Chapter Text
Jupiter, along with Saturn, had apparently created their own pseudo-base of operations within the winding caves of Mount Coronet. What they were trying to accomplish was unknown, but the three Sinnohese had a guess.
“Are they going to try doing it again? Are they going to try and follow Cyrus?” Barry asked.
“It tracks with their personalities, but wasn’t Saturn the one who called off the search for him in the first place?” Lucas replied. “I can’t make sense of it. There’s got to be something else they’re trying to do.”
That’s new, Hilda mused. If Saturn’s the one who stopped the search for Cyrus, then it’s unlikely that he’d be looking for him now. And if he’s working with Jupiter…
“Clearly,” Cynthia said. “But what? There’s a lot of ruins on Mount Coronet, and a lot of them connect to Dialga and Palkia—the most obvious case of that is Spear Pillar. But there are also things that connect back to Arceus and Giratina—maybe that’s what they’re after? The original Creation Trio failed them, so maybe their goal is to reach Arceus?”
“Continuing Cyrus’s goals even though he’s not here to see them realized,” Lucas finished. “It’s certainly possible. And they’ve had a few years to formulate this plan, so…”
We know Saturn is working with Jupiter. He was probably there in Celestic Town with her, which means he might have been the last guy I fought on the Route. Her stomach sank. Which also means he has good information on my pokémon and how strong I am. We’ll have to tread carefully.
“Cynthia?” Hilda spoke up, interrupting whatever Lucas was saying. Sorry, dude.
“What is it?”
She stared intently at the table in front of them, which now held some pictures Perrin had taken of Mount Coronet and its ruins in years past. “What would Team Galactic want with Celestic Town?”
Cynthia stared at her intently, making her skin crawl. “Well, back when Team Galactic initially started causing trouble, they went poking around there for information on Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie. We later found out they were interested because of the Lake Guardians’ assosiations with the Creation Trio and the Red Chain, but I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing about any interest outside of that.”
Hilda bit her lip. “I ask because…well, that’s where we caught Jupiter. Saturn was there too, now that I think about it. And both of them were very interested in the museum Professor Carolina opened up.”
“Since when did Team Galactic care about Celestic history?” Barry asked, wrinkling his nose.
“Since always, because information from most other sources is inaccurate when it comes to the legendaries of our region,” Lucas shot back. “Do you know what they were looking for specifically, Hilda?”
All eyes on her. She’d forgotten how uncomfortable this feeling was—when everyone’s expecting you to have the answers, but all you have is theories.
“They were particularly interested in the late Hisui period,” she said. “They mentioned wanting to find out more about how the Celestica people survived the inital wipeout, but they—or, Jupiter specifically—was more interested in Akari. Actually, Jupiter also has the theory that Akari of the legends is the missing Champion Dawn.”
Everyone in the room froze. Even Perrin looked uncomfortable. “She wasn’t the only one,” Hilda added. “Mars said the same thing: Akari was the world’s only time traveler. I know she’s gone insane, but there is a connecting thread here.”
“I know,” Cynthia said. “I’m not disputing that. Based on what Perrin’s shown me, this theory holds weight. What concerns me is the possibility that Saturn and Jupiter knew about this before we did, and are most likely planning to act on it.”
“Maybe they’re not after Arceus at all,” Lucas gasped. “Maybe they’re still going for Dialga and Palkia—or even just Dialga. After all, you don’t need space to time-travel.”
The realization hit Hilda in the face. “Wait. You think Team Galactic is going to—what? Time travel and kill her?”
“Yes,” Barry said softly. “That’s exactly what I think.”
“It’s brilliant, actually,” Perrin added. “If our theory is true—which it almost certainly is, if even Team Galactic is chasing this down—then Dawn is still alive, even if she’s hundreds of years into the past. How she got there is a mystery, but who’s to say she couldn’t come back at any time? We don’t know if that’s possible, but neither do they. And clearly, they’re not going to take any chances.”
“So they go into the past to take her out for good, making sure that even if she wanted to, she couldn’t come back and stop them,” Hilda finished. “Okay. Freaky, but sounds logical given everything else. But it does leave a few questions—the evidence presented in the Unovan courts was pretty definitive. There were hitmen outside Dawn’s house that night. How do they factor into this? How did Dawn get into the past? And how is Team Galactic planning on time traveling? Given everything they’ve already done, I doubt they can just ask Dialga nicely and waltz back in time. They’ve got to have something up their sleeve.”
“All things we’ll need to figure out,” Cynthia sighed. “Okay. Is there anything else we need to know?”
Momentary silence. Hilda rolled over every interaction she’d had with the admins, trying to trace some common factor. “Do we have Team Galactic’s records?”
Cynthia looked up and frowned. “I believe so. Why?”
She exhaled sharply. “Okay. When I found her in Snowpoint Temple, Mars said that Cyrus had a lot of old records from Akari’s time period that most other people didn’t have. And if I have my history right, those records probably come from his ancestor, Cyllene, who was directly associated with Akari—allegedly.”
“So, what? Cyrus got ideas from his grandmother?” Lucas asked.
“Maybe. But who would know, besides Cyrus himself? Or, possibly, his closest soldiers—the admins? What I’m saying is, Team Galactic probably has the answers to at least a few of these questions, and those answers probably come from the records that he had. If we could get a look at this stuff, we could figure out what they do and don’t have answered. Try and even the playing field a bit.”
“You’re right. We should,” Cynthia said. “It’s a good idea, Hilda, but we have a problem. Saturn is going to move forward with whatever he’s doing soon. We don’t have time right now to answer any more questions. So first, we detain Saturn. Interrogate him. Anything we still don’t know can be answered with the records.”
“What’s our plan for that, by the way?” Perrin asked. “Or, is there not one?”
“There is one, but it will need some reworking,” Cynthia frowned. “Since Hilda can’t come into direct contact with Saturn, we’ll need to swap her place out with either Lucas or Barry.”
“We didn’t plan for you, either,” said Barry, looking at Perrin. “So actually, it’s an easy fix. Cynthia, you follow the original plan and enter the way we’ve already gone over, and Lucas and I will come with you instead of some frankly underqualified officers. Meanwhile, Hilda and Perrin can take our initial positions as lookouts.”
“Watching from a distance is what photographers do best,” Perrin shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”
Hilda gave a sharp nod. “Me too. I’m in.”
***
Cynthia, Barry, and Lucas had already arranged to fly pokémon to Mount Coronet overnight. It was decided that they should go separately, anyway, to avoid suspicion—even more imperative now that Hilda was with them.
She’d successfully avoided any and all questions as to what the blackmail Jupiter and Saturn had on her was. Everyone had asked in some way, and Hilda had firmly driven the point into the ground that, yes, it was bad enough that she couldn’t even share it with them. Barry and Lucas pressed the most, but for some reason, she felt as though they were teasing her. How was Dawn ever friends with these people?
Since Perrin was a lookout for the operation alongside Hilda, Zekrom allowed them both to ride him to the mountain. Hilda, of course, had to make Perrin promise to keep Zekrom a secret— again , and the photographer readily agreed.
“Can I please take three pictures once we’re done?” she asked, giving Hilda a pretty good impression of Baby-Doll Eyes.
“Only three,” Hilda frowned. “Now focus. We’re almost there.”
Zekrom dropped below the cloud layer in time for her and Perrin to spot Cynthia’s Garchomp, Barry’s Staraptor, and Lucas’s Honchkrow speeding away from the cave entrances previously determined by maps. Cynthia’s Garchomp flew back into the cave, of course, to assume its position as the Champion’s Ace, but it took a different entrance.
“Cynthia said the main entrance was on the other side, so we should probably circle around,” Perrin said softly.
“Probably,” Hilda agreed, and Zekrom took off. “Although, if you see anything suspicious, don’t be afraid to stop.”
“Like the figures gathering on Spear Pillar?”
Zekrom asked wryly.
Hilda’s eyes widened. “Perrin, focus your lense on the peak. Do you see anyone?”
The photographer complied, and Hilda hurriedly sent messages to Cynthia through her Xtranciever, though she wasn’t sure if the Champion would get them. Saturn at the peak. Whatever they’re planning, its happening now.
Okay, Cynthia replied. Hold for now. We’re on our way. I wondered why these halls were so empty.
“Are you sure we should hold?” Perrin muttered, looking over Hilda’s shoulder. “I’m pretty sure that’s Saturn, but I don’t see a ton of people with him.”
“Maybe Team Galactic never got their numbers back,” Hilda muttered. “But if that’s the case, then how did they get this base up?”
She and Perrin shared a look, and something curdled in Hilda’s chest. They were probably working with some other organization. And ‘remaking the world’ sounds right up Ghetsis’s alley.
Zekrom began moving in, but Hilda hurriedly projected “Stop!” Causing the Legendary Dragon to freeze in midair. “Why? They’re within our reach. We can remove them easily.”
“Cynthia thinks there’s something else going on, and I’m inclined to listen to her,” Hilda replied. “Besides, we’re the backup, not the main force. I can’t be anywhere near Saturn, otherwise…”
Zekrom did not respond, but he also didn’t move, and the vertigo was starting to get to her. “I hope Cynthia can resolve this quickly.”
“Me, too,” Perrin sighed. “It looks ugly down there. But I think they’re coming up.”
Something pinged on her Xtranciever. Hilda checked it, seeing Cynthia’s message. When I call, have Perrin start recording.
Hilda relayed this to the photographer, who nodded. She carefully hung her normal camera around her torso, securing all the loose pieces, and removed a much larger video camera from her bag.
“Cynthia supplied it. It was part of the deal she offered,” Perrin explained. “Don’t worry, I know how to use it.”
The Champion’s number rang on her Xtranciever. Hilda picked up, then nodded at Perrin. She focused on Spear Pillar, and Hilda watched it herself, though she couldn’t discern a whole lot from her vantage point. They were close to the top, but not close enough where she could make out faces.
“We meet again, Champion Cynthia,” Saturn’s voice drawled through the phone. Yep, that’s the guy from Celestic Town, all right. “It seems history is destined to repeat itself, or are you just fond of rushing up to Spear Pillar with some idiot boys at your back?”
“We’ve been over this, Saturn,” Cynthia hissed calmly. “You do not insult my children. And do not call me ‘Champion.’ That is not my official title.”
“Ah, yes, it’s ‘Acting Champion,’” Saturn snorted. “Because the girl who beat you went and got herself shot by some Unovans, and you still refuse to accept that she’s dead.”
“But she’s not,” Cynthia shot back. “And we both know it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here.”
Silence, except for the crackling static of her Xtranciever. “So you found out,” Saturn said at last.
“Of course. You think I wouldn’t? She was my child, too.”
“I remember,” Saturn drawled. “You insisted that every child in Sinnoh was yours because of your Championship, or something like that. But Sinnoh and Hisui are two very different places.”
“What are you planning?”
“Why would I tell you? So that your little friends up on that dragon can record it all and use it to lock me up? You already have all the evidence you need, I don’t see the use in going to all this effort,” Saturn sighed. “I’m not going to fight you, Champion Cynthia. I know I would lose. But I will ask a few questions—why are you trying to gather evidence like this, when the reasons for Mars, Jupiter and myself being detained are so clear, and have been for years? It’s almost like you’re trying to prove something about Dawn, but…Team Plasma sent those hitmen. We all know that.”
“Did they?” Cynthia asked, softly enough that Hilda was shocked Saturn heard it. “Did they, or did you? Or was it a joint effort? Either way, Plasma wasn’t entirely at fault, here.”
Discomfort prickled her spine. Perrin frowned, glancing over at Hilda. Cynthia can’t be a Plasma sympathizer, can she?
“Why are you so defensive of an organization we all know you despise?” Saturn asked. “Is it because of that boy I found? Or is it because you’re trying to coax Ms. Hilda White up there into telling you about her little puppy crush on Team Plasma’s king?”
She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel eyes on her. Perrin said nothing, but Hilda could feel her staring, too.
“I’m disappointed, but not surprised,” Saturn sighed. “I suppose it’s too much to hope that you would stick to the deal you made with Jupiter after she’s been imprisoned.”
“And you will be, too,” Cynthia shouted. “Lucas! Barry!”
Several explosions errupted at once, like pokémon firing off moves. Hilda heard laughter, and then the call cut.
“Should we go down there?” Perrin asked loudly, stopping her recording.
“Zekrom! Dive!”
Her dragon roared, electricity crackling along his body and reverberating in the sky above, but by the time they hit the ground, it was too late. Cynthia, Barry, Lucas, and their pokémon were all there, but Saturn was gone.
Police burst up from the stairs not long afterward, arresting the few Galactic grunts that were there and taking them away. Cynthia spoke to the head officer until they left, then addressed their group once they were alone.
“He got away,” the Champion hissed. “I will not let this stand.”
“They’re working with Team Plasma,” Barry added. “They might as well have admitted it.”
“Not really,” Lucas interjected. “But, of course, we have a way to find that out. Cynthia?”
The Champion looked up with an unreadable expression. “What are you doing?”
“Let’s introduce the last member of our group to Hilda and Perrin.”