Chapter no.159 Cynthia's offer (Patreon)

" So… what do you plan to do next, Austin?" Cynthia asked casually, seated opposite the raven-haired trainer in the Pokémon Center Cafeteria.
"Austin?" Cynthia repeated.
"Huh?" Austin asked, taken off-guard as Cynthia's voice shook him out of his thoughts.
"It is an offense to be thinking about something else, when you have a lady sitting in front of you. You do know that, right?" The blonde-haired girl teased.
Austin mumbled something, before getting his words out. "I didn't know that Champions were known as Lords and Ladies?"
Cynthia let out a shrill laugh. Austin decided he liked it.
"They aren't." The Sinnoh Champion answered. "I am the heiress of an old clan. People of my stature are usually referred to as Lords and Ladies, at least that's what my nannies and my professors have taught me."
"Clan?" Austin sked, bewildered.
Cynthia arched an eyebrow. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"
Austin shook his head.
The girl sighed. "There are several old families in the pokémon world, you know, some of which are rather old, rich and influential, and have a deeper relation with pokémon than most. Steven for instance, is from the Stone family, who have had a deep relation with all of the Metagross colonies all over the world. The Stone Family has complete rights to any and all Metagross colonies, and are responsible for their protection."
"Then of course, there are the Blackthorns of Unova, involved in the breeding of Hydreigon. Lance is from the Wataru Clan, famous for their relation to Dragonite. You will usually find most clans to be connected with some or other pseudo-legendary pokémon."
"Oh." It all sounded pretty interesting. Besides, it told him just how much was there about the world that he didn't know. "What about yours?"
"My family is actually related to the Blackthorns." Cynthia admitted, "Though in later centuries, we became our own independent family, the Shirona. Our family isn't connected with any pseudo-legendary per se, but we are involved in a lot of research on the Unown, precisely their connection with Palkia and Dialga, the rulers of Space and Time."
Austin stared at her wide-eyed. "Rulers of Space and Time.... Palkia and Dialga..."
' Jackpot !' Austin thought.
Cynthia chortled mirthfully at that.
"What's so funny?" Austin returned, his awe shifting to a scowl. He certainly didn't want to come across as an ignorant idiot.
"More than half of Sinnoh is filled with runic monoliths about Dialga and Palkia. Maybe if you were to visit Sinnoh sometime, I can show you."
"I'd like that." Austin grinned. "I was reading a book at the center about legends and it said that Sinnoh and Hoenn had a lot of mutual history."
"Uh-huh, they do." Cynthia agreed. "Which book was it?"
"Hoenn: Myths and Legends." He answered. "Found it in the center."
Cynthia's eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh that one? It's pretty good for beginners. If you are interested in the Legends, I could send you some quality reading material you know."
"Considering everything, I thought it might be helpful." Austin murmured.
"Yeah, you seem to come across them with startling frequency. I'm jealous."
Austin stared at her, impassive.
"Seriously," Cynthia admitted. "I have spent a major part of my life staring at the ruins, wondering how it must be to see the Legends face to face. And you seem to work your way through their residences."
" Totally coincidental." Austin assured her even though he knew it was his destiny to meet every legendary and mythical in existence if the events of the movies happen in this world.
"Perhaps." The girl countered. "I'm almost wishing to leave my job and travel with you, if that means I get to come across legendaries."
Austin stared at her with disbelief. "You would leave your Champion status to travel?"
"Why not?" Cynthia countered. "Well, I would have… but right now, there are some things I need to take care of. Maybe after a year or so, when it is a little more… peaceful, I guess… I'll resign from my position to try my luck at another league for a change."
"Wow…" Austin breathed. "And here I was thinking that being the Champion was the supreme achievement in life."
"Hardly." Cynthia snorted. "Honestly, there are dozens of things I'd rather be doing. Researching the legends being one of them. However, I have been crowned Champion and have some duties to perform, challenges to accept, and my own position to defend. This… time, that I am spending with you now… is possibly my last vacation before a busy year of work."
"Well, then shouldn't you be at home or with family right now?"
She gave him a blank stare. "Why would you say that?"
"Well, you just said that this is your last vacation. Shouldn't you spend it with… you know, people close to you?"
Cynthia stared at him, as if trying to memorize his facial features to the Tee. "Sometimes I wish to have you dissected and examined."
"Huh?" Austin panicked. "What for?"
"No reason. Scientific curiosity I guess." The blonde girl waved it away. "Never mind. Tell me, what do you plan to do next?"
Austin got the impression that she had just made a joke, and that it was on him. "Well, there's Sulphur Island close by. I was thinking of… you know… training with my pokémon for the next week or so."
"Oh." Cynthia muttered, somewhat lost in her own thoughts.
"What are you going to do?" Austin asked.
"I…." The blonde-haired girl didn't know how to answer that question. "I suppose I'll just aid you in training your pokémon then, considering there isn't pretty much on the line."
"You would?" Austin repeated, slack jawed, awed by the fact that a Champion had casually offered him training aid. It was possibly the best thing he could ever expect. "Allow me to train with you, I mean."
Cynthia blinked. Twice. "Not exactly…. I don't think you can… well, train with me."
"Oh." Happy face gone now.
"Not because I don't want to train alongside you, or anything, Austin."
He looked up, puzzled. "I know my pokémon aren't as trained or powerful as yours, but I-"
"It's not about that, Austin. You misunderstand." Cynthia explained. "Pokémon that are on similar levels can train with each other. My team has gone through rigorous training over the past four years, and they still do. Your pokémon, no offense meant, isn't simply ready for that level of conditioning."
He didn't have to like it, but he agreed with her explanation.
"However, as Steven must have told you, your way of battling is very similar to my own, though it is… for lack of a better word, a little too all over the place, if I am being direct. Then again, considering your own time as a trainer, it is hardly your fault. So, I believe what I can help you with is in… optimising your team a little along with adjusting your current style of battling so that they can perform better when you return to Kanto."
"You would do that for me?" Austin gasped.
Cynthia opened her mouth, and then closed it, scowling. "Yeah… I would."
"Cool." Austin grinned, his enthusiasm contagious, ignoring the dark scowl that marred her face for a moment. "Personally, I have a lot of plans for their training, and some specific move sets that should allow them better chances at fighting."
And here I thought we would be spending some time together. Cynthia didn't say. "Austin, I wanted to talk to you about-" She hesitated.
"About?"
"… Nothing." She breathed out. " Did Mewtwo want you to join him ?"
Austin's words fell short, as he looked away. "Yes , he did."
" So , what did you reply with ?"
" Obviously no , wait ; did you really think I would say yes and become some kind of super villain who wants to trap the entire world in an eternal illusion of bliss."
Cynthia looked at her friend with a blank expression before saying ," Ok then Mr Ketchum let's see your supervillain laugh."
Austin cleared his throat and as he remembered his favourite laugh from one piece.
The laugh of one of his most favourite villains " Donquixote Doflamingo".
" Fuffuffuffuffuffuffu ."
Pikachu gave his trainer a look while Cynthia was quite impressed with the laugh.
" So how was it ?"
" 7/10 "
" Oh ! Come on , it was atleast a 9/10 ."
" 6.9/10"
" Ok , ok , you don't have to decrease it."
" 6.8/10."
" Now I know you are just messing with me."