's words were running into each other as he flew out of his chair and out the door. Red followed him, yelling something I couldn't understand, and I followed Red. It's only been two days, I was right, the attacker stayed. So it couldn't have been Lea.

We stopped running shortly after we started, I'm not sure why. We walked across the small town to the ruins entrance, which resembled any regular cave entrance. Stepping inside, Red lit an old torch on the wall and led Hilbert and I down a hallway into a large room. All the torches were already lit and shining brightly, revealed a black, scorched spot on the back wall. Unknowns had gathered around that spot and hummed in perfect harmony. Unknowns were weird little Pokémon, who held the key to deciphering Unknown Writing. They find damp caves, press themselves against the walls, and write out, at times, many sentences of riddles and quotes and amazing things. Every Unknown is a different "letter," and they all worked together to "write" something beautiful.

"Are they okay?" I whispered, not wanting to bother the creatures.

"Yeah, they do this all the time. That means they're peaceful and aren't gonna attack us." Hilbert explained, his loud voice making me jump. Hilbert was one of those people who spoke loudly no matter what; he couldn't help it.

"Peaceful? You never fail to prove to me what a fool you is, Hilbert, these Unknowns are dangerous." Red said quickly, his accent making it hard for me to decipher the words.

"Dangerous? These Unknown had never, ever put us in danger before! They're peaceful creatures." Hilbert replied

"Yeah right, look what they've done!" The two of them aimlessly bickered back and forth for a moment.

"So, what do we do?" I asked once there was a free spot.

"Nothin'. The news will hear from somebody and be here to take pictures and such." Hilbert shook his head. "I can't believe this happened again…"

Not saying anything, I began to walk around the room. The Unknown had disappeared at this time. Only knowing some of the writing on the walls, at one place I could make out "…And was wrong and died." That was a depressing sentence.

"What does some of this say, Hilbert?" Asked I.

"Well, the new place that was bombed said 'liars never prosper'. Or somethin' around there, I believe."

That made sense. "Now it sounds more like some kid than Lea."

Hilbert nodded. "Cynthia, as much as I wish it was, there's no way it's Lea. He's at the League all day long I believe. And right now he's on his way to Sunyshore. We'll just have t' watch the interview t'night."

"I suppose you're right."

"That's what I think. I'd like t' think I'm always right." He grinned and winked at me. I chuckled, and he put his arm around my shoulder. "Don't you let Lea get in your head, Cynthia. Don't you even give him that satisfaction," he winked again, "you just do what you want—become a trainer—and don't be bothered by him or these attacks." I nodded, and he patted my shoulder and we left the ruins.

We exited and walked towards Hil and Hil Day Care. A few people had gathered around, I noticed Hilbert walked hastily towards his home, not wanting to talk with anyone. We got in the house and was greeted by Hilda. She had changed into nice tan pants and a pink shirt and had put her silver hair in a bun.

She looked worried. "What's goin' on?"

"Another bombing, nothing utterly serious, no one harmed or something. Just Red being overdramatic I reckon."

"Good to know about nobody being harmed. But Red's just being Red, don't let him get under your skin." Hilda spoke to her husband with much wisdom in her tone, and Hilbert nodded.

"How do you stand him, then?" I wondered.

"Well, we have to, with him being our other Town Elder." Hilbert said.

"What? That's not fair."

Hilbert chuckled, "it's as fair as it gets, Cynners. His parents were Elders, they passed, he took their place rightfully." He shrugged, "can't control it. Heck, I can't even control my own family, much less his family." The two of them took a seat on the sofa, and the Buneary roaming around hopped up on Hilda's lap. I looked towards the door, knowing I had to get going soon.

"Is it that time?" Hilda asked, and I nodded. Hilbert stood up and opened the door for me, motioning real big and making me smile. I stepped out, and opened my mouth to say my farewell and thanks, but instead a scream rang out.

Hilbert stumbled out of the door, and our eyes met for a split second, and we took off towards the ruins.

As soon as I stepped in through the entryway, a glowing orb slammed into my stomach and I met the hard ground.

*This chapter has been hardcore edited/rewritten