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Chapter 1: Prologue

Akeira146

Youngster
Pronouns
She/Her
Summary:
The universe has an order.
When Fate shuffles its cards, Destiny always comes to play.

Garnet Stone was the child to Pokémon League Champions— a current and a former, that is. All her life, she was overshadowed by the fame and success that was never hers. As she sets out on a journey, the universe conspires to keep her bound to a single duty.

Rating: Teen (occasionally, Mature)

A/N: Hello! This is the very first story I wrote. I drew inspiration from several anime, particularly Naruto/Boruto and Black Butler. The idea came when I thought about incorporating elements from these shows into the Pokémon universe (supernatural abilities, ocular powers, and similar power tropes).


CHAPTER 1: Prologue

“The universe chains us to some inescapable fate. Destiny brought me there, and it will keep me there.”

<><><><><>

The world has fallen to the day of Judgment.

The remnants of chaos and destruction stood before her. From above, the darkest clouds began to brew the most violent storm. Flashes of lightning ignited the threatening sky in ominous purple. Thick smoke hung over the fallen land as it emanated from the dismantled creations of man. Structures or nature... it all crumbled to the earth, reduced to ruins and mountains of wreckage.

The cries of an Absol were heard as it launched a gigantic dark sphere.

The attack hurled towards a towering shadow. However, it barely made contact before the dark figure hovered slightly above where it stood. Spreading its wings, a flash of blue lines ran across the right half of its body, forming a glowing sigil tattoo.

The figure roared thunderously before its body marks melded into a common point: a black void on the right palm. The attack launched by the Absol was sucked into the void.

A split second later, another dark sphere formed from nowhere and was hurled towards the figure from above. It failed to react fast as the sphere exploded upon contact.

There was a flash of blinding light, followed by an ear-shattering explosion that sent rocks and debris flying. The Absol only moved the slightest to avoid a single fragment of concrete. Smoke and dust had obscured its view, but it remained standing in place.

A cold breeze swept over, completely clearing the floating particles. To the Pokémon's mild surprise, the figure seemed unharmed despite taking a direct hit.

The sound of footsteps on rubble was heard from a distance and soon came to a halt beside the Absol.

“To think you’d go to great lengths just for all this, Eller,” said a young lady clad in black. She unconsciously placed her right hand on the Absol, feeling the Pokémon's soft, black fur against her palm. How it reminded her of 7 years ago when life had been so simple; Pokémon battles, adventures, and friendships made along the way.

“Everything led up to this moment, Garnet. You knew that,” replied a young man who emerged behind the dark figure. His features were barely visible as he stood in the shadows of a large pillar. However, the glowing blue of the sigil mark running the entire length of his right arm and body, up to the right eye, was clearly visible.

“Then there’s really no other way to settle this then,” replied the girl.

“Yes,” he replied coolly. Eller took a few steps forward, fully coming into view. Even if they were standing a few distance apart, it was clear that he towered over her. The last time they were side by side, she stood until his chin. A few years into their late teens, the height difference became more evident; she would barely reach an inch beyond his shoulders.

He stared at Garnet for a few seconds, registering her appearance. Her steel blue hair was styled in layers, the longest parts reaching her midriff while the shortest rested shoulders-length. Her face had a few cuts and bruises. She did not wear a patch over her left eye like she would often do. It revealed a large scar that ran down said eye. In contrast, her right one was open and stared back at him with an ice blue intensity.

His gaze went to her left hand which sported a similar sigil mark. It was not activated at the moment and only appeared like a dark tattoo extending to her elbow, with the rest obscured by the remainder of her sleeve that was not tattered.

He then looked at the Absol standing beside her. Like its trainer, the Pokémon had grown over the years. He was always fascinated by the friendship and loyalty between the trainer and her shiny Absol. The first time meeting them, he was confused as to how an Absol came to have black fur and a white body. The shinies of its species were often with white fur and a red body. The Pokémon had truly been special and unique, both in appearance and strength.

Looking back at Garnet, he took notice of an exhausted appearance amidst the intensity of her gaze. The years of having to carry a heavy burden on her shoulders slowly took a toll on her. He was two years her senior, yet he knew what the 17-year old girl had been through. It was far more than what he himself had experienced.

“I’ll put an end to what became of the world. Everything will return to how it was intended to be,” said Eller. “If only Cynthia made it, she would have been disappointed at you. So is Steven... wherever he is now,”

“Still…” Garnet replied inaudibly. She stepped forward and grabbed her left sleeve. Raising her left arm slightly to her side, she pulled on the remainder of her sleeve to reveal her sigil mark. In a second, it lit up in red lines that coursed throughout her left arm and body, extending up to the scarred left eye.

“You’d have to prove your strength in this battle!” Garnet declared as she opened her left eye to reveal its black sclera and purple iris.

Without further exchange of words, their Pokemon lunged towards each other; the two trainers preparing to yield the power held by their sigil marks.
<><><><><>

From this point several years earlier, the story begins...

A/N: Some of you may have already read parts of this story simply because I am cross-posting. I'm currently working on the latest chapter that was done in January, but Legends Arceus happened and it added some important lore into my initial drafts. So if you are one of those who have read this prior, hello and forgive me for the slight revisions I've suddenly made :)
 
Chapter 2: That Family, Musing

Akeira146

Youngster
Pronouns
She/Her
CHAPTER 2: That Family, Musing
Cynthia rode on Garchomp’s back as the Pokémon flew at a constant speed towards Jubilife City. They had been in flight for half an hour now. Normally, Cynthia would opt to drive back home. Jubilife was only an hour’s drive from Celestic Town where she had spent most of her day doing research.

She would only call on Garchomp whenever she had to go back home from the League. However, this day felt like one of those days. Her mind and body were too exhausted to even have the patience to be stuck in traffic. Besides, the dual dragon/ground type loved to take flight during the night. It was the one time of the day when people took least notice of their surroundings. Many are either too tired from the day’s activities or are intent on getting back home before dinner. This meant that Garchomp could fly freely without calling too much attention to itself or its trainer. After all, Cynthia was the Sinnoh Champion. Attention to her often extended to her team of six, especially her ace.

Cynthia readjusted herself in a more comfortable position before looking down below. It was nighttime and the urban lights provided the much-needed illumination to the city. From above, the scenery looked like a constellation on earth’s ground.

“We’re almost there, Garchomp,” said Cynthia as she carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

The Pokémon grunt in agreement.

“How about we land on the rooftop. I’m not really in the mood to greet people at the front entrance for now,” Cynthia suggested. And she wasn’t lying. She wanted to reach home with as little exchange with people as she can. She didn’t want to fake her expressions and greetings. No, Cynthia was too sincere for that.

In a few minutes, Cynthia saw the towering structure of the Jubilife condominium. She felt her Garchomp descend slightly before landing on solid ground at the rooftop.

“Looks like some of the neighbors did laundry,” she took note of the blankets that hung on the clothesline, swaying slightly in the wind.

Recalling Garchomp, Cynthia slowly made her way to a door that led to a flight of stairs. As usual, she would have to descend by feet until the 20th floor where her unit was located. Before she could reach for the handle, she heard a man’s voice from behind.

“Busy day, Champ?” said a man.

“Wha- Oh! Goodevening, Alfred. I didn’t see you there,” she replied.

The man was sitting on a stool and holding a small canvas. The elderly painter had a habit of portraying the Jubilife cityscape in different styles. It was always the same subject, but with different depictions of the scenery. Cynthia wondered if he ever runs out of ideas on uniquely paint the city every time. Perhaps painters had a gift that allowed them to see a subject in different viewpoints, hence the seemingly unlimited impressions. It’s like in archaeology, only it was less personal since the perspectives belong to historical individuals.

“Not aware of your surroundings? That doesn’t sound like you, Champ. Must’ve been another exhausting day, eh?” said Alfred as he began to perform different strokes with his paintbrush.

“Yeah,” she replied in a tired tone.

“We’ve all been there. Luckily, we get to go home to our families at the end of the day. Seeing them just lifts all the stress away.” Alfred said, “Better get going then. Some rest will do you good,”

“Thanks. Have a nice evening,” she replied. As Cynthia began to descend the stairs, she sighed internally knowing that her destination was 10 floors away.

After several minutes, Cynthia finally stood in front of her unit. She took a key card out of her bag before tapping it on the reader. A beep was heard, followed by a click. She pushed down on the handle and silently entered inside.

She noticed a familiar pair of leather shoes on the shoe rack.

He’s home early, Cynthia thought.

Making her way to the living room, she was about to make her presence known before she heard someone speaking.

“Come on. Say ‘Dada’,” a man said gently.

Cynthia was amused and slowly peeked into the living room while keeping herself hidden behind the wall. She saw her husband facing away from her direction and lying down on the sofa. Their 1-year old daughter, Garnet, sat on top of his stomach, little hands held by her father to prevent her from falling.

“Why won’t you say it? I heard you saying 'mama' the other day,”

Cynthia covered her mouth to suppress a chuckle. Without seeing his face, she could already see her husband pouting in front of their daughter.

An idea came to mind and she quickly took out her phone, making sure to record what unfolded before her. She couldn’t help but smile at the scene. This was one of the moments when her husband would show a side of himself that only his family could witness.

Outside the confines of home, Steven carried himself with great dignity and pride. He is solitary, but now without a humorous side. The man detested showing weakness in front of other people. As the former Hoenn Champion and current President of Devon Corporation’s Sinnoh Branch, Steven believes that unwavering strength is always part of the job. However, Cynthia knew otherwise.

She was a witness to his failures and struggles; her presence beside him in every step of the way, just as he had been for her throughout the years.

“Just one time, come on. You can do it. Say Da-da,” Steven said, snapping Cynthia out of her trance.

Garnet stared blankly at her father, seemingly uninterested. Blinking once, the toddler tried to lay down on her father’s chest. “Aaaahhhmamm,” her small voice babbled.

“A hug isn't exactly what I'm asking for,” Steven said, carefully holding the kicking toddler by the sides to prevent her from falling. Eventually, she was able to lay down on her stomach, on top of her father’s chest.

The toddler stared with wide, innocent eyes.

Steven stared back with an unamused expression.

Ice blue eyes to ice blue eyes tried to outstare each other.

“Nnnggg Hehehe” Garnet giggled.

“Fine, you win this one,” Steven couldn’t help but chuckle and wrapped both arms around the girl to lock her in an embrace.

Garnet’s attention turned to the figure that emerged behind the wall. “Ma-ma!” she cried happily.

“Okay, I get it. You have your favorites,” the man remarked.

“Overdramatic,” replied Cynthia.

Steven turned abruptly behind him. “Cynthia? How long have you been there?” he asked, slowly sitting up as he held his child. The toddler excitedly outstretched her arms to her mother.

“Just early enough to hear your little conversation,” she winked, taking the toddler from Steven's arms.

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Anyway, did you and your Pokémon eat? I finished my paper works today earlier than expected. I was hoping we’d have dinner together, so I waited,"

“Garnet hasn’t eaten yet?” she asked.

“Kayla fed her before going home,” he replied, referring to the toddler's babysitter. Ever since Garnet could crawl, he and his wife decided that they can no longer ask friends and family to babysit for them. Their busy schedules meant that a regular babysitter was needed. Fortunately, Kayla was someone they could trust, being a niece to one of Cynthia's childhood friends in Celestic Town.

“I see. The staff at the League fed the Pokémon before I left,” Cynthia explained. She set Garnet down on the carpet when the toddler started to fuss, repeatedly pointing at the television screen. “I'll let you watch some Pokémon battles, but only until me and your father finished our dinner,”

She reached for a Pokéball and called out Roserade.

“Roserade, could you watch over her for a while?” she asked.

The Pokémon nodded in agreement, happily sitting beside Garnet who was engrossed in watching a Ninetails and Mightyena clash in battle.

<><><><><>

“What do you want for dinner? I came home first, so that means I’ll be doing the cooking,” said a voice as Cynthia entered the kitchen.

“Can we just have the leftover spaghetti from this morning?” she answered. With no further reply, Steven took two large bowls from the fridge and started to reheat the extra sauce and spaghetti on the stove.

He noticed his wife staring blankly at the countertop, brows furrowed in concentration.

Steven instantly knew that her mind was elsewhere. “Did something come up in your research today?”, he asked.

“It’s actually the opposite. We’re at a dead end,” She replied, “All those weeks. Wasted. I thought we were finally near to decoding those stone tablets,” exhaustion was evident in her voice and features.

The knew exactly what she was referring to. It was the exact same topic they had spoken over dinner for weeks on end. To hear that Cynthia and everyone involved in the research had been unsuccessful only meant that it was back to square one. Even for him and his team.

Yes, he was also involved in this matter.

“I’ll call Riley and Roark’s units tomorrow. They need to know it’s time to pack up for the mean time,” he replied.

“I’m sorry, Steven. This is the third time around.”

“Don’t be, Cynth. We’re all doing our best and I’m sure the excavation team understands the situation,” Steven said sympathetically, placing the spaghetti on two plates before serving them to the dinner table. “I forgot to tell you. Welcome home, and please don’t send that video to my father. I will never hear the end of it,”

Cynthia simply chuckled before taking a bite of her food.

Half an hour later, Cynthia and Steven emerged from the kitchen. They were immediately met with a sleeping toddler on the sofa, with Roserade sitting beside her. The television program Garnet was watching earlier seemed to have ended, evidenced by the several eeveelutions dancing on screen.

Roserade turned its attention to the couple who entered the living room. It called out to them in a low and somewhat sleepy tone.

“It is getting quite late. Thank you for watching over her, Roserade,” Cynthia answered in a whisper. She took a Pokéball from her belt and recalled the Pokémon. The sound caused Garnet to slightly stir in sleep before letting out little cries.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” Cynthia cooed as she picked up the toddler. She brushed some steel blue hair away from her daughter’s face. In response, Garnet rubbed one eye with her little hand before resting her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I’ll tuck her in,” Cynthia said to her husband who was watching them with a small smile.

“Alright,” he replied, the smile never leaving his face even as he went to the direction of their bedroom.

“Steven? Are you asleep?”

“Not yet. Is something wrong?” the man replied.

They were currently in bed, having retired for the night about an hour ago. However, sleep did not seem to arrive for either of them despite such a tiring day.

“I was thinking. Could you remind me why we are doing all of this again? You know, the research and excavation stuff. I feel like I’ve lost motivation after failing three times in a row now,” she whispered, resting her head on Steven’s chest.

“Oh? I thought I managed to clear your mind a bit after that steamy lovemaking we had in the shower earlier,” he playfully replied with a smirk.

That earned him a light slap on the arm by his wife. However, he did take notice of the light blush on her face.

“Alright, let’s see. We are doing this because the events from 5 years ago has left more questions than answers. It also revealed something about those, uh, ‘individuals with special abilities’ that we would have never thought was possible. Also, that ‘Man’ and his motives are still a mystery. What we do know is that it concerns the world, but that’s as far as we’ve got at the moment," he started. "Unless we find the answers to these questions, it's hard to say what the future holds. All of us who were involved in the infiltration managed to convince the world that everything was back to normal... but is it really? The moment we all decided to conceal the truth meant that we’ve shouldered the responsibility for the matter. I think it’s the reason why we all feel weighed down to this day. We may have continued on with our lives, but there is unfinished business to take care of,” Steven explained. As he did, he realized how his hand tightened around his wife. He loved how her presence provided him with a sense of comfort.

Had he been tensed while talking?

Apparently so, because Cynthia had moved her hand from his chest to his torso. It shifted them into a cuddling position.

“You know, I suddenly thought of Garnet. Maybe a part of me wants to finish this responsibility not only due to what you said, but because I want her to have a secured future. The next generation deserves to live peacefully. Our generation, as well as our predecessors' and the current one, have all fought to attain peace in the past. Heck, every reigning champion had to resolve some sort of regional conflict that threatened the globe as a whole. You were a champion too before entrusting your position to Wallace. I know that you understand what I’m talking about,” she explained.

Steven simply nodded. As a Champion, he once had to deal with two criminal organizations in his region alone. That and the event concerning the large meteor that almost crashed on earth. “It kind of makes you think when all of it would end. In an ideal world, probably. I just hope that if ever Garnet chooses to become a trainer one day, she wouldn’t have to be burdened by these kinds of matters. But that’s just me dreaming. Conflict and struggles are a part of life, and such experiences often build a person,”

“Best we can do is to raise her well so she would grow into a strong-willed individual with a steadfast heart,” Cynthia concluded. “Thanks, Steven. I think I can sleep soundly now,”

“I can’t. I’m not tired enough. That steamy moment we had in the shower made me more energized,” he replied suggestively as his hand slowly snaked under her nightgown.

“Then go do some push-ups on the floor. A little exercise should do th—” a squeal left Cynthia's lips as Steven suddenly moved on top of her.

“I have another kind of ‘exercise’ in mind, but it would have to involve the two of us,” he whispered seductively into her ear.

Cynthia couldn’t help but squirm slightly under him. His right hand kept caressing her soft skin, roaming the curves of her body. It only took a few moments before an equally suggestive smirk formed on her face, “Maybe you’re right. We’re not tired enough for sleep. Let’s see that exercise routine you got there, Mr. Stone,”

“My pleasure, Mrs. Stone,” the man said before capturing his wife’s lips with his.

A/N: The story flow will be quite slow at first because I'll focus on family relationships during the earlier chapters (if you paid attention to the prologue, you'd understand why I want to build up the family moments).
 
Chapter 3: That Ex-Champion, Retrospecting

Akeira146

Youngster
Pronouns
She/Her
CHAPTER 3: That Ex-Champion, Retrospecting
Silence.

It was so deafening that it caused ringing in his ears.

He looked to his side where the other members of the infiltration team stood. They were all equally quiet, each bearing different expressions.

Kukui wore a blank expression as he studied the ultra GPS device on his hand.

N was focused on trying to communicate nonverbally with what appears to be a small ultra-beast hiding behind a rock.

Olympia and Riley were on a meditative state.

Ash Ketchum wore a small smile of confidence as he looked around. The boy appeared to be reminiscing memories. He was a former Ultra-Guardian for Alola and had gone to Ultra-Space on multiple occasions. In comparison to them, he had a grasp of the place.

His gaze then turned to the blonde woman standing a few feet away from the group. She was staring at the vast, dark space from where they stood. Her right hand was on her chest, lightly grasping the specialized fabric of their Ultra-space suit.

She was concentrating. Steven knew that the instant he saw the gesture. Cynthia had a habit of grasping her coat by the chest or mid-torso whenever she tried to carefully focus on certain matters. It was a subtle mannerism that many would overlook.

But not him. No. He knew these little mannerisms just by observing her throughout the 2 years they were dating.

“Thinking again?” Steven asked as he approached her.

Cynthia turned her attention to the voice behind her. “A bit. I was just thinking how ultra-space reminds me of that time when I was in the distortion world to stop Cyrus’ plans,”

She gazed up once more to the vast space in front of her. It was a world colored in dark hues of blue and violet. Clouds of particles and elements formed swirls amongst the blend of dark colors. Several platforms of land with jagged rocks floated in space and appeared like uprooted islands. At the moment, all of them stood in one of these floating lands.

“It even looks like the distortion world. Although the laws of physics here seem to be better,” She added. “I can’t believe I’m in a parallel dimension again, trying to thwart the evil plans of another man. I’m beginning to see a pattern here,”

Steven was about to reply when he saw the bulky figure of Lieutenant Surge heading towards the group. Earlier, the lieutenant volunteered to scout ahead.

Ash’s Pikachu perked and alerted everyone else, bringing their attention to the approaching man.

“Why is he suddenly in a hurry? I have a bad feeling about this,” said N.

“It is. I can sense his aura. It’s erratic at the moment unlike the steady flicker it had before he left. Is it the same for you, Ash?” asked Riley

“I haven’t really gotten that far in my aura training yet, but yeah. His aura does seem weird. It’s like he’s anxious,” answered the boy.

Lt. Surge kept running towards their direction. When he was certain that he was within hearing range, his voice boomed in warning. “WE NEED TO GET GOING. I SAW INJURED ULTRA-BEASTS FLOATING NEAR SOME OF THE LANDS. I THINK ‘HE’ ARRIVED HERE EARLIER THAN US!”

“Then let’s go! Gladion just sent me the coordinates to Ultra Megalopolis. It shouldn’t be far from h—” Kukui couldn’t finish his sentence when they heard a massive blast from afar.

The ground shook violently until the shock waves headed towards them.

“TAKE COVER!” Shouted Lt. Surge.

Each of them hid behind the nearest rock to where they stood.

Except for Olympia.

She had been quick to pick up on the situation at hand and immediately called out her Slowking and Meowstic.

“COMBINE YOUR POWERS. USE PROTECT AND SHIELD EVERYONE!” She instructed her Pokémon.

In an instant, the two Pokémon created two green barriers that spanned a gigantic diameter enough to cover everyone behind them. Olympia had particularly prepared her two Pokémon for instances like this. She foreseen that the move ‘protect’ would prove useful in this mission.

Slowking and Meowstic struggled with the intensity of the impact. Despite their efforts, the shield barrier began to crack. They turned to their trainer in worry.

“LET US NOT GIVE UP! WE CAN DO THIS! TOGETHER!” She encouraged them as she bent slightly and placed her hands on the two Pokémon's’ backs to assist them. Olympia was surprised with the heaviness of the blast’s force.

As they awaited the end of the shockwave, Cynthia had only one thing on her mind.

They all had to survive this, or else it meant the worst for their world.

‘We’re not letting ‘him’ get away with whatever he’s planning!’ She thought to herself.

The shattering sounds of the shield barrier was heard. In a flash, Cynthia felt herself swept away from the ground before her body made hard impact on a rock, effectively knocking her unconscious.


Present time...

Steven Stone looked up from the small pile of papers in front of him. His gaze went to the two gentlemen currently inside his office.

Riley sat on one sofa with his arms crossed and eyes closed. At first glance, one would think he was taking a nap. But judging by the patterns of his deep breathing, Steven was sure that the man was meditating as always. Opposite to Riley, Roark stood in front of a glass case that contained Steven’s rare stone collection. He was engrossed in observing the details and intricacy of each rock.

“So it wasn’t the Ruins of Alph?” Roark asked without tearing his gaze off on one of the rocks.

“Apparently not. The terrain coordinates that the research team decoded didn’t seem to match some sections of the cave,”

“Is that why you and Riley kept digging endlessly near the west cave walls?” Roark asked.

“Yes. I actually joked about it with Cynthia that the spot would cave in before we could find the third stone tablet,” Steven said with slight humor, “But she actually took that into consideration. A few days after I returned to Sinnoh, she came home one night telling me that it was another dead end for the research team. Turns out, the coordinates they’ve been decoding didn’t point to the Ruins of Alph.”

Riley was listening intently at the ongoing conversation. Half an hour ago, he and Roark came to visit Steven's office in Devon Corporation-Sinnoh, albeit unannounced. However, they were aware that Steven expected the visit. Exactly a month ago, they received a call one morning instructing their units to pack up. They were told that they had been excavating the wrong location. Again.

Riley would be lying if he said that the announcement didn't displease him. Even so, he was aware that the research team were doing their best, so he refrained from stating any complaints. Then again, it was not merely a personal reason why he would feel displeased. He could excavate day and night if he had to; Riley could care less of the exhaustion. However, he knew that they shouldn’t delay further in finding the third stone tablet.

Who knows what clandestine activities that ‘man’ has left operating.

It has been 5 years (nearing 6 years in a few months) since the ‘incident’ that this same ‘man’ has caused. Riley had been among those sent to fight in the frontlines. He was a part of the so-called “INFILTRATION-8”, an eight-man squad sent to ultra-space in order to halt the ensuing chaos in the world at the time. Riley couldn’t say they were a hundred percent successful in their mission. Apparently, this ‘man’ had a larger scheme prepared but was unfortunate to not survive long enough in bringing it to fruition. Whatever this grand scheme was, no one had an idea. This was the reason why they were trying to decode the stone tablets in their possession.

The stone tablets originally belonged to this ‘man’ from 5 years ago. It seemed they contained crucial information regarding his motives. During his final moments, this ‘man’ had thrown all 3 tablets separately into different ultra-wormholes that connected to different locations on Earth. All members of the International Pokémon League Association had been tasked to locate them, with the regional champions serving as heads of the search operation in their home regions.

It took 2 years before two of the three tablets were found.

The first was located by the Kalos search unit in Ambrette town. It had been situated firmly between two rocks on a cliff, the lush greens obscuring it from view. Had it not been for a storm and the heavy downpour of rain, the stone tablet wouldn’t have slipped into clear sight.

The second was found in Unova’s Route 3 under a pond. A young trainer had found it when she dived into the water to retrieve the Dawn Stone she had dropped. Thankfully, she brought it to professor Juniper’s laboratory. The professor, aware of the ongoing search at the time, immediately contacted the research team based in Celestic Town of Sinnoh.

Steven had been crucial in the process of identifying the stone tablets. After all, he was the only one among the Infiltration-8 who had seen them up front before they were hurled into three different ultra-wormholes. While he had provided sketches of the tablets to make the search efficient, he was still responsible for examining every potential stone the excavation and research teams presented to him.

“When will we be expecting the next potential excavation site? After all, our job is far from finished,” Riley interrupted after a few moments with his thoughts.

“I was told that that the research team is yet to find a site that matches well with the terrain coordinates. Hopefully, this next site is where we finally locate the third,” Steven replied.

“You know, I never understood something. How is it that the two stone tablets in our possession point to the location of the third? Are we really sure that whatever is encoded in those two are a series of coordinates? How do we know it isn’t randomly located somewhere, like in a volcano? We did find the other two on a cliff and under a pond,” Roark asked as he sat down on a nearby sofa.

Riley turned to Steven. “You’re the one who can answer that, Stone. You did see it for yourself.”

Steven sighed and stroked his chin. He closed his eyes as he tried to recall events from 5 years ago.

“Back in ultra-megalopolis, we managed to enter the heart of the city. It was in a state of chaos. Our infiltration team engaged in a violent battle with that ‘man’ and the ultra-beasts under his control. I was able to slip past the heat of the battle with Metagross and tracked that ‘man’ when he tried to escape at Megalo Spire. There, I saw the three stone tablets up front and floating in midair. They didn’t look particularly special at first. However, I noticed that when the ‘man’ took the third tablet out of its position, the symbols written on the other two immediately changed. Symbols disappeared, some appeared, and other moved to a new position. I thought I was hallucinating, but I was sure of what I saw,”

Steven eventually opened his eyes to meet the gazes of the two men in front.

He continued, “Then, three ultra-wormholes opened and that ‘man’ hurled the third tablet first. Immediately, the symbols written on the other two changed completely until they settled onto a new set of engravings... I likened it to a computer matrix,"

“That’s why,” Riley interjected, “when Steven told us what he had saw, we theorized that the symbols encoded on the two tablets in our possession are dependent on the location of the third. Basically, they act like a radar that detects the third and translate its location coordinates into encoded symbols.”

Roark tried his best to absorb every piece of information. He understood, but couldn't help but be skeptical. “Is it like magic, then? Isn't it kind of weird to think that rocks could track a fellow slab and write symbols about it.”

It did sound silly, but the incident 5 years ago had taught Steven to take unexplained phenomena seriously.

“Anything is possible these days, Roark. Remember those people with special abilities stronger than aura? Their existence already proves that there is so much we don’t know about this world,” Riley said.

“Well, you’ve got a point,” Roark replied. “You know what? Enough with all this talk. I think it’s time we take our pal Steven out for a drink. Don’t you think so, Riley?”

“I agree. A break from work won’t kill you, Stone. I’m sure Cynthia won’t mind,”

“I also heard from Gardenia that Cynthia mentioned you being a great dad to little Garnet. I’m sure any wrath of hers when you get home will be toned down because of that.” Roark added.

“Speaking of Garnet, she’s turning 2 years old soon, isn’t she? That calls for a mini celebration for you, Stone. Growing toddlers can be a handful.”

“I can’t. I hav-” Steven was interrupted when Roark and Riley grabbed him by the shoulders before dragging him towards the door, all the while with amused expressions on their faces.

“Drinks are on me tonight, Stone. Down as much as you can,”

Roark scoffed. “I’ll bet 50 Pokédollars that he’ll be as drunk as a Skuntank by his third drink,”

As he was dragged out of his office, Steven tried to protest with reasons of unfinished paperwork. However, neither men loosened their grip on his suit and continued their way towards the elevator.

Steven sighed internally.

There was no point of reasoning with these two because they were adamant on taking him out for a drink. It wasn’t as if he hated alcohol; the man just didn’t feel the need for a drink at the moment. He would have preferred to finish up some paper work so he could be free during the weekends. Then again, he had been working since morning.

He did probably deserve a break.

Turning to the glass windows that overlooked the cityscape of Jubilife City, Steven realized it was now evening as evidenced by the city lights against a dark sky.

I should call Cynthia later. It’s going to be a long night with these two.

Several kilometers south of Sinnoh lies the Johto region. Being at different locations on the globe, the two regions differed in climate and time zone. In comparison to Sinnoh that was now in its early hours of the evening, the sun has only begun to set for Johto.

Golden rays illuminated the skies in red and orange hues as the sun slowly dipped into the horizon. Such a view was spectacular to see at the higher floors of buildings and houses, as well as in the waters and mountainous areas of nature.

Such was the case even in Mt. Silver. The mountain stood treacherously, bordering the regions of Johto and Kanto. It was said that only the best of the best trainers had access to its location. Many have tried to reach its peak, yet only a few could make it half of the way...

and only one was known to have reached the summit.

It was filled with the dangers of rock slides, losing your way in the labyrinth, and getting attacked by wild Pokémon of incredible strength.

Mt. Silver truly thrived in its perils and harsh landscape.

Yet amidst all this, somewhere in the forest near the mountain was a raven-haired boy who braved his way towards Mt. Silver. With a Poliwag in his arms, the boy trekked along the forest path.

“Almost… there… Poliwag,” he said in between his panting.

He was tired.

His little feet ached, yet he was determined to reach his destination.

“Daddy took me there once,” he added.

The boy stopped in his tracks when he saw the large trunk that blocked the path. He tried to find a way around it, but the trunk was sandwiched between a large boulder and an elevated portion of land.

“We climb then,” the boy said.

As he examined the trunk to decide his footing, he heard the distinct snap of a twig nearby. The Poliwag was startled and jumped down from his arms. The Pokémon made its way under the shade between two rocks.

“Wait Poliwag! Don’t go too far!” he shouted running towards the Poliwag. “Don’t worry. Maybe it just was a small Pokémon,”

The Pokémon sent a fearful expression.

“I’ll protect you. I promise,”

With this, the boy slowly brought his right hand to the Pokémon's head. The moment he made contact with the Poliwag, he felt a sudden tingle that coursed through his entire body. A mental image of himself, then of a Poliwhirl in battle, came into his mind. Oddly enough, he felt a sudden connection with the Poliwag in front of him. He sensed fear and uncertainty, something that he had not felt seconds ago.

The boy became confused. He felt all sorts of emotions coursing through him: fear, uncertainty, trust, concern, surprise, comfort, and exhaustion. He had never felt such simultaneous rush of emotions before.

He started to heave, clearly on the verge of tears.

Just as the first teardrop slid along his cheeks, he felt a strong vibration in his arm that rested on the Poliwag. In a split second, psionic waves of energy was released from his little body. He and the Poliwag stumbled back from the force. The ground shook violently, as the trees swayed and their leaves rumbling along.

The boy and the Poliwag stared at each other in shock before hurried footsteps approached from nearby.

“Hey! You there! Are you alright?” A woman ranger asked as she emerged from the trees.

Seeing her, the Poliwag ran away in fear towards the trees behind it.

The boy wanted to chase the Pokémon, but he could barely move from the shock.

“Was that your Poliwag? I can chase after it before it goes deeper into the forest,”

“No. It’s… j-just a w-wild Poliwag,” the boy stuttered, finding it difficult to speak.

“I saw you trying to climb that trunk earlier. I was going to help you when that earthquake suddenly came,” the woman kneeled beside the boy to check for any injuries. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

The boy simply shook his head.

“Oh my, I’m sorry. You must have been so scared from that earthquake,” the woman said, “Here, let me hold your hand so you won't be scared anymore,”

It seemed to work as the boy's breathing slowly returned to normal.

That was before he burst into tears.

“I want… my daddy… I didn’t… listen and… wandered off again,” he said between sniffles. “We were… going to… return Poliwag… inside the…cave… in the waters inside where he belongs,”

“I understand. You were only trying to help it weren’t you?” the woman said as she wiped the boy’s tears with the back of her free hand.

“Yes. But I wanted to show daddy I could do it on my own now,”

“How old are you?”

“I’m 4 years old”

“I see,”

The ranger took a transceiver from her pocket and dialed a series of numbers.

“PR-019 speaking. I have a boy with me at the moment, a 4-year old.”

(…)

“I found him near route 28. He doesn’t seem to have acquired any injuries after that earthquake,”

(…)

“Yes…mhm”

(…)

“A man looking for his son came in headquarters earlier?”

(…)

“I see,”

(…)

“Yes, leave it to me,”

When the ranger ended the call, she saw the boy staring at the direction where his Poliwag ran.

“I know you still want to bring it back to the cave, but we should take you back to headquarters first. There’s someone I’d like you to see,”

“Is it my daddy? Is he looking for me?”

“We’ll see when we get there, okay? In the meantime, you stay with me,”

The ranger took a Pokéball from her pocket and called out a Skarmory. She picked the boy up and settled him on the Pokémon's back.

“I hope you’re not afraid of flying. I’ll try to keep close to the ground,” the ranger said.

The boy simply nodded when a thought came into his mind. “Would you believe me if I said that the earthquake was my fault?”

The ranger stared incredulously. “Poliwag can’t learn earthquake until it evolves into a Poliwhirl. What happened wasn’t your fault. It’s likely to have been natural or the elite trainers at the Victory Road nearby were having a heated battle,”

The boy wanted to explain that he wasn't referring to Poliwag. He was sure that the psionic energy came from inside him.

Yet, he didn't know how to explain it.

After all, he was still a 4-year old with a developing vocabulary. He could only describe his experience in so many words.

“My daddy always battles there. He takes me with him sometimes,” he said.

“I see. No wonder a little one like you is running around Mt. Silver,” the ranger replied as she positioned herself on Skarmory’s back. Headquarters is going to give that man the longest talk of his life, she thought to herself.

Before signaling Skarmory to take off, the ranger asked the boy for his name. A crucial information she should have asked the instant she saw him, as per protocol.

“Me? My name is Eller,”

 

Akeira146

Youngster
Pronouns
She/Her
Covering the first chapter for right now.

Wait is this the same fic I saw on AO3? Heck yeahhhhhhh—

Hi there! I'm Torchic. I've think we've crossed paths a few times on AO3, but AO3 isn't the best place to have casual conversations or comment line by line on fics. When I saw you posted your fic here, I got so excited! So uh... welcome.

I really like the premise of this story—I don't really watch a whole lot of anime, but the vibes of this story are really nice—Dark reds and blacks and some gold (idk synesthesia is a funny little guy). It's campy, and I mean that in a really good way. I love camp.

The beginning is really strong—non-chronological storytelling is really fun, and here, it adds a lot of tension of "how did things get to be the way they are now"?

(Btw you might want to add specific content warnings, because things get pretty dark later on.)


Badass line

Absol! A Pokémon associated with doom and disaster in doom and disaster—but good? HECK YEAH

Comma should be a paragraph.
Also oooh where did Steven go? Probably a cave lol

"Yup. That's me. You're probably wondering how I got here."

So with that out of the way, allow me to rec you some fics...

I think you've already read Stray by Orion. canisaries's Hunter, Haunted is another darkfic. It's a psychological horror about TPP!Red and his mission to hunt down his murder victim's ghost so no one can find out the truth. Panoramic Vacuum has a lot of fics about the Hoenn gang, including The Long Road, a fic about pre-Champion Steven travelling around the Hoenn region. In a similar vein, PeN's Dragon's Dance focuses on Lance.

Thank you for sharing your fic, and I hope you enjoy your time on these forums!
Hello!
Yeah, I do remember you from AO3 :) I couldn't forget your username because it has Torchic in it (the very first and memorable starter that I chose).

Thank you for still taking interest in this story even if it feels quite dreadfully slow. I'm still adjusting to writing and pacing the story since this is the first I wrote in general. In a way, I was raised in a household that encouraged interest in research journals instead of fiction novels. It's likely the reason why I am such a sucker for writing every detail that comes to my mind (like that part in my drafts where a whole paragraph was reserved for Steven to simply cross the living room to the kitchen...). That may explain why I've overdone some elements that made the story campy and slow.

But hey, I'm slowly getting a grasp on fanfiction. Let's hope that my improvements will eventually become evident.

Also, thank you for the recommendations :) I love Pokémon fics that have a mature take on game/anime/manga canon, or even an original story in itself for that matter.

I'll see you around the forums as well!
 
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