Chapter 7: Legendary Meeting

The next day, Tyson was roused by his grandfather's voice. "Tyson! Breakfast is ready, come on son, you're wasting daylight!" he called out. Their home, perched on the town's outskirts, rose two stories with four bedrooms—one master and three guest rooms—and featured two bathrooms upstairs and one downstairs. Tyson stepped out of a bedroom on the second floor, clad in Tyranitar-designed pajamas, complete with two front pockets, a gift from his grandfather. After a quick stop in the bathroom to brush his teeth, Tyson hurried downstairs to sit with his grandfather at the breakfast table.

After breakfast, Tyson went back to his room to change; his grandfather had mentioned the night before that he would be introducing him to a family friend later that day. Tyson surmised that his grandfather probably planned to take him on a tour of the town first. Dressed in a green jacket adorned with a Tyranitar symbol on the back, brown pants, and black shoes—a set his grandfather had bought for him for everyday use—Tyson returned to the living room. Shortly after, his grandfather came downstairs, and together, they left the house to start their exploration of the town.

The scale of Celestic Town, akin to Azalea Town, was significantly larger than its representation in the game. However, there were slight variations in the availability of goods, as most trainers passing through were en route to Eterna City. Shane led Tyson into town, highlighting various stores, although many of the items were familiar from Azalea Town. Nearing the town's center, they observed a vast pit with three staircases constructed along its perimeter. At its heart lay what appeared to be an entrance to a cavern. Tyson gazed at the entrance, pondering, 'This must be the Celestic Ruins.'

"The ruins below were established centuries ago. They are the foundation of the town and are rumored to contain the secrets of the legends of time and space," Shane declared, rousing Tyson from his reverie. "Really?" Tyson inquired, to which his grandfather responded with a chuckle, "If that were true, we'd be capable of time travel," his eyes also settling on the cavern's entrance. They proceeded with their tour, walking past the local Pokémon Center, and before long, they stood in front of a single-story house adorned with various pieces of equipment outside.

As Shane approached the front door, he remarked, "This is the home of the family friend I mentioned. They're usually busy, even though there's not much to do around here." A scornful retort came from an aged voice behind the door: "Not all of us can afford to be lazy and retired like some." The door swung open to reveal a woman clad in a white lab coat, typical for a professor, with brown hair showing streaks of gray—a sign of aging. She wore a pink dress and black shoes, and she fixed Shane with a frowning gaze. "What took you so long? Did you get lost on one of your explorations, as usual?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Good to see some things never change, Carolina," Shane said, laughing. Tyson gazed at the woman, feeling a sense of familiarity. "Are we going to chat at the front door all day? Come in," Carolina said, guiding them into the living room. As they walked, Tyson noticed an assortment of equipment, some of which he identified as recording and cleaning tools used in archaeology. Family photos adorned the walls, showing Carolina with three others. One individual in the photos drew Tyson's attention, but they moved past before he could take a closer look.

Seated on a couch, Tyson and Shane looked across at Carolina. "So Shane, are you going to introduce us?" Carolina inquired. "Yes, this is Tyson, my grandson. You remember I mentioned him before. Kiddo, this is Professor Carolina, our resident researcher and the one responsible for the Celestic Ruins," Shane introduced. "Nice to meet you, ma'am," Tyson interjected. Carolina nodded, "Well, unlike his grandfather, it seems he was raised with manners," she remarked with a hint of snark. "Oh, come now, that's not fair," Shane retorted. The two bickered for a bit longer before Carolina turned to Tyson again, offering words of comfort, "My condolences, kid, on your loss." Tyson nodded, thanking Carolina for her kindness, yet he remained puzzled by the sense of familiarity he felt towards her.

"So, Shane, I'm sure you have a favor to ask of me; you're wearing your 'I have a favor to ask' face," said Carolina. "You're right about the favor," Shane admitted, "but mainly, we stopped by to introduce Tyson. The other reason is to inform you that I'll be moving back into my old house on the outskirts with Tyson here." "That's understandable, but what about Bertha?" Carolina asked. "She has moved in too, but her job doesn't allow her to be around much. Plus, I'm just a retired old man with not much to do, according to you," Shane replied, smiling. "Regarding Tyson, we'll decide what he wants to do after tomorrow, so don't worry about him just yet," Shane added.

Carolina nodded in agreement before continuing, "Well, feel free to stop by if you have any tro-" when suddenly, a loud explosion sounded from the back of the house. "What in the-" Shane began, to which Carolina responded, "That's just my granddaughter; she usually trains in the forest out back." "Trains? Is she a Pokémon Trainer?" Tyson inquired. "Not a licensed one yet, but her license should be ready by the end of this year. She plans to start her journey then, so she's been training nonstop in preparation," Carolina replied with a smile. Intrigued, Tyson listened, and seizing the moment, Shane suggested, "Why don't you go introduce yourself?" catching Tyson off guard. "That would be fine, follow me," Carolina said before Tyson could respond, a knowing smile on her face as if everything had been planned. Tyson couldn't shake the feeling that this entire encounter was orchestrated for this very moment.

As the group made their way to the rear of the house, they observed several targets, each showing different levels of damage. 'They sure work hard,' Tyson mused as they crossed a line of trees and ventured into the forest. While walking, Tyson felt compelled to ask, "Do all trainers practice like this?" "Not all," Carolina responded, "Some prioritize mastering their moves, others focus on strength, but regardless of the training method, immense effort is required to rise above the level of an average trainer." Eventually, the group reached a clearing where they saw numerous shattered targets, with only pieces left. In the middle of the clearing stood a figure with a small Pokémon before them.

The Pokemon resembled a bipedal shark with legs, its scales glistening grayish-blue in the sunlight. Behind it stood a young girl, no older than Tyson, whose presence made him stop dead in his tracks, a look of recognition dawning on him. She had long blonde hair that fell in waves down her back, tied with two blue ribbons, and her eyes were a stark shade of gray, contrasting vividly with her blue dress. 'There's no way,' Tyson thought, recognizing the girl all too well—she was Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion, the very bane of his original Pokemon Diamond adventure.

Pokémon Team:

Team Rank: 1

Larvitar

Gender: Male

Type: Rock/Ground

Abilities: Guts, Sand Veil [Undeveloped]

Held Item: None

Moves: Rock Throw, Bite, Payback, Leer, Scary Face, Dragon Dance [Inherited], Ancient Power [Inherited]