Child of Thorns - A Pokemon Sinnoh Reimagining

Barry roamed the streets of Hearthome, hands in his pockets, path aimless.

He walked past an ice cream shop without paying much attention to it. He'd lied to Niss; any cravings he might've had for the cold, sweet dessert had been replaced with that bothersome feeling of unease setting in the pit of his stomach.

He kicked a can of soda laying on the side of the street. It went flying towards a nearby trash bin and scared a couple of Starly, who flew away at the sound of the crash. That felt good. Kicking, walking fast, stomping his feet on the ground with every step he took, it all helped to slowly get rid of the unusual heat running through his body. It took him a few minutes to realize why exactly he felt that way, and by the time he got the answer he regretted it.

Niss had been given permission to speak with the Gym Leader. Of course she had, he felt stupid just thinking that for once people would treat them equally. Why would they? She was the better trainer, as everyone who met them immediately realized. Infinitely more dedicated and smart than the sidekick she brought along with her everywhere. He wondered why the Champion didn't just surrender the title already, since Niss was so friggin great and all.

His shoulders dropped, fingers curling strongly into fists. He shouldn't think those things; none of what was happening was his friend's fault, and being bitter about the situation wouldn't help. Niss had been through a lot of really bad things, and she deserved getting some recognition for her efforts.

A sudden gust of wind hit him from behind, ruffling up his hair and bringing him back to reality. He blinked, standing up straight, and looked to his right at one of the most stunning buildings he'd ever seen.

He had somehow arrived to what seemed like a cathedral, standing painfully out of place within a mostly abandoned side-street west of Hearthome. Its main tower rose to at least forty feet, not quite as tall as some of the structures he'd seen in the city but certainly impressive. It was built out of a smooth, black stone which reflected the light of the sun. The enormous windows adorning either side of the tower were made of stained glass, depicting people and Pokemon he couldn't recognize at first glance.

How had he gotten there? Where even was he? He figured he was heading towards the Pokemon Center and just let his feet do the walking, but he would've remembered such a place if he'd seen it before.

He barged through the steel gates, too curious to turn back. A short path lead to the oval shaped hole that was the cathedral's entrance, and two small but impressively laid out flower patches rested at his sides coating the air with a sweet, musky scent. As he approached he noticed that the walls and pillars were each engraved with distinct, spiraling patterns only visible from up close.

The inside was quite a contrast, though equally impressive. To his left was a marble pedestal about half his size, with a bowl on top of it full of what he assumed was holy water. To his left lay another one, holding a small box with a stamp that read Donations. He washed his hands and deposited some change in that box before proceeding.

In front of him two rows of ornate wooden pews ran through most of the length of the room, stopping just a few feet before the altar. He made his way towards it, the sound of his feet against the ceramic echoing all around him. In between the thick stone pillars at the sides of the seats he spied some of the stained glass windows he'd seen from outside.

Most of them were people he didn't know, dressed in robes and garments from times long past. Others he recognized easily, like the cheery Mew or the three pixie legendaries, their piercing golden eyes staring down at him with an intensity which made him nervous. With the exception of Uxie, of course, whose eyelids remained always closed. He felt a strange warmth behind his eyes, which disappeared as soon as he blinked.

Before he knew it he arrived at the feet of the altar, and his eyes went directly to the opposite wall, where the last glass picture stood. It clearly showed the peak of Mt, Coronet, as seen from the city, standing proud and mighty. At the very top a blinding light shone all over the mountain, parting the sky in half. He looked at it for what felt like minutes, mouth slightly agape and a stunned look on his face. What was he…?

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

He blinked a few times, disoriented, and turned towards the voice he'd just heard.

A woman stood behind him, standing as firmly as Mt. Coronet itself, hands joined behind her back. She wore a long, black coat that reached to her ankles, with puffy frills at the neck and base of it. Her hair was like sunlight, long and flowing, a tuft of it covering her left eye. She was pale, slightly more than Niss, and her skin seemed to reflect light the same way the stones of the cathedral did.

She must have realized how long Barry stared at her, and tried to stifle a laugh. He felt heat run up to his cheeks.

"H-hi!" he stammered, bowing to the woman. "I'm… I'm Barry, hi."

"Hello Barry," she smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for ruining your concentration, I just don't often see kids who are interested in these sort of artistic pieces."

Her voice made him flinch. It wasn't unpleasant; far, far from it. It traveled through the still air between them and hit him gently, easing the knot that had formed in his stomach and washing it away with ease. He felt painfully aware of every word she spoke, every movement of her mouth; the way her lips gave shape to those sounds and turned them into something calming and powerful. The moment that thought appeared in his mind he shook his head, aware of how much he was blushing.

"I… just kinda ended up here by accident," he admitted. A small wrinkle formed at the edges of her stormy grey eyes. Another smile. "I just got to Hearthome so... uh…"

"You still looked very interested in it, and I think that's what matters. This really is one of the most striking places in all of Sinnoh." She looked up at the stained glass once more. "I like to come here whenever I pass through this city. It feels like a memory from a world that's no longer with us."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're not... from here?"

"Not technically." She crossed her arms beneath her chest. "I consider all of Sinnoh to be my home, but I suppose if we were to be technical you could say I'm from Celestic Town."

"Oh yeah, the place with the ruins, right? What's it like?"

Her expression changed multiple times within a few moments, ranging from a deep momentary sadness to a prideful smile. He blinked in confusion, not having any idea how he'd managed to notice all that. He was usually terrible at reading people.

"It's a small town, and not many people visit. It holds an ancient history that few places do, and even without the polish and grandeur of a city like this…" She looked around, taking in a deep sigh, "...it's still beautiful in its own way."

"O-oh," was his well thought out response. "I'm from Twinleaf. It's cool there, lots of trees and stuff. Kinda quiet."

The woman's laughter forced him to take a step back. The tingly feeling behind his eyes came back and for a moment he seemed to understand, at least somewhat. There was a subtle, latent strength to the way she carried herself. Every movement of her body looked perfect and premeditated, every word seemed so carefully built, and every laugh was a small ember escaping the raging fire he felt burning inside her.

Then the feeling disappeared again, and that understanding left him completely, leaving an aching void inside his chest.

"I've been to the Twinleaf pine-tree plantations and the outskirts of Lake Verity, they really are a sight to behold. I enjoy traveling the region, and seeing with my own eyes each piece of beauty my dear Sinnoh possesses. All so different, and yet the same in essence." A wistful sigh escaped her lips, and Barry had to force himself to stop staring at them. "Oh, I apologize for my rudeness. I didn't even ask what you were doing here in Hearthome."

The question caught him by surprise, and he went through a lot of lies inside his head before he realized he had no reason not to tell her the truth. Why did he feel so defensive all of a sudden?

"The Gym," he said, only a moment later realizing she needed more context. "I'm a trainer, I'm taking on the League challenge. Wanna become the Champion and all that."

She turned her eyes to him, lips curling into a smile. "Oh, really? How interesting."

Barry felt as though lightning had struck him. The grey of her eyes came to life, bringing the whole strength of their inner storm on top of him, paralyzing him completely. That was not the gaze of an old (was she old? He honestly couldn't tell if she was twenty or forty) woman who was slightly interested in him, but the glare of a Pokemon about to jump on its prey.

He realized then what was so entrancing about her. She was beautiful, yes, but not in the same way as Niss or Gardenia, not in the subjective and biased way a person would judge her. Her beauty was something deep and unshakeable and dangerous that one had to admire from afar. Most beautiful people he'd seen were like the painting of a fire; this woman was the fire itself.

She blinked once, and that oppressive feeling disappeared. He could breathe again.

"I'm a trainer too, you know," she said, breaking eye contact. "Perhaps one day we'll face each other in battle. I certainly hope so."

"Y-you do?"

"Absolutely. You have the spirit of a true trainer, something very few possess. I can feel it burning inside your chest. Warm, expansive and very gentle." She tilted her head to the side slightly with each word, enjoying them like a delicacy. "A pleasant feeling indeed."

Not a single thing she said made sense to him, and even though he should've been doubting the woman was even sane he found himself clinging to her every word. Especially…

"T-thanks." He smiled back. "But I'm not that good. My friend Niss is much better than me, you should see her."

"Is she? Then I'm even more excited." She moved forward and backward on the ball of her feet. "But please don't sell yourself short, Barry. I am not joking when I say I feel a tremendous strength inside of you. And when the time comes…" She paused for a second, and formed a daunting smile. "I'm sure you'll show the entire world what you're capable of."

He didn't know what to answer, didn't think he even could. An entire minute seemed to pass before she spoke again, right after turning around towards the exit on the opposite side of the room.

"Now I'm afraid I have business to take care of," she said. "But it really was a pleasure to meet you, Barry. I am certain we will see each other again, but until then…"

"Y-yeah!" He came back to his senses, once again bowing slightly to her. "Thanks for the kind words… uh…"

She smiled with her back toward him, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"You can call me Cynthia."

And before he had a chance to say anything else she walked out of the cathedral, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Inyssa would've liked to say she came back to the Pokemon Center with fire in her eyes and determination in her gut, but that couldn't have been further away from the truth. Her feet hurt, her heart pounded just a bit too strongly and her mind was a royal mess from the events of the day.

So she decided to make a list to keep herself in order. Buy food, something nutritious and with some vegetables sprinkled in, something that would aid her sleep that night. Talk to Barry, inform him of the trial situation and pretend not to notice that something was bothering him. She would address that later, right now she was in no condition to have another emotional talk. Take a shower, heat turned up to the highest setting and the sound of the pouring water distracting her from her thoughts. Let the scalding water hurt her just enough for that.

And finally tuck herself in bed early, so that she'd be ready to train when the morning came. She went about these steps almost automatically, her mind wandering someplace else and herself feeling not entirely within her body. She hung her white cotton hat on top of the night lamp and threw herself beneath the sheets, taking in the fresh, lavender smell of them. She closed her eyes, extinguishing everything, and finally felt the weight of that day falling on top of her.

She remembered Fantina's advice. She remembered her mother's letter and how predictably sappy it ended up being once she gathered the courage to look at it. And she remembered her sister, and that email.

It didn't hit her until that moment that she'd been walking on the same steps as her those past weeks. She'd been to the same abandoned house, met the same Pokemon and even managed to catch it. She'd met people who knew her, who knew Shadi and what an incredible person she was. And even after meeting Inyssa, someone so unqualified she didn't even deserve to stand under her shadow, those people seemed to believe in her. Believed that she would one day surpass her and leave all of her accomplishments behind.

She turned to the side of the bed, half her face buried in her pillow. Her eyes stung, and she could hear the beating of her own heart in her ears. She tried to retreat to her sleep, where none of those thoughts would reach her, and finally accomplished it after only a few minutes of crying.

It ended up being a pleasant night, at least when compared to the past weeks.

The remaining six days passed by quickly for Barry, or at least quicker than he would've expected with a deadline hanging above his head. He'd always been bad with those, the pressure of a time limit making the days longer and unbearable and him a nervous wreck.

But he had Niss now to get him through it, or at the very least part of her. His friend seemed somewhat out of it during the time they spent together in Hearthome.

He knew their Pokemon needed to go through the training of their lives if they were to have a chance of beating that trial, but she seemed to be taking it just a bit too seriously. Every day they woke up at seven and headed to the outskirts of town to work on their basics and fight wild Pokemon, and they wouldn't come back until at the earliest two in the afternoon when their stomachs started growling. They would have lunch, their Pokemon would recover and a couple hours later they'd be back at it again until nightfall.

He had to practically drag her then to explore the town and at least make an effort to enjoy their time there. But with only a couple of free hours a day the best they could do was a movie, an ice cream date or a short time at the local arcade. She seemed to enjoy it, but not to the extent he expected.

She was caught up in her own head again, and he hated himself for not knowing how to help her. He was sure something must have happened when she talked with the Gym Leader, but when he asked about it she simply told him that the woman had personally invited them to the trial, and nothing more. Another thing for the pile of stuff Niss didn't trust to share with him, another lie. Part of him felt like he should've been getting used to it, but he wasn't.

Something strange happened the day before the trial. They were roaming the outskirts of Route 208 as usual, and all of their Pokemon were concentrated on a specific exercise they've prepared for them. Pedri and Shadi used their fins and scythes respectively on small boulders, attempting to cut them in half with a single blow. And close to them Enma coated himself in fire and used Flame Wheel on a row of pillars with empty bottles on top of them, trying to maneuver between them without knocking any over.

They practically had nothing to do for the moment, which is probably why Niss addressed him.

"Hey, Barry," she said with a low tone, walking towards him with her arms crossed. "Can I ask you something stupid?"

He stared at her stunned for a moment, then composed the biggest smile he could and threw his arms behind his head, attempting to look casual.

"I thought stupid questions were my thing, but sure."

She looked to the floor, and a heavy shadow fell her eyes. She stammered for a few seconds before finding her words.

"Do you think… I mean, when you look at me…" She bit her lip, eyebrows knit together. "Can you… imagine me as the Champion? Do you think I can really do it... as myself?"

The question caught him off guard, so much that he had to drop his lighthearted façade.

"What? Of course I do," he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're the strongest trainer I know, if you can't become the Champion then no one can."

"Even if I'm a huge asshole?" She curved the side of her lips into a half smile. "I feel like you'd be a better candidate. You have the attitude for it." He couldn't help but notice a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"No one cares about attitude," he shrugged. "You just gotta be strong and people will follow you anyway. That's what you've always said and it's still true."

Niss opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She turned around towards her Pokemon, shoulders firm.

"I guess we'll see," she said, dryly. "I'll give it my all tomorrow. You better do the same."

"Don't feel bad if you fall short compared to me."

He immediately regretted those words, especially since there had been no hint of teasing or joking about it. He was completely serious; he wouldn't fall behind her anymore.

Niss nodded, and went back to training without another word.

The morning of the trial came and Inyssa arrived at the Lost Tower almost before anyone else. Crossing half of Route 209 barely after the sun started rising in the horizon proved to be difficult, although not for the reasons she imagined. An expansive fog covered the fields of grass and the main path, becoming thicker the more they approached the structure. The tower itself wasn't as impressive as she imagined, barely a couple floors tall and with the shape of an old obelisk. Cold seemed to emanate from its stone entrance.

Not counting herself or Barry, there were eighteen other trainers around them by the time the clock struck eight. She'd seen a few of them hanging around the Pokemon Center.

Most of them looked inexperienced, with the exception of two people standing at the edge of the path, engaged in a conversation she couldn't quite hear. Fancy boy and redhead girl, the two trainers she'd seen her first day in Hearthome and hadn't ran into since then. Their belts carried six Pokeballs each, and their eyes and posture told her they were ready to tackle any situation, just like her. She felt a jolt of excitement.

"Greetings, everyone."

The voice made her jump, the back of her head clashing against Barry's chin and causing him to whisper a soft curse. Most kids around her gasped too, one of them even dropping their Pokédex to the ground.

Fantina stood in front of the dark entrance to the tower, looking up at all of them. Her hair was styled the same way as when she met her, but she'd changed from the frivolous dress to a more practical purple suit with a yellow tie and white shirt. Very simple, and yet Inyssa couldn't believe how easily she pulled it off.

"Oh my gosh, is that Fantina!?" a girl asked at her right, tone full of excitement.

"The ghost master…" another boy added from someplace within the fog.

"She's so pretty!" one of them gasped.

Barry couldn't help but chuckle after hearing that, and Niss rolled her eyes. She looked again towards the two mysterious trainers; they didn't seem very impressed with the Gym Leader either.

"Oh please, please." Fantina raised a hand, and everyone stopped talking. "You are all too kind. It is true, I am Fantina, the Gym Leader of Hearthome. I assume all of you are here for the trial?"

A vague cacophony of nods and affirmations resounded through the air.

"Fantastic. We will begin shortly, but first I must explain the rules and the objective of this particular test." She started walking towards the middle of the group, hands behind her back. "Does anyone know what this place is?"

There was a short silence before one of the girls in front of Inyssa answered.

"Isn't it a cemetery?"

"Almost, but not quite. Anyone else… yes, you?" She looked left and pointed with her pale finger at the posh dark-skinned boy Inyssa had been keeping an eye on.

"This used to be a temple, but it was turned into a memorial recently," he replied, hand still raised firmly. His voice was soft, and he had a clear Kalosian accent. "No people or Pokemon are actually buried here, but there are plenty of engravings depicting and honoring the victims of the seven year war with Kanto."

"Correct, and very concise may I add. Since this is such a sacred place none of you will be allowed to go to the upper floors, instead the trial will take place entirely within the underground tunnels. Your task is to make your way through its labyrinthine layout and reach the very bottom. As for what waits for you inside…" A soft, cold chuckle escaped her lips. "My disciples have trained plenty of ghost Pokemon to halt your advance, so ready yourselves."

Inyssa bit her thumb softly, foot tapping on the wet grass. She figured the test would be something like that, and indeed she'd prepared herself for a fight against multiple ghost Pokemon. The only problem was the maze part; for one she didn't have a very good sense of direction, and worse of all tunnels weren't entirely different from caves so she wasn't sure her claustrophobia wouldn't kick in the second she set a foot in there.

"Oh, I forgot to mention something."

Everyone stopped talking amongst themselves and turned again to Fantina, who shone them a dubious smile, her eyes glistening with malice.

"You will be entering the tower in groups of four, and you'll each be permitted only three Pokemon."

She felt her blood run cold, and next to her Barry's eyes opened wide. Groups? She couldn't mean…

"Does that mean that if one of us fails, we all do?" One of the boys close to her asked the question in everyone's mind.

"Indeed," said Fantina, one hand raised and the other one on her hip. "Think of it as a team building and leadership exercise; these are things that you will need in order to become a great trainer. You will have an hour to complete the trial. And talking about time, you have five minutes to choose your team and the Pokemon you'll use. Pick wisely."

Everyone started moving and running around while Inyssa stood still with more than a few fucks and shits and you can't be fucking serious running through her head.

Groups. They had to complete the exercise in groups. Her eyes turned towards Fantina and she caught her smiling, and while it wasn't directed at her it sure felt like it was. Was it on purpose? Was that why she'd given her that talk about what a true Champion should act like? She felt her ears growing hot.

"…are obviously gonna form a team." She realized Barry was talking to her. "But we need two more people, who do we choose?"

"I… am not going to lie, I have no idea," she shrugged, perhaps a bit too strongly. "I didn't think… I thought we'd do this alone."

Just as she was about to go ask Fantina if they could form groups of two she saw something approaching her from the mist. Fancy boy and redhead girl locked eyes with her and she froze in place. Were they…? No, they couldn't…

"You two," spoke the guy, arms crossed over his white shirt. From this close, his accent was even more noticeable. "Join our team."

A few moments passed in silence. Inyssa tilted her head to the side, mouth slightly open.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, like… an introduction, maybe?" Barry added, tone sardonic. "Nice to meet you and all that?"

The girl beside him chuckled and placed a hand on fancy boy's shoulder. Her bare arms were thick like bars of steel, and Inyssa imagined she could easily pick her up and tear her in half.

"Sorry kids, Percy here ain't exactly a people person." Her voice was high and raspy, full of strength. "You can call me Reiko. What he was trying to say is that we'd like to have you on our team, since you look like the only other barely respectable trainers around here."

She had an accent too, though she couldn't quite place it. Johtonian, maybe? She didn't know whether to feel honored or insulted, so she went with a mix of both.

"And what makes you think you're good enough for our team?" she asked, curling her lips into a smile. Truth be told she had no problem with teaming up with them, but she couldn't pass the opportunity to say that.

"Hah! Half pint over here has some nerve, doesn't she?" Reiko leaned forward until their noses almost touched. "What indeed?"

"My name is Inyssa," she said, not backing down an inch. "Call me that again and I'll-"

"We both have four badges," Percy interrupted, putting a hand between her and Reiko. "We saw you train from afar. Judging by your Pokemon you can't have more than two, which is why it would be to your benefit to team up with us."

Barry furrowed his brow. "Wait, hold on. You were spying on us?"

"We just happened to be walking by," said Percy, smiling for the first time. His teeth were as white as the impeccable shirt he wore.

"And we were impressed," nodded Reiko, jovial tone. "That Monferno of yours is what I call a real Pokemon, yes sir."

"And that Prinplup has a grace and technique I've hardly seen before," added Percy. "Now, do you want us in your team or not? Five minutes are running out."

Inyssa looked at Barry, looking for confirmation. Her friend simply shrugged and shot her a look that seemed to say They seem good enough.

She gave them an unenthusiastic thumbs up. "Alright. Hope you can pull your own weight."

Percy gave her a short nod accompanied by a satisfied smile, while Reiko let out a hearty laugh that showed her sharp teeth.

"That's the spirit, shortie!" She punched her palm and Inyssa could swear sparks glinted behind her eyes. "We'll beat those ghost fuckers so bad they'll have to bring them back to life a second time."

Inyssa smiled. She liked this girl, she decided. She then looked at Percy, and thought that while he seemed to have a stick up his ass the size of Mt Coronet he wasn't that bad either. She could work with people like that.

"One minute until the trial begins! Get ready!" Fantina shouted, her voice filling the entire field. For an instant her eyes seemed to meet Inyssa's. "I hope you're able to learn inside what you all lack as trainers."