Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
Date: One Year Prior to the Present Setting
Out of all of my duties as Sinnoh League Champion, Cynthia thought, this has to be the most tedious.
She loved her work. The people she met, the places she saw, the bonds between Pokémon and trainer that she witnessed. But this was not one of the highlights of the job.
"This" happened to be the closing ceremony of the Lily of the Valley Conference. The annually held, extremely long and extravagant closing ceremony of the Lily of the Valley Conference.
Hell, she enjoyed the Conference itself. One of her favourite duties as Champion was looking after the welfare of Pokémon, and witnessing the bonds between trainers and their Pokémon stirred her heart, particularly if she had met them prior to the Conference itself. The battle between Paul and Ash had nearly moved her to tears, so far was she thrilled by the intensity the two trainers had shown in their conflict, and how secure she felt in the knowledge of the bond they now surely shared, closer as friends even as their rivalry remained. She also respected the resolve, fortitude and strength of the winner of the Conference, Tobias, for his mastery of battling style and the deep bond he evidently shared with his Darkrai and Latios for them to conduct their efforts with such skill and control.
What she did not respect, on the other hand, was the decision of the organisers to make the opening ceremony nearly an hour and a half long. Having herself, the judge and, at various times each of the Top Eight, culminating in the winner in front of a crowd that somehow found it possible, bearable, even exciting, to scream for much of that time. And be expected to smile unabashedly throughout the ordeal. No respect at all.
She remembered complaining about it, once, at a meeting with the organisers of the Sinnoh League. They had assured her that such a length was necessary for the Top Eight trainers to be appropriately recognised for their achievements, and had included a number of long words and phrases such as "responsibility", "necessary" and "why we pay you a bonus" enough times for Cynthia to back off and feel vaguely guilty about even suggesting it. And then, once far enough away from the board, angry at herself for being handled so easily.
What made the current Conference ceremony even more farcical however was the absence of two of the Top Eight. Cynthia had hardly expected Paul to stay put for the ceremony considering that he hadn't won; she doubted that he would have stayed even if he had only lost in the Final, given the two hour gap between the Final and the ceremony, the time required for the swift engraving of the trophy. From their meeting before, she had been able to tell that it wasn't his way to wait around for things to happen. There was always something else to do. And frankly, she thought, he probably has the right idea given this inanity...
The other trainer in the Top Eight not present was even more scandalous; never before at a Lily of the Valley Conference had the Runner Up not been present for the closing ceremony, and his absence was not through choice but enforced by security.
After his loss he had said a few choice words to Tobias regarding his use of Legendary Pokémon in a league tournament, escalating in an argument that led to the crowd booing him for his lack of dignity in the face of defeat. His continued, incessant complaining throughout the two hour period led to the judge, Mr. Goodshow, simply banning him from the stadium and threatening to rescind his trainer license unless he stayed away. The press'll love that tomorrow morning.
Tobias, at least, seemed to be enjoying the ceremony as a fitting tribute to his hard-earned victory. He hardly spoke and seemed modest enough, either that or masked his feelings well enough to effect the same. She supposed that she shouldn't grumble about the ceremony too much, given that the purpose of the ceremony was to celebrate the efforts of such hard-working trainers. Then again, she'd really only aired her grievances weakly to her "superiors"; most of her annoyance had simply been worked over in her head. Wonder what Freud would say about this...
The only thing that had really inspired her about the ceremony was Ash's role. The trainer had bounded up to the platform with what seemed to be barely-contained excitement to receive his medal for the Top Four, but still managed to maintain his dignity when accepting it. If Paul had at first reminded Cynthia of herself in her earliest days as a trainer, with a win-at-all-costs attitude, then Ash brought back memories of her changed attitude during her latter studies, shortly before she embarked upon the challenge to be the Champion of Sinnoh. She noted how his eyes had scanned the crowd for his friends, sparkling intently as he caught sight of Brock and Dawn cheering from the stands, and how he had hugged his Pikachu tighter as he walked off the stage, medal in hand.
Returning to the present and being drawn out of her recollection by the Mr. Goodshow's closing statements, Cynthia replicated Ash's scanning of the crowd one last time before preparing to focus on the ceremony's zenith.
She caught sight of a familiar figure in the upper stands arrayed in front of her. A tall figure with short brown hair, his face partially obscured by the cap he was wearing, but unmistakable to one who knew him so well.
The figure saluted to her, his action almost lost amidst the cheering crowd and carefully picked his way up to the exit of the stands and out of sight. She could tell where he was heading, though.
The champion only had a moment to compose herself as the fireworks went off, before she handed the trophy to Tobias and he lifted it high, to thunderous applause from the audience. She joined in, her mind on other things. Primarily the identity of the one she had spotted and what his presence here could mean. She couldn't afford to smile wider at the present, not with the crowd and more specifically the press, watching so intently. Cynthia settled on containing her growing excitement, and fighting the urge to sprint off the stage as soon as she was able. She was only half successful.
The Lily of the Valley stadium held the reputation, rightfully deserved, as the most impressive, state of the art, largest and most expensive stadium in the Sinnoh region. In the wider world, only the stadia of the other regional conferences and leagues could hope to match it for these qualities, though many natives of Sinnoh would boast that the Lily was the grandest of them all.
Unfortunately, being of such a vast scale meant that it was also notoriously difficult to navigate quickly, a problem compounded by the curious decision of the architect to situate the entrance hall as far away from the inner ground as structurally possible, by way of numerous passageways and corridors running the length of the stadium.
Hoenn Elite Four member Phoebe once took a wrong turn during a visit and accompanying tour of the grounds and became lost for nearly forty-five minutes, eventually turning up, completely bemused, in a maintenance tunnel running under the field.
Simply put, the Lily stadium was a maze.
A maze that was severely impeding Cynthia's progress in reaching the entrance hall. Particularly as she was trying to avoid being mobbed by over-eager fans.
Ten minutes after the end of the ceremony she finally reached the door to the reception area, and peered through to confirm that he was actually there.
He wasn't hard to spot. Anyone else might not have recognised him with the cap shielding his face from the view of the crowd, but not her. Cynthia could have spotted this trainer from a mile away.
Likewise, he seemed to be scanning the crowd, carefully but intently. Not that such behaviour would seem out of the ordinary. The end of the awards presentation meant that the majority of trainers and fans were being funnelled, one way or another, into the entrance hall, and it was easy to lose sight of friends temporarily in the crush of bodies.
And then he noticed her looking through the window at the top of the door, and moved casually but swiftly to meet her. She stepped back as he opened the door, closing it curiously swiftly behind him.
"Cyn." His accent would be considered noticeable and unusual for most people living in Sinnoh, but, again, Cynthia was not like most people. He removed the cap to reveal that shock of brown hair, dull blue eyes and a grinning face.
"Cam." Cynthia matched the greeting and kept her manner level, as hard as it was to accomplish the latter feat.
Twenty Years earlier...
"I'm going to be a Pokémon master!" seven year-old Cynthia cried as she began to climb the tall tree. Her father had turned it into a grand treehouse just a year before, declaring it to be as fine as any of the Secret Bases he had sculpted during his work in Hoenn before his retirement. "Like no-one ever was!"
"Not if I get there first!" Cameron, her friend of the same age, yelled as he scaled the other side of the trunk. He was still unused to such practical fun, but was learning fast. Cynthia still won the race, though.
The two had been friends since the start of school that year, and many a weekend had now been dedicated to reciprocal visits to each other's houses, normally involving a great deal of fun in the gardens. And a lot of muddy clothes for their parents to clean afterwards.
"If you wanna get there first you'll have to do a lot more training than me!" Cynthia snorted as she watched Cameron ascending the last branches of the tree up to the steps leading into the treehouse.
"Why?" he huffed, exhausted. "You don't even have your first Pokémon yet!"
"Neither do you, dummy!"
"Well, no duh." Cameron laid down on the floor and tried to control his breathing. "But that means we both still have the same chance as being a Pokemon master as each other!"
"No fair! I want to be one first!" Cynthia pouted.
"No fair? That doesn't make any sense!" He retorted. Cynthia turned away, tossing back her blonde hair.
"You don't make any sense!"
And so they descended once more into a well-rehearsed, back-and-forth argument, which only ended when Cynthia's mother called them both in for tea, as the first shades of night began to advance on the Sinnoh sky, and the sun began to fade behind the clouds.
"Cyn?" He asked. They had returned outside later, to watch the sunset whilst sitting on the branches of the tree, sipping sweet fruit juices as the darkness rolled in.
"Mhm?"
"You don't think we'll... ever not be friends, do you?"
"What?" she stared at him, confused. "Whaddya mean?"
"My dad was talking a few days ago about how he doesn't see some of his old friends from school very often anymore." Cameron went on. "What if that happens to us?"
"It won't, dummy!"
"How d'ya know for sure, though? You can't see the future, or you'd be rich!" Precognition was their most-agreed upon, most wished-for superpower that they'd want from the comics if they could have just one. They would sometimes try to list its amazing utility, but eventually just give up after countless repetitions. That would normally be about the time that Cynthia would criticise Cameron for his lack of imagination.
"I just know, okay! Look..." Cynthia tried to conjure as much of a comforting tone as she could. And only half succeeded. "We'll always stay in touch. I promise." She smiled in a further attempt to be reassuring.
Cameron gazed over at her, and smiled as well.
"I promise, too..."
"Can't talk here, press could be listening." Cameron gestured down the corridor, still grinning wide, to a locker room door. "In there".
Cynthia found herself nodding. Her anticipation was continuing to build. At last... My vengeance is so close at hand...
He opened the door for her and pulled out two Poké Balls as she walked past.
"Swampert, Metagross, rock out!" The Mud Fish and Iron Leg Pokemon filled the hall as they left the balls. Swampert stretched and roared happily at the sight of Cynthia, who waved back at it as she entered the locker room. Metagross greeted its trainer with what can only be described as quiet dignity.
"Guys, I need you to guard this door. No-one gets in, 'specially not the media." Swampert smashed a three-fingered fist into the three-fingered palm of his other hand at the mention of his favourite targets. Far too many reporters had been on the receiving end of an Earthquake from the all too willing amphibian. Metagross dipped its head – body? – in acknowledgement. Both took up positions in front of the door as their trainer closed it.
Cynthia sat down on a bench and opened her mouth to speak, but Cameron waved his hand for another moment of silence as a blue, translucent sphere with legs and feelers, descended from the ceiling, turning to reveal a face with small eyes and what appeared to be a beard. Or a moustache. Hard to tell, really, given, the lack of an obvious mouth.
"I had Jellicent here check the room for bugs earlier. Find anything, mate?"
"Jelli..." The water-ghost type shook its head. Which, again, essentially meant shaking its body.
"All right, cheers." Cameron shrugged and returned it to a third Poké Ball.
"Paranoid as ever, dummy." Cynthia smirked, but the tension remained within her, begging to be released. "Or you've got really important news this time."
"Both. As always." He sat down and stared at her. He still hadn't stopped grinning. "Okay, then..." Ah, to hell with it, I've waited long enough. Now's a good as time as any.
"No... No." Cynthia rose up from the bench, her face flushing red with rage. Adrenaline flooded her body at the excitement, at the conclusion of a long year's wait... "It's not "okay". The way our last little get-together went was not "okay"."
"Cyn, I..." He was still grinning.
"Shut up!" She raised her arm, pointing accusatorily at him. "I've waited long enough for this moment!"
He barely had time to stand up from the bench before she tackled him to the floor.
Approximately One Year earlier...
"And so that was how my Metagross defeated Arceus." Cameron bragged sarcastically from the villa's kitchen as he took the popcorn out of the microwave. Metagross perked up briefly at the mention of its name, but shook its head upon hearing Cynthia's full sentence and returned to arm-wrestling Cynthia's Garchomp. "Pretty standard day, really."
"Sure." Cynthia called, sitting on the sofa in front of the television. "And I suppose that you were then crowned King of Unova and granted your pick of the finest Pokémon and delicacies of the land, am I right?"
"No." He disdained. "This is the real world."
"Oh, sorry. Hard to tell sometimes when you're involved."
Having villas all across the known regions meant a great deal of choice when it came down to summer vacations and simple getaways. But Undella Town seemed to trump all the others, every year, with its shining sun, soft sand and sparkling sea.
Not to mention sharing fashion tips with Elesa. And sometimes Skyla. But mostly just Elesa.
And discussing myths and legends with Lenora over a delicious Triple Cone chocolate mint strawberry with cookies and cream. Or a sandwich. Or...
And catching up with Cam.
Plus trying to actually figure out just who Roxie is.
She wouldn't give Cam the satisfaction by saying it out loud, but Unova was a great region.
"What's on?" Cameron joined her on the sofa, cradling two tubs of popcorn. He handed one to Cynthia and grabbed a cushion.
"Ever Grande Conference finals. Hoenn's putting on a pretty good show this year." As if to punctuate Cynthia's observation, the camera panned across to display the breathtaking fireworks display covering the airspace of much of the stadium. The fireworks banked round before forming patterns resembling Pokémon, including an Aggron and a Metagross.
"Huh, Steven'll love that." She grinned.
"Unless, y'know, he arranged it himself." He replied with a wry smile.
"Isn't that more your style, Cam?"
"Ha. Ha."
Cynthia threw a kernel into the air and leaned back to catch it in her mouth.
"The popcorn's pretty good."
"Oh, by the way, I put hot sauce in yours. Enjoy." Cameron deadpanned. Cynthia choked.
"Wh-wh-what?" She spluttered, spilling the contents of the bowl of popcorn on the floor and spitting out a particularly large chunk of the treat.
"Not really. I just wanted to see your face when I said that."
"Come on, Cam, what was the point?" She growled indignantly.
"Honestly?" He smirked. "So I could put you off guard and do... This."Quick as a flash, he leapt off the sofa and pulled her to the floor. Pinning her arms to the floor, he tickled her sides. Breathless, she could only giggle until he stopped after less than a minute, standing up victoriously. "I win this year! Just for once, I win!"
The TV continued to show the finals of the Ever Grande Conference.
Cynthia's Garchomp shook its head at the antics of its trainer and her friend.
Cameron's Metagross rolled its eyes.
Cynthia grumbled weakly on the floor.
"Payback time, fool!" She had him this time, pinned beneath her weight and tickled to breaking point. His laughter carried through the door to the corridor, detected by Swampert, who looked vaguely concerned, and Metagross, who sighed knowingly and placated the former with a look that practically screamed Don't ask.
"All right, all right, you win!" Cameron cried. Cynthia roared in success and then fell off him, giggling. The two rolled around on the floor for a time, consumed by the hilarity of the situation. "Seriously... That. Is the worst competition. We ever made up."
"Only because I always win in the end." She stuck her tongue out at him to complete her victory.
"Can we get to business, now?" He put something of a pleading note into his tone. Not that it would ever work on her. She pouted at him for a long moment.
"Fiiiine. Just because you asked soooo nicely." Cynthia snarked, and then winked at him as he rubbed his brow as if exhausted. "So, what brings the esteemed Champion of Unova to Sinnoh?"
His expression seemed to darken as she mentioned his title. It was a look so momentary that most would've missed it. But not her. She looked at him curiously, her face now strained with a certain concern.
"Uh... Cam... You haven't... lost, have you?" She asked, as gently as she could. He shook his head.
"No. I'm still the Unova Champion. But not for long, and my news is directly related to that situation." They both sat down again. All humour had vanished from the atmosphere of the room, replaced by foreboding and concern.
"The other Champions wanted me to deliver this information in person, and to be so paranoid about its secrecy, because of the developing unrest in our regions." He started. "Criminal organisations across Unova, Kanto and Johto, and Hoenn, have either sprung up over the past five years or increased in activity exponentially in that time period. Team Rocket is the most "infamous" of these."
"Yes, I know of them, they had a trio of operatives in Sinnoh who were continuously attempting to steal Pokemon, particularly the Pikachu of a young trainer named Ash Ketchum."
"Ash Ketchum? Lance had a lot of good things to say about Ash Ketchum and his friends." Cameron smiled. "They apparently worked together in Johto and Hoenn, stopping the actions of Team Aqua and Team Magma in the latter instance."
This revelation only served to swell the respect that Cynthia already had for Ash and his company.
"I heard about that, but that only intrigues me about the relevance of the "unrest" you mentioned. My own region faced a grave threat from Team Galactic, but there were defeated with the aid of the Legendary Guardians, and Ash and his friends. Galactic's leader, Cyrus, may well be lost in another dimension for all we know. As for Aqua and Magma; they were defeated last year, and I was under the impression – put forward by Steven – that they were working in a kinder environmental capacity at this point. Was he wrong?" she queried.
"Steven still believes that they are on the level." He answered. "But, as you well know, a champion hears much in the way of rumour and hearsay. Steven worries for the safety of his region due to whispers of a threat growing in the north." Cameron paused. "He has asked for aid in rooting out the possibility of corruption, and, given how far Team Rocket has spread in Lance's territory, and the unknown nature of such a possible threat, we agreed unanimously that I would accompany him." He paused again. "And the two of us have both tendered our resignations to our respective leagues."
If Cynthia had been standing at that point, she would have had to sit down. Rocked by the information, she placed a hand to her forehead.
"But... Steven's been champion for so long... He loves the work... You love the work." Cynthia groaned. "Why resign, even for this? Champions can visit other regions for leisure or for work – as I so often visit Unova, and as Lance did when he travelled to Hoenn to battle Aqua and Magma! Why resign, Cam?" She cried.
"The journey that Steven and I are about to undertake could take time, Cyn. Perhaps a year, or longer. It will almost certainly be undercover - as Lance was, aye –" he added, to forestall her inevitable objection. "But he did not hide in the shadows for so long. Hoenn and Unova deserve more of their champions, even if what we will do may be vital to their continued safety and prosperity. We must resign, Cyn. We need to disappear for a while." Despite the weight of finality in his statement, Cynthia could tell he was holding back.
"There's more... Isn't there?" She asked, tentatively. Cameron hesitated, then nodded.
"Aye. Hoenn is not the only region to suffer the enemy within. I hear murmurs... I see patterns of crime and threatening behaviour in reports... They increasingly point to the existence of another criminal organisation existing in Unova, with a goal I have yet to uncover, if they even exist at all. They might well be linked to the potential threat from the north in Hoenn – I have to be sure." He stopped, and sighed. "That's all."
"Wait." Cynthia shot up. "Why can't I come with you? Sinnoh is more stable than it has ever been, with Galactic's defeat. And why didn't you consult me before choosing who would go with Steven? Did you think I would try to stop you?" She grumbled indignantly. Cameron chuckled.
"We were in a hurry, and mostly agreed after the first meeting. Besides, Lance intends to play the crusading hero type with increased action against Team Rocket. It'll be beneficial if one of the champions does what they always have – roam and protect the region." Cynthia could see the logic in this decision, even if it aggrieved her to do nothing more than she already did.
To act normally, when others were fighting behind the scenes.
"But," she started, and then realised that there was nothing more she could think of, no other suggestions for ways to save the day. Only one question remained to be answered, and it wasn't a happy one. She remained silent for a time, glancing out the window. The sun was burning bright outside, and the midday temperature evident in the way that people were removing their jackets and layers made Cynthia suddenly thankful for the existence of central air-conditioning, and that she had insisted upon its installation into the stadium on its renovation three years ago.
"Who's... uh... replacing you then? And Steven?" She finally found the words to bring the issue up.
"Alder's coming back to take over from me. He's obviously got the experience, and practically jumped at the chance to do the whole "travelling champion" role again". Cameron smiled. "As for Steven, he's been priming Wallace for the role for years."
"Good choices." Cynthia commented, accepted the situation as it had to be. "Unova and Hoenn are in good hands." Cameron stood up and joined her at the window.
"They are." He confirmed. "Don't worry about them, or us. We'll be fine."
Cynthia turned and hugged him, tight around the waist. He returned it, and after thirty seconds or so, she released him.
"Fine, I accept what you have to do is necessary." She sighed, then growled "You'd better come back in one piece, though. We still have a battle to finish from last time."
"Okay." Cameron replied. "I mean, what could go wrong, right?" Cynthia smacked him lightly on the back of the head at these words, earning a yelp from the Unovan champion.
"Don't say that, dummy!" She groaned. "Now you've gone and jinxed it."
Cameron shook his head and led the way out. He recalled Metagross and Swampert, and with a final goodbye, the two champions – the two friends – parted ways once more. It would be another year before they would meet again.
The pyromancer summoned up her mightiest onslaught of fire and rage. Jace feigned interest.
- Counterspell (Jace vs. Chandra)