Cynthia drew far too much attention at the docks.
Even with sunglasses on, she was recognized almost immediately.
Young trainers surrounded her, their faces bright with excitement.
"Champion! Are you here to challenge the Battle Pyramid?"
"Come on! She's obviously here to investigate the Snowpoint Temple ruins!"
"Champion, are you waiting for someone?"
They all talked at once, but Cynthia didn't seem bothered. She answered each of them with a warm smile.
The children soon learned why she had really come.
But the monster said to snatch children away on snowy nights seemed to have left them deeply shaken.
"I—I was taken!"
"Me too! Mom and Dad said I'd had a nightmare... but I don't think any of it was a dream!"
"Are you investigating the Blizzard Monster, Champion? Maybe you shouldn't!"
They looked genuinely worried. The so-called Blizzard Monster had clearly left a lasting mark on them.
That only made Cynthia more curious.
They turned around and finally noticed another Champion standing behind them.
"The Orre Champion!"
"Miss Cynthia came with him—"
The excited chatter continued until Cynthia spoke up herself. Only then did the young trainers quiet down.
Everyone moved to a nearby Pokémon Center to talk.
The first to speak was someone who claimed the Blizzard Monster had taken him when he was little.
"I don't remember much, really. I just know I found myself in an ice cave, all dazed. I walked forward with some other people, and after a while we reached a strange place."
"A strange place?"
"Yeah. There was a pitch-black moon in the sky, and everything around us was dark. Then..."
"Then you woke up."
"Yeah."
He scratched his head sheepishly, then hurried to add, "Everyone had the same experience! That's why we think it might not have been a dream. We