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Topic: Cloud VS Geeta
In: Boards ► Pokemon Battles ► Cloud Vs Geeta
Carte (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted On Sep 28th 2023:
Cloud won.
So if you don't know, Cloud (resident streamer, pseudo-scientist, and all-around insanity incarnated) did a tier list for some of the Champions. He ranked Geeta (Champion of Paldea) the lowest & She didn't take too kindly to this and challenged him to a battle.
Cloud started his stream the next day explaining why her Pokémon are shit and things just escalated from there.
Long story short, the two of them decided to hash out their differences by proxy of a Pokémon battle.
And Cloud won.
Easily.
Disregarding how crazy that is for the moment, during the battle, It was revealed that Kingambit was holding a Mega-Stone.
And we probably would have seen what Mega-Kingambit looked like if Cloud didn't pull some of his usual bullshit.
Cloud's team consisted of Banette, Galvantula, Lucario, Whimsicott, Chansey, and Dragonite, with the last two being the most notable.
Chansey was responsible for taking out three of Geeta's Pokémon and is the reason why there are now two holes in the ceiling of Uva-Naranje Academy. This fucking tank kept taking attack after attack and made Geeta's team look like schoolchildren.
While that was cool and all, Chansey doesn't have shit on Dragonite. I've never seen a Pokémon be able to brush off a Z-move before. This one is on another level.
[Link]
Apart from that stuff, Geeta brought a new Pokémon with her!
Geeta now has revealed a new Pokémon to her team, Houndstone. Had a pretty good showing, to be honest (Much better than Gogoat). Even made Cloud Terastalize at the end there.
Cloud won with a 6-3 victory, pulling out a lot less stops than Geeta did and easily taking the win.
And what was the first thing he said after winning?
[Link]
(Showing page 1 of 9)
►Oxlin (Verified Sailor)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
Knew it! Knew you would post this shit the minute the battle ended!
But to be real, what a match! I haven't been on the edge of my seat in such a long time!
►Ferack
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
The battle ended like 2 minutes ago, how the hell is there already a post about this?
►Everpeach
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
I just want to bring up this clip again: [Link]
"When I win, it won't be because I'm a Champion level trainer. It's because you're weaker than an average Ace Trainer."
Cloud was right. But he set the bar too high.
Geeta isn't stronger than an average trainer.
►SpeedKey (Gym Leader)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
Is no one going to mention the clothes?
I mean, half of Cloud's team are wearing clothes like they just came from a contest or something. Has Cloud been in any contests before?
►BreakNut
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
SpeedKey No.
That's not what is important. Is no one going to talk about the fact Cloud couldn't even give a victory speech? His mic got cut off as soon as he made his announcement! My man didn't even get a chance to gloat!
►PastaSauce (Wiki Warrior)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
So there are a lot of things I want to touch on here because there's some context that's being missed in the original post.
After Cloud accepted the challenge, Geeta accused Cloud of doing this for clout. And she made a wager, that the winner would have to pay 10 million dollars. Cloud pointed out the betting rates were much more in his favor, admitting there was no point in him accepting that bet.
So he made a wager of his own, the winner getting the opponent's team. Geeta accepted.
Two minutes ago, Cloud announced to the world that he wanted to take Geeta as her apprentice. After doing so, his microphone got cut off. Now a lot of the channels seem to be in a bit of a scramble with tech issues.
...To those there at the event, what is happening? Are they skipping the victory celebration or what?
►Pebbleman (Verified Trainer)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck? How?! How did Cloud win!? I bet a good 100k he would lose?! That looked like the easiest money ever. How can a streamer nobody beat a champion?!
►Grimsley (Unova Elite Four)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
You made a bad bet. Better luck next time.
► Professor2b (Verified Researcher)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
Something I wanted to point out is that Cloud claimed he could mega-evolve, at the same time, he claimed Geeta could not.
At the time, we did not know Geeta had a mega stone, and then with a stroke of luck, Kingambit was unable to Mega Evolve.
However, at the same time, none of Cloud's Pokémon had a mega stone. Which begs the question. Was Cloud bluffing this entire time? Can he really mega-evolve his Pokémon?
►Damian (Retired Trainer)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
Geeta could've copped a rough deal, she got off easy.
Cloud could've chucked her the challenge to be the champ himself, have her mates and her job. Is he a few snags short of a barbie?
►Yancy (Verified Trainer)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
Is no one going to point out how cruel this situation is?
Cloud is holding Geeta's Pokémon hostage over her head!
If Geeta does not accept the offer to become Cloud's apprentice, she loses six of her lifelong friends.
The only way she might get her Pokémon back is if she accepts Cloud's offer. The worst part about this is Cloud didn't say he would give her back her Pokémon either.
This is NOT the sign of a good person or a person anyone should watch!
►N
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
Yancy
This is not a viewpoint I have considered, thank you for bringing this to my attention. Nobody deserves to suffer like this, be it human or Pokémon.
But that is not where the cruelty begins.
Before this battle ever took place, Cloud was given an opportunity. A monetary bet, where no one is truly hurt. Cloud put the livelihoods of his own Pokémon for the sake of his ego. Geeta is worse for accepting.
If Geeta ever truly cared about her Pokémon, she would not give them to Cloud. Neither should she accept being his apprentice.
The lives of our Pokémon are priceless, and if these people are so quick to trade away their Pokémon like they are nothing, they do not deserve their partners.
For the sake of the Pokémon, they should be released. Maybe even taken to other homes. Whatever is best for the individual Pokémon.
►Wastelander (Verified Trainer)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
N Bullshit.
If Geeta cared so much about her Pokémon then she shouldn't have lost in the first place.
They settled their differences with a Pokémon battle. Like grown adults do. Get over it.
Why would anyone release strong Pokémon like that anyway? Just sell them or something.
►Leon (Galar Champion)
Replied On Sep 28th 2023:
Hang on, you mean Cloud has been telling people that I was only the second-best Champion?
Why the hell did no one tell me?!
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 7, 8, 9
-Sonia-
"Wait, what happened to Cloud?"
"He will arrive soon enough."
She didn't say anything to that, only giving Cyclone a grateful nod as she did her best to hide her smile.
Her heart was still racing a mile a minute, even after the battle had ended, it showed no sign of slowing down.
Cyclone was right. She shouldn't have doubted Cloud.
Time and time again, he continued to prove her wrong. It wasn't going against unthinkable odds, they were in his favor before the battle began.
It's been months since he had a proper Pokémon battle, and she thought that at the very least he would be a bit rusty.
He won. Surgically. Strategically. Precisely. It wasn't just a plain six-on-six Pokémon battle, it was something more.
Which makes it all the more curious why he did not bring his starter along. If Cloud had brought Dovahkin, the battle would have ended much sooner.
If Geeta had won, the process would have been simple. Cheers all around, get surrounded by reporters, give a little speech on how the battle was well fought but you should not underestimate your opponent. The usual bit of wisdom you would see in fortune cookies.
Cloud won, and now he is trying to snatch away Geeta to be his apprentice!
She frowned slightly, thoughts of others hounding him to be his student flashing in her mind before dismissing them just as quickly. It did not matter. Cloud got to choose who he wanted as his apprentice. Even if his apprentice is nearly a decade older than him.
The door swung open, Cloud leisurely walking inside the room with a swagger in his step.
"Sup chat," the narcissist grinned, running a hand through his hair "How have you guys- OOF!"
She didn't care that it was going to get clipped. A hug was the least Cloud deserved for being able to pull off something this good.
He had won.
And everyone will be okay.
-Cloud-
"Good job," Sonia muttered, giving him a small smile as she broke the hug. "You did good."
"Did good?" Meowth asked aghast. "Did good-He did terrible! Cloud out here touting himself as some great trainer when he is losing three Pokémon to Geeta?!"
"You did well, considering the circumstances." Rotom chimed in. "You were not expecting the change in battlefield, Mega-Evolution or Z-moves. Despite this, you still won due to skill."
"Don't forget the full restores," Meowth commented, making me scowl.
"Genuinely lost all respect I had for Geeta at that moment," I nodded. "Also the exact moment I wanted her to be my apprentice."
"...You are a strange demented human being," Meowth squinted, Psyclone nodding in agreement.
Before I could retort, a knock on the door halted the conversation, making me blink in surprise when I saw it was Geeta.
"Before I say anything, I must apologize," she paused, bowing towards me. "The League made a critical error in how it handled the results of the match. It was unprincipled in nature and unethical. For that, we apologize."
"Nah, this is much better," Meowth grinned, making her blink. "With your buddies turning off all the cameras, where'dya think an involved viewer is gonna go?"
"They'd join the stream," Sonia clicked her fingers. "They have indirectly created a funnel so all the viewers would have to join the stream!"
"As interesting as that conversation is," Geeta interrupted dryly. "I think we are getting off-topic. But seeing how everybody is watching, I think I might as well nip this in the bud right here and now."
Geeta straightened, turning towards the camera and looking directly into it.
"I would like formally to accept Cloud's offer of apprenticeship."
A shit-eating grin slid onto my face.
"And I would like to formally resign from my position as Champion."
-Hours Later-
Skill or Sham?! - League Officials claim Champions' match was 'rigged from the very start.'
In the highly anticipated showdown, where everything was on the line, there was only ever going to be one victor. In a stunning display of skill, power, and intellect, Cloud defeated Geeta in a 6-3 victory against all odds.
Instead of the expected celebrations, pandemonium occurred when Cloud expressed interest in taking Geeta as a successor. Chaos ensued, as an attempt ensued to escort both players off the field, much to the anger of the audience and trainers alike.
Geeta later apologized for the actions of the league, resigning from her position as Champion and accepting the apprenticeship offered by Cloud. This action did not come without opposition, especially within the league itself.
"After an internal investigation, we believe outside interference occurred during the match. Further details will be explained at a later date. However, there is no doubt that outside circumstances affected the outcome of the match."
"They aren't taking this well at all are they?" I shot an amused look at Geeta who just huffed in response.
"I can assure you, they will not be an issue," she rubbed the bridge of her forehead. "Not to you anyway. I am the one that has to deal with their nonsense."
"If only," I muttered. I have already gotten veiled threats. From people who didn't want to see their Champion go and people who didn't like the bet in the first place. There was a third spot for people that didn't like me but that's par for the course.
Threats don't matter to me. The people here aren't violent. They wouldn't threaten to kill you with a Garchomp, they would just challenge you to a Pokémon battle. The worst people tend to be in the villain groups, but most still have something resembling a moral compass.
"Ah, you know, I can't wait to train you!" I admitted, watching Geeta blink at me in surprise. "I see so much of myself in you it's amazing!"
"Please don't say that ever again," she replied in a monotone, making me cackle. "I'd rather not hear that from someone almost a decade younger than me. Even then I don't see it."
"Oh definitely not personality-wise," I chuckled. "You weren't dealt a bad hand, but you weren't dealt a good one either. At the same time, you made the most of the Pokémon you had. Optimized them for battle, then to add the cherry on top, you went all in on game-changers with Z-moves & Mega stones!"
And it was true, the only thing she could have improved upon was changing some of her Pokémon's abilities with ability capsules. Though I understand why she wouldn't get any. They cost an arm and a leg to make. More to buy.
"What you are… is an utter scumbag! But I will change that! A few months with me and you will no longer be just a scumbag, you are going to be so much better."
I pointed directly at her, stealing the pose I've seen Leon do plenty of times over.
"You will be a refined scumbag."
"I see," she hummed, not taking the bait like I thought she would. "If that is your reasoning, it seems I have misjudged you. I believed you were offering a third option to the bet. I would keep my Pokémon, you won't lose a large part of your audience for 'being immoral' and also being able to brag to your audience for winning the battle. I was a fool to think that was the case."
"You were," I agreed. "The first mistake you made was challenging me to a battle in the first place!"
"Sadly, I have to agree with you on that," she admitted, surprising me. "Speaking of, I think it is time I went through on this bet."
She placed her Pokéballs on the table in front of us, the six Pokémon used in our battle just a few hours prior.
"These are your winnings," a hint of annoyance present in her tone. "If you wish to keep me as an apprentice, you will keep them safe. Less people will bother you tonight knowing the deal went through."
A party. To celebrate my win or Geeta's Retirement party. It can be seen as either or in this case. I would have preferred it to be the latter.
I thought it would've been a lot cooler to just not show up. I tried explaining this to Sonia who promptly called me out on my bullshit.
"There is one more thing," she said, rolling her Kingambitite between her fingers
"On paper, you may have my Pokémon. But this?" the Mega Stone glinted in her hand. "Is mine."
"Ya got me there," I chuckle. "But that isn't the reason why I asked you to be here. Honestly, I didn't expect you to give me your Pokémon either."
"...Then why did you ask me here?"
"Houdstone, Glimmora, Gogoat, Kingambit, Espathra. Do you know what these five Pokémon have in common?"
"They were part of my team?" she asked slowly, getting an eye-roll from me. "You forgot Avalugg as well."
"Oh, I didn't," I hummed. "Avalugg is the outlier of your team. After all, it's the only one not found in Area Zero."
"Trespassing, are we?" she raised an eyebrow. "Ignoring that fact for a moment, those Pokémon are not only found in Area Zero."
"That's true, you can find these Pokémon and their pre-evolutions all around Paldea. All except Glimmora that is."
"Where are you going with this Cloud?"
I leaned forward in my seat.
"Have you ever heard of a Pokémon called Koraidon?"
-Clavell-
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention."
The turnout for the party was less than he expected. He originally thought the Banquet hall would not be able to house all that was attending until Geeta had handed him the attendance list himself.
Gym Leaders, Elite Four & Champions. While there were a few hinge cases, those were the vast amount of attendants to the party. The fact so many were there to attend was a bit mind-boggling.
Who would have thought asking such a simple question, "Who do you think is the strongest Champion?" would lead to such a chaotic turn of affairs?
"I hope you all have enjoyed the champagne, I'm not the one paying for it so feel free to take as much as you like."
The comment eased some of the tension from the crowd, gaining a few chuckles as well.
It truly is fascinating the knock-on effect a single question can have. That it would lead to wondering who the weakest Champion is and reinforcing the fact by losing to Geeta.
"I believe we can all say that today has been very hectic. A riveting Pokémon battle. A Champion's hiatus. And to end the day, a celebration."
By saying Geeta was the weakest champion and in turn beating her, It has put Cloud onto the eyes of many. However, by asserting Geeta was the weakest, many have started to believe him.
In doing so, they have made light of Cloud. That of course Cloud could beat Geeta, because Geeta didn't deserve the champion title in the first place.
He gestured a hand towards Cloud. "For triumphing against unthinkable odds."
The other, towards Geeta. "To new beginnings."
He must admit, he found it very interesting how quickly a person's perspective can change.
"Ladies and gentlemen, to Cloud and Geeta!"
As applause started to echo around the room, Geeta took the microphone soon after, making her speech as part of her resignation.
Cloud didn't bother staying on stage for that part, going back to mingle with his little possé halfway through the speech.
He wished he could do the same, for as interesting as the people around him were, he was in much need of a good night's sleep. Balancing his headmaster duties was hard when also trying to ensure the match ran as smoothly as is. It has led to him having very little sleep.
Sadly, the night was far from over for himself. With Geeta going against the League's wishes and Rika nowhere to be found, the League was scrambling in an attempt to save face.
That left him with the job of trying to fix their screw-ups. Along with a few others still employed by the League. "Give them a good impression of Paldea," as if the opinions of League trainers were the only ones that mattered.
Politics was half the reason he quit being Champion in the first place. All he was now was a poor old headmaster.
A poor old headmaster who had no reason to go along with that request.
Heading to the wine selection, he grabbed a bottle and started to pour himself a couple of glasses.
The League can go fuck themselves. Tonight, he was going to get pissed.
-Cloud-
"Why aren'tcha giving a speech?" Meowth asked, making me grin.
"Because I am getting the fuck out of here as soon as possible!" I rubbed my hands together in excitement, my half-baked plan of an escape attempt all coming together as I looked around the room.
Unsurprisingly, they went all-out for this little party. The ballroom was large and well-lit. Crystal Chandeliers reigned from the ceiling and there were tables upon tables of food and drinks. Waiters went around offering champagne and there was even a grand piano!
I have thought of a genius plan to leave early. It involves setting something on fire and escaping while I can.
It was foolproof. Ingenious. Without flaw.
And it was foiled instantly.
"You know Cloud, I take offense," an annoyingly familiar voice came from behind me. "Me? Losing? At all? Do you even know me?"
"Leon!" Sonia perked up, a warm smile plastered onto her face as she greeted her old friend. "You were here all this time?"
"Oh I didn't watch the match," he snorted, making me do a double take. "I just found out he beat a champ! Even took her as a student! I think: Nice! Good on you! Happy to see you succeed!"
He paused, giving me a hurt look.
"Then I found out you went ahead and stabbed me! Right in the heart! I understand why other folks think I'm not the strongest, but they haven't fought me! You even- ow!"
"You are making a scene!" Sonia hissed, and I was taken aback that I wasn't the subject of her abuse for once. "If you are going to be acting like this…can you at least do it a bit quieter?"
"I think we should have a Pokémon battle to settle our differences," I said quietly, getting a baleful glare from Sonia that promptly closed that line of escape.
"For just tonight, can the two of you not get into any Pokémon battles?" she rubbed her forehead. "At the very least, leave it until the morning, the day has been hectic enough as is."
"Eh, fair enough," Leon agreed putting away one of his Pokéballs. "Besides! Today is your day!" he grinned at me, slinging an arm around me. "Another year or so and you just might give me a bit of trouble!"
"Oh morning cannot come sooner," I smirked, the two of us sliding into our old banter as we headed towards the drinks.
Maybe tonight won't be so bad?
-Sonia-
…How disappointing.
She thought that it would have gone away by now, three years should have been long enough for the feelings to fade. She guessed she wasn't lucky in that regard.
She still cared for him. It was a spark, a flicker, not nearly as strong as it once was, but the dormant feelings were still there.
Leon wasn't interested in her. Or more specifically, he could not date her. It's not like he explicitly stated he did not want to date her, it was that he didn't believe that he could balance his job and making her happy at the same time.
She had tried to convince him to at least try to make it work, but he refused.
Two years later, she meets someone very similar. He was a few years younger. Headstrong. A great battler and full of wit.
She thought of herself as having a good life. When she was with Cloud, he made it a joyful one.
A stressful, infuriating, and downright chaotic at times, but a joyful life nonetheless.
Despite his humor, his personality, and his love of all things Pokémon, none of them stood out to her as much as his intelligence.
If Cloud wished, he could have become a Pokémon professor surpassing her grandmother. Or even Professor Oak himself. But that was not his goal, he seemed more content with traveling and catching new Pokémon.
Cloud was a fountain of knowledge. When they first met she was too invested in her research into the Darkest Day to consider branching out deeply into other topics. So while she would have loved to spend more time with him, she knew it wouldn't work out.
Then he managed to shatter her worldview.
"Oh, the Darkest Day?" Cloud blinked before shrugging. "Yeah, and ain't that storyline a mess," he muttered, seemingly to himself more than anyone else. "So anyway, that was caused when Eternatus. He's like Deoxys, came from a meteor thousands of years ago and tried sucking up all the energy from Galar… for some reason. Anyway, Eternatus went Dynamax or whatever and that caused the Darkest Day."
At first, she did not believe him. Why would she? But the more and more he spoke, the more evidence he provided, she felt the world come to a standstill.
Five years. She had been studying The Darkest Day for five years and it was the first she had heard anything like it. But Cloud?
He didn't even realize what he was doing to her.
"But that dude was stopped by the legendaries Zacian & Zamazenta. The protectors of Galar! The Sword & Shield Pokémon! Honestly, one of the reasons why I came here in the first place."
"Zacian and Zamazenta?" she whispered, trying to recall if she had ever heard the names before. "Wait, you are trying to find them?!"
"I'm not trying to find them." Cloud rolled his eyes, a small grin tugging on his cheek. "I know where they are."
So, she went with him. The both of them entered the forest that was the Slumbering Weald, only to come across the two Pokémon forgotten in history. Zacian & Zamazenta.
It was right then, at that moment, she knew what she had to do. Despite how outrageous his claims were, in the end, he was always right. He was a fountain of knowledge and she had only taken a sip of what was there.
She chose to be by his side. Make note of everything he said, and hopefully, the entire world would know what Cloud knew.
But not everyone agreed with her decision. Her grandmother had made it clear what she thought of Cloud.
"What he is, is a bad influence." her grandmother barked, tapping her cane harshly. "If you are going to do something with your life, it shouldn't be following that boy around."
"You don't understand, he knows things that our world I didn't even think possible!" she gushed. "We have lived so long thinking we were close to knowing everything about the world, but Cloud shows he we have barely scratched the surface! There is still so much we can learn about Pokémon!"
"He could know the answer to life, the meaning, the universe for all I care, that doesn't mean you should associate with him." she sniffed. "Doubly so if he claims he does."
She could vividly recall the sheer frustration she felt during that conversation. But now? Remembering the conversation only makes her feel all the more guilty.
"But what he knows-"
"Is not as important as you are!" Magnolia snapped. "Please listen to me when I say that that boy will just make you feel miserable! Miserable! I do not ask for much from you Sonia, but for this, this one thing. I am asking you to heed my advice."
Magnolia paused, letting out a small breath.
"I do not want you to become like me."
They haven't spoken since.
In a way, her grandmother was correct. She did not have a miserable life, but that didn't change the truth. She did not belong amongst them. If she were to disappear, people wouldn't care nearly as much compared to Cloud, Meowth, or Cyclone. She wouldn't be surprised if Rotom had a more interesting life than she had.
Her prestige came from the fact her grandmother was a professor. On her own, she has no merits.
She is not like Leon who is a champion. She is not like Cloud who she has gushed about enough. But at the end of the day, she did not compare to either of them.
One will leave a mark on history, the other will redefine it.
So, despite Cloud making his interest in her obvious enough, she knew it wouldn't work.
Not until she becomes his equal.
But when she does?
She smiled softly taking another sip of wine as she watched Cloud pose for another picture with one of his fans.
She will take what is hers.
-Cloud-
I wasn't the only one that had fans, because just as many people went up to Leon for photos as myself.
I managed to slip away for a moment, hanging around on the empty balcony as I started to nurse my headache.
Iona drives me up the wall. She's not a bad person, but she didn't understand personal space. What made it worse was just how excited she was to see me, and how panicked she looked when she couldn't find me. She honestly acted more like a paparazzi than a streamer and that just left me feeling annoyed.
"I'm sorry about her."
"Don't be," I wave Larry off, giving him a smile. "She's just a kid acting like one. No harm, no foul."
"Even so, she should know," he huffed, letting out a small sigh. "Though you have my thanks."
I only played Scarlet/Violet once, I forget most of the named characters simply because most of them aren't very memorable. Larry is different in that regard, disregarding the fact he looks like an overworked office worker, he's both a Gym Leader & an Elite Four member.
We also could have had the first Normal-type Elite Four member in the series, but Geeta explicitly did not want him specializing in Normal Types for the Elite Four.
A rule which he didn't have to follow anymore (considering she was no longer his boss).
"So…now that Geeta is gone, are they going to make you-"
"No. I won't be becoming champion," he replied curtly. "I have enough jobs already, I would not be a viable candidate."
"But wouldn't you-"
"No longer be a Gym Leader & Elite Four member as champion? Correct. However, being the champion would make it far more difficult to run my restaurant as well."
"So then couldn't you just-"
"Cloud, I do not want to become champion."
That took me aback, genuinely not expecting that answer from the man.
"So what? Is Paldea going to go without a Champion for a while? Until someone comes along and beats the Elite Four?"
"A little more complicated than that," he huffed. "Originally, Hassal was offered the position, but he turned it down. The offer came to me next and I did the same."
"So what then? Rika got the job?" I asked, with him shaking his head in the negative.
"Rika hasn't gotten the offer yet."
"Wait a sec, you mean-"
"Yes."
"That Poppy-"
"Indeed. If Rika does not accept the offer, Poppy will become the Champion."
"Oh you've got to be kidding me," I started to chuckle, but Larry's expression didn't change. "You are joking right?"
"I am not. Poppy is likely to become the next champion of Paldea."
-Rotom-
She had grown.
That's to be expected, the last time he saw her, she was only 7 years of age. A good 20 years have passed since now and then. A lot has changed.
He looked far more different 20 years ago than he did now. He was much more handsome.
If he was honest, he had hoped to never see her again. He did not know how he would feel and did not want to after her seeking revenge.
The people around him danced, chatted, and laughed away unaware to the fact they were in the same room as his killer.
It was a simple scheme in concept. Mix in poison powder with coffee beans.
After it had happened, he did not expect Gardenia, his young charge to storm into the room, an Antidote in hand as she desperately tried to force-feed the liquid.
The kicker?
'It was not meant for you!'
He woke up a few days later. With no clothes, body, or clue as to what had truly happened.
The days after finding out he had become a Pokémon were some of the worst days of his life.
Because he soon learned he was not the only one.
For years, he stayed in the mansion. Slowly driven into madness with only ghosts for company. His other charge was driven mad, forgetting her human life completely and falling to her instincts.
He was the only sane one in the chateau, and at times he even started to question that.
And then a trainer came along. Barely a man with little to no common sense who 'wanted to explore the spooky ghost house.'
A man he owes everything to for the simple fact he provided him peace.
Who knew burning the place down would provide that?
His past seemed intent on catching up to him, but he surprised himself when he realized he no longer cared.
The anger he expected to feel was nonexistent. The hate he had once harbored has set sail to sea. Gym leader Gardenia is no longer the child that she used to be. She has moved on. And so has he.
Besides, he much preferred things this way. Two lovebirds and two cats are much easier to handle than children are.
For a brief moment, they made eye contact, though he was quick to break it. His focus turned to the gourmet food and started to quickly eye every meal for flaws and imperfections.
There is no point going back to that chapter of his life again.
-Cloud-
Honestly? This wasn't awful.
Not just the party, but the whole vacation in general.
Most of it was in Area Zero, but that's fine. Area Zero is a beautiful place, and I was able to snatch up a lot of good Pokémon there as well.
Meowth has found most of the stakes. Only six or so remain, and when they're found, Psyclone can have his fun with those.
There was no luck in finding Miraidon or Koraidon, (Geeta coming up short in that regard) but it was more out of curiosity than any long-term ideas.
I was broken out of my musings as the sound of the piano echoed throughout the hall. A skilled player flaunted their musical prowess as they played an intricate melody that slowly started to captivate me.
I felt a sudden chill run through my body, a feeling of horror creeping onto my shoulders at a sudden realization.
I recognized the song.
"Shit," I hissed, heading straight for the door. I tugged on it incessantly, scowling when I realized it was locked.
I turned back towards the balcony, and briefly considered jumping overboard before realizing what I was doing.
I was overreacting. Completely and utterly to the point of insanity.
I turned towards the piano, the daunting melody continued to play, the music silencing the once bustling and chattering crowd.
The player drew attention. If not from her music, from her appearance. Dressed in all black in the most risque dress I have ever seen in my life, her blonde hair contrasted sharply with the dark ensemble, the image burning into my mind.
Never before have I been stunned by the sheer beauty of a woman. But Cynthia had managed to do just that.
I remained silent as the tune continued to play, as did everyone else in the ballroom.
After another minute, the final notes were played, and the ballroom erupted into applause.
She barely acknowledged the praise, simply smiling and nodding softly towards the crowd.
She raised from her seat, elegance radiating from her as she slowly started to approach me, making me gulp slightly.
"Hello, Cloud."
"Hello, Cynthia."
She giggled softly.
"I believe we have much to discuss."