Prologue

With Every Legend, There's a Beginning

"No, I don't want to be a trainer," said I to Grandfather.

"Why are you so stubborn?" He replied chuckling. Not being able to sustain it, I grinned at him; even though every being in my determined childhood body told me not to. There was something contagious in the way my grandfather laughed.

Finding myself thinking about that memory again made me rapidly shake my head. My thick blonde locks fell from their molds behind my ears and flopped in front of my eyes. Pushing them back in their places like I always did, I looked back at my textbook and notepad, then quickly at the clock hanging on the wall. Almost one-thirty, I'm done. I closed the large book dramatically and a sense of accomplishment welled in my chest. It was nothing new; I got that feeling almost every day. If it be brought on because of school or chore completion, or something like completing a book, cooking a meal, talking my best friend out of an emotional breakdown…Which happened more often than one might think.

Nevertheless, I tried to be productive with my time. That was the way I was raised. My grandparents rubbed off on me that way. They were never strict enough to force their ways upon me, though, I think it's because they wanted to raise me like my parents might have. Might have—yes—they died a long time ago, when I was only three years old. In the same accident, even. Both drowned. I hardly remember them, and I'm very happy I ended up with my grandparents. Grandmother is my hero. She's strong and brave; yet caring and compassionate. Grandfather was more adventurous, and hearing stories of how he dragged Grandmother into situations she did not like were the best. But, he passed away five years ago when I was nine. He was old and ill, we saw it coming. That doesn't mean that trial was any easier. Our lives had to change. Grandmother took Grandfathers place as Town Elder and had to get to work. She worked alongside Grandfather beforehand, but he did most of the work; leaving her time to teach me and keep up with things at the house. She made the change very gentle on me, and I didn't realize it at the time but it put a lot of stress on her.

Eventually everything evened out, however. Now I feel just as inclined to take care of her as she is to take care of me. We help each other. Still, the hurt of losing my grandfather haunts me. And I know it haunts Grandmother, too. She never shows it. Just like all my life she never showed hurt over my parents; her daughter and son-in-law. I knew it was there, just from the winces and eye-twitches.

All-in-all, living in Celestic was good. The small town ambiance was comforting. Everyone knew each other on at least a semi-personal level, and almost everyone had the same occupation: Researcher. Here to study the mysterious Cornet Mountain or the ruins. That was what drew my grandparents and…Everybody else here. Besides that, there's nothing to offer. This is unfortunate, because I didn't necessarily want to be a researcher or something along those lines. Even though everyone in my family has been a researcher, starting with my grandfather, the Pokémon historian; Grandmother and her love of literature; my mom and her obsession with foliage; and my dad, who was a Pokémon expert. Because of Grandfather I've had a love for Pokémon, but delayed my leaving to become a trainer. I had no reason to leave and, frankly, I didn't want to.

The front door opened and jolted me out of my thoughts. Grandmother walked in and smiled at me, "hello there, Cynthia."

"Hello," I greeted, "you're home early." Usually, Grandmother wasn't home until around four in the afternoon.

She unraveled her green scarf from her neck and took off her boots before sitting across from me at the table. "Things went by rather quickly and there was no more need for me to be there. Are you hungry?"

While clearing the small table of my school stuff I shook my head. "No thank you, Grandmother." I placed the books and things on a shelf nearby, then leaned over and hugged her. It was a quick embrace, but enough. Grandmother sighed contently and stood from her seat. She moved over to the television and clicked it on. The screen fuzzed for a minute before it cleared. Jubilife news was on, as usual. I sat next to her on the floral-print sofa and relaxed.

They were going on about Champion Lea, the Sinnoh champion, and I scoffed. Grandmother gave me a look of disappointment, hating judgment. She knew how I felt about Lea. Honestly, I didn't like him. His look on things was stupid, and I didn't believe he could handle the power. There were so many things he claimed to have fixed about our region that weren't fixed. Or, things that should have been fixed were dealt with in ways that didn't make them better. I've always felt this way, ever since I was younger and would listen to Grandfather rant about him. He didn't get quite as angry and I seem to get, but his anger for the champion was there. Now, I feel like if I don't rant about Lea, nobody will and that will somehow let my grandfather down. At least that's Grandmothers explanation of my ranting.

"This is the result of the newest attack," the news lady said. A picture of a row of buildings up in flames was shown.

"Attack?" I echoed.

"Yes," Grandmother said gently, "they think someone is attacking cities. Yesterday Sunyshore's lighthouse was bombed."

"Champion Lea couldn't put a stop to this happening in Veilstone fast enough, but Steven and I predict more of these kinds of attacks. The question is…What town is next?" The news logo spun around the screen and a commercial played.

"Oh, no." I muttered.

"Yes…It is quite scary. Hopefully we're kept out of this foolishness." She said, 'we' referring to Celestic Town. She shook her head and lowered her gaze to the ground.

"I bet Jubilife's next, the studio, to be precise. That would get people talking."

"I hope it just ends and this person stops." Grandmother shook her head again, murmuring something I didn't hear.

That seemed like something she would say. She was smart enough to know that this wouldn't just stop, but she was caring enough to genuinely hope it would. That's why everyone loved her. In town she was known as Grandmother Carolina to almost all the children, and there was no one who disliked her. She was someone you could easily open-up to, yet she didn't pry. That was something I really loved about her. Whenever she would catch me crying, for whatever reason, she would just hug me and be on her way. I didn't need to talk about it, and she knew and respected that.

Jubilife News came back on, and they were going on about a big contest that had happened the night before. Not caring about it, I stood up and started for the front door. "I'm going to find Jamie, I'll see you later." I looked over my shoulder and she smiled and nodded.

The cold, chilling springtime air felt refreshing on my skin. There was something about the cold that was nice, in a way, although some might disagree. I wasn't against heat, but heat was so muggy and sticky. You felt like you were walking through an ocean of warm air. Cold was the opposite of that; it was what I was used to, and what I liked.

Walking down the path that led to the shop, where Jamie—my best friend—lived, I saw her and her younger sister Clarice sitting outside. Jamie, Clarice and their mother Bianca lived with Bianca's parents Lilliana and Abe. They owned the shop; the biggest building in town and the place where Grandmother worked. Also being researchers, they had quite the collection of books and artifacts from the ruins and mountain. They lived here when I moved in, and Grandmother was anxious to have us meet.

Luckily, a great friendship blossomed between Jamie and I. A lot of families have moved in and out through the years, but Jamie has been the only one to be here the whole time.

"Hey!" She called and waved. She stood up and ran over to me, flinging herself into a hug I couldn't avoid. "It's been a while since I've seen you!"

"You mean last night, when we ate dinner at your house?"

She let go of me and stepped back. "Oh," she made a questioning face, then grinned, "oh yeah!"

"Cyn-Cyn," Clarice said, and then hopped into my arms.

Awkwardly, I held her while she hugged my neck and squirmed in my hold, "Hello Clarice," I smiled at her before putting her back down. Jamie wrapped her arm around mine and we started back towards my cabin. Next to my cabin sat a tiny, mirror-like pond that I kind of claimed as mine. It was so relaxing and easy to sit there, stick your feet in, and think. Jamie sat at the water's edge and patted the lush grass next to her. While sitting down, I saw my wavering reflection in the water.

We chatted aimlessly, or more accurately Jamie chatted aimlessly and I listened, for a short while until Ember approached us. He was the other teenager in town, and the three of us made the teenage population of Celestic. Ember had only lived there for about a year, but it didn't take long for the three of us to become friends. His parents, Isis and Don, were here temporarily researching Cornet Mountain for a research facility in Veilstone.

That made Celestic Town's population, except for a few other families or researchers that were just visiting.

He wore a somber expression on his face as he sat. Jamie and I looked at each other, then back at him. It was very unlikely for him to be so quiet and depressed-looking. "What's wrong?" I asked, waiting for a joke or something ridiculous.

"I've just been thinking a lot about my life." He sighed.

"What about your life?" Jamie questioned, also waiting for the joke.

He looked at her with so much seriousness it paralyzed me with shock. "Like what I'm going to do. I'm fifteen, dang it, I've got to figure it out. There's a part of me who wants to become a trainer, there's a part of me who wants to stay here and be a researcher, and there's a part of me who wants to travel around Sinnoh forever. My parents are pushing me out of the house, it seems, and I can't make a decision."

We were silent. Nothing like that had ever come out of Ember Tate's mouth. "Your parents are pushing you out of the house?" Said Jamie finally, disbelief strong in her tone.

"Well…Yeah. They've been asking me a lot about figuring out what I want to do, and they've never done that before. It's like they're ready for me to leave."

"I am certain that's not it," I said, "like any parent they want you to know what you want to do. Granted, most people these days figure it out when they're ten, but that's not the point."

"Do you know what you want to do? No." Ember chided defensively. I frowned and didn't say anything.

"Em, it's not a big deal that you're having trouble figuring it out. Not many people are as blessed with dreams like me." Jamie motioned to herself and grinned.

"We all know about your following in your family's footsteps researcher Town Elder thing, Jamie. But that's not me." I slightly chuckled at Ember's scary accurate impression of Jamie's girly voice.

"So cross researcher off your list. You're left with trainer," Jamie held up one hand, "or traveler," she held up the other.

Ember slapped his forehead, "no, no, no. I don't want to be a hydrologist or a historian like my parents, but there could be something else for me! I could move to Sandgem and work for Professor Rowan, even." I rolled my eyes. Professor Rowan wasn't someone I liked. Granted, I never met the man, but the way people idolize a professor bothered me; especially our professor, who literally never did anything.

Ember saw me roll my eyes and shot me a mad look, "he's my hero." He added, his voice a combination of a defensive whisper and a pitiful chide. He had been saying that since he read the professor's biography a few months back, which was the smallest biography I had ever seen, mind you. Ember scoffed at me.

"Well, he's not as impressive as you seem to believe. He's never in the news, never does anything spectacular, and just sits in his lab alone all day."

"So you don't even want me to meet him?!"

"Calm down, Em." Jamie said gently.

"That's not what I meant—"

"It kind of seemed like that's what you meant. Forget it," he stood up and stomped away. I gaped at him as he left, a bit shocked at the whole thing.

Jamie noticed my worry, "don't worry about it. He's a drama queen." She laughed.

"I just can't get over the fact he was talking about such a topic."

"Me neither, Cyn. And you would never guess he'd be so bamboozled over something like that. He was genuinely confused and…Worried. But I don't think his mom and dad want him out of the house, he's an only child, they would be lost without him." She started to laugh, then looked at me and stopped. "Not saying anything about only children, though…" I glared at her. "Siblings are overrated." She sheepishly smiled.

Ignoring her last sentences, I continued: "Ember's parents don't want him out of the house, they just want him to think about those kinds of things."

"Yeah, it's probably good for him. Have you thought about your grand scheme?"

"Honestly…Not really." I sighed. "What am I doing with my life?" I flopped on my back dramatically.

She laughed, "not you, too. Let's wait until the drama queen figures out his life, and then we can work on yours. Okay?" Typical Jamie: Desperately wanting to fix everybody's problems. She twirled her brunette hair around her finger. "So guess what my granddad said the other day," before I could answer, she continued. "He said that when he became a trainer, before he settled down and took the route of a researcher, this old man told him a story about…" she went into full story telling mode. I had lost her. Her gaze was far-off, her fingers were knotting into her hair, and she was talking so fast that, unless you were a professional Jamie speaker, you couldn't keep up.

After a while of sitting and talking like that, I said farewell to my friend and entered the cabin. Grandmother sat on the sofa, much like I left her, except she had an old book in her hand. I walked through the living room, not saying a word to my lost-in-a-book grandmother.

Our home was very small and cozy; the kitchen, living and dining room combination sometimes got claustrophobic, but I was used to it. Off to the side of the room was a short hallway leading to the bathroom, my room, Grandmothers room and Grandfathers study. The rooms were annoyingly tiny, but that was just something else I got used to. When you opened my bedroom door you had to mind the bottom of my twin-sized bed. Once you stepped in, there were only two steps to be taken in-between the bed and my desk and dresser.

Normally, one can really learn a lot about a person from their room. Jamie's room at the shop is so her it hurts. The walls are vibrant blue—of course they can afford paint—the bedding and throw rug are matching purple and everything else is either pink or bright green. However, my room was not a reflection of me. The walls were off-white and the carpet was gray, and the quilt on the bed was yellow. Apart from the colors, there was nothing personal on display or anything of the like. The only thing was the lone picture of my parents framed on the desk. It was the only one I had. They stood in front of another house, arms wrapped around each other, smiling happily. Grandmother always told me I looked like my mom, and I could partially see it. Obviously I got my long, profuse blonde hair from her. But her effervescent eyes were green, not gray like mine and Grandmothers. My dad, on the other hand, had a mess of brown curls falling onto his forehead.

Realizing I was smiling, I stopped. It hurt to think about them in ways I can't logically explain. Missing someone you never knew is rough.

Grandmother knocked on the door and startled me out of my thoughts, again. I opened the door, and she smiled at me, "dinner's ready, dear." She stepped away after I nodded, and I sneaked a peek at the picture again. They were the same; happy, smiling. A smile came back to my lips, and I didn't scare it away.

Hearing a loud thump in the distance, I clenched my eyes and groaned. It's not time to wake up. Thought I, when trying to convince myself it was okay to stay in-bed. The best thing to try was to squish my face into the pillow so hard I would turn back time a few hours and I would have no other choice but to go back to sleep. Alas, it was too late. I was awake, and there was nothing I could do about it. Lifting my head I saw the sun beams flowing in through the sheer curtains. That was peculiar, most mornings the whole town is ridden with pasty fog and a cloudy sky.

Rolling out of bed was a tough task, as it is most of the time, but standing up and stretching was harder. Finally, I walked out into the living room. Grandmother was already up and dressed, cooking away for breakfast. She smiled and said a greeting, and I just nodded. She sat a bowl of mashed berries and a piece of toast in front of me at the table, and then walked over to the television. She clicked it on, and the screen shook. She hit the side as hard as she could, and it snapped back to normal. She muttered something I couldn't hear.

"What is it?" I craned my head and looked at the thing.

"Another attack, it seems…On Solaceon."

Not wanting to miss what the news had to say, I was silent. She watched until the next commercial, and then came over and sat.

"They bombed Solaceon's ruins. Why? Why would anyone hurt such a small town?"

"I'm not certain, Cynthia. They obviously did not like what the Unknown Writing said." She sat across from me and looked at her food.

"What did it say?"

"All who is good and kind will be rewarded over time, all who is not, will see the lot of darkness."

"Is it true?" I asked.

"In a way, yes. Keep in mind it was written by Pokémon, so who knows their meaning behind it. It isn't something very philosophic, it's simple. Most believe that doing good brings good, and doing bad brings bad. Most of the time that's true in all situations, I don't see the reasoning for not liking such a saying, but…" She sighed, and I nodded.

The news came back on. Champion Lea was on screen, talking on stage. "People of Sinnoh, these attacks are nothing to fret about. The fire in Veilstone was most likely an innocent accident, there were plenty of flammable perfumes being sold in those shops. This recent bombing is being looked into much too deeply. Think of the Unknown in those ruins, they could have used a move such as Hidden Power on the writing themselves." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't worry, it's all under control." He smiled right into the camera, and it clicked back to Jubilife's studio. I shut off the television in frustration.

"How do people believe that…That…"

"Cynthia, please don't start."

"Are you saying you believe him?" I shot her a questionable look.

"Not necessarily. There are little to no facts here. I do think that there's danger about and Lea is treating it a little too…Peacefully. But you don't need to get worked up." She smiled at me and motioned back to my seat. Sighing, I began cooling off.

"Headed to the shop?" I asked, noticing she was already dressed and ready.

"Yes, Lilliana has important things to discuss. What are your plans?"

"I will probably be with Jamie and Ember today." That is, if Ember has calmed down. She nodded and picked at her food. After eating she said goodbye and headed out. I went back to my room and changed into my favorite black pants and a sweatshirt before throwing my hair up and walking towards Jamie's.

Grandmother had beaten me there but stood outside talking thoughtfully to Lilliana. Bypassing them, I walked through the door and into the shop. The shop had a lot of museum-like qualities, such as artifacts in glass casings and paintings with captions lining the walls. It also had a library, which was a tiny room lined with bookshelves and a small desk. It was about the same size as Grandfathers study, barely being qualified as a library.

Jamie must have heard the door and walked in. "Hey, Cyn!" She exclaimed and attacked me with a hug. We walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. "So Ember is still being dramatic, I guess. I haven't heard from him today."

"Let him get over it, like he always does." I shrugged, then said: "Did you hear about the bombings and fire?"

"Yes, it's terrible! What will Veilstone be now? Their row of shops is gone. Someone was killed in the accident too, you know. And the bombing, they lost the top of their lighthouse. They're rebuilding now, but do you think that someone's trying to make a statement? I mean, the lighthouse and the shops are both things that make those towns famous, same with Solaceon's ruins." She sighed and shook her head.

"Lea isn't doing anything about it either…Do you think he has something to do with it? I know he's the champion and all, but still," said I.

"You're kidding, right? Lea wouldn't bomb his own region. Not when he's responsible for it."

"Just look at the past, Jamie. He allows non-vegetarianism, hunting Pokémon, and he doesn't let Pokémon be treated right. Plus, he's not trying to stop these attacks now."

"Not everyone's a vegetarian, Cyn. And I see your point—they're good points, yes—but really? He doesn't seem that evil. I don't agree with his outlook and his reasoning's but that's just extreme."

Scoffing, I said, "hardly extreme. You don't know what he's capable of."

"True, very true." She nodded and twirled her hair around; a habit she would never get over. "Someone just needs to replace him, huh?"

"Yes, that would be great." I slightly chuckled, and she smiled.

"Too bad no one tries." Jamie murmured, and I gave her a questionable look. "I mean…He intimidates everyone, or no one really wants it. They make it a few gyms in and quit." She shrugged, and then grinned. "Maybe Ember will be the next Sinnoh Champion."

Taking the comment seriously, I said, "no, he hates pressure. He wouldn't do well."

It was silent for a moment, and then Jamie jumped up and pulled me with her. "Cynthia!"

"What?!"

"You should do it! You should be the champion! No one is more qualified." She bounced up and down and gave me an excited expression so ridiculous I can't explain it.

Speechless, I just stood there looking at her. That scenario hadn't gone through my head, ever. Always assuming I'd someday become a trainer, I never thought much about it. Now thinking about it…I didn't want to leave. I couldn't leave. "No," shaking my head, I sat back down.

"…What?! Cynthia! Listen to me…You've always talked about your ideas for, well, everything…Plus, I'm your best friend, and I know what's best."

Laughing, I said: "Jamie…Thank you, but really, no. Grandmother needs me around."

"Maybe you need Grandmother around. Seriously, she's a strong woman. She can handle it, and she's got us. If you really dislike Champion Lea so much, you need to do something about it."

The thought struck me. As much as I disliked Lea, I never thought about replacing him. Seeing him out of the League, maybe even behind bars if I could prove something, made that thought severely tempting. My mind started to race. The thought of what a voyage it would be made me shutter, but the newly uncovered excitement buzzed around, too. Thinking back to the suddenly reoccurring memories of Grandfather and I discussing me being a trainer flooded back all at once. Back in those days I didn't even want to be a trainer. Now, I somewhat did, but not as much as some people.

"Cyn!" She yelled, getting my attention again.

"That's not a terrible idea." I slightly smiled, and she grinned and squealed. "But…Where do I even start?" I tried to recall where the first gym was located, and I presumed it was Oreburgh; which was three towns over.

Jamie shrugged, "going to see the professor isn't a bad idea."

"No thank you, I don't want to."

"C'mon, it's a good idea! He could give you Pokémon or—"

"I don't need a Pokémon from him, actually. And he has never done that...Or at least that anyone knows about. He isn't Professor Oak." I reproved.

"I've watched some television, Missy, I know how the world turns. You need an interview or something, you can't just self-proclaim yourself as a trainer." She raised her eyebrows at me. She had a point.

"Not from him. Therefore, I don't need to see him."

"What about your granddad, didn't they know each other?" She asked, knowing she was about to make a solid point.

"Yes…They were friends, I think." I sighed in defeat since I knew where this was going.

"Then he can't be that bad, right? He'll probably have great advice and everything. Go see him first." She grinned excitedly, and I nodded. "Cynthia's going to be the champion!" She yelled, and I slapped my hand over her mouth.

"Grandmother doesn't know yet! She could hear you."

"Sorry," she said through my hand. I moved it and she grinned again. "Let's tell Ember!"

"Let me do it later, okay?" I asked and she nodded.

"Do what later?" A soft voice asked. Jamie and I looked at the doorway and Grandmother stood there, smiling at me. We didn't say anything for a minute, and I could see the concern growing on her face. "Do what later, Cynthia?" She repeated with just as much gentleness, yet seriousness in there somewhere.

Jamie nudged me, and then downright shoved me so hard I stood up. "I have something to discuss with you." I murmured, a bit unsure of myself.

She nodded, relieved I finally said something. "Let us go home and we can discuss it." She smiled reassuringly and motioned for me to follow. Looking at Jamie, she gave me a double thumbs-up and mouthed 'you got it' to me.

We walked home and sat at the wooden table. Feeling a little guilty for pulling Grandmother from her work, I gulped and hesitated before saying anything. "What is it you have to say, dear?"

"Well, Grandmother," I took a deep breath and decided to just lay all the cards on the table, "I have decided to become a trainer."

Wincing, I waited for a response. Fretting the worst possible thing made the time slow down. It felt like hours had gone by, every second ticking by loudly like on a grandfather clock; when in reality only a second had.

"That's absolutely wonderful!" Grandmother beamed at me. Shocked by her answer, I said nothing. Half expecting her to break down in pitiful tears was selfish of me, but her being overly excited was unexpected.

"Apparently I am going to Sandgem to see Professor Rowan first, too." I added as she jumped up and speed-walked past me.

"Great," I heard her say from Grandfathers study. She walked back in and handed me an envelope and a Pokéball. "This is from your grandfather. He wrote it many a year ago, when he first became ill and feared the worst."

My heart jumped, and I hesitated. Opening the envelope and taking out the still fresh piece of paper, I read it.

Dearest Cynthia,

I remember the days where you dreaded being a trainer. While holding you in my arms I would ask you, "Don't you want to be a trainer?" and you would respond, "No, silly!" Things have barely changed, have they not? Except, your love for Pokémon has overpowered, much like with me, and you want to be a trainer. I knew you would. You have passion that you don't even understand yet; same with a good, kind heart. Even if you scare people sometimes with your stubbornness, you have potential that your grandmother and I have always seen.

You should have also received a Pokéball; in it contains a Pokémon I caught for you. I hope Grandmother Carolina can assist you, because as much as I want to be there, I cannot. I'm so proud of you, and I know in my heart you are making the right choices in doing what is best.

Much Love,

Grandfather Winnie

Reading those words made my heart pang even harder in my chest. Although, an odd surge of confidence flowed through my body and I looked up and smiled at my grandmother. She returned a smile, and opened the front door.

"Let's see this Pokémon," said I as I stepped out. She handed me the thing, and I pressed the button and held it pointing away from me—something I had, admittedly, never done before. A beam of light shot out and morphed into a Pokémon. It was small and blue with a red chest and stomach. It had a large head and mouth; which was agape as it stared at me.

"She's a Gible, Winnie caught her in Wayward Cave." Grandmother explained, and I nodded and smiled at her.

"She's great." The Pokémon made a cooing noise, then I returned her; knowing that Pokémon weren't allowed to be wandering about. (Another one of Lea's laws) I spun around and faced Grandmother. "You won't be lonely?"

"It will certainly be different, Cynthia. But this is the way it should be. I have good feelings about this." She pushed my hair back behind my ears, and I instinctively grabbed her for a hug. Leaving is going to be harder than I thought.

My hands were shoved in my jacket pockets as I walked. Springtime nights were quite cold in Celestic Town, so much so that winter jackets were needed. I will miss this. I thought. All day I had that same thought about every little thing. The smell of Grandmothers mixed vegetable soup—which I wasn't fond of, we just ate it on a daily basis because it's all we could afford—the buzzing sound the television made when it was first turned on, the creaking old doors, the lingering smell of pine found randomly around the house; all these little things I had never thought twice about.

Now, I was going to tell one of my best friends I was going to be leaving the next day. That was rough. The feeling of sadness was strongly laying on me. Knowing I couldn't escape it, I pushed the feelings away and kept walking with my head held high. Nearing Ember's house, I saw him laying outside in the light shining through one of his windows.

"Hello." I sat next to him.

"Hey, Cyn. I heard you're going to be a trainer." Rolling my eyes mentally at the thought of Jamie, I sighed.

"She can't keep a secret." I murmured.

He laughed, "nope." He sounded like he was in a good mood, so I felt relief. "I've decided to be all three of those things I mentioned earlier." I saw him grin at me in the darkness.

"Oh yeah? Which one first?"

He shrugged, "to heck if I know. Maybe I'll become a trainer and beat you to the league."

"Doubtful, I'm leaving tomorrow." Superiority rang in my tone, and he raised one eyebrow.

"Doubtful?! Do you have no faith in me, Cynthia Marie?!" Alas,

Wincing at my middle name, I said: "Don't call me that,"—he had and would always call me that—"Plus, I do have faith in you, but I'm kind of getting a head start. Sorry, Ember Donald." I smirked, and he shook his head.

"It'll be different without you. Me and Jamie will be so bored…All the time."

"You two will be fine, you both are great at entertaining yourselves." I muttered, and he laughed.

"At least you'll be doing something right. You belong somewhere big, using your voice, making a difference. I'm happy for you." He stood up, and I followed his lead. He'd never said anything like that to me before, so I didn't say anything for a moment, and we were in silence.

"Grandmother's probably wondering where I am…I've got so much to do."

He nodded. "You better not leave without saying goodbye, Cynthia Marie."

"I won't." I glared at him, then quickly gave him a hug.

Starting my walk back home, I felt really good about my decision. I didn't think I would, but I did. I felt at peace with myself. Not knowing where I would be in a week, or even a day, was scary; but I knew that sometime, someday, I would be the Sinnoh Champion.

*This chapter has been hardcore edited/rewritten.

Authors Note: Hey guys! Welcome to The Champion's Beginning. Here's the deal: I wrote this story completely almost a year ago, (Took me a year and a half...Longest thing I've ever written...*cough* 453 pages *cough*...Yeah, I'm quite proud) and I've grown a lot as a writer since then. Maybe yall can't tell, but I sure can. So much so, I mouth-barfed when I reread this story. Therefore, I'm beginning the lengthy process of rewriting/editing this entire story! If you see this at the end of the chapter: *This chapter has been hardcore edited/rewritten. Then you've got a fresh chapter, if not, then...Well...THE POINT IS: I won't completely rewrite every chapter like I did this one, but I will be changing it grammatically. The plot and everything will be exactly the same. I'll try to "update" the next chapter weekly/whenever I can.

So, this is my take on Champion Cynthia's life leading up to her reign. I've put a lot of effort into this story and molding the characters and everything, so I do hope you enjoy! Leave a review, I love feedback (especially reviews so long they're too long for the email. Those are cool), and I'll probably get back to you if you have any questions. Thanks! Stay excellent!