John's Team
Tyrant - Slaking
Vordt - Ursaluna
Smough - Snorlax
Klee - Blissey
Port - Mantine
Zephyr - Pidgeot
Klaus - Wyrdeer
Luna - Clefable
Pixel - Porygon2
Euphie - Sylveon
Ornstein - D-Linoone
The New Normal – 8-2 – Explorers of Ruins
Despite having just travelled to a whole new region, I woke up bright and early the next morning – I was too excited about going cave delving that it forced me awake.
I quickly made my way to the canteen where I got some breakfast, where I got some curious and interested stares from the other people that were sitting around the canteen, but it looks like none of them had the courage to approach me.
My status as an Elite Four might have been frightening them away. Oh well, they should hopefully warm up to me, given time.
As I sat down to munch through my breakfast, I idly listened to what the news was reporting on the small television screen setup in the corners of the dining hall.
"…And taking a break from the news of the protests, just yesterday found our region of Sinnoh welcoming a few wonderful guests from Indigo, with them having sent two of their Elite Four, John and Will! They both will be spending some time here engaging in our culture, so we hope that they really do get to enjoy themselves here."
"This is in line with the recent radical shift in public policy from within the Sinnoh League. With the recent abdication now ex-Champion Hayato and the collapse of the so-called 'traditionalist' faction, Sinnoh has been seeing a rise in internationalism and interest with other foreign regions. Maybe this visit from Indigo will be the first step into Sinnoh truly becoming a part of a wider international community? With Hoenn making similar statements about sending their own delegation soon, this is really starting to become a reality for Sinnoh!"
Huh. I didn't even know Champion Hayato had stepped down already. While that wasn't too much of a surprise, it was still a troubling thing to see. Especially with that reminder that the protests were still ongoing.
I was too busy seeing the beauty and excitement of Sinnoh that I had almost forgotten that it was currently going through some very tumultuous times, and that not everything was simply sunshine and roses.
I sent a text to Will to ask him how things were going, though he probably wasn't awake at this hour. Even though I wanted to just spend all my time here exploring, I probably had to schedule in some PR tours somewhere and actually do my job as a representative of Indigo.
In the meanwhile, the news report only caused more stares to turn my way, as if some of them had finally realized WHY it was such a big deal that I was here. I hoped these people wouldn't put me on a pedestal; I much preferred to chat with them as equals.
Just then, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned around and was greeted with Cynthia's smiling face.
Unlike yesterday, where she donned her signature black coat, this time she was wearing something far more suitable for underground exploration with her casual sportswear with long sleeves that exposed little skin. I was close enough that I could smell the pleasant aroma wafting off her hair.
"You ready?" She asked, grinning excitedly while carrying a backpack full of supplies. And I let out a slight chuckle as I realized she was a morning person.
"On my way." I replied, just as eagerly. I put away my food and rushed after her, making our way back into the caves. This time we were going beyond the safety of the entrance.
Oddly enough, as we got there, I saw a Chatot and a Wigglytuff munching happily on an Apple just outside the entrance. Weird.
"This time, I brought extra spelunking supplies since I knew you probably didn't have enough time to pack." Cynthia explained as we walked, "However, next time, we'll both be expected to bring our own. Just in case one of us misplaces ours or forgets something."
I nodded, making a note of it in my head. As excited as I was about cave exploration, I realized that this was a serious and potentially dangerous activity with its own shared of risks. It wouldn't do to take it lightly.
Surprisingly, a few people even waved at me when we got there. They must have recognized me from yesterday. I made sure to wave back before we started to head deeper into the cave, where we were met with the guarded perimeter of Pokémon and their trainers, all of whom were wearing the recognizable outfit of an Ace trainer.
"Cynthia. And Elite John. Good luck today." One of the Ace trainers greeted, who was probably the leader of the group.
"Thanks, Charlie. See you later." Cynthia replied as we crossed the perimeter line. As soon as we did though, Cynthia retrieved a Pokéball off of her belt and thew it, releasing her Pokémon.
A Lucario emerged silently from the Pokéball. Its eyes quickly scanned its surroundings before they locked onto mine, staring deeply into my eyes with an analysing and judging stare. A lesser trainer would have been intimidated, but I met his stares with one of my own as I inspected its form in return.
I inwardly scoffed as I took in Lucario's form. I had no idea how Cynthia could fool anyone that she was 'just' an above average trainer.
This was no ordinary Lucario. There was no way it was anything less than an Elite level Pokémon. It was doing its best to conceal its presence, but it couldn't disguise the confidence and power that threatened to leak out of it – only held back by its substantial training and discipline.
I wouldn't have been surprised if Bruno threw out this Lucario on his team.
Lucario continued staring at me, and we locked ourselves into a short staring match until it eventually looked away, nodding at whatever it saw in me.
"Sorry about Lucario, he likes to do that with newcomers. He's very protective of me." Cynthia said as the staring match ended, patting Lucario on the shoulder.
"Oh, I get that a lot from my team too. Except they normally try to hug me to death." I responded as I released a Pokémon of my own. Following in her footsteps, I decided not to release something too large, so I simply released one of my most well-rounded Pokémon for general day-to-day use. Klee!
My Blissey came tumbling out of her ball and immediately wrapped me in a hug, just like I thought she would. I gave Cynthia a look that said 'told you so', and she gave me an amused huff.
With our Pokémon out and our safety now assured, we started to descend deeper into the caves. Admittedly, after barely a few minutes into our dungeon delving, I realized that I had seriously underestimated how treacherous heading downwards in a cave like this was.
The terrain was rocky and uneven, and sometimes there were even loose rocks that crumbled as you stepped on them that could cause you to slip. The decreased light levels only made things worse, since it was harder to see where you were going and made you far more prone to accidents. Plus, there was the ever-present threat of having a rock fall from the ceiling and smashing into the back of your head.
And we were still close to the surface, with all of the nearby walls still lit up with torches! It was only going to get harder from here.
In comparison, Cynthia was moving her way downwards like it was nothing. The difference in experience really showed, as she was often forced to wait up for me to catch up. I frowned at the realization that I was slowing her down.
"Don't worry about it. You'll get used to it soon." She said, as if she had read my mind. "I've gone down here more times than I can count, so of course I'm used to it."
"I feel like we would be moving faster if I just had my Pokémon carry me down." I replied dryly.
"Well, you could, but could you withstand the embarrassment?" She shot back, and I stayed quiet.
Though true to her words, I slowly grew more used to traversing the terrain. It helped a lot that I was fully confident in Klee's ability to bail me out if anything happened to me. Furthermore, the wild Pokémon that loitered around here were still too weak to threaten us, and were easily deterred away by the presence of Klee and Lucario.
"How are we going to get back up though?" I asked, realizing I probably should have asked this earlier.
"We're not going very deep, so we have a pre-established path back up." She explained, "But if you're going deeper down into unexplored territory…then you're going to have to find your own way back up yourself. I suggest some rope or some good Pokémon to levitate you."
I nodded in understanding.
As we continued to move downwards, I realized that we had begun to leave the more well-lit areas of the cave and were now beginning to enter into relatively unexplored or infrequently explored territory.
A minute or two later, Cynthia spoke up, "We'll be hanging around this area for now." She said as rummaged through her backpack before bringing out a huge flashlight, "It's just deep enough that it'll give you a good idea of what to expect as you head down deeper. It's only going to get darker and more hostile from here."
"You come down this deep often?" I asked, looking around and trying to get a sense of my surroundings. All around me I could hear the sounds of different Pokémon echoing throughout the caves. It was starting to become a little unsettling. Though Klee looked completely at peace; she still had that goofy smile on her face.
"Of course." She nodded, "I did most of my training here. And it's also where I caught my Spiritomb. Well, not here exactly, but in these caves."
"Wow. That's amazing." I remarked, "So the Pokémon here are THAT strong? And rare?"
"For you? No to the first question. Half-half to the second question." She responded, "The Pokémon here will certainly be a match for your average trainer. In fact, it's probably not very safe for them to come down this deep without supervision. But for your average Ace trainer, it's not too big of a challenge."
"Though occasionally you WILL get Pokémon that are significantly tougher than the others in the area. Those you actually do have to watch out for." Then she looked at Klee and reconsidered her words, "Then again…with your strength? I don't think you have to worry about anything."
"Thank you, though I'd like to point out that you're completely at ease too." I said, gesturing to her Lucario, "And don't think I can't tell when a Pokémon is at the Elite level. I know for a fact that your Lucario is very well-trained. I faced off against Bruno, so I know what a strong Fighting type looks like."
She shrugged, "I'm wasn't trying that hard to hide it. Though I won't deny it's nice to have my strength acknowledged." She grinned, "Though if you're impressed with my Lucario, then I have a few other Pokémon on my team to show you. Maybe in a fight?"
"You're really itching for that battle, aren't you?" I chuckled amusedly, but I was being infected by her enthusiasm. "Tell you what, after seeing your Lucario, I can't deny that I'm interested. As soon as we have a good time for it, we'll do it. We'll even invite some reporters to make it a whole thing."
"Waving the flag for Indigo?" She asked rhetorically, "Fine, but don't feel bad if Sinnoh wins." She said challengingly, her Lucario straightening as if to support his trainer.
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say–" I was cut off by the sound of a Pokémon's roar echoing through the caverns. Realizing that we had simply been standing around talking, we quickly fell silent as our eyes darted around, trying to spot what was happening. Klee instantly put herself in front of me protectively, partially shielding me with her body.
"That sounded like a Hippowdon." Cynthia whispered to me, "Probably another scuffle between wild Pokémon."
"Should we do something about it?" I whispered back.
She shook her head, "No, and we're going the other way anyways. Follow me. There are some ruins this way."
We moved on silently, trying our best not to alert any of the nearby wild Pokémon. While we were more than strong enough to take on any threat, Cynthia explained that any kind of fight risked causing collateral damage. While there wasn't anything important around here, it was better safe than sorry.
As a general rule, it was highly recommended that you don't pick fights when in caves. Stray attacks could easily attract far more wild Pokémon to suddenly target you down, or could easily cause a cave-in. Therefore, avoiding battles was far more preferred.
We continued trekking on until we entered into a slight opening into the caves, revealing a large ruin that looks like it was once a large tower that had now collapsed. I could see a few torches hanging on the walls, showing that people had been here before. I had to pause to take in and admire the view. Despite the dark lighting, seeing the remnants of this tower sparked the inner sense of adventure within me, and I smiled unconsciously at the sight.
But more noticeably, the fallen tower was overrun with wild Pokémon, many of whom had likely built their homes in these ruins. There were even a few rare Pokémon here, as I could see a few Duskull and Dusclops roaming around alongside one or two Gligars.
"This is what we call the Fallen Tower Ruin." Cynthia explained as I turned back to her, "While it may not look very impressive at first glance, it was still a very important find for the Celestic Town Research Centre. As you may have been able to tell, this was the first significant ruin that we managed to find."
"But more importantly than that, its where we first started on the theory of the 'Civilisation of Hisui - a civilisation that had once lived and thrived here until it collapsed and disappeared many years ago. We believe that these ruins are simply remnants of that once great civilisation." She continued, "That discovery put us on the map for many big research groups, and we finally got the prestige and funding that we needed to keep expanding. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this find was what allowed us to grow into the size and influence that we have today."
"That's incredible!" I exclaimed, "I guess this is a very important place for you all."
"Yes, and this is why we take the rookies here." She nodded, "Gets them used to travelling and exploring the underground. Though usually coming down this deep with a rookie takes multiple trips instead of doing it one go like we did. But I had the feeling you could handle it."
After that she told me that I was free to look around if I wanted to. Eagerly taking her up on the offer, I started circling around the ruins, keeping a safe distance as to not accidentally provoke any of the wild Pokémon. Klee, who was following behind me, was doing the same to minimize her presence.
As I got closer, I realized that the tower was actually far bigger than I thought it was. And there was a full community of wild Pokémon living around here. A part of me wanted to move even closer to the tower itself so I could have a look at the insides, but I ultimately decided against it as I didn't want to disturb the wild Pokémon.
A fight breaking out right now would be very bad from a collateral damage perspective.
Still, just being able to get a look at the ruins was able to temporarily satisfy my inner sense of adventurism. But I knew that I would soon be craving for more; Cynthia had reawakened my inner sense for adventure and exploration.
Even now, I was tempted to ask Cynthia if we could head even deeper, to see even more of what was hidden beneath the earth. And to see if there were any rarer Pokémon to find. I mean, we were supposedly still 'relatively close' to the surface, and we had already managed to find Gligar and Dusclops, both Pokémon you would be hard pressed to find overground.
But I knew it was starting to get late; we had wasted enough time with my slow descent down here.
I returned to where Cynthia was idling about, mumbling something to Lucario that I barely failed to make out. She perked up as soon as she saw me return.
"Enjoy yourself?" She asked.
"Yes, thank you for the opportunity." I replied with a nod, "Gotta say, I'm very excited for what's come next if this was merely the appetizer. What other things could we find down there?"
"That's the real question everyone here is trying to answer, isn't it?" She chuckled, "But I'm glad you've taken this so well. I was a little worried that you might not enjoy spelunking."
"Are you kidding me? I haven't gone on a proper adventure in a while! This is everything I was hoping for!" I exclaimed honestly, "I can't wait for the day that we find something that you haven't discovered yet. I really hope we can unearth a new discovery or two. Hopefully even a new Pokémon!"
"Hmm…I hope so too." She nodded, "We haven't found anything super significant in some time, but I hope that our luck changes soon."
She tapped her chin, "OH, and I never told you how I found Spiritomb didn't I?" I shook my head. "Well, it was actually haunting around in a different ruin. It was full of Ghost Pokémon, and I was carefully using it as a training area until I accidentally stumbled on Spiritomb's keystone."
"Of course, I didn't know what it was at the time. Only that it was moving and shaking around when it really shouldn't be. It gave me quite the fright when Spiritomb's mass of ghosts suddenly burst out from within." She smiled nostalgically, "Still, I managed to capture it and persuade it to be a member of my team. It took a while, especially since I didn't know how to properly manage and wrangle Ghost types at the time, but eventually Spiritomb learned to recognize me as its trainer – and I helped train it to be as powerful as it is now."
"My friend, Karen, has a Spiritomb too." I pointed out, "It's incredibly powerful, and until recently because of Fairy types, it had no known weaknesses."
"Ah yes, I know about her." She nodded, "Fantastic match against Sidney, by the way. You can congratulate her on my behalf. She's another trainer I'd like to battle, though I know distances makes that very unlikely."
Her eyes flashed challengingly. "Actually, both her and her guardian, Agatha, are both trainers I'd love to be able to learn from. They have such unique ways of fighting that I really want to be able to incorporate into my own style."
Her voice grew more excited as she spoke, and the passion in her voice was unmistakable. I could feel the naked ambition radiating out of her. But it was the good kind of ambition, the kind that forced you to be better. To be the best version of you.
Cynthia had the same goals that many others did – to become the best trainer ever.
However, unlike many others, I could tell that she was very much the sort of person that would back up her statements with actions. Not just that, but she had the intelligence and drive to achieve it. Even from the short while that I knew her, I had no doubt that she had used her brilliant intelligence and work ethic to help sculpt her team to be as powerful as they are today.
Furthermore, it was hard to miss the analysing glances that she gave me and Klee every once in a while. Like a sponge, she was trying to absorb and learn every little bit that she could.
"Anyways, if you're up for it, we can start heading down even deeper starting tomorrow. If you're comfortable with it, I could even hang back a little to let you have a chance of exploring slightly independently." She continued, breaking me from my thoughts. "Would you be happy to do that?"
"Absolutely." I replied immediately, "I'd love to get a better hang of this."
With that over, we left the ruins, beginning the trek back to the surface. I immediately realized that it was MUCH harder going back up. Going down you risked tripping and falling, but going up you risked the same AND you had to fight against gravity.
Luckily, there was a pre-built path that led back to the surface that we could easily follow. Otherwise, I might have to rely on Klee to levitate me out of the cave, which would be a little embarrassing. I learned that I was a lot less proficient at rock climbing than I had expected.
"Like I said before, you'll get used to doing this kind of thing with enough time." She said, reading my thoughts once again, "It took me some time to get used to it too, but once you do, it's actually quite relaxing."
I was doubtful, but I didn't gainsay her, instead taking the time to recover my breath. Klee patted me on the back encouragingly.
"Word of warning though, this is the easy section." She continued, "The new ruins and caves that travel under Snowpoint are really dangerous. Not only are they freezing cold, but they're slippery and treacherous and filled to the brim with powerful Pokémon. I'd advise not going in there by yourself without someone to accompany you." I nodded, before making my way out of the caves with Cynthia.
And then suddenly I was met with an onslaught of flashes from cameras, a horde of reporters blocking off the entrance as they rushed to take my picture.
I was very glad that I had taken the time to steady myself before coming out; I would not have looked very flattering on the news if I had been caught while still huffing and puffing for air.
"ELITE JOHN! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SINNOH! HOW HAS YOUR FIRST DAY BEEN!?" One reporter shouted out, trying to make their voice heard over the shouts and cries of the others.
"JOHN! HOW DOES SINNOH COMPARE TO YOUR REGION OF INDIGO?! HOW MUCH BETTER IS SINNOH?!" Another reporter asked snidely.
"ELITE JOHN! WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT POLITICAL STATUS OF SINNOH!? ARE YOU SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGE OF REGIME!?" One more person asked loudly.
I let out an inward sigh, meeting Cynthia's apologetic eyes with a helpless look of my own. We both knew that something like this would be happening, though I doubt either expected to be ambushed like this.
A small smile broke out on both of our faces at our shared commiseration.
Regardless, I didn't let my tiredness and impatience show on my face as I stepped up to face the wall of reporters.
This was going to take a while. And all I wanted to do was get some dinner and sleep.
A.N. Time for some dungeon diving! Kinda. At John and Cynthia's level of strength…they aren't going to be in that much danger. It's more of a fun side adventure for them than something meant to be tense and scary. Which I hoped I nailed right in the chapter.
This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!