Chapter 39: 153-156

Chapter 39: 153-156

The New Normal – 8-6 – A Display of Power

I didn't need to wait long, because Cynthia quickly made up her mind as she fished up her last Pokéball. I leaned forwards instinctively, waiting to see which of her Pokémon she had chosen.

"Lucario. Defeat them."

And her Lucario was her answer, which came sprinting out of its Pokéball in a blur as it immediately charged into the fight. Before Smough could even brace himself, Lucario suddenly exploded forwards in a burst of Extreme Speed and delivered a critical volley of strikes towards Smough with a barrage of Mach Punches.

Smough let out a groan of pain and instinctively reacted with a swift jab, but Lucario instantly parried it with an arm and smashed another fist into Smough.

"Hammer Arm, Smough! Fight back!"

"Close Combat, Lucario! Keep going!"

Smough let out a roar as he raised his arm threateningly into the air, looking to slam Lucario with a devastating Hammer Punch. Smough's arm came down with surprising speed, but Lucario was faster.

Instead of moving to dodge, Lucario fully committed to its attack, following up with a brutal assault of punches; each punch from Lucario landed with an audible thump and left visible indents into Smough's body that sent Smough reeling back in pain. Short grooves were formed in the ground as Smough skidded back from the force of the assault.

"Protect, Smough!"

"Low Kick, Lucario! Trip it up!"

Trying to buy time, I had Smough try to set up a Protect shield to halt Lucario's offensive momentum and give Smough a chance to reorient himself. But before the Protect shield formed, Lucario had already rushed forwards and lashed out with a strong kick, striking decisively at one of Smough's legs and causing the heavy Pokémon to let out a surprised groan as he tripped over himself.

"Brick Break! Combo it!"

"EARTHQUAKE, SMOUGH!"

Thinking Smough was vulnerable, Lucario's arms started glowing a powerful white as it prepared to chop down with what would have been a painful Brick Break. However, Smough was not as helpless as Lucario expected, and retaliated by slamming into the ground with his full body weight and letting out a powerful Earthquake that caused the already destroyed arena to break apart entirely.

The ground exploded from beneath them; what remained of the arena was little more than small islands of rocks barely joined together.

Lucario let out a cry of pain as it fell to its knees, failing to dodge away in time from the sudden eruption of explosive tremors.

"Body Press, Smough!"

"Extreme Speed and Force Palm!"

"SNORLAXX!!" Leaping off the ground, Smough let out a ferocious roar as he tried to squash the smaller Lucario beneath the full weight of his body. However, recovering quickly, Lucario dashed out of the way with another Extreme Speed, and Smough suddenly found himself being smashed with an upright palm to the face that struck with such force that it created an audible BANG.

The force of the attack was so great that, despite his weight, it still sent Smough flying through the air. And unwilling to leave things at that, Lucario rocketed forwards in a blue and black blur as it dashed after him, driving into him with a hard High Jump Kick that sent Smough spinning through the air straight into the psychic barriers.

The crowd went wild as Smough smashed limply into the barriers, cheering out their support for Lucario's brutal performance.

After all, my Smough had a reputation of victories against very well-established and powerful trainers. So to put up this good of a fight against him was far beyond many of their expectations for Cynthia. But Lucario was doing more than 'putting up a good fight'. It was overwhelming Smough with its ridiculous speed.

I knew I needed to deal with Lucario's insane speed advantage over Smough, or else he would not last much longer. There was still a limit to how much punishment Smough could take.

Nor could I reuse the method that I used against Karen's Weavile. Trying to set up with Belly Drum right now would be idiotic, as with Lucario's power, Smough would find himself quickly finished off before he could even make use of his boosts. Furthermore, relying on his self-healing moves would only be delaying the inevitable; Lucario didn't seem like it could be worn down like that.

I only really had one recourse.

"YAWN!"

"Aura Sphere, keep your distance."

We both ordered our Pokémon at the same time. Cynthia must have thought that I would have tried to catch Lucario off-guard with a surprise attack and played it safe with a barrage of Aura Spheres instead. Despite it being the weaker of the two choices, the attack was no less devastating as a barrage of orbs exploded before Smough even landed on the ground.

However, for a fraction of a second, Smough managed to land his Yawn on Lucario, and the Fighting type suddenly stumbled over as drowsiness began to set in.

Cynthia frowned, but so did I. Lucario falling asleep would be utterly detrimental. It would be completely helpless to whatever attack Smough could fire off; and it was very likely it would not be able to endure through it. Its offense might have been very impressive, but I suspected the same could not be said for its defenses.

On the other hand, Smough was in a terrible state. He had barely managed to pull himself up from the ground, his arms shaking as he did, and it was clear that the previous onslaught of attacks had really done a number on him. It was never a good sign when your Pokémon was heaving for breath and standing uncertainly.

He looked like he was already on his last legs. How hard did that Lucario hit?

It had been a very long time since I saw Smough completely outclassed like this. There couldn't have been a worse matchup for him. Worse, I couldn't tell if Cynthia's frown was a bluff or not; did she have some way of dispelling the Yawn that I wasn't aware of?

However, I did not have the luxury to think of what my next best move would be, as Cynthia went back on the offensive.

"Extreme Speed into Close Combat, Lucario. Finish it off."

"Counter, Smough! Punish it!"

Lucario disappeared once more as it rushed forth with Extreme Speed, doing its best to suppress the forced drowsiness. In the meanwhile, Smough began glowing orange as he prepared to Counter any attack Lucario made, ready to retaliate with the full amount of energy absorbed. I could only remain confident that Smough could withstand the attack.

My confidence was instantly put to the test as Lucario reappeared directly in front of Smough, striking with a flurry of explosive punches that caused Smough to groan out in pain. But just like I hoped, Smough endured, and with burning rage filling his eyes, he transformed all of that absorbed energy into his arms as he smashed down with a cataclysmic Hammer Arm that would shatter all in its wake.

However, with reaction speeds that bordered on precognition, Lucario perfectly manoeuvred out of the way of the attack, causing it to go wide and merely strike the air next to Lucario.

It was a perfectly executed Detect.

And as Smough's rage turned to horror as the realisation of his missed attack, Lucario leapt into the air and delivered a head-snapping High Jump Kick to the back of Smough's head.

The attack landed with an audible CRACK, causing Smough's entire body to twist briefly through the air as he was sent crashing painfully into the ground. Not letting anything up to chance, Lucario crushed whatever defiance remained in Smough by driving a merciless Cross Chop straight into Smough's neck, cracking the ground around it and knocking out my Snorlax.

It was only after my Snorlax fainted, and the adrenaline had begun to run out, that the earlier effects of the Yawn began to settle in. Lucario wobbled in place as its eyes drooped, and I could tell that it was using whatever willpower it could to ensure that it did not fall asleep.

I could have immediately returned Smough to his Premier Ball and send out my final Pokémon while Lucario was still trying to fight off the effects of the Yawn, but that was far too unsportsmanlike – especially for a battle that was meant to endear the Sinnoh public to the idea of international cooperation.

So instead, just like the rest of the crowd were doing, I waited patiently to see if Lucario had the mental strength necessary to ward off the sleep.

At some point, Lucario began glowing a bright blue as it channelled its internal aura in a last-ditch burst of willpower in an attempt to steady itself.

Yet even then, it still wasn't enough. After all, I hadn't trained up Smough's Yawn for nothing.

Despite all its efforts, Lucario eventually succumbed to the effects of the Yawn and collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.

It was only then did the referee speak up, "...AND THAT PUTS THE MATCH AT 2-2, WITH JOHN'S SNORLAX GOING DOWN TO A POWERFUL COUNTERATTACK FROM CYNTHIA'S LUCARIO! AND WHO WAS EXPECTING THAT LEVEL OF POWER FROM OUR CHALLENGER?! TO BE ABLE TO BRING DOWN THE POKéMON THAT WON AGAINST DRAKE'S GYARADOS! INCREDIBLE!"

I finally decided to withdraw Smough to his ball, giving an acknowledging nod to Cynthia in recognition of her skills to be able to train her Lucario to this extent. I took a moment to think about who I wanted to use next.

If I wanted to ensure my victory, then Vordt or Tyrant were the most obvious options. But using one of those to defeat a sleeping Lucario would not be in the spirit of things. I knew the crowd wanted an exciting fight full of back-and-forths, so a one-sided victory would not be very interesting to them.

The most important thing about this match was to get the public on our side, to give them a memorable fight between a representative of Indigo and a trainer of Sinnoh. To use Vordt and knock out a sleeping Lucario with a single Earthquake would NOT be conducive to this.

Furthermore, I reminded myself that this was an opportunity to learn. To test out and evaluate the strength of my weaker Pokémon. Winning was not everything here.

Therefore, with that thought in mind, I selected my next Pokémon.

"Klaus, show off your new training!"

I released Klaus onto the field, his magnificent horns gleaming brightly in the sun. He stood tall, looking down regally at the sleeping Lucario, his eyes shining with Psychic power. Ever since my last battle with Bruno, I had done much to train up Klaus, and I wanted to use this battle to show it off.

"Calm Mind, set yourself up."

Though I was holding back, I wasn't going to sandbag to the extent that I would ignore the advantage of a sleeping opponent. Thus, I had Klaus start buffing up his own Special Attack and Special Defense while Lucario continued to snooze unaware on the ground.

"WAKE UP LUCARIO! OR ELSE YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!"

"Agility, Klaus."

Unfortunately, despite Cynthia's shouting, Lucario remained fast asleep – though the slight twitch from his arms told me that it was only a matter of time before he woke up. All the while, Klaus continued to channel his internal energies as he now began buffing up his speed; a necessary action considering just how fast Lucario was. Klaus may have been naturally faster than Smough, yet Lucario's Extreme Speed was on a whole different level.

Eventually, with the first round of buffs settled in, I didn't feel like taking the risk that Lucario would wake up on its own accord. So I decided to start the battle on my own terms.

"Earth Power, Klaus! Give it a nice wake-up call!"

The ground erupted with power, and the arena was already so utterly destroyed at this point that it couldn't be any further damaged. Yet Lucario was suddenly jolted awake with the tremors exploding from underneath its sleeping form, pain coursing through its body as it was rudely and painfully awakened by the supereffective attack.

It let out a surprised yelp, but its focus instantly returned as it retaliated by firing off a quick barrage of Aura Spheres towards Klaus.

"Light Screen and Psychic, Klaus!"

"Extreme Speed and Drain Punch, Lucario! Move quickly!"

"Teleport and Psychic!"

With impressive discipline, Lucario shrugged off the pain and rushed forwards with another Extreme Speed, one of its fists raised threateningly as it readied to deliver a powerful Drain Punch into Klaus. However, making use of his Agility boosts and all his previous training, Klaus suddenly disappeared into a shimmer of light and reappeared a slight distance away, and behind, Lucario.

This was what all that training had been for. The ability to Teleport in battle, as Will demonstrated in his spar against me, was an excellent thing to have. All of a sudden, Klaus' mobility was upgraded by a significant degree as he was now able to appear and attack from practically any angle on the battlefield. He was still not able to Teleport long distances at the moment, but I thought that, with such a surprising move, Klaus would be able to surprise and land a successful hit on Lucario.

To my OWN surprise, it did not work out that way.

As Klaus' flashed into existence behind Lucario, it reacted as if it had eyes on the back of its head. Moving by pure instinct and experience, Lucario dove to the side into a forward roll, creating just enough distance to narrowly dodge out of the way of the incoming Psychic blast, an explosion detonating on the ground where Lucario was in previously.

Disgruntled or offended by Lucario's dodging skills, Klaus immediately tried to follow up with another wave of Psychic, one powerful enough that it tore up the ground as it travelled, which this time caught Lucario with a glancing blow as it couldn't quite move out of the way in time.

This was the moment. I had to shut down that speed.

"Thunder Wave, Klaus!"

"Vacuum Wave, Lucario!"

However, Lucario moved first, firing off a twisting wave of Fighting Energy that caused Klaus to stumble back, hitting him with just enough force to interrupt his Thunder Wave.

"Stone Edge, Lucario! Use the broken arena!"

"Teleport and Psychic!"

The repeated use of Extreme Speed was visibly taking a toll on Lucario as its stamina was rapidly burned, but its eyes still flashed before huge chunks of the arena began being ripped out from the ground and thrown like javelins towards Klaus, leaving giant gaping holes in the ground in their wake.

Klaus immediately Teleported out of there just before the stones crashed and destroyed his previous position, repositioning slightly away and prepared to fire off a retaliatory burst of Psychic.

"EARTHQUAKE, LUCARIO!"

However, as if Cynthia had anticipated this, Lucario once again caught Klaus by surprise by unleashing a wide earthquake that caused the ground to shake and rumble once again. However, even as exhaustion began to take hold within Lucario, the Earthquake still managed to rip apart the arena.

Klaus' Psychic was interrupted as he fell to his knees, stumbling from the Earthquake.

"Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash, Lucario!"

Trying to push the advantage as much as possible, Cynthia ordered Lucario forward once again. It rushed forwards, forcing itself to close the distance with Klaus as it readied a ferocious flurry of Steel punches that would have pummelled and devastated a vulnerable Klaus.

Yet Lucario was too tired. It no longer had the overwhelming speed it once did, though it was still very fast. But Klaus was not on my Elite team for nothing, and that slight drop in speed was all that Klaus needed.

"Thunder Wave, Klaus! Paralyze it!"

Before Lucario managed to get in close and deliver its pummelling, Klaus released a paralytic wave of electricity that forced itself into Lucario.

The paralysis immediately set in, and Lucario's muscles began to lock up. Yet Lucario preserved. Before its muscles could fail it, it drove itself forwards with those final few steps and smashed a savage Meteor Mash that collided deeply with Klaus' face. A follow-up Cross Chop to the throat cut off Klaus' grunt of pain and another Force Palm sent him skidding back.

Lucario tried to take another step forwards, but a quick Psychic from Klaus blasted him back and halted his assault.

I wanted to fire off another Earth Power to capitalize on the Psychic, but the blows that he had repeatedly taken to the head had caused Klaus to become disoriented and dizzy; his head falling limp as he struggled to regain his concentration. Though Lucario was no better as it collapsed onto its knees; its heavy wounds and the paralysis causing its muscles to refuse to obey and move.

I frowned as I observed the state of the battle. On the one hand, Lucario was exhausted, paralysed, and practically on its last legs from its injuries. However, Klaus was little better, and though he had far less injuries, he was dazed and disoriented because Lucario simply hit REALLY hard - the fact that he dominated Smough was enough of an indicator of its strength. Klaus' health advantage wasn't as much of one as it was on paper.

In that moment, I ended up coincidentally locking eyes with Cynthia, and we both knew that the battle was about to be over.

"EXTREME SPEED, LUCARIO! FINISH IT OFF!"

"PSYCHIC, KLAUS! FULL POWER!"

Using whatever remains of the energy that it had left, Lucario burst forwards for the final time – fully committing itself to its last Extreme Speed. Its face was twisted with both exhaustion and conviction, with its teeth grit HARD as it willed itself to move forwards – his entire form began glowing a bright blue as it did so.

There was nothing but the pure, blazing determination of a Pokémon that had seen the perfect opportunity to win, and who was willing to do anything to follow through for the victory. Paralysis or not, Lucario was. Charging. FORWARDS.

Thus, in less than a second, Lucario reappeared like a blur in front of Klaus with a Cross Chop that came straight for Klaus' neck. Right at the same time, Klaus' eyes flashed blue as he unleashed a huge wave of dangerous Psychic energy that caught Lucario head on.

There was no way for either Pokémon to dodge, even if Klaus had already been simultaneously channelling a Teleport – it was already too late. It all came down to who's attack landed first.

The Cross Chop came slicing down like a guillotine straight onto Klaus' neck. It was an attack of perfectly targeted precision. A deadly critical hit. And without a cry or even a grunt of pain, Klaus wordlessly collapse onto the ground.

It was the perfect execution. A coup de grace.

At the same time, Lucario was helplessly launched backwards as it took the full brunt of Klaus' vicious eruption of all of his accumulated Psychic energy. Not having any way to Protect itself against it, Lucario crashed helplessly onto the ground, its body twitching from the lingering effects of the paralysis.

But twitching was all it could do, for Lucario had been knocked out as well.

That was it. The battle was over.

A moment of silence descended on the battlefield as everyone stood there, stunned at the outcome of the match. Until it was interrupted by the voice of the referee, "...I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! JOHN'S WYRDEER ACTUALLY GOES DOWN TO CYNTHIA'S LUCARIO, BUT IT BROUGHT THE LUCARIO DOWN WITH IT! YET CHALLENGER CYNTHIA HAS DONE IT! PULLING OFF A COMEBACK TO SECURE HER MATCH INTO A TIE! THE SCORE'S 3-3!"

The crowd went crazy at the outcome, cheering and roaring in approval at the exciting match that they just watched. I smiled – this was exactly the kind of reaction I hoped to receive. Even if today's match ended in a draw, I had set out what I accomplished to do. The hype generated from this battle would do wonders for the public's perception of Indigo.

"...I SERIOUSLY CAN'T BELIEVE IT! BUT WHAT A PERFORMANCE FROM CHALLENGER CYNTHIA!" The referee declared, and the crowd exploded further into rapturous cheering and applause.

And I couldn't agree more with the referee's words. Even if I was holding back, the match wouldn't nearly be as exciting if it wasn't for Cynthia's magnificent performance. She was every bit as incredible as I hoped she would be.

Would my reputation take a hit for achieving a draw against a so-called 'unknown' trainer? Sure, but only to those who didn't know better. I wasn't Will or Lorelei. I was more than confident that my strength was solidly entrenched in the minds of the public.

No, this was Cynthia's time to shine. This was her first step into the spotlight.

Especially considering how the fight started, with me completely dominating Cynthia's Spiritomb with Luna. Only to have her Lucario achieve an effective 2v1 against my own Pokémon. That was an incredible comeback.

Speaking of Cynthia, she had been giving polite smiles and waves to the crowd, though her eyes revealed her true elation. I moved to withdraw Klaus, making sure to pet his Premier Ball comfortingly in reassurance as she basked in the attention for a moment.

"...An excellent fight. Truly." She said as she approached, "I know that if I had chosen anything weaker than my Lucario, it would have been my crushing defeat. If I was honest, I wanted to see how Lucario would have matched up to the likes of your Ursaluna or Slaking, but I knew Lucario likely would have lost."

"I'm sure your Lucario would have put up a good fight either way." I praised, "But yes, it was a very good fight. I certainly learnt more than I expected to; it's not often when I can afford to not fight with my all to secure victory."

"Though if you could satisfy my curiosity for a moment, how much were you holding back?" I asked.

She tapped her finger on her chin, "With Lucario? Not at all. I consider him the second strongest Pokémon on my team." She admitted.

"I wanted to show off his new training with the Teleports, so I thought that this was an excellent opportunity for it." I replied, "But...well, maybe I overestimated its effectiveness."

"I wouldn't say that. I'm just very experienced at fighting against Pokémon that make use of Teleport." She said matter-of-factly, not a hint of boasting in her voice. "And if I may be so bold, there were better ways to use Teleport. I could tell your Wyrdeer was still new to using Teleport in battle, but why don't you try to have him practice Teleporting directly onto one of those psychic platforms I know you like to use. That way you can have Klaus appear in more unexpected locations during battle."

"And since your platforms can form anywhere in the air, that means you can easily stay out of range by Teleporting to a platform that is really high up. Then you'll have the natural advantages that Flying types do."

I nodded. That was some good advice, though it was surprising that she managed to think of that on the spot.

"...I will take that into consideration." I responded, "Though I have my own suggestion for you. It's something I picked up from my training against Bruno. Watch my battle against him, and you can see that his Fighting types are able to break through Psychic moves with some very precise channelling of Dark type energies. Maybe you can do the same."

"...I DO remember seeing that." She nodded slowly, "...Yes, that's something I'll look into."

"Perhaps we could discuss more about this battle soon?" I suggested, "I personally have plenty to ask."

"Same here." She replied, "I find that I learn the most after a good battle like this. And I did note that I definitely need to spend more time practicing against Fairy types. My Spiritomb's performance was far more underwhelming than I hoped for."

"But first we have to deal with the crowd." I responded sarcastically, "How much do you want to bet that there will be headlines reporting about how I drew against you?"

"It's your first draw, is it not? At least, since you became Elite Four?" Cynthia asked, and I nodded in return. "Hm...I hope I haven't caused you any trouble then."

I shook my head, "It was bound to happen one day. If anything, I felt that you were a worthy opponent to have drawn against. I greatly anticipate what you would do next, if your team is this strong."

She laughed, "I'll try to not let your compliment go to my head." Then the two of us turned to face the crowd and prepared for the upcoming slog of interviews.

As the horde of reporters made their way towards us, I took a moment to reflect on how I felt after this battle.

I acknowledged that this had been a great learning opportunity for me. As Cynthia had pointed out, just because I had learnt a new move doesn't mean that the move could be successfully utilized. It was a timely reminder to not become too tunnel-visioned into relying too heavily on surprise and new attacks.

It was better to have learnt this lesson now, when they were still no consequences. The next time might not be so forgiving.

The New Normal – 8-6 – Interlude – Karen & Lorelei

(Karen POV)

Having just finished up with her usual meeting with Agatha in Lavender Town, Karen flew over to Pewter City with the pleasant breeze blowing past her face. She had regularly visited Brock and his siblings; it served as a nice break from the remedial training sessions that she had been doing over the past few weeks.

And yet, her mood remained pensive.

Since her victory against Sidney, her reputation had unsurprisingly skyrocketed. Many were now labelling her as the "Best Dark type specialist in the world". In her opinion, such a title was far too overblown and overly arrogant. She was NOT the best Dark type specialist in the world. She still considered Sidney to be her better on that front.

However, Agatha was not about to let this opportunity slip away.

The old crone jumped on her success, making it known to the world that Karen was HER apprentice and HER successor. That crafty elderly woman was quick to also use the opportunity to promote Lavender Town as THE place to learn how to fight like a proper Ghost/Dark type specialist.

Agatha was doing everything she can to shove the benefits and appeal of Lavender Town into the minds of the public and had forcefully roped Karen into helping out. Despite her grumbling, she didn't mind too much; she just saw this as a way of paying back Agatha for her teachings and helping the old lady finally work to achieving her long-time dream. Still, she couldn't deny that all this running around tired her out.

But despite all this, it wasn't the reason why she felt so concerned.

On her mind were two things - Lorelei's upcoming battle against Surge and John's recent draw against the unknown Cynthia. She didn't care too much about the former, but the latter was FAR more relevant to her.

She didn't care too much that the news had been reporting about John's draw against Cynthia, or how they were claiming that a draw for John was considered a loss for him. Although Karen admitted that she was also surprised at the outcome of the match when she had watched it live. She didn't think Cynthia was THAT strong of a trainer.

She definitely reconsidered her opinion of Cynthia now. As were most people.

"You okay, John?" Cynthia asked me, looking concerned, "You were a little stiff there. You're usually more cheerful and eager when meeting new people. Something wrong?"

I blinked, not realizing that Cynthia had even spotted my unease, "No, nothing's wrong." I lied, and she let the topic drop, though I wasn't sure if she fully believed me.

Luckily, I was saved by my phone suddenly ringing. I reached for it and saw that Joseph was calling. Quickly excusing myself from Cynthia and Flint, I moved away as I answered it.

"Joseph?" I answered.

"John! Sorry for the sudden call, but remember that thing that I mentioned about the fossil machine and how it was nearly complete?" He exclaimed excitedly through the phone.

"Of course...wait, you mean to tell me you have it working?" I asked with widened eyes, surprise evident in my voice.

"Sure am! We just did a bunch of tests. And now we have 2 newly revived fossil Pokémon casually hanging about the labs!" He said eagerly, "Everyone here is over the moon about this! While this isn't as significant as your Fairy discovery, we're very excited to see this spread around."

"I imagine so." I smiled, genuinely happy for him, "But what kind of Pokémon did you revive?"

"We're calling them Lileep and Anorith, revived from a Root Fossil and Claw Fossil respectively." He told me jovially, "Lileep is a Grass/Rock type, and Anorith a Bug/Rock type."

"That's cool!" I said, trying to show off my enthusiasm even though I knew about this beforehand, "Do you have any plans of reviving others?"

"Not at the moment." He said, "We're still making sure that the revival process has gone through smoothly and that there are no health problems or any other complications. Better safe than sorry. But once the tests are done and we're sure everything's safe, we'll probably be reviving more Root and Claw fossils to make sure things are consistent."

"Perfectly understandable." I nodded, "I assume Steven is the lucky man getting to train up these fossils?"

"How did you guess?" He chuckled, "But you're right. We had them sent over to Steven as soon as we checked that it was okay to do so. I think he's more excited than I am about these fossils. He's always been more interested in geology than I was."

"I bet there are very few trainers that WOULDN'T be this excited about getting a new Pokémon on his team, especially something new and interesting like these are." I joked, "But actually, you called at a great time Joseph, because I do have something to ask you."

"Oh?" His tone had switched from jovial to business-like and serious, "Go ahead."

"I was just speaking to Elite Flint, and he was quite eager in trying to persuade me to have businesses set themselves up here in Sinnoh." I explained, "Knowing of my connections, he asked if I could help ask around and see if there's interest."

"Ah, I understand. I saw it in the news that the borders were open to businesses today." He responded, "Unfortunately, I don't think Devon Corp is very interested in setting up another branch office in Sinnoh at the moment, not when we set up one up in Kanto not too long ago. This was actually something we had recently discussed in a board meeting, and the other directors and I agree that such expansion would be too soon. Maybe we can come back to this issue in a few months' time, but not at the moment."

"That's perfectly fine, thank you for letting me know anyways." I replied, not at all disappointed. "And congratulations once again on the success of the fossil revival project."

"I have to thank our bright scientists on that one." He laughed, "Oh, and John, I haven't forgotten my previous promise to award you with a Normal type fossil Pokémon if we do find one."

"You really don't have to, but thank you." I said to him, despite knowing that a Normal type fossil Pokémon likely didn't exist.

We spoke for a bit longer after that before eventually hanging up. I didn't mind that Devon Corp wasn't able to invest, because my real target was someone else. If I was right, then I was about to gain a tool that could really mess with Galactic's plans.

I called up Giovanni.

"Giovanni? Are you free?" I asked him as he picked up the phone.

"John? What's going on?" He replied, and I began by giving him a rundown of Flint's proposal and asked if Silph Co was interested in setting up a branch office in Sinnoh.

"Hmm...I think this is something we would be interested in." Giovanni commented thoughtfully, "I'll have to check though."

I looked around to make sure there was no one around, "I think this would also be an excellent opportunity for you to find out where Proton went and hid." I suddenly said to him.

Giovanni fell silent for a moment, likely stunned at he was by my sudden change in topic.

"...What, exactly, do you mean by that?" Giovanni questioned after he regained his wits.

"We both know that Team Rocket has gone and ran off to Sinnoh, and the fact that they haven't been found is indicative that they must have had facilities here already. The fact that they seem to be very well-funded only emphasises this point." I explained, "If you could set up something here under Silph Co's banner and keep an ear on the shadier ongoings, maybe we could get a lead."

Giovanni let out a chuckle, "...And the true reason why you reached out to me has revealed itself. You want our Silph Co branch office to be set up to serve as a cover for a forward base." He sounded oddly proud there, "This is unusually sly of you, John, to be proposing something like this. You've caught me a little by surprise, but I don't disagree with your plan."

"However, answer me this. What made you propose this?" He asked me, pushing for an answer.

"Call it a gut feeling, but I greatly mislike this situation." I said, firmly and seriously. "You know as well as I do that these terrorists are a threat to the whole world. But they're also too well hidden for the legitimate authorities to find them. So we're going to need to be more flexible about our methods. They've gone to ground now, but we need to dig them up."

A base of operations set up by someone Giovanni trusted would go a long way in establishing a foothold for us to fight Team Galactic. Not only would it help identify softer targets that we could attack that would damage their operations while not bringing down the entirety of Sinnoh on my head, but also it would slowly unravel Galactic's operations and provide evidence that we COULD to order a large-scale assault.

It would take some time. But it was a big step towards what I wanted.

Giovanni's chuckle broke me from my thoughts, "I can already guess your thoughts. Fine, you can have your base. I'll speak to a few people to have it be set up as soon as possible. I'll keep you informed of anything I hear."

"That's all I ask." I replied back, inwardly sighing in relief, "Thank you for this, Giovanni."

"No need to thank me. We all do what we must to secure the future of Kanto." He responded.

As I put away my phone, I felt as if some weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The establishment of a 'listening' base was a good start. Now, if Team Galactic ever slipped up, the base in Sinnoh provided us a chance to hear about it and act on it.

Their time of safety and security hiding away in the shadows will soon be over.

As I walked back towards Cynthia and Flint, my eyes narrowed in slits as I glared at the Galactic Headquarters, their signature logo flying high in the sky. One day, I would bring these terrorists down. As soon as I had enough evidence to convince others, I would make sure to reveal them as the madmen that they were.

And their logo would be buried deep in the ground, serving as nothing more than the foundation for us to build up our collective prosperity.

The New Normal – 8-8 – A Legendary Moment

Just because I had made important calls to Joseph and Giovanni didn't mean Flint and Cynthia's tour of Sinnoh was over, nor did I want it to be. Cynthia and Flint clearly had more in store for me, as they told me we would soon be heading to the freezing fields of Snowpoint City.

As soon I heard, I couldn't help but protest slightly, "You realize I'm nowhere near dressed enough to head there. Especially while flying."

"You could get a coat or something in the Veilstone Department Store." Flint suggested, which I nodded to. I probably did need a few new clothes, and DEFINITELY something warmer.

"Oh yeah, I need to pick up something from there too." Cynthia added, "Thanks for the reminder. We can have lunch there too."

So that's what we ended up doing. Over lunch, Cynthia curiously asked me what that phone call was about – since I seemed like I was in a rush to make one. I deflected easily and said it was something business-related, and she quickly allowed the topic to drop after I gave them a summary of who would be investing into Sinnoh.

In the meanwhile, Flint just thanked me for getting in touch with them so soon, and was thankful that at least Silph Co seemed interested in investing.

With our bellies full, and a new coat cozily wrapped around my shoulders, we set off for Snowpoint City. And what an experience that was. As we got closer, I could physically feel my face freezing up as the cold winds endlessly assaulted us. It was a painful, but unique experience.

I had never been to the top of Mount Silver before, so this was something totally new. But that joy soon turned to suffering. This REALLY was cold.

And to make matters worse, the other two trainers were barely even affected by the freezing temperatures; FLINT WASN'T EVEN WEARING A JACKET! I had no idea how he wasn't freezing to death. That was probably the most mind-boggling thing I had seen all day.

With the other two unaware of my inner complaints, the three of us made good time and arrived shortly in Snowpoint City. I had naively assumed that as soon as we landed and were out of the crossfire of the freezing aerial winds, then the temperature would be a lot more reasonable.

Nope.

Even we landed the temperatures were still as teeth clatteringly cold as when we were in the air. I had no idea how people lived here.

Call me spoilt, but I'd take the hot and temperate climates of Hoenn any other day. But thinking of Hoenn made me frown even further; the beaches of Dewford were SO much better than this.

"Oh, chin up. You'll get used to this soon enough." Cynthia laughed at me, probably reading my annoyance from my face, "Don't you find the cold relaxing and refreshing? It's way better than the heat at least."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." I replied, grumbling. Or at least that's what I think I said. It was hard to speak when your teeth clattered as much as mine did.

"Come on John, it's not even that bad! Just a light chill." Flint grinned, walking forwards as if to display the fact that he was only wearing his usual yellow t-shirt.

"You're mad." Was all I said, and I turned away from that lunacy, ignoring the chuckles I was getting from my companions. Inwardly, I vowed to have them suffer through the summer heats of Hoenn one day. See how they'd like it.

Despite my grumbling, I followed after the two of them as they headed over to Snowpoint Temple. But as we were walking, a surprised cry drew our attention.

"...Cynthia?! What are you doing here, and with Flint too?" A female voice shouted out from behind us.

"Candice? What a coincidence!" Cynthia replied as she turned around, her eyes brightening as she recognized the newcomer. "I had considered telling you, but I thought you were busy with the Gym."

"At this time of year? No way. Not this late into the circuit." Candice approached, shaking her head. "Oh, and Flint, good to see you again. And...hey, aren't you that Elite Four guy that drew against Cynthia?"

"Candice! You can't say that! That's rude!" Cynthia quickly admonished, shaking her friend. I just laughed and waved it off.

"It's true. That is me." I greeted, extending a hand to shake, "And you must be Gym Leader Candice. It's a pleasure." And now I noticed that Candice was ALSO not wearing a jacket, instead having it wrapped around her waist enough. Arceus, was everyone here just immune to the cold or something? At least Cynthia had a coat on.

"Hahaha, sorry. I kind of just say stuff before thinking it through." She rubbed her head embarrassedly, "But it is nice to meet you. Though, I am curious about what you three are doing here. Here to see the Snowpoint Temple?"

"Sure am." Flint nodded, "Cynthia had this idea to bring John around to have a quick tour of Sinnoh. I thought I tag along just to show the flag and what not, but also to hang around John and bring him to the Temple since he wouldn't have access otherwise. But he's been good company." I shot him a small smile.

"Oh! Cool!" Candice exclaimed, "Well, I'd love to join you at the Temple, but I do actually have a meeting to head to with my Gym Trainers. Really bad timing for this..."

"Don't worry Candice, maybe we can meet another time." Cynthia comforted, "You have my number anyways. Just give me a call."

"You say that, but you're always in those caves of yours and never pick up!" Candice mock-grumbled, causing Cynthia to flush slightly in embarrassment. Candice grinned and grabbed Cynthia into a hug, "I'm just kidding. Yeah, I'll call you soon. Have fun with the rest of your tour! And John, hope you enjoy Sinnoh!"

She shot us a cheery wave before heading off.

"A cheerful person." I commented to Cynthia. "Reminds me slightly of my sister, actually."

"She's a great friend." Cynthia nodded, "I really should have lunch with her sometime. I've been neglecting her recently."

"Maybe you can get Volkner to join in on it." Flint suggested half-jokingly, "He needs someone other than me to pull him from that stupid lighthouse of his."

The three of us continued our banter as we resumed our walk towards the Temple. Since we were on the topic, I asked the two of them what they thought of the Sinnoh Gyms, if they didn't mind answering.

"They're all very respectable." Flint answered, "Even Roark, for all the hassle he had to deal with since he's Byron's son, has managed to do a great job of both managing both the mining facilities and the Gym."

"Yes, though I believe the Veilstone Gym Leader is retiring soon." Cynthia pointed out, "But I believe he has a successor in mind."

"Ah, young Maylene. Yes, I've heard of her. She seems competent, if young." Flint agreed. "Are you asking this because of the state of the Indigo Gyms? I heard a little from Will."

"Somewhat, but it was mostly just my curiosity." I replied, "Candice is actually the first Gym Leader of Sinnoh that I've met thus far. I just wanted to get to know them a bit better. But yes, the Gyms of Indigo have been...difficult as of late. But I'm confident that things are getting better."

"...I heard about the guy who shares my name running out on his kids and the Gym. That...displeases me greatly to hear." Flint said, losing his signature easy-going smile as his eyes darkened. "I do hope you find him and properly punish him for his actions. Doing something like that...I find it to be one of the worst things you could do as a human being."

"I can't say anything against that." I agreed, "...It was quite the scandal in Indigo. I'm glad you don't have anything like this in Sinnoh."

"...For now." Flint responded a little glumly, "But with the political turmoil going on...I can only hope that our Gym Leaders can help maintain the stability as they've done so far."

I didn't know what to say to that, so the three of us continued our walk in contemplative silence. Eventually, we arrived at Snowpoint Temple where we were greeted briefly be security, but we were shortly let through. Flint and Cynthia being here apparently was enough to just allow me through.

The silence continued as we moved further down the steps, heading deeper into the Temple itself. As we moved, I idly noted that the icy floor, while slippery, wasn't nearly as bad as the games suggested they were. But it didn't take long until we reached our destination and walked down the final set of stairs.

And what greeted us was the magnificent and awe-inspiring form of a Legendary standing perfectly upright in the center of the room. Its towering form was so tall that it nearly touched the ceiling itself.

This was Regigigas, in all of its slumbering glory.

Even though I had seen it in the games, seeing it in real life was beyond anything I had ever seen before. I previously mentioned that the presence emitted by Lance's Emperor was likely close to a Legendary, but I was wrong. Even with it being inactive, there was no mistaking the godlike presence that Regigigas exuded. And it hadn't even been awakened.

THIS was the Legendary Titan. The Legendary that, according to the legends, moved the very continent themselves with its pure strength alone. Standing next to it now, it was impossible to not be humbled by its sheer strength and ability.

Even if I combined both Tyrant and Emperor together, their strength would still not be anywhere close to this Legendary. I had to stop myself from unconsciously prostrating myself before it out of awe.

"...It's a grand thing, seeing a Legendary like this." Flint spoke up softly, "We were lucky in Sinnoh to be blessed with such a historical memorial. I understand that Indigo and Hoenn lack such sights."

"They do." I nodded, my eyes refusing to leave Regigigas' inactive form, "I used to not think much of it, but now that I see one in person...it fills me with jealousy that we do not have sights like these of our own."

"Regigigas was one of the main reasons that sparked my curiosity into the Legends and history of Sinnoh." Cynthia admitted, "I came here with my grandmother when I was younger, and as soon as I laid my eyes upon Regigigas, all I could think of was 'how?' How did Regigigas get here? Why is it here, inactive? And is there a way of reactivating it?"

"Of course, I still haven't managed to answer any of those questions." She continued, "Some people even theorize that the Regigigas that we have is only a mere aspect of the original. A fragment of the real thing. But it's still one of my long-standing goals for me to at least start to piece together the answer to one of those questions."

I nodded, seeing the appeal. I mean, after seeing something like this, who wouldn't be inspired to find out more? The Legendaries have always been shrouded in mystery and myth, and it would take only the most complacent of people to not at least wonder what they were capable of and how they had shaped the known world.

And fragment or not. The power that could be felt from Regigigas was overwhelming.

Unconsciously, I took a step forwards, moving ever closer to Regigigas' figure. I didn't know what compelled me to do so, but I reached up and idly stroked a hand around its torso, careful as to not disturb its slumbering form.

But the moment my hand touched Regigigas, I felt a small pressure descend on my head. It wasn't enough to hurt, but enough that I recognized that I was being affected by something. My eyes darted around, trying to figure out what was happening, but I couldn't see anything. Only the two faces of my companions casually staring at Regigigas.

And suddenly, the pressure intensified, and I found my head turning against my will as I stared up at Regigigas' figure. Before I knew it, I had taken a knee, kneeling on the icy floor just beneath it, shadowed by its towering form. As I did so, my mind seemed to clear itself, shutting out all other sensations except for a very faint tendril of connection. I didn't know where that tendril linked to, but that was all I could focus on.

My eyes shut, and I diverted all of my concentration into identifying this sudden foreign connection.

And just as suddenly as it appeared, the pressure rapidly disappeared, and my eyes shot open as I found myself able to move once again. My head swivelled around, trying to figure out what just happened, but just like before, there were no answers to be found.

I stared up at Regigigas, but it was as inactive and motionless as usual. It was as if I had just imagined everything that just happened.

"Are you alright?" Cynthia asked concerningly, "You suddenly took a knee. Did something happen?"

"...Just in awe, that's all." I replied unconvincingly, still reeling from what just happened, "...Something must have come over me, but I think it's gone now." Even as I said that I wasn't convinced myself.

Cynthia continued giving me a concerned look, but Flint seemed a little more oblivious, "Well I hope you enjoyed this visit. Sadly, Elite Four or not, you won't be able to come back here without an escort. Sorry 'bout that."

"That's fine. I think once is enough for me." I said, though my brain was still trying to figure out what that was. A part of me wished to experience it again, and yet I knew instinctively that it wasn't the right time.

"...Maybe one day we can invite some other members of Indigo here. I think it's worth seeing." Was all I said instead.

"Absolutely." Flint agreed, "Though, we still have one more place in mind. Care to still follow us?" I gave him a thumbs up and the three of us began ascending up the stairs, leaving Snowpoint Temple behind.

As we walked, a part of myself was desperately demanding for answers about what just happened. What was that pressure? Where did it come from and how did it manage to affect me? I figured it had something to do with Regigigas, but what? What did it want from me?

'Enough.' I demanded from myself, shaking myself out of my thoughts. Willing myself not to think of it. All I was doing was driving myself in circles thinking about this; it was leading me nowhere. I would just have to accept things as they came.

Things with Legendaries could never be simple.

The three of us headed out of Snowpoint Temple, where we took flight once again. And this time, considering both the direction and our recent trip to Snowpoint Temple, I felt like I knew where we were going next. Over the next several minutes, my suspicions were quickly proven right as we gradually flew towards the famous summit of Mt. Coronet.

Spear Pillar.

We descended silently, none of us speaking a word as Spear Pillar came closer.

What greeted me first was the sight of ruined and dilapidated pillars, cracked and crumbling. And yet, despite the obvious deterioration, the entire summit seemed to remain almost entirely untouched. There was not an inch of grass or moss that grew on the pillars, as would have been expected for something untouched by humanity for so long. The pillars still gleamed brightly in the late day sun, as immaculate as they must have been since their initial construction.

It was as if the entire summit had been frozen in time and space, serving as an eternal memorial. But to what?

Despite the howling winds blasting endlessly against the three of us, it was hardly noticeable amidst the weight that this area held. If I thought that the slumbering form of Regigigas had an otherworldly presence, than Spear Pillar was on a completely different level.

Everywhere I looked, I could feel something much greater than me staring down at me, observing my very actions. The gaze was as inescapable as it was omnipresent, and I felt myself swallowing harshly as I slowly and carefully walked around the summit. However, unlike with Regigigas, I did not feel any kind of pressure forming in my head, nor did I feel the need to suddenly kneel and prostrate myself.

No, this was just the feeling that you were surrounded by the very presence of a Legendary being.

I knew my history. I knew why Spear Pillar gave off such a presence. But to experience it personally...it was utterly humbling – almost eerie. In the corner of my eye, I saw that my other two companions were similarly silent. Except that they both had their eyes closed, as if praying to something.

I closed my eyes as well. I did not know what they were praying to, but my mind went to the Legendaries that made their appearance here. I tried to imagine what standing in front of them would be like, and I felt my legs wobbling at the mere thought at facing them.

Despite this, the inner trainer with me roared to the surface. The pride of a trainer that had made it into the Elite Four and trained his Pokémon to defeat the very best refused to bow down at this so-called 'insurmountable' threat.

Even if the entirety of Spear Pillar served as a humbling reminder of how far beyond us the Legendaries were, I refused to lay down and accept my fate. Even if their strength was truly tyrannical. Even if I had to fight them one day – whether due to Cyrus' insanity or not – then I would do everything I could to stand up to them. I would fight, no matter the odds.

My eyes slowly reopened, and I blinked as I found myself staring at a patient smile from Cynthia.

"I'm glad you enjoyed being here." She said quietly, with Flint nodding behind her, "Come on, this is no place for casual conversation." She patted me on the shoulder before saddling back on top of her Togekiss. I did the same with Port. And then we were off, back on our flying mounts once again.

In total, we were hardly at Spear Pillar for even 10 minutes. Yet Cynthia was right. Spear Pillar had this presence that made it feel so extraordinary and strange that it didn't feel right to idle around there. It was likely the closest thing this world had to a holy site. Our continued presence would only further disturb whatever Legendary rested in that place. It was best to leave as soon as possible.

And so, the three of us headed silently back to Celestic Town, each of us filled with our own solemn thoughts. We didn't make any conversation until we landed, where Flint broke the silence.

"Quite the experience, am I right?" He said with his signature jolly smile returning to his face, "Lucian spends a lot of time there. He says it helps him clear his thoughts, which I understand. I head there a few times too, just to pay my respects."

"...It is quite something." I nodded, "It was a completely different feeling to Snowpoint Temple...I felt like something was watching over me."

"The Legends themselves." Cynthia cut in solemnly, "We recently realized that the entirety of Spear Pillar was once a ruin from the past, which collaborated well with the findings of recent historians. It's incredible that something so long ago has been preserved for this long."

"I noticed that too, the entire place seemed to be frozen in time." I agreed, "Maybe we could find something like this in the caves and other underground ruins as well?" I suggested.

"I would certainly hope so." Cynthia said, "...Sinnoh has always been full of history and mysteries for us to discover. We are blessed to have this."

"Eh, history isn't really my thing, though I would never look down upon those who try to dig deep to find the truth." Flint admitted, "Anyways, it's getting late into the evening, and I've certainly overstayed my welcome at this point. And John, thanks again for humouring my request."

"And thank you for showing me around." I shot back.

"No worries, I just considered it as a paid vacation." He chuckled, "Right, gotta head back now. I hope you enjoyed your brief tour of Sinnoh. See you both soon!" He released a Kadabra that I recognized was similar to the ones we used as designated teleporters, before disappearing into a shower of light as he Teleported away.

As soon as Flint disappeared, I asked Cynthia a question that I've had in my head for some time now, "Hey, Cynthia, not that I don't appreciate it, but why did you and Flint take me on a tour around Sinnoh? If you wanted just to discuss the possible cooperation of Galactic Company, you could have just started off with that."

"True, but then you wouldn't have the emotions to accompany it." She replied, "The tour around Sinnoh was meant to help you build a connection with our region. And to hopefully show off the beauty of our region so that you could see for yourselves what we all want to protect."

A small frown formed on her face as she continued, "Sinnoh is a beautiful region, filled with an abundance of history and culture, just like you saw today." She explained, "But such beauty needs to be protected. Sinnoh is in quite the unstable period right now, and we want to make sure the beauty of our region will continue to prosper into the far future. We wanted you to see that Sinnoh as more than just another opportunity for Indigo to grow, but a region with its own strengths and uniqueness. We're more than just numbers."

"Sinnoh is a really beautiful region." I allowed.

She smiled, "I'm glad you think so – it's why we took you on the tour. Unlike Hoenn, Sinnoh has only been recently integrated into the wider international community and we only just opened our borders. So we don't have all that time that Hoenn had to property ingratiate ourselves and show off what makes us unique. However, a positive impression from both you and Will would go a long way into improving that."

"Still, I do apologize for the slight deception." She said sincerely, falling into a slight bow, "But when Flint asked this of me...I couldn't refuse."

"I understand." I said, not holding their actions against them. Had I thought of such a plan, I would have done the same in their place, "But consider me convinced. Sinnoh is a beautiful place, and I will do my best to not let harm fall onto it." Left unsaid was that I had already been planning on protecting Sinnoh against Team Galactic either way. This tour just further reinforced my vow.

We continued chatting for a little while longer, in which I repeated to Cynthia that I didn't hold any of this against her or Flint. In all honesty, I hardly saw this as a deception at all. In my eyes, this was an Elite Four and a good friend going out of their way to take me on a tour around Sinnoh. I appreciated the effort more than anything.

Especially since they took me to see places like Snowpoint Temple and Spear Pillar. That they definitely didn't NEED to do.

And so I made sure that Cynthia knew she had nothing to apologize for before I retired into my room, the exhaustion hitting me as I realized what a long day that I had. From the meeting with Mars at Galactic headquarters to travelling and visiting the two Legendary spots, it was a very busy day.

And despite everything that was rolling through my mind, I practically passed out on my pillow. Falling into a deep sleep. As I did, my last waking thought was firmly on Regigigas' slumbering form once again, staring at me from within my own thoughts.