Interlude

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. I do, however, own this story.

Checking her watch for the umpteenth time, the Pokémon Champion of the Sinnoh region couldn't help but sigh. What in the world was taking that blasted Jenny so long? Seriously, you'd expect members of the police force to be a bit more, you know, punctual. Shouldn't that be one of the requirements for the job? It wasn't as if they were dealing with some petty criminal, either, or that blundering trio of blockheads from the Kanto crime organization known as Team Rocket. No, the fate of the very world could hang in the balance…

"I'm sorry I'm late, Cynthia," a female voice rang out from across the room.

Looking up, the tall blonde struggled to keep the irritated look off her face. She must have succeeded, however, for Jenny said nothing.

"That's all right, Jenny," Cynthia replied, regaining her composure and momentarily forgetting her agitation. (There were more important matters at hand than the time keeping skills of the members of the police force, she figured.) "Did you get any information out of him?"

"No, I'm afraid not. The man we arrested, who refers to himself simply as 'Saturn,' refuses to give us any information," Jenny explained.

"I see," Cynthia stated curtly. "Well, it looks like we'll have to question their leader himself."

"You mean Cyrus?" Jenny questioned, taken aback by Cynthia's idea. "That guy's an absolute madman! I'm not going near him."

"I didn't say you would have to," Cynthia said offhandedly, her irritation with the policewoman growing once again. "I will question him."

"Cynthia, you can't be serious! We have no idea what he'll do! He might be dangerous."

"I'll have my Pokémon to protect me. How can he harm me when he has access to neither Pokémon nor weapons? I doubt his brute strength alone is any match for Garchomp's," the champion reasoned.

"Well, if you're sure…" Jenny trailed off in mid-sentence, glancing at the tall blonde in front of her apprehensively.

"Yes, I'm positive. Please lead me to his cell."

***

Glancing around at the dank, dilapidated walls that surrounded her, Cynthia couldn't help but chalk up another point against the Sinnoh police force: they certainly didn't keep their facilities in good shape. Spinarak webs laced the corners where the ceiling met the walls. Dust balls hung in the air, clogging the champion's nostrils. She couldn't help but cough forcefully, catching Officer Jenny's attention.

"Sorry about that, Cynthia," the policewoman stated cheerfully, though, Cynthia was quick to notice, with a hint of fear in her voice. "Well, here we are: cell number twenty-four, maximum security," Jenny explained while fumbling with her keys, looking for the right one. Finally she found it and opened the door, revealing a despondent figure inside. "You be careful now."

"Thank you, Jenny. I'll ring for you when I'm finished." Catching a glimpse at the blue-haired woman, Cynthia noticed her anxiety and added "I'll be fine" for good measure.

Closing the large metal door behind her, the tall blonde looked over at the large man sitting in the cell. His body, once muscular and strong, had become long and lean.

"Hello, Cyrus. It looks like we meet again," Cynthia greeted the man. "Well, I haven't seen you since you stole the Lustrous Orb from my grandmother's museum in Celestic Town," the young woman continued. "You really had us fooled when you dressed up as that businessman."

Cyrus only grunted in response.

"That was really clever of you. Now, of course, you have both the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs…or, rather, your henchmen have them, since you're stuck here in jail."

"Mars and Jupiter will take care of them…not that you'll ever find those two. You simply got lucky by finding Saturn. He is…what shall we say? The weakest link in my team." Cynthia, surprised that the tall man had finally spoken, cocked an eyebrow in response.

"Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter, huh? It's very interesting that you name your henchmen after planets."

"Henchmen and henchwomen," Cyrus corrected the champion.

"Oh, that's right; I remember now that Mars and Jupiter are women. How rude of me to call them anything else."

Cyrus grunted again. "You can call them whatever you want. I don't really care."

"No? You don't care about the women in your life?"

Cyrus shook his head.

"Do you care about the men in your life?" Cynthia taunted, receiving no response from the prisoner. "Maybe you simply care about ruling the world," she hinted, knowing for a fact that she was getting closer to the mark.

"Not merely ruling the world, foolish girl, but creating a better one." Cyrus rose and faced Cynthia square on. "Wouldn't you like to live in a better world, my dear?"

"I happen to like our world just the way it is," Cynthia responded merrily. "Why would I want to change it?"

Cyrus didn't answer. Cynthia decided to press on.

"How can your world be better if it involves hurting people to create it? Don't you feel any remorse for all of the pain and suffering you've caused?"

"Remorse is an emotion, and emotions are mere illusions, the products of a weak human heart. I have no need for them," Cyrus explained.

He can't feel emotions! Cynthia thought to herself, shocked. Her face must have displayed her inner state, for Cyrus glanced at her curiously and began to speak.

"Surprised, my dear? Why waste time with emotions when one can have power?"

"Power? Is that what you want above all else?" Cynthia questioned, reasoning that, perhaps if she could unlock Cyrus's motives and desires, she could somehow become closer to finding out the location of the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs and hopefully save mankind from certain destruction.

"Isn't that what everyone wants?" Cyrus queried back, a sinister grin appearing on his face.

"No, some people want peace above power," Cynthia argued.

"Oh, I don't think that's true at all," Cyrus reasoned. "Even you, after all, would prefer power over peace. In fact, I would say that you especially, what with your position as the Sinnoh League Champion, would prefer power over peace."

Just what was he getting at? Cynthia anxiously twirled her long blonde hair around one finger. Surely he couldn't be right.

"Ahh, now I've got you thinking." Cyrus smiled at the champion. Then he did something she never would have expected in a million years. Cyrus, leader of the criminal organization Team Galactic, reached out and grabbed the Pokémon Master's slender hand. His grasp was strong but not painful or overly firm, and for some reason (perhaps because she thought she could reach his inner thoughts and locate the orbs this way…perhaps not), Cynthia held on.

"Can't you imagine it, my dear? We, together, could rule a world, one without strife or suffering, one that would belong solely to us. You would no longer have to deal with these incompetent police people, no longer have to suffer through the endless paperwork and meetings that come with being champion. No one would challenge your title; you would be the undisputed Pokémon Master. All power and control would belong simply to you and me."

Cynthia blinked but found she could not tear her gaze away from Cyrus's small black eyes. A world without strife or suffering…undisputed Pokémon Master…power and control…

Those eyes, they were so enticing…and she found them becoming larger and larger as her face approached Cyrus's. Soon his eyes were before her no longer as she closed her own, her lips finally meeting those of the leader of Team Galactic.

Cynthia moaned as his tongue entered her mouth, inhaling his taste. Wrapping her hands around the tall man's back, she kissed his neck and shoulders.

A world without strife or suffering…undisputed Pokémon Master…power and control…

Cyrus complemented the Pokémon Master's actions, slowly undoing her black top and moving down to her breasts.

A world without strife or suffering…undisputed Pokémon Master…power and control…

No!

Slapping the blue-haired man' face away, the Sinnoh Champion hurriedly put her top back on. Panting, she rushed out of the cell, closing the door behind her without looking back. Quickly, Cynthia phoned Jenny.

"Oh, Cynthia, I'm so glad to hear from you!" Jenny's cheerful voice rang out from the other end. "Did you have any luck with Cyrus?"

"I…I…No, I'm afraid not."

"Oh, oh well. I'll be down to get you in a minute…are you OK?"

"Yes…Yes, I'm fine." Cynthia hung up the phone.

She was fine, wasn't she? Yes, of course she was. She had just experienced a brief lapse in judgment, a brief interlude in which her darker desires had reared their ugly heads. It could happen to anyone, right? After all, she wasn't like him.

No, she wasn't like him at all.

Author's Note: What, something besides Pokeshipping from Milotic? LOL, I had to write for this pairing for the Shipper's Secret Santa (it was a gift fic for ShinyPalkia), and here's the result. I actually don't think it came out too badly, but I'll probably never write anything like it again. Anyway, if you're reading this (which you probably aren't because you've probably never heard of the pairing) and you normally read my writing, rest assured that I have been working on the next chapter of Together and will hopefully update it soon. :)