To Walk With the Legends

[Deleted]

Prologue: The Shadows of the Legends

Long ago, when time began
The legends did not roam.
For it was because of man,
Whom they feared would take their home.

This was not the tone
Of that now cast in sleep;
But the Wisher was alone
For the others had hidden deep.

The others did not forget
That the Wisher walked the lands,
And they feared he would set
Their lives in human hands.

One day the Wisher walked
Into a human dwelling
And to the humans he talked
And was delighted in the telling.

The Wisher saw that man
Did not walk with just his kind,
But that journeys ended and began
With tame monsters following behind.

So the Wisher declared that humanity
Should walk with the legendaries
And the Changer heard of his infamy
And rushed to the Wisher’s prairies.

His anger was like none had known
And he cast the Wisher into a sleep
Where a thousand years must had flown
Before returning from the deep.

But the deed was complete
And the danger stood,
Until the shadows beneath his feet
Changed history for good.

The Changer’s shadow split
Into one for every man
For each shadow was a bit
Of the shadows since time began.

Across the prairie
And under the sea
Each legendary
Gave shadows for you and me.

But the Shadows still
Were dangerous
So the Changer, through sheer will,
Put obstacles between all of us.

Now the lands were far apart
And no human could master
Every Shadow’s heart.
Yet then the Wisher was awakened faster.

The human heart yearns for adventures grand.
There was a human who desired
To travel all the land
And so to the Wisher she inquired.

She asked that one day
Her people could travel
Every forest, cave, and bay
Before space and time did unravel.

The Wisher granted eagerly
Her greatest desire
But he could not feasibly
Enact it before he again did tire.

So the Wisher went into a great sleep
That lasts his thousand years.
Who knows hero or heroine will find they are deep
In adventure beyond their wildest fears?

Chapter One: Cynthia’s Call

A fog was settling over the Pokemon League when Cynthia finished her battle against the third of a group of energetic youngsters. Sighing, she went out to look over the shores of the waterfall. “This is the third time this month that explosions have been reported on Victory Road,” she muttered, “but no one knows the source or cause of these events. The only proof I have is the stark number of witnesses. They ask me to do something about it, but I can’t leave my post as Champion! I had hoped an expert would give me an idea as to the cause of the explosions, yet he is nowhere in sight. Where is he?” Cynthia was startled to hear a voice behind her.

“He just left, Cynthia. He has explored the area thouroughly, but could not find the exact source of the explosions. He asked if you were certain that there had been explosions, and after I firmly confirmed this, he suggested you ask for a Hoenn expert.” Lucian said calmly.

Cynthia whirled around. “A Hoenn expert?! Why, he couldn’t find anything out? This is ridiculous, the price we paid for nothing. But why Hoenn, of all places?”

Lucian sighed. He didn’t like seeing Cynthia aggravated, particularly when his own nerves were frazzled by the constant calls of trainers who wished to complain of the explosions. “As you know, Sinnoh prides itself for obtaining its energy from nature. We do not use the outdated modes of transfer of energy that involve explosives, and the knowledge of that area has become obsolete. No one trains in that field in this region because explosions simply don’t happen. Blackouts, power surges, and intense battles are sometimes mistaken for explosions, but he was able to confirm that the explosions were not caused by any of those possibilities.”

Lucian straightened his glasses and cleared his throat. “As for your other question, well, Hoenn has an extensive knowledge of explosives. In New Mauville, there was a large, unstable power plant where similarly dangerous Pokemon dwelt. Both were explosive. Hoenn also has an active volcano, and has learned the dangers of it. Hoenn also is warmer, and is knowledgeable in the uses and abuses of fire and natural gases. And while Jhoto and Kanto are closer, the knowledge of the field has since faded due to lack of paying jobs for the scientists. At least, these are the reasons the expert gave me. I am not quite familiar with Hoenn myself.”

Cynthia shook her head. “Oh, Lucian! We have already spent too much. We can’t possibly afford Hoenn experts. Can you think of anything else? Anyone else we might call? The explosions haven’t stopped, and I sense trouble.”

Lucian raised an eyebrow. “I can only think of one idea, but you might find it ridiculous.” He held up the book he was holding. It wasn’t so much of a book as a pamphlet. “I saw this a while ago in the library and wondered what insights it might give me.” Cynthia glanced at the title, which read The Releases of Energy, and raised an eyebrow.

“What can that do to help us? Energy in the elements is something that has been studied for years,” Cynthia snorted.

Lucian gave a slight smile. “True, but this was written by a very interesting researcher from Hoenn. She grew up in Lavaridge Town, which is close to Mt. Chimney. She compared and contrasted the power of nature, Pokemon, machines, and other explosives.” He sighed. “Although she found a difference, there was no further information. She stopped that research to pursue the nature of evolutions. We could ask her to take a look, but I do not know what good it can do. As it is, you are correct about the funds; we would need to defeat several wealthy trainers multiple times before we were able to pay for a professional. However, as you know, Trainers spend almost all their funds on items for the battles against us. It could take some time, and I don’t know if we can spare that much time if something is amiss.”

At that moment, a shock wave ripped through the land, sending a spray of water upward from the falls and knocking Cynthia off her balance. She fell over, but was caught by Lucian before she hit the water. Unfortunately, she banged her head on the corner of his book and Lucian got soaking wet. After getting over the initial shock, Cynthia turned to her comrade, who seemed to be troubled. “That was a surprise! They have never been this large before. This is not natural. We have to do something. Does it say in the book if she is working on a project at the moment?” Cynthia moaned as she rubbed her head in pain.

“No, it does not mention that. I would assume she is doing something, because otherwise she would be unable to make a living. However, there is nothing we can do at the moment. You should contact her and see if she will come pretty soon before the next explosion closes down Victory Road,” Lucian said dryly, shaking the water from his hair.


The researcher in question was Cassandra of Lavaridge Town. If Lucian had seen her at the moment, he would have had his doubts of her abilities. While she was talented and intelligent, Cassandra had a varying attention span and an overactive imagination. In addition, she appeared to be no larger than a young adolescent because she had stopped growing at the age of thirteen. Her small size prevented extensive field work, and as her lab job gave little exercise, Cassandra had below average stamina. At that moment, she seemed to be collecting rocks inside Meteor Falls. In reality, she was searching for evolutionary stones for her latest project. A honey striped Linoone was helping out. Between the two of them, Cassandra had only managed to gather six Sun Stones.

Wiping her brow, she looked at her PokeGear to check the time and was alarmed to see she had missed a call. “Oh no!” she whispered as she snuck out of the cave. “It was from Professor Theresa! I should hurry back to the lab before she loses her patience.” Once out of the cave, she retrieved the Linoone in a beam of red light and replaced it with a Tropius. “Home!” she said sharply. The Tropius grunted and took off into the sky and made a beeline for Lavaridge Town. The Professor was standing outside the lab with her arms crossed. Cassandra mentally sighed and prepared for another lecture as she hopped off the Tropius.

“Well, Cassy, you are a little late, aren’t you?” The Professor said softly. “I was waiting for nearly an hour. I hope your blaziken didn’t get you into any trouble.” She was referring to Torkie, a blaziken that had accidentally been imprinted on Cassandra and was unwilling to return to the wild. Torkie had a notorious nature of losing his temper at the most untimely occasions.

Cassandra blushed. “No, he has been behaving himself. I’m sorry I was late, but I lost track of the time,” she began in a rush.

Prof. Theresa held up a hand, and Cassandra quickly stopped talking. “Oh, you aren’t in trouble. It is just that I received an e-mail from Cynthia about two hours ago asking me if I knew of you and how she might contact you of I did know your whereabouts. I haven’t answered yet. Do you know why the Champion of Sinnoh wants to see you?” Theresa frowned.

Cassandra blinked, then gave a look of utter puzzlement. “No. Why would she want to talk with me? I haven’t done anything of particular significance that I can remember. You should answer her, though. I’ll stay in the lab to analyze the stones in case she replies again.” She offered helpfully.

Theresa sighed. “Oh, alright. It is just odd that Cynthia would even contact Hoenn at all.”

With that, the two of them walked into Professor Theresa’s research lab. Theresa went directly to her personal computer, but Cassandra entered an adjacent room to analyze the stones in detail. She had almost finished the readings of the compositions of the stone when her PokeGear went off. Startled, she dropped the readings she was holding. Cassandra gave and exasperated sigh and tried to put the files back in order.

However, the ringing would not stop, which signified that the call was not another wrong number, but an honest attempt to contact. Impatiently, she shoved her hands into her jacket pocket and brought out the watch-like device. Angrily, she jabbed the ‘answer’ button and a holographic image of a lady dressed in black hovered before her. “Hello! You have reached Lavaridge Lab. How may I help you?” she said as politely as she could.

On the other end, Cynthia managed to prevent herself from giving a gasp out of surprise. She had expected someone more impressive, and thought she had called the wrong number when she saw Cassandra’s casual jacket and corduroys. “Is this the number of Cassandra of Lavaridge Town?” she managed to ask.

Cassandra smiled. “Yes, you have the right number. Would you like to speak to the Professor?” she asked after noting the doubt in the caller’s face.

Cynthia nodded urgently. “Yes, I would like to speak to Professor Cassandra at once. It concerns a very important matter.”

Cassandra blushed shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I’m no Professor! I was referring to Professor Theresa. I’m Cassandra.”

Cynthia felt herself turning red. “I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Cassandra struggled not to laugh. “Well, how can I help you?” she repeated.

Cynthia cleared her throat. “I am Cynthia of Sinnoh.” She was amused to see the sudden panic in Cassandra’s eyes. “Recently, there have been some mysterious explosions near Victory Road, and the last one actually knocked several people off balance. I am unable to investigate it myself, and I was told you were knowledgeable in the field. Would you please come to Victory Road and investigate?”

Cassandra leaned away. “With all due respect, ma’am, I am no expert. Why don’t you ask an expert in Sinnoh? I am sure they will be able to help you far better than I ever will.”
Cynthia shook her head. “I have already called in an ‘expert’. He was unable to give me any information that we did not already know, but he suggested I ask for someone from Hoenn.”

Cassandra frowned slightly. “Surely Kanto would be a better choice; it is far closer and has a great deal of experience with such matters.”

Cynthia held back a sigh. “Actually, Hoenn is the only place where people still maintain the study of explosive situations. And I was under the impression you published a small work about energy.”

Cassandra groaned. “Oh, that! That was a research paper for my degree as Assistant Researcher to Professor Theresa. I’m only slightly more experienced than a student, sorry. If you want to get someone knowledgeable in the field, you should ask Leader Wattson of Mauville City. He knows plenty of people like that.”

Cynthia was getting frustrated. “There is a problem with that idea, though. The cost of hiring an expert, paying for his transportation, hiring a guide, covering the cost of the investigation, and sending him home is beyond what we have in our funds. I have no idea when we will be able to afford an expert, and I don’t want to let this situation sit any longer. We need action as soon as possible. Will you come and investigate?”

Cassandra thought for a moment, and then simply replied, “I will have to think about it. Give me a while to think my options over before I answer. I’ll call you back as soon as I decide what to do.”

Cynthia nodded. “That is understandable, but please respond as soon as you can.”

Cassandra closed the conversation and pocketed her PokeGear. When she looked up, she saw Professor Theresa staring at her from the doorway. “I gave her your number, but I didn’t expect her to call back so soon. Sorry your project was interrupted.” She said apologetically.

Cassandra looked back at her papers and sighed. “There is no time for the project now. I have to contact some of my classmates. I need some advice.” Theresa nodded and strode out of the room. “Let me see now,” she muttered, “Matthias should have something to say.”

Matthias was angrily typing a scathing letter to the Sinnoh authorities when his PokeGear buzzed. Annoyed, he hit the ‘voice only’ button and continued his report. “This is Matthias.” He said bluntly, not caring for formalities.

“Matthias! I am glad you could answer. You have been gone for the past few months. I need your advice.” He heard Cassandra reply.

“Cassy, I am busy at the moment. You should call Will. And besides, your projects do not coincide with mine any longer, so I won’t be able to assist you.”

“Matthias! That isn’t what this is about. I just got a call from the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia. She wants me to investigate some explosions at Victory Road.”

“Why didn’t she ask someone more local? That doesn’t sound very reasonable.”

“I know. I asked her the same thing, but the Sinnoh experts know more about harnessing natural resources than anything else. The guy she hired suggested someone from Hoenn, but Cynthia can’t afford a Hoenn expert. Somehow she got a hold of my research pamphlet, and she really wants me to come. I don’t know what to do, Matthias. Torkie made the point that Victory Road is only for strong trainers. I can’t battle very well. It sounded really urgent.”

Matthias paused and pushed up his glasses. He was beginning to get an idea. If he went along with Cassandra, he could prove himself innocent of his accused crime, and Cassandra could conduct her investigation. In addition to being somewhat of a scientist himself, Matthias was a very skilled Dragon Trainer. “I have a suggestion, Cassy. If you feel troubled, then you really should go. But you probably should bring someone with you.”

Cassandra laughed. “Who would believe me? They would think I was imagining things.”

Matthias grinned. “I believe you. I am sure Will would come too if you asked him. Why don’t you give him a call?” he offered helpfully. There was a pause on the other end.

“You would really come, Matthias? I can understand it if you don’t want to go back to Sinnoh at the moment.”

“Don’t worry. I have good reason to believe there may be more to this than what we have heard.” Matthias hinted darkly.

Cassandra looked thoughtfully at a class picture after Matthias hung up. She knew that three of her friends would be unable to come, but she wasn’t sure about the others. However, if Matthias really wanted to come with her, she would be able to go through with the investigation. Sighing, she brought up Will’s number and hoped he would answer.

[Deleted]

Will shook his head as he looked over the baby Pidgey. “It has a decent health, ma’am, and good amount of muscle, but its speed will leave much to be desired. It will make a nice pet, though, but I don’t think it is right for battle,” he concluded, handing the energetic creature back to its owner.

The owner pouted, “Oh, but I really wanted to have a Pidgeot on my team. I absolutely adore them, you know?”

Will smiled, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to smile with him. “I am sure there are others in the nest you may have overlooked. Don’t worry, there will be other Pidgeys for you to evolve,” he said, shooing her out the door. When his patroness finally left, he collapsed onto a chair with a sigh. His curly light-orange hair was matched with a sea green colored shirt, a grey jacket, and blue jeans. He was enjoying the feelings of success when his PokeGear went off. He groaned when he saw the call was from Cassandra. “Oh no, not again,” he grumbled. “What trouble does she have in mind now?”

“Hi Will! I hope you aren’t busy. I just received a call from Cynthia about an explosion in Sinnoh. She has already tried a local expert, and she can’t afford one from Hoenn. I don’t know how, but she saw my research pamphlet and wants me to come to Sinnoh to investigate. Matthias is already coming, and he said to call you. Do you want to come along?”

Will paused, taking it all in. He hadn’t planned on visiting Sinnoh so soon again, but this sounded like an adventure. “How long will it take? I don’t think I can be gone from Hoenn for long, and I know that your blaziken is antsy about such things.” He said at last.

“Oh, I don’t know, really. I would imagine a few days to a week or so. Matthias seems to think there is more to this. If there is, it might take up to a month.”

Will scowled. Matthias had been bitter ever since he was kicked out of Sinnoh by the authorities. Although he wouldn’t talk about it, Will suspected Matthias was harboring ideas of bringing about justice on his own. Still, he knew that this was an opportunity he couldn’t miss; he rarely got to travel due to his skill as a strategic battle doctor, and he really needed a break. “I guess I can come. But you should think of inviting a couple of other people, too. It will be best if there is a diversity of knowledge among the group.”

Cassandra nodded. “Yeah. I guess I’ll call Jordan and Ruby.”

“Yeah, but don’t forget Neko. Out of all of us, he knows the most about the Pokemon of that region.” Will said before closing the call.

Cassandra glanced down at her watch. It was only noon, which meant Neko would most likely still be asleep. She shrugged and dialed anyway.

At that moment, Neko WAS sleeping. After a long day, he had once again overslept again by several hours. His glasses dangled from his face, and his long black hair covered his face. Because he had fallen asleep before he could change, he wasn’t wearing his pajamas, but his normal polo shirt and khakis. He was almost done with his sleep cycle when his PokeGear’s ring tone went off at top volume, jerking him awake. Sputtering, he flailed about, sending his covers flying and nearly knocking his laptop off of the desk next to the couch he was on. “What?” he said groggily. He spotted his blinking PokeGear. Squinting, he put on his glasses and grabbed it. “Oh, it’s just Cassy.” He yawned. He answered the message and was surprised to see that Cassandra looked very serious. “Hi Cassy. What’s up?” he said casually.

“Hi Neko. I don’t know how to explain this,” Cassandra began, “but I need some advice.”

Neko blinked. “If it is about battling, you should call Will. If it is about research, you should call Matthias. If it is about clothes, you should call Ruby. I don’t know if I can help you.” He said flatly. He was slightly annoyed that she had woken him up.

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “That isn’t it, Neko. You see, Cynthia just called me, asking for my help.” Neko began to protest, but Cassandra held up a hand to let him know she had more to say. “At first I thought she had the wrong person in mind. Then I asked her why she didn’t call a Sinnoh expert.” Neko still got the feeling Cassandra was imagining things again, but waited for her to finish. “She said that she had called a Sinnoh expert, but he couldn’t find anything out about the explosions, so he had suggested a Hoenn expert. But there wasn’t enough money left to hire a Hoenn expert, so they called me.”

Neko shook his head. “This sounds like another one of your stories, Cassandra. It is way too early in the morning for this.”

Cassandra glared. “It wasn’t like I asked for this! I asked why in the name of the legends they would call me, and it turns out they had gotten a hold of my research essay. You remember that, don’t you? The one about energy?”

Neko sighed. “Yeah, I remember that. But that still doesn’t explain much.”

“I’m not done! Please wait until I’m finished talking, Neko. Now then, where was I? Oh yeah- my essay. So Cynthia asked me if I would come anyway, because she didn’t want to wait until they had enough money for an official expert, and I told her I would think about it. I called Matthias and Will, and they both said they would come along. I think with those two around, it should be okay to travel to Sinnoh. Will is an expert battler and Matthias is a famous researcher. Between the three of us, we may be able to find out some answers. Will said that you knew the most about the Pokemon of the region, and that would prove highly useful for the investigation. So would you like to come or not?” Cassandra finished.

Neko paused. If Will and Matthias were both coming with her, then they probably had good reason to do so. He didn’t know what he could do, but he was beginning to feel curious as to what would turn up. “I guess so.” He said at last. “Have you called Cynthia? I think she should know that you have decided to come.”

Cassandra smiled. “Oh, thank you, Neko! And no, I have not called her yet- I want to call up Jordan and Ruby and see if they want to come, too. After that, I will call Cynthia and let her know I will be coming with some friends.” She looked Neko up and down for a moment and mentally sighed at his state. “Well, I better leave you to your duties. See you later.” She concluded.

Cassandra leaned against the wall and frowned. She was beginning to feel nervous. So far, everyone she called was willing to come, which was very unusual. Then she smiled. “Well, Matthias is researching time and space. Perhaps the thought of an official researcher coming along is helping out.” She reasoned as she dialed Jordan.

Jordan was reading “Water Winners Monthly” when she received the call. Her calm blue eyes matched the water she enjoyed to play in with her Buizel, and they were complemented by her green t-shirt that read ‘I love Buizels’ and her black shorts. Her shoulder-length hair was brought up in a tidy ponytail, and her favorite jacket hung over the side of the chair, summing up to a relaxed scene when she answered the call. “Hi Cassy! How are you?” Jordan said. She was rather surprised to get a call from Cassandra; while they were around each other quite often, they didn’t really know one another that well.

“Hey Jordan! I’m doing well. I got a call from Cynthia a while ago, asking me for help with investigating a bunch of explosions near the Sinnoh Victory Road. They already called in a local expert, but he couldn’t find anything out. They can’t afford a Hoenn expert, which is what he suggested, so they called me. Apparently, they have a copy of my research essay I was doing to become an Assistant. I told her I would think about it, and called Will, Matthias, and Neko for advice. They all said that they would come. I’m not sure how that is advice, but with the three of them, we should be able to find something out. I haven’t called Cynthia back yet because I also want to invite you and Ruby to come with us. Both of you have been to Sinnoh before, and we need all the help we can get.”

Jordan blinked and tried to comprehend what she had just heard. “Sure, I’d like to come. When are we going, and for how long?” she said after she sorted it all out.

Cassandra seemed confused. “That’s all you have to say?” she asked suspiciously.

Jordan laughed. “Yeah, you pretty much answered all my other questions. I suppose you went through a lot of questions with the guys, huh?” she grinned.

Cassandra smiled back. “Yeah, so after Neko I wrote down what I was going to say so that I could tell you all at once and I wouldn’t have to repeat myself over and over again. As for your other questions, well, I don’t know the answers yet. I am guessing I will find out the time table after I call Cynthia back.”

Jordan nodded. “That makes sense. Well, I better let you go now so that you can call Ruby and Cynthia. Call me back when you know we are leaving.”

Cassandra shook her head. “Actually, I’m going to forward an email to you guys instead of calling again. That way, I only have to do it once instead of explain it five times. But yeah, talk to you later!” She grinned as she ended the call.

Walking over to her computer, Cassandra brought up her email and began to compose a response with what information she already had. After rehashing the reasons for going to Sinnoh, as well as where they would probably be going, she pulled out her PokeGear and dialed one of her best friends, Ruby.

Ruby shook her long auburn hair in surprise when she saw a pile of papers buzzing. She was wearing her usual red shirt and black pants, and her dark brown eyes were wide with surprise. Her all-purpose jacket with the pictures of Ninetails, Vulpix, Eevee, and Eevee’s various evolutions on the back was tied around her waist. Dashing over to the pile and began sifting through it to find out why it was making noise. She laughed when she found her PokeGear sitting at the bottom. “Oh yeah, so that’s where it went!” she said gleefully. Glancing at the number, she smiled and brought up the hologram. “Hey Cassy! How are you doing?”

“I’m doing fine, Ruby. Listen, I would really like to talk with you for a long time, but after this I have to call Cynthia back.”

“Cynthia? Isn’t she the Champion of Sinnoh? Why do you need to call her back, Cassy?” Ruby frowned. “This isn’t about Matthias, I hope.”

“Nah, he’s fine. What happened is that Cynthia called me asking for help. Apparently there have been a bunch of explosions around Victory Road. They called in a Sinnoh expert, but all he had to say was that they should call in a Hoenn expert. But the thing is, the Elite Four doesn’t have enough money to hire someone from Hoenn. They called me after they saw my research essay I did to become an Assistant because they wanted to get SOMEONE over there before it got any worse. I called some of the others for advice, and instead of getting much advice on the spot, Matthias, Will, Neko, and Jordan have agreed to come with me and give me advice over in Sinnoh. Would you like to come with us?”

Ruby pushed back her hair. “Wow. That’s pretty cool. I would like to come, but it sounds like I wouldn’t have much more information to add. How would I be able to help?”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “You have been to Sinnoh before, and your talent with fire Pokemon would prove helpful in the journey. I am pretty sure Matthias and Will are bringing battle teams, and Sinnoh is a very cold region, so your fire Pokemon will be much appreciated.”

Ruby smiled. “I guess so. Yeah, sure I’ll come. I’ll let you go now so you can go call Cynthia and let her know all this. Talk to you later!” she said as she ended the conversation.

Cassandra returned to the email, filling in information on who was coming, what they would probably be doing, and some lists of what each person should bring with them on the trip. When she had finished, all she needed to know to send the email was when and how they would be leaving for Sinnoh, and how long they would be staying there. Cassandra dialed Cynthia and began her last call.

Cynthia was almost done with a League battle when Cassandra’s call cut through the air. To the great surprise of the challenger, Cynthia responded at once. “Hello? Oh, one moment. I’ll call you back in just a moment.” Cynthia responded before ending the call. Returning to the battle, she signaled her Lucario to take out the opposing Garchomp. The Lucario nodded and began to glow bright blue. The Garchomp shrieked as it was blinded, and the Lucario slammed his paws right on the head of his opponent, spike first. To the shock of the opposing trainer, the Garchomp immediately fell unconscious. Speechless, the trainer returned his Garchomp and walked dejectedly through the doorway he had entered from. When he cleared the entrance, Cynthia pushed a button and a metal door slid noiselessly before the opening. After gathering her breath, she dialed the number she had received from Professor Theresa and was soon talking with Cassandra once more. “Sorry, Cassandra, I was still battling.” Cynthia apologized.

“Yeah, I could tell. Why did you answer? I could have just left you a message or something. I thought you weren’t supposed to answer calls in the middle of a League battle.”

“Well, this is very important and I didn’t want to miss your call when you called back. So have you decided, Cassandra?”

“Yes. I will come to Sinnoh to investigate this explosion, but I will be bringing five friends with me to help out.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “Who are you bringing with you?”

“The names of my companions are Will, Ruby, Neko, Jordan, and Matthias.”

“Matthias? I don’t think you should bring him along. He was expelled from Sinnoh for stealing something very powerful.” Cynthia said sharply.

“Matthias is a space-time expert. This requires a great deal of knowledge on energy. You really should have called him, not me. Matthias never stole anything, and he wasn’t expelled; he left Sinnoh voluntarily. The authorities never found anything so they had to let him go. I assure you that Matthias is not a criminal, and he has to come along. I think he would like to find out who really stole whatever it was after we finish the investigation. Will is a battler, so he will be a sort of escort in the areas with more dangerous Pokemon. Neko, Jordan, and Ruby have been to Sinnoh before, so they will help out with the traveling and information about the Pokemon that live there. Again, I don’t think you should just take action on what we have to say; even if results turn out that it just was some intense battles, I think you should check with a real professional.” Cassandra said with a slight frown. “Anyway, I was wondering if you could tell me a few things about the timetable, like when and how we will get to Sinnoh, and how long we will be there.”

Cynthia sighed. “You will have to come by boat. You should take the next boat from Hoenn to Sinnoh that you can get tickets for, but I don’t know how long you will be here. That depends on how long the investigation takes.”

Cassandra nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell the others. We’ll come as quickly as we can.” She said simply as she hung up. Returning to the computer, she looked up the date of the next ship to Sinnoh. “Oh my goodness! It sails in a week!” she groaned. “That doesn’t give us much time.” Sighing, she filled in the last bit of information and forwarded the email. “We will have to start getting ready right away.”

[Deleted]

Chapter Two: “Are We There Yet?”

Neko had just finished unpacking when a loud clanging noise startled him. He straightened his glasses and checked his watch. “Oh goodness, lunch is starting right now! I better hurry so I don’t end up being served leftovers.” He grumbled, grabbing his room key and locking his door on the way out. Unfortunately, he had no idea where the ship’s dining room was located. He wandered the deck until he spotted what appeared to be a blaziken arguing with a Garchomp.
“I told you, you dolt! This place has more water than land! It will be a while before we reach Sinnoh!” The blaziken squawked, waving a fist in front of the Garchomp. The Garchomp snorted and growled. “No, no, no! I am not asserting anything! I just so happen to be the one native here and you’re the visitor. Our positions will be reversed in a few hours.” He turned and was surprised to see Neko. “Oh, hello! What are you doing here? The dining hall is on the top deck, near the kitchen and recreational activities hall. Why aren’t you eating?” Torkie said pleasantly.
“I ought to ask the same of you. I was under the impression you and Cassy went almost everywhere together.” Neko replied, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose.
Torkie laughed. “Well, apparently the other guests and waiters were uncomfortable with me being there. I was told to leave.” His eyes twinkled mischievously. “However, I can show you the way there, if you would like, Neko. The others are waiting for you.”
Neko raised an eyebrow. “I would rather not get kicked off the ship, thank you very much. But I will take a map, if you have one.”
Torkie sighed. “Oh, you’re no fun. But there aren’t any maps. Just go all the way up the stairs and follow the sounds of eating. You won’t be able to miss it. Trust me, even Cassy found her way there.”
Neko thanked Torkie and passed through several halls where he could hear the sounds of battle before finding the stairs. It wasn’t long before he reached the top deck, coming out near the recreational activities hall. He followed the sounds of clinking silverware right to the dining hall. He could see Ruby, Jordan, Cassandra, Will, and Matthias in the corner of the room near one of the bay windows. Jordan spotted him and waved him over. Neko gratefully grabbed a seat that had been saved for him and joined the meal.
“Nice of you to stop by, Neko.” Cassandra teased. “I hope it isn’t taking too much out of your busy schedule.”
Neko rolled his eyes and picked up a menu. “I got lost. I saw Torkie, by the way. I hope he isn’t causing any trouble. Apparently he got kicked out of the dining hall.” He muttered back as he looked over the choices. Cassandra laughed and continued her conversation with Ruby and Jordan regarding what style of cooking for contests would bring out the best in a Pokemon. When a waiter came over to refill their drinks, Neko ordered pasta and waited for his meal. “So now that we are all here, how about you tell us more about the journey we are taking? You made it seem like quite an adventure.”
Cassandra glanced at Will and shook her head. “Not now. Perhaps later, in the lounge. I don’t know a great deal myself, and wouldn’t want to argue over food.”
“Who said we are going to argue?” Matthias replied, squinting as he wiped his glasses. “Surely it can’t be very controversial. It is a simple statement of facts.”
“I happen to be short on those at the moment, Matthias. Besides, I am tired out from waking up so early, and I am sure Torkie will be eager to battle some of the other passengers.” Her eyes sparkled, hinting she has something devious in mind. “I myself am eager to see what odds and ends people have forgotten and left laying around.”
“You and your collecting habits.” Will snorted. “I am surprised it hasn’t gotten you into trouble.”
Cassandra scowled. “That was mean, Will. I don’t STEAL, I pick up items that have obviously been sitting there for a while, and only after asking people nearby if it belongs to them.”
At that moment, Neko’s pasta arrived, and he eagerly began to consume it. The conversation faded as the others ordered some dessert, and the main focus of the group was once again focused on food. Neko skipped the dessert, and they all finished at around one in the afternoon. After arranging her plate for the staff to pick up, Cassandra stood up.
“I’ll be reading in my cabin if you want me. We should meet again tomorrow afternoon to discuss the journey. Tomorrow morning Torkie and I are going swimming.” She said calmly.
Ruby raised an eyebrow in surprise. “A fire Pokemon swimming? That is one I have not heard before.”
Cassandra laughed. “It is a very long story, and it goes all the way into my small period of time where I researched with the professors on the process of evolution and the lifestyle of fire Pokemon, notably the Torchic line. To make a very long story short, he actually doesn’t mind the water, provided he doesn’t stay in it too long. The natural chemicals most birds produce to repel water is not present in the Torchic line’s system. Therefore, when they are attacked by water, it is irritating and sometimes even painful. But enough of that. I will see you tomorrow.”


The next morning, Torkie and Cassandra got up in time for a small breakfast, and then strolled directly to the swimming pool in the recreational activities hall. The other Trainers were greatly surprised to see a Blaziken in the swimming pool, but Torkie didn’t do anything other than blissfully lounge at the side, sending up a cloud of steam as his natural body temperature interacted with the water. Jordan and her Buizel had come to join them, and for the next hour or so, Cassandra, Jordan, and the Buizel enjoyed water games like ‘Sharpedoes and Remoraids’, ‘Dive Tag’, and ‘Infernape in the Middle’. After enjoying another superb lunch, the party of six gathered in the lounge to relax. However, everyone was eager to discuss the reason for the trip.
“So then, now that we are all here, we might as well learn a bit more about this adventure we have been invited to.” Ruby said promptly. “I am curious as to why Cynthia called you instead of just sending someone else in the region. I mean, it almost sounds like something from a story.”
Cassandra looked around the room. Everyone was looking expectantly at her, and she didn’t like public attention. “I am not to certain myself. I can give you speculation, but nothing solid other than what I told you in the e-mail.”
Matthias smiled. “By all means, give us your speculation. That is what you do for a hobby, isn’t it? Speculate on the legendaries?”
Cassandra glared. “I actually feel that I am getting somewhere very important with my research. Cynthia’s call was very timely, and the fact that you were all able to come makes me suspicious.”
Will snorted. “Take your head out of the clouds, Cassy. Besides, you told us that you had invited three other people, and they weren’t able to come.”
Cassandra nodded, and returned to the point at hand. “Cynthia has lately felt uneasy about the situation in Sinnoh. She feels it is unstable, but hasn’t told me why. There has also been an explosion,”
Neko interrupted her monologue. “That could have been caused by anything. We don’t even know if it was on purpose or not.”
“It is possible that it was an accident, but I don’t know of a single Pokemon that could cause such a shockwave other than a legendary. Six Electrodes at a max level using Explosion all at the exact same time right under the waterfall may cause something like that, but that would be impossible because the force of the water is too strong for swimmers, so you would need at least one water Pokemon with you.” Will replied. “And who would carry around a bunch of explosives all the time? In an area that is highly trafficked, you need permission, even if it is just so that people are aware that you carry around six Electrodes at max level. No, if it was an accident, I think Cynthia would have been able to find out because it would have to have been close, or at least licensed.”
Jordan tilted her head. “Unless it was an accident with something that was not licensed.”
Cassandra nodded. “If it was an accident, it was under a group of people that were up to no good. And if it was on purpose, it would fit under the same category. Man-made or not, this spells out trouble. And Cynthia is unable to check it out.”
Matthias shook his head. “That still does not explain why she invited you. Why not send in a team of experts to investigate? Or at least ask for help within your own region. Asking for help from another region is a bit unusual.”
Torkie shook his head. “Actually, it isn’t unusual. The professors help each other all the time. Myth seekers such as Cassy and Cynthia tend to trust each other more than the authorities, providing each has good judgment. Just look at how you are analyzing it now. What if she had called in a team of so called professionals? I tell you what would have happened. First they would ask her to be certain she was not imagining things. That kind of attitude offends people who study legendary Pokemon.” Cassandra nodded, and Torkie continued, pacing around the room. “Next, they would conduct a highly expensive investigation. This would probably involve isolating the area to prevent interference from Trainers and Pokemon. But isolation of the Pokemon League is impossible. Nothing can deter a Trainer that is able to survive Victory Road. This interference would lengthen the investigation and irritate the Trainers.”
“But-” Matthias tried to protest. Torkie held up a claw for silence and sighed before continuing.
“The Trainers would tell their friends, and eventually the media would get a hold of the news. They would make a big story out of it.” He said flatly, clacking his beak in annoyance. “If it was on purpose, the perpetrators would have long fled the scene by then. It wouldn’t matter if they left evidence behind, because they would be smart enough to lie low for quite a while afterwards, but that might not stop them from going further with whatever plans they had. If it was on accident, the poor person or Pokemon involved would have a terrible time with the pressure of the media and scrutiny of the entire region. Meanwhile, the Pokemon of the area would be very agitated from all the excitement, which is bound to cause trouble.”
Matthias interrupted, this time getting through. “But that is still only speculation! We can’t just justify something on a single line of thinking!”
Torkie turned and gave a surprisingly furious glare. “That isn’t my line of thinking!” he shrieked. “That is how Cynthia thinks! That is how Eusine thinks! That is how Cassy thinks! I have lived with myth seekers all my life. I have the instincts and ability to understand subtle things that humans do not even know they are sending out. Everything I know, everything I was raised by, and everything I am tells me this is how Cynthia was thinking when she gave Cassy that call. Whether or not it was the right line of thinking is not my place to say.” He finished off, stamping his foot for emphasis.
Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Don’t burn the rug, Torkie.” She turned to Matthias. “I’m afraid he’s right. If Cynthia is still anything like who I knew her as, that was her reason for inviting me.”
Ruby shrugged. “Okay, that’s fine. But why did you invite all of us instead of going by yourself? I mean,” She hastily added, “what are we going to be doing?”
Cassandra smiled. “One person could easily overlook something in an investigation. If there is trouble involved, it will take more than one person to bring down the troublemakers. In addition, I tend to get distracted easily. With other people around, we can all work together and make the investigation that much faster.” She glanced at Matthias. “She is the one that asked me, and I didn’t want to turn her down. It isn’t all that difficult to travel here and investigate something like an explosion, at least not when you compare it to legend chasing.”
Neko straightened his glasses. “That makes sense. But how are we going to get around? Only a few of us have ever been to Sinnoh before. A map won’t be able to give us enough detail.”
Cassandra nodded in agreement. “That is correct. I will be calling on my cousin Binker to show us around Sinnoh. She may not be as experienced as we are, but she can hold her own in a battle and has traveled Sinnoh extensively.” She stood up and headed to the door with Torkie close behind her. “That reminds me; I still need to give her a call. Oh well, I’ll do that later. Right now I feel like reading some more; I am almost done with the novel I was reading yesterday. I’ll talk to you guys later!” she called out as she sped down the hall.
Ruby shook her head in amazement. “She doesn’t like to stay in one place for very long, does she?” she said flatly. By then, the sun was low in the sky, and it was only an hour until dinner started. No one saw Cassandra for the rest of the evening because she read right trough dinner and went to bed early.
Cassandra’s dreams troubled her, and she was jolted out of her sleep by the alarm at eleven in the morning. Even though she had overslept, she felt exhausted and had a headache. After changing into her casual day clothes, she picked up some knapsacks and began to explore the ship. Torkie was eager to get the battles underway, and the sounds of his antics echoed down the halls. Most of the opponents were slightly spoiled Normal type Pokemon kept as pets, and a well placed Sky Uppercut quickly took them out of the battles. Torkie had a bit of difficulty with some of the sailors, and after being poisoned by a Tentacruel, he was replaced by an Alakazam and Tropics the Tropius for other water battles, even after he ate an antidote. By the time Cassandra had gone around the ship, Torkie was satisfied and no longer restless, and her packs were stuffed with discarded TMs, medicines, battle accessories, and collectables. Cassandra was completely worn out and more than ready to relax when she returned to her cabin. However, she still had to alert her cousin of their arrival, as the ship would pull into Canalave City in a day and a half. She picked up her PokeGear and selected her cousin on the calling screen. Within seconds, Binker was on the other end.


Binker was similar to her cousin in many ways. They both had long brown hair and dark brown eyes, as well as a weakness for collectibles. Binker, however, had a passion for organization, and always knew exactly where she was. Instead of a jacket and corduroys, Binker wore colorful sweaters and khakis. She spent a lot of her time gardening or in the underground, but her official hobby was shiny hunting. She hadn’t seen a shiny yet, but was determined to see at least one, since her cousin Cassandra had two shiny Linoones. She was searching for a shiny Togepi when she received the call from her cousin. The wild Pokemon scattered, and Binker scowled before answering. She was surprised to hear her cousin on the other end. “Oh, hi Cassy! How are you doing?” she said cheerfully.
“I’m doing well. Are those Beautifly I hear?” Cassandra responded, confused at hearing some very loud background noise. “You aren’t shiny hunting again, I hope.”
Binker snorted. “How did you know? And what about the Beautifly? They are just bugs.”
Cassandra shook her head. “Actually, they are very vicious. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you because I will be arriving in Sinnoh in a day and a half from now.”
Binker seemed to light up. “You are?! That is awesome! We can go exploring, and you can see my underground base, and we can go fishing, and-”
Cassandra cut her short. “No, I am actually coming on official business. Cynthia invited me to investigate an explosion, but don’t go off telling anyone. I brought along some friends to help, and I would like you to guide us around Sinnoh.” There was a pause, and Cassandra could tell that Binker was disappointed. “But maybe we can do some stuff together afterwards.” She said, sighing inwardly. Binker was a very active person, but Cassandra was slightly out of shape.
Binker nodded, even though Cassandra couldn’t see her, and looked to the sky. “You are arriving in Canalave, right?”
“Yes, we will be docking in Canalave City. Will you be able to meet us there?” Cassandra asked patiently.
“I should be able to make it, but where are you going to go first? You do realize that you can’t enter Victory Road without the eight badges from this region, don’t you?” Binker frowned.
Cassandra laughed. “Actually, you can enter Victory Road without the badges; you just can’t challenge the Pokemon League. You see, most trainers by default don’t receive the necessary supplied for the journey until after their eighth badge. I don’t plan to challenge the Sinnoh League, but if you had some other place in mind, I would be happy to hear it.”
Binker thought for a moment. “Well, Canalave does have a library. I don’t know if it has what you are looking for, but you might want to take a look anyway since you will be starting in Canalave City.”
Cassandra smiled. “Thank you. That actually might prove useful. Well, I’ll sww you soon! Bye.” Cassandra finished hastily, hanging up before Binker could think of anything else to say.


Binker sighed when Cassandra hung up, and decided she didn’t want to hang around to see if Beautifly were truly brutal Pokemon. She climbed onto her Starapator and was soon flying over the skies of Sinnoh. Upon spotting Lake Verity, she veered to the southeast and landed in Twinleaf Town. She ran past the empty houses of kids that had already gone to face the Elite Four, and ran into the forest and up the tree that had her tree house resting in its branches. A stack of books lay in one corner, and an overstuffed bookcase was on the eastern wall. On the western wall, she had several shelves full of treasures she had unearthed in the extensive Underground, and the south wall had a large map of Sinnoh, covered with lines and notes she had added over the years. She grabbed one of her spirals and began to take notes.
“Let me see… There was an explosion near the Pokemon League that was felt, but not heard or seen.” She muttered. She traced a sketch of the area based on her map and began drawing on it. “It can’t have been anywhere in there,” she mumbled, drawing a circle around the waterfall, “without being seen. And it had to have been further away than this,” she added, drawing a larger circle, “if they didn’t hear the initial explosion. At the closest range fitting these parameters, it would have taken the power of…” Binker said as she worked the math aloud. When she finished her calculations, she whistled in amazement. “Woah! That is way too much energy for a normal Pokemon to produce, and the legendaries would have a lot more power. I wonder what is going on.”
Binker debated on whether or not to call Cassandra back and tell her what she found out. She decided against it, and began to make a list of other information that might be needed. She didn’t get very far before she ran out of ideas. “That is a really powerful blast, but still not as powerful as something a legendary could do. I wonder why Cassy was called in if it doesn’t involve legendaries.” She shook her head and blinked. “Oh well, I suppose I will find out soon enough. I hope this isn’t something that will be dangerous; that Blaziken of hers might make things worse. Few people here have ever even seen a Blaziken, let alone one that can talk.”
Binker glanced back at the map, and then shrugged. “Well, I guess I might as well make a list of the Sinnoh sights. After this is done, I am sure Cassy would like to see them.”


By the time the ship had sighted Canalave City, Binker was waiting by the dock with a bundle of notes and presents for her cousin and her cousin’s friends. Although it took another twenty minutes for the ship to dock and the group to get off, Binker didn’t move from her spot until Cassandra stepped onto the port. At that point, she ran over and greeted her cousin with a large hug and the presentation of the gift she had chosen. When the excitement finally died down, Binker was introduced to the other members of the party. They were slightly surprised to get the gifts, but warmly accepted them. “So, where to now? Would you like to go to the library now or later?” Binker said happily.
Cassandra was looking uneasily at an abandoned Inn, so she didn’t hear Binker at first. When Binker repeated herself, she spun around suddenly. “Oh! Well, we already had lunch, so I don’t see why not.” She replied.
Binker raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “Oh, wait, you should have somewhere to put your luggage. Where will you guys be staying?” She asked.
Matthias blinked. “I had assumed we would be staying at the hotel near Lake Valor.” He said jokingly.
Cassandra glared. “I can’t afford something that expensive! We will be staying in Hearthrome City. They have a nice hotel there.” She finished softly, staring off into the distance.
Binker smiled. “Well, anyways, I am glad you could come.” She turned and started walking to the library, but stopped and jogged back. “Oh yeah! Welcome to Sinnoh.”