Bloodlines and Heartbeats

Chapter 3: Screams

      As we walked through the ancient ruins, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Not just because the Champion walked beside me, telling me about her journey, but also because these ruins really were something else. I hadn't had a chance to check them out the last time I was in Solaceon. They were easily the biggest ruins I'd ever been inside of, and they were covered top to bottom in Unknown script- which I unfortunately couldn't read very well. Every now and again, an Unknown would silently flit by us, off into the darkness. They were strange little pokemon, but they seemed peaceful enough.
      Our conversation was pleasant. Despite her status, she didn't make me feel like I was any less than her. When she shared her stories about starting her pokemon journey, they felt pretty ordinary. It also turned out that Cynthia was actually a bona fide archaeologist; she had a passion for history and mythology just like I did. Having that in common with her made conversation with her much more natural. I had history to share with her about Hoenn that she knew little to nothing about, but she knew a lot about Unova already.
      Apparently, she spent a fair amount of her time there. It gave us some common ground, but we also had a lot of new things to share with one another about the Hoenn and Sinnoh Regions.
      After wrapping up our chat about our respective pokemon journeys and our different pokemon partners (which she had quite a few of), the conversation had naturally moved on to Sinnoh's history. She explained the pokemon of time, and space, and the one who had created them in greater detail than I had ever heard. But she also talked about a third pokemon that was created alongside them, who was banished for some kind of "ambiguous violence" as she put it. The pokemon's name was Giratina. I'd never heard about it before, and it was fascinating hearing her talk about it at length. Eventually, I learned that her goal, now our goal, was to uncover important information relating to Giratina. I had never looked into anything so large-scale before. The prospect of uncovering something so important was exhilarating.
      Cynthia's voice was low and soothing as she continued. "Giratina is among the most powerful of Legendary pokemon, Storm. It's on the same level as the masters of space and of time. It's rumored to be the master of antimatter, and it's known to be the ruler of the Distortion World." She paused and looked over at me as we continued down the dark passage. "Many believe it to be a harbinger of death and destruction, or an insurgent who acted against Arceus' will. But others see it as a necessary force of balance and order."
      I felt a small thrill. A pokemon that may have acted against the will of the Universe's creator sounded like a pretty big deal- and she was doing research directly relating to it.
      I met her gaze. "But what do you think, Cynthia? Do you think it's a force of balance? Or is it something more... sinister?" I was curious to hear her thoughts. So far, she had only talked about history in an objective way. We hadn't shared any of our opinions or interpretations of history yet. Up to this point, we'd only exchanged facts- confirmed information.
      Some of Cynthia's hair fell loose as we walked, partially covering her face. "I think that they're all true, to some extent. Legend seldom comes from nothing." She had a smile in her eyes as she continued. "Just because Giratina may have once brought destruction or violence, that doesn't rule out the possibility that it also maintained some kind of order, and that it still might. I believe that Giratina's intentions- whatever they may have been- have shifted as time went on and circumstances changed. After all, pokemon are just as capable of change as people." She brushed her long hair out of her face and over her shoulders with both hands. Getting a good look at her hair, it must have been at least four feet long. "How about you, Storm? Have any theories yourself?"
      She spoke about Giratina's appearance and purpose with such certainty. Her thoughts were definitely more than just conjecture. I was pretty sure she knew more concrete details than what she was sharing, but if it was information she didn't want to share upfront, I wasn't going to confront her over it. We had just met after all, and she had been kind enough to take me along for the ride.
      It was hard not to agree with her reasoning. "Hmm... I suppose I align pretty closely with your take on things. Not to cop out of forming my own opinion or anything. It's just, from the sound of things, Giratina was a really important pokemon. If it really was made alongside Palkia and Dialga, who each governs an aspect of reality."
      Cynthia was politely listening to me, but I couldn't get a read on her thoughts as I continued. Her face was completely neutral. A good poker face was probably yet another skill she had developed in her time as Champion. "A pokemon on that level would have had an incredibly important purpose in the world. You said it's believed to rule over antimatter, but if that's true, I can't imagine that was its original role... " I trailed off.
      It was a curious thing, if it were true. Surely matter was more important than antimatter. "I'd guess that its role was different before it was banished, either ruling over matter or some other aspect of reality, like... physics, or gravity, or some similar force or thing integral to the Universe. I can't imagine Arceus would just want to 'take care' of every other thing that makes our world function if he bothered to make the creation trio in the first place. I feel like maybe Giratina lost Arceus' trust to govern whatever it was originally entrusted with. Or something along those lines." She frowned slightly. I had talked for a while, and I probably got some stuff wrong. "Sorry. I rambled on for a little longer than I meant to."
      "No, don't be." Said Cynthia. "I enjoy hearing the thoughts of others." She came to a stop and looked at me. Her eyes were a cool gray. "It's just that earlier, you had said you weren't very familiar with Sinnoh's history. If that's true, then your intuition is rather spot on. And I certainly don't take you to be a liar."
      I stopped walking as well.  "Wait, you mean the bit I added in about like, matter was like, right?" Another Unknown flitted by us silently.
      Her eyebrows raised faintly in surprise at my uncertainty. "Well, few things are so certain in history as to be considered 'right'. But broadly speaking, most academics hold theories similar to what you just said." She pulled a small journal out of her coat pocket and flipped through to a few bookmarked pages, the corners of her lips pulling into a smile as she did so. It looked a lot like the journal that I had found earlier. It must belong to her, then.
      "The oldest texts we find on the subject regard the reason for its banishment as simply 'violence'. Other such passages contain phrases that hold similar meanings to 'violence' or 'brutality' rather than a specified offense like 'crime' or 'violation'. The changes in our language over time have made the exact meaning hard to discern for certain." Her smile grew as she continued. "I personally believe that Giratina's banishment was a precaution due to its demeanor instead of an outright punishment for its behavior. An action that was preventative, not reactive." She shut the small notebook but kept it in hand as she started to walk again. I made sure to keep up with her.
      "Oh, so... My theory was solid, then?" I felt rather proud knowing that my conclusions were similar to her own.
      "Well, they have a good line of logic behind them." Said Cynthia. "Mostly, I'm drawn to the fact you used the word 'trust'. I don't know how intentional your word choice was, but it was precisely the one I would use- I believe that Giratina lost the trust of Arceus; rather than the popular theory that Giratina broke some kind of rule. One of the most important things to remember about history is that there's always context. People and pokemon all act with reason. Nothing in the world happen without reason, Storm."
      "'Nothing happens without reason', huh?" I brought my fist down into my palm. "I like that, its kinda profound. Come up with it yourself?"
      Cynthia smiled and continued down the hallway. "Oh no, it's just something I heard from Professor Rowan when I was much younger. It stuck with me, so I adopted it myself."
      It fell quiet after that, not that I necessarily minded. I watched Cynthia as she led me through the ruins. Her gait was confident, and a good deal larger than my own. I still wasn't sure what exactly Cynthia thought of me. Even after all of our chatting, she was hard for me to read since she wasn't exactly overly-expressive. But I could tell she was enjoying our conversation, and I was too. That was good enough for me: usually, I bored people with history junk, or they got weirded out by me being quiet for too long. I guess having shared interests helped a lot.
      My gaze fell on the journal in her hand, and I was reminded of the journal I found earlier. "Oh, before I forget, is this yours?" I procured the journal from out of my bag. "It uh, looks a lot like the one you're holding now." Her eyes lit up with recognition.
      "It is! Thank you, Storm. Where on earth did you find it? I was planning on combing the ruins for it later this evening once I was finished up here." I handed it off to her. She immediately flipped back and forth through it, hunting for a certain page. After finding it, she looked back over to me with a relieved expression and smiled softly.
      I returned the smile. "It was on the edge of the ruins, just kinda sitting on the ground. It looked like someone had dropped it. It's actually why I..." I trailed off. Cynthia had proven very knowledgeable about a lot of mythical things so far, so it was possible that she might know something about my visions.
      "It's why you..." Cynthia prompted me to continue. She stopped and turned to face me with an inquisitive expression. She almost looked worried.
      "It's why I wound up battling Vallus." I took a deep breath and made eye contact with Cynthia. "You see... I get these weird visions from time to time. When I touched your journal, I got a vision of the future. But like, usually my visions are from the past, and not the future. But they're always true, both types. Sometimes, I just hear some stuff instead of getting to see things, though..."
      I started to feel worried that she might be dismissive of my claim like so many others before her. It wasn't like I could choose when I had a vision to prove it to people, and they were so infrequent...
      Cynthia narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. Surprised by her intense expression, I looked away from her, down the long corridor as I continued. "I heard your battle with Vallus, and I saw a silhouette of the ruins. But because of the part I heard, I thought that you were losing." I felt my face begin to grow hot. I wasn't explaining it very well. "I didn't recognize either of your voices, but Vallus sounded like a bad dude, and the fight sounded serious, so I thought that you needed help, since it was the part of the fight where Togekiss hit the wall, I think. I didn't realize it was from the future yet, so-"
      "Storm!" I looked back over to Cynthia, startled as she interrupted me. She hadn't done that once during our excursion. "Storm, when you experience these glimpses into the past or the future, do you feel any dizziness or hear a loud sound before them? Like a scream or a ringing?" The look on her face was... well, it was expressive. She had stopped walking by this point. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open, if only a little. It was a look of surprise.
      She knew something!
      I felt a small rush of excitement. "Y-yeah! I usually get kind of faint and then hear a screechy-sounding noise! Do you know what my visions are, Cynthia? I was hoping you might know something. I haven't found anything out about them during my travels..."
      Cynthia had a glint in her eyes. "Storm, your ability is referred to as a dimensional scream. It's an ability that's grown exceedingly scarce over time." Cynthia strided up to me. I hadn't given it much thought earlier, but now that she was in close proximity, I noticed that she was really tall. She must have somewhere near a foot taller than me.
      Cynthia looked me up and down. "There are records of both pokemon and people having the ability, but there hasn't been a credible record of a human  who possessed it for well over a century!" She was now inches away from my face. Her steely gray eyes looked down into my own with deep interest. I still couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking...
      I leaned away from her, finding myself backed up against the wall. "Oh, that's um, that's really cool!" I said softly. Now she was almost up against me, and I felt the full weight of who she was. And of where we were. We were completely alone, and she was the strongest trainer in the country. She had been generous and kind for our entire time together and yet, suddenly, I was keenly aware of the fact that I was completely at her mercy. My heart rate spiked.
      Cynthia caught herself and took a step back before turning away from me. I exhaled silently in relief. Embarrassed, she placed a loose fist on her chest, still facing the wall. "I'm sorry, that was... inconsiderate of me." Cynthia cleared her throat. "It's just... that's quite the revelation, Storm. You're the first human to have the ability in generations." Having regained her compsure, Cynthia turned back to me. "It's a way to peer through the veil of time and see history unobstructed... It's an incredible ability." She fixed a loose strand of hair and looked over to a missing segment of script on the wall.
      I didn't want to let the awkward atmosphere between us linger, so I spoke up. "It's uh, pretty confusing, honestly. I don't get to choose when I have a vision, and then I kind of have to figure out if something is from the future or the past on my own, so sometimes it's more of a detriment than a help."
      Her reaction caught me off guard, but I was thankful to finally have a name for it. "It's been pretty useful despite that, though. All in all, I'd say that I'm happy I have it." I'd never thought about it, but I guess having a way to just know something for certain was a pretty big deal, even if it was something that had already happened. It's not like history was always recorded accurately.
      Cynthia looked up at the ceiling. "I can only imagine what kind of things you've uncovered using the dimensional scream. Why hadn't you made mention of it sooner?"
      I side-eyed her with a wry smile. "Well... it's not exactly the best way to introduce myself to people. It's rarely ever relevant, and even when my visions are relevant, people either think I'm crazy, or a liar. It's usually just a bad idea..." This time, I was the one to start walking again. She followed suit, catching up in just a few strides.
     "That makes sense." She gave me a tight-lipped smile in return. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable with my... forwardness. It's just that I was under the impression that the ability was lost to time..." She kept pace with me and returned to referencing her notebook as we began to descend down another set of stairs.
      I didn't want to let our conversation stop on a bad note. And I also really wanted to know more about my dimensional scream. "It's fine. I'm sure I would have reacted similarly, especially if it's really that rare."
      Cynthia paused as we entered into a tight chamber with three different sets of stairs. The atmosphere was... strange. She flipped back and forth through her notebook, occasionally squinting at a page, or flipping back to a previous one. Every now and again she would give me a glance, and I would either pretend not to notice, or I would give her a polite smile.
      Eventually my curiosity about dimensional screams along with my discomfort with the weird vibe between us was killing me, so I decided to break the awkward silence. "So uh, what else can you tell me about the dimensional scream? Like, can you tell me what causes them specifically or how I developed the ability?"
      "Just one moment..." She was quiet for just long enough for my curiosity to give way to a much sharper discomfort as she continued searching through her notebook. Then finally, she spoke up. "Ah, there we are," she chose the leftmost staircase and began to walk up it, and I followed suit as she continued. "I'm afraid I don't actually know much more than what I already told you. Frankly, before you said anything, I was under the impression that the ability was something that one could trigger at will on an object of their choosing." Her tone was contrite. "I can't even tell you that much about the other users of the ability outside of their names... I'm sorry to have gotten your hopes up, Storm."
      I tried not to show my disappointment. I was grateful to learn anything at all, but I'd really been hoping to learn more. "You're the first person that's been able to tell me anything at all. Even just learning its name is a huge deal for me. So, thanks."
      It got quieter again after that. Cynthia only needed to refer to her jounral at a few intersections, efficiently guiding us through the maze of corridors. Walking deeper into the ruins, the air grew thick with dust. Our breathing and the echoes of our footsteps were the only noises throughout the empty halls for some time. The weird air between us still lingered.
      Eventually, my impulsive nature got the better of me and I decided to break the silence. "So... uh, you are the Champion, right? Not to pry or anything, it just feels a little odd that it hasn't come up." I felt immediate regret the second those words left my lips. I don't know why I'd felt compelled to ask her that. She'd obviously not wanted to bring attention to it, otherwise she would have mentioned something. I watched anxiously as Cynthia stopped her ascent, and turned her head to half-face me.
      Cynthia simply laughed, which surprised me. It was a belly laugh, much heartier than any of her earlier laughs. "Yes, at current, I'm the Champion of the Sinnoh League. Though, I don't find that fact to be relevant at this particular moment." She looked back at me with a full smile. "But, I could insist that you refer to me using my title if that would make you more comfortable." She said playfully.
      I held up my hands. "Oh no, I don't need you to like, treat me like a pokemon trainer peasant or anything. I totally get wanting to be chill about it. You've just been so nonchalant... I wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy, that's all."
      "Well," said Cynthia, "I'm happy to help confirm your sanity." She gave me an amused look. "I wasn't aware that you viewed pokemon trainers through a caste system. If that's the case, I think you're selling yourself a bit short, Storm. You'd be somewhere just under a lord, considering you've completed the gym challenge." Her playful attitude towards my awkwardness settled the weird feeling that had been lingering from earlier.
      "Alright, it was an odd word to use on my part." I rolled my eyes, but I felt myself smiling. "And sure, I guess in terms of a 'pokearchy' I'd be high up. But in an actual hierarchy I'd totally be a peasant. I don't own any land. That's like, lordship 101." She'd made light of what I said without belittling me. In contrast to the stoic demeanor Cynthia had shown on television as well as in much of our time together, she was actually really friendly. More than that, she was charming.
      Cynthia maintained her playful attitude as she held up a finger. "You know, Storm, there have been several cultures where one's position in society directly correlated the strength of their pokemon. Even in today's world, there's plenty of prestige one can attain from being a capable pokemon trainer. The term 'pokearchy' may sound silly, but the thing it implies was very real once upon a time."
      Now that was a curious thought. "I'd always wondered what it would be like to train pokemon in the past." I gave the pokeballs on my belt a glance. "I couldn't even imagine what it would be like before pokeballs were invented."
      Cynthia procured a pokeball from the inside of her overcoat and looked it over. "I can't either. It's easy to take all of the extraordinary technology we live with on a day-to-day basis for granted. After all, it's all we've ever known. In terms of human history, pokeballs are quite young. The very first ones were invented right here in Sinnoh, just in the last few centuries." Cynthia let out a little laugh. "Back then the land was referred to as Hisui, and Arceus was referred to as 'Almighty Sinnoh'. Figuring that out cleared up quite a lot of confusion amongst historians."
      I laughed at the thought. "That must have sucked. Imagine being the guy to figure that one out..." I trailed off. "Hey, speaking of 'Almighty Sinnoh', you said that you were looking for info related to Giratina. You also said that it's been down here undisturbed for a really long time, but hasn't this place been searched top to bottom for centuries?"
      With a smile still lingering on her face, Cynthia replied without looking up from her notebook. "I've been studying Sinnoh's ruins for years," she briefly paused her walk to make a small mark in her notebook. "I believe there's important text hidden here regarding an artifact related to the Creation Trio. I'm looking for a specific phrase in Unknown script, located in the deepest room of the ruins, which we should be approaching any minute now. Whatever information is hidden here, I'm positive it relates to Giratina." As we walked down the left corridor at an intersection, she snapped shut the notebook with one hand. "And unfortunately, I'm not the only person to conclude that something is hidden in these ruins."
      I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "You mean Vallus?"
      Cynthia nodded. "Yes. Or at least, someone that he's affiliated with, now that we know he isn't working alone. We need to uncover the truth about whatever is down here before he or any of his comrades do." As a large set of stone doors became visible down the passage, she snapped shut her notebook with one hand. "We're here."
      I jumped slightly, startled by the sound. "What makes you so certain that what you're looking for is in this particular room?"
      Cynthia slowed her pace, stopping in front of the door. "A specific passage I found on a rubbing from a tablet found in the lower ruins of Spear Pillar. I have the text written down right here. The original tablet was being kept in a museum, until it was allegedly destroyed in one of Vallus' attacks." She looked up at the door. It was at least twenty feet tall. "Although, now I believe it may have been stolen and only been made to look like it was destroyed."
      Cynthia looked back down to her notebook and read from it. "To find the harmony which the insurgent seeks, one must smash through the lives of Solaceon, while in its deepest bowels."
      I didn't want to say anything, but that sounded like it was asking for a sacrifice. I gave her a nervous glance. There's no way she took me down here to kill me. I slowly turned my head to Cynthia. She held up her hand when she saw the look on my face. "I know it sounds grim, but I'm certain that the meaning isn't literal. The text in this room contains the word twice; I think it's a puzzle of some sort. There's no equivalent to quotations in Unknown script, and the word 'lives' had much more space on either side of it than other words in the passage I just read to you. I believe it was done to give the words emphasis." She turned the book, revealing the phrase written out in fairly sloppy handwriting. Sure enough, two of the words had a lot of extra space on both sides. Cynthia gestured all around her. "What's more, these ruins existed before Solaceon Town was ever built. The name Solaceon first belonged to this structure."
      I felt a pit in my stomach as I thought about the passage Cynthia had read aloud. Vallus, or someone he was working with, must have read the same passage. If they'd been under the impression that 'Solaceon' had been referring to the town, then Vallus had set loose his Hydreigon with the intent to end lives on a hunch.
      I felt sick. Cynthia saw my expression and let out a short sigh. "You realize it too, then. In all my years as a pokemon trainer, I've only ever met one other individual so willing to put others beneath his desires. But he was simply apathetic, nowhere as cruel and destructive as Vallus." Cynthia straightened her back. "That was why I had rushed to these ruins when I saw the Hyper Beam from your battle. If the person responsible had the wrong impression, then they would have been heading here." Cynthia stepped up to the door. "Let's see for ourselves what exactly is hidden in the bowels of these ruins."
      With a nod, I joined her. With the two of us, we were able to push open one of the doors, though just barely. Once the door was a few feet open, my hand brushed against Cynthia's sleeve, and my vision flashed. I heard a sharp screech. It was another vision.
    "Cynth-" I barely started the sentence before my senses cut out entirely. The last thing I felt was a thud, and something warm.
     This vision was pitch black. I could only hear.
      "Is this the location, or not?" A man's voice. He sounded calm, but there was a hint of impatience in his voice. He sounded demanding,
      "I- I think so. This is the deepest room in the ruins, I'm sure of it!" A woman's voice. She spoke quickly; her tone was panicky. "The text matches what the records say. This has to be the deepest room." The sound of footsteps. The woman whimpered as they came to a stop.
      "I am well aware that the text matches- I can read the script myself." The man raised his voice. "What I'm asking is: why is there is nothing here? Nothing written in this chamber eludes to the 'harmony' we're looking for. And none of the walls are hollow; my pokemon checked." I heard several heavy, clinking footsteps and a deep, monstrous growl. It had to have been a pokemon.
     "This is it!" The woman's voice wavered. She began to sob. "It- it has to be, sir. Unless there's an undiscovered room or-"
     The woman's voice was cut off by a stomp. "Liar!" It was the male voice again. "You've already lied once to slow me down, and now you lie again to waste my time!" The woman began pleading with the man, trying to convince him that she's being honest. Eventually, the man quit replying, and became quiet. The woman did too, save for her shaky breathing. Then, I heard the sound of a deeper, more guttural breathing in the room, along with several more heavy footsteps, these ones in quick succession. It definitely sounded like the pokemon had more than two legs.
      She spoke up this time, barely a whisper. "I didn't mean to. I'm- I am sorry, I truly thought this was it. I can do more research. I can... I can help." 
       "It does not matter." The man's voice. This time it was calm and clear, but not loud. "I can find another who will aid me. I was foolish to give you a second chance after you revealed your treacherous nature at Lake Acuity." There were more footsteps, these ones were definitely human. It sounded like they were getting further and further until they eventually stopped. "I will meet The Almighty."
      I heard a low, gutteral growl interlaced with insect-like clicking echo in the room. "Very well, Empraxion. You may feed." I heard the pokemon's cry again, this time it sounded like an alien purr; its clicking rapid and high-pitched.
      "No, I-" The woman's screams were drowned out by the sound of several heavy, clinking footfalls. There was a loud slam, followed by a fleshy crunch.
      When I finally came out of my vision, the side of my face stung. My back felt warm and my head and neck felt cushioned. Looking up, I saw Cynthia's face, with a surprised expression, and realized that I was resting against Cynthia, with my back against her front. The difference in our height caused my neck and head to fall back onto her chest. Her arms were each firmly under my armpits as she supported my weight awkwardly.
      "Storm, are you alright?" Cynthia asked. She gently stood me up straight as I began supporting my own weight, but it was as if I could still feel the heat of her body against my own. My heart was pounding in my chest from the intense scene I had heard, but waking up to the heat of her touch increased it even further. I couldn't remember the last time I'd hugged someone, let alone the last time someone held me...
      Remembering what I heard, my stomach churned. That sound of that crunch still echoed in my head. "Y-yeah. It was just a dimensional scream. I've never had more than one on the same day before. I've also never had one come on so fast before. I... I need to sit down for a minute." I staggered away from her, and Cynthia rushed to my side, supporting me by putting my arm over her shoulder.
      We were definitely inside of the room now, but I was too dizzy to bother looking around. Cynthia walked me in and sat me down against a wall gently. I was grateful for her help. 
      After a couple of minutes, once my nausea calmed down a bit, Cynthia crouched down to my level. "Are you really okay? You're rather pale."
      I felt terrible. "Visions usually take it out of me. They can make me feel kinda nauseous, sometimes. I've never had more than two in a week before... Let alone within the same day, but I'll be okay." I gave her a weak smile, but she still looked concerned. "I feel like I just ran a marathon, haha." My laugh was hoarse.
      Cynthia put a hand on my shoulder. "Storm, take all of the time you need. If you feel unwell, or worse in any way... let me know, alright?'
      Her touch sent a shiver throughout my body. "I will, I promise. I think I'm gonna nap for a bit..." I felt spent. Cynthia gave me another look of concern. Seeing that she cared made me feel strangely cozy. "I've slept after really intense visions before," I said, reassuring her, "really, I'll- I'll be okay. It'll be a quick power nap... I promise..."
      My eyelids felt heavier by the second. I pulled my coat around myself and laid down on the floor against the wall. The last thing I saw was Cynthia's worried expression before I shut my eyes and let my consciousness slip away.