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The phone in Cynthia’s office blares at an uncomfortable pitch as it rings, and as with every time it rings, she dives across the room to answer it, mostly just to shut the sound off. She’s a little out of breath when she answers it, but the cheery voice on the other end doesn’t seem to mind.
“Hello?”
“Oh, you’re in! I thought you might be busy,” comes Candice’s greeting, a much more welcome sound than the ringing of the phone.
“Not at all. Just finishing up some paperwork. Is something the matter?”
“Um… well, no, not really. But I just had a challenger, and she won, and…”
“That’s rare. Usually you don’t get challengers at all.”
“That’s two Icicle Badges in the last week! But um, that’s not why I was calling actually. This trainer – her name was Dawn I think – she had an um… a rather unusual Pokémon with her. She’s got seven badges now, actually, so I thought I’d just give you the heads up because I’m sure she’ll make it your way soon enough-“
“Candice,” Cynthia calmly interrupts. “Which Pokémon did she have?”
“Well, it didn’t battle, she had it by her feet while her other Pokémon did the work. But it was… um, it was a Gible.”
“Ah.”
She hears about Volkner deciding to go back to the gym before she hears the outcome of the battle. Cynthia knows that there is only one trainer in all of Sinnoh that could have made this happen, and listens to Flint regale her of the tales of this blue haired trainer and how strong she seems. Though Cynthia is yet to have a chance to battle her, she’s well aware of the young trainer’s strength.
Volkner calls that evening when she’s back home in Celestic Town. He calls her mobile, rather than the awful desk phone that resides in her office. It’s unusual for him to make contact with her at all – she knows of his long held desire to challenge the League himself – and it’s even rarer for him to call in the evening.
“What’s up?” She greets, though she has an idea where this is going.
“I take it you heard about the gym?”
“I did indeed. Glad you’re feeling a little better.”
“About that… the girl that challenged me had a Gabite with her. A strong one too, though it’s not evolved yet.”
“Candice told me about her,” Cynthia muses, unsure really what to say to this. “I’ve met this girl before. She’s an extremely powerful trainer.”
“I’ll say. Be careful, Cynthia. You’ve held onto your position for a long time now. I wouldn’t want to see you lose it over a kid with the same Pokémon as you.”
“I’ll be sure to come up with a way to keep her at bay. I have a little time. Thanks for your help, Volkner.”
“No problem. Keep safe.”
“Certainly.”
On the rare occasions that someone actually manages to win badges from eight gyms and make it across the sea and through Victory Road to the Pokémon League, there is usually little fuss made. But this girl is a threat. Dawn is quite probably the best young trainer to come out of Sinnoh since Cynthia herself, and everyone knows that.
The Champion paces her office, waiting for the inevitable appearance of the girl. If she was just to turn up out of the blue and win in a battle Cynthia would think very little of it other than her obvious disappointment. But this girl will presumably have a Garchomp when she reaches Cynthia in a few days time, and she can’t help but feel the pressure.
A Gible is one of the rarest Pokémon native to the Sinnoh region. Cynthia didn’t even catch hers herself – her father caught it for her not long before his passing, a permanent reminder of him by her side always. Their ecosystem is small, a cave hidden well away from prying eyes under the Cycling Road south of Eterna. That was where her father ventured eighteen years ago, and that is where Dawn ventured not too long ago as well, coming out of the cave with a dragon in a ball.
That feat in and of itself should be enough to seal her position as Champion. It’s a feat that not many people have achieved, and this young girl – ten years old – has done it without help. Cynthia feels a pit opening in her stomach. This is the end for her, and though she intends to fight to keep her place, somehow she knows that her time here in the Pokémon League is rapidly running out.
Aaron is up against her first. Aside from the Garchomp, none of the Elite Four members know what Pokémon she has by her side. He makes a judgement as she walks into the room, looking surprisingly calm considering the task she’s about to try to undertake. She looks like she would be a Piplup trainer, but he doesn’t get to find out. Her Garchomp knows Flamethrower, though she swaps out to her Togekiss to take down Heracross and Vespiquen. He doesn’t stand a chance.
She smiles though at the end, and graciously crosses the field as he returns Drapion to it’s ball. Dawn holds her hand out to Aaron, and though he’s a little bewildered, he shakes her hand and wishes her well on her way to the next battle.
Bertha is the first to find out what starter Pokémon Dawn picked, though not right away. The woman’s first two Pokémon fall to Carnivine. The Bug Catcher Pokémon isn’t known for being particularly fast, and yet this Pokémon can move in a way that Bertha doesn’t expect at all. Dawn uses Empoleon against Sudowoodo, before the Pokémon is rapidly sent back to its ball for Carnivine to finish up.
It has been a while since someone managed to best Bertha, but the woman bows out with grace, especially when the younger trainer smiles so easily in the face of her victory, when her Carnivine settles itself around her neck and grins too. They shake hands, and Bertha bows her head, knowing that this is the end for the Sinnoh League as she knows it.
Flint recognises the girl and for a moment gets ahead of himself with his excitement at their unplanned reunion. But it doesn’t take long for him to realise that Dawn has taken down two Elite Four members before him, and she’s here for the sole purpose of taking him down too. Empoleon takes down Rapidash with ease, and then she makes a number of swaps – Garchomp’s Flamethrower makes quick work of Steelix, and Togekiss surprises him with a Focus Punch on Lopunny.
Pachirisu’s Discharge takes out Drifblim, and though he saw it earlier, Garchomp returns to the field to take down Infernape. Flint feels sick as he watches the Pokémon surge forward under the calm control of its trainer, Infernape crumbling under the pressure. Dawn doesn’t crumble, doesn’t even waver, and he has nothing to say to her as she shakes his hand.
Lucien is shocked when she walks into his room, putting his book away. Never did he think that she would make it this far, but when he looks at her, evaluates her, he can see that she’s completely in control of this situation. He sends out Mr Mime, and she calmly counters with a Froslass. Before she attacks, she uses Hail, rendering every single one of Lucien’s attacks useless as none of his Pokémon can see the ghost.
She retires Froslass before the end though – maybe she’s predicted his final Pokémon? The hail wears off anyway, and out comes Garchomp to take down Bronzong with a well-timed strike. Lucien applauds her before shaking her hand, perhaps a little too tight. He cares not for Dawn, instead worrying about Cynthia.
It comes as no surprise to the Champion when Dawn enters the room. She doesn’t look surprised to see her – even if she hadn’t realised who she was on their few meetings, Dawn has certainly figured out Cynthia’s true identity now. She smiles and nods to signify her readiness, before Cynthia sends out Spiritomb.
Cynthia gave her the Togepi egg all that time ago, and she expects to see it make an appearance now. But Dawn does the unexpected – she doesn’t rely on Fairy Type moves. She sends out Garchomp. Cynthia freezes, and stands back useless as Dawn takes on every one of her Pokémon.
Garchomp and Spiritomb, Pachirisu and Togekiss, Carnivine and Milotic, Froslass and Roserade, Empoleon and Lucario, and finally Togekiss makes an appearance to take down Cynthia’s final Pokémon, soaring above Garchomp’s reach, attacking stronger than Cynthia’s Garchomp can take. The Pokémon collapses at the Champion’s feet, and she doesn’t shed a tear as she returns her first Pokémon into its ball at last.
As they head to the Hall of Fame in reverent silence, Cynthia notes that two of their Pokémon were the same. Togekiss and Garchomp. Fairy and Dragon, locked in battle forever. Really, Cynthia was her own undoing – had she not given Dawn that egg all that time ago-
It’s no use thinking like that. If she hadn’t done that Froslass would’ve taken over. Or perhaps the final battle would have been Garchomp versus Garchomp. Cynthia will never know the answer to this question. As Dawn sets six Pokéballs into the machine, Cynthia sets a warm hand on her shoulder, smiling down at the younger girl.
She’s a prodigy, that much is clear. Cynthia doesn’t need to know any more than that. She is glad now, really, that she lost to such a worthy opponent. To Dawn, who saved the Sinnoh region. When she was too scared to scale Mount Coronet, when she stood back to let her go ahead.
Once again, Cynthia will stand back and let Dawn go ahead, bowing out with grace to a girl that will do things for the Sinnoh region that Cynthia never could.