Chapter five

"Miracles and Myths"

Everyone in the cave stood in complete silence, frozen at the miracle they had just witnessed. The small creature had appeared to calm down after the smoke cleared and the Team Galactic grunts fled. Slowly, it moved around in Cynthia's arms to look up into her eyes. After catching her breath, a small smile started to appear on her face. All those times she believed herself crazy for hearing voices were justified now. The bond between them was already growing closer. Somehow, the creature recognized the girl.

The creature opened its mouth slightly, and the rest of the group tensed, fearing it would attack. "Gible," the creature said, almost sounding happy, shocking them all. "So, that's your name," Cynthia whispered, her grin widening. They tightened their hug, and laughter bubbled up, finally bringing some relief to the rest of the group.

Steven, who had been standing nearby, let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His initial tension melted into awe as he observed the bond forming before his eyes. Memories of his own first Pokémon and the bond they had shared came flooding back. "Incredible," he muttered under his breath, stepping forward to get a closer look, a mixture of nostalgia and excitement in his eyes.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my Pokémon, Gible," Cynthia announced gleefully.

Mr. Stone remained completely still, a look of shock on his face. He couldn't scientifically process what he had just witnessed. He adjusted his glasses, peering more closely at Gible as if trying to unlock its secrets with his gaze. "This defies everything we know," he murmured, a mix of confusion and excitement in his voice. The rational part of him wanted to dissect and understand, but another part of him felt a rare childlike wonder.

Cynthia's grandmother, aware of the legends passed down through the family, was equally stunned. She had believed it was no longer possible to hatch the eggs. Her eyes welled up with tears, a hand covering her mouth. "It's true," she whispered to herself, overcome with emotion. "The legends are true." Her mind raced through memories of stories told by her grandmother, tales she had feared were just myths.

Steven slowly began to walk towards her. His eyes darted between Gible and Cynthia, torn between his fascination with the Pokémon and his concern for Cynthia, who was still bleeding. "Cynthia, are you okay? You're hurt," he said softly, his voice tinged with worry. His protective instincts kicked in, remembering all the dangerous adventures he had undertaken.

Cynthia looked down at her arm, noticing the blood for the first time since the adrenaline had worn off. "Oh, I guess I am," she replied with a nervous laugh, her free hand moving to cover the wound. "But I feel amazing. This is worth it." She felt a profound sense of accomplishment, a culmination of her efforts and belief.

Gible nuzzled closer to her, sensing her pain and offering comfort. Cynthia's grandmother moved quickly to her side, pulling a handkerchief from her bag. "Let me see that, dear," she said gently, pressing the cloth against the wound. "We need to get this cleaned up." Her hands shook slightly, a mixture of relief and lingering fear for her granddaughter's safety.

Mr. Stone finally shook himself out of his stupor, stepping forward to help. "We need to get her to a proper medical facility. There's no telling what kind of infection she might get here," he insisted, his practical nature taking over. His mind was already planning the safest route and the best medical care they could find.

As they began to move towards the cave's exit, the atmosphere shifted from one of shock to a mix of relief and urgency. Steven carefully supported Cynthia, ensuring she didn't strain herself. Gible remained nestled in her arms, a constant source of comfort and joy amidst the chaos. The bond between them was palpable, a silent promise of many adventures to come.

Emerging from the cave, the sun shone even brighter than before. Cynthia raised her Gible over her head in pure joy. Happy noises came from Gible's mouth as it was slowly being spun around. It soon noticed the wounds its trainer had. Once Cynthia stopped spinning, the tiny dragon began crying. As the tears slowly emerged and dripped onto Cynthia, a small puff of smoke began appearing from her wounds. She winced at the pain, but when the smoke cleared, her wounds had healed.

"Unbelievable," Cynthia gasped, marvelling at the miraculous healing.

Mr. Stone eyed Carolina for her reaction, trying to determine how much she knew about what was going on. He mentally noted he would discover all the secrets of the Magefyre Manor. He just needed to establish if he could extract more information from Carolina or if more secretive means were needed. His mind churned with possibilities, the scientist in him eager for answers.

Carolina was completely unaware the man was studying her as she was too busy fixated on her granddaughter. Relieved Cynthia was now unharmed, she was still unsure of the possibility of internal injuries. She pleaded with her granddaughter to go to the hospital to be examined. "Please, Cynthia, let's get you checked out," she said, her voice trembling with concern.

Cynthia was too engrossed in Gible to pay attention to the noises around her. Hugging it tighter and tighter, she expressed her gratitude, and Gible was just as happy to receive it. Steven just stood back and smiled at the commotion in front of him. To think he didn't want to come, believing he would be bored, simply standing beside his father watching him stare at a rock. This unexpected turn of events filled him with a sense of adventure and curiosity.

"Hey Cynthia, why don't we have a battle and see what Gible is capable of?" Steven announced. Everyone whipped their heads around to stare at him. His father was silently thrilled his son thought of this, as now he could make his observations without having to ask.

Carolina was hesitant after everything that had transpired today, believing it was best to head back to the manor and try to get through the rest of the day as peacefully as possible. She never spoke up, however, knowing her words were already falling on deaf ears. After all, the Pokémon was now Cynthia's, and its well-being was her responsibility. If she wanted to battle, she had no right to stop her.

"What do you say, Gible, wanna have a battle?" Gible leapt from her arms and began running around in excitement.

"I'll take that as a yes. Come on out, Treecko. Now it's their first battle, so let's go easy on them."

"Oh please, as sweet as that is, we'll be just fine. Now Gible, use Quick Attack!" Cynthia exclaimed.

As Treecko braced itself and prepared for Steven's command to counter, it soon became clear Gible had misread the situation and got caught up in its trainer's excitement. It continued running around in excitement.

This confused everyone. Just a few moments ago, it had frightened off two criminals. Now it didn't seem interested in battle.

"Perhaps the young Pokémon only wishes to fight when it senses danger," Steven concluded.

Cynthia got down on her knees to catch her Gible and bring it into another sweet embrace. "Oh my sweet Gible, I suppose you've already been through enough today. Let's forget about battling and bring you home."

Carolina let out a sigh of relief and agreed. "Yes, great idea. Let's all head back to the manor and have some tea." So off they all headed back to the house.