Paul: Actually, Lucario and I had just about completed our training.
Cynthia: Training?
Paul: It must have seemed odd to watch a trainer physically fight his Pokémon, especially since the trainer isn't a fighting type specialist.
Cynthia: Oh, not at all.
Paul: The reason we were fighting is because it's Lucario's way of battling.
Cynthia: It's battling style? So, it enjoys close combat?
Paul: That's right.
Cynthia: Well, that seems like a natural thing for Lucario. I may not fight my own, but I can tell when it's anxious for a close combat brawl.
Paul: You own one?
Cynthia: You've never seen mine?
Paul: In our battle, I've wasn't able to get past your Garchomp, so, I never would've found out you had a Lucario, let alone have guessed.
Cynthia: Sorry.
She giggled.
Paul: What are you apologising for? It's not like you're supposed to show me your Pokémon. Besides, it would be an embarrassment.
Cynthia: How so?
Paul: If you were to show me all of your Pokémon, allow me to come up with strategies to beat them, and if I was to still lose while using them, well, I don't think I need to say anymore.
Cynthia: Fair enough.
Paul: So, what brings you here?
Cynthia: Me? I'm just exploring the region. It's got a lot of secret concealed.
Paul: That's a fact.
Cynthia: I wasn't expecting to see you here at all.
Paul: Likewise. I would have thought by now, you'd be battling another random trainer.
Cynthia: I asked the Pokémon League if I could take a break.
Paul: I never thought you'd be able to do that.
Cynthia: Well, my grandmother would always say "if you've got time on your hands, use it to do something constructive", so, I couldn't think of any better option than this.
Paul: That so? How long have you been doing this?
Cynthia: To be honest, I just started. I've heard a lot of rumors about these parts. I even heard a trainer was headed this way. Other trainers would call him mad for daring to enter these parts. I'm sure they weren't talking about you.
Paul: They'd better not have been. If I really am the only one who's dared to enter this place, those trainers shouldn't be calling themselves trainers.
Cynthia: Well, fortunately, you're not. I'm here too.
Paul: Hmm!
Cynthia: So, this frozen lake we're on, is this where you chose to train?
Paul: That's right. Not only does it help my Lucario with its grip on the ground, it also helps us both to sharpen our minds. This frozen lake should have quite a few cracks in it now. When it breaks, we need to be prepared for what we're going to do in this situation. In other words, it tests our reaction times.
Cynthia: Smart. But what if you're not fast enough to escape?
Paul: Then we fall in. It's as simple as that.
Cynthia: Same old Paul.
They are blown by a sudden breeze. Before they know it, the snow picks up.
Chapter 1
Start from the beginning
