The New Normal – 8-4 – Interlude – Lucian
"You have an intense look in your eye again, Lucian. What're you thinking about so deeply about?" Flint asked him with his hands in his pockets as he usually did.
Flint always liked to put up an air of casualness to raise the mood, which Lucian appreciated. He tended to drift into more melancholic thoughts if he was left alone, so he was grateful for Flint's cheerful personality.
"Just thinking about the future." He answered a little vaguer than he intended.
"Come on, you have to give me more than that." Flint pestered, "I saw how you were looking at Cynthia. What's up with that?"
This time, he hesitated before responding. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to reveal – but he was sure he could trust Flint. After all, he considered him a close friend, just like the rest of the Elite Four.
"Her strength; what did you think of it?" He asked in lieu of answering.
"I dunno, haven't seen much of it yet." Flint shrugged, "But she holds herself confidently. And she didn't seem like an overeager and overconfident trainer when she challenged John, so she must have something up her sleeve. Why?"
"I suspect you'll be very surprised by her strength in tomorrow's match." He responded carefully. "…I've seen her train, more than once or twice. Cynthia is a genius of a trainer. And I do mean without the slightest exaggeration."
"You mean because she's a generalist? I heard." Flint asked curiously, "But we occasionally see the high-level generalist every once in a while. They often make a small splash before fading into nothing. I don't have anything against Cynthia, but that's just how it goes."
"And I would normally agree with you." Lucian nodded, "But Cynthia…actually I'll just let you see it for yourself. I don't want to overhype or alter your expectations in any way."
"Fair enough. Though you've certainly spiked my curiosity." Flint replied with another shrug, "Anyways, that can't have been all that you were thinking about. What did you think of John? He's very different from Will. Honestly, they kinda act like you and I do."
Lucian smiled, "You mean the intellectual and the fool?" He joked.
"Hey! I'm smarter than I look! I could've been Gym Leader too if I wasn't trying to instil some sense of responsibility into Volkner." Flint protested, but there was no heat in it. "If not for his laziness, I could've been Gym Leader and he could've been in the Elite Four!"
"He would probably quit as soon as possible if he had to handle the committee meetings like we do." Lucian chuckled, "There's no way someone as lazy and impatient as Volkner could endure through those."
"Hey, you said it, not me. But you're right." Flint smiled, and they shared another chuckle before Lucian returned to his original train of thought.
"Moving on…what were your thoughts on John?" Lucian asked, "You seem to like him."
"Course I do. Both him and Will I found to be very friendly, though in different ways." Flint responded with a friendly smile, "I thought Will to be some kind of braggart at first, based entirely on how he dressed, but he turned out to just be a smart man with much to demonstrate. He certainly knows his way around businessmen."
"That was a pleasant surprise, yes." Lucian agreed, "I was afraid that Indigo may have sent over a pair of muscleheads." And Will was far from that. In fact, it was nice to finally be able to speak with someone that shared the same intellectual pursuits; he didn't even need to explain the basic concepts of finance!
The fact that they were both Psychic specialists was just icing on the cake. He admitted that he was very fond of Will and hoped to speak more. Maybe they could even have a sparring match? Something to consider if he could find the time for it.
"But John is very different." Flint continued, unaware of Lucian's thoughts. "I thought he was one of those that got into the Elite Four with pure strength alone; especially considering his young age. But while he still has a bit of that childish enthusiasm in him, he's quite intellectually minded."
"Don't forget all of his scientific accomplishments. There's a reason Professor Carolina was gushing about him." Lucian pointed out.
"That's true. It's hard to see him as the person who made all those discoveries, though. He looks nothing like a scientist." Flint said.
"And you look nothing like an Elite Four!" Lucian couldn't help but chuckle, "You look like you're a manager at a fast-food chain!"
"Hey! I resemble that comment!" Flint jokingly protests, chuckling along.
"…When are Hoenn coming over again? I forgot." Flint asked after a moment, scratching his head.
"Bertha said probably in a week or two." He answered, "She'll be heading over to visit Hoenn as they do."
"Damn. I'm jealous of all her exploring. Totally regret not signing up." Flint groaned, "Beats dealing with all these idiots in the Committee. Seriously, how hard is it to just make a decision!?"
Lucian nodded, sympathising with his colleague. It was why he was desperately looking for a Champion. Without some kind of formal leadership, the committee were in a constant state of deadlock.
But such a decision could not be rushed; nor could he simply allow the committee a free hand at simply CHOOSING a Champion. No, the selection had to be very careful. Choosing the wrong person for the job would spell disaster for Sinnoh; especially considering how unstable and volatile everything still was.
It was why he was so interested in a certain blonde trainer and her Garchomp; the strength of her team left an unforgettable impression deep in his mind, even if he had only seen in her action once or twice.
There was no forgetting that strength; nor that unyielding and determined gaze filled with ambition.
He knew what Cynthia was. His intuition screamed at him that she was the Trainer that could potentially be the greatest that Sinnoh had ever seen. So while that potential had been previously hidden from the world, Lucian strongly suspected that the world was about to be awed by what would soon be revealed.
And perhaps…Lucian had found his Champion, after all.
A.N. I thought it would be worth it to shine some light on the Sinnoh Elite Four and their interactions and thoughts. Sinnoh is desperately seeking a Champion, and Lucian, as the unofficial leader of the Elite Four, has been doing his best to find someone who might fit the bill. And guess what, he might have found one.
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