The ferry ride from Kanto to Sinnoh felt like a bridge between two worlds. By the time I stepped off the gangplank in Canalave City, the warm, nostalgic air of Pallet Town had been replaced by the crisp, salty breeze of the northern sea.
Canalave City is a place that looks like it was pulled straight out of a watercolor painting. They call it the "City Reflected on the Water," and for good reason. The entire town is split by a central canal, with ornate drawbridges and exotic, old-world architecture that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. It's also home to the massive Canalave Library—a fortress of knowledge that looms over the northern district.
My first stop wasn't the library, though. It was the gym. I had a debt to settle with my own pride.
The Canalave Gym is a towering structure of steel and glass, fitting for a leader who specializes in the hardest type in the world. Byron, the Gym Leader, is a man who lives by the philosophy of "defense is the best offense." He's also the father of Roark, the Oreburgh City Gym Leader I'd met briefly before my trip.
I walked up to the apprentice at the front desk, my three Poké Balls clinking softly on my belt.
"Hello. I'm here for a Gym Match," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
"A challenger! Excellent," the apprentice replied, checking the log. "We've got a slot open tomorrow morning. Please fill out these forms."
After navigating the paperwork, I stepped back out into the cool evening air. My battle was set. But with a whole afternoon to kill, my feet instinctively carried me toward the library. If there's one thing a researcher can't resist, it's the smell of old paper and the promise of a good mystery.
The Canalave Library was silent, save for the soft rustle of pages. I wandered through the aisles, my eyes scanning the spines. Mathematics... Children's Stories... History...
I stopped at the history section. There's something about Sinnoh's past—the "Land of Myths"—that draws you in. I scanned the titles: The History of Lake Verity, The Predecessors of Sinnoh, The Past of Mt. Coronet...
Then, I saw a peculiar one tucked between two thick academic tomes: Songs of the Past.
"That's strange," I muttered. "A title like that belongs in the music or folklore section. Why is it in the hard history aisle?"
Intrigued, I reached out to grab it. But just as my fingers were an inch away, a slender, elegant hand reached from the other side of the shelf and pulled the book out first.
I froze, then slowly looked around the edge of the bookshelf.
My heart nearly skipped a beat. Standing there was a woman with long, golden hair that reached her waist. Her bangs covered her left eye, and she wore those iconic black teardrop ornaments on either side of her head. Dressed in a sleek, black trench coat, she radiated an aura of calm, overwhelming power.
It was Cynthia. The Champion of the Sinnoh League.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice like velvet, "but I've been looking for this specific edition for quite some time. I hope you don't mind."
"No—not at all!" I stammered, quickly recovering my composure. "I just found it curious that a book called Songs of the Past was filed under History. But I suppose it's less surprising to find the Sinnoh Champion in a library than it is to find a misfiled book."
Cynthia gave a faint, graceful smile. "You'd be surprised how often history is hidden in songs and legends. I spend much of my free time here, searching for the dormant myths that the world has forgotten."
She tilted her head, her one visible eye studying me with keen intelligence. "Wait... I recognize you. The youngest Doctor in the Alliance's history. The discoverer of the Fairy-type. Dr. Julian, isn't it? I heard you were a bit of a recluse who rarely left the lab."
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a bit sheepish. "Well, I've recently decided that you can't research the world from behind a desk. I started my journey about a month ago. Right now, I'm just a Rookie Trainer looking for my second badge."
"A Rookie Trainer who knows more about the fundamental building blocks of Pokémon than most veterans," Cynthia noted. "Since you're here in the history section, tell me... what do you think of the legends of this region?"
I looked at the book in her hand. "I know a few stories. Some that aren't in the common textbooks."
I took a breath, recalling the deep lore I knew from my previous life—the creation myth that most people in this era only saw as vague metaphors. "Legend says that in the beginning, there was only void and a single egg. From that egg came the Original One. He shaped the world, but found the burden of reality too heavy for one being."
Cynthia's expression shifted. She pulled out a small notebook and a pen, her eyes suddenly burning with the fire of a dedicated researcher. "Go on."
"He created three subordinates to govern the material world," I continued, lowering my voice. "Dialga for time, Palkia for space, and Giratina for the world on the reverse side. But a world without spirit is just a cold machine. So, he created a second egg, from which the three Lake Guardians hatched: Uxie for wisdom, Mesprit for emotion, and Azelf for will. Once the balance of matter and spirit was set, the Creator fell into a long slumber."
I purposefully left out the specific locations of the pillars and the lakes. Even with Cynthia, I wasn't about to risk the "premature awakening" of deities that could accidentally level a mountain range.
Cynthia was scribbling furiously. "The Three Guardians from a single egg... that connects so many dots in the Celestic Town ruins! Julian, this is incredible. Your detail on the hierarchy of the creation myth is far more complete than anything I've found in these stacks."
She closed her notebook, looking at me with genuine admiration. "I have to get back to Celestic Town immediately to cross-reference this with my grandmother, Dr. Carolina. She's a scholar of ancient culture. If you ever find yourself near Celestic Town, you must visit us. I think you two would have a lot to talk about."
"I'd be honored, Champion," I said.
"Please, call me Cynthia," she replied, already turning to leave. "I look forward to our next meeting, Dr. Julian. Don't let the Gym challenge keep you from your research!"
With a swirl of her black coat, she was gone, moving with a speed that proved she was a top-tier trainer even when she wasn't in a battle.
"Wait! I didn't get a photo!" I groaned, reaching for my camera a second too late. "Sister Cabbage... you're too fast. (╥﹏╥)"
While I was mourning my lost photo opportunity in the library, things were moving behind the scenes at the Canalave Gym.
Byron, the Gym Leader, was sitting in his private lounge, sipping a cup of strong coffee and scrolling through the list of tomorrow's challengers on his monitor.
"Steel-type... Steel-type... more Steel-types," Byron grumbled. "Does no one bring a challenge these days? It's all Ground and Fire trainers trying to cheese their way to a badge. Boring!"
He scrolled down to the 'Novice' bracket—trainers with fewer than four badges. His eyes stopped on a name.
Julian. Specialist: Fairy-type.
"Wait a minute," Byron muttered, leaning in. "Roark mentioned this kid. The one who discovered the new type. The kid who's trying to beat the Steel Gym with nothing but 'pink and sparkles'?"
A wide, boisterous grin spread across Byron's face. He slammed his hand on the desk, making his coffee cup rattle.
"Finally! Someone with some guts! A type disadvantage like that... he must have a hell of a strategy or a lot of nerve."
He reached out and tapped the screen, overriding the automated system.
"Apprentice! Cancel the junior trainer for the 9:00 AM slot," Byron shouted into the intercom. "I'm taking this match personally. Let's see if this 'Fairy Doctor' can break through my wall of steel!"
In the quiet of my hotel room, I shivered. A strange, foreboding sensation washed over me, like I had just accidentally stepped on the tail of a Steelix.
"Tomorrow is going to be a long day," I whispered, petting the sleeping Togepi.