#he's actually in this chapter albeit briefly so i can finally tag him heehee

[fennelwrites]

salva me, fons pietatis - chapter two

Cass has woken up in Sinnoh; her phone, her Umbreon, and her uniform are all that remain of her time in Hisui. She catches up on her notifications, gets dressed for the day, and steps out into the new world.

(cw: none for this chapter. contains postgame spoilers)

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“Vague as ever, Arceus,” Cass mused, setting her phone down on her nightstand. “I definitely know what you mean by ‘mend the tears’.”

Umbreon barked softly at her, and she smiled. “But you know me,” Cass continued, patting the Pokemon on its head as she walked towards her dresser. “Interpreting vague instructions from a higher power is kind of my specialty.”

She pulled open her dresser drawer, looking at the clothes inside. She selected a black sleeveless turtleneck and some well-loved denim shorts, holding them up to herself in her mirror to see if they’d still fit. Deeming them satisfactory, she shut the drawers of her dresser and shrugged off her Survey Corps uniform.

As she changed, she heard the Arc Phone vibrating constantly on her nightstand; she pulled her turtleneck on, then went over to glance at the screen. “Holy shit,” she said softly, glancing at the sheer amount of notifications she’d received. Apparently, now that the Arc Phone had cell service, it was dutifully delivering every notification she’d missed in the past year. Texts from friends and family as well as news headlines and alerts flooded the screen, appearing faster than she could read.

Cass unlocked the phone, clearing the notifications from the screen, then locked it again. She could deal with all of that later.

“Alright, if I wanted information about ‘tears’, where would I go?” Cass wondered aloud to herself, pulling on a pair of boots and strapping her Poketch to her wrist. She thought for a moment longer before settling on a destination: Canalave City. It was her hometown; the library was a good resource, and she should probably visit her parents before they got too worried about her.

With renewed purpose, Cass tied a zippered hoodie to her waist and grabbed her old bag. Her eyes fell on her old uniform, and she made the quick decision to fold it up and put it in her bag, just in case. She then strode out the door of her villa, Umbreon on her heels.

She nearly bumped into someone who seemed to be on their way inside.

Cass’s breath caught in her throat as she met an all-too-familiar steel-gray gaze. For a moment, she was back at the Temple of Sinnoh, facing down Giratina and locked in battle with her former friend.

“Oh, Cass! You’re back!”

Cynthia spoke, and her voice snapped Cass out of her flashback. Cass suppressed a sigh of relief as she recognized the former Champion. “Hey,” Cass replied simply. “It’s been a while.”

Cynthia gave her a look. “That’s all you have to say?” she asked, a friendly smile on her face despite the tone of her words. “You travel back through time for a year and the only thing you can say is ‘hey’?”

“Well, at least you know that year didn’t make me any better with words,” Cass shot back, smiling back at Cynthia. “How have things been here?”

“Not…ideal.” Cynthia adjusted her coat as Cass turned around and locked the door to her villa. “There’s been a spike in criminal activity in the past couple of months. What’s more, distortions in spacetime have been appearing left and right.”

“Spacetime distortions?” Cass asked, turning around to face Cynthia. “With strong Pokemon and rare items?”

Cynthia blinked. “Yes, exactly like that.”

“Those appeared in Hisui too,” Cass explained. “Did the Professor fill you in?”

“He did. He released your letter to the public, like you asked.” Cynthia ran a hand through her hair, sighing through her nose. “It’s been getting more and more dangerous to go outside recently. No one really knows what to do.”

Cass placed a hand on her hip. “Well, that’s what I’m here for,” she stated confidently. “Arceus asked me to ‘mend the tears’, and that’s what I’m gonna do. Whatever that means.”

Cynthia nodded. “We’re glad to have you back, Champion.” She smiled warmly as Cass approached her, Umbreon following the younger woman protectively. “That reminds me,” she continued, reaching for her teardrop-shaped pendant and fiddling with it idly. “My grandmother wants to speak with you.”

Cass blinked in surprise. “Your grandmother?”

“Yes.” Cynthia began walking toward the Pokemon Center, and Cass followed close behind. “A few months ago, she asked me to retrieve you once you got back. I think it has to do with the distortions, though I’m not entirely sure how.”

“That’s weird,” Cass mused, matching Cynthia’s pace. “But I don’t have any direction yet, so it can’t hurt. Though I should probably, like, make a statement or something first…”

Cynthia nodded, stopping outside the Pokemon Center. “Of course,” she said. “Meet me in Celestic Town when you’re ready.” She released her Togekiss, preparing to fly off, then turned to face Cass one more time. “And really…it’s good to see you.”

With that, she took off, heading towards the mainland. Cass smiled as she followed Cynthia’s silhouette with her gaze.

“Good to see you too.”

The sun was beginning to set by the time Cass finally landed in Celestic Town. After checking on her Pokemon and withdrawing a few from the PC, she’d called her parents to let them know she was safe. They had talked for what felt like hours, her parents asking for every minor detail, but eventually, the conversation came to a halt and Cass hung up, promising to visit Canalave City soon.

Following that, she flew to Jubilife City around noon; people were surrounding her practically as soon as she landed, and it was all she could do to even find a proper landing spot for her Crobat. They seemed to mostly back off with a promise that Cass would give an official statement on Sinnoh Now, and she was able to make her way into the TV station without much fuss.

The “interview” took a lot out of her; it felt more like an interrogation. The reporters grilled her with questions about Hisui, Arceus, and everything else they could think of, and Cass had a hard time keeping up with the high energy in the studio. Thankfully, though, the broadcast eventually ended, and Cass was able to make her way to Celestic Town.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” she mused to herself, returning Crobat to its Pokeball and letting out Umbreon for a stroll.

As she made her way towards Cynthia’s grandmother’s house, Cass found herself struck by the scenery. She’d been to Celestic Town several times in the past, but now, she’d become used to this area’s geography from hundreds of years ago. The buildings looked out of place, as did the people; she half expected a wild Pokemon to cross her path at any moment.

Cass finally reached the house, knocking gently on the door. It swung open, revealing Cynthia; she smiled at Cass before beckoning her inside. “Come on in. We’ve just made a pot of tea.”

Cass stepped inside, slipping off her boots after wiping them on the doormat. A distinctly familiar floral scent hit her nose; she sniffed, trying to discern where she’d smelled it last.

“It is good to see you, lost one.”

Cass wheeled around to see none other than Cogita; the older woman sat at the table, wearing a gentle smile as she poured a cup of tea. “Have a seat,” she stated, gesturing towards an empty chair.

Cass’s mouth fell open. “You…wait a minute.”

Cynthia blinked in surprise. “What’s the matter?”

Cogita laughed knowingly, covering her mouth with her hand. “It has been quite a long time,” she mused. “Though not as long for you as it has been for me.”

Cass took a seat at the table across from Cogita, adjusting her glasses to make sure she was seeing things correctly. Umbreon took up residence beneath the table, settling down for a short nap. “I know it’s rude to ask a lady her age,” Cass quipped, “but, uh…I do have some questions.”

“I understand,” Cogita replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “You do remember the old verses, yes?”

“Most of them.”

“Do you recall the one that reads ‘waiting an eternity for the one with the mission’?”

Cass nodded. “But I accomplished that mission already. In the past.”

“And you have a new mission now.” Cogita took a sip of her tea, eyeing Cass with a piercing gaze. “The whims of our creator are not for me to decide. I simply carry out its will as best I am able.”

“I’m not even going to pretend to understand,” Cynthia said, leaning against the wall by the door.

Cass nodded slowly, taking a sip from the cup in front of her. It was the same blend she’d had when visiting Cogita in the past, and she savored the floral taste on her tongue. “Speaking of my mission,” she said, “I’m told you wanted to talk to me?”

“Indeed I do,” Cogita replied, “but I fear that must wait for a bit. There is one other I’d like to speak with about this matter as well.”

Cass tilted her head in confusion. “Who?”

Cynthia sighed. “You know how the spacetime distortions bring Pokemon from Hisui to the modern day? A while ago, one of them brought a person as well.”

“A person?” Cass asked, thinking back to her last months in Hisui. She didn’t remember anyone disappearing into rifts; at least, no one from the Galaxy Team.

“Thankfully, I was nearby doing some research on the distortions when he tumbled through,” Cynthia continued, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “He was in bad shape. I brought him back here, and he’s been living with my grandmother for the past few months.”

“It’s my opinion that he will have some helpful insights into what is currently going on in Sinnoh,” Cogita concluded. “Though whether or not he’ll freely give them remains to be seen…”

Cass was about to ask what she meant by that when the door swung open.

“Apologies, Mistress Cogita, but the herbalist was out of Caster Fern.”

Cass’s heart leapt into her throat as she recognized the voice; a tall figure stepped out from behind Cynthia, dressed in outdoorsy attire. His blond hair was tied back into a bun, and when his gaze fell upon Cass, his visible steel-gray eye widened in shock.

Across the table, Cogita simply sipped her tea.

“Welcome back, Volo.”