Peacekeepers

Chapter Two - Predicament

AN: I have a lot of head-canon ideas concerning Cynthia and Steven and their past. A lot of things have not been confirmed about them, so I make it up as I go.

/o/o/

To say that Cynthia felt nervous was an understatement. She stood at the entrance of the recreation chamber inside Sinnoh's Pokémon League building and put on the bravest smile she could muster. As the newly appointed Sinnoh champion, it was her duty to greet and introduce herself to the other regional champions as they arrived for her coronation ceremony.

Ever since her crowning victory over the former champion two days prior, Cynthia had come to a sudden realization in her trainer career. Battles were the easy part and she could practically stride through them in her sleep. Socializing was a different matter altogether.

It wasn't that she felt uncomfortable in all social settings. Children for one, were an unassuming group that she could easily relate to. But at seventeen, she still felt terribly awkward and inexperienced around her peers and adults, and perhaps, she was not at all prepared for everything that came with being a champion.

Thankfully, after years of practice throughout her Pokémon journey in Sinnoh, she had mastered the art of faking confidence when dealing with people outside of battle. She was also thankful for her long bangs, which provided camouflage for the beads of sweat sliding down her cheeks from the stress.

She had already met and exchanged pleasantries with two of the other champions, Lance from Kanto and Alder from Unova. Both of them redheads yet with two entirely different personalities.

Lance seemed cordial enough, though he was very quiet and withdrawn. Cynthia got the feeling he didn't care for socializing with his peers any more than she did at the moment.

Then there was Alder, who was a bit too friendly in Cynthia's opinion. He seemed harmless enough with his flirtatious words and gestures, but she would keep her guard up around him regardless.

Both men were gracious enough to move on afterward and helped themselves to refreshments, talking between themselves and allowing her to continue with her greeting duty.

The next champion to enter the chamber was a young man,perhaps around her own age, who instantly stole her attention. With short, spikey hair the color of glacier ice and gleaming eyes tomatch. He stepped forward to meet her with a confidence that was either innate or heavily practiced. His tuxedo-like attire was elegant and seemed perfectly attuned to him and his charming features.

Cynthia was struck with such a strong sense of deja vu, as though she recognized him but couldn't place from when or where.Something about his face and hair, but mostly his sharp eyes, seemed faintly familiar. It was a nagging tug at the back of her mind, but it wasn't really an unpleasant feeling, per se. Perhaps she had seen his picture in a tournament at some point...

She suddenly remembered just in time that she was supposed to greet him. "H-Hello, I'm Cynthia. Pleased to meet you." She also noted out of the corner of her eye that another man had entered behind him, with matching emerald hair and eyes and a frivolous looking outfit to boot.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cynthia. I'm Steven, Hoenn's champion." He brought a hand to his chest and gave a polite bow before meeting her gaze again with a gentle smile. "Congratulations on becoming champion."

Charming and handsome, Cynthia thought as she smiled back, genuinely. She felt a strange relief in her chest, being able to drop her facade and offer something real for a change. Absently, she wondered how strong his team was...