Chapter 42: 165-169

Chapter 42: 165-169

The New Normal – 8-14 – Hisuian Discoveries

As we watched the terrifying army of wild Pokémon stampeding towards us, I realized that, for the first time since we entered into the caves, we no longer had the raw numbers advantage compared to the wild Pokémon, since we had left behind many of the trainers to form and set up the perimeter around the forward base.

But there wasn't time to worry about that.

"Tyrant, Smough, protect us!"

"Garchomp! Milotic! Defend us!"

Tyrant came charging out of his Premier Ball with a powerful roar, smashing his fist straight into a Mamoswine that was trying to rush us down, before grappling onto his tusks and brutally slamming it into a wall.

At the same time, Garchomp swooped in from above, raking a Dragon Claw that ripped through the H-Zoroark before it could pounce on one of the explorers. The H-Zoroark struggled in Garchomp's grasp, but Garchomp was indifferent as it smashed it face-first into the ground and firing off a Stone Edge that ripped through the fallen H-Zoroark.

It didn't stand a chance.

My eyes instinctively went to stare at Garchomp, marvelling at its form and strength, but now was definitely not the time for it.

As that was happening, Klee and Luna quickly formed a Reflect and Light Screen to protect the entire group, and Smough and Milotic joined the front lines as they moved to repel the incoming onslaught of Pokémon. Smough followed in Tyrant's footsteps and slammed a Hammer Arm into an incoming Rhydon, stunning it for enough time so that Milotic could come in and fire off a Hydro Pump that blasted the Rhydon away.

I wanted to release my other Pokémon as well, but in the narrow opening we were currently trapped in, we just didn't have enough space to release all of our Pokémon, not with the other trainers' Pokémon also taking up space.

Then the earth shook, the powerful tremors throwing us all onto the ground as a massive Steelix erupted out from the ground with a Dig, completely knocking out a Gallade as it was taken by surprise. The Steelix then let out a deafening roar as its maw began to glow blue, a Dragon Pulse charging up from within.

But before it could fire it off, Lucario rushed in like a blur, smashing the Steelix with a Force Palm to the jaw. Steelix's head was snapped to the side from the impact, staggering it for long enough for Tyrant to leap over and grapple the Steelix before launching it away with a Seismic Toss. The large iron snake was sent crashing into a group of Gastrodon, knocking them over completely.

A pained cry caught my attention, and I turned to see one of the explorer's Leafeon go down to a Poison Jab from the Sneasler. Another Magmar tried to retaliate with a Flamethrower, but it didn't do as much damage as it hoped and the Sneasler was able to dive through the flames and pummel it down with a Brick Break. I grimaced, realizing that the Pokémon's unknown typing was causing these trainers to be caught unaware.

Fortunately, before the Sneasler could do more damage, Klee sent it flying with a powerful blast of Psychic, the extremely supereffective attack immediately knocking out the Sneasler as it crashed into an Abomasnow that was preparing to fire off an Ice Beam.

It was at that moment that the area around us suddenly dropped even further in temperature as a powerful Blizzard formed within our ranks, threatening to engulf us all in a vortex of frost and ice. I turned to where the attack was coming from, realizing that it was a Walrein that was channelling the attack.

"SMOUGH! GO!"

Being the closest Pokémon to the Walrein, Smough charged forwards, Body Slamming a few weaker Gliscor out of the way, its fists crackling with lightning as it delivered a devastating Thunder Punch straight into the Walrein. The paralysis immediately set in, interrupting its attack and saving us all from being suddenly consumed by a deathly Blizzard.

A cry from Klee spun me around, and I turned to see the Kleavor suddenly cut through a torrent of flames and knocked out a Flareon; its large Stone Axes came crashing down and smashing the unaware Fire type into the ground. But before it could choose its next target, Cynthia's Garchomp slammed into it with a savage Dragon Rush, crashing the two of them mercilessly into the wall before a ferocious Iron Head from Garchomp sent the Kleavor crumbling to the floor.

Then Tyrant made himself known once more as he pounced onto a charging Hippowdon, smashing down with an Ice Punch that buried the Hippowdon into the ground. Stones began flying his way from an opposing Gliscor, but a sweeping Ice Beam silenced the Gliscor for the rest of the fight.

Unsatisfied with his current tally count, Tyrant roared and dove right back into the fight, becoming a whirlwind of violence that savaged any unlucky enough to cross his path.

With Tyrant's 'distraction', our Pokémon had managed to secure a small moment to breathe as the wild Pokémon hesitated slightly, losing confidence as their survival instincts warned them of our strength. Taking advantage in a momentary lull in the fighting, I moved to Cynthia.

"Fight through? Or back off?" I asked, knowing that she was in command of the expedition.

"Fight through!" She shouted out determinedly, once again reestablishing direction and authority over the group, "Show of force! Drive them back!"

Taking advantage of the wild Pokémon's momentary hesitation, we all ordered our Pokémon forwards, eschewing our previous defensive stance in exchange for one of pure offense. We hoped to simply scare the wild Pokémon away instead of having to take them out one by one.

Not wanting to be left out, Cynthia's Garchomp led the charge this time, copying Tyrant as it rushed straight into the fray, charging and crashing through all that stood in its way with another Dragon Rush. Anything that came close to Garchomp became eviscerated with its deadly Dragon Claws or smashed aside by its Dragon Tails.

Even with all their strength and experience in fighting each other, the wild Pokémon were nothing compared to the likes of Tyrant and Garchomp. The two of them quickly tore a hole through the wild Pokémon's lines, and the momentum rapidly shifted in our favour.

Cynthia's Milotic unleashed a sweeping Hydro Pump, firing off a torrent of water that swept through the opposing Ground types and suppressing them for long enough for our other Pokémon to move in and knock them out. At the same time, Lucario and Smough charged forwards, a mixture of speed and power as they rampaged through the vulnerable Pokémon, throwing themselves forwards with as much aggression as possible.

A Mamoswine was kicked aside by Lucario right into the waiting arms of Smough, who smashed down with a Hammer Arm and buried the Mamoswine into the ground. Another uppercut from Smough sent another Rhydon reeling back in pain before a Flash Cannon from Lucario took it out.

Then a flaming Abomasnow was sent careening through the opening as Garchomp had hurled it through the air before it crashed into a unsuspecting group of Weavile who had been trying to flank around. In their distraction, they didn't see the powerful torrent of water from Milotic's Hydro Pump until it was too late, and they ended up being helplessly blasted and pinned to the wall.

Our aggression paid off. With the wild Pokémon being more prioritized on their own self-interest, they quickly came to the realisation that fighting us was no longer worth it. A few of them starting retreating, and we made sure to pursue them for a short while to make sure that their retreat would turn into a full rout – one where they all ran away panicked and afraid.

Leaving us with a wide open, but empty clearing in the caves.

"Check up on the wounded!" Cynthia ordered, "Form a defensive perimeter, look out for new threats!"

"Gather the wounded here!" I called out as Klee and Luna started in their healing duties, "Prioritize the most injured first!"

We organized ourselves efficiently and Klee and Luna were quick to start healing up those that had been badly injured or taken a hit during the wild Pokémon's assault. As we waited for the Pokémon to heal up, Cynthia approached me.

"This is a find of a lifetime." Her eyes were practically alight with excitement, "Never before seen Pokémon! Alternate types! I think I recognize that Scizor lookalike; I think there were records of them somewhere!"

"Should we secure a few?" I asked, eager to get my hands on the Hisuian Zoroark that had just been knocked out.

"We must." She nodded excitedly, but then she turned serious, "But we must not let our enthusiasm overcome us. We're still in very dangerous territory and we have wounded with us. Safety must come first. I suggest we capture a few of these and retreat back to the forward base. We can decide what to do with them afterwards."

She looked to the rest of the explorers, "Are we all in agreement?" Everyone just nodded back, most of them too tired or exhausted to say much else.

And so, we made use of their extra Pokéballs that we had brought along for this very purpose. I made sure to capture the H-Zoroark, while the others moved to capture the Kleavor and a few of the other rarer Pokémon like Mamoswine. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any traces of where the Sneasler had went. It must have been blasted back too far and retreated before we could secure it.

I noticed that it was a shame that we didn't see a Hisuian Avalugg anywhere. If anything, the freezing and frost-filled caves would have been ideal living conditions for it, but perhaps we got unlucky and that there were none around at the moment.

After making sure all of the new Pokémon were secured, and that our Pokémon were properly healed up, we quickly retreated out of the clearing, not wanting to test our luck any further. We promptly made our way back to the forward base, having to fight through a few small skirmishes, but nothing that mine or Cynthia's Pokémon couldn't handle.

By the time we returned to the forward base, the exhaustion seemed to hit me all at once, and I practically collapsed into one of the foldable chairs that they had set up. Cynthia was the same, and she let out a huge, tired sigh as she sat down into the chair next to me. But despite all the tiredness, we both shared satisfied smiles.

"That was totally worth it." She breathed out, "...Just let me catch my breath for a few minutes and we can inspect our captures."

"Fine by me. I'm exhausted too." I replied, slumping further into my chair. But it didn't take long for the whispers to spread around the forward base, and soon enough the entire base knew about our miraculous captures. Fortunately, the reporters had all left and the rest were all contracted to silence anyways, so at least this news wouldn't spread outside of here.

Realizing that we couldn't rest any longer, we both reluctantly pulled ourselves out of our seats and gathered up in one of the tents, hosting an impromptu meeting to discuss what we had just discovered.

The questions came as soon as we entered.

"Cynthia! Are we going to be declaring this to the public!? A new Scizor evolution would be incredible!" One of the explorers excitedly asked.

"No, you idiot! That clearly was a SCYTHER evolution! Not a Scizor! There was no metal!" Another denied.

"We should have stayed to capture that weird tall Weavile lookalike!" Yet another explorer called out, "We could have hunted it down and captured it!"

"We needed to get out of there, or were you not on your last Pokémon as well?" The meeting was quick to devolve into pointless arguments.

"Enough! Sit down!" Cynthia demanded, her forceful presence suddenly silencing them all. She glared at the group, and none dared to speak up, "I thought you were all experienced explorers, or has the thought of a new discovery suddenly robbed you all of your wits? Sit yourselves down, have a drink of water, and we can discuss this like civilised people."

The explorers all moved to obey, and a calm silence finally fell on the meeting. "Good, now I shall start. Can I please have a few Pokémon ready to restrain this...new Pokémon, in case it's still hostile?" She released her own Lucario, and I volunteered and threw out Klaus and Pixel. A few of the other explorers released their own Psychic types as well.

Satisfied with the lineup, Cynthia threw out a Pokéball, releasing her Kleavor into the room.

Having healed up slightly from its injuries, the Kleavor instantly snarled and threw itself at the nearest available target, being my Klaus. But it didn't get far before a huge amount of Psychic energy suddenly slammed it into the ground, restraining it and preventing it from moving a muscle.

"A shame..." Cynthia idly muttered, "I'd hope for it to be more obedient."

I made a show of looking Kleavor over, "It looks more like a Scyther evolution to me. No traces of metal anywhere that you would expect to see from a Scizor." I gestured to his large stone axes, "And the axes look a little too rocky for it to be made of metal."

Cynthia kneeled down to get a better look, ignoring the frustrated and vicious growls coming from the Kleavor, "I'm think I'm going to agree with you. This looks like a Scyther that has adapted to spending its entire life underground and has evolved to better fight back against all the Rock and Ice types that could be found there."

"Probably a Rock/Bug type then." I suggested, getting a few nods of agreements from the other explorers.

"Perhaps...but we need to do more tests regarding that." She commented, "Luckily we have all the equipment to do said tests here."

"But Cynthia, are we going to be publishing these findings?" An explorer asked.

"Yes, but not for some time. I want to make sure we have an accurate collection of data first." She replied, "No need to risk publishing false information, after all." Everyone nodded along with that.

We poked and prodded Kleavor a little longer, but eventually Cynthia withdrew it back into her Pokéball since Kleavor was getting increasingly frustrated with being restrained for so long. And deliberately angering a Pokémon was never a good idea.

"Your turn, John." I nodded to her and released the new H-Zoroark.

But instead of a white and red spirit being released, what came out was my Blissey. She looked around blankly for a moment, her face a picture of innocence. The Pokémon that were meant to restrain it didn't move as they simply stared confusedly, likely thinking that I released the wrong Pokémon.

"KLAUS, PIXEL! RESTRAIN IT!"

Not questioning my decision, both of my Pokémon immediately blasted it with a powerful wave of Psychic. 'Blissey' cried out in pain, and her form rippled, revealing the illusion for what it was. As the illusion faded, the other Pokémon snapped out of their confusion and joined in to restrain the H-Zoroark. Though that hard was made even harder by the fact that the H-Zoroark seemed to be nothing but pure rage and anger.

Our Pokémon strained themselves to keep it restrained, but it kept trying to break free with raw defiant determination. It was even worse than Kleavor.

"Fascinating. I have never seen a Pokémon like that, especially not one that could disguise itself." Cynthia muttered as she inspected the H-Zoroark.

"Think it is a different Pokémon species?" An explorer asked.

"Yes. Most certainly. It doesn't resemble anything we've seen thus far." Cynthia nodded, with me joining her.

"Another Dark/Ghost type then?" Another suggested, "It makes sense considering its ability to form illusions. Ghosts and Dark types are infamous for their tricks."

"Our Psychic attacks wouldn't have worked if it was a Dark type." I pointed out, "But my gut agrees that it is partially a Ghost type."

"Too many guesses, not enough evidence." Cynthia interrupted with a shake of her head, "The only thing I'm confident in at the moment is that this is a new species of Pokémon entirely. Which means more testing."

"I feel like we have had texts describing such a Pokémon in the history of Hisui, though." An explorer explained, "I'm confident that what we have here is a Pokémon that existed in the distance past. I'm pretty sure we've had descriptions about a notorious Pokémon known for its tricks and illusions."

"...Yes, I think I remember reading about that." Cynthia muttered, jogging her memory, "I even remember they had a name for it, but that escapes me at the moment." She gave the H-Zoroark another inspecting look.

"...Be that as it may, I think it would be prudent to decide what we should do next." One of the accompanying scientists spoke up, "Should we get the testing done now? Better to get this information jotted down as soon as possible."

"Yes, let's." Cynthia agreed, and the meeting broke up as a few explorers moved to rest while the rest of us headed to the tent that contained all of the testing equipment.

Testing proved to be as difficult as we imagined it to be, considering how uncooperative our new Pokémon were. Though that was hardly unexpected, and these scientists had clearly worked with ornery and aggressive Pokémon before because they hardly even seemed fazed at their defiance.

Kleavor went first, and since we already had a baseline to work with, it didn't take long for us to definitively prove that it was a Rock/Bug type. Everyone seemed pleased about the rare type combination.

"It looks like it has the potential to be an excellent fighter." I commented to Cynthia.

"Indeed. It'd be a fine addition to any team..." She muttered thoughtfully as she thought deeply about something. "By the way, has anyone gotten its name?"

"I'm pretty sure it keeps repeating 'Kleavor'. So that's its name." One of the scientists pointed out.

Cynthia's eyes shined, "That is a good name. I like it. Fits very well with Scyther and Scizor's names as well." The others muttered in agreement.

With Kleavor's test finished, we moved on to H-Zoroark. We had to quickly bring out the equipment made specifically to restrain Ghost types, and it tried but failed to trick us again with its illusions.

These tests took much longer, and it was only when I made the idle suggestion that we should test Ghost types moves against it that they realized that it was a Ghost/Normal type. That turned a few heads my way, as I supposed I didn't hide the naked interest in my eyes well enough ever since we caught the Pokémon.

We also confirmed the name to be a 'Zoroark', and that it WAS indeed a whole new species of Pokémon entirely. The scientists and explorers also confirmed that there were descriptions of a similar Pokémon having existed in the distant past, and that Zoroark was very likely the Pokémon they were describing.

Because of this, there were also talks about trying to honour its origins so that it would be called a "Hisuian-Zoroark", as a constant reminder of where it originated, but that ended up being too much of a mouthful. So after a brief discussion, it was decided that we would be sticking with just 'Zoroark'.

I might still call it a Hisuian-Zoroark in my own head though.

But then it came to the real question, "...Who should have authority over these Pokémon?" One of the scientists asked prudently, "Or would they just fall under the common authority of the Celestic Town Research Centre?"

Cynthia paused, tilting her head as she took a long moment to think things over. While she WAS in charge, it wouldn't be good to simply ignore the contributions of all the other explorers and scientists that jointly helped with this discovery.

"...John, are you interested in keeping control over your latest capture?" She eventually asked me.

"Certainly." I nodded immediately, "I'm very interested in being able to train up a Normal/Ghost type. I think it would be an excellent addition to my team if you would allow me to keep it."

"I know that my grandmother and Elite Bertha promised you that you could keep and capture whatever Pokémon you found here, and I have no intentions of going against that." She told me, "However, considering that these are very unique circumstances, I'm afraid I would have to ask you for a few conditions in return, though they shouldn't be anything too onerous."

"Go ahead." I replied, expecting this.

"Firstly, I want to continue doing tests with your new Pokémon until we have enough data to publish." She explained, "That means, if you return to Indigo, you would have to visit my grandmother's lab so that further tests could be performed. Especially regarding breeding." I nodded easily to that condition.

"Secondly, I would ask you to not reveal this Pokémon until we have made our official announcement." She continued, "It would make things much easier if we could have control over the narrative."

"I understand that I do not have the authority to impose these conditions on you, as you are a member of a foreign Elite Four, but you would be doing us a great favour if you could adhere to them." She finished, not too subtly reminding everyone else of my official position. Yes, if I wanted to, I could just walk out with H-Zoroark and no one could really do anything about it, but I didn't want to resort to that.

Besides, the conditions weren't harsh in the slightest. "I'm happy to agree to that." I said, "Thank you for allowing me to keep such a new and exciting Pokémon."

"Not quite yet, we still have more tests to run back at our actual lab." She chuckled, "Unfortunately, you won't get to keep your new Pokémon quite yet."

"What about Kleavor?" A scientist asked, who had been politely staying quiet during our discussion.

"Kleavor will fall under the authority of the Celestic Town Research Centre for the time being." Cynthia stated, "Once sufficient testing has been done, then we can decide on ownership."

"The same goes with any future undiscovered Pokémon that we capture from these caves." She added, "They will temporarily fall under the authority of the Research Centre until testing is completed. Authority can be decided afterwards."

Everyone else nodded. I was fortunate that most of the people here were scientists and explorers that prioritised the sciences rather than battling, as I doubt the latter would be nearly as nonchalant about losing an opportunity to have a new and potentially powerful battler on their team.

Even Cynthia, for all her self-disciplined, was practically radiating with unrestrained greed towards Kleavor. Not that I didn't understand, in her position I would love to include Kleavor onto my team as well – especially since it possessed a typing that she currently lacked.

But I put those thoughts aside as I felt around the Pokéball containing what was going to be the latest addition to my team. A Ghost/Normal type with the ability to form illusions was going to be an incredibly powerful Pokémon for me to have, and it was yet another potential counter against opposing Fighting types.

Of course, even though the H-Zoroark already seemed quite powerful already, that was marred by the fact that it had severe discipline issues and was still hostile to me. It was going to take some time to endear myself to it and for it to trust in me as its' trainer, and to get rid of whatever bad habits that it might have.

Still, that was a problem for the future. For now, I already had a name selected for my newest Pokémon. And it was quite easy to think of, considering that it was practically a spirit full of vengeance and anger.

Wraith.

The New Normal – 8-14 – Interlude – Pokenet Reactions

[THE INDIGO DELEGATION ARRIVES AT CANALAVE CITY?! ELITE LUCIAN GREETS ELITE WILL AND ELITE JOHN OF INDIGO!] by Sinnoh News

[Pictures of John and Will disembarking from the ship, being greeted by Lucian]

And so the time of the traditionalists have finally come to an end, as Sinnoh prepares to usher in a new age of wonder, excitement, and the unknown. Opening our borders for the first time to the wider international community is something that the public of Sinnoh have been asking for some time now, and we are finally seeing the results of our decisions today.

Elite Lucian was there at the ports of Canalave to greet the two foreign members of the Indigo Elite Four, the first meeting that we have hosted to a member of the international community. But while Sinnoh waited with baited breath to see the outcome of their delegation, having observed the meeting in person, this writer is cautiously optimistic that this entire venture might turn out for the better.

Elite Will and Elite John expressed nothing but respect for our cultures and our Elite Four member, never indicating whatsoever that they looked down on our fondness for traditions. But only time can tell to see if this newfound cooperation turns out for the better or not.

However, this writer sincerely hopes that the future of Sinnoh will be a bright one. The era of the traditionalists has led Sinnoh into an age of stagnancy and decay. So perhaps this influx of foreign peoples and opportunities will allow us to shake off the rust brought about by the traditionalists.

What do you all think about these newcomers? Let us know!

Comments

TangelaThoughts

Big welcome to all the Sinnohnians that are now able to join in on the Pokenet! We're pleased to have you!

LoveIsEterna

Many thanks! Hope you get to visit our lovely region some day! I bet you'll be impressed by the sights. And vice versa!

GodBidoof

Yeah! Can't wait for Pokémon sharing between our regions to become more readily available. I've already kept myself awake countless nights just theorizing on the strengths of all those Pokémon from Indigo and Hoenn! You guys have some real powerhouses!

ChatALot

OMA! Having new regions being introduced is so exciting! And finally being included in the Pokenet is SUCH a big deal! You don't know what it was like when I found out that there were a whole bunch of people just chatting away that I couldn't get involved in! I'm still going through all of the forums that I've missed and wow there's so much to discuss! Anyone know any of the good rumours and updates recently? I'm still catching up but it seems like there has been so many interesting events that has taken place in the two regions in the past. I can't believe you guys had to deal with terrorists and...

====================

?[ELITE LORELEI DEFEATS GYM LEADER SURGE IN AN OFFICIAL CHALLENGE! WINS A CONVINCING 6-4 VICTORY!!] By BattleCast

It looks like our rising star of the Indigo Elite Four has proven just why she deserved the position as she has handedly defeated her first challenger! Gym Leader Surge has always expressed his disapproval of the "corruption and nepotism" that "allowed" Lorelei to enter to the Elite Four, and he seems to finally have taken action to back up his words.

Unfortunately, the results were far from what he hoped for, and in fact his actions may have been more beneficial to Lorelei in the long run. But we here at BattleCast aren't here to discuss the political implications of this battle, only the battle itself! And what a show it was!

Lorelei really has seemed to have improved the quality and strength of her team since her last battle against Walker. There, it was clear that she was stumbling over the finishing line, barely securing her position. But here, she even had time to sacrifice a few Pokémon to slowly wear down Surge's final Raichu – playing it safe so that she could ensure herself the win.

A powerful statement from the Elite Four, and a sign that Lorelei really is walking in the footsteps of her infamous uncle. Who knows, maybe we could expect another Ice type Champion in our future?

What did you all think of the match? This writer is eager to know! Write it down in the comments!

Comments

And that was enough for now, "Good." I smiled back, making sure not to show too much teeth, "Then let's get started with some sessions. I want you to spar against Pixel. Show me what you got."

Pixel immediately gave off an excited buzz as it floated forwards, while the rest of my Pokémon formed a protective ring around the perimeter of the arena. Tyrant finally released Wraith as Klee healed him up so that he could be in fighting condition.

"BEGIN!"

As I expected, Wraith immediately rushed in, while he also formed a basic illusion of himself trying to flank around to the side. But such a simple illusion wouldn't fool Pixel, and it blasted off a Tri Attack while it used Magnet Rise to fly high into the air, out of reach of Wraith's sharp claws.

Wraith used his speed to dodge out of the way of the Tri Attack before firing a blast of Shadow Balls towards Pixel, only to growl as they slammed harmlessly into Pixel. Wraith immediately switched to using Agility, only to be immediately punished as Pixel paralyzed it with a surprise Thunder Wave.

Snarling in frustration, Wraith's form shimmered before a horde of illusions appeared around the arena, all of them leaping into the air as they tried to bring down the flying Pixel. But Pixel simply responded by firing off a powerful Discharge, and the explosion of Electric energy ripped through all of the fake H-Zoroarks.

But despite being hit by a powerful burst of electricity, Wraith showed off his endurance as he forced himself through the Discharge, continued to leap through the air as he grabbed a hold of Pixel. Before Pixel could fire off another attack, Wraith came slamming down with a Brick Break that caused Porygon to emit a loud whirl as it began falling to the ground.

However, just before Wraith could strike with another Brick Break, the paralysis suddenly took of him, and his muscles locked up, buying Pixel a few extra seconds to complete its Conversion. Then, when Wraith finally muscled through the paralysis and struck down with a Brick Break, the attack was suddenly far less effective than before as Pixel had already switched its type to Fairy.

Not realizing he was doing far less damage now, Wraith was completely taken by surprise as Pixel shrugged off his attack and retaliated with a crackling Thunderbolt that blasted Wraith backwards and off of Pixel.

Wraith's form collapsed to the ground, and he looked like he was completely out of the fight. And Pixel cheered at its 'victory', only for Wraith to suddenly appear behind it with a Shadow Claw primed and ready to rake through the surprised Pixel.

Unfortunately for Wraith, his illusion tactic was too obvious, and he failed to hide the sound of his footsteps as he creeped behind Pixel. So, instead of finding Pixel's unguarded back, what he found was a Zap Cannon, ready and waiting for him.

"Zor!" He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise before an electrocuting ball of condensed lightning slammed straight into him – sending Wraith flying into the ground as a painful amount of electricity coursed through him. A critical hit!

This time, he collapsed to the ground for real. His once white fur was singing and burnt in a few places, and the bright red highlights were now more muted as the burnt remains of his fur stained them. The only signs of movement were from the twitching of his muscles from all of that lingering electricity that had entered into him.

Klee immediately perked up and rushed over to the fallen Wraith, happily healing him up and completely unafraid of being attacked in turn. Not that Klee was under any threat, she could and would body Wraith into the ground if need be. I took the time to play around with Pixel, celebrating its clean victory.

It took a few moments, but eventually Klee's careful ministrations were about to heal Wraith up enough for him to sit up.

"Zoroark..." He growled weakly, clearly upset by his defeat.

"You see what I mean? Your use of illusions was too simple." I told him, "That last trick where you faked that you fainted was good, but you didn't hide your footsteps, and there was still a slight shimmer in the air that gave away your position. That alerted Pixel to your plan, which is why it could charge up a Zap Cannon to surprise you."

"Zor..." He whined, upset at his failure. But I stepped in front of him, carefully kneeling down so that we were the same height. If before I intended to show strength, now I had to show compassion.

"But that was a good start. You already have the strength of a strong Pokémon." I praised him, "And I can help you with your illusions, make them better than they were before. Do you believe me? Do you trust in me as your trainer to help you grow strong, as strong as the rest of my team?"

Wraith was still sulking at his loss, but he still gave off a small nod.

"Good, because I'm going to work you very hard from now on." I offered a hand, and Wraith simply allowed me to pull him up to his feet. "Welcome to the team, Wraith. I hope you like your new nickname."

Wraith growled softly at me, but after a moment's hesitation, he grasped my arm in his.

The New Normal – 8-16 – A Conversation

I was satisfied with the good start that I had with Wraith, and I spent the next hour or so making sure trying to settle him in with working and training with the rest of my team.

It was a good thing that the more senior members of my team understood that Wraith's aggression was a temporary thing borne from wariness and a little bit of fear. It also helped that the more experienced members of my team helped reign in the younger members who may have been more unused to dealing with such a new, and potentially hostile, addition to the group.

Especially one that was more arguably more powerful than them.

With the morning training session done, I went back to the labs to fulfil my promise to Cynthia; allowing them to perform a few tests on Wraith. Unfortunately, being poked and prodded by various machinery was distinctly uncomfortable for him, and it really tested the limits of his patience and our newly forged bond between trainer and Pokémon.

Fortunately, the scientists were all experts at this and knew when to back off before they pushed Wraith over the edge, stopping just before he was about to lash out. And they all seemed very pleased about the data they collected.

"The scans shows that this is indeed the Pokémon that we've read about from the historical texts!" One scientist excitedly exclaimed, "It's almost a full match to the other preserved sample that we've collected in the past! This Pokémon is really from Hisuian times!"

"So we DID find something from back then." Cynthia hummed thoughtfully, "...I wonder if we can find other Hisuian Pokémon down there?"

"There was that one really weird tall and purple Weavile that we saw." One of the explorers who had joined in on the expedition pointed out, "Maybe that's another one?"

"We should schedule another expedition right away!" The scientist shouted immediately, "And we already have the forward base in place to make things easier."

But Cynthia shook her head, "Not at the moment, though perhaps I can have someone else to organize it." She said, before turning back to me, "Thanks for coming, John. You don't have to sit around to listen to all us eggheads discussing things. Isn't Will arriving for lunch?"

"I don't mind." I chuckled, "But yes, I think he is arriving soon—" My phone buzzed, and I checked it and found that Will had sent me a text stating that he had arrived. "What a coincidence. He just arrived. I'm going to go meet him." I waved them goodbye as I made my way to the canteen, allowing them to fall back into their scientific discussions.

At the canteen, I instantly spotted Will's eye-catching outfit; his purple and black heavily standing out amongst the normal white and light blues of the lab.

His eyes lit up when he saw me, "John! It's been some time!"

"It has." I smiled at him, "Let's catch up over lunch."

We moved over to one of the more private tables towards the side, just to avoid too many people from overhearing our conversation. Fortunately, the scientists were respectful enough to not invade our privacy, and our topics of conversation weren't particularly confidential either.

"Good job on getting Silph Co to agree to a deal to come over." He began the conversation as we ate our lunch, "It's been really helpful for me too."

"How so?" I asked, chewing on my food.

"Like I told you and Lance previously, I've been to establish business connections between our two regions as well." He explained, "But whereas before they were hesitant, seeing Silph Co take the first plunge and properly invest in Sinnoh has caused many of them to reconsider their hesitant approach. With such a big company already going ahead, they felt safe doing the same. Or more likely, they didn't want to miss out on whatever Silph Co saw."

"That's good. We need more connections with Sinnoh anyways." I nodded.

"Yes, which is why I'm trying to get Lance and Wallace to agree to a new tax policy that should hopefully encourage foreign investment to and from Sinnoh." He smiled, "But that might have to wait until the protests are over and the situation calms down a little. Political instability doesn't make for good business opportunities."

"...Though from the things I've heard from Lucian, that might be solved quite soon." He whispered to me, "I think you should know what I'm talking about, right?"

"I do." I admitted, realizing it wasn't a secret, "But we should leave that sort of business to them. It's just a shame that I couldn't stay to watch."

"True enough. Neither in Hoenn or Indigo have we seen someone challenge their way through the entirety of the Elite Four before." He commented thoughtfully, "That's definitely going to be THE event to watch."

"You think we'd have something like that happen back home? Where someone has to fight their way through us to challenge Lance for the title?" I asked curiously.

"...I sincerely doubt it." Will said after thinking it through, "There's only a total of 3 potential challengers in any given year, outside of the Gym Leaders. And you and I are already in the Elite Four. The only person who isn't is Bruno. And while I don't doubt his strength, not after your battle against him, he has already lost against you. I don't see him challenging Lance anytime soon."

I nodded at his explanation, "Maybe something like that'll happen in the future." I chuckled.

"Unlikely, though anyone foolish enough to do such a thing would surely be stopped by me!" He said proudly, puffing out his chest a bit. "...Anyways, do you have anything else to do while you're in Sinnoh? Anything to do with your remaining time here? Catch a few Pokémon, perhaps? I know I have."

"I only caught the one." I said vaguely, intentionally not describing just WHAT I had caught, "You?"

"Same, actually." He nodded, "I intentionally planned to capture more, but there just wasn't the opportunity. The Pokémon must have been overly intimidated and awed by the pressures of joining my grand retinue, I suppose." He boasted.

"Though I heard they're planning on making Sinnoh Pokémon more accessible to us from Indigo and Hoenn in the future. So, we can easily acquire more even without heading back here." Will explained. "It's like what they did with the Hoenn Pokémon."

"Oh, that's good." I responded, "I think my sister would be very interested in catching a few other Sinnoh Pokémon too."

"Oh yes, your sister. I think I heard a few things about her current journey." Will stated.

My back straightened, "Did you? What about her?"

He waved me off, "Nothing concerning, if that was what you were thinking. Just that she was quite the prominent trainer. After all, it's not so common to see someone as young as her collecting her 7th Gym Badge on her first run through of the Gyms."

I relaxed. "Yes. That was quite the shock to me as well. But I couldn't be prouder of her. I always hoped that she could make herself into a prominent trainer in her own right." A proud smile unconsciously formed on my face.

"She really is doing quite well." Will agreed, "Though forgive me if this is an overstep, but I believe she might need a bit more pizazz. She needs to dramatize herself a bit. Make herself stand out a bit more."

"What do you mean?" I questioned, giving Will a look.

"I know I may show off a little too much, but you cannot deny that my attire is not eye-catching." Will gestured to his outfit, "And eye-catching means memorable. Why do you think Lance dresses up in that cape of his?"

"Because he's that kind of guy?" I quipped.

"...Well, maybe." Will conceded, "But it also makes him memorable. You look at Lance and you recognize him as THE Dragon Master. It's iconic and memorable."

"I don't have a particular outfit though, and I'm popular enough." I argued.

"Yes, but you're very strong." Will countered immediately, "Strength is a recognizing factor of your own, plus you have your political achievements to add to your reputation. I'm not saying your sister isn't strong, but compared to her friends, she doesn't stand out as much as them from what I've seen. At least her friends have the 'psychic genius' and 'ninja-in-training' look."

I frowned, but Will continued, "Look, I REALLY don't want to interfere with your family, especially since your sister is still really young, but take it from me. One day, unless your sister achieves something as remarkable as you did, she'll want to curate an image for herself in the public eye. It'll really let her stand out and make her far more memorable."

"I'm not saying that this is something you have to discuss with her now, but just keep it in the back of your mind for the future." He finished.

"...I will. Thank you." I ended up saying, a little taken aback about how this conversation came to be.

"Your sister has great potential, from what I'm seeing." Will said, "Now it's all about refining that potential and getting her known in the public eye. A bit of fame goes a long way to establishing yourself as a prominent trainer, and it really opens up many opportunities for them. Try to give it a think, John. I truly believe that it'll be good advice for your sister."

I stayed silent as I went over Will's words. He definitely wasn't wrong. I still thought that Whitney and her friends were still a little too young to be worrying about this kind of thing, but this was something I SHOULD point out to them in the future. Yet I wouldn't pressure her into anything, it was up to her if she wanted to create an identity for herself like that or not.

I didn't follow that route, so I wasn't going to be a hypocrite and force her into it.

I returned to my conversation with Will, realizing that I had accidentally ignored him, "Sorry, just had a stray thought. You were saying?"

The two of us then continued with our casual conversation. I appreciated being able to catch up with him, and I felt like his time at Sinnoh had brought out his better side.

Our conversation lasted a while longer, but he eventually had another appointment to head to, so he told me to enjoy the rest of my time here in Sinnoh and then waved me goodbye, saying that we'd meet up again for the cruise home.

After Will left, I headed back to the underground training fields to continue training up with Wraith, thinking that I had nothing better to do at the moment.

It was then that Cynthia returned.

"Hey, John, remember that conversation we promised to have?" She said as she approached me, "I think we've put it off long enough, don't you think? We really should have a talk about our friendship going forward."

The way that she worded that...it was a conversation that I had been wanting to have for some time. Yes, now was the time for it. The moment of truth had finally come.

Anticipation rose from within me, "Oh — yeah, of course." I said slowly as I stood up, "Lead the way."

The two of us exited the canteen and found ourselves in a private spot outside of the labs, away from all prying ears and eyes. Ensured of our privacy, I was about to speak up when Cynthia beat me to it.

"I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I'll ask you straight up." Her eyes locked onto mine, "Are you interested in me?"

I blinked, taken aback by her bluntness. But that surprise turned to amusement as I realized how fitting this was for her. "I am. How could I not be?"

She smiled, "I see. Well thank you for your interest."

"...And? That's it?" I asked.

"I'm just kidding." She giggled musically, "But I thought my feelings about you were pretty clear. Did you think I would have invited you to do all those things if I didn't find you interesting to be around?"

"...It could be out of friendliness." I tried.

"Well then let me make it clear." She stepped up to me. Before I realise what was going on, her lips pressed onto mine.

My eyes widened with shock, but before I could even process that her soft lips were touching mine, she pulled back. My heart instantly yearned for more.

"Does that make things clear?" She smirked, and my eyes focused on the way her tongue licked around her lips unconsciously.

"...Yes, it does." I was still a little stunned, but I was pretty sure I had a goofy smile on my face, "...Wow, I wasn't expecting that."

"I'm not one to second guess myself." She shrugged, though there was a hint of red on her cheeks, "I've greatly enjoyed the time that we spent together. You don't look down on me, and I could tell in your eyes that you like me for reasons beyond just my appearance."

"I'm too used to dealing with people like that." She grumbled.

"Do you have people that judge you based on your looks?" I asked.

"Of course. They look at me and instantly label me as 'pretty blonde', and that's all I become for them." She frowned, "Then they try to ask me out. Not because they know anything about me, but simply for the shallow reason that I look attractive to them."

"Surely that's at least slightly flattering." I replied.

"It was at first." She admitted, "But then it just got tiring. My looks are something that I was fortunately blessed with. I did not work for it or really do much to achieve it, and compared to many other aspects of my life it's probably the area where I put the least amount of effort in. My looks are not what make me, me."

"You've worked very hard to be where you are." I said, "Only a fool would be blind enough to miss that."

She smiled, "See, you're the one that spots that. You see the whole package. You don't just see Cynthia the historian. Or Cynthia the trainer. Or Cynthia the potentially future Champion. I saw in your eyes that you fell in love with my determination, and THAT is the most flattering thing that you could have done."

A smile broke out on my face as well, "I couldn't help myself."

"And I deeply appreciate it." She smirked.

Then she let out a sigh, "Well I better do well to prove myself to be your equal, shouldn't I?" She chuckled, "It wouldn't do for the rising star of Indigo to have been ensnared by some no-name trainer in Sinnoh. Someone like you deserves a partner of equal status."

"I don't really care about that–"

"Yes, but others will." She interrupted, "Face the facts, John. You're the second most powerful person in Indigo, besides Lance. And even then it's a tossup. You're beloved by the public, and you're strong enough to keep your place in the Elite Four for years to come. Not only that, but you've been the backbone of the recent push for internationalism."

"In the public's eyes, you're too important to be dating some nobody." She said firmly, "That is the reality of politics. You can ignore it, but it would better for your ambitions."

I blinked; but eventually came to accept her words. Cynthia was always aware of the political realities. She had to be.

"It seems like you put a lot of consideration into this." I smiled, because I saw how much she cared.

"Of course, did you think I would go into this without thinking it through?" She raised an eyebrow, "You know that's how I do things."

I nodded, "I'll take your words into consideration. But like I said, nothing would change even if you didn't become the Champion of Sinnoh. I'm not THAT consumed by my ambitions."

"If you were, we wouldn't having this conversation." She smiled, but there was an edge there that also served as a reminder. One that I inwardly acknowledged.

"Still, you don't have to worry about that, because I will do my utmost to make sure I do win the whole thing." Then she leaned forwards closer to me.

"After all, I have another reason to succeed now, don't I?" She smirked at me, her eyes gazing deep into mine.

All I could do was swallow deeply. I might not have fallen for her looks, but damn.

The two of us continued walking around the lab, just enjoying the time that we spent with each other. After a small, but tranquil, moment of us just enjoying each other's company, she spoke up again.

"Tell me more about Karen." She said.

Ah, I expected this. "She's a friend. A very good friend." I admitted, "She's practically family to my parents and to my sister."

"I heard rumours that you two were dating." She said, "But knowing you, you wouldn't have been interested in me if you were. You wouldn't cheat on her like that."

"We never dated, but I WAS interested in her." I confirmed, "But she unfortunately wasn't ready for it. We came to an understanding."

"Should I be concerned about her jealousy?" She joked, but I knew it was a serious question.

I thought about it for a moment, before eventually shaking my head, "That doesn't sound like her, but I can't answer you for certain. I think she'll be sad, but she wouldn't hate you for it. She has a kind soul, and she wouldn't take it out on you."

"Sounds like you still like her." Cynthia commented with an assessing look in her eyes.

"...I think a part of me still does." I admitted carefully after thinking it over, "Had she not hesitated and we became a couple, then I don't think I would have any regrets with dating her."

"But I understand that the time for that has passed." I took Cynthia's hand into mine, clutching them softly, "I would happily be your partner. There's no need to consider what-ifs and what could have been. I chose you, because I found your determination and passion too dazzling to ignore. I would regret it if I passed you over, or if I wasted the opportunity in front of me. There's no need for me to doubt anything else."

"And I won't let those doubts surface." She smiled beautifully, and my heart skipped a beat once again as she directed that towards me. "It'll be difficult for us, since we're going to have to date long-distance, but I believe it can make it work."

"No. I WILL make it work." Her determination flared, "Believe me, John. I'm not one to let go of something when I've caught hold of it. This relationship will work, distance be damned."

That flare of determination caused my body moved on its own, as I returned the kiss that she had surprised me with before. This time it was my turn to catch her by surprise, but that surprise melted into passion as the two of us stayed like that for a moment with our lips locked together.

The soft feeling of her lips that I yearned for had returned. And the way her arms instinctively wrapped around my shoulders as she pressed herself against me was intoxicating. No, more than intoxicating.

It was addicting. Every part of my body didn't want this moment to end.

But end it had to, and we both stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "...I guess we just have to get the most of our time together in Sinnoh." I eventually.

Then something came to mind, "You know I'd have to tell Lance about this relationship, right? I don't know if you want to reveal it to the public or not, but I can't keep him hidden in the dark like this. Not when I'm in the Indigo Elite Four. He deserves to know that my judgment might be compromised."

"That's a very polite way of saying that you fell for me." She chuckled, before she turned serious, "But I agree. Even if I'd prefer to keep this relationship to ourselves, you should tell Lance as soon as you get back, and maybe speak with him about how you can juggle both your political responsibilities and this relationship."

She stared into my eyes, "It won't be easy. For the both of us. We don't have just distance getting in our way, but the realities of politics too. We both may have to make some sacrifices. But will you be happy to wade through all of that just for us to be together?"

"I will." I nodded firmly, as if I was making a vow. Like she said, things weren't going to be easy, but with my focus on internationalism and my achievements I was sure I could spin it in a way so that my relationship with Cynthia could be seen as another positive. And if not, then we would MAKE one.

But that was a problem for later. For now, it was just about being in each other's company.

"...Then do you have time now? I know this great restaurant in Sinnoh that I like to visit from time to time." She asked. "And perhaps we can walk around afterwards? Just to spend some time together?"

I took her hand in mine, smiling as I felt how her smooth hands clasped mine. "Of course, lead the way."