[Pokémon] Heart of a Trainer (T)

Hello, hello.

First off, I am going to warn you that this will be a Girlpowership fic, so if you do not like it, then you have the choice to turn away now.

Second, this is my first Pokemon fic. I'm staying away from using the anime as I have not watched a single episode from this particular arc in the series. I will however, be pulling a bit from the manga as well as interpreting the characters as best I can in the way that I view them in the games. Please note that I do not actually hate any of these characters in any way. Some of these interpretations are for the purpose of the story.

Feedback and critiquing is definitely welcome and appreciated. I'm always looking to improve my writing skills.

Here's a brief summary of the story:
"Cynthia is Sinnoh's Champion, admired for her skill and powerful team of Pokemon. What happens when she suddenly... disappears? Chaos ensues."

[Chapter Index will go here]


Enjoy the story!



-Prologue: Leave This World Behind-

The crowd watched in awe as the explosion covered the whole arena with smoke, leaving them unable to see which Pokémon would come out the victor. It had been a close match, but the competitor would probably not make it very far. The Pokémon on the battlefield had a type disadvantage, but it had still managed to hold its own against its opponent, a Bug/Ground type. The competitor had skill, thought it wasn't going to be enough; they lacked spirit, and even the challenged could see that.

All they had to do was wait a few precious moments, holding their breath for the smoke to clear.

The referee gave the signal the moment he was able, raising the flag opposite to the challenger's. "The challenger's Gengar is unable to battle. The winner of this battle is Aaron of the Elite Four!"

The crowd roared with excitement, even if the person who had come to challenge the Elite Four had lost, the battle had been intense. The challenging trainer recalled the Gengar back to its poké ball, disappointed in the loss but determined to try harder. He'd gotten through two of Aaron's Pokémon, which had been better than most of the challengers of late, so he felt proud of that fact.

The screen went blank as the camera zoomed in to the victorious face of the Bug specialist, filling the room with silence. The rules of the League stated that a trainer was allowed to challenge the Elite Four once they had obtained all eight of the region's badges. They had to battle one Elite member after the next, with time between each battle to heal up their Pokémon and have prepared a strategy for the next match. They could not switch the Pokémon in their team for another stored away in the PC, and they could not visit a PokémonCenter. Battling the Elite Four had always been about using what one had learned in the journey against the best of the best, and relying on those skills gained, as well as putting the bond of Pokémon and trainer to the test. Should they be able to defeat all four of the Elite, they could then challenge the Champion. But as of late, not a single trainer had been able to get past the first tier. Disappointing wouldn't even cover it.

Cynthia was supposed to be the Champion of the Sinnoh region, the trainer that everyone looked up to and admired for her hard work and her team of Pokémon. Their strength was to be regarded throughout the whole region. What then, could she do if she wasn't getting to battle anyone anymore? It hadn't been that way prior to her Champion days. Back then, she could battle anyone she desired without consequence. But now, being the best of the best meant she had to follow the League's ruling. Those days of freedom were long gone now, and she was left restrained to her title. People seemed to only think of her as the League Champion, and that title followed her everywhere she went.

It hadn't been the fame she had wanted; she wanted none of that. She had just been a trainer out on a journey to become the best she could be. Now the ladder had been climbed all the way to the highest rung... and the rungs below her had been taken away, leaving her stranded.

Where was the joy, the excitement? Or the anticipation of going head-to-head with rival trainers and learning their different techniques? What happened to the fire, the life, and determination that ignited when she had found a talented opponent? What about the spirit? Where had it all gone?

In light of it all, she simply just wanted to wish it all away, to pretend she had never become Champion. There didn't seem to be any worthy challengers who were even able to get past the first of the Elite Four, so what made her believe that someone would be strong and talented enough to make it through in order to challenge her in the first place? Waiting had become dull and colorless; there was no point in sitting idly by in order to follow League protocol. She had once thought that, maybe, if she had actually become the Champion, she could make a difference in the world by aiding people and studying Sinnoh's history to deepen her knowledge about the myths that surrounded the area. Or maybe she could pay a visit to each of the three Lakes, supposedly housing the three Pokémon that birthed Knowledge, Emotion and Willpower.

But now that she was at the highest point any trainer could ever hope to climb, and had attained that goal through plenty of trial-and-error battles and months of training with her Pokémon, the chains that bound her to her title kept her from going anywhere.

Her Pokémon, she was certain, hadn't seen much action either, and they were probably as restless as she was. But what could she do? They were bound to the rules of the League as much as she was, so it wasn't fair for them as much as it wasn't fair for her. Nothing seemed to be fair anymore.

Rising from her chair, Cynthia approached the window facing the mountainside, gazing listlessly out into the vast open terrain that lay before her. Out there was freedom, a place where she wouldn't be judged by how many battles she won or how she got to where she currently stood. But in order to truly be free, she would have to leave all that she had accomplished behind. That included her Pokémon, her trusted companions that had grown with her since her early days as a trainer. All of them had become bereft of the one thing they all needed to keep growing as a team: challenge. Keeping them from experiencing battles only hindered their growth.

Her gray eyes glanced over to the poké balls housing her Pokémon, knowing that they were just as trapped as she was. It was doing them a great disservice, she thought bitterly, leaving them cooped up like that without any form of exercise. Not much would be done if she just let them out and stretch, either. They weren't the simple companions most people kept in their homes. These were hardened, experienced fighters, and retiring them to that kind of life would not be easy.

One of the poke balls housed her Garchomp, the strongest and most familiar of her team. There was a special connection between them, a bond that was stronger than steel; that bond extended to her other Pokémon, yet Cynthia was most in-tune with her beloved Garchomp. All the days she had spent with this Pokémon, the trials they had endured and the challenges they faced- the outcomes that surpassed many of the downfalls- were they all merely to set them up for this? The dragon-type's gaze matched hers- one of longing for the earlier days, those times of no restriction. Being able to unleash such great power and potential within her closest partner had been such an exciting feat for her at first, but now, seeing her there within that spherical prison, it only made Cynthia feel worse.

Her feet took her from the window towards the table where her trusted team sat, and without pause, Cynthia picked up the ball containing Garchomp.

There was a special, silent conversation held between them, understood only between the two of them. For the moment they were not Champions; they were simply trainer and Pokémon. An underlying sense of anger beneath those yellow eyes revealed just how much the Mach Pokémon resented the situation. Did they reflect the anger inside of Cynthia herself? Quite possibly.

"So much for the goals we hoped to accomplish... our hard work all for nothing. Now, we feel as if we've been stripped of everything we used to have. Bound by duty to uphold the title we worked hard to earn. We are not trainer and Pokémon any longer, but merely prisoners trapped in circumstances beyond our control."

The blonde's voice sounded rather hollow and empty, resigned to the path she had worked hard to reach. Mountains were climbed, waters were crossed and land was traveled upon, and the end of the tunnel looked bleak, far away and out of her grasp. Light was but a secondary thought, a belief of yesteryear, and the rest artificial. Watching battles from within her living quarters never seemed to be enough for the Champion anymore.

"It is almost as if we are no longer needed... A Pidgeot trapped within a cage with no room to spread its wings."

Cynthia raised the pokéball to eye level, holding the object containing her companion gently in her hands. "If we strive to be the best that we can be, then what good is it when we can no longer expand our proverbial wings to take flight?"

She was by no means claustrophobic, but the more she spent in isolation, waiting for a challenge to reach her, the more she felt that way. The League was only so large, and the more time she spent in her room, the smaller it became. The walls surrounding her seemed to inch closer and closer every day, boxing her in until she struggled to breathe, to move. Her room was actually quite extravagant, with an exquisite canopy bed in the center of the large room, a large flat-screen television situated on the wall opposite the window. An old foreign rug covered most of the floor around her bed, and she'd always enjoyed the feel of the material beneath her feet; it was a stark change to the cold flooring that the rug did not cover. A picture of her victory over the previous Champion quite some time ago hung on one of the walls, as well as the ribbons her Pokémon had earned, framed in gold. Her badges were also on display, situated atop her dresser.

None of that had any importance to her now, and anything else that might have been in the room was left ignored and pushed aside. The high ceiling didn't actually feel so high, and the tall windows of her room only felt like a barrier keeping her from her freedom.

Freedom which she could easily escape to, without a moment's notice, or without a second thought.

Her attention remained upon the Pokémon within the tiny capsule, and then to its other teammates sitting on top of the small round table. They all understood her plight, as individuals and as a team. As partners, each and every one of them wanted to escape just as much as she did, to be free again as they once were. To be able to rise into the skies and breathe the fresh, crisp morning air, and to feel the winds of opportunity caressing them, reminding them that the horizon was just as limitless as it had always been; that had become the common thought.

Steeling herself, the Sinnoh Champion prepared to do what she should have done many months ago.

She set her Garchomp back down among the rest of her team, but the look in her eyes made it clear that she wouldn't sit around any longer. They needed to get out, out into the world where they had learned everything. The Pokémon understood what their human partner had silently decided, resigning themselves to waiting just a bit longer until she had finished everything she needed to do. Their longed-for freedom had become all the more closer to them now with the resolution they all had reached together. The Elite Four could handle things on their own, because with no challengers to face the greatest of the great, what else could they do? Being on the highest rung became lonely, isolating; they felt alone in the world with nowhere to go and no way to expand their skills and hone them to even greater heights. They might as well let their skills grow dull and the knowledge they gained go to waste- the world coming to believe that they had already reached their prime.

Cynthia's Pokémon were a rather tight-knit group, having become quite acquainted with each other over the months they'd spent together. In the beginning, they had all been a little happy-go-lucky, soaking in their experiences like children willing to learn, asking questions and trying new things just to see what would happen. As they grew, they learned of each other's weaknesses and added to their strengths, which made them quite the force to be reckoned with.

Garchomp had been Cynthia's first Pokémon. As such, she had been the one to see her through everything she'd ever faced; Garchomp had seen Cynthia at her absolute best, as well as watched her in her worst days. Their bond had grown and matured over the years, stronger than kin, than a significant other. Maybe even stronger than blood. Commands were followed without the slightest hesitation, moving together with an unmatched fluidity. One could say that Cynthia could just glance at the Mach Pokémon and she would understand just what she wanted her to do, and without knowing what she would do in the heat of battle, that silent command left the opponents scrambling in the dust.

And, being the strongest in the Champion's arsenal meant that Garchomp was easily recognized as Cynthia's signature Pokémon. Whether she liked to admit it or not, Garchomp wouldn't be able to be seen in public with Cynthia without giving her identity away. The two were an inseparable pair, but that strong association would get them noticed straight off.

That had been one of Garchomp's biggest fears: having to separate from her trainer for a time, because of the closeness they shared. But she couldn't just go with Cynthia, wherever she chose to go; however, there was a little satisfaction and comfort in the feeling that this wasn't a permanent good-bye. The other Pokémon shared Garchomp's sentiments- none of them liked this outcome, but it had to be done. This trait had traveled over from when she had been a small Gible, and the first time she had been separated from Cynthia. Gible wandered aimlessly looking for Cynthia until she collapsed from exhaustion. That had been an accident, but the damage had been done. The problem of separation actually lessened as she grew and evolved, but the scars were there, and as old wounds, they were bound to resurface from time to time.

Garchomp's toughness kept her from exposing such a weakness, and the only ones that knew of it were her comrades and her trainer.

The land shark Pokémon glanced towards her other comrades, knowing that they wouldn't have as much of an idea as to how this was going to work. Which ones would she take and which ones would she leave behind? And, would they all go their separate ways?

Perhaps not all, because, as the saying goes, 'a team that works together stays together'.

Togekiss, situated next to Garchomp, shared the lead Pokémon's concerns. But there wasn't much he could do to comfort the dragon-type, except to give her the hope that they would be brought back together after some time. For their sake, if not their trainer's. They all had to stand by her and support whatever decision she made. Loyalty they certainly gave in droves, and not a bit of it was wasted.

Whatever happened, they would always be together in mind and spirit, no matter the distance between them. Their unwavering connection would lead them back when the time was right.

With a sense of faith spreading between them, the six Pokémon sat quietly, contemplating the days ahead and preparing themselves for any commands their trainer would give them in the coming minutes. For all their strength and magnificence, they would not do anything without instruction from their human partner, even if they had the power to do so. A Pokémon's true capabilities lay within their will to accomplish their goals, their spirits burning like an inferno should they have a desire to obtain the very thing they set out to do, whatever that may be. Whichever ones she took would follow her wherever she went, and the ones that she separated from would band together and grow stronger so that they could meet up with the other half of their team with new skills and new experiences.

Resolve came to them easily enough nowadays, even when life had lost its excitement.

Having grown accustomed to wearing her trademark onyx-colored garb, Cynthia felt a little out-of-place wearing something that had nothing to do with the theme people the region over had become very familiar with. Gone was the dark coat she wore, the black pants she had bought right after she became Champion. Gone was the pair of hair ornaments that reminded so many of an Umbreon. In the place of what had become comfortable and familiar, a dark purple turtleneck sweater, navy blue jeans that fit quite snugly and a pair of slate hiking shoes. Her long tresses were done up in a messy bun, mostly to keep people from easily recognizing her. Around her hips was a black cross belt. She slung a worn gray travel bag over her shoulder, already packed with the necessary items she would need: week's worth of clothes, some healing items for her Pokémon, and some travel money; the bare essentials, really.

Leaving all that she had worked for behind wasn't easy, yet with the lack of enthusiasm, there weren't many options left open for her anymore. After all, the Four could handle things without her; they would be just fine in her absence.

Her footsteps were light as she crossed the room towards the table where her Pokémon awaited her from within their red and white capsules. Not once did she gaze upon the picture of her defeating the previous Champion, or even glance upon all the badges she had earned. They meant nothing to her now, their worth completely lost in the empty feeling. No one could stop her from leaving, and no one would catch her until she was far enough away from the League that they would have to start a search. Yet... none of that really mattered, because Cynthia just didn't care. There were things that they wouldn't begin to understand, couldn't fathom because they didn't know what it was like to walk a mile in her shoes.

She began to wonder as she drew nearer to the table if they would even notice her disappearance right away. Would they discover her gone hours from now? Days? Weeks? Months?

Perhaps they would, and sooner than she would believe, but she decided that she would be long gone before anyone could see the change, the lack of response on her part. Cynthia didn't stop moving, her goal clearly set in stone. There was a sense of resolution within her eyes, not once trying to hide the selfishness she wanted to feel. Speaking out certainly wouldn't get her heard, and acting violently would only make things worse and put a bad light on her. But, if she disappeared, would people stand up and take notice?

Standing before the simple wooden table, Sinnoh's Champion collected the small capsules within her hands, her gaze locking with all six Pokémon within. "I'm sorry, everyone, to make you wait this long," her tone was apologetic, the only real expression in her voice all day. The months-long apathy had sucked almost all feeling out of her, but at the very least she could express something towards her team, the only ones who really understood her plight.

Without another word, she turned towards the tall windows nearby and moved the latch keeping them closed. A gentle push was all she needed to open them, granting her access to the large balcony beyond. It was as elegant as the room she lived in, with a few statues of ancient Pokémon placed sparingly along the railing. From here she could see for miles, and many things had been enjoyed from this spot, but it was merely a tease of that which she could not have. The wind could ruffle her hair, the sun kiss her skin and the rain touch her very soul, but none of it was enough. Never enough. Pokémon roamed wild and free in the world beyond the limits of that balcony, and people explored every path that was to be taken. Yet the trees seemed too small, the sun unbearable and the clouds above just out of reach.

Cynthia stepped out onto the balcony, leaving the windows open, caring more about her escape than the tracks she might leave behind. She wouldn't be leaving by ordinary means, anyway; they wouldn't be able to find her even if they scoured the forests. Gray eyes slid closed for just a moment, getting a feel of the soft breeze that felt more like a breath of fresh air. The sounds of wild Pokémon filled her ears, calming her. A small sense of peace returned to her, but only a fragment, and not enough to replenish what she had lost.

With unmatched fluidity, Cynthia tossed five of the six capsules, releasing the majority of her team from their tiny confinements. They left plenty of room to spare on the balcony, but that wasn't what any of them focused on. Like trained fighters, all of them awaited their commands, wondering why their last team member hadn't been released from his pokéball.

It was quite good to be able to stretch and get a breath of fresh air, a long awaited need for all of them. The balcony was large enough for each of them to move about with plenty of room to spare, so no crowding was apparent. It was through no fault of their trainer's that they had been cooped up in those tiny capsules for so long, and they couldn't blame her for it. Milotic's long, slender body curled around the other four Pokémon in a semi-circle, taking in the sensation of being outdoors again, just as much as its partners were in that regard.

All of her Pokémon were accounted for on that balcony, save for one. Clutched within the Champion's grasp was the pokéball containing Lucario, while the other five empty capsules lay scattered on the ground at her feet. There must be a reason that she had not released their sixth comrade, because her gaze was not focused on the one still within its capsule, but trained on those standing before her.

"For so long, we walked the path of trainer and Pokémon, battling each and every opponent we encountered. So many hours were put in to training and honing our skills, growing stronger and learning to cover our weaknesses. Each and every one of you has learned to work together and separately; the bonds you share are stronger than blood. Through evolution, you gained more skills and new abilities. We all relied on each other during our trials, sharing joy in our victories and finding ways to improve ourselves when we faced defeat."

All five of her Pokémon voiced their agreement in unison. Lucario, too, shared their thoughts. The strength in their unity could be seen in the way they worked together as a team- a collective whole. Cynthia supplied the commands, the direction, and they provided the action, the power. Both trainer and Pokémon moved as one; people were always amazed by how well they managed to read each other's thoughts with but a single glance. That, of course, was through weeks and months of training together.

Cynthia frowned. "But we cannot revel in our triumphs and our victories, for the people of Sinnoh do not want to hear our voice. The League's desires to restrain and contain us from further growth cannot go without consequence. We are not something to be controlled, or contained, and as such, we are going to disappear."

She glanced down at Lucario, who understood now why he must remain within his capsule. It would not be too uncanny if someone saw her with Lucario, no matter that they were rather uncommon. "I can't go alone, but I cannot take all of you with me. It is not something I want to do, but it has to be done regardless. Lucario should be able to aid me in dangerous situations just fine." Her attention then went directly to her Garchomp, who would be most reluctant to let Cynthia part from her. She approached her, and with her free hand, placed it on Garchomp's left forearm. Here she was, standing before her oldest partner, this strong and agile beast, and she could see straight into her eyes and see the fear, the uncertainty.

"This is not goodbye, but I do not know when we will be together again. I want you to grow and gain experience without me, and when we reunite, we will all be stronger as individuals." Her gaze flicked towards the rest of her team. "That goes for all of you. Try not to band together too much. They will be looking for us."

When her gaze met the mach Pokémon's once more, there was plenty of unsaid, heartfelt words exchanged between them. Cynthia always had faith in her companions, and they in her, no matter the circumstance. She left Garchomp's side and stepped towards Togekiss and placed her hand on the front of his wing. "I want you to come with me as well, Togekiss. You can fly me out of here, just like you did when we first arrived at the League to challenge the Elite Four." The Jubilee Pokémon chirped in reply, happy to be able to aid his trainer in any way she could. Cynthia climbed on top of her Pokémon.

"Stay out of sight and as far away from here as possible. Take care of yourselves, all of you. You're on your own from here on out. Farewell."

In that instant, the famous Sinnoh team separated into groups of three, heading in various locations. How far they would go, no one knew, but one thing was for certain: they were free.

In the sky above, a rare Togekiss flew by, over the vast wilderness surrounding the League, with its Champion onboard. She only looked forward, towards the expansive horizon, never back.

For today a statement would be made that would shake the entire region of Sinnoh and would affect everyone for years to come.


o w o w o w o w o

Aaron sighed. It was the second battle this week and it hadn't gotten further than his tier. As the fourth member of the Elite Four, he was the first challengers would face. It was a wonder how any of these trainers managed their way through Victory Road in the first place, let alone defeat the Sinnoh Gym Leaders.

The crowd had already filed out of the stadium. There were no reporters to be seen, which came as a blessing. No one seemed to be climbing through the ranks these days so there wasn't much to report on, and repetitive "Challenger Defeated by Aaron of the Elite Four" wouldn't sell papers back in their respective hometowns. If they could at least get to Lucian, then maybe they'd have something juicy to bring back, but as it was not many people even made it to the second tier.

"Man... And here I thought I was going to be able to switch out for another Pokémon this time. Yanmega seemed very enthusiastic about this match."

As he headed out of the forest-decorated battleground, a man dressed in a neatly trimmed fuchsia suit stood in the shadow of the exit, his specs reflecting the sunlight a bit. Titled as the final-tier Elite Four member, Lucian rarely ever got to see his own stadium, and as the "brain" of the Elite Four, his vast knowledge was renowned throughout Sinnoh. He loosely folded his arms over his midsection, as if to say he'd been standing there for some time.

"While you were enjoying the victory of your short-lived match, Bertha has instructed us to check on our resident Champion. She wasn't present in the stadium," he said, pushing his specs up a bit as he did so.

Aaron blinked, and then made a face. "She wasn't? Damn, I hoped she would've been there, cause there's a new move I wanted to show her." He groaned in disappointment. "Too bad she missed it."

"Of course you would say that. The only thing you were observing was your opponent's body language," Lucian retorted, remaining unfazed when the younger Elite glared at him. Aaron's outburst of "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" was largely ignored. "But it's to be expected. Cynthia hasn't been attending any matches in the last several weeks." He shoved off from the wall and put his hands into his pockets, turning towards the exit. "I suggest we get moving. Bertha does not like to be kept waiting, after all."

Aaron waved him off. "Yea, yea. Sheesh." He shoved his hands into his pockets and followed Lucian out of the stadium. "You may be Cynthia's confidant, but Bertha sure does have a tight leash on you," he muttered, making sure that the psychic trainer heard. There was a bet going between Aaron and Flint, the third tier Elite Four member, as to who Lucian was loyal to most. As Champion, Cynthia was considered the leader, but Bertha liked to believe she ran the show.

"That old crone better give us a break once in a while. How can she harp on us to be better Elites when we're confined to the League?" Aaron grumbled to himself. "She's gone and made herself dictator of this place."

"Bertha has been a member of the Elite far longer than any of us have, and she's familiar with the inner workings of the League. She demands our respect," said Lucian.

Aaron snorted. "Bah. More like she demands us to do what we're told. It's no wonder Cynthia stopped listening to her. What right does she have to order the Champion around? That woman should be giving Cynthia more respect!" The bitterness in his voice hinted that he didn't particularly favor this discussion or the main focus of the topic. What was the point of having that old bat around anyway, when all she did was badger them into obedience?

"Respect your elders, Aaron. It's the least we can do for all that she's done for the League. It doesn't matter who they are or what position they have within the Elite Four. I won't say it again, and this discussion is over." Lucian put a quick end to the conversation, his eyes never once leaving the winding passageways in front of him. Aaron stewed silently, muttering things under his breath every once in a while. The halls were silent otherwise, which the psychic trainer appreciated. He preferred not to challenge Bertha's decisions, choosing to stay out of confrontations.

On the other hand, he was also Cynthia's closest friend, and her lack of participation lately had had him worried.

The halls had begun to look more and more elegant, and the dark-colored walls reflected this, which was a sign they were nearing the Champion's room. Statues of legendary Pokémon from various regions carved in stone stood lined up on either side of them.

"Why am I supposed to check on Cynthia with you anyway? Shouldn't Flint be with you instead?" asked Aaron.

"Because Flint is busy and you're closer in location to Cynthia's quarters, so it's only logical that you would be the one to accompany me."

There was a slight pause. "Can't you just check up on her by yourself?"

Lucian sighed in irritation, remembering why he did not get along very well with the bug trainer. "You are taking Flint's place. That's all there is to it." He stopped in front of an elaborately decorated door- the door leading into Cynthia's room- and hoped some unknown force would keep his fellow Elite from asking anymore mundane questions. The walk to the Champion's room had been shorter than he'd expected, but all the better, and the sooner he and Aaron checked up on her the sooner he could get away from that annoying pest.

He raised a fist towards the heavy wooden door and knocked several times. Then waited.

And waited some more.

"Huh. She must be asleep. We should check on her a little later."

"No. She shouldn't be. Something's not right." Whatever it was, Lucian did not like it. He knocked again, greeted only by silence. The door remained closed. His brows furrowed; Cynthia usually answered her door, so to not do so wasn't like her.

"... Well just go in then, since you wanted to check on her so badly," Aaron cajoled.

Lucian flushed, quite flustered from the blunt statement. "Wh- I can't just do that! I-it's rude! She could be showering, or--!"

"Gone!!"

While the fourth tier Elite had been busy blubbering like a fool, Aaron had gone ahead and opened the door, finding no one inside. He stood just inside the room, surprise and shock written clearly on his features. "Shit! This is bad, real bad! Oh man... This is bad right?"

Lucian pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, straightening himself out. "I'd say it's bad. Very bad." He stepped into the room, looking around for any sign that she might still be here. "This is a very serious situation." He began to look for any possible signs of a skirmish, believing that someone had taken Cynthia right out of her own room. Nothing seemed to be amiss, or out of place, so what could possibly have led to her disappearance?

"Her Pokémon are missing too!" Aaron turned from the table to face the window. His statement did grab Lucian's attention, and he quickly made his way over towards the table where she usually kept her Pokémon. It was just as the first tier said: all six Pokeballs containing Sinnoh's most powerful team had disappeared. Worry filled Lucian's mind.

"What do we do?? She's just... Cynthia's disappeared without a single trace! Vanished!"

"Calm down. We must not panic." Lucian ran a list of possible reasons why Cynthia would simply disappear, but only came up with more questions. This would most likely not get solved straight away. "Go and alert Bertha, and have her contact Flint. The sooner we're all in the know, the sooner we can figure out what we're going to do and the sooner an emergency televised statement can be made to let the whole region know what's happened." Aaron was about to protest, but he would have none of that "Don't argue! You're wasting time! Go!"

The bug trainer scrambled out of the room, leaving Lucian alone with his jumbled thoughts. He sighed, staring out of the large window up at the vast expanse of sky. Today really was not a good day. "What have you done, Cynthia? What have you done?"


o w o w o w o w o

Nearly a hundred reporters had gathered from various parts of Sinnoh. There were speckles of other reporters from different regions, such as Johto and Hoenn, hoping to get the latest scoop to send home. Murmurs filled the room as they talked amongst themselves, waiting for the second tier Elite to enter the room for the statement she had arranged to make. It was sudden, and they didn't know what it was, but they were soon about to find out.

The room drew silent as a middle-aged woman entered and approached the podium at the front. Her hands were behind her back, the classy white peacoat she wore over her black dress seemed sharp, pristine, and her medium-length silver hair lightly touched the brown scarf wrapped around her neck. The two other Elites present, Aaron and Lucian, took their seats in the chairs provided, situated behind the podium. They did not look happy, but were otherwise calm.

Many of the reporters raised their pens to their papers, waiting with anticipation as cameramen positioned their cameras on her. The occasional flash went off from various locations.

"Several hours ago, I was told some very startling news. Our Champion, Cynthia of Celestia Town, has gone missing." Reporters wrote in a flurry, jotting down a synopsis of the occurrence as it happened, the flashes of cameras became more and more frequent. "As of right now we currently do not know who or what did this, nor are we aware of why it happened. We are still looking into it, and any further information will come henceforth. I ask that you be aware and on the lookout for any sign of her whereabouts. We of the Elite Four pray for her safe and timely return."

The room erupted into a fury of questions as Bertha stepped away from the podium, calmly exiting through the door in which she came in, the first and fourth tiers following suit behind her.

Some reporters made phone calls to their respective regions, while others scrambled to get answers as to why Sinnoh's star trainer had disappeared. Today was going to be full of phone calls, late night shifts and chaos. The League would be bustling with activity for some time, police officers coming in to aid in the investigation. There would be no rest for weeks.

Thus started the long chain of events, like the shot heard round the world, reverberating in everyone's minds in the coming hours as they tried to make sense of everything.


o w o w o w o w o

All around the world, news channels and radio broadcasts spread the word. Newspapers buzzed with activity and phones rang off the hook. News anchors on every station were quick to discuss the announcement as they received it.

"This just in: Sinnoh's Champion has been reported as missing. Whereabouts are currently unknown."

"We just received word that Cynthia, Champion of the Sinnoh region, has disappeared without a trace. No one knows if there was a kidnapping involved, but the Sinnoh League is cooperating with police and aiding in the investigation."

"Our scheduled program has been interrupted for a public announcement. Sinnoh's Champion has been reported missing. No one knows where she's gone or what has happened to her. More details to follow as it develops. We now return you to your original programming."

Headlines flashed across television screens for many tuned in to their news channels.

"Where is Sinnoh's Champion?"

"Sinnoh Champion Missing. Whereabouts Unknown."

"Sinnoh League Aiding in Search for Missing Champion."

People everywhere buzzed with activity in discussion of the news, wondering with growing curiosity why a great trainer would just simply disappear. Others were disgruntled about it, while many more held hope for her safety.


o w o w o w o w o

In a small town east of Sandgem, where any news of the disappearance had yet to reach, a new trainer was just beginning her journey...


TBC!!

And so it begins...
Thanks to a special friend for helping me make tweaks during our late-night sessions. Couldn't have done it without you :3

Stay tuned for the next installment~!