My Pokémon were handed off to be healed, with a few of them switching in temporarily to hang out before the interviews started. Gardevoir and Togepi hung out with me while the rest of the team was being treated at the Pokémon Center. Since most of my team was in the process of being healed, I was technically allowed to do this. I wasn't violating carrying limits if only Gardevoir and Togepi were with me, after all.
Upon being sent out of their Pokéballs, Gardevoir looked like he expected these results, whereas Togepi acted overjoyed. She ran back and forth on the table in front of me, chirping and saying her name excitedly. I let her grab my hand for her to "dance" with it, moving side to side with a wide smile on her face.
A lot of the people in this room were distracted by Togepi, too. She was such an energetic Pokémon that it was hard to feel anything but warm inside when she was around. Though, her species was rather rare, so Gardevoir sent anyone who looked at her wrong a warning glare to ensure no funny business would be involved.
The dozen men and women quickly went back to setting up their equipment.
With how everything was scheduled, the interview wasn't set to begin until the start of the next hour. My discussion with Cynthia hadn't taken that long at all, especially since I didn't have any serious questions for her. I was already in a small room on an elevated stand with a few different media crews getting set up below.
A Magneton carried a microphone through the air and a Mr. Mime held a camera perfectly steady on one shoulder. A Loudred napped in perfect silence in the corner, and a Hypno stood alongside a woman with gray hair.
In the Hypno's case, I couldn't help but to be wary of it. I didn't have any mind-reading shenanigans to worry about since Gardevoir was with me, but since its pre-evolved form, a Drowzee, was so involved back during my unfortunate encounter in Sea Mauville, I couldn’t stop myself from being uncomfortable from its presence.
As the hour ticked over, the various reporters found their seats, and Cynthia walked onto the stage. I, like everyone else in the room, stood up in recognition of her position before we all sat back down at the relatively same time.
"Exciting Conference this year, hm?" she said.
As the host for this session, Cynthia was completely in charge of what happened. It started with a bit of small talk and the usual compliments—mentioning how wonderful all the competitors were—before she let me go ahead and choose who to take my questions from first.
I'd done this a few times before as interviews had happened at the end of my previous three show battles. The interviewers would make eye contact with me if they had a question prepared, and I would point them out in any order I wished.
"You in the front, in the blue blazer," I said.
The man stood up, holding a small notepad.
"Thank you. Do you have any comments for the other trainers who failed to reach the tournament phase?"
This was a softball. I sent a thankful look to the man for giving me a way to ease into the process of the interview.
"I do, but I don't think 'failed' is the appropriate word, there," I said. "Just getting to the Conference is an achievement in itself. Earning all eight Gym Badges is no easy feat. I think everyone who showed up should be proud of themselves, and for the people who are determined to keep going, I wish you luck for when you compete again next year. You’ll likely find yourself pleasantly surprised with what a year’s worth of training can get you."
The man nodded and sat back down.
"The woman in the second row, three seats in," I pointed out.
"Thank you. Some are calling your performance in this Conference an exponential improvement over your previous. In the span of one year, you went from a trainer barely reaching the Top 16 to this year's Lily of the Valley champion. How did you do it?"
"I trained."
A few reporters chuckled at that, but it wasn't a joke.
"It sounds dumb, but that's what I did. My entire first year as a trainer was basically dedicated to building up my team and laying down the basics. It was thanks to the determination of my Pokémon that we managed to get in the Top 16 initially. Here, we've had an entire year we could use solely to improve ourselves, constantly seeking out opportunities that would push us to our limits.
"I think part of the reason we managed to win is because that's been our goal since we first stepped into Sinnoh. Every battle was a chance to get stronger, and every day was a day we spent getting stronger in one way or another. But, uh, we did take breaks every so often. Resting is good too, you know?"
The woman nodded and sat back down, where I called out another person.
This reporter asked if Robin was going to show up in any more Contests. Unfortunately, I didn't have any immediate plans as it stood.
From there, I went through the process of answering each question in the room that was asked of me. A few questions were simple, like asking me my favorite Pokémon (I had no favorites), or asking my favorite move (Fairy Wind, specifically Florges's). Some of them tried to get tricks and tips out from me, but everything I said boiled down to having good communication with your Pokémon. After all, pushing Pokémon that didn't want to be pushed would end up with a situation like Paul and Chimchar, but not training a Pokémon that wants to get stronger would mean a distinct lack of growth.
A few questions were thrown Cynthia's way, and she quickly answered before going back to doing her best to subtly play with Togepi. Togepi apparently remembered Cynthia from when she was in her egg, and as a result, she kept trying to get Cynthia's attention. Cynthia took this opportunity to play a simple yet hidden game with Togepi, flicking up the fingers of her hand on the table for Togepi to try to grab on to.
Even though she was playing with Togepi on a raised table in front of a room full of reporters, Cynthia's face continued to have that calm smile she had on by default. It wasn't like the reporters could even see what was going on, either, as Togepi was turned around, facing away and blocking everyone else's line of sight to Cynthia's hand with her tiny body. The Champion continued to be the picture perfect Champion for her none-the-wiser, adoring public.
I continued to answer questions as I watched the pair play from the corner of my eye, a small smile on my face as a result.
"You in the back corner, with the Hypno," I finally said.
It was already pretty deep into this process, and I was getting tired. There were a lot of questions to get through, but I was at least thankful to be able to sit down for the process. I felt a little bad about this reporter in particular as she hadn't tried to ask any questions until now, yet I had been unconsciously avoiding her gaze due to the Pokémon next to her. She'd been waiting for me to call on her for a few questions now, at this point.
As I called on her, she smiled lightly and stood up. Rather than bring a notepad up with her like the rest, her hands were completely empty.
"Thank you," she said once she reached her full height. "I'm Meredith Simmons, of Pokémon Worldwide, an investigative journal that operates across multiple regions. Normally I don't introduce myself in depth like this—" I nodded. No one else had introduced themselves in this manner. "But I felt the need to do so in order to provide the background for my next question.
"Alex, where were you born?"
Cynthia's game with Togepi abruptly stopped, and she sat up a bit straighter. My own smile faded from my face. I was shocked out of any tiredness I felt.
"Excuse me?" I said.
"You've made quite the splash since you first became a Pokémon trainer. Not only did you assist in capturing the criminal terrorist, Courtney, during her assault on Mossdeep City in Hoenn, but you were also a key player when it came to Kalos's nearly overnight takedown of the previously little-known Team Flare. Your name has come up in quite a curious number of important events across the world, which, at least to our analysts, implies some sort of connection between them."
I sent a side-eye to Cynthia, but she was calmly staring ahead the same as she was before. However, her body had become a bit more rigid than usual. My own body was tense, and based on what I was seeing, I didn't think either of us expected this line of questioning to be here.
"What are you getting at?"
My voice came out harsher than I meant. The sounds of many reporters furiously writing on their papers told me I'd regret that later.
"Your publicly available records state you lived in Lilycove before your parents passed away. However, asking around, we couldn't find anyone who actually knew you. Going even further, there were rumors of you being an exile of Hoenn's Draconid Tribe, but an anonymous source told us that wasn't the case."
I wanted to make a comment, but I bit my tongue to stop myself from being too vitriolic. She shouldn't have been able to find any of this out.
"Let me ask this again, Alex," she said. "Where were you born?"
Her question hung in the air like an implied threat despite it being something that should be simple to answer. The room was full of nerves but lacked any sounds. Every reporter here was suddenly eager to get my answer.
I wouldn't be able to decline to comment. Cynthia couldn't shut the reporter down, either. We were stuck; any major action taken by us would likely only serve to bring even more scrutiny on what was being asked. I hated to say it, but Cynthia staying silent next to me was actually making me look better than the alternative.
"My records say I was born in—"
"That's what your records say. Where do you say where you were born?"
I didn't want to lie. Even with Gardevoir protecting my mind, there was no way to tell if the reporters had other ways to check if I was telling the truth.
I took a few moments to respond, which only served to make me seem even more suspicious. My mind ran in cycles trying to think of a way to answer the reporters. Questions and red flags were constantly going off in my head.
Why are people looking into me this in depth? How did they find out about my help with Team Magma and Team Flare? Steven said the Draconid Tribe would play along with any rumors as part of a thanks for helping with Rayquaza. Who is that anonymous source?
With everything seemingly rigged against me, I ended up settling on the single strategy I could think of: the truth.
"You got me," I said.
I let out a long sigh and slumped back in my chair. A few reporters leaned in with interest.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"I wasn't born in Lilycove, and I'm not a Draconid exile, either. I didn't want this stuff to come out because it's family stuff, you know?"
The reporter kept quiet. I recognized that as a way to try to encourage me to speak.
"My mother was kind of a narcissist. Not exactly one, but she came close. Growing up, I got everything I wanted, but the second I got too old and was no longer a cute child, things got a lot tougher for me.
"I left as soon as I could. That background stuff with Lilycove was done as a favor to make sure I couldn't be connected to anywhere. I wanted a fresh start. Just me in a new life all on my own. It worked up until now, at least."
The woman who asked the question stayed quiet, but this time, she wasn't trying to dig any further. Her eyes were hung low towards the floor, and she refused to make eye contact with me.
A few other reporters were giving her dirty looks, now. Even though my heart was beating at an insane rate in my chest, what I said wasn't a lie. I didn't like to talk about it, but what I said was essentially the truth—just phrased ever so specifically to get people off my trail.
I was only answering a single part of her question. I was trying to make this as uncomfortable as possible to get her to not ask any further.
"But your mother—" the reporter interjected.
"She's... not with us," I replied.
A few other reporters hung their heads, believing my mother to be dead, following the implication I laid out perfectly for them. There were even a few compassionate whispers of apology, too. Of course, I had no clue how my mother was doing—nor did I truly care—but I still hadn't lied so far.
"I have no more questions," the woman said after a short period of silence.
She sat back down without saying anything else.
After that, a few reporters tried to get more out of me, but I kept my responses short and terse. After answering only three, I excused myself for "not being in the right mindset anymore," and I stepped off the stage.
Togepi was clutched tightly in my arms as I left the room. Gardevoir stood at my side, giving me worried looks as I did.
"I'm alright," I said. "I don't like thinking of my background, but if I need to bring it up to keep everyone from growing too suspicious of us, I'll do so to protect our team."
Gardevoir sent me a smile, and I did my best to smile right back. We went a bit further down into the hallway before I heard the clicking of Cynthia's footsteps quickly catching up.
"Masterfully done, Alex. You didn't even answer her question, but I know people won't look further for now."
I glanced over to Cynthia, who was palming something in her dark, furred jacket. The space around us took on a dark hue, and Gardevoir next to me shivered.
Likely, her Spiritomb just did something to keep the space private.
"Should I be worried?" I asked.
For a moment, Cynthia's face began to contort slightly, but it quickly leveled back out. She started to walk down the hall, turning away from me, and I fell in pace beside her. She took several moments to finally respond.
"No, I don't think—"
"You're lying."
Cynthia's mouth slammed shut.
"You're using the same tone you and Steven used after I beat Tobias. There's something going on that I'm not getting, some key information that's being locked from me for some reason. I understand you two are Champions, but if it concerns me so seriously, I need to know."
Cynthia stopped walking and turned in place to stare at me dead on. I kept my eyes locked on Cynthia's own, not willing to back down from whatever this was.
I won. Eventually, Cynthia sighed.
"This level of perception is the exact reason I want you to accept my offer. The League would benefit a lot from a trainer like you."
I wasn't the same paranoid person who was first dropped into this world. My team and I were the winners of the Lily of the Valley Conference. I had the right to say I knew when something was up.
Cynthia turned and moved into a side room, where two Ace Trainers were taking a break. The pair of young men shot up from where they were together on the couch, and they hastily saluted Cynthia as she strode in.
"Sorry. We need this room," she said.
The flustered young men darted out faster than I thought was possible. Cynthia moved to sit down on the now unoccupied couch as I found myself a chair to position across from her.
"This doesn't leave the building," she said.
I nodded seriously.
"This information goes far back, far further than when you first arrived here. It concerns a certain island region and the presence of a type of person called a 'Faller.'"
"A person who came out of an Ultra Wormhole. Steven talked about this before," I identified.
"Steven was the one who told me of your situation. I was the one who figured out the potential difficulties that might come of it," Cynthia replied. "To start, understand that when the Ultra Wormholes first appeared in Alola, the Pokémon League wasn't present. Usually, the Pokémon League is the one to handle any Pokémon-related issue, but without us there, the International Police were forced to step in."
Cynthia sighed, looking regretful about something. From what I knew, this was before her time, as well. She wouldn't have even had the opportunity to get involved.
"When someone in another reality travels through an Ultra Wormhole, they become a Faller. Fallers give off a certain energy that attracts Ultra Beasts, and they tend to have memory issues in one way or another."
"Like Mohn," I said. "He lost his memories."
"Mohn?" Cynthia asked.
"He's Lusamine's missing husband."
The look Cynthia gave me told me that I probably should have mentioned that in the past. To be fair, when you have two decades worth of knowledge to share about a form of media, it's easy for some things to fall through.
"What I'm trying to get to is that due to the precedent created in the past, the International Police have authority on all things Fallers. Regulations are in place regarding how they should be handled when it comes to assimilating them into a new society. That shouldn't be an issue as you didn't come through an Ultra Wormhole, but due to a few old laws, you would technically fall completely within the jurisdiction of the International Police. As in, they would effectively become your legal superiors."
Togepi, still in my arms, pulled up her small arms to lay them against my hand. Her calming touch helped me stay focused.
"So what does that mean?" I asked.
"It means that even though you're a trainer under the League, the International Police have the authority to recall you, a technical Faller, into their service at any time to assist them with their Ultra Beast problem in Alola. Not only that, but they continue to work closely with the Aether Foundation despite our warnings to them, as there's no direct evidence to back up our claims. The International Police is a trustworthy organization, but it’s worrying when the Aether Foundation’s true objectives are so unclear."
I leaned back in my seat, the metal chair creaking as I did. A simple fan lazily spun attached to the ceiling, sending a light breeze down onto my face.
I'd been so worried about my own freedom but I didn't even know that it could be stripped from me at a moment's notice. It was sour news to hear on the night of my Conference victory.
"Why wasn't I told this earlier?"
I wasn't looking at Cynthia—I was staring at the ceiling instead—but the sound of her silence told me she didn't have a pleased look on her face.
"If you become employed by the League, the laws that could bring you into the International Police's service wouldn't apply. After a discussion with Steven, we didn't want you to feel that we were forcing you into working with us by dangling the International Police over your head. We couldn't think of any other solution other than a protracted, years-long legal battle to change the law, either. Which, might I add, would be very suspicious for us to suddenly do."
I appreciated the fact that the reason they hid this information from me came from a good place, but it still rubbed me the wrong way that such critical information was kept hidden. I had the right to make an informed decision, a right that I didn't have the chance to express here. I was both upset with them while also being unable to get too upset. I got where they were coming from. I still didn't like it.
"I already planned to accept the offer," I said as I brought my head back forward. "I wanted to get more details about the job first, though. Negotiation and all of that, you know?"
Cynthia nodded, briefly looking surprised before leveling her expression back out.
"I understand. Believe me, Alex, I am deeply sorry we didn't tell you the truth upfront. But I am glad you are still willing to work alongside us."
"I'm glad this is mostly settled, but it still poses a problem we'll need to deal with soon."
Cynthia tilted her head to the side ever so slightly.
"Why is that?" she asked.
"I planned to go to Alola next."
__________________________
A rudimentary contract was formed and written through the use of Cynthia's legal authority as Champion. I didn't want to leave anything to chance, especially after those probing questions threatened to reveal my background, so I was now an employed member of the Pokémon League. I had all the rights and protections that entailed.
More specifically, I was an unpaid intern with no job requirements, a minimum wage salary, and a contract that expired in a few weeks. It was enough to let me bypass any legal problem for now, but we would need to actually negotiate how Cynthia's proposal would actually work down the line. She also needed to get it approved with the other higher-ups, too.
When the contract was finalized and signed, I took a moment to look at Cynthia and asked her why I couldn't just have a version of this basic contract for the long term as a solution for my independence.
The room was plunged into a long, awkward silence.
"Oh," she said.
I supposed that with her and Steven's position on authority, something as simple and silly as that just didn't come to mind. Being in a position as important as the Champion probably meant she was more used to more complicated problems and solutions.
I didn't do any more information digging or negotiation today. I retrieved my Pokémon, sent Gardevoir and Togepi back (after assuring them I would be okay), and went to bed.
I slept until noon the next day.
The Lily of the Valley Island felt strange as I walked around. I had on a pair of dark sunglasses and a recently purchased tourist outfit to leave me unrecognizable as I walked down the main path. All of the booths were in the process of being packed up, and, already, there were significantly fewer people here in town. Most competitors had left or were in the process of leaving. Most tourists were gone, too, having left after witnessing the finals last night.
No one paid me any mind. I was just a lone individual walking down a cobbled street as everyone around me did their job in one way or another.
"Hello, Alex."
A man with spiked, steel-blue hair fell in by my side. He was wearing cargo pants, a flowery T-shirt, and a pair of socks and sandals. A small pin on his collar exposed a Key Stone, and it was easy enough for me to recognize him as Steven.
"Hey," I said.
"The interview yesterday wasn't live. Any video of that one question wasn't aired, and all of the participating organizations agreed to leave out what happened for the sake of your privacy. I know if Wallace was here, he would be proud of how you handled that. It was a bit manipulative, but isn't that the best part of being a Fairy Type specialist?"
He smiled lightly, and I shook my head at his cheeky comment. We walked in silence for a while before he finally spoke up.
"So you've accepted the job," he said.
"I did. It'll certainly be interesting if it's approved."
"It will. Cynthia already has the votes, and I doubt Lance will decline with the power it gives him."
My brow furrowed at that, not really sure how my job would give the Champion of Kanto any power. But, I didn't want to talk about that right now.
"When are you heading back to Hoenn?" I asked.
"At Wallace’s urging, I will return to my previous position within a few months, rather than next year. There's only a few days left in March, so I'll be on a plane by the end of the day to rush back before April begins. We can't make an announcement at the start of next month due to April first's rather unfortunately timed holiday, and because the Vertress Conference in Unova technically begins on that date as well. The proper transition of power will take place in May, instead. Before then, I will be working hard to set everything up just right."
"Politics," I said.
"Politics," Steven repeated.
Steven reached into his pocket to pull out a small cardboard package, one that fit snug in his hand. I took it without a word, taking note of the fact it was addressed to me and was sent by Sycamore in Kalos.
"He sent it through physical mail instead of the item transfer service?" I asked.
"He said he wanted it to be a surprise. It came a few days late."
I shook my head, amused, and I moved to an empty spot on the side of the road to open it up without blocking the path. The thick tape proved to be too difficult for me to remove, so I was forced to send out Ninetales, whose sharp teeth carved a hole in it after she looked at me and scoffed.
I thanked her and left her out to enjoy the scenery. The cardboard box opened up to reveal another box (Wow!), but that opened up to reveal what I was actually searching for.
"Wait, this is—"
My words failed me. A perfectly spherical crystal with an inner spiral of green and red now sat in my hand. After staring at it in amazement, my eyes flicked over to Steven, who chuckled, amused.
"Technically, that's Diantha's. With Diancie's help, Sycamore managed to make a much faster and more efficient Mega Stone duplication process. Things are speeding up in the background."
The stone I held was a Gardevorite, a Mega Stone that would allow Gardevoir to Mega Evolve. As an already strong Pokémon, this would let him become even more powerful. To receive this for free truly was a gift.
"I need to thank him. Thank you for delivering it."
"It was my pleasure. After all, it fits rather well in your own growing stone collection, don't you think?"
It took me a moment to understand what he meant, and when I did, I laughed.
When Steven first sent me those Evolution stones as part of the payment for his Metagrossite way back then, he mentioned the possibility of me starting my own stone collection. Truthfully, I hardly ever thought about doing so, but in a way, I now had my own small collections of three Mega Stones my team could actually use. I never thought I would have a stone collection, and I certainly never thought it would be a Mega Stone collection.
"We'll definitely start practicing soon," I said. "Gotta put Gurkinn's training to use someway, right?"
The stone was slotted into my pocket. I moved my hand to pat Ninetales's head as we returned to walking. The sun was high in the sky but the chilly Sinnoh environment proved to still be cold as a brisk breeze blew through the midday streets.
"So what's next for this year's Lily of the Valley champion?" Steven asked.
"I assumed Cynthia told you I plan to go to Alola?"
"She did. And I imagine you'll be training to be a proper Ace Trainer before that as well."
I hummed casually and glanced up at the clear sky. It was really a nice day out.
"I need answers," I declared.
Steven cocked his head ever so slightly.
"No, not from you," I specified. "I meant in general. The question from yesterday forced me to confront my past in a way, and I've been thinking ever since. I was brought here somehow, and I have basically no way to find out. Well, no way but one."
"The Pixie Plate," Steven realized.
"Yup. It's my ticket to finding out why. I'm going to take it and climb Mount Coronet, scaling the peaks with my team to reach Spear Pillar. There, Arceus better have some answers from me. Otherwise..."
I truthfully didn't have an otherwise to that statement. It wasn't like I could beat up a god.
Steven and I ended up chatting for a bit longer, mostly just casual topics as Steven recommended tips for me to follow for both my upcoming job and trip to Alola. I really counted my blessings here to have such a good friend. It was nice to have time to just hang out with nothing pressing hanging over my head—other than my impending visit to an omnipotent being, of course.
Eventually, we made our way back to the entrance of the valley, where that same arch depicting representations of the region's Legendary Pokémon were displayed on it. I stood next to Steven as we took it in before facing each other once more.
"Well, that's the end of Sinnoh, then," I said.
"You still have to go to Spear Pillar."
"And you still have to return to Hoenn."
Steven chuckled again and held out his hand, which I gladly took to shake.
"Congratulations on winning the Lily of the Valley Conference, champion," Steven said.
I grinned.
"Congratulations right back, returning Champion of Hoenn."
Steven broke his usual controlled demeanor by throwing his head back in a laugh. We said our goodbyes, and, when we separated, he started to move off towards the coast. As for me, I moved towards the Pokémon Center. There wasn't much point in delaying too much longer. With the need to start my job training soon, it was best for me to begin my journey to return the Pixie Plate.