[Outside The Jubilife Pokemon Centre...]
"Just be quiet, you big idiot. I'm glad you're alright." Cynthia mumbled, her face buried into [Y/N]'s torso, arms held tight under his arms, and he slowly reciprocated, not entirely prepared for the gesture from seemingly nowhere. Sycamore, with his brow still wet with sweat from the stress of a potential attack from the blonde trainer's Gible, threw up an uncertain thumbs-up from behind Cynthia, giving him some encouragement. [Y/N] nodded back, his face warming up. "Yeah, I'm glad too, but I couldn't just let you leave without a proper send-off..." He responded, patting her back in return...
Cynthia pulled away, a red tint to her face. "What happened?!" Her voice grew stern, desperate to know what happened to him. "Oh, well, you know..." [Y/N] tried to come up with a good excuse, but his mind went empty. It usually wasn't this hard but trying to lie to her was much harder than against some random Rocket grunts. "Oh! You haven't met my new friend over here, Cynthia, meet Sycamore, Sycamore, meet Cynthia!" He sputtered out, avoiding the question.
For some strange reason, with the morning sun hanging low in the sky behind Sycamore, a soft breeze passed by and ruffled his jet black hair, giving him an almost majestic look as he stepped towards her. "[Y/N] why didn't you tell me you had such a beautiful friend!" He shot her a smile with one eye closed, holding up his hair with a single hand. He extended an arm and took her hand, leaving a small kiss, and he flashed her a smirk. It was a traditional sign of respect in Kalos, especially between ladies and gents. "Mademoiselle, your beauty is incomparable! --"
However, Sycamore wasn't prepared for [Y/N] to crash into him, pushing him away, and the two struggled, cursing at one another. Cynthia, Lucian and Flint watched on as the two grappled back and forth with deadpanned expressions. "Y-You traitor! H-How could you?!" The limping trainer shouted. "A-All is fair in love and war, mon ami!" It was then that both of them were taken by surprise, as Cynthia hit them both over the head, sending them to the floor. "You're both stupid."
[Y/N] and Sycamore rubbed their heads, recovering from the hit, standing before the three trainers, ready to leave. "If we're quick then we'll get to Oreburgh in a week, but that depends on how the weather treats us." Lucian said, pressing his glasses further up, catching the sun's glare. "And then there's the Rocket problem, so we'll have to be extra careful." He continued. Flint shook his head. "I hope we come across some grunts, it'd be good training for my team!" He shouted, folding his arms with a smirk...
Cynthia smiled to herself, turning back towards [Y/N]. "What are you going to do then?" He scratched the back of his neck. "I'll probably stay around here, recover for a bit. Train up my team...." It was then that she realised he didn't have his team out, which was strange considering he always had his team out. They were all taking a well-deserved nap in the capsules.
He flashed her a smirk. "Don't think that just because you're getting a head start means you'll win the next time we fight! You're Gible won't be able to land a single hit on my awesome Pokémon! And that's a promise!" [Y/N] had a confident look to him, despite the pain in his leg, or his scuffed clothing from the brief brawl with Sycamore. "Oh, and take this..." His mind wandered to the small package he had been given, the two Pokétch devices. "Don't ask me how I got these, just take it." Cynthia's eyes ran across the metal casing, realising what it was he had given her. "Is this really a Pokétch, but I thought the detective--"
"Don't ask, you don't wanna know. You're welcome." Cynthia looked at him for a few seconds before turning away with a quiet chuckle. "Alright, but you better keep to that promise, or I'll never forgive you! The next time we meet, your team against mine, a real battle, not like the last one!" [Y/N] threw his hand out. "Shake on it! I'd do a blood pact but I've already lost too much..." He mumbled to himself, and she shook her head, never able to know what he'll say next. "Fine, it's a promise..." And she took his hand, shaking back.
"It'll be our real first fight as rivals, so you better train fast, or else you'll get beaten like last time." Cynthia smiled back at him. He shook his head. "No clue what you're talkin' about, you must be misremembering things." And the two started bickering back and forth about the issue once more. Lucian laughed to himself, watching the pair, but Flint was quickly losing patience. "Are we leavin' or not! Come on, Blondie! We're burnin' daylight!" He shouted at them, clearly agitated.
"I'd better get going, don't forget the promise!" Cynthia pulled away, turning towards her two travelling companions. [Y/N] shook his head. "We'll meet again, you better go before he blows a blood vessel." Suddenly, she stepped back towards him and embraced him once more, but only for a quick second before racing away, making sure to conceal her expression, eager to get on the road.
"See ya' later, dude!" Flint waved. "Farewell, [Y/N]." Lucian joined in too, but [Y/N] didn't pay him much attention, still not all that comfortable with the suave blue-haired trainer...
[Y/N] nodded. "Make sure you keep an eye on her, she'll get lost if you leave her for even a second!" He shouted, and with a wave, he watched the three disappear from view, leaving eastwards. It was a melancholic feeling. Cynthia was already moving on past him, but that had already been the case considering the skill level between them.
They both had two separate journeys to take and there was no changing that.
"Well..." Sycamore mumbled, walking up behind [Y/N], stealing his attention. The wind swept past them, blowing a cold breeze across their skin, the morning giving its greetings. "What now?" There was a moment of silence between the two...
"Now?" [Y/N] asked. He turned and held his chin. "I guess this is where we part ways, right? We got to the bottom of the Pokétch problem, saved as many as we could. There isn't anything else I'm forgetting, right?" Sycamore held his look. "You want to get rid of me so easily? You hurt me, [Y/N]!" He said, smiling down at his trainer friend. "W-What? What d'you mean?"
Sycamore looked away, basking within the sun's mighty rays. "I'm in Sinnoh to do research, which means that I must travel far and wide, meet with a great amount of people, and investigate a great many places. It seems like our journeys might just coincide, do you not think so?"
[Y/N] threw him a suspicious glance. "You want to come along with me, but why?" He asked, not entirely sure what the researcher was up to. Sure, they worked together to free the Pokémon, but that was it, right? "[Y/N], you interest me. Not only the bond you hold with your team, but your attitude towards life itself. At first, well, I believed that you were just stupid, brave surely, but stupid nonetheless..." It certainly wasn't what he had expected to hear and he threw a scowl back at Sycamore, mumbling some rude curse under his breath...
"However, after watching you sacrifice yourself like you did last night, running into the line of fire with no regard for your own safety, putting the lives of the kidnapped Pokémon before yourselves..." Sycamore threw him a side-glance, turning to face him. "It was truly magnifique! I've never seen something like it! HOWEVER! I know that if you were to be left to your own devices then you would surely end up dead, beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"If I don't follow you then I would knowingly be letting you free into the world. I would give you about a week at most..." [Y/N] shook his head, letting out an irritated groan. "This is the worst attempt at persuasion I've ever heard, you're actively harming your chances--" Sycamore grabbed his shoulder, stopping him mid sentence. "You've inspired me, and I wish to share with you all the wisdom I have gathered from my studies, especially when it comes to training your Pokémon. I see great potential in you, [Y/N], in fact, eventually, I believe that you could rise to the very top of the Pokémon trainer echelon!"
[Y/N] only needed to hear the first part, that Sycamore would help him train. That was already enough to sell himself. "Deal, why are we waitin' around already!"
Sycamore smiled a wide smile and laughed. "Incredible! Now I'll be able to meet with Rowan in no-time!" He said, not realising he was speaking aloud, earning a stern face from [Y/N]. "I can literally hear you, we are standing right next to each other." The two stood awkwardly for a moment. The researcher coughed into his hand. "There is one other reason, though that reason is something I alone can not achieve..."
"Team Rocket. They took Bonzo, they killed him in cold blood, and they've gotten away with it too! That, I simply cannot accept. And, I am sure that you feel the same way, non?" Sycamore threw him a serious expression, making a sudden departure from their light banter.
[Y/N] squinted, thinking back to when he first heard the news about their clown friend. He hadn't entirely registered the fact that he was dead at first, it seemed such a foreign concept, that it was even impossible to a certain extent, but death was just as real as in any other world...
He had Rowan's confidence, to become strong enough that evil criminals wouldn't hurt the people of Sinnoh any longer, and right before him he had seen their true face, brutes and murderers. The Hunters, they were bad, but Team Rocket had shot up on his shit-list all the way to number one. It was a simmering rage, one he was holding back, but a rage that burnt nonetheless. "Yeah. I want to get even, for Bonzo."
[Y/N] looked back at Sycamore, the two holding a stern look. "Good, then we are at agreement then." And, he reached out his arm, offering an open hand. "Wherever those villainous Team Rocket dogs hide, there will be no safe place for them, for Bonzo." What more was there for him to say, and his hand was accepted, the young trainer shaking back...
It was a promise, promises on top of promises.
"Now we have even more reason to mould you into Sinnoh's greatest trainer. That is my vow to you, [Y/N]. Together, we will reach unreachable heights, and Team Rocket won't know what hit them!"
====================
[Pokémon Association, Lily of the Valley Island...]
Rowan had been assigned a car that took him towards the Pokémon Association's headquarters, the large, foreboding castle that loomed over the entire island. It was deemed a safety hazard for the Champion to go without protection. He took that as an insult, did they not think him competent enough to handle himself? He was no child, and yet that was how it felt like he was being treated, a puppet the Association strung up every time a press conference was needed. It was made an easier decision when he realised who his security would be...
"Long time no see, huh Rowan?" It was the same scruffy blonde hair that he remembered. "Palmer, I'm glad to see a familiar face." Rowan moved into the vehicle, sitting down next to the Elite Four member. He flashed the Champion a small smirk. "As am I. It's been chaos up here the last few days. Chairman's losing hair quickly, what with the incident in Jubilife and all." It was concerning what was happening in their home region, but especially so given the large-scale conflict that had broken out in the island's largest city. A descent into barbarism Rowan hadn't seen since his younger years when anarchy ruled the land and strength was the only deciding factor.
Had things changed all that much since those days? Perhaps they hadn't but time would tell...
They sped down a long high-way, no real traffic at all, which was strange given what a vibrant tourist destination the island was. "People are scared, too afraid to even come out their houses." Rowan noted, looking out the window. There were only a few people who walked past, but they kept to themselves. Palmer nodded. "The Association's put out a regional warning, sayin' that there's a high risk of another attack in the next week, and for people to be careful." He added. The castle poked up high above the mountain, catching the Champion's eye.
"Are these concerns substantiated?" Rowan asked. Palmer shrugged. "We have no further intelligence that would've said anything was comin', but after what happened the Association doesn't want another display of their own stupidity." He shook his head, clearly not the organisation's biggest fan. He had a kid, a young son, Rowan remembered, but the boy's name eluded him. It must have been hard as a father to stay away from home for so long, too busy with the inner workings of state politics and criminal organisations. How much Palmer must've worried, but the Elite Four member didn't let it show. His cool demeanour was appreciated.
Rowan's mind drifted to the two trainers he had sent out only a week prior, [Y/N] and Cynthia. How were they fairing, he wondered. It came as bad timing that their arrival into Jubilife corresponded directly with the attack, but he imagined that neither would have gotten involved, it was quite unlikely. "What's on your mind?" Palmer asked. He sighed. "I'm just an old man worried about the next generation, concerned with whether they will be able to deal with the issues we leave unto them." It was a concerning world that they were passing along to the trainers of tomorrow.
"Times like this come and go, right?" Palmer shook his head, leaning his chin propped up upon his arm. "We had a good stretch of time with no problems, and we got complacent. Now it's back to trouble again, like it was before I'd even gotten my first Pokémon." He chuckled to himself, thinking back to those earlier times, when he was unaware of the cruelty of the world. "I remember listening to the radio actually, it was when they'd caught the cultist leader, what was his name?" Palmer asked, making some off-handed comment.
"Father Tobias, that's what he called himself anyway, despite the fact he had no real children. All the followers of his church he viewed as his children, his flock, and he was their shepherd." Rowan answered, a stern look falling onto his face. He didn't like remembering back to those dark days, the death, the destruction, the sheer brutality of it all. It was exactly what he had tried to avoid during his tenure as the region's protector. "That's the one! Sinnoh was practically tearing itself apart but what happened? You, Bertha and Mad Jack showed up and settled everything, and everything went back to normal. The harder the time the stronger the people fought back..."
"If it gets as bad as it had back then we won't have to worry about doin' our jobs' for very much longer. I imagine that there'll be some really strong trainers showin' up soon, and when that happens, Team Rocket, the Hunters, and that Darkrai Cult will disappear again." Palmer finished his short speech. It was surprising considering it came from the usually hot-headed, actions before words, Elite Four member. Rowan chuckled, there was little room for him to disagree, and he already had his eyes on the most promising pair he had come across in all his years.
Even if everything else was falling apart, [Y/N] and Cynthia gave him some confidence for the years to come, and that Sinnoh wouldn't collapse just yet...
The car came to a halt outside the castle, a barricaded pathway laid out towards the entrance, as camera crews and reporters pushed and shoved to the front, everyone eager to get their own scoop from the Champion himself. "What is your response to the attack in Jubilife?!" A woman shouted. "Where were you when Team Rocket destroyed half of our largest city?!" Another cried out. "How are people supposed to feel safe in their homes?!" And, over and over again the voices swirled around, like some vile amalgamation that refused to leave his side.
Palmer marched on past leading Rowan. "Let's get this over with." And they pushed through the large doors, where they were met with two familiar faces, Bertha, and the Pokémon Association's Chairman. "-And there he is now, fashionably late as always..." The older woman flashed him a small smile, and Rowan scratched his neck bashfully. "My apologies, the media was quite excited." The Chairman shook his head and pulled him forward towards the conference hall. "There is no time, you've got your speech prepared, yes?"
Rowan nodded. "Good, all of Sinnoh will be watching you. Hopefully we can try and salvage something from this mess." The Chairman looked exhausted, with large bags beneath his eyes. "I'll try my best." He said, and the two broke into an enormous room with a large stage towards the back, tens of rows on either side filled with a few hundred people, televising the preceding regionally, but also globally. Other regions were sure to be interested in how Sinnoh would react to the pressure on all sides.
A few camera flashes assaulted Rowan as he marched down the centre aisle, flanked on either side by Bertha and Palmer, who maintained a serious professionalism. There were men in dark suits everywhere, covering each entrance and exit, constantly talking back and forth to one another. The Chairman wasn't taking any chances. However, if anything, it just made the Champion more nervous, but now was not the time to be anxious, he couldn't allow an image of uncertainty to be what he projected to Sinnoh, and the world. He needed to show them a brave confidence despite the challenges they faced...
They climbed up the stage and Rowan stood behind a large stand, microphones stacked upon microphones just to get every single word. The lights honed in on him and hundreds of eyes stared back. He was not intimidated, this was not the first time he had to address such a gathering. "To the people in attendance today, and to all the people watching from home, and to all those across the globe watching this conference today, I have a statement..." The crowd was silent, besides a camera firing off every few moments. Rowan had an authoritative voice, one that commanded the attention from every single person in the room.
"Yesterday, Sinnoh bore witness to one of the largest acts of terrorism and criminal activity that we've seen in decades. The destruction and malicious intent to harm one of our greatest cities, Jubilife, which serves as a bastion of innovation and modernity, underscores an inescapable fact. The Sinnoh region is a region that is under attack by forces who wantonly kill and who seize our innocent citizens and Pokémon as their prisoners, with no intent on coexistence..."
"In response to these egregious efforts to undermine our regional sovereignty, with the aid of the Pokémon Association, it will be my personal priority to accomplish these few things. I will seek to introduce further training for not only our police forces, but to up-and-coming trainers to bolster our security for the protection of all peoples of Sinnoh. A regional warning has been issued for potential dangers around Sinnoh, encouraging all to avoid such areas. This warning will remain in effect until the security situation in these areas has improved drastically."
"I've further asked for a full explanation surrounding the events that took place in Jubilife that night, and through a joint decision with the city's local council, large sections will be restricted while our investigative forces ensure that no pockets of resistance remain. I am calling upon all our international allies, especially our southern neighbours, Kanto and Johto, to redouble their efforts to improve their border security and to take other measures to prevent these organised criminal syndicates from breaching our island..."
"I would request that further support be given from the International Police and Unova to aid us in our efforts to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again, and to combat the criminals invading our home. Furthermore, in collaboration with our friends in Fiore and Almia, I am announcing that the League and the Ranger's will take a much firmer stance against these criminals, be them Team Rocket, Pokémon Hunters, or whoever tries to threaten our great home again!" Rowan took a moment, making sure the words sounded right in his head before saying them aloud, this wasn't some inconsequential speech, thousands of people were tuning in to see what his response would be.
He had been far too soft for far too long, and in that time he had allowed the criminal gangs to infiltrate Sinnoh. Rowan wasn't always that way, in his youth many described him as cold and harsh, slowly tempered and worn down by time. However, the here and now required his younger self, that unbridled determination, but used with the tact of a wizened older man...
"Let me make it plain to the criminals and the thugs, wherever they may be..." The cameras focused on his face as Rowan's voice rose to a crescendo, the room growing ever more tense. A steely glare fell over his expression, looking out at the crowd.
"Sinnoh will never make concessions to terrorists, to do so would be to invite even more terrorism, and once we head down that path there would be no end to it, no end to the suffering of innocent people, no end to the bloody ransom all civilised regions must pay..."
"This attack is an attack on all citizens of the world who seek to live free from the fear and scourge of tyranny." A few rows erupted with camera flashes, temporarily blinding Rowan.
"Know this, and take this as your final warning..."
"Sinnoh won't ever become a victim in its own undoing, and the people of Sinnoh will fight to the last to ensure that our region will NEVER succumb to threats of violence and criminal activity, that is the promise I make to you all today. " Rowan closed his eyes and did a mock bow, before disappearing off the stage leaving the crowd of reporters visibly stunned. Everyone could already imagine the headlines, Sinnoh's Champion declares war on international criminal syndicate?!
Rowan hadn't held back this time, there was no more time left for that, and if they waited any longer then there wouldn't be a Sinnoh left for them, for anyone.
If he wanted to present a strong image then he surely had, but this would also have an obvious drawback. The secret war that had been raging between the administration and the invading criminals wasn't so secret anymore. The people knew now, and despite how strong Rowan presented himself, every person feared war in the end...
Rowan wasn't incorrect, the peoples of Sinnoh were a stubborn one, but stubbornness mattered only when people didn't need to worry for their lives, of the lives of their families, and their Pokémon. Stubbornness had gotten them far, but only time knew if it would get them through this new tumultuous period of Sinnoh's history.