Part LXXVIII: The Champion's Gift

"First off though, I want to talk to you about the Indigo Conference." Cynthia continued with a smile at them once Ash and Misty were settled opposite the Sinnoh Champion. "I was here for the final rounds and saw all four of your full battles and have a few things to say about them."

"Of course, I'm all ears." Ash said eager to hear any advice he could from a regional champion regarding his battles. "I know I could have done better in places."

"You could have, we can always improve, but for the most part you had a solid Conference Ash." Cynthia said. "You battled with heart and skill and that is what a true master battles with. The only real time you probably could have done more was against Shiftry use Dig again in the finals and not Aerial Ace but even then Krookodile was at a disadvantage so you were at best a move or two away from losing as Brendan knew how to employ that Focus Blast well. I was more impressed by how strong you and your Pokémon's bonds were."

"Really?" Ash asked a little confused. "I mean thanks, I know how important a strong bond with your Pokémon is."

"Yeah they all clearly love you and fought hard for you." Cynthia said with a nod. "I noticed it from the start. You're Gabite evolving and fighting through a lot of hits to beat Blissey in the last 16, the way Buizel refused to give up against Hydreigon in the quarters until he couldn't go on just to set it up so that you could win in shocking fashion, Pidgeot in the semis winning those two matches through area attacks, and how your Leavanny pushed until the end to ensure that Magcargo was defeated later. Those are just the examples I could easily tell you were giving it your all. It was all impressive. Sure there were mistakes but I know you are aware of them."

"Yeah I am." Ash said with a nod. "Even winning 3 of my 4 battles there were some matchups I could have done better in. I got done in by Trick Room again by Conway, I left Pokémon in at times when I should have subbed out like not getting Infernape out as soon as possible against Lyra despite knowing she had an Azumarill, or when I used too much force on that Azumarill with Kingler. Then, in the final, I should have figured a way out to beat Sceptile in the end."

"That battle really could have gone either way." Cynthia said shaking her head. "It came down to endurance and Sceptile had it though I think it was very close. It came down to willpower and that Sceptile had just a touch more. You made the right call with Wing Attack though, that Sceptile would have avoided a Flamethrower against so you put yourself in the best position to win. However, you made it to the final and almost won, you should be proud of what you accomplished. You have improved a lot and you know where to work on."

"That I do." Ash said. "And next year I intend to win it all in Kalos next year."

"I will be watching then." Cynthia said with a smile before she shifted the topic slightly. "Did I ever tell you I took a few Conferences to get where I am today?"

"No you didn't." Ash said as Misty looked just as confused given the fact that they rarely learned about Cynthia's past. "I don't think we ever actually asked how you ended up as the Sinnoh Champion. I mean I presumed that you had won the Sinnoh League and beat the Elite Four but that was it."

"I did win it but on my second attempt." Cynthia said surprising them and chuckling at their reactions. "I'm not unbeatable, people forget I had my own struggles starting out. In face my second attempt in Sinnoh was also my 5th Conference. I started at 10 like most trainers and was good, if a little too cocky, but being a rookie I didn't get past the last 16 in Sinnoh. That was a bit of a humbling experience so I took some time off to really train and focus before heading to Hoenn 2 years later. There I placed in the top 8. After that it was two more years of traveling with a top 4 finish in Johto and a finals appearance but loss in Kanto."

"Wow I never realized how long it took you to win." Misty said her eyes wide. "You just come off as so calm that the idea of you losing is tough to imagine."

"Only Leon, the Galar Champion, has never lost but he is a talent unlike any I have ever met." Cynthia said shaking her head. "The rest of us took at least 2 Conferences to win and most spent years in the Elite Four clawing up the ranks to become Champion. I however thank my defeats for constantly polishing my skills and pushing me to get better until I was ready."

"And then you won in Sinnoh after Kanto." Ash assumed.

"I took another year off to face my own region's Battle Frontier but after that I did win at last." Cynthia confirmed. "It took 7 years and 5 Conferences but I won and I was better for it in the long run. It kept showing me what I needed to do to reach my goal. That was why I swept the Sinnoh Elite Four and beat Bertha to claim the title of Champion and haven't looked back since then. It was several years ago so that is why people don't remember how my career started."

"Wait what?" Ash asked confused. "Bertha was once the Sinnoh Champion?"

"She was but I beat her in an epic full battle that came down to last move as was fitting for such a battle." Cynthia said. "She's since left the Sinnoh Elite Four in fact, Tobias surprised everyone by beating her the year he won and becoming the newest member as a dark type specialist. He wasn't allowed to use that Darkrai though. In fact after this I have to return to Sinnoh as Tobias has challenged me to a battle for the title of Champion after the Conference next week. He may have won his way into the Elite Four but he had to wait 2 years to challenge me without beating the others."

"Oh that makes sense." Misty said. "I guess, I don't really understand how any of this works."

"I'm not surprised." Ash said. "Though I am still a little surprised you made Champion first time around."

"What can I say, years of defeats and training paid off for me." Cynthia said with a shrug. "I was able to claim the title and to date I am the last person to do so first time around. The others all worked up from the Elite Four at various speeds."

"I see and I get that." Ash said, he was already fine after his loss but hearing Cynthia's story, abridged as it was, really helped him feel happy that he was on the right path. "Thank you, that helped a lot. I know that I can do it."

"You will, that much I can tell." Cynthia said with a smile at them. "Now that that is out of the way why don't we get to the real juicy development. When did you two become a couple?"

"Er." Ash said. "You noticed?"

"Ash, we're holding hands." Misty pointed out raising their hands. "This always happens when some finds out, you forget we're literally being a couple in front of them. Plus I think Cynthia here knew that I liked you back in Unova."

"Sinnoh actually." Cynthia said helpfully. "I saw it in your eyes whenever you looked at Ash back then Misty. It was then clear as day the moment I told you that I had run into Ash in Virbank City and was bringing him to the villa. I'm amazed you didn't greet us at the jetty and tackle him."

"I wanted to that so badly but I needed to control myself." Misty said with a blush. "All those feelings had returned with a vengeance so I needed a moment to calm down. Plus it felt better to surprise Ash when he got there."

"A wise move but when did you realize Ash?" Cynthia said looking at Ash. "You aren't exactly great at this stuff."

"No I am not." Ash said with a smile. "I realized because Iris bluntly told me I had a crush on Misty when I announced after Vertress that I was going to go straight to Johto to see her."

"And." Misty prompted.

"And I thought on it for a while before realizing that Iris was correct." Ash admitted.

"And." Misty said again.

"Ok and Pikachu helped point it out as well." Ash said. "I still realized though and came to terms with it as I made my way to Silver Town for the Johto Grand Festival last year. Misty lost in the final similar to my loss yesterday so I went to find her and well it all came out after I comforted her."

"We've been together ever since so I wouldn't trade that loss for the world." Misty said smiling widely. "I've had a few rivals for Ash in that time but dealt with them maturely."

"Piplup!" Piplup squawked indignantly from her lap where he'd settled once they'd sat down. "Pip, Piplup."

"Fine most of them maturely." Misty corrected herself. "But otherwise it's been a great year for us. We have been traveling Kanto together so that I can see Ash's home region and compete in Contests here, other than a side trip to Hoenn for the Wallace Cup that is, while Ash trained and face all but one of the gym leaders here in full battles to get ready for the Indigo Conference. It's been a wild time though tame by Ash's standards."

"That long, I'm happy for you." Cynthia said still smiling at them. "And I know how you two operate, tame is relative but so long as there weren't legendary Pokémon involved I guess that would be tame for you."

"No legendary encounters this year." Ash said shaking his head. "So it has been tame for us."

"That is good to hear." Cynthia said before turning to Misty. "I did watch the Kanto Grand Festival Misty, with an all Sinnoh final I couldn't not watch it. Congrats on winning it by the way, you were amazing in it and I don't compete in Contests."

"Thanks." Misty mumbled with a little blush at the praise from her home region's best trainer. "It was the culmination of so much hard work for me, my Pokémon and everyone who supported me. Now I get to be by Ash's side in Kalos and continue to support him as he too gets there."

"Well you showed that hard work pays off." Cynthia said. "Though I must ask, where did you get a Spiritomb. I've only seen one myself and it took a lot for me to catch it when I ran into it. I was really surprised to see that you had one as it's not a Pokémon anyone expects to see, let alone being used by a trainer with your style Misty."

"Oh well we ran into him on a small island a few months back while on a cruise through the Kanto Islands between Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island." Misty said. "It was at a broken temple there and Ash accidentally activated Spiritomb which led to me battling it. Piplup lost but a wild Shuppet that had been following me since our time in Lavender Town appeared and used Dazzling Gleam to beat it. I don't know why I caught it but I did and it turned out to be a great decision."

"Having one is a huge advantage in battle, both for shock value and because it is a strong Pokémon." Cynthis agreed. "Though with this new fairy type being able to affect it that advantage is slightly cut."

"Wait you have one?" Ash asked confused. "We only saw one in Sinnoh and it was a wild one."

"They are rare and usually malicious when encountered because of the way they are formed." Cynthis said. "But once caught and removed from their place of creation they become fiercely loyal to the trainer who saved them. At least that was my experience when I had a run in with mine at a long-forgotten shrine deep in Mt. Pyre out in Hoenn while I was traveling in that region. It took out two of my Pokémon before I could catch her but since then she's been one of my top Pokémon. I can tell yours is loyal to you Misty."

"Yeah he's great, really turned the tide a few times this year." Misty said with a smile at how many times Spiritomb had been her deciding factor in a battle. "And you're right, Anabel said he was really loyal to me because of what I did for him."

"Spiritomb are formed by neglect or mistreatment of sacred Pokémon shrines to the Pokémon who have passed on from this world." Cynthia explained. "That is likely why they are dark and ghost types. They are manifestations of vengeance and hate on those who would cause such damage to places of reverence and memory but at the same time they are Pokémon and any Pokémon is more than its location or creation. Separate a Spiritomb from its source of hate and it loses it and its true nature, along with loyalty to the trainer who saved it, comes out."

"Interesting." Misty said. "We don't know much about them and Professor Oak loves mine as he gets to study it though that hasn't been often as Spiritomb is often with me. The only one we met in Sinnoh we appeased by rebuilding the shrine and locking it away."

"I know of that one." Cynthia said with a nod. "It is an ancient Spiritomb that seems to be fine so long as the shrine it guards is not damaged. Most are formed from desecration or neglect though. However, I didn't come here to talk to the only other trainer I've ever met who has a Spiritomb. We can exchange more information on this later Misty as I may have some tips for you while learning some things from you as well given how little there is on raising one. I came here for Ash."

"Yes you said you had something for me." Ash said. "I'm grateful but it does seem like a bit much."

"More something that I think is destined for you in a way." Cynthia said cryptically as she opened the messenger bag at her side and gently pulled out a Pokémon egg and placed it in her lap. "This."

"You brought a Pokémon egg?" Ash asked confused looking at the white egg with blue markings randomly all over it. "What does this have to do with me?"

"This egg was laid a few years ago in Sinnoh and hasn't hatched yet." Cynthia said surprising them. "Study of it have confirmed that it is alive and well but refuses to hatch for some reason."

"Wait how is that possible?" Misty asked. "Surely it should have hatched by now.? It doesn't seem normal for an egg to take years to hatch."

"I have seen one egg like this before." Cynthia said looking down at the egg in her lap. "So I had a feeling I knew what Pokémon it was. It took a little digging as this egg has traveled between many Sinnoh Pokémon Centers over the years but I found its origin which confirmed to me I was right. The man who first found it said that he knew of a trainer from Kanto who he'd met once that he thought had what it took to get this to hatch if the Pokémon inside deemed him strong enough."

"Ash?" Misty asked while Ash just looked confused at the egg. "You wouldn't be here if it wasn't him."

"That was who he said yes." Cynthia confirmed. "Well this was only a week ago so when I heard that Ash was going to be in the final rounds of the Indigo Conference I volunteered to take this egg to the conference with me using my official status to get in and watch all of Ash's battles. While it didn't hatch during, I felt it warm up whenever Ash battled especially hard, most notably during Garchomp's battle with Blissey but also when Buizel fought Hydreigon, Leavanny gave it his all against Magcargo and of course the final battle. That was when I knew that it had to be ready for Ash. After that it was just a matter of waiting for the right time to give it to you."

"I still don't get it." Ash said completely baffled by what was going on. "Why me?"

"Take the egg." Cynthia said kindly gently picking it up and carefully holding it out to Ash. "And let's see if I am right."

Hesitantly Ash let go of Misty's hand, got up and took the egg from Cynthia's hands and then sat back down with it in his lap. It was cool but he could feel a warmth in it and deeper he could feel a strange pulse that seemed to connect him to it in a way he'd couldn't explain. It was a feeling he'd only felt once before but he couldn't remember where.

"Now what?" Ash asked.

"Close your eyes and think back to your battles this last week." Cynthia said softly and Ash did that. "Focus on how you battle, how you felt and how you and your Pokémon were connected during them. Focus on the times you encouraged your Pokémon to give them all when you needed them to do so the most."

Not sure why this would help Ash did as told. He remembered each battle in detail, he never forgot one, and how they went down. He remembered the emotions he had during them. How he and his Pokémon were one in them. From cheering them on, encouraging them to push on, to be the best they could possibly be. How he poured his own love into them.

The battles that Cynthia had mentioned quickly came to mind. Leavanny and Charizard in the final, Garchomp after he evolved in the last 16, Buizel in the quarters but it was so much more. He recalled how he felt when Mimey made his debut. How Sceptile was pushed to the edge but powered on to win the last preliminary and get Ash to the final rounds. Pidgeot in his return to a Conference with Ash and so much more from both the Conference and his year in Kanto facing the gym leaders.

As Ash was doing this he felt something deep within him flare up and connect to something in the egg. The egg flared in response as if it was recognizing what Ash was giving off, as if it knew that this was the one who it would hatch for.

The Pokémon in the egg was awakened. He knew that the human he was destined to be tied to had found him. His strength, his ability, his aura was what the Pokémon had been looking for as he waited to hatch. This was what he need to finally trigger his hatching.

"Woah." Misty said as the egg glowed a soft blue light before it brightened.

The sudden sound startled Ash out of his thoughts and his connection was lost but the reaction had already been triggered so the egg hatched in his lap. A second later, a bleary eyed and confused Pokémon stared up at Ash with red eyes. It was a bipedal blue Pokémon with black ears, face mask, legs and a black spot on its upper chest. it had a yellow fur collar and whit thing on its forearms. Ash recognized it at once as a Riolu.

"I thought it was a Riolu egg." Cynthia said with a smile. "Your aura must be what it was seeking. That was why it wouldn't hatch, it needed to find the aura of a trainer that it wanted to bond with."

"My what?" Ash asked. "Aura, been a while…"

Ash didn't finish as Riolu suddenly leapt off him and looked around with a look of confused panic in its eyes. The source of the aura of the human he had been destined to bond with was not here.

It had faded but how. He had felt it first a few days ago, then once each day until now when it had been close enough for Riolu to finally hatch. He couldn't feel it anymore and as such his primal instincts kicked in.

"Uh oh, Ash quickly think on that feeling again." Cynthia said her eyes going wide. "You must have stopped before it hatched so it doesn't know that you who it hatched for and that means…"

Too late, Riolu had seem the Piplup in Misty's lap and leapt at it. Before Piplup could react it put a paw to Piplup's chest and used Force Palm on it blasting a now startled Piplup off Misty and through a nearby wall. It was starting to look around wildly when it suddenly calmed down. The aura it had sensed was back.

Ash had again closed his eyes and focused on the recent feelings he'd felt just before Riolu hatched. He knew of aura having used it once in the Tree of Beginning and knew that he had it in him as a passive force. Apparently it was triggered in battle for some reason so he focused on that feeling again. He let it fill him as best he could hoping that it would help.

A moment later Ash felt a soft paw on his cheek and opened his eyes to see a pair of red ones staring intently back at him. A calmed down Riolu was now standing in his lap, right paw on Ash's cheek and a knowing look in its eyes. Ash had released his aura within himself and Riolu had felt it knowing that this was the human he was destined to fight alongside.

"Riolu." Ash said softly to the Pokémon. "Does, does this mean you want to join me?"

Riolu just nodded once as it put its paw down and sat cross legged on Ash's lap patiently waiting for Ash to make the next move. Slowly Ash reached behind him and pulled out an empty Poke Ball. He expanded it and held it in his palm.

Riolu smiled and slapped the button in the center, instinctively knowing what to do, and the ball opened before engulfing Riolu in a red light and sucking him into the ball. It twitched a few times before dinging to signify a successful capture.

Ash was confused for a moment when the ball didn't vanish. Then he remembered that while his Pokémon were being healed, only Pikachu was registered as being in his roster at the moment. The others were temporarily register to the Pokémon Center and then would be transported and registered again back at Professor Oak's lab when they were healed.

"Alright, I just caught a Riolu!" Ash said leaping up and posing with the ball only then realizing that Misty wasn't by his side.

She had gone to pick up her very disgruntled Pokémon from where Riolu had sent it, leaving the room to enter the room that Piplup had been blasted into. Piplup was not happy and he glared at the Poke Ball in Ash's hand. He would get his revenge soon.

"Oh sorry about that Piplup." Ash said but Piplup just turned away from him, his trainer's mate would also suffer later for this latest injustice against him.

"Give him time and a battle with that Riolu and I think he'll be ok." Misty said with a sigh as she fished out her poffin case for Piplup to have one which he immediately ate and then tried to milk his situation for more, earning him a second one for his efforts. "Though I don't know what happened there."

"Ash's aura wasn't flowing when Riolu hatched." Cynthia explained. "To hatch one you have to have it flowing all the way through the process. If not, instinct kicks in and Riolu fought the only Pokémon he could see which was Piplup."

"Piplup." Piplup huffed still annoyed but already with a revenge strategy in mind.

"Once Ash turned his aura back on, not activated it per se as active aura is a very rare trait few possess, but it can be turned on in a passive manner which is what Ash was doing." Cynthia continued ignoring Misty's character of a starter. "I don't really understand it past that but from what I've heard that is how it works. It usually happens in battle and we all have it to some extent, some more than others. Riolus can sense it and this one clearly chose Ash's as the one it liked. It was how it hatched and how it calmed down in the end so that Ash could catch it."

"I don't get it though." Misty said confused.

"Neither do I." Ash said as he suddenly remembered where the earlier feeling had been before. "Like I know what aura is and I know I can use it in a passive manner that a Riolu or Lucario can sense as its happened before, the strong ones can even see it when its not active but that was an exception with an ancient Lucario I met once and owe my life to. I felt something similar with a Riolu in the Lucario Kingdom out in Sinnoh."

"Oh yeah I remember that adventure." Misty said recalling that little side adventure they had while traveling through Sinnoh. "That was one of the more interesting adventures we had that year."

"Well that is where the egg originated which is why I had a feeling it was a Riolu." Cynthia said. "With one exception, and that exception is the Riolu you met who guards the kingdom as that is a special Riolu line, Riolus don't hatch the way other Pokémon hatch. They only hatch for the human who's aura they fell a connection with."

"How does that work?" Ash asked. "Like I know several trainers with Lucarios but none have ever mentioned aura other than Riley and well he was an Aura Guardian."

"Riley would talk about it but most trainers with Riolus and Lucarios don't realize that they hatched the eggs with their aura." Cynthia explained. "We all have aura within us and it aids us in battle. Riolus can sense this and if you happen to be near an egg while battling the egg will call out to you or at least recognize you. Most end up hatching and then battling the trainer they've connected with so they quickly calm down. Some are different, the family that controls the Shalour Gym in Kalos for example know of this and how to work around it. Today this one did it for Ash, mine did it for me when I first visited the Lucario Kingdom many years ago."

"You also have a Riolu?" Ash asked confused. "I've only met your Garchomp and Glaceon so I forget that you have many other Pokémon."

"Well now it is a Lucario but yes I have one." Cynthia said with a fond smile on her face at the memory. "I have many Pokémon. Lucario and I met when he was still an egg and I was passing through the Lucario Kingdom on my first journey many years ago but to preserve my age I won't tell you how long ago it was. Anyway, I battled one of the trainers there with my Gabite, now Garchomp, and the egg rolled to me sensing my aura. I can't use aura more than as an aid in battle just as you do Ash and even then when we use it in battle we have no control over it but that is how I got my Riolu."

"Oh I see." Ash said as Misty just tried to process everything.

"Yes and now I must take my leave." Cynthia said getting up and nodding at them. "The Lily of the Valley Conference begins in a few days and I must be back in Sinnoh to open it. I will see you in time Ash, that I know of. Misty, as always a pleasure and hit me up for tips with Spiritomb, one day we will have them battle to see how two of them stack up against each other."

"Um yes, I'd be honored to face you." Misty said surprised at the offer as she and Ash also got up and Cynthia offered a hand to Misty first to shake and then Ash.

"Good luck in Kalos Ash." Cynthia said to him with a smile as they shook. "I'll be rooting for you when the time comes, well unless you face a Sinnoh native as I should support my home region trainers over all others but otherwise I'll be hoping you win. I may even hit Diantha up for a little wager on the next Lumiose Conference."

"Thank you Cynthia." Ash said with a smile of his own. "For everything."

Cynthia just nodded before she swept out of the room and off to whatever she had to do. Ash and Misty just sat down and Ash pulled her close as Misty laid her head on his shoulder. That had not been what they had planned for when they had left their room but then again they hadn't expected to run into the Sinnoh Champion waiting for Ash before they left the house.

"I take it the romantic dinner is off." Misty said with a sigh.

"We can still have it later." Ash said. "I think there's a Kalos place here so it will be worth trying as we'll be eating a lot of their cuisine soon but first there is a lot to process and I should do some initial bonding with Riolu."

"Well Piplup will help there, he's going to want a battle." Misty said as Piplup nodded in agreement as he grinned ready to put that Riolu in its place really quickly. "But yeah there is a lot to digest and you have a new Pokémon that kinda came out of nowhere."

"It's never a dull moment when we run into Cynthia is it?" Ash asked and Misty laughed.

"No it's not." Misty said before reaching a hand up to turn Ash's head and give him a deep but chaste kiss before she got up and held a hand to him. "Now come on Ketchum, you have a new Pokémon to train and a new region to prepare for. The Indigo Conference may be done but we only have a year to get you ready for the Lumiose Conference out in Kalos."

"Yes ma'am." Ash said as he let Misty help him up and took her hand as they left the building, Piplup taking his spot onto of Misty's head as they left.

They began to make their way to the Pokémon Center where they could check on Pikachu and use the battlefield there to begin seeing what Riolu could do talking about what had just happened as they walked. It had certainly been interesting to see Cynthia again but Misty was right, their Kanto adventure was drawing to a close. It was time to prepare for the next adventure, Kalos awaited them.