(AN: Just wanted to make a note. I really appreciate all the comments left on the last chapter, didn't realize it would hit so hard. I'll try and continue keeping that quality up. Also, I've been waiting for Pokémon Z to come out for over a decade now, haven't played the recent games but they've reeled me back in God dammit! Hope you enjoy...)
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"Looks like we've switched roles, huh." [Y/N] said, quietly chuckling to himself, but it wasn't a humoured laugh, far from it. It was more of just a means to cut through the tension, a coping mechanism to avoid the glum situation they had all found themselves in...
Cynthia laid down before him, concealed under a thick blanket pulled up high. She wore a large white wrap around her temple, the wound from the attack slowly healing, but the pain remained strong. It covered one half of her face, much like her blonde bangs usually did, hiding one of her grey eyes. There was a sadness to her expression, a feeling of uselessness, and shame. How she had been immediately taken out of the battle, and had to have been protected, just like some child. How could a useless child become the greatest Pokémon trainer in the entire region? And here was [Y/N], already recovering from his own injuries. It was a depressing thought for the girl who had had so many expectations placed upon her shoulders.
He didn't like seeing her in such a state, even if they hadn't known one another for that long. There wasn't a malicious bone in her body, that much was clear, she was a good, pure person. Perhaps somewhat naïve, but he was sure she saw it as seeing the best in people. It was why she didn't ignore the strange amnesiac lost in the woods, and invited him home with no hesitation. It was why she was so excited about venturing off far and wide, meeting new people and exploring distant places. It was evident enough by the Gible that clung to her night and day, refusing to leave her side. They were as close as close could be, and when the trainer hurt, so did their partner.
"Don't worry." [Y/N] spoke. "I'll stay here for as long as you want me to, until you get better." He tried to make her feel better, but her face remained hard. "And then, we'll get out of this small town, and we can go explore Sinnoh, just like you wanted." Cynthia let a small smile fall upon her lips, however, there was more there that she wanted to say...
"[Y/N] I--" Cynthia spoke, but she recoiled, not sure how to exactly voice her words. "[Y/N]." She said with an unusually serious tone. "I'm really sorry, I'm a terrible person." An uncanny laugh left her, one filled with shame. He looked at her with confusion, raising a suspicious brow. "I haven't met someone my age in a while who I've been able to talk to honestly. And, Mina told me that you pulled me out from the laboratory before it collapsed. If you hadn't shown up, then..." Her expression darkened. "I would be dead right now."
"Even though we only met a few days ago, I would consider you a close friend."
It was a sobering thought, but one [Y/N] didn't want to lord over her. "Cynthia, come on now." He said. "You helped me just as much when you found me. I'd probably be starving in the woods right now if you hadn't shown up. If it makes you feel any better, I was just repaying the debt that I owed. You aren't a terrible person at all, the meds are probably making you think funny."
"I should feel so grateful towards you, more than any other person I've ever known, but--"
"There's also a part of me that hates you, as stupid as that sounds."
"Hate?" [Y/N] responded with a concerned voice, he was beyond confused now. What had he done to have been hated? Cynthia looked away, staring out through one of the windows. There was a misty gloss falling over her eyes. "I don't deserve to hate you, after what you did, but a part of me does." She said earnestly. "I've been training for years to be a trainer, day and night, pushing everything else aside, to be the very best. To impress my grandmother, and my little sister, and Professor Rowan, and all those who have helped me get to where I am now."
"I always worry--"
"I always worry about letting them down, that I'm not doing enough." Cynthia sniffed quietly, facing away from [Y/N]. Her Gible called its name, pushing itself up against her stiff body, snuggling against her arm. "I was supposed to leave a few days ago, start the big adventure that I always dreamed about for years, and prove that all that effort invested in me was worth it..."
"And then you come along." Her voice quivered slightly. "A boy with no memories, no friends or family to rely on. You didn't let it hold you down, but kept moving forward. Rowan was suspicious, I could tell, but eventually you grew on him too. He isn't an easy man to please, but you did it somehow. The starters, you didn't even need to spend five minutes around them before they trusted you. It took me so long to get my Gible to even acknowledge me..."
"When the people really needed help." There was a small silver glint where her eye caught the sun's rays. He sat quiet, simply listening. "I couldn't help them, because I wasn't prepared. The Hunters made off with everything, and nobody could do anything to stop them. Except you, [Y/N]. You were the only person who was able to retrieve any of the stolen Pokémon."
"What was I doing? Nothing, absolutely nothing. I was useless, worse than useless rather..."
"I've always wanted to be a trainer, and when it came down to actually doing something I froze. You didn't, and I know it's jealousy speaking, but a part of me hates you for it."
"Because you're doing what I've always wanted to do so naturally, so easily. It's not fair to you--" Tears began pooling just below her darkened eyes. "[Y/N], I don't deserve forgiveness for thinking this way, it's my fault, but what does it make me? I'm a terrible person. A terrible, terrible person--"
"Cynthia, I--" [Y/N] tried to intervene, but what was he supposed to say? What could he even say? Was it his place to change her mind? If she already felt that he was superior to her, being the person to make her feel better might only make her feel worse about herself. "Cynthia, you aren't a terrible person. I don't think I could even begin to understand the pressure that's been placed upon you, the stress, all the effort..."
"And I don't care about all of that. Not one bit, because none of that has anything to do with being a good person, or at least that's how I see it. All I know is that when I was alone, and lost, and confused, there was one person who was there to help me. And that was you, right?"
"What you feel is only natural, everyone goes through what you feel right now."
"When you saw a stupid, crazy-looking boy in the middle of the woods, you didn't hesitate to help him. You could have easily turned up your nose and walked away, and yet you didn't. I know I would've, trust me." [Y/N] kneeled down to get a better look at her face, despite how she tried to turn away. Her eyes were red, and she wept a river of tears. "Rowan put so much faith in you because he knows how far you can go, I'm sure. And so has everyone else, and in turn you worked hard for all of them. I'm just some random idiot with good luck, but you're different, you're smart, and you know your stuff..."
"Everyone falls down once in a while, Cynthia, everyone does. It's how you keep getting back up that matters." Mentally, [Y/N] was astounded that he was able to string together such a well-meaning and heartfelt speech, even surprising himself. Now wasn't the time to pat himself on the back however.
Cynthia rustled under the cover, still unsure what to believe, but she turned to face him. "[Y/N], I want you to promise me something, a real promise. Can you do that for me?" He nodded. "Well, that depends on what the promise is, but I'm open to suggestions." A hint of humour always helped, even if it was a sprinkling. Her face brightened slightly, and a small closed smile broke through the sadness. "If we become trainers, we've got to go to the very top. If you say yes, we can't ever give up until we've made it. Is that too much to ask?"
"I know I said that when we left that we should do so together, but I've changed my mind. To prove to not only everyone who's supported me, but also to myself, I need to know that I can survive out there on my own, without relying on anyone else but my team. I know what I said, but this time I won't ask for forgiveness. This is something I have to do..."
"In a year's time, when the Lily of the Valley conference takes place, I don't want to face down anyone else but you in the finals, I mean it. You, and me, and our strongest team. It'll be the best match Sinnoh, even the world, will ever see." With a weak arm, she wiped her face, cleaning the tears away, supported by her newfound resolve. "When the dust clears, it'll be us at the top, and nobody else."
Travelling around an entire country by himself with no geographic knowledge to speak of? That sounded like a recipe for disaster, but it didn't seem like she would budge on the issue now. He was somewhat relying on her to guide them about, but it looked like he would need to go on a similar journey of self-sufficiency. And, he had already made his promise to Rowan, so backing out now wasn't really an option...
He smirked back at her. "Sure, but just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you. I'm going to be the next Sinnoh Champion, understand?" The pair laughed despite the situation they found themselves in. "Neither will I. From this point onwards, we're rivals, okay? That means we have to constantly keep outdoing the other, to make sure we never fall behind." They shared a knowing look for a moment, as if mentally sealing the vow made. It was something that couldn't be broken now. Now it meant that [Y/N] had a much harder challenge on his shoulders, if being the greatest trainer of all time wasn't already a monumental task.
"GIB!" Gible shouted, jumping onto Cynthia, wanting to be involved in the agreement too, unlatching its massive jaw, and nearly snapping down on [Y/N]'s hand. He ripped it back and glared at the shark dragon. "I'll take joy beating you, demon..." He murmured, and the Gible returned the look right back.
Despite the pain in her head, Cynthia couldn't help but laugh, and that was all [Y/N] needed to hear. He stayed by her side for a bit longer, before being dismissed. And, he didn't hate that. Being around injured sad people all day wasn't necessarily all that conducive towards a good attitude. And, it wasn't like he was any better. His arms and stomach were still bandaged up well. For him, the pain had subsided for the most part, but the scars lingered.
He wrought open the townhall door, and, as he expected, the three small starters were playing rough once more, it had become their favourite pastime. Maybe they also understood that the journey was about to begin, and wanted to get into fighting form. They sure showed their resolve enough, throwing themselves at one another. [Y/N] was quickly beginning to understand their individual quirks, each one's strengths and weaknesses. That would be important.
Turtwig was somewhat relaxed to say the least. He was the largest of the three, but he also seemed to be the least energetic. He enjoyed sleeping and eating most of all. However, the small grass turtle wouldn't shy away from a fight, and he enjoyed a battle. For his size, he was surprisingly sturdy. And he was definitely the physically strongest of the three. When he stood his ground, even [Y/N] had some trouble moving him. The most defensive point was the shell on his back. Mina had informed him that certain Turtwigs could have different abilities. For example, some grew stronger the weaker they were. Others had a much more sturdy armour, and resisted even the strongest attacks. It was clear that this Turtwig fell under the latter. The main downside was that he was rather slow, but his defence more than made up for it.
Chimchar certainly felt like the youngest of the three, naïve and bustling with curiosity, constantly clinging onto [Y/N]'s frame as if he were a tree at any given opportunity. The small fire monkey ran circles around him, far too much for even himself to handle at some points, but it was endearing. And he was definitely a trouble maker, pulling pranks on others too, but more specifically Piplup, whenever the opportunity arose. And, evidently, it was reflected in his speed, easily able to out speed the other two. He could blast enemies with enough fire to char them without getting hit once. However, Chimchar seemed to have the inverse problem that Turtwig had. While the grass turtle was slow but protected, the fire monkey was fast but frail. He had endurance, sure, but a prolonged fight wasn't preferable.
Piplup was unlike either of the other starter Pokémon. The small water penguin was a little more modest than the other too, more reserved. She was confident in her own abilities, and perhaps it made her a little self-important, but it wasn't wrong per se. Her main strength was her heavy hitting special attacks, like Water Gun, or Bubble, and eventually stronger moves as she evolved. Piplup could take out similarly levelled enemies from a distance without much hassle. However, that did mean that when it came to physical attacks, she was slightly lacking. It was something they would need to work on, but for now honing her ranged moves was the best course of action.
"I've been gone for maybe twenty minutes and you three are already a mess..." He commented, their small bodies covered in mud and dirt. They quickly perked up upon hearing his voice and ran over to greet him. Each recited their names with a bright smile. It was infectious and sickly how positive they were, and he couldn't help but accept their joyfulness. "Don't you look at me like that, now it's bath time again, you've done this to yourselves!" Turtwig and Piplup seemed overjoyed, but Chimchar held its head low, not happy about being submerged in water...
The monkey scaled his frame, while the other two plodded along after him, as they walked towards the remnants of the Pokémon laboratory. By now the fires had long died out, leaving a dark, blackened foundation. Nothing remained, no furniture, no documents, no computers, no photographs, years of history gone up in smoke after a single night. Men and women scavenged through the ruins, pulling out large support beams, hopelessly checking for anything they could reclaim. In the centre of where the structure once sat, Rowan stood still, the wind rippling his coat. The Champion didn't move a muscle, simply accepting the world around him. Ever loyal, Bibarel stood by his side, similarly motionless.
He raised his hand and in the centre of his palm was a small photograph, singed at the edges. It took him back to an older time, when he was much younger, when the lab had first been built. It showed a few people standing out front, including himself. He stared at the image hard and long, before returning his gaze to reality once more. All those memories were gone now, with nothing left to show they ever existed besides what little remained in the ageing mind of an old fool. The entire time he had been blaming himself for the incident, and in part, there was some truth to it. He had expected the Hunters to not act with such brazen defiance of Sinnoh's established order. Evidently, he had been wrong...
[Y/N] waited respectfully, staying quiet, and so did the three small starters, just watching the man. Eventually he noticed their presence and he turned to greet them. The Champion never seemed to emote all that strongly, forever stoic even in the most dire of times. It was a respectable quality, he supposed. Though, it did make understanding what went on behind his eyes a great mystery. "Oh, [Y/N] my boy, my apologies. I was just..."
"Reminiscing." Rowan said, letting out a sharp sigh, but that wasn't important now. "How is Cynthia? I doubt we will be able to hold her for much longer. I'm sure she will want to leave immediately." [Y/N] nodded. "I don't think there is much that could stop her." He chuckled to himself. "Bib." The enormous beaver responded.
"How old was the lab?" [Y/N] asked, curious. Rowan looked up towards the sky, stroking his chin. "Oh, very old at this point. I had refurbished the building a few years back after winning the League. Research had always been my main love, battling was always a means to an end." He answered. It was clear that he spoke truthfully, and it made the present reality all the more depressing. To know he never really wanted to be the person to have all this responsibility on his shoulders, yet he carried it either way.
"I had fought against the Hunter's in their infancy, a long time ago, before even the Hunter's Guild officially formed. I foolishly believed that my actions had been enough to stop their encroachment into my home region, but it had not. Now they have entrenched themselves, and have backing from other criminal organisations from abroad too. It will be a tricky endeavour to get them out now..."
He turned his eyes towards [Y/N], honed in with his steely gaze. "You'll be able to beat them back, I trust in your ability, and how strong you will become. It is why you must compete in the Gym Challenge, and take on the Lily of the Valley Conference. I know it may sound rather trivial, but there is no greater way to grow your strength, and your team. You will find a great variety of Pokémon along your journey from all sorts of different environments..."
"I may be a researcher first, but I know the core tenets of a good trainer, and a good battler. Understanding your team, both on a personal level, but also on a strategic level, is the main indicator for a trainer's success, trust me, my boy. You cannot just form a team based on Pokémon from Route 202, that simply won't work. To create a truly great team, you will need a great many Pokémon from a great many places. Different types, different strengths and different weaknesses, these are a few of the things you will need to understand to become truly the very best."
During Rowan's monologuing, [Y/N]'s head began spinning, unsure if he could truly measure up with the expectations now placed upon him. And the Champion realised this too, chuckling at his uncertainty. "Do not worry, my boy, you have a few key advantages that many other trainers will not have, to substitute for your lack of knowledge. For example, while most trainers typically start out with only one partner Pokémon, you will be starting out with three. And they are not just your average Pokémon either..."
"Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup will provide you with some of the key typings that will aid you during your Gym Challenge. They are much rarer than your average Starly, Buneary, or Pachirisu, and can become frighteningly strong as they develop and evolve." Rowan said, gesturing towards the three small monsters. "I've also lodged a formal request to remove the cap on the amount of Pokémon you may legally carry at one time, which is an incredibly rare privilege. It will ensure that wherever you go, no matter what foe you face, you should never be overwhelmed. And it should make training a team a far simpler task."
[Y/N] was rather surprised to hear this, did he really deserve such special treatment? It wasn't as if he would turn it down though, who was he to say no to an advantage? He wasn't morally righteous enough.
Screw that, give him all the upper-hands that he could take for all he cared!
"I've asked Mina, Yuzo and Berlitz to personally teach you about Sinnoh and our world, but also the basics of Pokémon over the next few days, so be ready. Most of the knowledge they will impose upon you most students learn over years of their lives, you only have at most a week. Try and learn as much as you can to the utmost of your ability now while you still can, because your journey cannot wait forever. If I had it my way, I would keep you here for a few months, a year even, and properly mentor you myself, but time is against us I'm afraid, and I'm being pulled in all directions..."
He nodded at the teen. "There is one final gift that I would like to depart on you, something that has been in research and development for quite a while. A joint project from the various professors from across multiple regions, Kanto and Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. I was so fortunate to be sent two early prototypes for testing, and I believe I have two perfect candidates to feed it data..."
"However, I will leave that revelation for when Cynthia is well once again, that is only fair." [Y/N] held the older man's look, something that wasn't an easy task given the sheer intensity of it, but he did the best he could. "I won't let you down, Professor." And the three small monsters shouted their support in tandem. Rowan chuckled, and looked down at his treasured Bibarel, who responded in kind. "I am always reminded of when we first set out, right, old friend?" The large beaver nodded slowly. It was deceptive, but the large Pokémon was just as old as its trainer, and just as wise too. A powerful monster, despite how it's doppy appearances made it seem.
"See that you do, [Y/N]. And, come this time next year, I will expect to see you in the finals. It will be the greatest match in Sinnoh's history, I'm sure of it." And the Professor looked up towards the sky once more, digging his hands deep into his coat. The teen nodded. "You wont regret it!" And with that, he took off, with the three in tow, ready to absorb as much knowledge, and begin training, as soon as humanly possible...
Rowan was left standing there, surrounded by the remnants of years of work. It was a melancholic feeling however, because for as much damage had been done, and for as much history had been destroyed, there was a feeling of rebirth to it all. The old had to make way for the new, or so they used to say. Perhaps this was a symbolic action, the burning of his treasured lab ushered off two of the most promising trainers he had ever come across. He chuckled to himself once more, lost in the sky's magnificence. It was a surprisingly blue day, and the sun shined brightly upon them, as if attempting to uplift their dreary spirits.
An old memory flashed through his mind, as he visualised a person he could never truly forget. It was a bitter thought, but one he took in his stride, trying to see the positive end of things.
"How you would have loved them. Are they not just like we were at their age? So full of curiosity and wonder. I hope they cherish it while they still can, unlike us..."
He stuffed the old photograph into his pocket, concealing it from the world, and the once-young people whose faces had shone so brightly with joy. It was the last material possession he had been left with, and he couldn't have been more grateful.