Truthfully, until now I have never seen fit to question where my strength came from. Yet it doesn't make sense, when I stop to think about it.
The masters at the University taught us that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, though after enough time has passed it will be scattered into small enough pieces that they will never be able to join together again. This, they said, is called entropy. It is an inescapable truth of the universe. Humans, Pokemon, even those beyond like the Three Siblings or the Creation Duo cannot live forever. Eventually, all must end.
However, if that's true, then it must mean the same applies to the concept of Spirit. Which, of course, begs the question:
If entropy claims all in the end, then why was I the exception? Why did my Spirit grow into a towering inferno, when that of those around me paled and went out as time passed?
Hindsight, as they say, is a powerful tool. Had I known then the horrifying truth behind those questions, I would have surely driven a knife into my own heart before it was too late.
Still, fretting over what-ifs won't do any good. I've doomed the world all the same, in the end.
----------------------------------------
Percy was sick of waiting. More so because he didn't have to do it alone.
Okay, maybe he was being a bit unfair; Argenta wasn't that bad. She reminded him of his teacher, in a way, though a version of her with a much more questionable wardrobe and vernacular. Mon dieu was her outfit crass. Did the cold get to these Sinnohans' brains too much during the winter? It was the only explanation he could conjure for the way some of them dressed.
Still, at least she was… interesting? Surprising? Odd. Odd was the word. Percy sighed as he held his chin with one hand, staring forward at the woman as she walked around the outside of their base, commanding a horde of Starly. She looked right in her element, whatever the hell that was.
He glanced down at his Poketch for the tenth time that night, a bored look on his face. Only a few minutes had passed. Not only that, but judging by the absence of those pair of electric blue eyes as soon as the screen lit up, Hao was probably sleeping. Which left Percy with only one option to pass the time until the other three returned from their trip to Solaceon. Well, two, actually. He stared blankly at the blinking red icon indicating twelve missing calls from his father. Yeah, no. Argenta's weirdness sounded downright delightful in comparison.
Pushing his exhaustion aside, he stood up and began walking toward the woman, wisps of mist trailing past him as he exhaled. One of the Starly caught eye of him, and stared. Then, a moment after, Argenta noticed and looked over her shoulder, wide-eyed.
"Ah, Percy. I'm glad you decided to join me." She turned around, lifting her arms as she continued directing the Starly. "Do you hear it? The wind, whispering? Like a sudden storm, it seems to be carrying more than Zephyr's breath amidst the invisible feathers of its wings. These little ones feel it too. They are hesitant to fly, and I don't blame them."
"Right…" Percy sat on a near stump, leaning forward as he rested his hands on his lap. "What are you using those Starly for, anyway?"
"I think it obvious." She flashed him a wide grin, the light of the moon shining off her teeth. "They are my eyes in the sky, these little ones. Their small size and sharp eyesight makes them perfect for reconnaissance; were it not for them, I wouldn't know what happens around us at all times."
Percy couldn't help but frown at that, wordless for a moment.
"Are… Are all those Starly yours?"
A look of surprise and disappointment was sent his way, as though Argenta thought that he had already figured that out.
"Come on, young Percy! You're the sharpest one here, are you not? Or is your mind ailed with a dark and terrible storm, preventing you from truly seeing what lies before you?" She crossed her arms, expression turning deathly serious. "Of course these are all my partners. How else did you expect me to be able to monitor our surroundings?"
A rush of heat rose to his cheeks, and for a moment he thought about snapping back at her, right until he realized she was right. He had been rather useless so far. If it weren't for his damn family distracting him at every opportunity they got…
He shook his head. "But… I thought you could only have six Pokemon on you at a time."
"See? That's more like it!" she smiled. "You forget one thing, though, young Percy. The rules clearly state that one singular trainer can only have six Pokeballs with them at any point in time. It says nothing about Pokemon themselves."
His eyes widened. "Wait, but then…"
"I told you; these are my partners. I do not own them just as the moon does not own the stars." Her fingers came to rest on one of the Starly's head as she began to pet it. "They have no obligation to help me, yet they do, because I've known them since the moment they came into this world, and don't mind doing me a favor once in a while. They are equals to me; not subordinates."
He nodded absentmindedly, staring at the dozens of Starly all around him, chirping and playing and eating their food with a clear spring in their step. A memory came to him, that of the night the five of them met.
"You… said you were a breeder," he whispered, narrowing his eyes. "Are all these Starly…?"
Even though he left the question hanging, Argenta nodded.
"It's understandable that, though it was their parents who fought by my side, they too have formed a bond with me almost instantly." Then her expression grew dark and her shoulders tightened. "Being a breeder… it's not an easy job. Not if you want to do it the right way, that is. There are plenty of sleazy and dastardly people who will force Pokemon together just because they desire a suitably strong descendant to use for their own selfish ambitions. Surely you've heard of such people."
Percy was left mute for a moment, the sheer anger in the woman's voice making him shiver. He nodded, then replied as soon as he was able.
"Y-yes. They're not very common in Kalos since there are strict regulations regarding breeding, but they're still there." He frowned. "Especially when it comes to Contests or just showing off. Some rich families employ those… frauds to breed them an appropriately beautiful Pokemon to be their pet." He spat that last word out like a mouthful of poison, though he didn't mention that his father had once done such thing. There was no need to enrage Argenta even further. "Some even go as far as paying an outrageous sum for these bastards to breed them a shiny Pokemon, which I'm sure must take hundreds and hundreds of tries."
"Thousands, sometimes." Argenta's voice had lost its usual glee, and it didn't seem to boom as much as it had before. "The only thing those cowards are good for is squealing like gutted Tepig whenever I got my hands on them. Oh what I would give to hear those screams again." A hungry grin spread across her face, eyes glinting with malice. "As long as even one of them remains…"
"W-were you… did you use to hunt those kinds of people?"
An arrogant scoff left her lips. "I was like a Braviary, soaring through the skies as I unearthed the filth and vermin hiding in the shadows of our region. Not one of them ever managed to elude me, I assure you." One of her hands came to rest on the right side of her stomach. "Not even when I suffered what those bastards surely thought was a mortal blow. Ha! As though a pierced kidney would stop me from enacting justice!"
Percy's mouth gaped. "You lost a kidney!?"
"What's with the shocked face, boy? There's a reason we're built with two of those," she said, laughter clear in her eyes. "Though… I admit, after that my job involved less criminal hunting and more full-time breeding. Ah, if only my health and age weren't holding me down…"
Her eyes seemed lost in the distance for a moment, until she shook her head and cleared her throat.
"Ah, but there is no point in talking about such hopeless subjects." Her toothy grin came back, and with it the strength of her voice. "Those who do things the right way will always triumph, in the end, just as the sun shall always chase away the moonless night. Time and effort always pay, boy!"
And with that she made a gesture toward all the Starly, pride clear on her face. Percy couldn't help but smile. The right way, eh?
"So they haven't been caught by any trainer?" he asked. "They're all technically wild?"
"In a way, yes," she said. "Population control amongst Pokemon is a tricky subject in such a trainer-filled region. Starly are by far the most sought flying Pokemon this side of Mt. Coronet. Should their population start to drop dangerously, it is our job to help."
"I see…" he said, surprised by the sudden burst of eloquence coming from her; he hadn't heard a single crazy metaphor in that whole sentence. Moreover, the thought of Pokemon population and the effect of trainers upon it had never crossed his mind, yet it made perfect sense in hindsight. "Then… you usually do work with Pokemon like these? The ones that are most commonly caught?"
"Mostly," she admitted. "Starly and Shinx are the most common, closely followed by the region starters. Bug and Water types don't need my help, however, since they are perfectly capable of propagating at an alarming rate. After that, it's on a case by case basis." She sighed dreamily, her eyes almost sparkling like the stars above. "There is nothing more worthwhile, not in heaven or earth, I assure you, than weaving the threads of fate for life to enter this world."
Percy nodded, then looked down at his own belt, where Prince's Pokeball sat, polished and shiny. The memory of that day came to him like a sudden gust of wind; that white egg with zig-zagging yellow spots, the moment it opened to reveal the tiniest Mareep he'd ever seen, the proud look on his eyes and that confident smile… he couldn't help but agree with Argenta. Having a Pokemon be born in your arms was a feeling that few others could equal.
"It… must be nice," he said, not wanting to give much away. "No offense Argenta, but I kind of thought you were somewhat…" He pursed his lips, looking for the right words "…odd, before. Yet you seem a lot more knowledgeable than I first thought."
Far from being offended, the woman raised an amused eyebrow and smiled.
"Now, what kind of judgment is that, young Percy?" she asked, astonished. "Just because someone speaks sense for a little while you go assuming that they're fully sane? Honestly, I expected more from you."
That response stunned him for a second, the tone of her voice so painfully familiar that his throat felt like it closed, leaving no room for any words to come out. Just then… The curl of her smile and the tittering energy in her voice… For a moment she sounded just like his old teacher. He swallowed with difficulty, and the knot in his throat untied enough for him to speak a few words.
"I… Argenta, are you being sarcastic?" he asked with amused disbelief.
"I am," she said, beaming. "Isn't it wonderful?"
With a pained sigh she rose to her feet and, immediately, every single Starly around them turned its tiny head toward her, small beady eyes fully focused on her. Argenta gave them a look-over, then smiled, looking decades younger than she was.
"Dinner is over! Off with you now!" She waved her arms toward the sky, her voice booming. "Go on, small ones; may your bodies fly true and your eyes see past even the deepest of darkness, like an arrow of light fired toward the moon! Go and throw yourselves at the endless blanket of the sky!"
There was a sound like dozens of dusters slapping the air and then each Starly shot off in a different direction, sending weak gusts of wind all around and forcing Percy to wince. The darkness of the forest soon swallowed them, leaving the clearing in complete silence. Percy focused his hearing, trying to notice any hint of the flap of wings or the coo of a Starly, to no avail.
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"Impressive," he said, turning to Argenta. "They're well trained for being so young."
She raised a finger as though intending to poke him with it. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. Stealth isn't learned, boy. You either have it or you don't."
He wasn't so sure about that, but saw little point in arguing, so he decided to keep quiet and instead focused his attention on the black sky above. A thick cloud of mist covered the stars from view, the only light powerful enough to break through it that of the half-moon, glistening like a pearl against charcoal.
His fingers spun the ring on his left hand unconsciously, the feeling of touching silver easing the knot in his stomach slightly. A slew of questions bounced off the insides of his mind like ping-pong balls, unable to find a place to rest, so he simply let them be. It was a distraction, at least, and distractions made time pass faster, in his experience.
"They'll be back soon," she said.
He blinked, then looked up at her with a confused look. "Wha–"
"There's nothing wrong with doubting yourself once in a while. All you need to do is put effort into prove yourself wrong." She turned to look at him, arms crossed, eyes sharp and wise. "Keep that in mind. And look up."
It took him a moment to obey; the sound of rushing wind reached his ears and as he raised his gaze he noticed the silhouette of three enormous Pokemon soaring high above, their wings cutting through the air like butter.
"Now I don't think those are my Starly," said Argenta with a cheeky smile.
An explosion of wind pushed him to his feet as Knives and Palmer's Salamance landed a few feet from them, extending their wings to their full span and breathing in relief. Cynthia's Pokemon appeared soon after, though just as before, the Champion returned it to its Pokeball before he could take a good look at it.
"Reiko!" he beamed. "Hey, how was–"
The smile vanished off his lips as soon as he saw Reiko's face. With a flick of her wrist she returned Knives to its Pokeball; its light sharply exacerbating the worrying and sudden paleness of her skin. She looked sick, and her gaze seemed lost someplace else before she caught attention of him.
"Hey," she said. "Sorry for being late."
Her eyes did not meet his. One of her hands was strongly closed around her arm, while the other hung next to her thigh, curled into a fist.
"What happened?"
None of them spoke. Palmer, whose face looked –unbelievably enough– paler than Reiko's, stood looking a lot shorter than he usually did, eyes glued to the ground. Cynthia hadn't moved from the spot where she'd landed. Her back was to them, long hair covering most of her body and making it impossible to see her face.
Argenta was the first to speak, approaching the group with a careful look on her face. "Come now; we will get nowhere by swallowing our tongues and wishing the ground did the same for us, my partners. Let us be honest with each other; what h–"
"Argenta."
A shiver spread through the air, like the feeling of being suddenly jolted awake, and all four of them felt it. Cynthia turned, maybe just a bit too fast, and faced them. She looked different. No, that wasn't the right way to put it. Her appearance was exactly the same as usual, yet for the first time Percy saw her in a different light. The paleness of her face looked more sickly than radiant, and the usual flicker of laughter behind her eyes had completely disappeared. She seemed, for once, less like an invincible demigod than just a really tired woman in her late thirties.
She held the silence for a few more moments before speaking again.
"Palmer and Reiko can give you the details, but I would prefer our official discussion to take place tomorrow." She glared at Reiko, face blank. "I won't be as heartless as to keep you from your bed for a second longer."
At that, Palmer perked up. "W-what are you going to do?"
"I need some time to think," replied Cynthia, her expression turning grim. "It shames me to admit this, but I find my mind too ailed at the moment to be of use for our mission. Still, there is work to be done." She looked for a moment as though she were at a loss for words, then continued. "There are mysteries to be unearthed. Dots to be connected. There's something very basic I'm missing," she said, her tone of voice making it clear she was talking more to herself than to them. "…I don't have a good feeling about this."
And with that she headed straight for the door of the house, the tail of her coat trailing behind her, cutting through the mist as though it weren't there. Percy felt a prick of anger in his stomach. What the hell was her problem? What had they seen back there in Solaceon?
"Real ray of sunlight," muttered Reiko under her breath, though there was no humor in her voice.
"Reiko, what on earth…?"
"Not here," she cut him off. "Cynthia was right about one thing; I can't wait for this fucking night to be over." She sighed. "Let's go to bed. We can talk there."
----------------------------------------
The next morning came and went, and while Reiko expected sleep to evade her, it seemed the toil of their past mission had been too much even for her. She slept like an Onix and by the time she woke up her internal clock told her it was already past noon. Her stomach, on the other hand, screamed at her angrily to eat something, which she couldn't really argue with.
She paid no mind to Palmer as she entered the kitchen and began preparing her lunch. Since the house did not count with electricity or gas, she had to content herself with making a sandwich and calling it a day. That was fine by her. She'd learned enough from Janine about how to survive in the wild and this was nothing, in comparison.
Absentmindedly she reached for a knife to spread some mustard on the bread, but she froze as soon as the ceiling light reflected off it, making it gleam. The knife suddenly felt cold, and heavy. She stared at it for what felt like a minute before she came back to herself and shook her head slightly, color rising to her cheeks.
Get off it, she thought, angrily. This is nothing. Last night was… nothing.
She looked over her shoulder and, to her relief, Palmer didn't seem to have noticed her short trance. Didn't seem to have noticed her even walking in, in fact. His gaze was fixed on the Pokétch around his wrist, absentmindedly scrolling on the screen with an empty look on his face. Without the usual smile brightening up his features, the man looked about ten years older.
Reiko stared, then an idea came to her. At first she swatted it away like an annoying mosquito, but then Barry's face came into her mind and she felt a knot in her stomach. She had a soft spot for the boy, she couldn't deny that. Still, that meant nothing regarding his father; she had all the right in the world to hate him as much as she wanted. He deserved it. The things he'd done…
She suddenly pursed her lips, remembering last night's scene. Cynthia's words echoed inside her head.
Do you believe these kids deserve the fate they got?
She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling her muscles twice as heavy as usual. Then, with barely a hint of effort, she turned around and grabbed the knife again.
A minute later, a plate with two sandwiches came down somewhat violently in front of Palmer's face. The man jumped, eyes wide, and made a gesture toward his belt. However, all that was in front of him was the plate of food and Reiko, glaring down at him.
"Wha–"
"You need to eat," she said plainly. "You're no use to us hungry or dead."
And without another word she sat across him and began chomping on her own food, making sure not to make eye contact. Palmer blinked a few times. Surely, he must have thought he was dreaming or otherwise he'd been hit in the head pretty hard. Which, knowing his son and the way he acted, might have happened more than a few times. Reiko couldn't help but smile at the thought, though she hid it well.
"Thanks," he said, voice thin. "I am feeling a bit peckish, if I have to admit…"
Reiko paused, the sandwich raised halfway toward her mouth. Her eyebrow lifted. "Peckish?"
A weak smile formed on his lips. "My mother was from Galar. I slip into her accent once in a while."
"Hmm."
It was hard not to notice now that he'd pointed it out, though Reiko knew very little about Galarian vernacular. For a moment she was tempted to ask Palmer about his family. However, a part of her took that idea with its two hands and snapped it in half maliciously, as though mocking her for even considering such a thing. She didn't care. Why would she care?
Uncomfortably, half a sandwich already in her mouth, she leaned back on her chair and began looking around the room, searching for anything to take her mind off… everything. Unfortunately, the room was as bare as ever. That is, with the exception of a single, colorful cross-stitch pattern hanging from the wall at her right. 'Bless this Mess' was lovingly stitched in red and green, vines and flowers surrounding the message and a cartoonishly small Cynthia sitting atop the letters, smiling.
'I thought it would liven up the kitchen' she had said two days ago, when she'd hung the horrid thing to the astonishment and disgust of Reiko. 'Morale is the most important part of keeping a group together, you know'.
Reiko scoffed at the thought. Right, there was no better way to apprehend a bunch of terrorists than to believe in the power of friendship. What a bunch of bullshit.
'Sides, not like she's trying to lead by example, she thought, glaring at the door behind her.
"Hey," she said, startling Palmer. "What d'you reckon she's doing all locked up in her room?"
"Cynthia?"
"...Who else?"
"Mhm..." Palmer looked out of it, though after a second he managed to draw what looked like a genuine smile. "Something important, I bet. Cynthia isn't one to bother with something unless it's of great importance."
Reiko frowned. "That's not an answer. Doesn't it bother you that she doesn't share that stuff with us?"
"I reckon she's got her reasons for keeping secrets."
"And you just trust her blindly? You never think that maybe she's got no idea what's going on either and we're just wasting our fucking time here, waiting for her? What kind of 'united group' does that make us?"
"Hey, I never said I don't agree." Palmer shrugged nonchalantly. "It comes down to whether you trust Cynthia or not. I understand why you wouldn't," he hurried to add, seeing Reiko's frown deepen. "And I don't blame you if you don't, but remember; you haven't seen her work yet."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Palmer looked at her, serious. "I'll just say this; her reputation's not undeserved. If it were, she wouldn't have dismantled a government and turn the tide of a war by herself." Reiko's nose flared at that last part and he noticed. "Sorry. Still… you can't really argue with her talent, and talent comes with a price."
"And that price is…?"
"Trusting that she knows what she's doing, even if you don't really believe she does," he finished saying, making a 'Oh well' gesture with his hands and shoulders.
Reiko shook her head and shoved the rest of the sandwich into her mouth, mumbling an unintelligible spew of insults and angry comments, none of which could be made out except for a few 'ridiculous' and 'this fucking region…'.
"Maybe she'll surprise you soon," Palmer said hopefully.
She already had, Reiko thought as the memory of last night came to her, that of the terrifying Pokemon Cynthia had called and ordered to make her relive the last moments of those poor kids' lives. She could vividly remember that gut-wrenching scream as though it had just happened.
"Yeah, maybe," whispered Reiko sourly. "I'm in the mood for a surprise. Maybe her not being such a showboating, self-absorbed cryptic bast–"
"And a good afternoon to you as well, Reiko."
Cynthia strolled into the room, so soundlessly that Palmer and Reiko couldn't help but jump at her sudden presence. Heavy bags hung under her eyes. The tiny smile she shot them both did little to ease the knot in their stomach at how unkempt she looked.
"Oh. Hey, Cynthia…" Palmer stood up suddenly, wiping his face with his sleeve and blinking rapidly. "We were just…"
"Talking about you," Reiko finished his sentence. "You look like a punch to the face."
"I suppose I do," said Cynthia with her back to them, filling a glass with water from the tap. "It's been a long night."
Palmer walked toward her, though still kept a distance of about an arm. He looked at her questioningly.
"Any news?" he asked. "Did you discover something?"
A hint of irritation crossed Cynthia's face, something Reiko would have greatly enjoyed at any other time.
"I'm… afraid I haven't made much progress in my investigation," she said, tone ice-cold. "I'm sorry."
Palmer nodded empathically, smiling. "'S fine. You'll get it eventually."
"Might help if you told us what you're investigating," Reiko offered. "But hey, what do I know. I'm not as accomplished as you are, after all."
Cynthia, unsurprisingly, met her comment with a patient smile and a nod of acknowledgment.
"Hey, some coffee might help us all out." Palmer glanced at both of them with a forced cheery expression. "I'll go get some, alright? Then we can think more about all this."
"That's very kind of you," said Cynthia absentmindedly.
Reiko said nothing as he exited the room, looking more like he needed a break than anything else. She couldn't blame him. After a few seconds of silence, briefly interrupted by the sound of Cynthia downing her glass of water, the woman finally addressed her.
"I wouldn't want to give the image that I don't trust you," she said. "I am simply… trying to shed some light into the obscure puzzle that is our enemy's plan. Mars and her Ditto, more specifically."
Reiko nodded, somewhat expecting that answer. To be honest, she'd given the matter some thought herself.
"Not much we can do until someone catches her," she said, sinking into her chair. "I'm guessing you haven't got anything on her background?"
"Only theories," said Cynthia sourly. "None of which are substantial enough to fill the blank spaces in this particular puzzle. There are no records of her before she turned eighteen, and even after that it has been extremely difficult to get any information about her. It's… troubling."
"Right... of course we can't just get an answer right away." Reiko narrowed her eyes, exhausted, her gaze stuck on the dingy, moldy ceiling. "Don't know what to tell you. I only know about Mars because of that Ditto of hers and the fact that Charon gave it to her."
There was an immediate change in the atmosphere, so abrupt it felt like a shock to her spine. Reiko opened her eyes wide and turned toward Cynthia. The woman stood still as a plank, her glass halfway toward her mouth.
"I…" She blinked a few times. "Come again?"
Reiko shrugged. What was the matter with her?
"You know… the Ditto?" said Reiko, with a tone normally used to educate children. "Charon created it while he was working with Fuji and Blaine on that M project during the war."
It was as though a ray of divine light had fallen upon Cynthia; at once, all the exhaustion and irritation seemed to fade off her face, and as she stood again to her full height, eyes widening in realization, Reiko felt a powerful shiver run over her like a crashing wave of excitement.
"Of course," she breathed out. "How could I be so blind!?"
Cynthia's hand moved so quickly Reiko could barely react, and with a flick of her wrist she produced a shiny Ultraball in her hand. Only when light pooled off it did Reiko lean back, alarmed. A small, elegant creature of soft pink fur and long, pointy ears materialized on top of the table, glancing around regally and whipping the air impatiently with her thin, bifurcated tail. The Espeon blinked twice, then turned toward her trainer. A potent red light glowed between her eyes, the gem encrusted in her forehead pulsing with unbridled psychic power.
"Noria, I need you to teleport a few tomes to me, if you may," said Cynthia, a hint of impatience in her voice. "X-12 and F-5. They're both inside my room back in Celestic. If you need further indications…"
However, it seemed Noria hardly needed any indication whatsoever, as her eyes lit ablaze even before the woman had finished her sentence. An odd feeling fell over room, one that Reiko recognized too well. It was the same chest-tightening sensation that usually came with teleportation, only not quite as strong or unpleasant. A second later, two books materialized in front of the Espeon with a pop. One of them was massive, easily heavier than Noria, while the other one was a small and dingy journal, dry and leather-bound.
"What are you doing?" Reiko asked cautiously.
"Finally finding some answers, hopefully," replied Cynthia, picking up the larger tome –titled 'Genetic Poke-Mutations and Their Exploitation in Modern Science'– and opening it. "I wouldn't want to be presumptuous, of course, but I daresay your comment just now might have finally given me the piece I needed."