CHAPTER 196 - Turning Point III

I knew where Cynthia was going as soon as she began to speak. She was going to tell us the same story Bellatrix had told me. I steeled myself and straightened my back. This felt important somehow. Something that I should be fully alert for.

"Thousands of years ago," she began with a somber tone. "Three humans were given abilities by Legendaries known as Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf. These represent Emotion, Knowledge and Willpower respectively."

I felt my palms moisten. I hadn't expected names that I had never heard before. She was being a lot more direct than Bellatrix had been.

"The stories say that they were given a Plume, a Claw and a Fang that gave them those abilities. There are different versions of it as well. Stories change as they are passed down from generation to generation and are embellished beyond the truth. Some say that they spoke to those Legendaries and were tested before being given that power. Some say that they only had to travel to where they slumbered, while others say that it was a pure coincidence. The ranges of the powers in them vary. For example, for the child blessed by willpower, we have a story that says they were a good leader while in another, they could force someone to do whatever they wanted, akin to some kind of mind control."

Cecilia's face scrunched up in disgust when Cynthia finished her sentence. Obviously, mind control was a sore point for her.

"The only element they all share in common was that these gifts were always given to children. I, for one subscribe to the coincidence theory. I do not believe in chosen ones," she said with a smirk. "But I may be wrong. Grace, you can understand Pokemon and feel what they feel when you concentrate enough. When you do so, a mental barrier of incredible complexity is layered onto your brain."

"You know this?" I muttered. "How?"

"I paid Hatterene a visit after seeing how close you got with her. That was quite a show you put on near Veilstone's gates."

"And she just told you?"

"I forced it out of her. I have my ways of dealing with prickly fairies, and unlike her, I am willing to entertain being wrong."

My blood ran cold at the words. I stared at my two friends who were frozen in place, unable to comprehend the scale of the information Cynthia was revealing to us.

"I will pay her back at a later date," she continued. "Then it was a matter of putting her words to the test. Lou confirmed it for me. She was following you during your entire stay in Veilstone, and as it stands, nothing we have can replicate such a barrier. You are confirmed to be… well, I won't use chosen, but you have abilities that none others have. You visiting Lake Verity at the start of your journey lends credence to the 'visiting' theory, but this notion changed when we analyzed Mira after Carlos raised suspicions about how you thought. Incredible skill at multitasking, constant rants and somehow one-uping your Alakazam with knowledge you shouldn't have, learning at an inhuman pace like when you tried to learn to code from scratch, and most recently the fact that you can have multiple conversations at once."

"W—what? Do I have some kind of shield too?" The girl asked. "This is fucking insane."

"Yours was a little harder to test. One of our concealed psychic types peered into your mind during one of your conversations with your Alakazam when he was a Kadabra. It was when you took Carlos to the industrial sector up north a few days ago. If I recall, you were talking about Justin Gardner. You came up with theories for his condition that went beyond our doctors' understanding."

"I was…"

"You had the same thing. A mental barrier with hundreds, if not thousands of layers. Impossible to breech, just for that moment," Cynthia said. "But unlike Grace or Cecilia, you never went to Lake Acuity up north."

"I didn't. I don't even know where the hell that is," she stammered, her face pale. "And I guess… like, correct answers come to me easily. Shit that I should have no business knowing or that should take way longer to figure out and I end up getting lucky because of it. It's not perfect, though. I let Abel escape."

"Interesting indeed. So what does it mean, then?" Cynthia asked, rubbing her chin. "We will return to this soon. Cecilia."

Cece jumped when her name was called.

"You are different. When we saw that two children of the same group had these abilities, we started to scan every single one of you. Sorry to intrude into your heads, but it is the most surefire way we had of figuring this out. We started to look back on past interactions and wonder if how you behaved back then was because of that influence or if it was you. It was simply too much. See, this is where the coincidence theory loses some of its appeal. If it was a coincidence, the odds of these gifts going to Grace and Mira are astronomically low."

"How am I different?" Cecilia asked after a long pause.

"You do not have the mental barriers. You do not have the same abilities these two have regarding Willpower, or at least not as much as it should be if you were the one."

Cecilia's shoulders sagged.

"But there was a hint of them during your battle with Lauren Goodwill," Cynthia said. "That is not all. Chase Karlson also shares them, but his… progress is more advanced than yours, and neither of you share the extent of Grace's and Mira's capabilities. It's like the power has been split in half. The reason he isn't here is because we'll be talking about more than this, but I will get him up to speed when he decides to cooperate with us. Still, two people sharing the same blessing. That shouldn't have been the case according to the story, which is why I decided to abandon going along with old legends, as much as it pains me. Chosen ones, coincidences, traveling on location, who knows which one is correct? Or perhaps a mix? And words like Emotion, Willpower and Knowledge are horribly vague and can mean a wide array of things. We are operating on entirely different rules. We do not know how these Pokemon think, let alone how they'd go about choosing someone. Simply banking everything on stories won't do the trick. They are helpful, but not reliable, which is something Hatterene ought to learn."

Now that.

That upended my entire understanding— which wasn't much to begin with— but it turned my world upside down. Even if I hadn't believed Bella's story to be right, the fact that it was being espoused by both her and Cynthia meant that some form of it was true. My fingers trembled and I felt Cecilia grip my hand tightly.

"What do you mean, Chase's progress is more advanced than hers? What is this, a race to figure out who'd be best at bearing this fucked up gift?" Mira asked. "Who's better at fulfilling the role?"

"At embodying the concept of Willpower?" my girlfriend specified.

"An interesting theory. I hadn't thought about that yet, but it would make some sense. There is no way to know if it's correct or not," Cynthia smiled. "Still, neither Chase nor Cecilia went to Lake Valor, so the same point applies."

"If I'm the exception rather than the rule, could the fact that I visited Lake Verity be a coincidence?" I asked.

"If they are Legendaries, their influence could stretch beyond the Lakes," Cecilia said, frowning.

"We've considered it. Again, there's no real way to know."

"So what's this about a Plume, a Claw and a Fang, then?" Mira asked.

"As far as we know, these are a metaphor for your abilities. None of you received anything of the sort. Any questions? If not, I will move on to the next part of the story."

"Can we tell this to our friends or not?" I said. "I'm feeling a rift form between us the more confidential information you ask us to keep, and I hate it. I want us all to be on the same page."

"I don't think so."

That wasn't a no. I still held out hope.

"If this is a race, and I'm losing, what happens when I do? I didn't notice anything that different about me. I'm just the same as always," Cecilia said. "Maybe I tend not to give up anymore, but that's it."

"You do not want to lose to Chase," Cynthia noticed. "I'm afraid we don't have an answer for you, but Mason brought something to my attention. You told him to get out of your way and he almost considered doing so. That's not the kind of person he is."

Cecilia nodded tightly. The Champion looked at Mira, who was staring with wide eyes. Her entire world had just been fundamentally changed, and so had Cecilia's.

"Now, let us move on. This part of the story, you will keep secret. It is about the three children being key to saving Sinnoh from calamity."

Calamity. The word itself unsettled me and filled me with dread. How bad were we talking? I had thought that Team Galactic was an organization wanting to take over Sinnoh or wreak havoc because they disapproved of Cynthia, not for them to attempt to bring whatever the hell this calamity was supposed to be. The fact that Cynthia was referring to that same old story Bellatrix had meant that they wanted to mess with Legendaries.

"You can't expect us to do something if the League itself can't do it," Mira quietly said.

"Of course. I wasn't speaking in a matter of strength. Team Galactic is trying to… disturb these Legendaries in their rest to pursue further goals that I won't go into. Should this ever come to pass, we do not know how bad things will get. Are you familiar with the Legendary Birds and how they function?"

"Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres," I nodded.

"They embody the elements of electricity, ice and fire," The Champion said. "During the Great War, they sent dozens of avatars to end the fighting. Weakened versions of themselves to do their bidding. To us, it'd be like calling exterminators because of an ant infestation. There are multiple instances of trainers taking some down, but of course humanity was overwhelmed by sheer numbers. One or two, we could deal with, but dozens? We had to stop the war, and I am thankful for their intervention."

"I remember Pauline's mother telling us about that," Cecilia said.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Josephine? She's quite knowledgeable in geopolitics. Either way, some Legends can be subjugated and beaten. The stories say that Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf were controlled in some way, so that does not bode well for us. The evil forces trying to shape the world to their liking controlled them through artificial means while the three blessed children could fight off that influence and fully cooperate with them," she mused. "It was a battle of leverage. The three legendaries often changed hands and battled one another, with the key objective being not to let all three fall into one camp's hands."

The Champion placed a hand on Garchomp's rough scales, petting her gently. Love emanated out of the dragon type.

"If one or all of Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit ever came under Team Galactic's control, your job would be to do the same thing. To wrestle them away. That is something only you can do. Not any of us at the League. Not even me," Cynthia said, pausing slightly. "So you will have to forgive me for doing this, but you will be deeply involved in League affairs from now on. You cannot refuse. Chase Karlson will be told the same. We do not know how you would go about doing this either, but it should be... intrinsic."

I swallowed, biting my lip. Visions of Mars dredged up at the edges of my memory and my palms began to sweat. My promise to Sunshine was now closer than ever, but I couldn't help but feel a trepidation in my heart. As if I was anticipating something, but also fear.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Mira grinned. Her goal was no longer beyond her reach.

Cecilia stared with a clenched fist. I wondered what she was thinking about.

"Of course, you may still keep going in the Circuit if you so wish. I will not stop you from journeying, but seeing as how invaluable you are, the guard arrangement we had? It will be permanent and on the routes from now on as well," she added. "Just like before, you will not notice them. They have ways to being hidden unless someone forces them to show themselves."

"Nice jab at me, but you can't deny I helped you a lot today," Mira crossed her arms.

"You did. The raid on Team Galactic's auxiliary bases are being prepared as we speak, and I did expect you to pull something like this, just not to this extent. But continuing, when you have gathered your eight badges or decide that you are done with the Circuit, you will come to the Lily of the Valley island in advance. You will stay there all summer, including for the Conference, or until Team Galactic is dealt with in full."

"Wait, I have obligations! I have my contract with the Poketch Company, I can't go back on my word," I exclaimed. "I still have four tournaments to participate in too, so I don't even think I'll have time."

"One word from me and a little bit of pressure applied to the right people and that contract will be modified as I deem fit. Do not worry though, we have good reason to think that they will be forced out of hiding soon enough. They are losing, and only through an attack will they regain the initiative. Once they do, we can stamp them out once and for all. This is going to end sooner rather than later. I have no intentions of letting them ransack through Sinnoh for decades like Team Rocket did to Kanto and Johto."

Mira raised a hand. "Cynthia. Have you considered the possibility of more people having these abilities? If Chase and Cecilia are sharing it, then it's possible that we share ours with some stranger as well. Or used to share. What if it wasn't just two, but hundreds of people."

"We did consider it, but unless we plan to look into the minds of every single person in Sinnoh in hopes of catching them at the right moment, we have to make do with what we have. Somehow, four people in your group ended up being involved."

"Still cool to think about though," she said with a child-like smile. "Anything else? I wanted to go eat out with Carlos and I have a lot to think about. Can I tell him this?"

"We're almost done," Cynthia said. "And yes, you may tell him."

"Shouldn't you help us train or something?" Cecilia asked. "If we're as important as you say, then it would make sense. There are potential ramifications with accusations of favoritism, but doesn't this take precedence?"

"I do not care about favoritism at this point, but you won't be fighting anyone important in Team Galactic," Cynthia waved a hand. "And on the off-chance you do, your guards will bring you to safety. You are making excellent progress without help as it stands—"

"Even so, we'd be making a lot more if you helped us," Mira interrupted her, raising her voice slightly.

"Let me finish. I know the answer is not one you like, but I really do not have time to train you at the moment. Perhaps some Gym Leaders would be more amenable to the idea when the Gym Challenge dies down near the end of the year, but don't expect them to accept. I doubt they'd spend the little free time they get on tutoring people that don't work for their gyms."

"Sounds like you all want whatever calamity is going to happen to happen," Mira said.

Cynthia chuckled. "You couldn't be further from the truth. Let us speak and continue our conversation, then. The government will take care of the Commanders. The most you might have to see are grunts, but the ACEs will deal with it."

"Can I come to one of the raids today?" Mira asked.

"No."

"Bummer."

"Why would you even want that? You uncle won't be in those bases according to Abel's own words."

"Because I want to destroy them for making him worse instead of better," she answered with a determined look. "For taking him away and ruining his life. Plus, you could use my Gardevoir's Trace. If she latches on to one of the Commanders, she'd be able to track them."

"As I said, you will only be involved if our fortresses at the Lakes fall. Right now, we are winning slowly but surely. No risks have to be taken. I wanted to speak about the relationship between Abel and Team Galactic specifically. Due to him revealing all of that information about his employers, there is no doubt that a split will have taken place. Unfortunately for us, he will probably keep himself shrouded in dark energy to stop us from finding him with Trace, and there is also the possibility of him having fled the city, so we won't be seeing him any time soon. Another positive consequence from today's events."

"What about Clarence?" Cecilia asked.

"He'll be placed back under house arrest. He's asked to speak to you, actually."

"Absolutely not."

"I figured. Grace, you have an interview next week with Mallory from SGNC. She will probe into today's events. I've already told you multiple times, but do not speak about this. The same applies to all of you."

"And our friends?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, I've thought about it and I do not think it would be wise at the moment."

"They're trustworthy. They wouldn't say anything," I tried.

Cynthia studied a pen. "No risks will be taken. What if, they are taken hostage and their minds ransacked? No protection is foolproof. The less people know, the better."

"I don't know how you manage it. To live with everything hidden," I said with a hint of sadness. She didn't react, and her smile didn't falter. "Fine. I won't say anything."

"Good. I will now speak to you individually. Who wants to go first?"

"I will go," Cecilia said.

—

Lying to children was not something Cynthia enjoyed, but how could she tell them that there was a risk of the world ending? No, better keep it vague with words like calamity for now. They would no doubt imagine something horrible, but they would not imagine the world winking out of existence in less than a second. Maylene was extremely strong mentally and she was still unsettled by the revelation and couldn't help but fear when she stopped being busy. The only Gym Leader who were still behaving as they had in private were Byron and Wake.

If the Lake Legendaries got in Team Galactic's control for long enough… then it would be over. There were still the matters of how they were planning on doing so. The stories always spoke of bindings, either chains, shackles, rope, and many others, all sharing the color red. Cynthia had no idea of how to create or counter it beyond using Grace, Cecilia, Chase, and Mira. Then, there was the matter of where it would take place. The tales said Mount Coronet's summit, but…

Cynthia had only been there once, and nothing up there made any sense. Time appeared to pass normally when you were there, but outside of the summit, it almost stood still. Teleporting in or out was impossible. It seemed to stretch on and on and on for longer than what was possible. Making it to the end of it had also been impossible, and she and her task force had been forced to turn back after running out of oxygen.

They called it Spear Pillar.

"So, Cecilia," Cynthia said, twirling a pen. "I am asking a lot out of you. Putting a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. What is it that you desire."

The young girl stared right into the Champion's eyes.

"So you are rewarding us with a gift, then."

"As long as that gift is feasible. Do you want a TM? A Pokemon to fill out your ranks? Ask and it will be yours tonight."

Cecilia pursed her lips. "I am thinking of a long-term gift, then. You said that I would never be able to handle Spiritomb unless I was as powerful as a member of the Elite Four. I ask you to bring me to one of their locations after my eighth badge regardless of how powerful I am. If I am blessed with Willpower as you say, then I should be able to resist their torment and pressure. I am confident I can handle it."

Cynthia's smirk widened. Cecilia Obel shared the most similarities with her, it seemed. She'd been horribly unqualified when she had stumbled upon her Spiritomb down that well on route 209. Yet she'd caught them and raised them all the same. Cecilia hadn't even entertained the fact that she might lose her gift either. She was further along than she believed.

"It will be dangerous. I can only promise you this after Team Galactic has been dealt with. I can't risk you dying to your own Pokemon."

"I do not like it, but I'll take it," she nodded. "That is all I wanted. Thank you."

Which one would she take her to? The one at the top floor of the Lost Tower was a no-go. Ruth and Mathilda would throw a fit. Perhaps the one on route 225 on the Battle Frontier, then. They were not as young, but it'd have to do.

Grace Pastel came in next. Behind her eyes were a judge, a jury, and an executioner. Cynthia could feel her animosity from here, but alas, confidential information was confidential whether she liked it or not. The anger would fade in time, although it would take longer due to her leanings with the fae.

"Grace. Seeing as I am forcing you into this, I will give you one gift. Anything that you desire that is possible for the League to procure. Say the word, and it is yours."

"You don't have to feel indebted if it's to help Sinnoh as a whole," she said. "But if I had to pick, I guess I'd choose… do you know about that ancient civilization Chase Karlson discovered on route 210? Keep it clear of any archeologists or League Trainers. I want to find a Claydol or Baltoy and catch it."

The Champion exhaled. Not even a Shiny Stone for her Togetic, or the method to evolve that Electabuzz of hers? She was going to get enough money soon, but they were all asking for incredibly dangerous things. Had they not heard what she just said? Their importance trumped even hers. They couldn't be replaced.

Maybe they hadn't fully realized how bad of a calamity it would be yet.

"You are aware of the ghost that lurks within?" Cynthia asked. "We haven't managed to catch or kill it yet. I've been too busy to go there and it's low on our priority list."

"I'll deal with it, and I'll only go when I'm strong enough to handle it."

From the reports Cynthia had heard, it was some ancient form of Zoroark that seemed to be powerful enough to take down an entire team of six seven badge-rated Pokemon, or maybe even eight. Something in between.

"The danger's too high, I'm afraid. You'll have to wait until Team Galactic is either dealt with, or accept going down there with a team of at least five ACE trainers."

"I'm content to wait for now. I don't have the time to backtrack yet anyway. I will see if something else catches my eye in the meantime."

"Very well. Is that all?"

"Lou. What is she? She resembles something between human and Pokemon to me. I can kind of tell what she feels."

"The League created her in an effort to replicate the clans in Kanto and Johto," Cynthia said, deciding to stay low on detail. "She can teleport and has psychic powers, but they exhaust her quickly. I'm afraid I cannot explain further than that."

Grace nodded and exited the room. Mira Compton entered with her hands in her back pockets as she studied the Champion.

"I think I did everything you expected of me and more today, no?" She asked. "Sorry about letting Abel get away."

Cynthia leaned against a fist. It was true that she'd expected Mira Compton's efforts to lead them toward Team Galactic, but she hadn't expected her to be this efficient at it. Gardevoir's Trace would be a great asset for the League to have, but she doubted the teenager wanted to work for her. Mira disliked Cynthia, that much was obvious, but she was content with her situation, especially when she'd given her something to chew on— the fact that she'd be slightly more involved with Team Galactic as a whole. Less than she would have liked, but more than expected nonetheless.

Now that Grace, Mira and Cecilia's importance had been cemented, it was imperative for Cynthia to get them on her side. Maybe that was the wrong way of saying it. She needed them to be loyal, as the rest of the League was. That was the true purpose of these gifts. Of course, Chase Karlson would get one as well, along with a quick admission into the LTIP.

"It's fine," she answered. "You did good, even though you were reckless. Needless to say, you will not be doing that again. I am giving you a gift. Anything you want."

"I want to be able to let Alakazam and Gardevoir out of their Pokeballs," she immediately answered.

"That is too simple. Consider it done, but surely there's something else that entices you."

"Five years with my uncle instead of one when you capture him," Mira said. "I would have asked for him to be in prison for life, but I know you'd refuse that."

"I can promise you five years," she nodded. "But there is the possibility that he dies in the crossfire. Many things happen during battles."

Mira clenched a fist. "I don't care. It's what I want."

Cynthia paused and felt guilt creep up.

Damn her and her soft spot for children. "We may try to extend it to seven years. Perhaps up to ten, if he is cooperative," she said. "Nothing more, though."

The pink-haired girl beamed. "Thank you."

Soon, all three were gone. No doubt, they had much to talk about, both with themselves and their Pokemon. Grace Pastel had asked how Cynthia could live with keeping everything to herself. Secrets within secrets, each more horrifying than the last. The answer was her Pokemon. She confided in them and them only. Her head turned to Garchomp and she let out a soft sigh. With them, she could be herself. With them, she could stop pretending and appear weak.

She would have gone insane without them.

—

"I didn't understand a word of what you just said. I ain't special because of some story, I'm me. Now for the reward, when are you going to give money to the Iron Islands?"

Chase Karlson was tiring Cynthia out, and she thought that feat to be impossible. After all those words of how he could potentially have a supernatural ability and asking him what he wanted, what he asked for was more money for where he came from. He didn't even comprehend the scale of what was happening or how important he was.

"I can't do it. The budget this year was already passed, and I don't control it anyway. The Directorate does."

"Pass one of those emergency package thingies. You did it for Solaceon. I want better security for miners, better pay, better hours, better equipment, more vacation days— paid vacation days, mind you. I also want better-trained Rangers stationed all throughout the islands."

Cynthia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I can't just press down on a lever and fix everything. I'd have to negotiate with companies, the local government, the workers themselves… and if I push for too much reform, then the mining companies will pack and leave. All of your people will lose their jobs and the Iron Island will fall into ruin."

"Fix it, then."

"You realize that this would take years of incremental progress, right?"

"Man, you suck. You're a politician through and through. If you can't give me what I want, I don't want any reward, I'm out of here."

Chase Karlson strode out of her office, insulting a League Trainer on the way.

Maybe making him loyal to her would be more difficult than Cynthia thought. In a manner of speaking though, it had been nice to return to just politics after so long, even if it only had been for a few minutes. Arguments about policy was a nice change of pace that cleansed her palate after such a long day.

Cynthia checked her watch and saw that it was two in the morning. It was time for the raids to take place. There had been no activity in all of the locations Abel had given, meaning that either he hadn't alerted Team Galactic, or they simply wanted them to fight to the last in tight corridors where they'd have the advantage.

It would not matter with her there. A League Trainer Teleported her and Garchomp up to the docks up north, and the dragon type clawed the hangar's wall apart with a mighty roar.