Mt Coronet, the highest mountain in the Sinnoh region, is part of a long mountain range that divides the region into two distinct halves. According to legend the mountain was where the history of the region began, where the creator of the world created the Creation Trio at the Spear Pillar before falling into slumber.
The validity of the lore and the existence of the fabled Spear Pillar had always been a point of contention for historians and frankly, Flint Cinders couldn't give a damn about it. He's back in Sinnoh for one thing and one thing only.
The eradication of Team Galactic.
He swore to see this goal to completion after that day in the hospital where he saw his brother in everything but blood broke down in mental anguish and guilt. Be it for personal reasons or his duty as a member of Sinnoh's Elite Four, it's about time real steps were taken to permanently remove this blight from the region and the world.
Something has to be done about this and someone has to do it. Previously, that role had fallen onto Volkner and he took on that responsibility almost entirely by himself. Now that he's retired from the position, Flint doesn't mind picking up what his friend had left behind and seeing it to its end.
Enough has been lost, too much time has been wasted. If completing this goal means going into the deeper end then going into the deeper end it shall be. The threat posed by the invention of the Master Balls must be removed as soon as possible and this is not the time to be picky about the method employed. Already, the secrets of the invention had been confirmed to have been leaked to various parts of the world, some of it into the wrong hands. It was an international PR crisis for Sinnoh behind closed doors when it was confirmed that Sinnoh's oversight regarding the Galactic problem was one reason why Team Rocket was capable of unleashing the Legendary Birds on Olivine that fateful day.
Someone has to oversee the damage control and while it might be a little too late, it's better late than never.
Somewhere around the upper half of the mountain range in the middle of Sinnoh was where he's currently at. As much as it stung Flint's pride to admit it, he cannot see to the removal of Team Galactic alone. The Galactic problem was a problem that even the Sinnoh League couldn't fully resolve with their own power when Volkner was still within their ranks. Flint is not ashamed to admit that while he and Volkner are the best among the pillars when it comes to organised crime management, Volkner is the better one among them both. As such, when Flint volunteered to spearhead the efforts to further crack down on the Galactics there was an unsaid agreement between him and the League that they will turn a blind eye to some of his methods and neither will they question the details.
As long as the job gets done.
This is a needed compromise that they will have to make to achieve immediate results. A needed evil, for the lack of a better description. As long as the job's done at the end of the day and peace returns to Sinnoh, then all is well. Sinnoh cannot afford to appear as the main culprit behind the brewing chaos that the world suddenly found itself slowly sinking into.
The metallic scent of blood assaulted his nose the closer his feet brought him to the agreed meeting point tonight. The moon hung high up in the cloudless night sky, providing some light but it's not like the Elite Four needed it since he had his magmortar by his side.
"Took you a long while, afro."
Flint didn't bother to hide the frown on his face when he took in a sight of what was undoubtedly a one-sided massacre. The crux of the Galactic problem in Sinnoh was that the terrorists had holed themselves within the mountainous region of Mt Coronet, a natural formation of an incredibly complex network of tunnels that prevented the League from uprooting them entirely. The League needed to find a way to locate their base of operations within the massive mountain range through any means necessary and it was where their efforts had grinded to a halt previously despite their best attempts.
Ever since Flint returned to Sinnoh he had decided to take a leaf out of the book from the previous Indigo President and inserted a spy into the Galactic's ranks, even if it meant reaching out to work with a specific person that he really detest with all his heart.
Right in front of him was a small clearing halfway up one of the many nameless mountains that dotted this part of the region. The corpses of people in the distinguishable Galactic uniforms were too hard to miss despite the darkness of the night, the way their faces were contorted as the emotion of fear was permanently etched on it before they breathed their last made him felt an uncontrollable urge to retch, but he forced it all down. He couldn't appear to be weak right now.
Not right in front of her.
The perpetrator of this whole mess sat relaxedly on the top of a small pile of corpses whose blood had not yet run cold, her legs crossed and idly shaking in boredom as she softly hummed a familiar tune that every Sunyshorean would know as a child. She's dressed entirely in black from top to toe, her long black hair tied into low twin ponytails at both sides of her head and a black polished metal mask worn over her face to obscure her identity. The only other distinguishable ornament worn on her was the hairclip she wore on the left side of her head, carved in the shape of the gracidea flower that is native to the Sinnoh region and also coloured entirely in black.
This is the notorious and one of the most mysterious hitmen of Sinnoh's underworld, Black Gracidea. Nothing is known about her other than the fact that she's a woman and can only be identified by the black gracidea hair clip she would pin on her hair. She had terrorised the region for a handful of years until she suddenly vanished from Sinnoh about nine years ago around the same time Volkner was appointed as the new Gym Leader of Sunyshore.
The scary part?
Among those in the higher echelons of the PWL, word has it that she had once bested the Sun of Sunyshore before subsequently fleeing the region. Since then, she had never stepped foot in Sinnoh ever again nor had she ever accepted any job that would bring her to Sinnoh. Even after Volkner had stepped down from his position as the Gym Leader of Sunyshore she had never returned back to Sinnoh.
Things got much sinister when word got out that the infamous Black Gracidea had joined an extremely powerful and secretive international underworld group, the secrecy behind its existence so obscure that very few even knew it existed nor what its true purpose was. The Black Gracidea was an existence that once bested the Sun of Sunyshore and government officials shudder to think what other horrors were also part of the organisation that the Black Gracidea is a member of.
As the Black Gracidea had never stepped foot into Sinnoh ever again people thought that the Black Gracidea feared the Sun of Sunyshore despite having beaten him once but Flint knew better. He's one of the small handful of people who is privy to the truth and it was why he decided to do something as insane as recruiting her help.
The fact that she's currently sitting on the corpse of a Galactic is proof of that.
"Had to take care of a few runaways on my way here," Flint replied just as emotionlessly as he stood at the opposite end of the small clearing, trying his best to keep his disgust in check. The woman in front of him has a slim and dainty figure, looking as if a breeze might topple her but he knew better than to underestimate her. The Black Gracidea wasn't known for her power, but for her superb skills in concealment and deception and the deadly efficiency in her work.
Even he was fooled by her deceptive act for years until Volkner confided in him about the truth of what really happened that day. The three of them had known each other since they were children and not once had they suspected a single thing. That was how well she concealed her true self.
The woman whose attire was being covered in splatters of blood released a dramatic sigh. The tyrogue who Flint had remembered seeing by the woman's side ever since they were kids is now a hitmonlee, standing silently by the side of its trainer with a bored look in its eyes.
"It's been like this ever since we were kids, you were always the latest to the party."
"Shut up," Flint interrupted coldly, not wanting to take a trip down memory lane ever since he learnt the truth from Volkner that day. Volkner had never forgiven himself ever since the truth was unravelled. The majority of Sunyshore had long since forgotten about her existence ever since her "death" and while Volkner had also never brought her up again in any of their conversations thereafter, Flint knew that he had never once stopped blaming himself for how things had turned out.
"And I thought we were friends," she tilted her head cutely to the side and Flint could already imagine the disgusting fake smile on her face, the very same one she would often beam at them back when they were kids.
Flint's reply to her statement was an emotionless stare. The tension in the air was so thick that it made their respective pokemon companions grow steadily restless and on guard, ready to lash out upon the command of their trainers.
They had fought many times before a long time ago, but that was merely in a competitive setting with rules in place. If a fight were to break out now it would be a fight to the death.
Things are no longer the same as they were before.
"This is the last of them," the Black Gracidea was the one who diffused the tension after a period of uncomfortable silence. "The rest of their core members had already exited the borders and left for different regions before you planted me in here. There are a handful that are still in Sinnoh and have not left, but they are no longer hiding around Mt Coronet. I will leave the cleaning up to you as discussed."
"And Cyrus?"
"I met him, but he escaped. I'm not his match," the woman admitted truthfully. "You know that pokemon battle is not my strong point to begin with."
"I know, your forte is spinning lies and committing murders," Flint cannot help but spat and the woman did nothing to refute his statement.
"How is he?" She changed the topic of the conversation and Flint decided that there's no harm in letting her know. The initial reason why they had both reluctantly agreed to work with each other to begin with was because of Volkner, even if Volkner wasn't aware of it himself. Flint and her had a mutual understanding that it's best that Volkner is not made aware of their cooperation or the fact that she had made a return trip to Sinnoh.
"Doing well. He will be making his way to Unova soon to help with the Plasma problem."
"That's just like him, taking it all upon himself when it's not his fault," she huffed in fond exasperation and for once, Flint found himself agreeing with her.
"Volkner will track down the Galactic remnants who escaped to Unova. Knowing him, he will see it done soon. I will have to stay in Sinnoh to oversee the cleanup. As an Elite Four, I'm not able to freely leave the region."
"So that means my job is to hunt down the remaining Galactics who had escaped from Sinnoh," the woman bobbed her head up and down in agreement. "Fine, that's doable, I know people in the right places who can help me track them down."
"Keep a lookout for Cyrus. End him if you have the chance, no matter what it takes."
"I don't need you to remind me," the woman replied to Flint's reminder just as coldly the moment Cyrus was mentioned. The only reason why they had decided to cooperate with each other was because Team Galactic had hurt Volkner, they aren't doing this for each other.
This is for Volkner's sake. This is for revenge, to enact vengeance upon the Galactics for hurting the person who holds an important place in both their hearts. For this shared goal, they temporarily put their differences aside and do their best to tolerate each other's presence.
The woman stood up, catching Flint's wary eye.
"Keep in touch, afro. Don't die before me because I can't shed a single tear for you," she said her farewells to what could be considered her childhood friend as she walked away with a skip in her steps, her hitmonlee following close behind her.
"Anthia."
The woman froze in her tracks and furiously spun around on her heels for having her real name being spoken just like that, just in time to see a small bag being thrown her way by the Elite Four which she easily caught with a hand.
"I've arranged transport for you, instructions are in there."
She looked at the bag in her hand, then back at him, before turning away to leave. There's always a chance that he's leading her into a trap but that's unlikely. There's nothing that Flint would gain for going against their agreed cooperation to take down Team Galactic at this juncture. Those scums had not yet been fully exterminated.
Until Team Galactic had been fully removed from the picture, she guessed that she could still trust Flint somewhat.
"Annoying afro," she muttered fumingly under her breath and removed the black metal mask over her face once she's a safe distance away, an irritable stuffy feeling stuck in her chest as memories from a time long past replayed vividly in her mind. If she had the power to turn back time…
She sighed. Things would probably still end up the same either way. She's an unredeemable sociopath and murderer, he's the hero of Sunyshore that led the city to greatness. She was never fit to stand by his side to begin with. He wasn't the problem, Flint wasn't the problem.
She's the problem.
That familiar emotion of irritable anger swelled within her chest and she had to force herself to take in deep breaths and when that was of no help to calm herself down, she immediately took out a small bottle from her pocket with shaking hands, pouring out a few pills from it before chugging it down her throat. Being back in Sinnoh had not done any wonders to her already unstable mental state, forcing her to take a larger dosage than usual lest she really turned insane.
It wasn't long before the medication did its magic and she finally calmed down. She tiredly leaned her back against the trunk of a wilted tree, slowly sliding down until she's sitting on the ground with her arms hugged around her knees and looking up at the moon, wondering if there was ever a chance for her to properly face him again. Her hitmonlee patiently stood beside her in silence. She never really loved hitmonlee like what a normal trainer would do for their pokemon, she never really liked pokemon in general, but she's glad that she made the right choice to pick it as her starter because it knows when to keep quiet and leave her to her devices. She knew that they are of the same kind when they first met each other in the Sunyshore Gym when she was just a child.
Apathetic emotionless sociopathic monsters, that's just what they are.
"I really am sick."
Hitmonlee barely spared her a glance, having heard its trainer say that many times before when she's on the verge of a mental breakdown again. She's far from a loving trainer but hitmonlee was able to tolerate her presence just like she did for it. Unlike the unshakable bond between other trainers and their pokemon, it would be a cold day in hell before hitmonlee ever dies for its trainer's sake and it is sure that its trainer felt the same way for it.
Yet somehow, both of them had stuck by each other's side for more than two decades.
Hitmonlee wasn't sure how much time had actually passed when its trainer finally nodded off to sleep from exhaustion. There's visible wetness spotted at the corner of her eyes and the sight of it made its heart ache a little for a brief moment, but that feeling subsided as soon as it came.
Like she said, she's sick, yet there is no cure for her sickness. Mental sickness is not something that can be easily "cured" and its symptoms are not easily identifiable, especially for someone like its trainer who is a master of concealing her true self in order to appear "normal".
And hitmonlee is her willing accomplice.
It was with a resigned sigh that hitmonlee bent down to gently carry its sleeping trainer in its arms, carefully making sure not to wake her up in the process as it continued their slow trek down the mountain range under the gentle glow of the moonlight. Hitmonlee would allow its trainer to rest for a little longer, being back in Sinnoh was a tortuous mental ordeal that had taken a toll on her ever since things had gotten to a point of no return. She deserves a little rest.
"Volkner…"
The soft mumble of that man's name in her sleep couldn't help but made hitmonlee wonder that if it wasn't as apathetic as its trainer, if it had reached out for help on behalf of its trainer before things spiralled out of control, could its trainer be in a better place than she is now?
For once, hitmonlee cannot help but wonder that maybe, its apathy was the culprit that resulted in its trainer becoming who she is today. Its apathy to its trainer could have been one reason why she wasn't able to reach out for help when she clearly needed it and why nobody spotted the signs before it was too late.
Maybe, that's why they are the perfect fit for each other.
A pokemon who is apathetic to its trainer and a trainer who is apathetic to her pokemon, what a perfect match they are.
The sound of the suitcase being closed shut followed by the soft click of the lock finally hammered the point home for Kayla. She had known of the couple's resolve but to see them packing up to leave had made the realisation even clearer.
"You guys are going to go no matter what I say."
Jasmine could only give Kayla a comforting smile before enveloping the girl in a hug which the girl reciprocated. It's been months ever since the Battle of Olivine and it has been an ordeal for them all.
"I'm going to miss you both," Kayla mumbled as she hugged Jasmine close with the older woman doing the same to her.
"We are going to miss you too," Jasmine agreed, "take care of our home while we are gone, okay?"
Kayla didn't make a verbal reply, her only response was to hug Jasmine tighter in the master bedroom of the couple's house where she was assisting Jasmine with the packing earlier. Volkner is attending a video conference in another room with some high ranking officials of the PWL.
The couple will be going on a "trip" that will probably last for about a year or two. Kayla had struggled with the notion if she should also come abroad as well but decided against it in the end.
Jasmine did one last sweep of the bedroom to make sure that she had packed everything she needed to bring along with Kayla assisting her. It was how Kayla found a peculiarly damaged hair clip in one of the many drawers of Jasmine's dressing table.
"Can't believe he left this here," Kayla heard Jasmine saying under her breath as she took the hair clip resting in the drawer before Kayla could mistakenly dispose of it. The hair clip was dented and the bottom end of it was charred to the point that the metal had curled from the heat. Even if it's still somewhat functional it's not going to look nice for anyone who clips it in their hair.
"Why not just throw it away?"
"This is not mine, I'm just keeping it safe on Volk's behalf. This hair clip…" Jasmine briefly hesitated if Kayla should be let known of that part of Volkner's history that he had once shared with her a long time ago shortly before their marriage. It wasn't long before Jasmine came to a decision.
"It's not mine. It's a memento of Volk's sister, she's been dead for a long time. Volk wanted me to keep this on his behalf."
"Wait, what?"
Kayla stared at Jasmine in disbelief. She had known Volkner for a long time and not once was she made aware that Volkner had a sister. Wasn't he an orphan?
"They are not related by blood. It's just that Volkner and her had known each other since they were children in the orphanage and he had taken care of her like his little sister, much like he does for you now," Jasmine explained after seeing the confused look on Kayla's face. "She passed away in an accident shortly after Volkner became Gym Leader. It was a run-in with a pack of feral wild houndooms along Route 222."
"I… I never heard of this, and I was old enough to remember things when Volkner became Gym Leader, but…"
"The older generation in Sunyshore knew how close the both of them were. They were practically glued to each other growing up. Her death affected Volk so greatly that he was bedridden for days. Sunyshore never speaks of this incident out of their respect for Volk because of what he had done for the city, knowing just how much pain this accident brought him, so I'm not surprised that your generation never knew about it. In fact, I only knew about this because Volk told me about it, she's almost entirely forgotten by the populace at this point. Even when it's just me and him alone together, he very rarely spoke about her unless he's feeling particularly sentimental or drunk himself stupid. It's… a very painful part of his past that he still struggles to face."
The look on Jasmine's face softened at the mention of the person that Volkner had often told her about during their Kanto travels in their youth. She never had the chance to meet his adoptive little sister before but she knows just how much he treasures her until her sudden demise. Volkner had told her many times that while Flint was his only friend outside the orphanage back when he was still a kid, in the orphanage the only person who he could call his family was the little girl who would always follow him around and wanted nothing more but a playmate who would accept her for who she is.
"Just don't bring this up in Volk's presence," Jasmine ended the topic there and then and pocketed the treasured hair clip. Kayla nodded in understanding, still having many questions in her mind that needed answers but knew better than to push for one.
It's hard to imagine an entire city having an unanimous agreement to not gossip about a particular part of Volkner's past when he was so loved by the city's residents. How on earth did her entire generation in Sunyshore not know that Volkner once had someone who he treated like his little sister? She knew Volkner was highly respected and loved by the city because she felt the same, but never had she imagined that it was to such an extent.
Kayla helped to move the suitcase down the stairs and it was coincidentally when Volkner was finally done with his video conference. He assisted them with the moving and eventually, they found themselves at a secluded area of the West Forest which the couple had built their homes in.
This is where the couple had buried their deceased pokemon who had fallen in the Battle at Olivine. They are here to pay them their last respects and say their goodbyes before they leave Johto for Unova. Kayla had been a witness to the couple's grief in those trying months and she would never forget how broken Jasmine's sobs sounded when she woke up to the news of her pokemon's death and weeped in her husband's arms. It was the breaking point for her, the deciding factor that led her to resign from her position as Gym Leader of Olivine and pass it on to Eusine.
Now, the couple has gotten over their grief and is now able to face this reality with peace. Still, that is a scar that will not heal anytime soon, or ever be healed for the matter.
The couple had to leave eventually and Kayla saw them off at the port. She caught them both in a tight hug before they boarded the ship for Unova.
"Come back safe. I will watch over your home for you."
"We will. You take care of yourself too, squirt," Volkner patted her fondly on the head as the three of them shared one last hug before parting. The couple remained on deck even after they had boarded the ship, waving goodbye to the girl which they both view as their little sister despite not being related by blood and only left to search for their room when Olivine turned into an unrecognisable speck on the horizon.
The couple were unpacking their belongings in the room in comfortable silence, the room which they will be staying in for the foreseeable weeks on the sea, when Jasmine decided to break the peace.
"Kayla found the hair clip by accident."
There was a noticeable brief pause in Volkner's actions, but he continued with the unpacking nonetheless. They all understood which hair clip she was referring to. While he looked unaffected Jasmine could easily tell that it was just an act. Even Scrat was starting to look concerned and had stopped gorging on his berries the moment the hair clip was mentioned, having been privy to that particular part of its trainer's past.
"I'm not too sure if you left it in the drawer on purpose, I wanted to ask for your opinion but I couldn't do so with Kayla there, so I made the decision to bring it along since it might be a few years before we return to Olivine. Sorry about that," Jasmine apologised and slowly wrapped her arms around her husband from behind in a comforting hug.
"It's fine," he reassured her, slowly turning around to face her. "How much did you tell her?"
"The official story," Jasmine informed her husband as she brushed a few stray strands of his messy hair away from his face. Only three people are privy to the truth of what really happened that day; Volkner, Flint, and her. She and Flint only knew the truth because Volkner trusted them enough with it. Volkner's pokemon knew about it as well, but they wouldn't tattle on their trainer's secrets.
Jasmine took out the damaged hair clip and passed it into Volkner's hand. He stared blankly at it with an unreadable look in his eyes for a brief moment but passed it back to her in the end.
"Keep it safe for me."
She nodded in promise and hugged him once more, knowing that he needs comfort right now and this is the only thing she could do for him. They have both lost too much and too many, but at least they still have each other.
"It's not your fault," she reassured him, knowing that her husband must be beating himself up in self-inflicted guilt the moment his thoughts wandered over to his first adoptive little sister that he had known and protected back when he was still a young child in the orphanage. The orphanage was far from a kind place back then, which was why Volkner truly treasured the kinship he formed with the little girl who he always protected from the bigger and meaner kids that always picked on them.
"She wouldn't be an international criminal if I had picked up on the signs. It was all there, if I had paid more attention to her-"
"Volk, it's not your fault," Jasmine reiterated with a firm voice, placing her hands on the sides of his face and forcing him to look at her. "We all know that she never blamed you either. The fact that she faked her death for your sake was proof of that, she really loved you just as you did for her."
"And look what turned out from that," Volkner muttered darkly under his breath. "All because I decided to play hero and become a Gym Leader. I lost my sister, I lost my pokemon, and you… you too."
"Volk," Jasmine said in a stern tone, knowing that this is another start of his self-deprecating tirade that stemmed from the immense guilt that had been building up in him ever since the Battle of Olivine. "If you continue to be like this I'm going to be mad at you. I've told you many times, the Battle of Olivine is not your fault. You've done well enough, you have contributed much more than many others could have done in your tenure as Gym Leader. Please stop this, okay? Even if it's just for me? Please? It hurts me on the inside everytime I see you like this."
"I'll try," he replied hoarsely and they both hugged each other in silence for a moment before parting. Physically, they have healed a long time ago. Mentally, they are both still on the road to recovery and trying their best to be there for each other. Truthfully, it's not easy, but Jasmine has faith that they can eventually make a full recovery.
She made him a cup of tea from the gracidea flowers she plucked from their garden and brought along for their trip for this purpose. The gracidea has a special meaning to him, a fond reminder of the few people that he holds close to his heart. The couple sat next to each other in comfortable silence, with her sitting next to him by the side of their bed and resting her head on his shoulder while the both of them looked at the scenery of the vast blue sea through the window.
"Jas?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sure I had already told you before, but you really are one of the best things to have ever happened in my life."
She released a silent and fond laugh.
"I know, I know."
They still have a long road ahead and things might not always be smooth sailing, but it will get better eventually as long as they are there for each other.
It always does.
Pokemon and trainer list:
Volkner Tide: Ex Gym Leader of Sunyshore, Electric Specialist
Titles, Accolades and Achievements: Tie for First Place with Flint in the 521st Lily of the Valley Conference, Sinnoh's strongest Electric Specialist, The Sun of Sunyshore, The Yellow Flash
Pokemon Team:
1. Electivire (Franky), male
2. Luxray (Simba), male
3. Jolteon (Jo), female
4. Magnezone (ISpy), genderless, deceased
5. Gallade (Myst), male
6. Rhyperior (Tec), male
7. Probopass (North), female
8. Gyarados (Puddle), male
9. Raichu (Squeaky), female
10. Pachirisu (Scrat), male
11. Heliolisk (Bask), male
12. Ampharos (Fluffy), female
13. Vikavolt (Vik), female, deceased
14. Eelektross (Whirr), male
15. Lanturn (Glowy), female, deceased
16. Rotom (Prime), genderless
17. Porygon-Z (Jarvis), genderless
18. Alolan Golem, (Toss), male, deceased
19. Electrode (Boomer), genderless
Jasmine Terbium: Ex-Gym Leader of Olivine, Steel Specialist
Titles, Accolades and Achievement: Johto's Strongest Steel Specialist, The Iron Wall of Olivine
Pokemon Team:
1. Ampharos (Amphy), male
2. Steelix (Steely), female
3. Magnezone (Magny), genderless, deceased
4. Skarmory (Skia), female
5. Forretress (Forest), male, deceased
6. Metagross (Mety), genderless
7. Empoleon (Emy), male
8. Bronzong (Bronzy), genderless, deceased
9. Mawile (Molly), female, deceased
10. Lucario (Lucy), female
11. Excadrill (Drilly), male, deceased
12. Ferrothorn (Thorny), male, deceased
13. Klinklang (Clang), genderless
14. Bastiodon (Bobby), male
15. Aggron (Ronny), male