The residents of Cianwood City had gathered on the golden shores awaiting the arrival of Baoba, the founder of the Kanto safari park. The crowd was eager – this was a chance to bring tourism into the city and support the local economy. Many people only came this way because they had to to obtain the gym badge, but no one ever came to visit the sights.
Despite being situated next to the ocean, Cianwood's waters were not safe to swim in. There were several whirlpools around to the south-east, and only pokémon strong enough to fight the vortex, could pass by them. Some people still tried, but many of them lacked the strength and perished in the wild seas instead. The bodies were never found, but they never returned either, leading to the assumption they had drowned. Because of whirlpool hazard, ships did not sail in, and supplies were transported by air.
Chuck was one of the people standing in the crowd awaiting Baoba's arrival. Normally, he'd be at the gym, sitting beneath the waterfall, awaiting the next trainer, but the gym was closed today for renovations. The gym was receiving a much-needed face-lift – the stairs would be removed, replaced by rock walls climbing sections instead, forcing challengers to test their physical strength.
The time off allowed him to spend more time with his family much to his wife's joy. At first, he had been worried because of the time lost training, but spending time away from the usual routine had lifted his overall performance. He suspected it had something to do with working too hard, and not giving his mind and body any time to rest, hence the stress.
"Dad, please tell me we're going to visit the Safari Park when it opens!" his twelve-year-old son, Jimmy said, tugging on the sleeves of the shirt he was wearing.
Chuck glanced down and nodded. "Of course – we'll be one of the first guests to step inside the park." Which was to be expected since he was the gym leader of the town and often seen as its leader. The locals often turned to him for advice and needed his permission if they wanted to host an event here. "You'll even be able to catch your first pokémon," he added.
His son and daughter already had pokémon of their own, but they hadn't caught one before. The Cianwood Safari Park would give them that opportunity without having to worry about dealing with other trainers wanting battles. Battles between trainers were forbidden in the park because the owner didn't want the native pokémon's habitat being disturbed. This way, people could catch pokémon in peace in a safe environment.
Pokémon rangers had been employed to patrol the area to ensure the rules were being enforced, and to intervene should any battle against a wild pokémon turn sour. This was Chuck's temporary job now while he waited for the renovations to finish. "Hey dad, isn't that Jasmine over there?" His daughter, Mary, said, drawing his attention to a slender petite woman standing near the pokémon centre.
Chuck lifted a brow. Gym leaders didn't often visit each other unless there was something important happening since they were often so busy running their own gyms and training for upcoming battles. He wondered if the lighthouse pokémon had fallen sick again, or if another pokémon had. "Wait here – I'll be back," he said. His children nodded. Chuck headed towards Jasmine.
Jasmine turned her head in his direction, and gave him a brief smile, before running over towards him. "Chuck, please tell me you're not busy right now," she said, pushing aside brown bangs away from her face.
"What's the problem?"
She reached out to grab his arm and led him behind the building away from the eyes of the public. "Kent and Huey left for a sailing trip towards the Whirl Islands seven days ago and were due to return today," she explained. "But there's been no sighting of them. I know the sea is rough, but Kent and Huey have done the same route before with no problems."
He brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it, frowning at Jasmine's words. The sailors of Olivine were some of the best in the region and were some of the rare few people who survived the return trip from the Whirl Islands. No wonder Jasmine was concerned. "Perhaps they have extended their stay there."
She shook her head. "It's supposed to be Kent's twentieth anniversary celebration today – he wouldn't miss that for the world." She looked past Chuck briefly, eyes staring out at the sea then turned her attention back to him. "I need to know what happened to them. Olivine is their home, and if they have perished… it's my responsibility to inform their families."
As much as he wanted to continue spending time with his family, a gym leader's responsibilities came first. Although the sailors were not his people, he couldn't turn his back on a fellow gym leader's plight. "We'll need someone who is experienced with the seas to help us in the search. My pokémon are strong, but they are not swimmers."
"Roberto has offered to guide us there."
"All right. I'll have to let my wife know about the change in plans."
Jasmine smiled. "Thank you, Chuck."
"We're gym leaders. We look out for each other, remember?"
The smile on her face faded. "I can only hope that we are not too late." She fell silent for a few moments before speaking up again. "I'll be waiting here in the pokémon centre. I'll give you a call when Roberto has arrived."
Chuck nodded. "Get plenty of rest. We won't have a chance to sleep when we're out there." His stomach muscles tightened. This would be his first time venturing that far out in the ocean, and he wasn't sure how he would cope. He hoped his nerves didn't show on his face – he was supposed to be a fighter, and fighters were meant to be both physically and mentally tough.
She said her goodbyes and headed back around the corner towards the pokémon centre's entrance, leaving Chuck on his own. Turning his head back towards the beach, he noticed the crowd had doubled in its size. His children were still standing in the spot he had left them. They turned to him now and waved out, motioning for him to come over. He tried to match their wide grins with his own, but the excitement had left him.
The weather had been calm over the past week ruling out death caused by environmental hazards. If not the weather then, what could have caused their mysterious absence? A possible attack? If yes, then from whom and why? He pushed the thoughts aside as he headed back to rejoin the crowd. Right now, he couldn't think about it. The crowd was buzzing with excitement, and if anyone saw the concern on his face, questions would start being said. Questions he didn't have any answers to.
"What did Jasmine want, dad?" Mary said.
He mustered up a false smile. "She was just dropping by to say hello."
Tortured screams rang out throughout the realm, each one sending a cold chill racing down his spine. Hostile spirits moved towards him, their claws reaching out to grab a part of him, but they could not penetrate his mind. The spirits moved on to find the next spirit walker while Morty continued to venture further within the realm, walking through the very same forest he had caught a glimpse of Giratina.
Only this time Giratina was absent. He half-expected the giant legendary to come crashing through the woods, but Giratina did not come. He walked onwards bypassing more Haunters until he reached the mouth of a cave. This hadn't been present the last time he had been here. Caves in the Spirit World were random encounters – each cave was always a different experience. Sometimes they would be empty, and sometimes they would contain hidden gems.
He entered the cave. Unlike caves in the real world, these ones were well lit, allowing a trainer to see clearly. It wasn't long before he spotted an unfamiliar creature – a black-robed humanoid sitting atop a black stallion. Morty crept closer, intrigued. The creature did not seem to detect his presence and remained in one place, unmoving. He took another step forward, close enough now to spot the patches of dry blood on the hooves of the horse. His eyes travelled upwards to examine the figure sitting on the horse. It appeared to be a man except it had no head. Rather, the humanoid was carrying its head under its left arm, its eyes constantly darting back and forth.
The horse turned around, and the headless rider looked directly at him, pointing a scythe in his direction. The animal reared then charged and Morty turned around and sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him. He flung himself through the door then slammed it shut, pressing his back against the wall, panting heavily. Silence soon followed.
"Arceus's breath, what was that?" he said to himself. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to steady his breathing, but all he saw was the rider and his scythe. He opened his eyes again and rubbed his temples then moved away from the wall. During this moment of fear, his impenetrable shield fell, attracting the attention of a couple of hostile Haunters.
Still recovering from his confrontation with the headless rider, Morty was unaware of the spirits moving towards him until one of them grabbed his arm. Instinctively, he kicked out, striking the Haunter in the face. The pokémon screamed, releasing his grip allowing Morty to scramble free. He started to run as he headed back towards the exit.
He came to an abrupt stop, as a bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the realm. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the headless rider charging towards him, his bloodstained scythe held upwards. Without wasting another second, he pulled himself out of his trance and flung himself through the exit door, returning to the real world.
A month had passed since the events at the Seven Stars Restaurant. Many people had perished that day including his former commander Mars and a handful of Galactic grunts. It was believed Hunter J had died as well, but her body had not been found yet. Despite the end of the Galactic threat, Cyrus still faced a challenge, only this time it came from within the household.
"Your grandparents have organized a get-together," Johanna pointed out. "And I couldn't refuse their offer, so we're heading over to Hearthome City this afternoon to have a picnic."
"A picnic?" Cyrus repeated. Spending the afternoon sitting at a table listening to his grandparents share awkward stories about him wasn't his idea of a good time. It had been several months since he had last seen them, but he wasn't keen on spending every breathing moment with them. Sometimes his grandmother would invite herself over with freshly baked biscuits. "I was hoping to take a tour of the new Battle Frontier establishment."
She gave him an apologetic look. "I know, and I was keen on checking out the resort area myself, but they are your grandparents, Cyrus. Your grandmother can be infuriating and quite nosy at times, but you never know if this is your last day with them." She turned around, grabbed the air conditioning remote off the bedside table, and hit the 'off' button for the machine. The climate on Stark Island was much like Sunyshore – hot and humid.
Cyrus raised an eyebrow but didn't question it further. Not too long-ago Johanna had been complaining about his grandparent's constant interference and had been the one to suggest moving to Stark Island, but it seemed her opinion on them had changed a little. Perhaps the distance between them had made her less hostile towards them. "Will Dawn come?"
Dawn and Cynthia had made an agreement that they would take turns acting as Champion. It was supposed to allow both trainers to split their time evenly between their duties and give some breathing space. Cyrus imagined that having to spend a few years at the league waiting for the next worthy challenger to arrive would be quite boring after awhile.
"Dawn called me earlier – she won't be able to make it. Bertha is retiring today, and they need to find her next replacement, so they're running a tournament between gym leaders."
That would mean all the attention would be on him again. At least when Dawn was around, his grandparents would focus more on her, especially his grandmother. It was a change of direction from what he was used to – for many years he had lived within the Galactic Headquarters locked inside his office for most of the day, working on strategies and tinkering with machines.
Nowadays, he lived in a mansion on the beach shoreline of Stark Island with his family discussing typical family-related issues such as meeting the grandparents and what was for dinner. Life had been quite tame since the attack at the Seven Stars Resort, but he wasn't complaining. It was nice to live the 'normal' life for once.
"That's unfortunate."
Johanna nodded. "She's the Champion now… Our little girl has grown-up." Cyrus caught the slight quaver in her tone. She tried not to show it, trying to be strong, but he knew she missed their daughter greatly. "Dawn doesn't need us anymore." Johanna walked over to her side of the bed and picked up a photo frame. The picture was of Dawn as a young child.
Cyrus moved towards her. "She might be the Champion now, but you'll always be her mother. Nothing will ever change that," he said softly.
Johanna put the photo down, and glanced up at him, a single tear sliding down her left cheek. "I just worry for her. I know she's experienced more than what most people her age have, but she's still so young. What if… What if the job proves to be too much for her to handle? The league re-opens to the public this weekend, and you can be sure the media will be following her every move, comparing her to Cynthia."
That was true. Nothing much of interest had happened in the past weeks causing network ratings to drop dramatically. There were only two shows that had managed to keep their viewer base above average and they were Marina's Talk Show and Oak's Report. Dawn's first term as Champion would be the number one news item for the next few months.
Dawn had shown she could overcome tough battles and face the horrors of the Distortion World and Giratina, but the media was a different opponent. The media attacked with words. With a single news item, they could spread false rumours about someone and destroy their reputation. Sensationalism. A dangerous and powerful tool. With many news-based networks ratings droppings, spreading false rumours about Dawn and making her the enemy would be a fine way to increase profits.
As Johanna had pointed out, Dawn was still a young teenager, who still had much to learn about the world. During the Galactic episode, she had the world on her side, but what if the tables were suddenly turned? What if she found herself in a position where her every action was judged by the public?
"You need to relax," Cyrus started. "Dawn is surrounded by people who will support her – the gym leaders, the elite four and Cynthia herself. She has her friends, and she has us as well. She will be able to handle this."
Johanna seemed to relax, but he could read the doubt in her eyes. Resting her head against his chest, she added, "You're right. She's strong enough for this." She fell silent, content just to rest her head against him, as if the action brought her comfort. It wasn't long before he felt dampness on his shirt where her head was pressed up against. "I just miss her so much… I should be used to it now since she's a trainer, but she's still so young."
He placed his arms around her waist and held her close as the tears rolled down her cheeks. He wondered if there was more to her fears and worries than what she was expressing but didn't dare ask. She wanted comfort, not to be interrogated by a concerned partner. "She'll return home when she has the chance. Don't stress. If Dawn needs help, she'll ask. I'm sure she misses you as much as you miss her."
She remained silent for a few moments before the peace was disturbed by the wails of a two-month year old baby. That was one thing he hadn't grown accustomed to yet – the frequent crying. Johanna pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hands. "Julia needs to be fed. I'll see you downstairs soon, all right?"
He nodded. Johanna turned her back and walked out of the room. Perhaps it was the interrupted nights that were causing her to stress out more easily and become more prone to emotional outbursts. What was clearly obvious was that she needed some time to relax although the last time they had taken time off had resulted in the hotel coming under attack. The picnic with his grandparents suddenly didn't sound so horrific. It could be exactly what she needed – a chance to sit down in a peaceful area. At least it would get her out of the house for awhile. All he could hope was that nothing would happen to disrupt it.
"…I really think you need to add some colour to this place," Whitney said, following Morty through the entrance of his gym. "I mean, I know you're a ghost-type specialist and all, but it's so… drab."
Today was supposed to be his off-day, and he had been planning on spending time at the Bell Tower to meditate, but instead here he was being followed around by Whitney. The girl had somehow gotten it into her head that he enjoyed her company and couldn't fathom how she had come to that understanding. It wasn't as if he ever contacted her to socialize.
"…My gym doesn't need redecorating," Morty replied, heading towards the back room. The elderly ladies were out – probably attending some knitting event or catching up over some tea. Most likely he was the topic of their conversation. "It's supposed to be dark and dreary. If I painted the walls pink, I doubt I'd be taken so seriously."
Unlike Whitney. Her gym was like taking a stroll through Amity Square in Sinnoh. Cute pokémon all over the walls and she even had plastic pot plants, and love hearts on the tiles. Whitney was everything he was not, but the word incompatible didn't seem to register in her head.
"I feel like I've walked into a graveyard."
"…That's kind of the point."
"And you hang out with old ladies."
"They don't bother me." All the other gym leaders had students younger than them – he was the only one who had students old enough to be his grandmother. Eusine used to make fun of him over it, claiming perhaps he had a 'thing' for older women. That was untrue. He just preferred the old ladies because they didn't carry any teenage angst with him... Unlike Whitney and her girls.
"Well… I really think you should hang out with people your own age. Spending all this time alone and locked up in a dark room can't be good for your health. You need some sunshine, Morty. You're as pale as a ghost. What happened to your friend, Eusine?"
Ah yes, Eusine. The man was still locked up in Spirit World. Sometimes he thought about his friend's fate, but then reminded himself the man deserved it. It wasn't like they were ever close friends. "He's gone on a long vacation."
"That's sad."
"Not really. We were never really that close."
Whitney grabbed his arm. He raised an eyebrow. "You can hang out with me then!"
"..I'm actually kinda busy today."
"You say that every single time!"
"…Because I am?"
"Busy doing what exactly? It's not like there's anything to do here in your town."
"Quite the contrary, there's actually a lot of things to do. For example meditation in the gardens. Do you know how relaxing it is to sit at the highest floor of the tower in complete silence? Time flies by." Why was it always so hard for extroverts to understand why introverts liked the quiet? But then again, Whitney wasn't exactly known for being the brightest person around. The girl even tended to get lost in her own birth town.
Whitney rolled her eyes. "You're so weird, Morty. You know, I think I'm starting to see why you're still single. It's not as if you're a bad-looking guy… You're just… Odd."
"I take that as a compliment then," he said, opening the door to the kitchen area of the gym. Not surprisingly, Whitney followed him inside and sat down at the table. He fought the urge to sigh and roll his eyes. Had she always been this irritating? Or was he only starting to realize it now?
"So, I was thinking… There's an event happening at pokéatholon dome this weekend. It's for the pokéatholon dome champion title, and I'm one of the finalists," Whitney said, placing her arms on the table.
"You know I have little interest in sport."
Whitney pouted. "But I'm competing!"
"Can't you ask Bugsy or Falkner?"
She shook her head. "Bugsy's a creep and Falkner always runs the opposite way when he sees me coming."
Morty raised his hands. "You know… I'd love to come and all, but I do have other things I need to be doing." Like trying to make sense of what he saw in the Spirit World for starters. Was that creature a sign of things to come or was it simply a mutated spirit?
She sighed. "All right, all right, I get it. You don't like hanging out with me… But why couldn't you just tell me instead of pretending?"
He didn't fail to notice how her jaw tightened, and how her lower lip trembled. He knew what was coming – the infamous Whitney tantrum. It worked on people who weren't familiar with her, but he knew her methods, and they had no effect on him. "Don't even think about crying, Whitney. I'm not coming with you. Why can't you bring along one of your girl friends along?"
"Because I wanted to go with you."
Arceus, what on earth had he done to make Whitney grow so attached to him? "I can't. Like I said, I've got things to do, and they don't involve you or anyone else. Sorry Whitney. I can't make you happy, but I hope you find it from someone else."
Whitney rose to her feet. Drawing in a deep breath, she said, "You're hopeless. I just wanted to be friends with you, but clearly you're more fascinated by pretending to be dead. This is the last time I ever try to be friendly with you."
She stormed out of the kitchen door and towards the gym's exit. Morty brought a hand to his face then shook his head. Silly girl. She was so caught up in her own fantasies that she wasn't prepared to hear anything else. He waited until he heard the door slam before exiting the kitchen.
"Thank Arceus for that. Some peace at last," he murmured. Now he could make sense of the weird sightings in his head indisturbed.