Pokemon: May's Journey - 02: A Threat in Sinnoh

02 A Threat in Sinnoh

A few hours later, the aircraft descended into Lavender Town. May noticed the somber tone of the town as they circled around the tower before landing in front of it.

 

 

“Creepy,” May commented after she and Cassidy had disembarked.

 

“Well, Ghost type Pokemon are predominant here,” Cassidy responded matter-of-factly.

 

“That makes sense.”

 

“He’s waiting in one of the other buildings,” Cassidy said.

 

 

May followed Cassidy into a large room, and saw Giovanni looking over a large tablet table showing Sinnoh in detail.

 

“Ah, you’re here,” he said.

 

“What do you have on Cyrus?” May asked, so as to get to the point and out of Lavender Town as quickly as possible.

 

“Quite a lot,” Giovanni answered. “That he’s already at the Spear Pillar, that is a ruined temple at Mt. Coronet’s summit, so time is running out.”

 

May watched as the map on the tablet zoomed in on Mt. Coronet to show the Spear Pillar.

 

“Satellites are showing distortions all around Mt. Coronet,” Giovanni continued. “And there are reports of wild Pokemon acting strangely all over Sinnoh.”

 

The map zoomed out again. Two nearby cities were highlighted. “So, we’re headed to one of those cities?” May asked.

 

“Yes. Either Oreburgh City, or Hearthome City,” Cassidy said. “As you can see, they are not very far from Mt. Coronet.”

 

“But Oreburgh is smaller, so there would be a less chance of detection,” Giovanni said.

 

“So, it would easy to approach the mountain from either city?” May asked.

 

“Yes, but there are more covered trails from the direction of Oreburgh,” Cassidy answered.

 

“I would like to avoid Team Galactic’s patrols. I had enough trouble battling through Team Aqua and Team Magma. Oreburgh!”

 

“That isn’t guaranteed,” Giovanni said. “But I know you would be able to handle yourself.”

 

May nodded.

 

“Additional fuel and equipment are being loaded as we speak,” Giovanni added.

 

 

They remained in Lavender Town for another ten minutes, but May spent that time looking at various different maps of Mount Coronet to better idea of the lay of the land.

 

 

A few hours later, they were approaching Sinnoh’s southern coast.

 

One of the cabin staff came back to the passengers. “You’re going to have to make a decision,” she said to Cassidy.

 

“Oh?” Cassidy asked.

 

“The space-time distortions over Sinnoh are increasing. I can guarantee that we’ll make it to either Oreburgh or Heartholm, but once we’re close to either of them, we have no idea if we would be able to make it to the other one in time.”

 

“Oreburgh,” May said.

 

“Got it.”

 

 

As they got closer to Oreburgh City, the more turbulent the flight became, as the space-time storm emanating from Mount Coronet grew more intense.

 

“This means that Cyrus must be close. We’re going to have to hurry. You have Repels, right?” Cassidy asked.

 

May glared at her. “Of course.”

 

“We’re going to need them.”

 

 

The turbulence was severe when they reached Oreburgh. They had to circle the city before they managed to land in the on the northern edge.

 

“We’re down,” Cassidy said.  “Let’s move.”

 

“You’re coming with me?” May asked.

 

“Giovanni wants you to stop Cyrus. He wants me to make sure you get there.”

 

“Of course.”

 

 

Outside, the city was deceptively calm, as most of the inhabitants were inside, away from the wild Pokemon who were acting strangely.

 

May looked towards Mt. Coronet, or what she could see of it. The distortions were swirling around the upper reaches of the mountain. “That doesn’t look good. Let’s get going!”

 

“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Cassidy said as she handed May an additional paper map of the mountain and its surrounding area.

 

May took out her Pokegear. The distortions were already causing significant signal interference. She was briefly thankful for Giovanni’s resourcefulness, although it made her uncomfortable.

 

“Ready?” Cassidy prompted.

 

May nodded.

 

 

 

They ascended the lower slopes without incident, but they soon ran into two Team Galactic Agents.

 

“Who is there?” Someone said.

 

May looked. The girl wasn’t much older than Cassidy. “We’re investigating what’s going on.”

 

“Stop right there! It is Team Galactic business!”

 

“So, you’re working for Cyrus!” Cassidy interjected as she pulled out a pokeball. “Raticate!”

 

May also pulled out a Pokeball. “Blaziken!”

 

“I can battle too!” the Team Galactic agent said. “Purugly!”

 

Two Purugly emerged from her pokeballs.

 

“Blaziken, Flamethrower!” May called out.

 

“Raticate, Quick Attack!” Cassidy added.

 

The ensuing battle was over quickly, with May and Cassidy’s teams being much more powerful than the girl’s.

 

“Our Commanders have more experienced teams,” the girl said as she recalled her last Pokemon.

 

“Then we’ll just have to avoid them,” May responded.

 

“That’s unlikely. They are patrolling all the routes to the Spear Pillar.”

 

“We’ll get there,” Cassidy declared.

 

 

They continued up the slope, but found that the path wove in and out of tunnels carved into the mountainside. As they exited one of the caves they found a blue haired trainer with what May recognized as a Piplup coming out of another tunnel onto the path.

 

“Oh! You’re not with Galactic, are you?” she asked.

 

“No!” May responded.

 

“You’ve come to stop what they’re doing?” the trainer asked rhetorically. She held out her hand. “I’m Dawn.”

 

May took it. “May.”

 

“Cassidy. We should keep going.”

 

“Oh, of course,” Dawn said.

 

 

They continued up the mountain, dodging other Galactic agents. However, they were almost at the Spear Pillar when they ran into a Galactic Commander.

 

“Stop right there,” she said.

 

“We’re here to stop Cyrus!” May said.

 

“So, Dawn, you brought the Hoenn Champion into this?” the Commander asked.

 

“No!” Dawn objected.

 

“Cyrus’s plan has leaked to other regions,” May said. “They have responded.”

 

“We’re going to stop him!” Cassidy declared.

 

“No you’re not,” the Commander said as she grabbed a pokeball. “Perugly.”

 

“What is it with Galactic and Purugly?” Cassidy asked as she grabbed Raticate’s pokeball.

 

“I have other Pokemon!” the Commander retoreted.

 

“Double battle!” May said.

 

The Commander grabbed another pokeball. “Bronzor.”

 

 

Commander Mars was annoyed. The girl from Twinleaf Town was enough of a pest without the Hoenn champion and a blonde trainer with a Kantonian accent. She looked at the latter’s Raticate, and the Hoenn Champion’s Blaziken. “Purugly, Fury Swipes on Raticate. Bronzor, Confusion on Blaziken,” she ordered.

 

“Raticate, dodge and use Quick Attack!”

 

“Blaziken, dodge and use Flamethrower!”

 

 

Raticate’s Quick Attack hit Purugly and Blaziken burnt Bronzor.

 

 

Dawn watched the battle unfold. She had barely beat Mars the last time they had cross paths, but May was rather skilled and Blazikens attacks were highly effective against Bronzor.

 

 

Soon Bronzor fainted and Mars sent out Golbat. “Golbat! Confusion!”

 

“Blaziken, dodge and use flamethrower.”

 

Blaziken managed to avoid the Confusion and hit Golbat.

 

“Confusion again!”

 

 

Mars soon lost.

 

 

May, Cassidy and Dawn entered the Spear Pillar and saw Cyrus in the distance, beneath the massive forms of Dialga and Palkia, who were confined in a red chain.

 

“You’re too late,” another, male, Galactic Commanders said.

 

“No, we’re not,” May said.

 

The two Commanders were about to send out their Pokemon when there was an interruption. Champion Cynthia had arrived, her Garchomp right behind her.

 

“Cynthia,” Cyrus said as he turned. “You’re too late. Jupiter, Saturn, stall her, and those others.”

 

The Commanders then sent out their Bronzors and Golbats.

 

“Quadruple Battle,” May commented. “Let’s do it.”

 

 

Dawn and Cynthia stood opposite Jupiter. “Piplup, use Bubble Beam!”

 

“Garchomp, use Dragon Claw!”

 

Both moves were highly effective against Bronzor, but both were able to continue battling.

 

 

After she and Cassidy had defeated Commander Saturn, she approached Cyrus. “Stop!”

 

“It’s too late. I shall create a new world. One without spirit, without emotion,” Cyrus responded.

 

“This world is chaotic, but the people and pokemon deserve to exist!” May shot back.

 

“A world where a tyrant orders a Champion to save it?” Cyrus asked in response.

 

“If not me, then it would have been someone else.”

 

“The world is corrupt, but it still deserves to exist!” Cassidy added.

 

“That might not be persuasive,” Dawn said as she and Cynthia came over, having beaten Commander Jupiter.

 

“Nothing will be persuasive,” Cyrus said, as he continued the ritual and Dialga and Palkia continued to writhe in the Red Chain.

 

“Then we will stop you,” May declared. “Blaziken! Use Sky Uppercut on that Red Chain!”

 

Cyrus grabbed a pokeball. “Crobat! Use Confusion on Blaziken.”

 

Cynthia intervened. “Garchomp! Use Dragon Claw on Crobat!”

 

Blaziken moved as Crobat attempted to fire Confusion at it, but Garchomp’s Dragon Claw had knocked off Crobat’s aim.

 

The Sky Uppercut move damaged the Red Chain.

 

“No!” Cyrus said.

 

“Use Sky Uppercut again!” May cried.

 

Cyrus grabbed another pokeball. “Weavile.”

 

Cassidy moved. “Raticate! Use Hyper Fang on Weavile!”

 

“Weavile! Use Night Slash on Raticate!”

 

 

As Blaziken hit the Red Chain again, Raticate and Weavile began battling.

 

 

Garchomp caused Crobat to faint, then Cynthia directed him to attack the Red Chain as well, before Cyrus could react and send out a third Pokémon.

 

 

That proved effective against it, as both Legendaries could move a little more freely.

 

Cyrus sent out his Gyrados, but Dawn stepped in. “A Piplup vs. a Gyrados?” Cyrus asked.

 

“I have other Pokemon,” Dawn responded as she grabbed a different pokeball and sent out her Torterra.

 

“Gyrados! Use Hydro Pump!”

 

Then Blaziken and Garchomp hit the Red Chain again, allowing both Dialga and Palkia to break free. Their roars shook Spear Pillar. Then another distortion appeared near Cyrus and he could see two eyes gleaming.

 

 

“Giratina!” Cynthia realized.

 

The renegade Legendary partially emerged from the rift from the Distortion World and focused its glare upon Cyrus.

 

“What?” he asked himself as he tried to get out from under renegade’s stare.

 

“You drew it’s attention,” Cynthia said.

 

 

What happened next, no one was sure. One moment Cyrus was staring off with Giratina, the next the Distortion world rift blipped and Cyrus tumbled into it, with the withdrawing Giratina.

 

May noticed that the Spear Pillar had stopped shaking. “Is that it?” she asked.

 

Cynthia looked up at where Dialga and Palkia were still hovering. “They’re repairing the rifts,” she said. “But Cyrus is now in the Distortion World. He can still cause trouble there.”

 

“You mean…” Dawn started.

 

“We have to go after him,” Cynthia confirmed.

 

“Of course,” May said.

 

“Let’s do this,” Cassidy said.

 

 

They stepped through the rift into the Distortion World.

“We have to be quick, but he won’t be too far,” Cynthia said as she took point.

 

“Do you know what to expect?” May asked.

 

“Yes,” Cynthia answered. “I’m not only Sinnoh’s Champion, but also an archaeologist and historian.”

 

“So, this place is described in myths?” May asked, remembering that Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza had been considered mythical before the machinations of Teams Magma and Aqua had brought them to her attention and that of Hoenn overall.

 

“That’s right,” Cynthia said. “In those of the original Hisui Region before the settlement of the Diamond and Pearl clans a few centuries ago.”

 

“I haven’t really looked into the histories of other regions, other than the basics,” May admitted.

 

Cynthia chuckled. “Quite alright. It can be overwhelming.”

 

“Talking about overwhelming…” Dawn said as she looked around.

 

“It’s shifting because the physical laws are different to the normal world,” Cynthia said. “Giratina went its own way.”

 

 

They soon found Cyrus, but Giratina was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Cyrus,” Cynthia said.

 

 

“Giratina isn’t here. It brought me here then went somewhere else. But I still plan to do what I set out to do.”

 

“Then we’ll stop you,” Cynthia said. Another battle ensued.

 

 

Cyrus was defeated again and they saw Giratina in the distance, just moving around. “I have changed my mind,” he said.

 

“In what way?” Dawn asked.

 

“This world only normally has Giratina in it. Therefore it is what I was trying to achieve.”

 

Cynthia could see that Cyrus was telling the truth. That he intended to stay.