Lance paused for a moment, before making a decision. "Lorelei, I believe you mentioned some… Rocket activity at the Seafoam islands?"

Lorelei nodded. "Ever since Avian King of Ice has left… the Ice cave has been in danger."

Lance nodded his head. Lorelei was one of the few remaining natives of the Seafoam islands, who followed the old ways and served to protect the sanctity of the Ice Cave, known to be the bastion of Articuno, the legendary king of Ice.

"At least now we know where Articuno has been all this while." He looked up at Steven. "Your uncle should have reported these findings to the League immediately."

Steven raised an eyebrow. "You do know right, that Uncle Derrick trusts you as far as he can throw you?"

Sabrina giggled at that.

"Either way, I will be taking charge of the matter. You, of course, do make sure that we acquire regular info about Ash Ketchum."

"You are looking for it in the wrong place," Agatha spoke suddenly.

"Is that so?" Lance challenged. "Do you have a better idea in mind?"

"There is an info, but I am not sure that you are going to like it."

Lance gazed at her. "Try me."

Agatha stared at him imperiously. "Delia Ketchum's husband is… Alexander Rothsvale." She paused.

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of him."

"I'm not surprised. Alexander Rothsvale. Started with a Charmander as a starter. Won the Indigo conference two years later, and the Sinnoh Lily of the Valley conference the following year. Served as Ace trainer under Champion Samuel Oak for five years, before retiring to Iron Island and continuing service as an international freelance expert on ghost-types and psychic-types."

"I am still waiting," Lance replied impatiently.

"Encountered Lugia and Ho-oh seventeen years ago, and a year later, married Delia Ketchum. An expert on legendary activity, and in correspondence with me for the last twenty years. You might know him as the former champion of Kanto ..... Red."

Lance's countenance was a perfect artistic representation of someone trying to catch his own shadow, as he slowly landed himself on his chair, his palms on his face.

By the Gods….

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

[ Birth Island - Pokémon Center ]

" It's not funny, Miss Sinnoh," Austin said as Cynthia helped him change his bandages.

" Oh! Don't Miss Sinnoh me, it's not my fault that Pikachu attacked Munna and hit you again."

" You try getting hit by a thunderbolt," Austin said with a low voice before Cynthia narrowed her eyes and tightened the bandages a little too much.

" Ouch! Can you be a little more gentle ?"

" No ."

Austin sighed before he felt Munna rub her head against his cheek.

With a small smile, Austin asked," So where did you get Munna from? And why is it claiming to be my trainer ."

" Claiming to be your trainer? Hehehe." Cynthia chuckled at Austin's mistake.

A little red from embarrassment, Austin said," You know what I mean."

" No, I don't but Mr. Ketchum if you want Munna to be your trainer then who am I to judge you. I think Munna could be a great Champion with her ace, Austin."

Cynthia and Austin burst out laughing at the joke.

Cynthia pushed a strand of hair aside and said," I asked a friend of mine from Unova to get me a Munna and I got it just for you."

" Not that I am going to complain about getting a new Pokémon but why ?"

" Well, I know how it feels to lose someone and the nightmares that follow and Munna are a Pokémon species that can eat away the nightmares of their trainers ."

Austin teared up a little as he heard Cynthia's words.

" Thanks."

" I can't just leave a friend struggling, can I ."

Austin closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

" So Ash ..."

" Austin ."

" Pardon ."

" Austin, call me Austin."

" Ok? But why Austin ?"

" I want my friend to call me that rather than Ash."

" So it's a nickname."

" Sure ."

Munna meanwhile landed on Austin's head and happily hummed causing Cynthia and Austin to glance at her.

" So how can she talk ?"

" Caitlin said it was a surprise."

Austin grabbed his bag and took out his Pokedex before pointing it at Munna.

Dexter's voice called out as the Pokedex said: " Munna The dream eater Pokémon :

This Pokémon appears before people and Pokémon who are having nightmares and eats those dreams."

" Munna is a female and has the ability " Telepath ". This Pokémon knows Stored Power, Defense curl Baton Pass, and Trick Room. This Pokémon is 3 months old ."

" It has a good moveset."

" Yeah ."

" Something wrong."

" Well before it seemed to have teleported when Pikachu shot a thunderbolt at it."

Cynthia had a deep look of concentration in her eyes before she said," Maybe she used Trick Room to dodge."

Austin looked up to the happy humming Munna and asked," Munna, did you use the trick room to dodge Pikachu's attack ?"

[ Yes ]

" What did it say ?"

" Yep, you were right."

" Of course, I am ."

" Prideful much."

" As...Austin, this isn't pride it's confidence."

" Keep telling yourself that."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Cynthia at night dialed up Steven's number as a tired Steven showed up on the screen.

" You look..... tired "

Steven made an incomprehensible sound with his throat, something that went completely unnoticed by the Sinnoh girl.

" Steven, I've been sprinting between Hoenn and Sinnoh over the last week, and I do have an idea about how much this event has affected the Indigo League." She paused for a moment. "With Lance's defeat, you should be anywhere but here, attending to the needs of a… a single no-name trainer."

Crap. Steven thought. He had given Lance's order quite a bit of thought and had finally decided on an approach. Considering that dealing with Ash, meant dealing with Cynthia as well, and considering how frequently Ash ran into… elite-level situations, a direct one seemed like the best in these matters.

"Makes you wonder, does it not?" He replied.

Cynthia scrunched up her face. "Whatever do you mean?"

Steven smirked. "It's simple, isn't it? Both of us are much more experienced, much better trainers, and have scores of powerful pokémon that can beat his team any day. Both of us have become Champions of our regions, and have ruled over the throne, while he still has to even qualify for a league… and yet," he paused, looking away towards the cliff on the other end, "—yet, I have yet to get the chance to even see a Legendary… let alone interact with one."

"Me too." Cynthia agreed, her voice a little low. It was no surprise that she was deeply interested in the research going on over the myths of the Lords of Space and Time, Palkia and Dialga. Cynthia knew almost every single archaeologist and researcher related to the topic, and always kept up with the ongoing developments, but she had yet to see anything for herself save colonies of Unown now and then.

"And yet, Ash seems to come across them with alarming frequency."

Cynthia looked up, squarely at Steven's face. "Are you saying that you are jealous of him?"

The former Champion shook his head. "Just that the League is considering him as someone important and worth noticing."

That cleared things up a little for the Sinnoh girl, who looked down at the ground. "So Lance is interested in Ash? But for what?"

There was no answer.

Cynthia looked back at the man's face. "Steven?"

" Sorry, I am a little tired ."

" Sorry can't tell."

" Your concern is appreciated, Miss Sinnoh."

" So why is Lance interested in Ash ?"

Steven opened his mouth as he began to retell the meeting that had happened before.