(A/N) A shorter chapter, admittedly. Shorter than the last one, even. I could have gone over, but it wouldn't sit right with how the next few chapters are paced. This one's a bit more character-heavy, while the bit coming up (without giving anything away) is gonna be a loopy-loop slip-n-slide type deal.

Honestly, I'm gonna have a lot of fun making a younger Cynthia develop into the strong woman she's known to be in Diamond and Pearl. Similarly, I'm also going to have lots of fun giving a personality-less protagonist a developing character to compliment her.

A lot of that development will happen right here in this first arc, but in my mind, that doesn't really count. This whole shebang is basically just an extended introduction to the plot of the story as it will be explored in the (hopefully near) future.

I hope you enjoy the chapter and don't be afraid to give me your thoughts on the story so far (as little as there is). It'll go a long way to help me tailor and maintain the quality and make it as enjoyable as I can.

X

"Red, what in Arceus' name–"

Professor Oak cut himself off. He unhooked his young protégé from the girl who was all but carrying him and laid him flat on the floor.

"Boris!" he called out to one of his assistants. "Get the medical kit!"

Less than a minute later, a burly, bald-headed man came in with a large box. He noticed the boy on the floor immediately. "My experience is with Pokémon, not people, but the wound doesn't look too deep. He won't need to be hospitalized, thankfully… but…" he paused. "he does look like he lost quite a bit of blood.."

"Will he need a transfusion?" asked Cynthia.

"No." The resident Pokémon healthcare specialist shook his head. "I made it sound worse than it actually is, sorry. Some supplements will have him feeling fresh as a rose in a couple of days."

He then frowned. "Still…"

He poked his patient's side, eliciting a groan of pain from the delirious boy.

"He's in a lot of pain. I'll call for someone to bring us some something strong to keep him out of it while I stitch him up."

Boris left again and came back with an oversized stretcher. "Again, most of what we have is meant for Pokémon. Lass, would you mind giving me a hand?"

She nodded.

As gently as they could, the two of them lifted their charge onto the stretcher.

He tilted his head to address Samuel. "I can take it from here, Professor."

"Thank you, Boris."

The Champion and the Pokémon Master were the only ones at the entrance of the Lab. The older man let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Could that troublesome child go a week without causing him problems?

"Now… Would you mind filling me in?"

X

The pair moved to the ranch to have their discussion. The hope was that a change in scenery could help them both calm down from the events not thirty minutes past.

As Samuel Oak rubbed his temples, he knew that his hope was short-lived. It would seem that things were getting a little out of hand.

"This is worrying. Especially since I didn't even notice their presence," muttered the professor. "You said Blue was the only one in Cerulean with Misty?"

"Yes, Professor. We felt that splitting up was our best option; we need to be prudent and cover all of our bases."

The man sighed, absently running his hands through the mane of an old-looking Arcanine that came to his side. "The first thing I'll do is contact the league, and inform them of the gravity of the situation. Next, I'll go out myself to see if I can find any traces of Team Rocket. When I get back, we'll bring Red back home to his mother. I'm sure she's worried sick. Is that alright with you?"

Cynthia, who was checking her Garchomp's wings for scuffs, dutifully got up from her crouch. "Of course. I'll go ask mister Boris how Red's feeling."

Without wasting another word, the girl marched back into the building at a brisk pace. Garchomp, who was left at the ranch, tilted its head.

"Gar?"

Samuel laughed softly. It sounded tired. "Really uptight, that one…"

X

His mother's angry face stared down at him.

Oh. So he was at home, then.

"Red–"

"I know, mom."

Her expression didn't change. "So much for being careful."

It was a sore spot for the woman. A child left alone to journey with his or her Pokémon was already a frightful thought for most parents, but when her son took the position of Kanto League Champion, she knew the dangers he would face could only become more real. It was one thing for an adult to manage the duty, but Red wasn't an adult.

She hated it. It wasn't fair. Why did he have the same responsibilities as a man twice his age simply because he was more skilled than one?

Sigh.

Deep inside, despite her worry, she knew it wasn't that simple. Her boy had sought this life from the moment he had seen Pokémon for the first time on Samuel's ranch all those years ago.

Just as one couldn't make a Ponyta drink even if they brought it water, neither could they pull it away once it started to drink.

Still. That didn't excuse recklessness, as unexpected as the encounter might have been.

Red looked out the window. It was morning? He was out for the entire day, then. He turned to the door and tried to sit upright. "I am sorry mom, but I can't afford to stop now. I need to tell Professor–"

"You don't have to tell him anything. Both he and the nice blonde girl are waiting for you downstairs."

He blinked. "Blonde girl? You mean Cynthia?"

His mother snapped her fingers. "That's the name. She's a darling, that one. Very polite, too."

Huh?

For whatever reason, the words "Cynthia" and "polite" didn't register properly when used in the same sentence.

The woman frowned. "Imagine my surprise when she and Samuel come knocking at my door out of nowhere, my unconscious and bandaged son being pushed along with them in a wheelchair. The professor said the drugs would wear off in by morning. He didn't take the time to explain a damn thing!"

Red gulped. His mother sounded… upset.

"So," she continued to rant, "we'll go down to the living room, and all three of you are going to tell me why you came home comatose and with a punctured gut."

"My stomach is fine–"

Her glare intensified.

"Right. Let's go, then."

Slowly, she helped him up and they hobbled over to join the waiting pair.

The two were sitting on separate couches, both with their legs crossed and mugs of tea nursed in hand.

Noticing the new arrivals, Cynthia lowered the beverage to her lap. "Red. It's good to see that you're doing well."

He nodded as his mom helped him sit on the other end of the same lounge chair. "Yeah. Thanks."

"So?" asked his mother expectantly with crossed arms. She sat next to Samuel.

The professor sighed. "I'm sorry Delia. I wanted Red to be here when we discussed this. There was no need to give you a scare unnecessarily."

"Red and I needed to pass through Pallet town to catch the ferry, but we were ambushed by Team Rocket," explained Cynthia. "Apparently, they've been stopping people from coming to Pallet Town."

Delia jumped right back on to her feet. "What!? I thought they were disbanded! How long has this been going on? Are they still here?"

"I thought they were disbanded, too, but I guess I was wrong," stated her son matter-of-factly. "They couldn't have been here long, though. We only just left this place the other day."

"Luckily –or not, depending on how you look at it– it would seem they're long gone. They won't be causing any more issues here," added Oak.

Cynthia frowned. "…"

The Kanto Champion quirked a brow. "What is it?"

"As the risk of sounding inconsiderate, I must say it's not Pallet Town I'm worried about right now."

"Hm?"

"What do you mean?"

Both Red and the professor leaned forward to hear what she had to say. While Delia was still, she was no less alert.

The blonde faced her fellow Champion. "Remember what that… hooligan said? They wanted nothing to do with the professor. What else of note is there in Pallet Town? No disrespect meant, of course," she directed the last bit at the other woman.

The boy scratched his cheek "Well, not much."

The Sinnoh Champion pointed to a nearby window, though no one knew what she was trying to single out. "What did the man called this place? A 'gate point', was it?"

Red's eyes widened. "The ferry! Short of flying there, it's one of the only ways to get to Cinnabar! If they can shut down any traffic going through there, then–"

"Cinnabar Island? What could they possibly want there?" asked Delia.

Samuel grimaced. "I'm afraid that's all we're allowed to say, my dear. I've already brought it up with the top brass, and they told me that this is should remain a matter of utmost secrecy. I'm sorry."

Both Champions looked surprised. They hadn't heard that bit yet.

Delia was dangerously calm. "My son almost died, Samuel."

The son in question tried to assuage her, "It's okay, mom. We know what we're dealing with now; we'll be careful."

"Careful?" she repeated. "Of course. You're staying right here. You need to recover."

"Wha–"

"Yes," agreed Cynthia, to his surprise. "Strong as you are, your health would make you a liability. It's best if I go alone."

"Enough, all of you."

The three silenced themselves and turned the professor's way.

"Cynthia," he looked the girl in the eyes. "This is no time for overestimating yourself, or underestimating your enemies. Team Rocket is organized and dangerous. You'll need Red to watch your back. I wouldn't let either of you step foot on that ferry without backup."

Delia didn't like that decision. "My son isn't–"

"Your son is the only Pokémon Champion in the country trusted with the responsibility of overseeing two different regions. Believe in him," the older man told her firmly.

Cynthia was abashed, and Delia simmered.

"Red."

At the League Master's words, the Kanto trainer straightened in his seat. He was pretty scary when he wanted to be. "Yes?"

"Can you move?"

A nod.

"Go get ready."

Another nod. He was out of the room in seconds. Silence reigned for an uncomfortable instant.

"…If he doesn't come back safe, I'll never forgive you."

"I know," replied the professor simply.

Cynthia's expression was blank

X

The two champions assumed a sedate pace as they boarded the ship. Red didn't want to aggravate his wounds, and Cynthia was content to match his speed.

"Sorry about my mom. She can be a little overprotective sometimes."

The blonde looked away, not allowing him to see her face. "No. It's… nice to have a parent who cares so much about you."

Red tilted his head forward, trying to get a better read on her mood. "Hm? Do you not get along with your parents?"

"I never met them. They died when I was young."

He made a strangled sound. Way to put a dampener on someone's mood. "Sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine."

That was about as much "small talk" the two were willing to explore, or even capable of. It was killed as quickly as it started, not that it was anything substantial to begin with. Both understood that it would be easier and less awkward to keep discussions on purely business-related topics from then on.

They really weren't good at getting along with others, let alone each other.

Cynthia observed her surroundings. "There aren't very many passengers here… Is this normal?"

"Hmm…" Red rose a fist to his mouth in thought. "Well, people usually do try their best to catch the larger ship lines in Vermillion and Fuchsia, rather than the small one we have here… No, you're right, actually. Viridian and Pewter alone should have enough passing traffic to keep this place up and running. I recognize a lot of faces, so my bet's that these are all Pallet Town residents."

The Sinnoh girl clenched her fist. "So we weren't in time to stop Rocket…"

"It's already something that the ferry plans on taking off at all. They were probably hoping that the service would be canceled without enough buyers."

"Attention all passengers. We will be departing shortly. Our estimated travel time is four hours and twenty minutes. Please enjoy your time with us, and take full advantage of our on-ship entertainment–"

"Does this boat have a Pokémon lounge? I'd like to check up on my party if I can," Cynthia asked her partner, speaking over the intercom announcement.

Red let a small grin cross his lips. Despite any… misgivings he had with her, it was undeniably fitting that she's be more interested in spending time with her Pokémon than taking a few hours to relax.

"It does, actually. It's no cruise ship, but Professor Oak paid the company to upgrade their vessel a long time ago. One of his larger Pokémon used to belong to the Cinnabar Gym Leader, so he'd make the trip back and forth very frequently. I was told the Pokémon doesn't like Pokéballs, so… yeah."

Cynthia quirked her lips upward. It was almost a smile. "Great. I'll ask for directions, then."

"Actually, do you mind if I join you?"

The way she stared blankly at him said she wasn't expecting him to ask that. He explained, "Not many of my Pokémon can fit in a normal cabin either, so it would be nice to let them stretch their legs."

"I see. You're more than welcome to do so."

X

Leaning forward with his whole body, Red pushed the palms of his hands down between the shoulder blades of a robust Snorlax.

"Relax. Lower your shoulder."

"Snorr~" the creature growled in pleasure as its trainer helped massage the stiffness out of its upper back.

Lost in his own little world, Red smiled happily. "Better? I know you've been feeling cramped lately. I promise I'll let you out more whenever I can."

A relatively small feline monster rubbed itself against his leg.

"Espeon? Oh! Don't worry, I'll brush you next. Promise."

He finally noticed Cynthia staring at him. The notebook he'd grown accustomed to seeing on her person was held in one hand alongside a pen. Her Gastrodon –a Pokémon found most commonly in the Sinnoh region– was in turn staring at her, likely wondering why its trainer had stopped doing… whatever it was that they were doing.

Knowing her, it was probably something over the top like a full-body physical examination. He didn't doubt she kept a checklist, too.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm surprised, is all."

"By what?"

"How well you treat your Pokémon."

Before he could take offense, she continued, "You've been very… dismissive of my methods of training, and I suppose somewhere along the line I assumed it was because you don't take it as seriously as I do. I think…"

She trailed off, thinking about her words. She placed her free hand up against Gastrodon's head tenderly. "I think I understand a little better now."

The blonde didn't have anything else to add. In fact, she ended the conversation right there, going right back to scribbling in her notebook.

Her aloof personality bothered him, were he to be honest with himself. It was only the knowledge that he wasn't too social a person himself that allowed him to let it go.

A bark caught his attention. In the corner of the large, open room, is fellow Champion's Lucario was playing with Pikachu.

His smile once again found its way back to his face. If nothing else, her Pokémon were great. He wouldn't begrudge her that.

In fact…

A small green figure –a Roserade, if he remembered the name correctly– stood to the side so as not to be bothered. Despite coming off as austere, it also had a calm and collected air about it. The roses on its hands were vivid, bright and luscious. It was an elegant Pokémon through and through.

At first glance, the blue quadruped –the Glaceon– seemed lethargic in the way many domestic creatures were. He noticed quickly that not all was as it seemed, however, as its corded muscle shone through its well-groomed fur whenever it changed positions. It was strong and excellently trained.

On the matter of strength, he knew what the Garchomp at her side could do very well. It was an apex predator, one of the strongest species known to mankind, and it proved that every time he saw it in action– as limited as those occasions were. More than the strength, though, it was the respect he knew the Pokémon had for its trainer that impressed him. It was something seldom earned, surely.

The Togekiss looked so… out of place to him. Not because it seemed any weaker than the others, but because it didn't give off the same vibes as its trainer at all. Its aura was warm, happy, welcoming… truly the epitome of what came to mind when one thought of a Togekiss.

Of course, he couldn't forget the Lucario. He'd never tell the blonde, but seeing her Pokémon's Aura Sphere in action was incredible. It somehow managed to balance looking cool with a healthy playfulness– as it was brought to light by Pikachu.

Then the Gastrodon, the Pokémon the girl was doting on. He didn't know much about its species, but he could tell without a second glance that it was in peak physical condition. Despite this, its trainer made sure not to skip a single step while evaluating its condition.

Cynthia did things… differently, to say the least. He could not, however, say that she wasn't a good trainer. He could tell that much by looks alone.

X

She slid her finger gently across her Pokémon's flank, feeling its skin shiver upon contact.

"Hm."

Cynthia took the notebook labeled "Gastrodon" out of her bag along with a pen. She wrote as quickly as she could so as not to lose her train of thought.

Skin responds well to touch. Mucus maintains its expected viscosity.

One thing at a time, she went over the same points covered on the page before this one, and every page that came before that. It was a repetitive process, but her time was an acceptable loss. She would never take risks with her Pokémon.

"You're doing just, fine, girl," she muttered under her breath.

"Relax. Lower your shoulder."

Hm?

Red was a little ways away in the expansive lounge room. To her surprise, he was actually giving a Snorlax a massage.

It was no easy task. The pressure and control one would need to do something like that to a monster of that size was not forgiving on the body.

"Snorr~"

"Better? I know you've been feeling cramped lately. I promise I'll let you out more whenever I can."

Another one of his Pokémon came to him.

"Espeon? Oh! Don't worry, I'll brush you next. Promise."

He would be tired after working the Snorlax, wouldn't he? He didn't seem to mind.

She saw the smile on his face.

It was a pure smile. A happy smile.

So that was it. He didn't mind because it wasn't a chore to him. He enjoyed this just as much as his Pokémon did.

"Is something wrong?"

The call was sudden, and so she almost jumped. She liked to think that she did a good job of keeping her composure, though.

Oh. She was staring.

Since when? When did Gastrodon's notebook close in her hand? When did she get distracted?

"I'm surprised, is all," she answered simply. What else was there to say?

"By what?"

A great question. What grabbed her attention? The way his Pokémon flocked to him? The care with which he looked after them? How happy –accomplished– he seemed while doing so?

"How well you treat your Pokémon."

She realized as quickly as she said it that her words came out a little insulting. She did her best to explain herself. "You've been very… dismissive of my methods of training, and I suppose somewhere along the line I assumed it was because you don't take it as seriously as I do. I think…"

What did she think?

She noticed the way Gastrodon was looking at her, as if trying to understand what was conflicting its trainer. The sentiment was appreciated.

She placed her hand against the side of its head with a gentle upturn of her lips.

She looked at the boy's –the Champion's– Pokémon, for what felt like the first time.

The first that caught her eye was the Charizard. It was lazing about, sleeping on its side. It would be an underwhelming picture did she not know what that thing could do. Even now, she could see the coiled muscle of its nearly comically large frame rippling with every breath. It was a monster in every sense of the word.

The Snorlax was similarly deceptive. Though it was melting into the massage it was receiving, it was likely well earned. It was huge, but not just because of its signature belly. Its limbs were tellingly thick; it probably needed the massages to ease its body after the constant physical exertion it likely put itself through.

The Espeon, which admittedly had the mannerisms of a house pet, was much more than just that. From the care that went into maintaining its coat to the grace with which it executed the simplest of movements, it acted like greatness was expected of it– both by itself as well as others.

Two mountainous Pokémon sat in each other's company like statues, one of which she was well acquainted with. The water type –Blastoise– seemed like a living fortress, though its nature was undeniably passive. If she were told that its Hydro Cannon could uproot a forest while taking several Pokémon off their feet at once, she'd still be hard-pressed to believe it had she not seen it with her own eyes.

The second one, Venusaur, was an oddity even amongst the few she'd encountered in her life. The sheer size of the growth on its back would usually indicate that its trainer had failed to prune it properly, but she knew differently. She could tell by the shape that the growth was cut recently enough, only that it grew at an unusual rate. She could see the tools Red was planning to use –probably shortly– sticking out of the side pocket of his bag.

Of course, she couldn't forget the Pikachu. Secretly, she thought the little thing was adorable. Even now, as it played with her Lucario, it exhibited quirks that made her want to squeeze it tightly and protect it from the big, bad world. Only… it was probably the most dangerous monster in the room right now. Just yesterday, it had crushed a Hydreigon of all things.

Despite his supposed flippant and easygoing nature, Red was not a slacker. Quite the opposite, actually. He was passionate and strong-willed, and his Pokémon were led by the example he set for them.

"I think I understand a little better now."