ã€ŠWhere The Moon Rises [Pokemon OC Fanfic]ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    CHAPTER 1

    Something cool nudged my hand. I mumbled unintelligibly and shifted away from it, drawing the blanket closer to my chin with my other hand. Immediately, my hand was nudged again, this time more insistently. With a sigh, I opened my eyes. I had to blink a few times before I felt awake enough to sit up in bed.

    Off to the side of the bed were Vel, my Sylveon, and Yuno, my Milotic. The latter chided me gently as he gestured with his tail to the bright sunlight streaming in through the bedroom windows. Vel just looked amused.

    I fought back a yawn as I nodded sleepily, already peeling back the covers and swinging myself out of bed. My Pokemon moved away to make space for me. "I know, I know. I slept in a little too late today. Blame Hassel, okay? I had way too much to eat at his barbeque party and it made me tired," I muttered, thinking back to the gathering that had stretched on until nearly midnight. Hassel had hosted it to celebrate one of his students winning an art competition. I''d stuffed myself on a delicious selection of various meats until I''d stumbled home with a stomach the size of a balloon. The rest was history.

    Yuno rolled his eyes but let out a lilting laugh. With a smile, he conceded that the food had indeed been unusually tasty. Vel piped up and said the marinated beef kabobs had been his favorite, to which Yuno gave him a look of astonishment. I left the two of them to banter about which foods they had liked best while I plodded towards the bathroom.

    I took one look at myself in the mirror and tried not to blanch. My light pink hair was extremely messy, probably the result of shifting many times in my sleep, and my pale blue eyes were slightly bloodshot. Again, I blamed the late night party.

    Ten minutes later, after I''d washed my face and changed into some light sportswear, I headed outside the house for my morning workout. Vel and Yuno followed me.

    It was 11 AM, four hours past the time I usually woke up at, so all of my other Pokemon were already up. They''d already gone through their morning training routines on their own and even eaten breakfast while I''d been asleep. They were now milling around outside and either socializing or resting.

    I smiled proudly, turning to give Vel and Yuno a thumbs up. As they were my starter and first caught Pokemon, they usually led the rest of my Pokemon as the leader and vice-leader respectively.

    I greeted the rest of my Pokemon with smiles and waves before breaking into a jog. It was nice breathing in the crisp air of the outdoors as I ran laps around the property. I was already feeling much more awake.

    The house and small piece of land I owned were located in Area Five of the South Province in Paldea. I''d bought them a couple months after coming to the region, which was almost four years ago. I''d never expected to stay so long, but what could I say? Paldea''s climate and diverse Pokemon population were wonderful, and I had made lots of friends here. Not to mention I technically had not one, not two, but three jobs: one as an Advisor to the Top Champion and the Paldean Council, another as a special Assistant of the Area Zero Research Society, and yet another as a part-time Battle and Fairy type lecturer at Naranja-Uva Academy.

    They certainly kept me busy, that was for sure.

    I continued jogging while mentally going through the list of things I needed to get done for the day. Some small chores around the house, picking up groceries at the nearest supermarket, making a quick visit to Area Zero¡ª

    I skidded to a halt when I realized I''d almost forgotten I had a lunch commitment with Geeta and the Elite Four. Since it was the off-season for the Paldea League Circuit, and also summer break for the Academy, I and the rest of the League had a lot more downtime. Geeta and the E4 usually took this time to unwind and drag me into hanging out with them.

    Not that I minded, of course. They had become some of my closest friends since coming here to Paldea.

    A quick check of my phone revealed that I needed to finish up my morning routine now and start getting ready to go, lest I risk being late to the Treasure Eatery (and make Poppy very sad, which was something I wanted to avoid). I finished one more lap and then jogged back into the house. Yuno decided to bask in the nearby pond while Vel padded after me.

    I was in and out of the shower in record time. A tidy outfit consisting of a short-sleeve shirt that matched my hair color, white shorts and matching sneakers was thrown on, and then I was making my way toward the entryway when my phone buzzed in my hand.

    I held it up immediately thinking it was a message from Rika or someone asking if I was on the way. My mind was already drawing up a reply when I angled the phone towards my face.

    I froze in shock, staring at the screen of my phone. There was a new notification there. A text message.

    While I wasn''t a social butterfly, I did keep in contact regularly with the acquaintances and friends I''d made over the course of my journey¡­ but this message was from the last person I''d ever expected to get one from.

    My dad.

    I hadn''t seen or spoken to him in nearly a decade. The bitter words and terms on which we had parted were still as clear as day in my memories.

    For a long time, I just stared at my phone screen, unmoving. Vel quickly caught on to the fact that something was wrong and mewed softly, looking up at me with a concerned expression.

    I finally tore my gaze away from my phone and offered a forced smile for one of my best friends. "I got a message¡­ from him."

    Vel knew immediately who I was talking about. There had only ever been one person in my life who I detested so strongly. As I sighed and sat down ungracefully on one of the dining room chairs, Vel jumped up onto my lap and lightly curled a feeler around my left arm. A familiar comforting sensation washed over me. I smiled again, this time more genuinely.

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    "Thanks, bud." Vel smiled, but he continued watching me intently as I returned my attention to the device in my hand.

    I had no idea why my dad had contacted me after years and years of radio silence, but I had no way of knowing unless I actually opened the message.

    And I did just that.

    It read: "I would like to talk to you in person. Would you be willing to come back?"

    The message was extremely short, just two lines long, yet it filled me with a cacophony of emotions.

    Why now? Why after so many years?

    We''d practically cut ourselves out of each other''s lives on that day ten years ago. And the message itself was rather¡­ foreboding. What did he want to talk about? Why couldn''t he just say it over text or through a call?

    Just¡­ why?

    This text message was basically a bolt from the blue. It felt so surreal, like none of this was actually happening. I might have been overreacting a bit, but ten-year-old me had been scarred by terrible, hurtful words at that time. I was twenty years old now and a seasoned, powerful Pokemon Trainer in my own right, but those scars still remained with me.

    I was still reeling from the shock of it all, the lunch outing all but forgotten until my phone vibrated again, this time with an incoming video call. I saw the name and picture of a familiar green-haired individual light up the screen. Rika.

    I considered leaving it on silent but knew that would be impolite to my friends who were waiting for me. I took a shaky breath and picked up the call.

    Rika''s face appeared on the screen. She was holding the phone far enough away from her that he could make out Larry and Hassel sitting on either side of her. "Hey," I said quietly.

    "Arin, buddy! Are you getting here soon? We''re getting hungry¡ª wait," Rika''s voice stopped suddenly as she narrowed her eyes at me, brows furrowing. "Is something wrong? You don''t look so good."

    Trust Rika to instantly be able to read another person, I chuckled to myself internally. I wasn''t sure what expression I had on my face, but before I could answer, Rika spoke up again.

    "Seriously, are you okay? What happened?" Rika continued, all seriousness now as she stared at me in concern. Her tone of voice caught the attention of Larry and Hassel who were sitting next to her, and they leaned in to peer at the screen with concerned faces of their own.

    "Oh my, you definitely look unwell, Arin. What''s wrong?" Hassel noted with a frown. Larry nodded in agreement. I heard Poppy''s voice in the background asking if ''big brother Arin was okay,'' which almost made me chuckle out loud.

    It felt nice to have friends who worried for me. I tried to smile only to realize it came out more like a grimace. My shoulders drooped in resignation.

    "Something did happen," I confirmed. I repressed a sigh, sinking back in my chair a little. "I don''t think I''m up for a lunch outing today guys. But uh, can you distract Poppy first before I get into it?"

    Rika immediately looked at Hassel. The professor nodded, leaving the frame to talk to Poppy. Geeta took Hassel''s seat, having heard the commotion her Elites were kicking up. She was looking at me now with an inscrutable expression.

    With that out of the way, I decided to just rip the bandaid off.

    "My dad contacted me for the first time in ten years, asking me to go back to Johto to talk to him about something."

    There was absolute pindrop silence as Rika, Larry, and Geeta stared at me, absorbing the information I''d just dropped on them. They were well aware of the history between me and my dad. I''d opened up to them about it about a year after we''d all become close friends.

    They also knew I absolutely hated talking about him and practically never did.

    Rika spoke first. "That slimy bastard contacted you?" she asked with disgust. "He never even contacted you once all this time, and now he suddenly is? It''s suspicious."

    "..." Larry was silent as he fiddled with his tie, mulling over what to say. "It seems like it''s something important."

    I nodded slowly. Both of them had good points that I had been considering.

    Then, Geeta spoke up. "What do you want to do?" the woman asked, watching me with glittering eyes.

    I paused, thinking. What did I want to do?

    I had no obligation to go and see him. I could just refuse him outright or just not reply and pretend I never saw it. I could just go on with the life I''d found for myself here in Paldea, peacefully living my days out with my friends and Pokemon.

    But I knew, then and there, that I couldn''t.

    I was curious. As much as I hated my dad, my curiosity for what and why won out over my resentment.

    I needed to know why he had sought me out, and I needed closure on the conflict with my dad once and for all.

    I would never be able to move on otherwise.

    "I think¡­" I began, but I quickly shook my head. "No. I will go back to Johto to visit my dad and hear what he has to say. I need this."

    On the other side of the screen, my friends showed their reactions. Rika looked conflicted while Larry''s eyes held the faintest traces of approval, and Geeta just gave a small, knowing smile.

    "When are you leaving?" Geeta asked.

    "Now," I shot back instantly, more sure of myself than I had ever been. I had decided on this, and I was going to get it taken care of sooner rather than later if only to put my mind and heart to rest. "Sorry about the, er, extremely short notice, but I''ll be gone for a few days at most."

    Geeta didn''t look surprised at all. "That''s fine. It''s the off-season anyway, not much work to be done. I''ll inform the Research Society of your temporary absence and send someone to watch over your house while you''re gone."

    I nodded, relieved. "Thanks so much, Geeta, Rika, Larry. Please explain to Hassel and Poppy about what happened. I need to get going now and prepare for this trip."

    "Take care of yourself!" Rika said sternly before he could cut the call. "I''ll be here if you need someone to talk to before or after the meeting."

    "It''ll be okay," Larry added quietly. "Just keep a calm head."

    "We''ll see you soon. I hope you achieve everything you want," Geeta told him sincerely.

    I smiled. "See you soon," I said before finally ending the call.

    Throughout the entire call, Vel had been sitting on my lap with a feeler wrapped around my arm. As I put my phone away, I gave him a wry smile.

    "Well¡­ You heard all that. Looks like we''re going back to Johto for a bit. You''re going to go with me, right?" I said teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

    Vel gave me an indignant look and told me of course he was coming, giving my arm a light squeeze with his feeler. I laughed, waiting for him to jump down before getting up.

    The next ten minutes were a blur as I hurriedly got everything in order. I explained the situation to my other Pokemon and recalled everyone except Zuri to their Pokeballs. Then I did a sweep through the house, locking everything down. I didn''t have to pack much considering this was going to be a short visit, so soon enough, I found myself locking the front door behind me.

    Walking out into the yard, I approached the Dragonite waiting for me with anticipation. She crooned at me and wouldn''t let me onto her back until she got a hug, getting a laugh out of me.

    I pulled out my phone and figured out the flight path to Johto, explaining it to Zuri carefully before I made myself comfortable on her back.

    The reality of the situation was finally dawning on me. I had made the most spontaneous decision of my life. I was really doing this. I was really going back to where it all began.

    I took a deep breath, patting the side of Zuri''s neck gently.

    "Alright. Let''s go."

    There was a brief tickling sensation as Zuri wrapped a complex layer of Dragon and Flying type energy around her, both for my protection and to increase her flying speed. Then, with a powerful cry, Zuri launched herself into the skies.

    I was on my way back to Johto at long last.

 Chapter 2

    CHAPTER 2

    There wasn''t any time to enjoy a more leisurely flight like Zuri and I often preferred. Getting to Johto from Paldea would take eight whole hours even when flying at top speed for a Dragonite of Zuri''s experience and prowess.

    As we sped towards Johto, I couldn''t help but think about the past. My jaw clenched as old and terrible memories were dredged up.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Before that fateful argument with my dad, I had been training to be the successor to the Gym. It was something I had wanted. I loved Cherrygrove, Pokemon, and our family legacy. What better way to combine the best of all three worlds than to become the next Gym Leader?

    But when I was ten, my dad realized I was an Ability Holder.

    Just like there were psychics or Aura users, there were also Ability Holders, people who gained supernatural abilities related to Pokemon. Ability Holders were extremely rare to the point where only one or two individuals might be found on the continent at a single time. The only exception was Unova, which boasted a slightly higher number of Ability Holders due to their storied history there.

    Back then, Ability Holders were feared as harbingers of doom based on old myths and firsthand horror accounts of previous individuals. Nowadays that stigma had all but disappeared in every region aside from Unova.

    My Ability was being able to understand and more easily bond with Fairy type Pokemon.

    Now, a decade ago, the idea of a Fairy typing was still completely unknown. It was only in the present day that the type was slowly becoming more known and accepted within the Kinjoh Area, which included Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. The rest of the regions had already known about and embraced the Fairy type decades ago.

    When I was younger, I had befriended certain types of the local wild Pokemon such as Jigglypuff, Snubbull, or the occasional Azurill. I talked and played with them for many hours. My Ability had not fully developed at this time, however, so I could only understand bits and pieces of what they were saying. I was too young to know what an Ability was. I just thought I was very good at making friends. Dad simply thought I was playing a child''s game with them.

    Meanwhile, my successor training began taking a turn for the worse. I had been interested in the Gym, yes, but there was no passion for Grass types like my dad had. I began gravitating more and more toward Fairy types, or Normal types as they were officially classified back then.

    Dad had been disappointed. Our differing views on favored specialties was what started a gigantic rift between us that only grew with time. Dad became more and more annoyed that I wasn''t following the footsteps of our ancestors. He thought Normal type Pokemon weren''t worth training. I became more and more frustrated with his rigid and flawed way of thinking. I was my own person with my own interests. We started getting into more and more arguments about every little thing. Every day around each other had been full of tension.

    When my Ability finally fully developed, I was ecstatic. In a last-ditch effort to reach some sort of understanding with Dad, I told him about what I could do and how it was a part of me. I thought he would realize I was meant for a different path.

    I''ll never forget the look of disgust in his eyes that day or the way he howled and roared insults at me afterwards. I was an abomination, a stain on the family''s legacy, and he couldn''t stand being around me anymore.

    He denied me my right of inheritance to the Gym, and he wanted me gone.

    I left and never looked back.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    That seemed like ages ago now. I''d been through so much since then and accomplished many things.

    I let out a heavy breath I hadn''t known I''d been holding. Reminiscing on bad memories wasn''t good for my state of mind right now. I needed rest.

    Nothing would or could dare challenge a Dragonite in the skies, more so one that was flying at the speed of sound. I was confident enough that after asking Zuri to wake me up once we approached Cherrygrove, I shut my eyes and promptly fell asleep.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Eight hours later, I was awoken by Zuri''s loud crooning.

    She had slowed down to a much, much more leisurely pace, and I was able to clearly make out our surroundings now. I immediately snapped to attention and sat more upright on her back when I realized where we were.

    Well-worn dirt paths and patches of tall grass flew past in the distance along with occasional ledges and a dense forest of trees. I''d been there plenty of times in my childhood to play with some of the more friendly wild Pokemon. Route 29. It was the route that connected New Bark Town and Cherrygrove City.

    Which meant¡­

    I leaned forward a bit in anticipation as the rest of the route whizzed by below us. As if sensing my excitement, Zuri gained a bit of speed again.

    I won''t lie, some part of me in years past had fantasized about my return to Cherrygrove City. I had thought about it on numerous occasions, of coming back to my hometown and it being something like a triumphant hero''s homecoming. I had numerous accolades under my belt after all.

    But now, when I saw the first few buildings of Cherrygrove come into view, I simply felt a heavy wave of nostalgia wash over me.

    It had been so damn long. Ten whole years.

    Even for a less renowned city like Cherrygrove, it had still undergone many changes in a decade. I saw many more buildings where empty plots of land used to be, more cherry trees, more¡­ everything. Probably more people, too, but there weren''t many residents outside at this time. Most were probably eating or finishing up dinner.

    Cherrygrove was often overlooked by the rest of the region in favor of bigger, more prominent cities and towns, but to me, Cherrygrove was the most beautiful city of all. I''d seen many wondrous places during my travels around the world, yet Cherrygrove held a special place in my heart.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The City of Fragrant Flowers.

    I inhaled deeply, relishing the nostalgic sweet scent in the air. I''d come to Cherrygrove right during the blooming season, which lasted from March until June. That was when the city''s famous cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. The rest of the year, it was the cherry blush or cherry snow trees that flowered.

    Zuri cried out happily, voicing her own appreciation for the lovely smell. She sneezed not a moment later though. I snorted with laughter.

    I took in the view of the city below us for a little longer as Zuri hovered midair, unsure of where to go now that she had made it to our destination. I hadn''t caught her in Johto, so she''d never been here before.

    I wanted to look longer, but I knew there was another time and day for that. Right now, I had someone to meet.

    "That way, Zuri. We''ll go to the Gym first. It''s a big building with a deep green colored roof," I told my Pokemon, pointing to the northwestern side of the city. Zuri nodded and quickly took off, flapping her wings eagerly. To this day, I was still amazed by her stamina and ability to fly such long distances. She was truly top of the class for her species.

    The cool notes of the sea breeze got stronger the further in we flew. It didn''t take long for us to reach the area I was looking for. Except¡­ something was different.

    "Huh?" I voiced out in confusion as I stared at a certain building.

    The Cherrygrove Gym was nestled at the end of a long path that split into two, one that led into town and another that led to the city''s western shores. At its back was a forest and a cliffside out further west. Various flowers, trees, and bushes decorated the grounds on all sides of the Gym, creating a mesmerizing maze of color. My dad had always had a green thumb. I''d spent many hours running through the gardens with the Gym Pokemon. Everything up to there looked the same.

    No, what I was looking at was the Gym itself. The general shape was the same, but it was¡­ bigger? It seemed to be twice as big as I remembered, rivaling the size of the major gyms across Johto.

    That was just the size, which had apparently seen an improvement. I was focusing on the condition of the Gym itself.

    It had seen better days. The Gym wasn''t exactly rundown, but it was clear some sort of construction work had been going on and then left undone suddenly. The roof was peeling in some sections, and there were parts of the exterior with holes or where new stone was being added. Broken pieces of stone and other materials littered the ground around the Gym.

    The Gym looked like it hadn''t been used in some time.

    As I was staring at it in shock, Zuri growled softly, gesturing to the building. I shook my head. The lights were off. That meant dad wasn''t there like I would have expected the workaholic to be. Instead¡­

    "See that forest behind it? Fly forward a bit, there''s a huge clearing and a house just slightly ahead," I directed Zuri. The Dragonite nodded and took off again.

    I couldn''t take my eyes off the sad state of the Cherrygrove Gym as Zuri flew past, only finally wrenching my gaze away when Zuri reached the forest.

    Just a few more flaps of her wings, and then Zuri dove down, landing with hardly a sound in the front yard of a familiar yet not familiar building. Zuri let go of the type energy layer around us as I hopped off her back with practiced ease, eyes not leaving the house in front of me. Like the Cherrygrove Gym, I was surprised to see how different it looked.

    The house had been a modest size before, but like the Gym, it was twice as big as it used to be. Flowering vines now snaked across light-colored walls, and a balcony had been added. Small lights and lamps around the porch helped illuminate the surroundings. There was no lack of potted plants or flower beds in the front yard, and I doubted the back would be any different. I knew there would be a massive stretch of cleared land back there with small ponds and even a river, trees, and plenty more flowers. That was where we had kept all the Pokemon, both personal and Gym.

    I was snapped out of my staring when a quiet growling sound filled the air. Zuri immediately let out a low growl of her own, tensing as a huge Meganium suddenly appeared from the back of the house and lumbered slowly toward us. I eyed the grass around our feet which had suddenly started writhing.

    I was glad to see the house security hadn''t degraded.

    "It''s okay, Zuri. He''s not an enemy," I placated my friend, patting her gently on the arm. Zuri relaxed but shot me a confused glance as I took a step forward confidently. I held a hand up in a wave as the Meganium growled a little louder, eyes a blazing gold in the darkness. He looked older than I remembered, but I still recognized him. He had allowed me to ride on his back many times as a child.

    "Meguri, it''s me. Arin," I announced myself softly. I held eye contact with the Grass type starter. We stared at each for a few moments in silence before I saw, bit by bit, recognition slowly enter his eyes. Meguri stopped growling and plodded the rest of the way toward me. He didn''t waste any time sniffing my face before growling happily, giving my cheek a few enthusiastic licks as a bonus.

    I grinned, rubbing the Meganium''s neck as I discreetly wiped off the saliva on my cheek with my free hand.

    "It''s good to see you too, buddy," I said, and I meant it. Dad''s starter had been a good protector and an even better friend for me as a young boy. I rubbed Meguri''s neck a few times before letting my arm fall, gesturing to the house. "...I''m here to see him."

    I didn''t know if Meguri sensed the apprehension in my voice, but he nodded. He offered an apologetic nod to Zuri before making his way to the porch. I turned back to Zuri, making sure to thank her for all of her hard work before recalling her to her capsule for some well-deserved rest.

    I quickly strode up to the house. Meguri was already waiting for me by the front door. With a quick pull of his vine, he opened the front door and guided me inside. I stepped into the entryway, the door closing shut behind me.

    Much of the interior was still the same. Various paintings and photographs lined the walls, though I noticed a few changes in the furniture such as new couches or chairs. I was surprised to see a certain coffee table still in the living room. I could see the chips on its surface from when I''d accidentally bashed some toys into it as a kid. I had been playing with Meguri and dad at the time. For some reason, that furniture piece hadn''t been replaced like the others. There was also an empty display case for whatever reason in the living room.

    I didn''t dwell on it for too long. Meguri gestured with a vine to the beginning of a hallway. I knew where that hallway led.

    I expected Meguri to guide me like before, but instead, he retracted his vine and laid down carefully in a resting position on the rug in the living room.

    Apparently, I was going to be talking privately with dad.

    I strode forward, moving past Meguri into the rightmost hallway. My legs carried me to the second door on the right. An intricate pattern of leaves was emblazoned across the wood.

    By my feet, I could see the faint glow of light cast on the floor from within.

    Dad was just beyond this door. A man I''d argued so terribly with that I''d left home to journey on my own. A man I hadn''t seen nor spoken to in ten years. A man who had suddenly contacted me out of nowhere asking to talk.

    The nerves I thought I''d settled on the flight to here suddenly came back in full. I didn''t know what to expect. I wasn''t sure I was ready for this meeting.

    A slight movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I looked down and saw Vel''s Heal Ball shaking slightly on my belt. I ran my fingers over it wonderingly. A smile broke out across my face when I felt a familiar Fairy type energy leak out from it, wrapping around my hand in solidarity.

    My nerves settled immediately. I had nothing to be afraid of.

    I had come here with a purpose: to satisfy my curiosity and find closure so that I could move on with my life. More importantly, Vel and the others were with me.

    I took a deep breath. Let''s do this, I told myself. I rapped on the door with my knuckles. There was a moment of silence before a muted "come in" was heard. His voice sounded different from what I remembered.

    I put my hand on the doorknob and turned it, opening the door.

 Chapter 3

    CHAPTER 3

    His bedroom was just how I remembered it. At least, that''s what I wanted to say, but I didn''t pay much attention to the rest of the room. Instead, I locked gazes with the man sitting upright in bed, a pillow propped up behind his back. We both stared at each other in obvious surprise. I don''t think either of us had been truly prepared for this jarring reunion.

    Dad barely looked like how he did in my memories. I had expected him to look older of course, considering the passage of time, but it was still shocking.

    His hair, once a deep pink, had dulled considerably, with white streaks running rampant around his head. Once determined and bright blue eyes were now full of weariness. Lines and wrinkles ran across his haggard face. He had a newspaper on him which he slowly set down on the sheets. I didn''t miss the tremor of his hand.

    He looked¡­ tired. So very, very tired. It was a stark contrast to the vibrant and steadfast person he had used to be.

    We took in each other''s appearances for a few more seconds, committing this moment to memory.

    "Son," he finally said, breaking the silence. There was a slight raspy undertone to his voice.

    I felt my throat dry up. It almost felt¡­ uncomfortable to hear him call me that. What was I supposed to call him in return? Dad? Father? Adriel?

    In the end, I settled for a stiff nod.

    Dad looked at me a little longer before gesturing to a chair at a desk nearby. He hesitated before speaking. "Would¡­ would you like to have a seat?"

    We were walking on pin needles around each other. I nodded again wordlessly, walking over stiffly and dragging the chair closer to the bed before sitting down on it.

    I could feel him staring at me, but I chose to focus on the bed instead. It was quiet in the room for several long, uncomfortable seconds. It wasn''t hard to realize that he was struggling with what to say.

    "I''m surprised you came¡­ and so quickly, too. Were you close by¡­?" Dad eventually asked, trailing off.

    I stared a hole through the blanket in front of me. "No. Flew here on one of my Pokemon. It took eight hours."

    Dad''s eyes widened. "I¡­ I see."

    Silence followed again.

    And this time, I''d had enough.

    "Why did you message me?" I asked suddenly, finally shifting my head to look him in the eyes. He looked startled by the intensity of my gaze. My voice was quiet and steady, but my eyes held all of the fury and accusation I''d held in for years now. "Not once in ten years did you ever contact me, so why now?"

    "I wanted to see you," he said weakly. I glared at him.

    "Ten years ago, you were the one who told me to leave and never come back. You thought my Ability was a bad omen. You called me weak. That I was worthless," I said in as level of a voice as I could manage, but I spat out the last word. I couldn''t help but enjoy the way he flinched. Perhaps it was the vindictive fairy side of me reveling in it. "I was only ten years old. I hope you remember, because I certainly do."

    Dad didn''t look away from me. His reply was a broken, almost inaudible whisper.

    "I do."

    I didn''t say anything for a moment, instead trying to calm the rage that was simmering within me and threatening to boil over. We both looked down, suddenly unable to meet each other''s gazes anymore.

    "I wanted to apologize."

    My head snapped toward him.

    "What?" I whispered. I almost forgot how to breathe.

    "I wanted to apologize," he repeated, this time more loudly. "That''s why I wanted to talk to you."

    "You''re lying," I said instantly, clenching a fist.

    When he raised his own head to look at me, I faltered. In his eyes and facial expression, I could see great remorse and shame. It wasn''t an act. It was real.

    "I''m sorry, Arin. I''m so, so sorry," he said. With a shuddering breath, he continued. "I''ve regretted it every day since then. I never should have pushed you into following my footsteps. You were¡­ and always have been¡­ a brilliant child. I saw your talent for bonding with Pokemon and expected you to take after me. I forced my own views onto you. In the end, my own foolishness blinded me to what really mattered¡­ my son''s happiness."

    He paused briefly. I realized he was crying silently. "No matter how much I wish to, I can''t erase my past actions or hateful words. Those mistakes will follow me for the rest of my life. But¡­ I want to tell you that I was wrong. You are not worthless, son. I don''t know what you''ve been up to in these last ten years, but I just know you''ve achieved many things for yourself. Your Ability is not a curse but a gift. I''m sorry I couldn''t see that before. I''m sorry it took me so long to work up the courage to talk to you. I was scared."

    I sat very, very still in my seat. If I clenched my fist any harder, then I was sure my nails would draw blood. These were words I''d wanted to hear a long time ago. All the hurt I felt back then came swelling back up. My eyes watered slightly, but I refused to cry.

    "You don''t have to forgive me," Dad said, almost whispering. "I don''t expect you to. I just¡­ needed to tell you this before it was too late."

    As if I wasn''t already surprised enough by the turn of events, Dad dropped another surprise on me.

    "I have a terminal illness," he revealed, and I stared at him in shock. Re-examining his features, it suddenly made more sense now why he looked so abnormally tired. "I never had the best of health, but it doesn''t help that I''m getting old either. The doctor said I probably have a year and a half at most if I don''t overwork myself. Now that I''ve seen you again, I''m satisfied. I think I could pass away peacefully¡ª"

    "DON''T say that," I cut him off sharply. I took a ragged breath. "Don''t¡­ talk about dying like that."

    He just offered a wry smile. "I''ve made my peace with it."

    I stared at him in silence, trying desperately to gather my thoughts.

    How could he drop all this on me? First a long-awaited apology, then the fact that he didn''t have much longer to live. I''d hated him for a long time, but even I wouldn''t wish an early death upon my last remaining blood relative.

    A part of me couldn''t help but think how¡­ how selfish he was to only seek me out after finding out he wasn''t long for this world. Yet another part of me was glad he had the sincerity to own up to his mistakes.

    I was a Fairy Specialist. Fairies could hold grudges until the end of time.

    I wasn''t sure dad deserved forgiveness.

    But as I looked at this broken shell of a man, and the earnest remorse he showed me, I faltered. I did have bad memories of dad¡­ but I also had plenty of good ones.

    I thought about how dad used to read me stories every night before bed even after he was tired from working in the gym all day long.

    I thought about how he''d bring me to the Silver Conference every year and excitedly explain the decisions and strategies trainers made.

    I thought about dad''s proud smile when I won a local rookie competition with Vel back when he was an Eevee.

    Many more memories flashed through my mind of happier times, and my lips moved before I realized it.

    "I can''t forget the past," I finally said. Dad hardly reacted except for the slight clenching of his fist that I saw. "You''re right that you can''t erase what you did before. It''s not something I won''t ever forget for the rest of my life. But," I took a deep breath. "I''m willing to start over."

    Dad stared at me in shock. I looked back at him with watery eyes and nodded.

    Despite the mistakes he''d made, he was still my family.

    "I can''t forget, but I forgive you¡­" I trailed off, hesitating before I added softly, "Dad."

    He broke down sobbing at my words. I watched him cry for a few moments before getting up and awkwardly pulling him into a tentative hug. He leaned on me heavily, but I didn''t mind. I was too busy furiously blinking away tears of my own.

    At least ten minutes passed before dad calmed down enough to talk again, and I settled back into my chair. Both of us were a sight to see with extremely red-rimmed eyes.

    "So¡­" Dad stopped, sniffling.

    "So," I echoed.

    We looked at each other with awkward smiles on our faces. It was still hard to believe we''d made up. Although it would take some time for me to feel fully comfortable around him again, I was confident that we would eventually bridge that gap. I tried not to fixate on his looming death as that was something I couldn''t control.

    I cleared my throat. We needed a change of pace. "Do you wanna meet my Pokemon?"

    He nodded enthusiastically, quite interested. "Of course! My room''s a bit small though. Maybe I can see a few of them right now and I can meet the rest of your team tomorrow?"

    I readily agreed. It was getting late anyway. I didn''t waste any time in sending out Vel and Yuno, especially Vel for several reasons.

    Both appeared in flashes of light, greeting me with happy cries before looking around curiously. Vel spotted dad first and realized immediately who he was looking at. Yuno had never met dad before, but he had enough context clues from the situation and what bits of information I''d told him before to connect the dots. Both looked at him with disdain.

    Dad''s eyes widened to the size of saucers as he took in the Sylveon and Milotic that had suddenly appeared in his bedroom.

    "This serpentine Pokemon¡­ It''s one of the rarer Hoenn Pokemon, right? Milotic, I think? I heard the Waterflower sisters in Kanto recently acquired one," Dad remarked, staring at Yuno in wonder. Then he turned his attention to Vel. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen this kind of Pokemon before¡­ I can''t even begin to guess what type it is. A Normal type perhaps? Psychic? Anyway, both of them are quite lovely. I can tell you''ve cared for them greatly."

    His brows furrowed as he finally realized that my Pokemon were giving him dark looks. "Oh, they don''t look very happy¡­"

    I chuckled, drawing my Pokemon''s attention to me. "Vel, Yuno, it''s fine. I made up with dad. He apologized to me, and I agreed to start over. Be nice to him," I told my friends. Behind them, Dad let out a short gasp of surprise.

    "Did you say Vel?" Dad''s gaze swiveled back to Vel once more. The Sylveon was no longer giving him the stink eye, but he wore an impassive look as Dad looked him over. "I didn''t know Eevee could evolve into, er, whatever species this is."

    "Sylveon," I supplied readily. I glanced down at Vel, sharing a proud grin with him. "It might be a new evolution for the Kinjoh Area, but outside of it, it''s been a widely known evolution for some time now. He''s a Fairy type Pokemon. Yuno here is a Water and Fairy type. In fact, most of my Pokemon are Fairy types, dad. I''m a Type Specialist." I paused, fiddling with my fingers a bit. "My¡­ Ability. It''s being able to understand and bond with Fairy type Pokemon. We just didn''t know back then because the Fairy type wasn''t known on this side of the world yet."

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Dad blinked a couple times as he processed the information I''d just revealed to him. "A new Eeveelution¡­ That''s incredible. And Fairy type, you say? That''s something I''ve heard mentioned in the news a couple times," Dad said with a slow nod of his head. "My son is a Fairy Type Specialist who can communicate with Pokemon¡­ amazing."

    I stopped myself from preening at the praise, but I couldn''t help a small smile from appearing on my face.

    Dad wore a thoughtful expression when he next spoke. "You mentioned ''on this side of the world.'' I''m curious to hear about what you meant, but first¡­" he trailed off, and I watched curiously as he focused his attention on Vel. To my and my Pokemon''s astonishment, he bowed his head. "Vel, I''m sorry for the way I treated you and Arin before you left. You knew Arin better than I did and stayed by him as he tried to walk his own path. I should have done the same."

    Vel''s ears flattened momentarily in sadness. If I had to guess, he was probably remembering the times when dad had told me to stop training an Eevee and focus on Grass types instead.

    I held my breath as Vel sat there in silence. Then, slowly, Vel lifted one of his feelers and held it out to Dad. Dad looked up at me with a bewildered expression.

    I simply smiled. "He''s offering a friendly handshake, dad. Those feelers of his let him read and share emotions," I explained.

    Dad made an ''o'' shape with his mouth and quickly put a hand forward, gently taking the end of Vel''s ribbon. I think I had some sort of silly smile on my face as I watched him gingerly shake the ribbon up and down. Dad even let out a gasp of wonder as he presumably felt Vel sending him a small wave of positive emotion. I saw Vel was smiling as he pulled his feeler away.

    I clapped my hands together. My chest felt so much lighter than it had in ages. "Okay, since it''s late, I''ll give a brief overview, but let me tell you more about the Fairy type and share some of my adventures with you¡­"

    Vel hopped up into my lap as I began recounting a bit of what I''d been up to in the last ten years. Yuno coiled up next to my chair and placed his head on the chair armrest. And Dad?

    Dad listened with rapt attention, hellbent on making up for lost time as he learned about the person I had become.

    I couldn''t go too in depth because of the time, but I did share the most important parts of my journey so far. I told dad about how I''d traveled to Hoenn and Sinnoh first. The first month had been brutal purely because I had still been emotionally devastated at that point in time. But after that, things started going more smoothly as I quickly acclimated myself to the life of a wandering trainer.

    I spent a year each in Hoenn and Sinnoh. Then I did something pretty crazy for a twelve-year-old at the time.

    I decided to traverse the great seas.

    It was only in recent years that Hoenn and Sinnoh had linked up with Kanto and Johto and come to be known as the Kinjoh Area. The rest of the world was still quite isolated. There were regions outside of the Kinjoh area that they either still hadn''t discovered, or did know about but otherwise didn''t have access to. Most of the time, it was due to the lack of feasible air or sea routes that made globalization difficult. Other times, it was because regions outside of the Kinjoh area just wanted to keep to themselves for various reasons. For example, Unova was actually aware of the Kinjoh Area, but they looked down on that continent as a backwards thinking and less democratic region and didn''t see a need to interact. Another example, Paldea, was cautious of foreigners due to a desire to protect their citizens and native Pokemon population.

    I had been lucky enough to actually make it to some of these regions outside of the Kinjoh Area of influence, which included the Alolan Islands, Unova, Kalos, Galar, and Paldea. Out of that bunch, only Unova was currently known to the Kinjoh Area, but Unova had so far refused to have any interregional relations with them in an official capacity.

    There were some hiccups along the way (particularly in Unova), but I was granted access to each of these regions. They allowed me to explore and compete in their regional Leagues. I even won a few Conferences and narrowly defeated Elite Fours and Champions. Dad was particularly impressed by this and looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut. Perhaps he would mention it after I was done.

    I spent the most time talking about Paldea since it was, after all, my current base of operations and the region I''d stayed in the longest. The League there had been wary of me at first, but they''d slowly warmed up to me over time. They were particularly thankful for my help with researching Paradox Pokemon in Area Zero (I just vaguely told dad that I was helping them study certain types of Fairy Pokemon across the continent).

    I ended it there for the night, promising to tell dad more another time. Throughout the entire story, his face had been one of sheer wonder.

    "Wow," was all he could say when I was done, staring at me with newfound amazement. "You''ve¡­ really done and seen a lot, haven''t you Arin? It sounds like it was an incredible journey."

    "It was," I agreed with an almost dreamy sigh. Traveling had been a lot of fun even with all the danger that had come along with it. I patted my half-asleep Pokemon''s heads. When I glanced over at dad, he seemed lost in thought.

    It was a bit strange, but I didn''t call him out on it. Instead, I asked if he''d had dinner yet.

    He and his Pokemon had, but he said I was more than welcome to help myself to the stuff in the kitchen. He also apologized for not having thought to ask me about dinner sooner given that I''d traveled to Johto from so far away. I waved him off.

    I was hungry, and so were my Pokemon. I instantly went to rectify that, and dad followed me into the kitchen to get himself a cup of water.

    I busied myself removing specialized kibble mixes from my expanded-space bag. As I was doing so, I couldn''t help but notice the empty display case again from the edge of my vision, the same one I''d seen when I first walked in.

    "Hey dad," I called out as I continued pulling out Pokemon food from my belongings. I was still eyeing the case.

    I heard him shuffling around in the kitchen. "Yeah?"

    "What''s this display case for? There''s nothing in it."

    The shuffling sounds stopped abruptly. A moment of silence passed, and then dad walked out to stand next to me. I stopped what I was doing when I noticed the awkward look on his face.

    "It''s, uh¡­" Dad scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "It''s for you."

    "What?" I raised a brow at him, not understanding at all.

    Dad squirmed in place a bit. "I bought it a little while after you left. I¡­ I thought maybe¡­ if you ever returned someday, you might return with badges and trophies from your travels. I had it ready for you if you ever did."

    I stared at him, stunned.

    I don''t know what I was more surprised by: the idea that he had believed I would come back home someday, or that he believed in my ability as a Pokemon trainer.

    Regardless, I was touched.

    "Thanks, dad," I finally said sincerely. "I don''t have any of the physical badges or awards I''ve collected on me, but the next time I come visit, I''ll be sure to bring them here."

    Dad beamed at that.

    I idly wondered if perhaps that chipped coffee table I''d seen before had been kept for sentimental reasons. For a moment, I wanted to ask, but then I thought better of it. If I was right, well¡­ better to save dad some more embarrassment.

    I smirked to myself as I pulled out the last of the Pokemon kibble. He was gonna be so shocked when he saw just how many badges I''d obtained over the course of the years. Speaking of badges though, something that had been nagging at the back of my mind suddenly pushed itself to the forefront. I spun around to look at Dad.

    "Wait, what about the Gym?" I blurted out. I couldn''t believe I hadn''t asked about it sooner. Dad quietly took a sip of his water as I continued. "Did something happen to it? I passed by it on my way here and it looked terrible. And you''re sick. How are you running the Gym¡ª?"

    "I''m not," Dad said almost before I finished speaking. I stared at him with wide eyes. He waved a hand through the air as he set his cup on the kitchen island. "Gym''s been closed since the start of the Circuit. I had finally obtained the qualifications to apply for the test to make it one of the major gyms, so I was taking the year off to renovate it and prepare for the test. But a bunch of issues cropped up¡­ my illness being the most major one, but also a severe lack of Pokemon and funds."

    He grimaced, drumming his fingers against the counter. "It''s never been easy running the Gym, Arin. We don''t get nearly as much funding from the League as the major gyms, so it''s mostly my own money that goes into maintaining costs for upkeep, employee salaries, feeding all the Gym Pokemon, and more. And over the last decade, my own funds have dwindled quite a bit as a result," he explained. "As for the lack of Pokemon¡­ well, this ties into my health. You might have noticed already, but I have some issues with my right arm nowadays. Some tremors. It''s very detrimental to the career of a trainer when you can''t throw your Pokeballs correctly and position your Pokemon well on the field."

    I nodded slowly in understanding. Dad sighed heavily, running a hand down his face. "And then my illness. To be honest, son, I kind of just gave up after I found out about it. I explained the situation to the few employees we had and the Gym Pokemon. All but one of the Gym Trainers left, and I sent the majority of our Gym Pokemon either to Erika in Kanto or found them appropriate homes. Some wanted to live here on our property and others around the city, but that''s it."

    I stared at him. "That''s¡­" I trailed off, biting my lip. Everything he said made sense, but¡­ it still felt wrong to me.

    I paused suddenly. While ruminating on the boatload of bad news, I''d completely skipped over something else. "Wait. Early on, you said you had finally obtained the qualifications to apply for the test to become a major gym? Dad, that''s¡­ that''s amazing!"

    Minor gyms across the Indigo League were few and far in between. Kanto usually had three or four depending on the generation, but Johto?

    The Cherrygrove Gym was and had only ever been the only one.

    This was due to how extremely conservative Johto was even when compared to Kanto. People here had always respected the old ways and traditions. All the major gyms had been initially granted to families either of high peerage back in the day or to those who had contributed significantly in war.

    Our own family had received the Cherrygrove Gym for our ancestor''s contributions in battle; however, we were given the status of a ''minor'' gym both due to those contributions being small and because there were already eight major gyms that had established their dominance for generations already.

    The reason I was so surprised by what my dad said was because it was extremely difficult to go from a minor to major gym status.

    The Gym had to show a significant performance comparable to that of the major gyms, and it couldn''t just be a one-off thing. You had to keep up said significant performance for a steady period of time to prove you knew what you were doing.

    For minor gyms, this was practically impossible. Most trainers gravitated towards the major gyms of their regions for the history and prestige associated with them. It didn''t help that the League didn''t offer as much support to minor gyms either.

    There were only a few instances throughout history when a minor gym had obtained the qualifications to apply for the test to become a major gym.

    None had ever succeeded.

    The League gave a rigorous test for them to prove their worth. I had no idea what it entailed exactly, but it was usually too hard for applicants. Honestly, I wondered if the League made it extra hard on purpose to prevent the emergence of new powers.

    And dad¡­ dad had somehow reached that starting line. That spoke volumes of the hard work he''d poured into the Gym over the years. Yet that starting line was slipping away from him for reasons he could not control.

    "Dad, you¡­ you''ve dedicated your whole life to the Gym. It''s been in the family for generations. Are you okay just¡­ giving up here?"

    Dad was silent for a long time. "I did dedicate my whole life to it," he finally agreed. His voice was very quiet. "But I''ve found that some things are just as, if not more, important to me¡­ like family." He looked at me. "I only have so much time left. I''d rather spend time with my son. Besides, it''s not like I can extend my life."

    He quirked a wry smile at me, but I couldn''t meet his gaze. How was he okay with this?

    I heard dad sigh as I stared at the wall, lost in thought. "Wait here a bit, Arin."

    He shuffled off somewhere, leaving me in a state of contemplation until he finally came back and held something out to me. I glanced down. They were¡­ papers? My eyes widened upon closer inspection.

    "Why are you giving me these?" I asked, staring down at the related deeds and documents for the property and ownership of the Cherrygrove Gym.

    "Because," Dad began, "I owe you these. I denied you the right of inheritance to the Gym before you left, and that was wrong of me."

    He held up a hand as I started forward, ready to say something. "Let me finish, Arin. I''m not asking you to take over the Gym. I don''t expect that of you. When you were telling me about Paldea before, it sounded like you''ve made a life for yourself there, and I''m happy for you. I''m just wanting to correct one more wrong by giving you what you should have rightfully received back then. I''ve already given my signature on that second form there for ownership change. You can do whatever you want with the Gym, son. You were always supposed to be the rightful owner. Demolish it, keep it around, it''s up to you."

    "I can''t keep these¡ª" I said as soon as he finished talking, but dad held up a hand again.

    "They''re yours," he said simply. "Don''t return them to me. I cannot and will not accept them. I''m not expecting you to make a decision right this instant, so¡­ think about it for as long as you want to. Have a nice dinner, son. I''ll see you in the morning. Your room''s just as you left it, though I expanded it a bit while you were gone."

    I stared after his retreating back and continued staring long after he''d disappeared down the hallway.

    I¡­ had not been expecting this development.

    In the end, I decided to not think about it at all that night. I let my Pokemon outside in the backyard for their dinner and gave them a brief overview of what had happened since we last spoke. They were vastly interested in my childhood home, and I promised I would give them a tour of the house and introduce dad to them the next day.

    I went through the motions of eating a simple dinner consisting of broccoli and potatoes and showering all with a dazed state of mind.

    Then I took my stuff and stepped in front of a door further down from dad''s. I smiled when I saw a familiar pattern of leaves decorating the wood. It was the same pattern on dad''s door but in blue. I remember adamantly asking dad to give me the same pattern as him so that we could match.

    I gently pushed open the door.

    I was surprised to see that almost everything was as I''d left it. Dad hadn''t been joking when he said he expanded the room, it was truly a big bedroom now whose size was more suitable for an adult. All the positioning of the furniture was basically the same. Dad had just pushed everything back towards the walls to fit the expansion. I quickly noticed how some of the furniture had been replaced with sizes meant for grownups, such as the bed or chairs.

    I was reminded once again that dad had thought I might come back home someday, and that he''d prepared for it.

    There was the ghost of a smile on my face as I fully entered the room, dropping both my bag and the gym papers on the desk as I turned around to look around my old bedroom some more. There were still a few toys and figures left out on the shelves and comic books I''d read as a kid. I could even see an old Chikorita-themed calendar on my desk that dated back to ten years ago, making me chuckle.

    I jumped a bit when Vel suddenly appeared in the doorway, padding into the room. He glanced around, recognizing the bedroom he and I had once shared. I could guess why he was here. "You want to sleep here, too?" I asked knowingly, and Vel grinned. Of course. He hated sleeping without me. I did, too, to be honest.

    Vel jumped onto the bed after I had pulled the covers over me and immediately curled up near my head. He fell asleep pretty quickly, but I found myself staring up at the ceiling for a while. My eyes occasionally flickered to the papers sitting innocently ¡ª or ominously ¡ª on my desk.

    I sighed, closing my eyes. There would be time to think about it tomorrow.

    In the end, I didn''t fall asleep until nearly 2 AM that night.

 Chapter 4

    CHAPTER 4

    I woke up two minutes before my usual seven o''clock alarm went off. For a couple seconds, I wondered why I was in my old room in Johto. Then the events of the last day came back to me in full.

    Arceus, so much had happened in the span of less than twenty-four hours. It was a wonder my mind was still functioning.

    Vel woke up almost right after I did, which didn''t surprise me. Me and my Pokemon were pretty much able to wake up around the same time everyday for our morning routines after so many years. I was quiet getting ready since I assumed dad was pretty tired from last night''s events. I was, too, but it was nothing I couldn''t handle.

    At one point, I glanced at the pile of papers on my desk. I''d think about it later. With Vel leading the way, we slipped outside to the backyard.

    I hadn''t gotten a good look the night before due to how dark it had been by then, but now I could properly see the land our family owned. Even as a kid, it had seemed like an endless sea to me.

    It still did.

    Our family owned a huge amount of land around the Cherrygrove Gym, particularly in the back by the forest. The ancestor who had founded the Gym hadn''t been from a particularly noble family like some of the other famed clans in Johto, but he had been extremely wealthy. He pooled together his original wealth along with the money he got from the war to buy a lot of the land around the Gym.

    There was a field of grass that stretched for miles and miles behind the house, enough to be worthy of being called a reserve or sanctuary. Various kinds of trees grew in small sections while flowering bushes and vibrant flowers bloomed as far as the eye could see. To the west, a river snaked through the land and flowed downstream to the ocean connected to the city. There were also ponds here and there that my great-grandparents had apparently made and added. One of them was big enough that it had a gazebo over it. I used to escape there sometimes to clear my head after an argument with dad.

    A short way down from the house was a cleared field of dirt used for training. Several mossy boulders were strewn across it. I saw that the rest of my team had beaten me there, waiting for me expectantly.

    I grinned and walked toward them with Vel. They''d sure gotten familiar with the backyard real quick.

    "Light jogging first to warm up the muscles, then we''ll break off into short spars and individual training," I said immediately once I''d gotten closer. I received a chorus of enthusiastic agreement and used that as the signal to take off, my Pokemon doing the same.

    Running in the morning was always nice, more so in an environment as nice as our current one. I could tell my Pokemon enjoyed the floral change in scenery as much as I did, if not more. On our last lap around the field, Grima put on a sudden burst of speed and slid into first, much to the annoyance of Peri. The Togekiss glared at the smirking Grimmsnarl and told him off for the unnecessary show. Grima just shrugged, grinning as he told his companion to fly faster next time. They immediately started arguing with some of my other Pokemon chiming in that it wasn''t a race.

    I rolled my eyes as I watched them all bicker. No matter the time and place, my Pokemon always found a way to make things chaotic. "Alright guys, let''s finish up our morning routine. If you bicker any longer we''re gonna have less time to explore the city''s beach later."

    That made them stop almost immediately, and they quickly split up into pairs. I could practically feel the excitement rolling off of them. I grinned. They were just as interested in touring my hometown as I was. I had avoided talking about my dad too often in the past, but I had regaled them with plenty of fond stories and descriptions about where I grew up.

    The rest of the training session passed quickly. Breakfast was all but scarfed down. At the end, my Pokemon all came up to me with glittering eyes. I barked out a laugh.

    "Alright, alright. Let''s take a scenic walk, shall we?"

    After shooting a quick text message to dad letting him know what I''d be doing, I led the way towards the beach.

    If anyone had seen me, they might have blanched at what would looked like a small army of Pokemon following closely behind me.

    Yes, my team was nineteen members strong. Granted, two of them weren''t Fairy types (Arya, my Altaria, and Audi, my Audino, didn''t count because of their Mega Evolutions) and one wasn''t an Elite tier like the rest of my team due to not battling much, but I loved each and every one of them.

    Trainers could only deploy six Pokemon at most for a standard, League-officiated battle. They could own more than six as long as the surplus were being cared for at a reserve or other safe place, but to be able to actively carry more than six of them meant passing some very strict requirements.

    One was obtaining a set of eight badges from major gyms of any region with an official League. Another was passing a test that included a written exam on Pokemon care as well as an interview and examination with the Trainer and their Pokemon. Lastly, they had to obtain a recommendation from either a regional Professor or a high-ranking League official who could vouch for the Trainer''s ability to handle more Pokemon.

    All of this was meant to ensure that only proper Trainers would have the privilege of carrying more than six Pokemon with them. Pokemon could not be kept for too long in their Pokeballs. Past a certain point, it became unhealthy for them, which was why it was advised to regularly let them out to ensure healthy minds and bodies. Only the most experienced of Trainers could handle raising and caring for teams larger than the normal maximum.

    Before the War of Ashes, when cities, towns, and the League were not as developed as they were today, the six Pokemon rule didn''t exist yet. It had apparently been the norm for all trainers to carry much larger teams of Pokemon with them as they traveled. This was because the wilds and the untamed Pokemon within them had been much more dangerous then. They still were today, but now we had more information about them and Rangers who could help patrol.

    I continued leading my band of Pokemon south. There were restrictions on how many Pokemon you could have outside in a public setting at once, but it''d be fine for me to have everyone out up until the city''s edge. We owned most of the land surrounding the Gym, plus I figured there would hardly be any residents up this early on a weekend.

    It was nostalgic, really, taking the same path I''d walked along many times as a child. From our house to the back of the Gym was a short five-minute walk. I led everyone to the front of the building so they could look at it, though I wish I could have shown them what it looked like in its heyday. They were still impressed anyway.

    We walked through the surrounding gardens on our way to the beach which my Pokemon also appreciated, one much more so than the others. A small pink bee buzzed happily and flew almost frantically around our heads. I smiled up at the Cutiefly. If we weren''t heading somewhere, I was pretty sure Cally would have stuck around to drink a ton of nectar.

    Now I regretted not bringing Filore with me as she would have loved seeing this, too. She was a Florges under my ownership but not a part of my main team. She preferred tending to the flowers around the house in Paldea over battling.

    Finally leaving the gardens behind, we continued taking the main path down from the Gym. Eventually it sloped west towards our destination: the beach.

    It wasn''t as magnificent as the beaches found in Olivine or Cianwood, but it was still a place I was very fond of. Glittering pale sands stretched out towards the water with small seashells dotting its surface in intervals. Some Krabby scuttled along the shore line, and I think I saw a Wooper dive down into the water on the far end. Here, the scent of the ocean breeze mixed with that of sweet flowers in the distance, creating a delightfully soothing combination.

    It was nice to be back here after so long.

    I ambled forward with a wide grin on my face, my Pokemon following after me, and plopped myself down a few feet away from the water''s edge. In the early morning, the view from the beach was especially beautiful. I was content to just watch the horizon while my Pokemon had fun around me.

    Off to the side, I saw Yuno, Zuzu the Azumarill, and Brie, my Lapras, swimming yards out while Vel sat on the sand and cautiously poked the water with the tip of his feeler. Cally rested on his head. Zuri, Peri, Arya, and Fizz, my Fezandipiti, flew lazy circles in the sky above them. Fizz was the latest addition to my family after a certain incident on a trip to Kitakami. That¡­ was a whole other story.

    Choux, my Dachsbun, was laying on his stomach on the sand, legs sprawled out around him as he wore a content expression. My Scream Tail, Lico, had piled sand over Choux''s body and was gleefully molding it now into some sort of shape¡­ a mermaid''s body? Freya, my Alolan Ninetales, and Fia, my Flutter Mane, watched Lico work on his masterpiece, offering input now and then. I was so proud of how far Lico and Fia had come since first meeting them in Area Zero a few years ago. They used to be so unfriendly and more than a little savage, but they''d mellowed out significantly since then.

    In the distance, I made out Willow, my Mawile, showing off his gaping jaws to a group of wild Krabby. Next to him, Grima shook his head and wagged a disapproving finger. He smirked and flexed his arms, starting a competition where they tried to impress their audience more. Audi clapped her hands and cheered them on while Silque, my Hatterene, rolled her eyes at the showboating. Taffy, my Wigglytuff, giggled as he merrily splashed around in the water close by.

    I felt something nudge my leg and glanced down. It was Mem. The tiny Mimikyu floated up onto my shoulder and swayed from side to side, his yellow cloth tickling the side of my neck. Today he was wearing one with tiny blue hearts I''d sewn onto the fabric. He had more than a dozen different rags with varying patterns and colors I''d made for him that he liked to cycle through. Mem made a strange screeching sound I''d long since gotten used to and verbalized how pretty the view was.

    "It is, isn''t it?" I murmured, reaching up idly to pat Mem''s head. As he hopped a bit in joy, I stared out at the horizon.

    How many times had I sat on these shores before as a child and looked out over the ocean like this?

    Too many times to count, it seemed. I always came here whenever I needed to think. But now wasn''t a time for reminiscing about my childhood. Now, it was time to finally, really think about those damn papers.

    First, there was no way in hell I was relinquishing the Gym back to the League to pass off to someone else. The Cherrygrove Gym was our Gym. It had been in the family for generations, and I despised the League''s attitude toward minor gyms enough that I didn''t trust them to do a good enough job with it.

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    Similarly, the option of demolishing it like dad had so nonchalantly mentioned was completely off the table. The gym had too much history and too much hard work put into it. I still couldn''t believe dad had put that option there, but I guess he had just been trying to drive home the point that it was my responsibility now and that I could do whatever I wanted.

    There was also the choice of simply leaving the Gym there and letting it slowly fade into obscurity, but I found that¡­ sad. The idea of abandoning it just didn''t sit right with me, especially when memories of dad toiling away day and night to improve it flashed through my mind.

    That did leave me with one last option.

    I could take over as the next¡ª

    I rapidly shook my head, almost startling Mem into floating right off my shoulder. He tilted his head in confusion as I bit my lip.

    No. I wasn''t even going to finish that thought. It wasn''t a possibility worth entertaining. It just¡­ wouldn''t work.

    "I came here thinking I''d figure it all out, but somehow I''m more confused than ever," I muttered out loud. A long sigh dragged itself out of me, and Mem chittered in my ear telling me to cheer up.

    I donned a tired smile and gave him another pat on the head. The Mimikyu beamed before hopping off my shoulder and wandering off to go play with some of the other Pokemon. Vel took that chance to trot up to me with a knowing expression. Even without using his feelers, he knew me well enough to know what I was brooding over.

    "What do you think, Vel? What should I do with the Gym?" I sighed again, deciding to ask my oldest companion what he thought.

    A moment of silence passed, and then Vel tapped me in the arm insistently. He pointed with a feeler to somewhere out in the ocean by the cliffside. There was a place he wanted me to go. Now.

    I couldn''t remember for the life of me what was over there, but I nodded slowly. "Uh¡­ okay. Let''s go."

    I whistled to catch the attention of the closest transport Pokemon to me, which happened to be Arya. The Altaria swooped down in front of us gracefully and chirped a greeting. I explained to her that we needed a ride, and after Vel and I got on her back, she took off towards the ocean.

    The place Vel wanted to take me to was closer than it had originally seemed. Only two minutes into our leisurely flight, Vel suddenly told Arya to bank down and land below. I followed where his feeler was pointing to and felt my eyes widen.

    The place he indicated was a small hidden strip of grassy land between the trees on top of the cliffside. A small shore pressed up against the rocky base way below. As soon as Arya alighted on the grass, Vel jumped off immediately and trotted away. I got off Arya''s back more slowly, eyes still wide with realization as I gazed around me.

    "This is¡­" I trailed off, whispering. I''d been here before. A memory was tugging at the back of my mind, but I couldn''t quite grasp it.

    Vel barked to get my attention. I glanced over and saw that he was waiting at the base of a tree just up ahead. I jogged forward to meet him with Arya flying along after me.

    "Vel, what''s¡ª" I started to ask, but I stopped when Vel suddenly started to use Dig at the base of the tree. Not a full-on Dig, but he channeled enough Ground type energy to quickly scoop out the earth. Within seconds, he had dug far enough that he was satisfied and got out of the small hole he''d made. One of his feelers shot down into the hole and came back up with something wrapped in it. A brown box.

    A very familiar box.

    Vel shook it vigorously a few times to get rid of much of the dirt before presenting it to me. He asked me if I remembered now.

    "I¡­" My brows knitted in concentration as I took the box from him, eyes wandering over its weathered surface. Arya peered over my shoulder. With much curiosity, I opened the box.

    There was only one thing inside: a small green journal. The initials ''A.W.'' decorated the front cover.

    As soon as I saw it, that memory I couldn''t quite grasp before came back to me.

    "This is my journal," I realized out loud. Vel nodded in satisfaction, happy that I''d gotten it right.

    I recalled everything now. When I was younger, I had randomly thought how cool it would be to do a time capsule. I somehow convinced a wild Pidgeot to help me find a secret spot, and this was where he had taken me and Vel to. It had been the passing whim of a child. That was the only time I''d come here, and I''d forgotten about it soon after.

    This was what Vel had wanted to show me?

    I sat down on the grass with a loud thump and gingerly lifted the journal out of the box, setting the container aside. Vel and Arya huddled on either side of me. Without further ado, I opened the book and began to flip through the pages.

    Most of it contained entries like how much fun I''d had playing with the wild Pokemon, or things I wanted to do during the weekends in town, that kind of ordinary stuff. There were even some drawings I''d included of Pokemon sketches. Vel smiled when he saw one I''d made of him as an Eevee. A poor lookalike, but he appreciated the effort.

    I was halfway through the journal when I suddenly hit a blank page.

    "Huh?" I blinked in confusion.

    I flipped to the next page and paused. The entire sheet was taken up by the words ''GYM PLANNING'' written in fat green marker and then a drawing of me at the bottom with a Pokeball in hand. I couldn''t help but snort with laughter at the terrible rendition. When I turned to the following page, I saw it was filled entirely in text with some areas highlighted or otherwise marked up.

    "''For first-badge challengers, the most important thing is to test their knowledge of type matchups. Beginner trainers need to know this if they want to go far in their journey,''" I read the first two lines out loud. As I went down the page, I realized it was an entire list of information about how and what to test gym challengers on. All of it was stuff dad had shared with me during my successor training.

    I turned the page again, and again, and again. Each time I did, my heart beat a little quicker in my chest.

    Every single page was filled to the brim with notes I''d taken or my own thoughts about various topics related to the Gym. One section was about how best to take care of the Gym Pokemon and which ones were ready to move up to a different badge tier. Another was dedicated to suggestions I had for how to encourage more trainers to both visit the city and challenge the gym. There was even a page where I wrote my own guidelines for giving advice to trainers after their match.

    These were just a few of the countless things I''d written. The tone of these entries was vastly different compared to the first half of the journal. It was obvious how serious and determined I had been at the time.

    A surge of emotions rose up inside, threatening to overwhelm me.

    I swallowed dryly, ignoring them as I kept reading. I was too invested now to stop and try to think. There wasn''t much of the journal left. Eventually, I made it to the last page that had something on it. ''GOALS'' was clearly labeled at the top.

    I stared quietly at three sentences written in bold black marker.

    I WILL BE THE BEST GYM LEADER.

    I WILL PUT CHERRYGROVE CITY ON THE MAP.

    I WILL BECOME THE GREATEST SPECIALIST.

    For a long time, I just sat there and stared.

    Young me had been so incredibly passionate, so full of hope and ambitions for the future. I had seen it in every word I''d written, and it resonated deep within me. It shook me to my core.

    How could I have forgotten my love for the Gym?

    More importantly, when did I stop dreaming?

    I couldn''t remember the last time I''d really, truly wanted something so much that it consumed my very being. Yes, I had competed in and won a few Conferences and challenged Elite Fours and Champions, but those had just been short term milestones to gauge my team''s strength.

    And the jobs I had in Paldea were satisfying, but that was it. They kept me busy and gave me something to do on a day-to-day basis. If anything, I think the job I had taken as a part-time lecturer at Naranja-Uva Academy revealed a bit of what I really wanted in life.

    I liked teaching. I enjoyed helping aspiring trainers succeed on their own journeys. I wanted to be a role model for them and someone who could set them on the right path.

    I''d forgotten this after leaving Johto in such a mess.

    Dad had been a big part of the reason why I left, but I only now realized some of it had to do with me.

    I¡­ had been running away from the challenge.

    I had known what I wanted, but I hadn''t stayed and fought for it. Instead, I''d drifted from place to place and distracted myself with my journey.

    I knew the real reason now for why I had been so reluctant about giving the Gym away to strangers or letting it fade from existence, and why I''d reacted so strongly when dad gave me those papers for the Gym. There had always been a part of me that had known.

    I had just been too scared to admit it.

    Fairies shaped the world around them. I wanted to do the same.

    I was done running away.

    I finally looked up from the journal and closed it softly, tucking it away in my bag. My eyes found Vel''s. The Sylveon looked back at me silently, but I could see his lips curled into the smallest of smiles. I think he already knew what decision I''d come to.

    "Thanks for bringing me here, Vel. It was just what I needed," I said sincerely. I took a deep breath. "There''s something I need to tell you and the rest of the team. Also, I''m gonna need your help in a bit¡­"

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    I went back to the house after spending some more time on the beach with my Pokemon. Vel was right by my side. On the front porch, dad was sitting in a chair with a cup of tea in his hand. I was pleasantly surprised to see not only Meguri but the rest of dad''s main team in the front yard with him. It was good to see them again after so long.

    Ivy, a very old Venusaur with a few scars on his legs, was sunbathing with Meguri in a corner. Chomping on some Oran Berries nearby was dad''s Exeggutor, Ein, and watching him eat with a complicated expression was Sunny the Sunflora. Dad''s Jumpluff, Hop, floated high in the sky above everyone''s heads.

    A Bellossom which had been sitting on the table with dad suddenly jumped off and began scurrying toward me with eager cries, causing dad and the rest of the Pokemon to finally notice my arrival. I grinned and scooped the Grass type off the ground with my hands, lifting her high up into the air.

    "Good to see you too, Iris!" I told the last member of dad''s team. She giggled and waved her stubby arms around, delighting in the fact that she was so high up. I set her down soon after and caught up with the rest of dad''s Pokemon I hadn''t seen the day before.

    Then I crossed the steps of the front porch to where dad was waiting for me. There was something I needed to do.

    "Good morning, Arin. How was the beach?" Dad asked conversationally, setting his empty teacup down.

    "Just like how I remembered it, but even better," I said with a smile. Dad looked pleased. "My Pokemon had a lot of fun."

    "Glad to hear it."

    He started to get up from his seat, but my next words caused dad to freeze halfway.

    "Dad, I''d like to have a serious Pokemon battle with you. A one-on-one with our starters."

    He stared at me with a very surprised expression as he rose fully from his seat. "Er, this is quite sudden," he confessed. "What brought this on?"

    "Well¡­ it just kind of occurred to me that we''ve never had the chance to battle each other before," I said truthfully. The words ''before we had that massive fight'' went unspoken but were clearly understood. "It''s something I dreamed about a lot as a kid. Would you mind humoring your son''s request?"

    Dad stared at me. Eventually, he nodded. "Of course, Arin. I don''t mind, and I don''t think Meguri will either. Let''s head to the back for this." He leaned slightly over the porch, angling his head outwards. "Meguri, Arin and Vel want to battle us!"

    That immediately caught the sunbathing giant''s attention. Gold eyes snapped wide open as the Meganium rose to his feet, eyeing me and Vel with interest before starting to trudge to the back. Dad and I followed with the rest of the Pokemon.

    Before long, we took up positions on opposite sides of a dirt field. Dad watched first with interest, then astonishment, as I released the rest of my Pokemon to allow them to spectate. Dad''s Pokemon looked quite curious as well, especially with so many species in front of them that they hadn''t ever seen before. I made a note to finally introduce everyone after our fight.

    Dad had his Exeggutor put up several layers of psychic energy around the field to prevent damage to the surrounding areas and spectators. I knew I could trust in the shield''s strength since it was coming from an Elite tier Pokemon. Meanwhile, standing in front of us were our starters.

    I had brought up the idea of battling dad to Vel back near the beach, and he had been on board with it. Vel glanced back at me briefly looking remarkably composed, and I knew he was, but I also knew what was hiding underneath that almost eerie calm. After all, it surged within me during battles, too.

    Violence dwelled within all fairies. It was as much a part of them as their loveableness. Both were sides of the same coin.

    On the other side of the field, Meguri stood in all his glory. With a whopping seven foot tall stature, he vastly dwarfed Vel''s figure and was considered a giant for his species. He had helped me and Vel train occasionally when I was younger and been both a friend and a teacher.

    Now, he looked at us as equals and roared out a challenge. Vel did not reply verbally, but he did dip his head in acknowledgement.

    I turned my gaze upon dad. He looked sharper than he ever had. Despite his age and the slight shaking of his right arm, he looked every bit as the dignified, imposing figure of the Cherrygrove Gym Leader in the memories of my youth. We locked eyes and nodded at each other. Even from this distance, I could see the excitement on his face and knew I probably looked the same.

    I clenched and unclenched a fist at my side, exhaling lightly. I was confident Vel and I would win, but it was not going to be easy. Out of all Dad''s Elite tier Pokemon, Meguri was the strongest by leaps and bounds and could probably give even a Champion''s Pokemon a run for their money. We were also facing one of the greatest Grass Type Specialists even among those I''d met abroad. Dad and Meguri were going to make us work for a win.

    Ivy the Venusaur stood near the middle of the outfield with one vine raised in the air. Dad and I held our breaths and waited.

    With a deep bellow, Ivy swung his vine down in a sharp motion.

    The battle began.

 Chapter 5 â€” To Dream

    CHAPTER 5 ¡ª To Dream

    Our Pokemon jumped into action without us having to say anything.

    Pink mist exploded outwards from Vel''s feet and covered every inch of the field in a Misty Terrain. At the same time, blades of grass suddenly popped up on the ground around Meguri and multiplied outwards rapidly.

    "Keep it at bay," I ordered.

    Vel snarled at the sea of grass spreading underneath the cloud of shimmering dust. He wasn''t going to allow it to encroach further on the domain of a fairy. His eyes glowed as he willed the world to bend to him.

    The mist across the field thickened at once and pressed down, smothering the grass underneath with its oppressive presence. The half-formed Grassy Terrain trembled violently and started to disappear in small spots. Meguri roared furiously and channeled more of his energy to regrow the grass, but even then, the two Terrains were locked in a standstill.

    Dad frowned and switched tactics.

    "Sunny Day," he barked.

    Meguri let go of his hold on the grass to throw an orb of light into the sky, making the sun''s rays bear down more harshly on us. Dad warily eyed the pink mist brushing up against his starter''s legs. He''d never seen Misty Terrain before, so he didn''t know what it did.

    I had won control over the field for the time being, but now I had to contend with what I knew were incoming boosted Solar Beams. It was a decent trade. Grassy Terrain needed to be out of the picture for as long as possible.

    I had seen what kind of stuff Meguri could do with it in the past, and it was always very, very bad for the challenger.

    "Poison Blizzard, then Energy Ball!" Dad called out as soon as the Sunny Day had fully materialized. Dozens of petals with a purple sheen materialized around Meguri and surged forward.

    "Swift and Quick Attack. Stay on the move," I said quickly.

    Stars infused with fairy energy appeared above Vel''s head and flew off, meeting the leaves head-on in colorful collisions. Meanwhile, Vel darted around in quick bursts of energy. Orbs of crackling green energy came soaring one after another in his direction, each leaving craters in the earth where Vel once stood.

    New sets of petals flew in Vel''s direction, and he was forced to constantly weave around to avoid Energy Balls while firing back Pixilate-boosted Swift barrages at the Petal Blizzard. Vel would have had an easier time if he had been able to hide in the mist like I''d originally planned, but the light of Sunny Day pierced through it too much for that to be viable.

    More and more petals managed to find Vel through all the chaos and cut into his fur, drawing blood, but he braved on. I saw dad''s face contort slightly in surprise before he smoothed it back out. If I had to guess, he was surprised by the fact that Vel didn''t seem to be poisoned. Poison Blizzard had sounded like a custom move where Meguri coated the flowers from Petal Blizzard with Poison Powder.

    If I was right, then it was even more of a good thing we had Misty Terrain up at the moment.

    Vel wasn''t the only one gradually taking damage from our little throwing contest. Some stars from Vel''s Swift found their mark through the floral storm and slashed Meguri''s skin in various places.

    My eyes narrowed in concentration. I just knew dad was waiting for a gap to hit us with Solar Beam. I had an idea of what he was planning, and I needed to bait him.

    I swept an arm forward.

    "Wish!"

    Vel let one last Swift sail through the air before he paused in place. A twinkling star of a different kind of energy slowly formed over his head as he concentrated. The latest wave of Petal Blizzard cut him in the process.

    "Beam!" Dad yelled, seeing the opportunity I''d intentionally given him. I clenched my fist at my side. I trusted that Vel would be able to dodge on time.

    Meguri stopped his previous onslaught as the petals around his neck glowed. In an instant, a humongous beam of light mixed with green flew from his mouth. Vel narrowly finished crafting the Wish and dove to the side. The beam sailed harmlessly past and went straight into the barrier''s wall, causing it to fracture and shake wildly. Dad''s Exeggutor calmly patched it up.

    But that wasn''t the end of it.

    "Again!" Dad ordered, and Meguri was more than happy to comply. Another near-instantaneous Solar Beam shot towards Vel.

    "Hyper Beam! Match it!" I said sharply. "Get in closer."

    A pink beam shot out from Vel''s mouth to meet the incoming ray of light, shaking the field with the ensuing explosion from their collision.

    Meguri shot off more Solar Beams like it was nobody''s business thanks to the power of the sun, but Vel matched him one-for-one with his own beams as he ran forward with the aid of Quick Attacks. He managed to outmaneuver Meguri at one point and nailed him right in the chest with a Hyper Beam, but the Meganium stood tall. I waited until Vel got within perfect striking distance.

    "Ensnare! Play Rough!"

    Ribbons shot forward and wrapped around Meguri''s entire body, including his mouth before he could form another Solar Beam. The Meganium''s eyes glazed over momentarily as Vel weakened his fighting spirit through the power of his ribbons.

    Vel took that chance to launch himself forward. Paws infused with fairy energy viciously hammered against the Grass type over and over as if he was a ragdoll.

    "Body Slam!" Dad roared, and Meguri answered with one of his own as he slammed against the ground with Vel pinned in between. He moved to do it again, but Vel quickly loosened his ribbons and jumped back. His body had a big new bruise. Meguri fired a Solar Beam at his retreating back.

    "Detect then Hyper Voice!" I said sharply.

    Vel was one step ahead of me, eyes glowing brightly as he whipped around and dodged the beam with ease. Before Meguri could get another one off, Vel opened his mouth and screamed.

    Huge sound waves tinged with pink slammed into Meguri. They were powerful enough that the heavy Pokemon actually stumbled backwards, disoriented. He roared in pain from both the noise and the impact. Even I couldn''t stand Hyper Voice''s volume.

    At least it was muted slightly for people outside the barrier. Inside, Meguri was taking the brunt of it.

    Vel kept the Hyper Voice going, but Dad wasn''t having any of it.

    "Solar Beam, Meguri!"

    Even though he was still half-disoriented from the Hyper Voice, Meguri stood his ground and released a perfectly aimed beam of light. It slammed into Vel and knocked him clean off his feet, ending the Hyper Voice.

    "Use Synthesis," Dad said immediately when Vel hit the floor. I gritted my teeth as Meguri''s petals glowed and he began healing under the rejuvenating rays of the sun.

    "Dazzling Gleam! Interrupt it! Then follow up with Moonblast!" I ordered.

    Vel didn''t even bother getting up fully from the ground as he hissed. Light rushed outwards from his body in one big blinding wave and slammed into Meguri mere seconds into the Grass type''s attempt to heal. The Meganium reared up from the pain as his petals abruptly stopped glowing. His eyes were closed shut.

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    Vel finally leaped up into an upright position, his fur still a smoking mess from the previous Solar Beam he''d taken. The illusion of a pale moon rose up behind him as he gathered a swirling mass of pink energy and fired it without delay.

    Meguri didn''t have a chance to react. The Moonblast exploded against his side and burned some skin off, and he had to dig his feet into the ground in order to not topple over.

    When he raised his head and I saw glowing eyes, not to mention the greenish aura which suddenly appeared around his body, I knew the battle was entering stage two.

    Overgrow had come into play.

    Dad grinned when he saw his starter''s appearance. "Petal Dance, then Sunny Day again."

    I frowned. Meguri had a few moves that he specialized in, and Petal Dance was one of them. "Push back with Hyper Voice!"

    An absolute maelstrom of petals was already unleashed by the time I finished. The piercing sound waves Vel produced were able to push it back, but there were just too many petals. Half swerved around and mobbed him from behind, littering his body with even more bloody cuts. The sun burned just a little brighter for a moment as Sunny Day was renewed.

    The Wish Vel used earlier finally came back down and entered his body, restoring some health, but that was when things went from bad to worse.

    While Vel was getting overwhelmed by the Petal Blizzard, the Misty Terrain around the field started fading. Meguri didn''t miss this window of opportunity.

    He bellowed.

    Grass boosted by Overgrow shot forth from the ground in waves, and this time, Vel couldn''t stop the Grassy Terrain.

    I knew what was about to happen, and I braced myself.

    "BUBBLE! GET BACK!" I roared.

    Trees shot out of the ground even before I finished. Yes, entire trees that eventually became a whole damn forest. It was purely Meguri''s mastery over Grass type energy that allowed him to manipulate plants to his will at the highest level. It didn''t help that the stacked effects of Grassy Terrain, Overgrow, and Sunny Day were enabling him to grow so much so fast.

    There was nowhere to run. Lush grass had overtaken the entire field, and the tree branches curled outwards menacingly.

    Meguri had full reign over the field now.

    Vel barely had time to weave fairy energy into the air around his body when trees everywhere suddenly lurched, hurling glowing leaves at him. Razor and Magical Leaf.

    The trees could attack, too.

    None of the leaves actually hit Vel, though. They crashed into the air just inches from his body instead, which visibly rippled with every impact.

    If the Grass type was centered around growth and propagation, then the Fairy type was centered around belief and perception. Fairies used their belief to shape the world around them, much like Vel was doing now. He had created a so-called bubble of influence around himself and was willing the attacks to not reach him.

    Meguri groaned as he swayed a bit from side to side. The earlier Petal Dance had left him feeling some confusion as an aftereffect. Vel bunched his legs in preparation to dart away, but the grass at his feet writhed and wrapped around his limbs, holding him in place. His ribbons lashed out like blades around him, but no matter how he hacked and sliced at the grass, it grew back before he could tear himself away.

    This was not good. Any second now, Meguri might snap back to his senses¡ª

    "Frenzy Plant," Dad ordered quietly with gleaming eyes. Meguri was still confused, but he managed to bring himself out of it long enough to concentrate. I grimaced but kept my cool.

    "PROTECT!" I said loudly. Vel threw up the move just before the earth split open.

    Gigantic roots with thorns ripped themselves out of the ground and lashed out violently, each with the force of a truck behind them. They slammed against Vel''s Protect without mercy, and it already gained a small crack. I knew neither the Protect or Vel''s earlier fairy coating would hold for long, especially when the surrounding trees started shooting leaves again to add to the onslaught.

    I came to a decision instantly.

    "Calm Mind into Moonblast, Gravity version," I said. "Make it a big one."

    Vel immediately glowed as he focused his mind, ignoring the roots and leaves aiming for him from all sides. I eyed Meguri''s form on the field. He had snapped out of his confusion, but his head hung low as he took deep breaths. He had to recharge after unleashing an attack as powerful as Frenzy Plant. We needed to finish this before then.

    Crack.

    Vel''s Protect finally buckled underneath the weight of everything being thrown against it. There was still the fairy bubble around him for protection, but there were only so many attacks it could wink out of existence. It shimmered away right as Vel began charging up a gigantic Moonblast in his mouth. Countless roots and leaves slammed into him. Any other Trainer might have panicked, but I stayed calm. Vel wasn''t my starter nor one of my defensive powerhouses for no reason.

    And to answer my strong belief, the Sylveon stood his ground defiantly, tanking the blows without so much as blinking. He was ready to show a fraction of the true power a fairy could wield. The Moonblast was finally released.

    It howled.

    Tendrils of light writhed around the mesmerizing orb Vel had crafted. It was a force of nature in itself. Like the moon, it pulled everything in towards it as it flew along.

    The lush Terrain fell apart in an instant as grass disintegrated in the wind. All the trees were ripped right out of the ground from the gravitational pull and slammed together as they swirled around in the air. It was like the forest had never been there in the first place.

    Nothing could stop the Moonblast''s destructive path as it tore a path down the middle.

    Meguri was pulled right into its waiting embrace. His harrowing scream filled the air as the Moonblast popped against him, creating an explosion so large that the smoke took up nearly half the entire field.

    I squinted as I stared into the smoke, trying to see if Meguri was still standing. I knew from what I''d seen earlier that Vel was still in good enough condition to keep fighting despite having taken on a Solar Beam, Frenzy Plant, and everything else. We would claim victory no matter what.

    The haze finally cleared enough for me to make out two forms. One was Vel standing with an alert expression. Further down the field from him was Meguri.

    Much to my surprise, the Meganium was still on his feet. I was about to issue an order for another Moonblast, but there was no need in the end. Meguri groaned and collapsed into a heap on the floor. I let out a quiet sigh.

    It was over.

    We''d defeated dad and Meguri.

    There were resounding cheers from our spectators as dad and I quickly walked forward to check on our Pokemon. Vel barked happily at me as I reached down and pulled him in for a hug, whispering praises for how well he''d fought. I glanced over quickly to see how Meguri was doing. The Meganium was still conscious, but he was too tired to get up from the ground. Dad told him something that made the Grass type smile.

    Today, we had achieved one of our childhood dreams. We had defeated our role models.

    It brought a sense of wistfulness, but it also reaffirmed something for me.

    I stood back up when I saw dad walking over. He stopped in front of me and held out a hand. Pride glittered in his eyes.

    "That was probably the most fun battle I''ve ever had, and I''m not being biased," Dad confessed. "You and your Pokemon have truly become forces to reckon with, Arin. I''m so proud of you."

    My heart swelled as I grasped dad''s hand and shook it. "That¡­ means a lot to me. Thanks, dad."

    We shared soft smiles as we retracted our hands. Vel padded over to talk to Meguri after the fight, but I stayed where I was.

    I looked dad in the eye.

    "There''s something I need to tell you," I told him, and I took a deep breath.

    "I''m going to become the next Cherrygrove Gym Leader."

    Dad''s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but I wasn''t done talking yet.

    "I''m going to surpass you," I announced with a smile that grew by the second. "I''m going to become the best gym leader that Cherrygrove has ever seen¡ª no¡­ that the world has ever seen. I''m going to make people remember the name Arin Watanuki."

    A warm, tingly feeling spread throughout my chest with every word I spoke. Everything just sounded and felt right to me, like missing puzzle pieces finally dropping into place. "I''m not taking over the gym out of guilt or pressure, dad. No, this is a dream I''ve had for a long time and am only now finally chasing again."

    I paused, staring into dad''s eyes, and tapped my chest lightly with a closed fist. "I''m sorry, but I can''t and will not follow your footsteps, dad. I can''t run a Grass type Cherrygrove Gym."

    My eyes hardened with determination.

    "But I will become the greatest Fairy Specialist, and I will turn this place into the most famous Fairy Gym. That is my promise to both me and you, and the path I have chosen to walk on from today onward."

    Dad''s face had been morphing constantly between different states of emotion during my speech, but now he just looked at me calmly. I waited almost anxiously for him to say something, anything.

    And he did.

    "The path you''ve chosen for yourself will be full of strife," Dad began slowly. I held my breath. "I can''t say much about the rest of the world, but at least in Kanto-Johto, people are usually adverse to great change. They fear the unknown. Those high up in power cling to tradition like a lifeline. They won''t look kindly upon the idea of a Fairy Gym. There are going to be many, many obstacles in your path on the way to the top."

    He looked right at me. "Will you still choose that path for yourself in spite of all this, Arin?"

    I didn''t hesitate. My gaze was resolute as a single word came out of my mouth.

    "Yes."

    Everything dad said had been right, but I wasn''t scared. This was what I wanted and had chosen for myself, and I was going to fight for it.

    No more running away.

    Dad smiled, nodding his head in approval as he placed a warm hand on my shoulder.

    "If this is what you want to do, then go for it. I believe in you, Arin, and I''ll offer my support every step of the way," he promised in a soft voice.

    I couldn''t help it. My voice choked a bit with emotion as I placed a hand on top of his. "Thank you, dad."

    I don''t think I ever could have imagined a day like this before, one where I announced my firm decision to run a Fairy Gym, or where dad gave me his full support and blessings for what I wanted to do. I was sure I was going to remember today for the rest of my life.

    The future was uncertain. I didn''t know what exactly was waiting for me on the path I''d chosen.

    But I did know at least one thing here and now.

    Everything that had happened in my life so far ¡ª both the good and the bad ¡ª had led me here to this moment.

    The moment where I began to dream again.

 Chapter 6

    CHAPTER 6

    I introduced dad and his Pokemon to the rest of my team (most of my Pokemon were polite, though a few gave dad stink eyes until I chided them) and asked Audi to look over our injured Pokemon. Then I whisked dad away to the living room and had him sit down. We had a lot to discuss.

    Now that I had decided to become the next Gym Leader, there was a Tauros load of things that needed to be done.

    "Dad, when''s the deadline for the test to change our Gym status to a major gym?" I asked immediately. "I''m going to apply for it, obviously. I won''t allow the Cherrygrove Gym to remain a minor one any longer. I''m going to make sure we stand on equal footing with the rest of the Johto Gyms."

    Dad''s hesitation in answering raised alarm bells in my head.

    "April the first," he finally said.

    In Johto, the League Circuit ran from August to April with the Silver Conference being held in the first two weeks of May. The second half of May through July was the off-season.

    Currently, we were about to enter the second week of March.

    ¡­That left me only two weeks to prepare for the test.

    I groaned, slapping a hand to my forehead. Only two weeks to prepare for a test that would determine the standing of the Gym and the future direction it would take.

    Right from the start, I had my back up against the wall.

    "Do you know what the test will entail?" I asked, trying not to freak out more than I already was.

    "They said it would be a practical exam similar to the annual gym audit. I was told to bring my Elite team and a selection of gym Pokemon for first badge, second badge, and fifth badge challenges, and they would test my ability to conduct battles properly," Dad replied instantly this time.

    I nodded in relief, glad that the test was pretty standard at least. The part about bringing your Elite team made me a bit suspicious, but I put it aside for now.

    The badge levels mentioned in the test were all important milestones in a trainer''s journey through the League Circuit. The first badge was pretty obvious for the reason that it was the first obstacle a beginner trainer had to pass. The most important thing was to test the challenger''s understanding of type matchups. A little over half the trainers every year were usually able to obtain the first badge with the rest unable to go further.

    The second badge slightly ramped up in difficulty. Challengers were expected to have a better grasp on what they were doing with one badge already in their possession. At the fifth badge level, the difficulty spiked yet again. With half of the badges needed for the Conference under a trainer''s belt, they were fully expected to know what they were doing at this point and be able to think more on their feet. Mistakes would be punished more harshly.

    Finally, although it wasn''t going to be a part of the test I''d take, the eighth badge level was the last difficulty spike. Gym Leaders went hard on challengers. They needed to weed out who was and was not worthy enough to stand on the grand stage known as the Silver Conference at the end of the season. For that reason, some Gym Leaders even studied up on who they fought and used specific Pokemon to give their opponents more of a challenge. The eighth-badge level tested everything that trainers learned over the course of their journey.

    I wasn''t worried about the battle portion of the test. I still remembered everything dad had taught me during my successor training back then, not to mention I had some firsthand teaching experience from Naranja-Uva Academy over the last four years. I knew what to test young trainers on.

    What I was worried about, however, were the gym Pokemon themselves.

    I had none.

    Getting appropriate Pokemon for the first and second badge trials was fine because I could just catch any low-level wild Fairy type Pokemon to train. They wouldn''t require much training to reach the strength needed for those tiers, just a few days to a week max of work.

    The real problem was getting Pokemon appropriate for the fifth badge level.

    Training some low-level wild Pokemon from scratch for that was going to be harder. Even with my Ability and expertise on Fairy types, it would be a bit of a stretch to bring them up to speed in just two weeks. There was always the option of finding wild Pokemon whose strength was closer to the threshold I needed so that it took less time to train them up, but it would take more time and effort to specifically look for those.

    These were only the Pokemon I needed to acquire and train for the parameters of the test. Gym Leaders usually had dozens of Pokemon at their disposal for every single badge tier to rotate between challenges. Even after passing the promotion test, I''d need to catch and train enough Pokemon before the next Circuit started, which was in less than half a year.

    I almost felt like a Psyduck with a headache coming on.

    Dad noticed my distress and fidgeted in his seat. "Arin¡­ since I''m technically still the Gym Leader right now, if you want, I could visit the League and try to appeal for a deadline extension¡ª"

    "No, it''s okay," I said instantly with a shake of my head. "I appreciate the offer, dad, but I don''t think it would work. The League hasn''t shown much favor to minor gyms before, and I don''t think they will any time soon. It''d be a waste of time. I''m pretty sure I can do this."

    They weren''t empty words. I just needed to tackle things one by one. First was the short term goal: acquire and train Pokemon for the test in two weeks. Second was the long term goal: collect Pokemon to fill in the rest of the badge challenge roster by August. It was doable.

    I paused in horror as something suddenly dawned on me. Why didn''t I think of it sooner?! "Oh Arceus. Dad, um, am I still able to apply for the test if I change the gym type? The qualifications were technically obtained based on your achievements of managing the gym under the Grass specialty."

    Dad paused at that, too. He didn''t say anything, but he stared at me with a similar look of alarm.

    Simultaneously, we snatched our phones out of our pockets and frantically looked up the League rules concerning gyms.

    After almost ten minutes of scrolling and frenzied reading, we had our answer. Article 91 had exactly a few lines pertaining to our dilemma.

    "''A minor gym''s specialty may be changed at the discretion of the Gym Leader and does not need to be approved by the League,''" I read out loud, and I skipped over a few lines to more relevant information. "Any changes in the ownership or gym''s specialty between the time of qualification and the promotion test is allowed so long as the new head of the gym is part of the previous head''s immediate family.''"

    Dad and I both visibly sagged with relief. We were in the clear.

    "Okay, next order of business," I said with a snap of my fingers. "The Gym. I need to hire construction workers now if I want to get it done in time. It''s not in the best condition at the moment, and it''s also going to need to be changed to better suit the image of a Fairy Gym."

    "Do you have any idea what you want it to look like¡ª"

    "I do." I smiled, handing dad a sheet of paper. He unfolded it and stared at the very professional looking drawing there, then lifted his head and arched a delicate eyebrow at me.

    "Two questions, son. First, how did you get so good at drawing? Second, when did you even get this done?" he asked, completely bewildered. He and I were both well-aware of the fact that I wasn''t exactly the best at drawing (though I had improved some in recent years). I smiled sheepishly.

    "Today," I said in response to the second question. "Er, do you remember Silque, that tall pink-and-blue colored Pokemon with the hat I introduced you to earlier? She''s very proficient with psychic powers, and her main hobby is drawing. I asked her to draw this for me based on verbal descriptions and the mental image I was crafting in my mind that I gave her access to. She''s talented, right?"

    Dad stared at me in shock and nodded slowly. "Uh¡­ yes. Quite talented. Please tell her I said so later. But Arin?" He tapped the paper twice, voice full of apprehension. "Judging by what I see here and the notes you''ve jotted down on the side, it''s going to be very expensive. Do you have the funds for this?"

    I nodded. "I''m quite rich, dad. I''ve saved up a lot of money over the years from my travels from winning Conferences, tournaments, and at times even utilizing my Ability to assist with important Pokemon research. I do spend a lot of money to take care of my team''s needs, but aside from that, most of the money''s just sitting there gaining dust. I''d be happy to finally make use of it now to create my dream gym."

    I looked at dad. He''d given me his support, but¡­ "Are you okay with my renovation plans?" I asked carefully. The Cherrygrove Gym had been in the family for a long time, and I was planning on a significant makeover. I wasn''t going to be surprised if dad had complicated emotions over it.

    He simply waved a hand in dismissal. "I already gave you my blessings for everything regarding the Gym, Arin. Don''t worry about me," he chuckled. I stared at him, only nodding once I was sure he was being honest.

    Clearing my throat, I quickly moved on to another topic. This one was not as pressing as the other issues and would only be more important after the test deadline, but I still needed to keep it in mind going forward.

    "Next, I''m going to need gym employees. I''ll need to hire receptionists and security guards and the like, but most importantly, Gym Trainers," I said seriously.

    A Gym Leader could not run a gym by themselves. It was just impossible.

    Every year, thousands of trainers signed up for the Circuit which translated to daily challenges. With most of a Gym Leader''s time being taken up by gym battles, it fell to gym trainers to help manage other aspects of the gym such as feeding the gym Pokemon and keeping them in shape. In return, they received several benefits such as being able to directly learn from a Gym Leader as well as a salary and room and board.

    Gym trainers were also instrumental to one of the types of challenges a gym could give: the gauntlet. A challenger needed to win a series of battles against gym trainers before they could face the Gym Leader at the end. Back when the wilds were more dangerous, the gauntlet challenge was actually the standard that all trainers were required to face in gyms. The League wanted to ensure that trainers knew how to handle long and tough fights if they ever ran into such a situation during their travels.

    Nowadays, facing the Gym Leader right away was the norm with the gauntlet being optional. That was how it was for the rest of the world, but in Kanto-Johto where emphasis was placed on tradition, there were still many trainers who took on the gauntlet for its prestige.

    Finding gym trainers for my Fairy Gym was going to be hard considering my lack of fame within Johto and the fact that the Fairy type had only been introduced recently to the Kinjoh Area. Most prospective gym trainers wanted to study under specific Gym Leaders who either had lots of experience, therefore having deep wealths of knowledge to learn from, or who had a type specialty that aligned with members of their own team. Trainers also considered the prestige that came with working for a well-known Gym Leader. They looked at all of these factors to make the job worth their time.

    There weren''t a lot of Fairy types native to Kanto-Johto that people could catch, so that significantly reduced the number of people who would be interested, and while I was perhaps more widely known through Conferences and tournaments in the other half of the world, I was basically unknown in Johto.

    I frowned, drumming my fingers against my leg thoughtfully. "Getting staff can wait until after I pass the promotion test," I mused out loud. Yes, ''after'' I passed and not ''if.'' I was completely confident in my abilities. "Maybe I''ll do a press conference to let people know about me and the Gym. Then I can send out hiring ads¡­"

    "Oh, Arin," Dad began suddenly, making me turn curiously toward him. "I know one person who you might be interested in hiring as a trainer for your gym. Remember how I said all but one of my Gym Trainers left after I told them about my situation? Neil''s still around. He checks up on me and the Gym occasionally to make sure there aren''t any issues. He might be willing to help out with your Fairy Gym."

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I blinked a few times in surprise. Neil was a few years older than dad and had been appointed as his Head Gym Trainer six months after dad took over the Gym. That meant he''d stayed on for almost three whole decades, the epitome of loyalty.

    I remembered him best as a man with a boisterous laugh and a big heart. He was one of dad''s closest friends. He''d always been very nice to me as a child and even helped me get out of trouble with dad on a few occasions, every time with a wink on his face as he shooed me away from the scene.

    I smiled fondly at the memories. Here was one bit of welcome news at least.

    "I''m assuming he still lives in Cherrygrove with his family then?" I asked just to make sure, and dad responded with a grunt of affirmation. "Perfect. I''ll reach out to him after I get back."

    "Are you going back to Paldea to sort things out there?" Dad guessed. He''d hit the nail on the head.

    "Yep. I need to get my belongings and explain things to my employers and friends," I nodded. "I''ll probably leave tonight after I let Zuri rest a bit. My plan is to finish everything in Paldea in one day and fly back again during the night, so I''ll be back the morning after tomorrow, dad."

    Even though I knew Zuri would be okay with it, I felt bad already for all the flying I''d be asking the Dragonite to do. She''d be making multiple trips halfway across the world in the span of just a few days.

    Sadly, I was on a time crunch with the promotion test. I needed to make the most of my very limited time.

    Dad nodded. "I''ll make dinner early tonight then. Chicken cutlet with curry, your favorite," he said but paused, suddenly unsure as he looked at me. "Is¡­ is that your favorite still?"

    I nodded slowly. "It is," I confirmed. We looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before dad cleared his throat, getting up from his seat.

    "I''ll go tend to the gardens out back for a bit. See you later, son," he murmured softly. I watched him shuffle away with a mix of emotions. More awkward moments like these were bound to happen in the future as we reconnected.

    Now wasn''t the time to dwell on my newly repaired relationship with dad, though. Like I''d mentioned before, there was seriously a Taurus load of things to do.

    Arceus, I felt like tearing my hair out already from the anxiety.

    Deep breaths, Arin, I told myself as I inhaled and exhaled. One step at a time. Shaking my head, I dug around in my bag and pulled out my laptop, setting it on the chipped coffee table in front of me.

    First order of business: renovating the Gym. Right now, it was still a mess.

    I immediately looked up construction companies with a good reputation in Johto. Once I had compiled a decent list, I began researching each individual one more thoroughly. Eventually, I narrowed it down to three choices: Amir & Campbell, Westwind Construction, and Blossom Hall.

    Amir & Campbell was a new but quickly growing company based in Goldenrod City. They were known for how fast and efficiently they worked, which was something I wanted. Their latest project was a new shopping mall in Goldenrod''s northern district.

    Westwind Construction was located all the way over in Olivine City, and it was the oldest and most famous company of the three I''d picked. They took care of almost all major construction projects in the western corner of Johto and had recently renovated ports in both Cianwood and Olivine.

    Finally, Blossom Hall was actually a local construction company found right here in Cherrygrove. It was smaller than the other two businesses, but it matched Westwind Construction in terms of age. They had never done any major projects outside of Cherrygrove City or New Bark Town, but I liked what I did see from their mostly local work. I briefly wondered if this was the company dad had hired for the previous work on the gym before he gave up.

    The first two companies were a bit too far away for my liking. I didn''t mind paying transportation costs, but it''d take too long for them to get here.

    That only left Blossom Hall.

    I contacted them right away, asking if I could come in for a same-day consultation. The receptionist told me yes.

    Zuri needed to rest for the flight in the evening, so I wasn''t going to fly with her now. All of my Pokemon including Vel were lounging around the yard or backyard in various states of relaxation. I grabbed my stuff, ran out the front door, and yelled for my second fastest flier. Peri dove down and landed in front of me, chirping a greeting.

    "To the city, bud. I have business there," I told the Togekiss as I hopped on. I''d barely grabbed onto his fluffy fur before Peri shot back into the air. I grinned as the world flew by past us. As we approached the city, I finally got my first good look of it in the daytime.

    The city was much more lively now that people were awake and up and about. I could make out tiny figures walking and bicycling down the streets and idly wondered if anyone I knew was among them. Cherrygrove was a weird mix of modern buildings with a rustic charm and older, more traditional houses, but I liked it. The best part was obviously the hundreds of flowering cherry trees that grew both within the city itself and around its edges. From high above, it looked like a sea of pink as trees swayed in the wind and petals danced through the warm spring air.

    I really didn''t understand why our city wasn''t more famous. I might have been a bit biased as a local, but Cherrygrove was quite beautiful.

    I had Peri take me to the address I''d memorized in advance. He landed in front of 51 Galora Street without a sound, appearing so quickly and silently that he actually scared some people walking by. I hopped off Peri''s back, ignoring the curious stares being sent our way. Peri chirped to let me know he''d be nearby before flying back up into the sky.

    In front of me was a big building covered with strips of cherry timber and a roof inlaid with deep red tiles. A pink sign hung above the doorway that read BLOSSOM HALL in large black letters.

    I headed inside without delay. After checking in at the counter, I was escorted to a small and tidy meeting room that smelled strongly of coffee. There were two couches on either side of a long table with a potted plant on it. I sat down on one and waited.

    Moments later, a lanky man with tousled brown hair bustled through the door and sat down across from me.

    "Hello! I''m Eric Sanders, the company president. Please feel free to just call me Eric. I heard you''re here for a consultation," he said, introducing himself to me with a bright expression.

    "Thank you for accommodating me on such short notice. I appreciate it," I replied with a smile. His cheer was a bit infectious. "It''s nice to meet you Eric, I''m Arin Watanuki. I''m looking to get the Cherrygrove Gym renovated. Please have a look at this paper, it has a drawing of what I have in mind."

    I held said article out to him but had to pause in place awkwardly. Eric sat frozen in his seat with his mouth hanging open.

    "Excuse me, but¡­ your name. Are¡ª Are you related to Gym Leader Adriel?" he stammered, clearly confused.

    "I am," I said smoothly. "His son, in fact. Also, my dad isn''t the Gym Leader anymore. I took over today¡ª well, at least not officially yet." I''d put my signature on the ownership change form already, but dad and I would need to go to the League another day to show them our updated documents as well as apply for the promotion test.

    At this point Eric''s mouth was hanging wider than a Magikarp''s, and I had to refrain from chuckling at the sight. Was it that shocking? Then again, I hadn''t been around in ten years.

    Eric finally snapped his mouth shut and blinked rapidly. "My apologies for being so surprised, Mr. Watanuki¡ª"

    "Arin is fine," I told him, and the man blinked a few more times again.

    "Gym Leader Arin," he settled on, and I couldn''t deny the thrill I felt at being addressed like that. It wasn''t official yet, but it would be soon. "It''s just¡­ wow. Gym Leader Adriel ¡ª sorry, your father ¡ª told everyone you had left on a journey. We were starting to wonder if you''d ever come back, and you did. Here you are now as the new Gym Leader!" He paused, enthusiasm dying down as he lowered his head slightly. "Is your father doing better now? When he closed the Gym a couple months back and had us halt all work on the gym, he said it was because of health issues and told us not to worry."

    I took this information in silently. My previous guess about dad hiring Blossom Hall before had been right. It looked like dad had kept our family matters private which I appreciated, but he''d also kept his own illness a secret from the townspeople.

    "He is," I said, deciding to respect dad''s wishes. I didn''t like lying, and I wasn''t. He felt emotionally better after seeing me, so it was technically the truth. "And it''s fine. If I was in your shoes, I''d be pretty surprised to see my sudden appearance, too."

    I cleared my throat, wiggling the paper slightly. All this time, I''d kept holding it out to Eric and now my arm was starting to feel sore. "Er, I''m sorry. I''d love to chat more, but this is a bit of an urgent project."

    Eric''s eyes flew wide open as his eyes finally locked onto the piece of paper I was giving him. "Oh! So terribly sorry, you''re right. Let me take a look at this," he said apologetically as he took the paper from me.

    I sighed a bit inwardly, relieved that my arm was finally free. Meanwhile, Eric scanned the paper with an impressed look. "Oh my. Gym Leader Arin, this is a really great design concept. The drawing itself is also superb. Although, I am a bit curious, this is much different from what your father asked us to do last time. It''s quite unique for a Grass type Gym¡­" he mumbled, half lost in thought as he studied the drawing.

    I raised a hand, shaking my head. "That''s because it isn''t. The design pays some homage to both the city and the gym''s history, but in the end, it''s a design for a Fairy type Gym."

    Eric stopped reading and looked at me like a gaping Magikarp again.

    "I¡­ what? Fairy type?" he finally got out. "Forgive me, I''m not a trainer, so I''m not too familiar with the deeper aspects of it, but¡­ that''s the new Pokemon type on the news, right?"

    I nodded silently. Eric''s eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. "So¡­ you''re changing the Cherrygrove Gym from Grass to Fairy type?"

    "Yes," I said, eyeing Eric warily as he glanced back and forth from me to the paper in his hands a few times. I guess now was as good a time as any to start gauging the reaction of the locals, even if the sample size was a measly one person. "If I may, can I ask your opinion about that? I was actually a bit worried about how the townspeople will react when they eventually hear the news."

    Eric stopped fidgeting, allowing his eyes to finally settle on my form as he hummed to himself. "Well¡­ to be honest with you, Gym Leader, it''s a bit shocking. The Cherrygrove Gym has always been the Grass type even long before I was born, so it''s hard to imagine it as anything else. But!" He held up a raised fist and grinned at me. "No matter what type of Gym it is in the end, I think a lot of the townspeople, me included, will still show our support. The Cherrygrove Gym has always been this city''s pride and joy, and we always love watching the gym battles during the League season. I will warn you, though, there might be some backlash from some of the older folks in town. They''re not exactly fond of¡­ change."

    Well, that was better than I expected to hear. If Eric was right, and I hoped he would be, at least the majority of the Cherrygrove locals would support my Gym after the switch. The reaction of the rest of the region was a whole different matter.

    "Perhaps you could do a Fairy type Pokemon showcase or something," Eric continued, catching my interest. "It would help people understand more about the type and appreciate it more."

    That¡­ was actually a really good suggestion, and one that I immediately filed away for the near future.

    "Thank you, Eric. That''s a wonderful suggestion," I said honestly. "I really appreciate the other feedback, too."

    The president of Blossom Hall beamed at me and clapped his hands together in delight. "It was no problem, Gym Leader Arin! I''m happy I could help. Now, let''s talk more in detail about the construction¡­"

    Happy to oblige, I excitedly went over the vision I had in mind for the Cherrygrove Gym. We went back and forth hashing out details and refining the final design. Eric jotted down so many notes and sketches that the table ended up littered with them. In the end, a whole hour and a half passed before we finished our discussion and signed a contract. Both of us left the room looking bright-eyed. An astronomical sum of money would soon be detracted from my bank account, but I didn''t care.

    We were both very excited for the completion of the Cherrygrove Gym''s new appearance. It was going to take about two months to finish, but I just knew it was going to look amazing.

    Eric made a call over the building''s intercom. In a booming voice, he told all his employees to gather in Meeting Room 2. I followed him to the back of the building where we waited in a large, almost auditorium-like space filled with chairs and boxes at the sides and a large screen on the wall in the back. A steady stream of men and women began filtering into the room. All of them stared at me with curiosity.

    Eric waited for the last worker under his employ to arrive before speaking, holding up a small microphone he''d grabbed from a box in the corner.

    "Hello everyone, thank you for gathering here so quickly. As you might have already guessed, I called this meeting because we have a new job on our hands," he paused to sweep his gaze over the sea of faces. His jovial tone turned serious. "This will be our most ambitious project yet and the most important. I cannot stress that enough. This project will require all hands on deck. I will be turning down all other projects until we get this done."

    He paused to look at me. When I nodded, he looked forward again at his waiting employees. "I''m sure some of you have been wondering who the person next to me is. Perhaps some of you may have seen him around town or the Gym when he was younger, but this is Arin Watanuki, our new client and also the new Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym. Adriel has retired."

    There were small gasps of surprise as people looked at me once again, this time with newfound clarity and realization. I offered a small smile and nod to them, but I didn''t say anything. Eric continued with his speech, unbothered. "We will begin construction work on the Cherrygrove Gym again, but this time will be different. Gym Leader Arin will be running the Cherrygrove Gym as a Fairy type Gym and not Grass. Here is the design we have decided to go with."

    He ignored the even louder ripple of gasps that went through the room this time at the second surprise he''d dropped and calmly tapped something on his phone. A blown up version of the Cherrygrove Gym''s new design appeared on the screen behind him. The murmurs from the room full of workers died down as they stared at the screen, quickly shifting into work mode as their eyes narrowed with concentration.

    Eric nodded in approval at the sight. "Like I said before, this will be our most ambitious project yet," he repeated. Eric spent a long time explaining the design and how the construction would proceed, going through slides one by one on the big screen. When he was done, he turned to me and offered the microphone with a questioning expression. He was offering me the chance to speak.

    I decided to take it, grasping the tool securely in my hands before I spoke. "I only have one thing to add to everything Eric has said: I''m counting on all of you to help make the Cherrygrove Gym the best it can be," I said softly. I bent forward in a short but meaningful bow. "Thank you."

    There was a moment of silence before the workers actually erupted into small cheers. Startled, I passed the microphone back to Eric. He chuckled at my surprised expression as he turned back to the crowd.

    "You heard him, folks. As skilled workmen and proud locals of Cherrygrove City, we should do everything in our power to make this project a roaring success. The Cherrygrove Gym is this place''s pride and joy. On a final note, please keep everything regarding this project and the turnover of the Cherrygrove Gym''s ownership a secret until official news is released to the public," Eric told his employees.

    As they chattered among themselves with excitement, Eric flicked the microphone off and turned to face me, giving a bow of his own.

    "Thank you once again for choosing Blossom Hall to lead this project, Gym Leader Arin. I''m beyond honored to work with you on what will surely become the most iconic Gym in Johto," he said sincerely. We smiled at each other.

    Eric then tossed the microphone back into a box and puffed himself up, jerking a thumb toward the door.

    "ALRIGHT PEOPLE, LET''S GET MOVING!" he roared. "PROJECT STARTS NOW!"

 Chapter 7

    CHAPTER 7

    The doors of 51 Galora Street flew wide open as workers marched out in protective wear carrying heavy bags or pushing along carts containing tools and materials. Every single person tossed out a Pokeball that released some sort of transport Pokemon, and the street quickly became crowded from all the figures of both people and Pokemon alike.

    Several Rapidash, Donphan, and Stantler made up the ground force. Saddles and harnesses were attached to each Pokemon''s back to allow them to carry heavy loads. For fliers, I saw people climbing onto the backs of Pidgeot, Fearow, and even one Noctowl that was big enough to carry its trainer. The birds all gripped the straps of baggage with their beaks or talons.

    Random townspeople passing by had stopped along the sidewalks to stare and point at the bustle of activity from the Blossom Hall workshop. If I had to guess, perhaps the company didn''t typically mobilize on this great of a scale.

    I had hardly looked up at the sky before a big blur of white zoomed down to a halt in front of me, startling three workers nearby into almost dropping their things. Peri huffed a bit in amusement as I threw myself onto his back.

    Eric was the last person to leave the building. He wore a hard hat, safety vest, and a distinctive bright red armband, and he carried a clipboard in one hand. With his other, he released an especially impressive-looking Pidgeot from its Pokeball and clambered on.

    "Everyone ready?!" he yelled out. When he received a chorus of yeses in return, he pointed in the direction of the Gym. "MOVE OUT!"

    If people were staring before, now they truly gawked as a horde of Pokemon swiftly took to the skies as one, Peri included. Below us, the streets trembled as the land-based Pokemon began running down the street.

    I was planning on staying with the group and guiding them to the Gym out of courtesy, but Peri had other plans. He twisted his neck back a bit as we flew and grinned playfully at me, chirping a suggestion.

    "Heh," I chuckled, deciding to humor him. Flying next to us at the head of the pack was Eric on his Pidgeot, and I turned to him now and waved. He looked at us with confusion.

    "SEE YOU AT THE GYM!" I yelled cheerfully. Eric didn''t get a chance to reply as Peri accelerated, zipping way ahead of the gawking workers behind us. He really did love flying fast. Within a minute we had touched down at the Cherrygrove Gym''s entrance. I shot a text to dad as I hopped off Peri''s back, letting him know what was going on. He texted back almost immediately saying he was coming over.

    We had to wait a few more minutes before the Blossom Hall workers finally showed up. They began landing on the ground in droves and unpacking their things systematically. The quickly growing sound of pounding hooves let us know that the rest of the crew was finally arriving from town as well.

    "Gym Leader!" Eric called as he jogged over. His eyes were wide, but his smile was full of mirth as he stared at me and Peri. "You startled me! I didn''t expect you to just take off like that. Your flier is incredibly fast. What kind of Pokemon are they?"

    Peri preened at the compliment. "Sorry, Peri here likes to show off sometimes," I said fondly. I scratched the spot between his spikes I knew he liked, and he cooed as he leaned into my touch. "He''s a Togekiss, a Fairy and Flying type, and the final form of a Togepi."

    It took a few moments for Eric''s eyes to light up with recognition. "Oh! That''s the same Pokemon that Champion Cynthia has, I think! How wonderful." I nodded. I was well aware of the fact the Sinnohan Champion had one on her team since I''d wanted to fight them many years ago, but I never got the chance. My twelve-year-old self had only made the top eight in the Lily of the Valley Conference.

    We chatted for a few more minutes about Fairy types while the rest of the workers busily moved around and unpacked everything needed to start work. Towards the end of our conversation, dad finally showed up.

    "Eric," Dad uttered in surprise as he saw who was with me. "I should have guessed Arin would reach out to Blossom Hall about the new gym design. I''m sorry I abruptly put a stop to the previous construction work by the way. I know some of your workers felt a bit disgruntled about that¡­"

    Eric quickly shook his head and held up his hands. "No, no, it''s fine, Gym Leader¡ª er, Adriel, sorry. Goodness, this change might take a bit to get used to. Anyway, let me assure you that there are no hard feelings. If anything, we''re pretty happy right now with this new project your son has given us!" he beamed. "Let me just say again how lovely the design concept is, it''s going to look very beautiful¡­"

    Dad and I listened to him babble on excitedly about the project for a bit. At one point, I quietly excused myself and slipped away. I wasn''t leaving for Paldea until the evening, so I still had plenty of time that I needed to make use of while I was in Johto. I knew Eric would call me if any questions arose concerning the construction.

    Peri took me back to the house so I could recall Lico, Taffy, and Zuzu into their respective Pokeballs to take with me. Then the Togekiss carried me north of Cherrygrove City.

    Just like the route between Cherrygrove and New Bark, Route 30 was a place I was very familiar with. I''d spent many days there running through patches of grass, playing with the wild Pokemon, and dipping my toes into the cool waters of small ponds. It was widely considered to be one of the safest routes in Johto that many beginner trainers passed through on their way to Violet City.

    Since the current Circuit only had a month and a half left, there weren''t a lot of young trainers on the route. Most of them had probably given up for the year and would only pass through again next season.

    My purpose in coming to Route 30 wasn''t to revisit old memories but to get a start on acquiring Pokemon for the promotion test. There were a few species of Fairy types here that I had my eye on.

    I had Peri veer towards the forest and land in a random clearing we found amid the trees. Most of the local Fairy types tended to be wary of trainers and stayed away from the main road to avoid being captured. While it wasn''t exactly off-route yet, it was just far enough that the road couldn''t be seen beyond the trees in the distance. Good enough to start looking.

    Peri went back into his ball to rest while I released my other Pokemon around me. They had expressed interest in helping me search for suitable candidates. In the case of Taffy and Zuzu, they were also here to help entice members of their own species to join. Lico¡­ Lico was simply curious about the wild Jigglypuff. He was from a different time after all.

    Without further ado, we began to wander through the forest. I spotted many Pokemon common to this route such as Hoothoot, Pidgey, Weedle, and Caterpie, who all scuttled away from us in fear or peered curiously from the safety of branchtops.

    In hindsight, I probably should have brought Silque with me to have an easier time. She was extremely skilled at detecting presences within a certain radius and could even distinguish further characteristics such as if they were human or Pokemon. Lico''s psychic powers were just as excellent but only when it came to battling. He couldn''t do the refined stuff that Silque could.

    This wasn''t bad, though. I did enjoy walking around with my Pokemon as we engaged in idle chatter. Before long, we found a pair of Marill playing in a pond. They tensed when we came into view but didn''t immediately flee. I stopped at a respectful distance from them, and they stared at me first with caution and then relaxed curiosity.

    Just as I felt comfortable with Fairy Pokemon, Fairy types naturally felt comfortable around me. From what my own Pokemon had told me before in the past, my Ability gave me this sort of¡­ soothing aura for Fairy types, like they could sense that I was similar to them or something to that end. I was also able to more easily distinguish between members of the same species and what gender they were. There were exceptions to my Ability, of course, but I usually didn''t have a problem with wild Fairy types.

    I was a firm believer of the idea that people should only battle and catch willing Pokemon. Being able to communicate with wild Pokemon from such a young age had quickly opened my eyes to the fact that they were basically just like humans, each with their own lives and aspirations, and they deserved to be treated with equal respect.

    "Hello," I began, offering a small wave to the Marill. "I''m looking for Pokemon who would be interested in joining me and fighting in battles¡­"

    I talked back-and-forth with the two Marill for a bit, who were shocked to learn that I could actually understand what they were saying. I had to explain what a gym was since these were very young Pokemon who didn''t know much about human society. Next, I offered them the benefits of food and a safe place to live if they were interested, and I even told them about Zuzu, saying I could help make them grow stronger like I had with her. The Azumarill stepped forward at the end to give her own recruitment speech, and the Marill listened intently.

    Unfortunately, in the end, both of them ended up declining and said they liked their current lives. They did at least tell us about a group of wild Jigglypuff that lived nearby that we could ask. I thanked them for their time and quickly moved on. I knew we were going to get lots of rejections today, but I also knew there were bound to be interested parties along the way.

    For the next two hours, I walked up and down the forested area making similar speeches to other wild Fairy type Pokemon. Some of them already had an idea of what the League and Gyms were so I didn''t have to explain as much. My Pokemon were very helpful by demonstrating their strength at times with certain moves or piling on compliments about me both as a person and trainer to the wild Pokemon.

    By the time we took a short break, I was happy with the results we''d achieved so far. Five Marill, four Jigglypuff, and three Snubbull had agreed to come with me. Most of them were very low-level, weak Pokemon, but three of them showed much more starting potential than the others.

    One of the Marill had a particularly determined personality which would translate well into training sessions, another could actually evolve soon with a bit of work, and one of the Snubbulls impressed me with the power of the moves he knew. I was already looking forward to training everyone and helping them unlock more of their potential.

    We began moving through the forest once again. Soon after, we found a lone Jigglypuff¡­ one with a familiar and very stern expression on its face.

    My jaw dropped.

    "Mr. Puff?" I called out in strangled disbelief.

    The Jigglypuff turned at the sound of my voice and squinted at me suspiciously. That suspicion soon gave way to recognition, and he let go of his severe expression to nod and smile at me.

    I couldn''t believe it.

    It was actually him.

    Mr. Puff was one of the wild Pok¨¦mon I''d become friends with when I was younger. He was one of the oldest Jigglypuff on the route ¡ª over 35 years old now I believed ¡ª and definitely the strongest. I''d bring berries and the occasional sandwich for us to share, and he would tell me stories about life in the forest. We even frequently played hide-and-seek (Mr. Puff always won because he used Minimize to avoid being found).

    Ninety percent of the time, he wore what I called his signature stern expression and basically acted like a grumpy old man, but he was very nice deep down once you got to know him properly. He had given himself the name Mister long before I met him, but I had given him the second part of his name by accidentally calling him Mr. Puff one time. Surprisingly, he rather liked it and started going by that name from that moment on. He had fervently avoided being caught by young trainers ¡ª brats, as he liked to call them ¡ª whether through fighting them off or staying completely hidden in the forest. I was amazed that he had still managed to avoid being captured to this very day.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    I stepped closer to Mr. Puff. He pretty much looked just as I remembered and seemed to be very healthy still. While I looked over his form, Mr. Puff glanced at the Pokemon behind me. His eyes narrowed.

    Mr. Puff looked back at me. He pointed at Lico and, in a loud voice, demanded to know the identity of the strange-looking Jigglypuff. Luckily, Lico wasn''t offended and looked more amused than anything.

    "This is Lico," I said, and then I coughed slightly. "He''s, uh, a very old Jigglypuff from far away." I decided not to mention the fact that he was likely from a billion years ago or that he was technically not a Jigglypuff but an ancestor.

    Mr. Puff raised a nonexistent brow at my answer but held his tongue. He lowered his stubby arm and stared at Lico with narrowed eyes.

    I held my breath, praying to Arceus a fight wasn''t going to erupt. Lico would just mop the floor with Mr. Puff.

    Luckily, no such thing happened. I gave a mental sigh of relief as Mr. Puff turned away from Lico. He plopped himself down on the ground and gestured to the space in front of him.

    As I took a seat, he asked where I had been and what I had been up to over the last ten years. Apparently, after I''d stopped showing up, he had even braved a trip to the city once to see if he could find me anywhere. Obviously, he hadn''t. Couldn''t. I was in an entirely different region by then. I felt both touched and guilty that he had left the comfort and safety of his home just to look for me.

    A sad smile appeared on my face, and I decided I had more than enough time to give Mr. Puff the explanation he deserved. As my Pokemon sat down around me, I opened my mouth and began the impromptu storytime. "It''s a long story¡­"

    It took a bit, but I told him the reason for my departure, went through an overview of my travels across the world, and explained how I had returned and was now taking over the Cherrygrove Gym. Throughout my storytelling, Mr. Puff either nodded along or made comments every now and then.

    "I need to take care of some business tomorrow on the other side of the world, but I''ll only be gone a day. After I get back, I''ll be living in Cherrygrove again," I said once I''d wrapped up my story. Mr. Puff perked up at that, smiling a bit. That same smile slipped a bit as I continued. "I''m going to be pretty busy from now on because of the Gym, especially when the new League season starts in August, but I promise I''ll make time to come visit you often. I''ll even bring berries and sandwiches like I used to, especially your favorite Leppa Berries. What do you think?"

    Mr. Puff didn''t meet my gaze. He was staring at the floor with a more stony expression than usual.

    "Mr. Puff?" I said hesitantly, concerned about his silence.

    I was completely unprepared for what happened next.

    Mr. Puff yelled at me.

    He jumped to his feet and stomped twice on the floor, screaming that I was going to forget about him with all the Gym stuff going on and that I''d leave him alone again. He even yelled about Lico, saying that I''d replaced him with some weird Jigglypuff.

    I was shocked to see small tears well up in his eyes halfway through his outburst. He said, in a voice so soft that it might as well have been a mere whisper, that he had been lonely without me. Life in the forest for him just hadn''t been the same after I left.

    Finally done talking, Mr. Puff sniffed a bit as he rubbed furiously at his eyes.

    I felt my heart breaking as I looked at his tiny pink form. I had no idea Mr. Puff had been so devastated after I left. Of course I had considered him to be a very good friend and still did, and I had even thought about him more than a few times while on my journey, but¡­ I thought he''d been living well in the forest like he always had.

    He hadn''t ever truly shown the extent of it, but he had treasured our friendship even more than I originally believed. I suddenly felt like a terrible person.

    I immediately got up, shuffled forward on my knees, and picked up Mr. Puff in my arms for a hug. He angrily swatted at me with his short arms, but he was so light that it just felt like feather touches.

    "Mr. Puff, I''m so, so sorry. I had no idea you''d been so lonely all this time, and I''m sorry I left you alone for so long," I murmured in a voice thick with emotion. I felt Mr. Puff go still in my arms, and he stopped hitting me. I had to swallow before continuing. "Believe me when I say this, but I did think about you a lot while I traveled. I genuinely believed you were still doing well for yourself in the forest, but I see now that was far from the reality."

    I paused, patting Mr. Puff on the back gently a few times. He still didn''t say anything, nor did he move. "I missed you too, Mr. Puff. I meant it when I said I''d come back to visit you lots from now on. I''m not going to leave you alone again. And Lico? He''s my friend, not your replacement. Nobody could ever replace you, Mr. Puff. Can you forgive me?"

    I set the Jigglypuff back down on the ground so I could see his face, a hopeful expression adorning my own. Mr. Puff didn''t look at me for a long time.

    Finally, he looked up at me and gave a very small nod, sniffing. I would be forgiven so long as I gave him lots of Leppa Berries, he told me, and I tried not to snort with laughter as I nodded seriously. He also apologized for his outburst, awkwardly scuffing the ground with a foot as he did.

    "I''m glad we made up," I said happily. I got up slowly from the ground with a groan. My legs and back were stiff from sitting for so long. "I should probably head back now. I need to start training the Pokemon I caught here today. I''ll visit you as soon as I get back from Paldea, Mr. Puff, I promise."

    I blinked in confusion when Mr. Puff huffed in discontent.

    He shook his head vehemently and crossed his arms. He told me he didn''t want to stay in the forest anymore.

    He wanted to go with me, and not just as any companion, but as a gym Pokemon. He wanted to help me.

    My eyes widened. "You really want to come with me? And¡­ and fight in gym battles?" I asked in surprise. "But¡­ you hate trainers. You always tried so hard to not get caught by one before."

    Mr. Puff made a spitting motion to the side. He did hate trainers, that was true. But he pointed at me and nodded, smiling. I didn''t count. I was his friend, and he was okay with me catching him.

    Furthermore, he was rather fond of the idea of beating up young brats who didn''t know their place in the world.

    I laughed, taking out a Pokeball from my bag. Well, I certainly wasn''t going to turn him down. I needed all the help I could get.

    Mr. Puff floated up and tapped the Pokeball''s button on his own, letting himself get sucked inside. A few wiggles later, and the ball went still.

    I was about to put the Pokeball in my bag when it suddenly flew open and Mr. Puff let himself out.

    "Uh¡­" I began, but I closed my mouth when Mr. Puff stalked over to Lico. For the second time that day, I was afraid a fight would break out. Instead, Mr. Puff asked Lico if he liked singing. I watched the interaction with a fast-growing sense of dread. This wasn''t going where I thought it was going, right?

    Lico shook his head and informed Mr. Puff he wasn''t a singer. He enjoyed screaming instead. He showed off sharp teeth in a friendly smile, and Mr. Puff actually smiled back, pleased with the answer.

    They looked at me at the same time, and I immediately shook my head.

    "Oh no. No, no, no, you''re gonna disturb basically every Pokemon within miles," I said quickly as I realized what they wanted.

    When Mr. Puff and Lico both looked back at me again, this time with big puppy eyes, I knew I couldn''t refuse. I sighed.

    "Fine," I said with a nod, but I was already backing up quickly with my other Pokemon. Taffy had started putting up layers and layers of Light Screen around us. For once, the normally jovial Pokemon looked scared. Zuzu tugged at her floppy ears anxiously. We had all been subject to Lico''s performances before, and this time was going to be a duet.

    I gulped, resigning myself to my fate. Lico wasn''t called a Scream Tail for nothing. I just hoped the local Rangers wouldn''t come swarming. "Have fun."

    Mr. Puff and Lico glanced at each other. There was a moment of silence.

    Then they opened their mouths and screamed.

    One Hyper Voice was already bad enough already, but two at the same time? Two was hell on earth. I thought I was gonna go deaf from the sheer volume of the screeching. Even Taffy''s barriers couldn''t mute the piercing volume enough. Taffy, Zuzu, and I were in pain, but Lico and Mr. Puff looked like they were having the time of their lives as they screamed out a joyful song.

    Needless to say, after they finally, finally stopped, there was no point sticking around. Every Pokemon on the route had probably gone into hiding or run away because of the noise.

    We went home.

    At the cost of my hearing, at least Lico and Mr. Puff were now tentatively friends from a shared love of screaming.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Construction on the Cherrygrove Gym was well under way. Faint clanging sounds rang out in the distance, but I ignored them, focusing on the group of small Pokemon looking up at me from the ground instead. I''d introduced the fresh batch of soon-to-be gym Pokemon to their new home in our massive backyard, and they''d been very pleased by all the delightful flowers, trees, and ponds.

    Now, it was time to begin training.

    "Alright, first things first: raise your hand if you are interested in becoming the strongest you can be," I said with a clap of my hands. It wouldn''t be fair to ask them to stay within certain power levels for the promotion test and beyond. Each of them had willingly come with me for different reasons. I needed to respect their wishes if I wanted to earn their trust and friendship.

    Along with Mr. Puff, only the three Pokemon I''d previously identified as having a better baseline than the rest raised their hands. The others didn''t have as grand of ambitions and were just happy to help out in exchange for food.

    I nodded, mentally noting to myself to train these Pokemon harder than the others. The others would be relegated to the lowest tiers of gym battles since they were not as interested in amassing great strength.

    It wasn''t a lot, but it would do for the time being. I''d recruit more Pok¨¦mon in Paldea and again when I returned to Johto to further fill in the roster.

    Much to my surprise, my Cutiefly floated over to the gym Pokemon that wanted more of a challenge.

    "Cally? What are you doing?" I asked with no small amount of confusion. The Cutiefly waved one of her legs as she buzzed excitedly. Apparently, she was interested in helping out with the gym challenges.

    I paused for a moment to think. Cally was the only non-Elite tier Pokemon on my personal team. She was similar to Mr. Puff in regards to the fact that neither of them ever wanted to evolve, but that didn''t mean she was weak. I could confidently say she was the strongest Cutiefly in the world from all the training and hard work she''d done over the years.

    She didn''t get to participate in many battles since a lot of trainers usually didn''t want to fight what they considered a ''weak'' species, so maybe she was feeling a bit left out compared to my other Pokemon.

    I made up my mind right then and there, pointing at my Cutiefly. "Okay. I''ll be counting on you to help me then, Cally." She buzzed again in delight, and I smiled briefly before returning my attention to the group as a whole. "Let''s start some simple drills first."

    To begin with, I had the Pokemon run laps (or in Cally''s case, fly). Then I introduced them to different core strengthening exercises depending on their species and body type. They would start every training session from now on with a similar routine to keep in shape.

    After everyone was sufficiently warmed up, I had them split up into different groups based on their species and assigned a teacher to them. For example, Zuzu took charge of the group of Marill, and Taffy led the Jigglypuff to another corner. I didn''t have a Granbull on my team who could teach the Snubbull, so I assigned Peri to them instead. Out of all the Pokemon I owned, he had one of the most diverse movepools. With his mastery of various type energies and own high level of technique, I trusted him to be able to help the Snubbull with learning the different elemental fangs that their species was known for.

    Today''s session was going to be dedicated to the basics. I wanted to make sure each Pokemon had a good grasp of Fairy type energy and their basic moves before doing anything else. As my Pokemon tutored their respective groups, I walked around and gave input of my own. I paid special attention to five Pokemon and worked personally with them more than the others.

    Cally and Mr. Puff were basically around the fourth-badge level already in terms of strength. I knew for sure I could bring them up to the fifth-badge level in two weeks'' time for the promotion test, which removed a substantial amount of my worries regarding that.

    The two Marill I had my eye on earlier were going to be great additions to the gym roster. The particularly earnest one sponged up all of Zuzu''s teachings with great concentration. She was still young, but I had a feeling she would probably move up badge tiers very quickly if she kept up her rate of learning. The other Marill was much older and actually quite timid, but he had a surprising amount of prior battle experience from defending himself against other wild Pokemon. Given enough training, he would probably evolve any time from a few days to a week later. Depending on the time of his evolution and how fast he adapted to it, there was the possibility that he would be ready for the fifth-badge tier by the time the test rolled around.

    Finally, one Snubbull stood out from his peers. He was smaller than the other Snubbull but severely outmatched them in terms of power. Although he only knew a few moves very well, he was already capable of using Crunch and Play Rough to devastating effect. He was also the most enthusiastic of the three about wanting to learn the elemental fang moves.

    I nodded to myself in satisfaction as I looked at the group of practicing Pokemon. It was a better start than I could have hoped for.

    Part of the way into the session, I had the Pokemon switch to spars so they could learn from their peers. Afterwards, we paused for a break so we could eat and recharge as well as discuss each Pokemon''s progress. Then we went right back into individual training.

    Time slowly passed, and we wrapped up training for the day when dad called for me.

    Dinner was a nice, calm affair. Dad''s chicken katsu curry tasted just as good as it had when I was a child. It was a big hit with my Pokemon, too. Dad had been nice enough to make a ton of extra portions for them. We chatted over dinner and shared more stories of what we''d both been up to over the years. There were some awkward pauses where we didn''t know what to say, but overall, I enjoyed myself.

    Soon, it was time to leave.

    Some of my Pokemon volunteered to stay behind to help the new gym Pokemon train in my absence, but most of them wanted to come with me to Paldea to say goodbye to our house. After having lived there for almost four years, there was more than a bit of attachment.

    "I''ll be back after tomorrow, dad," I reminded him as I hopped on Zuri''s back. The Dragonite peered up at the evening sky, shifting slightly in place. "I''ll see you soon."

    Dad smiled softly at me, nodding. "Have a safe trip. See you soon, son."

    I didn''t say anything else. Instead, I urged Zuri to take flight.

    We rose up into the skies and sped away towards the other side of the world.

 Chapter 8

    CHAPTER 8

    As Zuri flew through the air, I fiddled with the phone in my pocket for a few moments before finally pulling it out. I held the device to my ear rather anxiously after pressing the call button. Luckily or unluckily, I didn''t have to wait long. Geeta picked up within a single waiting tone.

    "Hello, Arin. Is everything well?" came her familiar calm voice from the other side of the phone.

    I nodded even though she couldn''t see me. "Yeah¡­ more than well actually. I made up with my dad," I said.

    A sound that resembled the rustling of papers filled my ear. Geeta must have been up taking care of paperwork. "That''s wonderful, Arin. I''m truly happy for you. Perhaps we should all celebrate later at the Treasure Eatery."

    "That would be nice," I agreed. Inwardly, I thought about how I''d be meeting my friends later for entirely different reasons than a celebration. I licked my lips nervously. No more stalling. "Listen, there''s something I need to tell you. I''m going to call the others after this, too, but I wanted to tell you first since you''re technically also my boss."

    I took a deep breath. "I''m taking over as Gym Leader and moving back to Johto. I''m sorry I''m springing this on you out of nowhere."

    I expected Geeta to rebuke me, but to my surprise, she just said, "I see."

    My brows flew up in surprise. "You''re¡­ you''re not surprised? Or mad?" I asked, completely baffled.

    A long silence followed.

    Then laughter suddenly rang out, and my eyes nearly popped right out of my sockets as I realized Geeta had laughed. So rarely had I heard her do so.

    "Arin, I must confess: I predicted something like this would happen," she said with traces of mirth still in her voice. "It was rather strange how your father asked you to come back so suddenly. I thought perhaps it was to apologize to you for his actions so long ago, and I thought that after reconnecting, you might take over your family gym and return home. It seems I was proven right in the end."

    She had actually guessed all that? Legendaries, sometimes the depth of her foresight truly scared me. I reminded myself for the first time in a while to never get on Geeta''s bad side.

    The Top Champion of Paldea wasn''t done yet. "I assure you, Arin, I am not mad. Why would I be? You''ve done so much for Paldea these last few years. Now it''s time for you to go do what you want. As both your friend and your employer, you will be greatly missed, but I wish you only the best of luck in your future endeavors," she told me. It was hard to miss the deep sincerity in her tone.

    The wind whistled by as I stared at Zuri''s back. I felt so emotional already, and I hadn''t even broken the news to the rest of my friends yet.

    "¡­Thank you, Geeta," I finally said quietly. Just as Geeta was grateful to me, I was grateful to her for many things as well. She had helped me with many things when I first came to Paldea, and even more in the years that followed. She was truly an example of a beloved Champion.

    I thought I heard Geeta smile. We shared a comfortable silence for a few seconds before she next spoke.

    "I''m looking forward to the souvenirs," Geeta mused out loud. The beautiful moment was lost as my blood ran cold.

    "Souvenirs?" I repeated dumbly.

    "Yes, from Johto of course. Did you not get any for us?" Geeta inquired. I could practically imagine her tilting her head ever so slightly in confusion.

    Arceus. In my rush to get things done, getting souvenirs for my friends had completely slipped my mind. Here I was on my way to Paldea to abruptly say goodbye to everyone, and the least I could have done for my friends was bring gifts with me to thank them for everything. I suddenly felt like both a terrible person and a complete idiot.

    "Shit," I swore out loud, and I hastily began to apologize. "I''m sorry, Geeta, I don''t actually have any souvenirs for you guys. There was so much going on that it didn''t cross my mind. I left Johto already, but I can turn back right now to get them¡ª"

    For the second time in the span of a single phone call, Geeta laughed. I would never get used to that. "I''m merely joking, Arin. Could you not tell?"

    I gaped at the air in front of me. Geeta laughing and joking? Was the world about to end or something?

    "What¡ª I¡ª No, of course I couldn''t tell, Geeta!" I spluttered. "Your voice is basically a poker voice ninety percent of the time! I cannot believe you just did that on purpose. I really thought you were disappointed for a moment. You know what, forget it, I''m turning back and actually getting you all gifts. Zuri!" I yelled the last word, tapping the side of my Pokemon''s neck gently. She crooned, turning back slightly to look at me. "Please turn back. We''re going back to Cherrygrove."

    With a mighty flap of her wings, Zuri turned smoothly and shot back the other way. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I exhaled.

    "Alright, I should probably end the call here. I gotta pick up those souvenirs now," I mock-grumbled, causing a stray chuckle to escape Geeta. "Let''s find a time to hang out with everyone tomorrow before I leave."

    "Of course," Geeta replied. I heard a shuffling sound again as she presumably picked up some papers. "See you later, Arin."

    I hung up the phone and stuffed it back in my pocket just as Cherrygrove came back into view. I shook my head at the sight. I had barely left for five minutes and here I was again.

    I had Zuri take me to a small but famous store on the outskirts of the city and ran inside, thanking my lucky stars that they weren''t closed yet. The girl at the counter jumped a bit as I rushed up to the register.

    "Four Fragrant Flora Omamori Charms, three packages of Cherrygrove Tea, and one package of Blush Juice please, all gift wrapped," I said in a hurry as I held out my credit card. Sensing the urgency of the situation, the girl nodded with wide eyes and took my card. She swiped it, handed it back, then proceeded to grab my chosen purchases from the shelves and wrapped them up before handing them to me, all in record time. I was so thankful that I stopped to give her a large tip.

    I only vaguely wondered if Granny Miya had retired from the shop as I quickly put everything in my bag and dashed right back out.

    Zuri took me to two other locations in Johto, Ecruteak City and Mahogany Town, where I bought their local specialties in a mad rush. I think I saw more than a few people taking pictures of me and Zuri as we shot up into the sky for good this time, but I couldn''t care at that moment.

    I had no way of knowing until much later that pictures of ''the mysterious trainer with a Dragonite'' began circulating on the Kinjoh Area''s primary social media site, Chatter.

    As Zuri flew towards Paldea once more, I added Hassel, Rika, and Larry to a group call. I thought it would be easier breaking the news to them after the experience with Geeta, but it was just as hard. They all wished me luck, but I could tell they felt as terrible as I did about this.

    I ended the call wondering if I''d be able to hold myself together tomorrow when I actually met them in person. I didn''t call Poppy since she was already long asleep like the good child she was. Hassel had said he would be the one to break the news to her before we met up the next day.

    Pocketing my phone, I closed my eyes and went straight to sleep.

    At about 3 AM, Zuri gently woke me up. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I looked around and saw a familiar house in front of me. We were finally back in Paldea. I barely managed to let out all my Pokemon for the night and set an alarm for the next day before I collapsed face first onto my bed.

    I was out like a light.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    An incessantly loud beeping sound tore me from my dreamless sleep in the morning. I groaned and slapped a hand against my phone, silencing the alarm. With that out of the way, I made myself get up and move.

    There was a full day of business ahead of me.

    It was weird going through my morning routine without all of my Pokemon on hand, but I knew we would be reunited soon enough. Filore, my Florges, welcomed everyone back with happy cries, and we had to explain to her what had happened in Johto. Even before I mentioned dad''s wonderful gardens, Filore told me she was coming with us. She liked Paldea, but home was wherever the team was. After we finished working out, my Pokemon helped me pick out stuff from the house we wanted to bring back with us to Johto. On the flight over, I had decided to keep the house around as a vacation home because I just couldn''t bear to sell it.

    Most of the furniture would be staying behind, but my Pokemon were very adamant about more than a few items. Choux refused to give up his croissant-shaped pillow, for example, and Vel and Audi wanted to bring a pair of pastel pink bean bags they liked sinking into. I had to start putting a limit on things, though, especially when my Mawile, Willow, came running into the room I was in with weights he wanted to take. Only things with sentimental value were coming with us, and everything else I could just buy back in Johto to add to the house there.

    I snagged portraits and landscape paintings made by Silque off the walls and small pottery pieces that Fia and Grima had worked on together from the fireplace mantle. Stuffed animals my team had won from various carnivals and festivals were collected, and everybody''s birthday presents over the years were placed in a bag. Many more things aside from these were packed. From my room, I grabbed all my clothes and other personal effects and stuffed them into a container. I also made sure to grab all my trophies and badges and carefully stow them away for the display case back in Johto. Then I returned downstairs to help my Pokemon with the chaos in the living room.

    Halfway through all the packing, I realized the one measly foldable-space suitcase I had brought with me was not nearly going to be enough for everything, and everyone stopped what they were doing to hunt for spare suitcases in the closets. We added four more to the pile.

    When we were finally done packing everything, and by some miracle managed to somehow stuff everything into the suitcases, we stood together in the living room and looked around. The house looked so much more barren now with everything we''d decided to take with us. I suddenly felt horribly melancholy. I guess I''d grown more attached to the house than I''d thought.

    As I locked the front door behind me and dragged the suitcases to a corner of the front porch, I got a text message from my group chat with the Paldea Elite Four. They were going to come by tonight with takeout from the Treasure Eatery for a farewell hangout party.

    That left me¡­ just about ten hours to take care of everything else I needed to do in Paldea.

    I left immediately on Peri. First stop: South Province, Area Four.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Sprawling fields of grass sloped up and down in winding hills in Area Four. I could see the watchtower rising up in the distance, but Peri veered away from it and towards a small glittering lake surrounded by trees and fields of wildflowers far to its west.

    I jumped off his back before he had even fully landed, walking briskly up to the lakefront. Around me, small Pokemon with pink or blue hats, Hatenna and Hattrem, ran up alongside me. They chattered whimsical greetings and welcomed me back. From the trees, members of the Flabebe line shyly waved hello. I smiled at everyone and said hello, but most of my attention was on the tall, almost humanoid figures already waiting for me by the lake.

    I stopped in front of them and greeted the Hatterene and Florges with a respectful dip of my head. They did the same.

    "Well met, Guardians," I murmured softly.

    Well met, Arin, the Fairy type replied. Florges did not say anything, but she smiled and clasped her hands over her heart. I had met these two several years ago and eventually became friends with them.

    In the wild, evolution was usually a product of a fight for survival. Wild Pokemon fought over everything from food to territory to potential mates. When they did finally manage to evolve¡­ these Pokemon obviously moved up in the hierarchy and typically became top predators or leaders for the community around them. Given enough time and conflict, some even grew so powerful that they went beyond the limits of what a normal individual of their species could do, their power resting just below that of myths and legends.

    But those were few and far in between, and most isolated themselves in the deep wilds away from prying human eyes. Even across all the regions I''d visited around the world, I myself only knew of a handful whose presence was so powerful that they demanded the League''s attention. Obviously, they were monitored closely.

    Hatterene had not yet accumulated such power as her strength lay more in her deep wealth of knowledge. My own Hatterene had long since eclipsed the Guardian in fighting prowess. It was her sister-in-arms, Florges, who was considered to be one of the strongest wild Pokemon in Paldea and the apex of her species, having lived for over three hundred years. Flowers never died in her presence. She could fill an entire valley with flora in but a mere instant.

    She could also besiege a town with a sea of thorns if she wanted.

    Luckily, she was a very gentle Pokemon, and the League didn''t have to worry too much about her so long as they left her and her kin alone. They always made trainers steer away from this particular part of Area Four.

    Hatterene and Florges both gazed at me now with curiosity. The witch spoke for her sister. It has been some time since your last visit. The children have missed you. What brings you to our home today?

    I smiled nervously. I might have been friends with these Pokemon, but I hoped what I was about to ask would not turn out to be a transgression that would cost my life.

    "I''m leaving Paldea after today to return to my hometown and take over the Gym there," I announced. Both of them didn''t react. I maintained eye contact with the Pokemon as I carefully continued. "I''ve been looking for Pokemon who would be willing to join me and help in my endeavors, and I came here today to ask if any of your wards would be interested."

    This got a reaction out of them. Florges unclasped her hands with a thoughtful expression at the same time that Hatterene moved, levitating closer to me. Both weren''t smiling, but at least they hadn''t killed me yet.

    You ask for our children to come with you to a faraway place and fight battles for you, Hatterene mused. Her tone was neutral. I never thought you would ask such a request of us. I thought you were different than those other humans.

    I met her gaze calmly. "I am different," I proclaimed firmly. "That is why I am asking and not taking by force like so many others would. I understand my request is rather sudden and more than a little unfavorable to your eyes, and I will respect whatever decision you and Florges come to." I paused to raise a hand over my heart. "But I swear to you both that if any of your children wish to come with me, they will be treated with the utmost respect and care. Fairies do not lie."

    They stared at me for a long time after my last word filled the air. I cautiously lowered my arm, but I did not drop my gaze. I needed to show them I meant every word.

    I almost started sweating a bit before Hatterene finally spoke.

    Arin Watanuki, she began, and I stood just a bit taller at the use of my full name. She shared a passing glance with her sister. Even though our friendship has not even endured half a decade yet, you have been the truest of companions. We have seen the good in you and witnessed the strength of you and your family. Even if you had not sworn an oath to us, we would have allowed this request since it is from you.

    Hatterene floated up a bit higher, as did Florges. We shall allow you to invite our children.

    My shoulders instantly relaxed in relief as I smiled at them. "Thank you."

    Hatterene smiled back, showing off rows of wickedly sharp teeth. Do not thank us yet, Friend of Fairies. We must see what the children want first, she said, and she turned her head toward the distance. She called out in a powerful voice. Children.

    At once, dozens of Hatenna, Hattrem, Flabebe, and Floette stopped what they were doing and came over. They swarmed around their respective leaders, and I turned away for the illusion of privacy even as Hatterene communicated my wishes to them.

    Minutes later, Hatterene nodded and looked at me once more. A small group of Pokemon separated themselves from her and Florges and tottered closer to me, gazing up with shining eyes. I have spoken with all the children. These little ones have decided they would like to go with you, she told me. I nodded. It was more than I could have hoped for.

    "Thank you. This really means a lot to me," I said honestly, and I held my hand out. "It''s a very human thing to do, but would you mind humoring me?"

    Hatterene stared at my offered hand. Slowly, she moved to grasp it with the clawed tentacle protruding from her hat. Be well, Arin. I do hope you will come back and visit us in the future.

    I promised her I would. Next, Florges came up to me. I thought she would shake my hand, too, but she closed her eyes instead. A flower was conjured out of nothing in her hand, and she smiled now as she tucked it into the front pocket of my shirt. It was a daffodil, I recognized. Faint Fairy and Grass energy still glowed around it.

    To new beginnings and hope for the future, Florges finally spoke her first words that day to me. Take care.

    "Thank you," I whispered. I had a feeling the flower was going to stay alive for a long, long time.

    After placing everyone in spare Pokeballs, I turned and got onto Peri''s back. I still had places to go.

    Hatterene watched me with a smile, calling softly after me.

    May the grace of the Moon and the glory of the Stars be with you always.

    I raised a hand in one last solemn wave to her and Florges, and then I left.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I continued speeding my way around Paldea, visiting cities and towns to say goodbye to the Gym Leaders I had befriended (I skipped Larry and Medali Town since I would see him later) and buying some souvenirs for dad. I also made a quick trip to Area Zero to say goodbye to the researchers there. Unfortunately, I couldn''t say goodbye in person to the two most important people. Professor Turo was out of the country on a backpacking trip with his son, Arven, and Professor Sada was attending a symposium on prehistoric Pokemon in Kalos.

    After saying my goodbyes, most of my time went into recruiting wild Pokemon for my Gym.

    Choux revisited his old pack near Alfornada Town and convinced them to join, so that was plus one Dachsbun and four Fidough to the roster. Two Klefki also joined us, though one of them wasn''t actually interested in battling. He just wanted new keys, and after some thinking, I agreed to let him hold onto important keys later such as for our house. I thought the Klefki would make for some good security.

    Needless to say, he was delighted.

    From the Tagtree Thicket, I caught a few interested Impidimp and Morgrem and two Mimikyu. Grima had been overjoyed to see that one of his old buddies had evolved into a Grimmsnarl, but they wanted to stay in the forest and rule over some Impidimp instead of coming with us. From various ruins, we found members of the Tinkatink family who wanted to join, and even one Tinkaton who acted like a local gangster. She begged to come with us after Peri beat her handily in a battle.

    Another big catch was a Gardevoir. She agreed to let the few Ralts and Kirlia she looked after join us, but she insisted on coming with them as well. I was more than happy to let her join as she seemed like a reasonably strong Pokemon already.

    All in all, my hours of searching proved very fruitful. I ended up getting a ton of new Pokemon for the Gym, but I wasn''t satisfied yet. I needed more of them and an even bigger variety.

    That was an issue I would solve once I was back in Johto.

    Right now, as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, there was one last place I needed to go before my meeting with my friends.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Naranja-Uva Academy was as grand as ever.

    There were certainly no schools in Kanto-Johto that could hold a candle to its magnificence. Massive spires connected to the main structure rose up into the sky, dwarfing anything for miles around. Dozens of windows across the brick walls reflected the afternoon sun, and I squinted a bit as we drew near.

    Peri landed on a balcony attached to one of the spires (I refused to use what students often called ''the worst staircase in the world'' below) and I used my teacher''s pass to let me inside the door. I passed through winding hallways for the last time in what would be a long time, and then I stopped in front of a large door.

    I knocked on the wood before entering the familiar office. I''d been in here quite a few times over the last few years, sometimes for meetings and other times just for casual talks over tea. At the very back of the room by the window, a familiar old man with glasses and an orange-and-purple shirt looked up from his writing.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "Director Clavell," I greeted with a smile, and the old man smiled kindly in return.

    "Good afternoon, Arin. What brings you here today?" he inquired. One hand reached out to gesture invitingly to the chair across from him. I took a seat.

    "I''m afraid I won''t be returning to teach next year," I began regretfully, which made Clavell glance sharply at me in surprise. My leg bounced up and down a bit as I drummed fingers against my other knee. "I''m going back to Johto to run my family''s Gym. I''m going to be a Gym Leader."

    Clavell stared at me quietly before leaning back in his seat. "How unfortunate," he said with a soft sigh, but he smiled at me. "The students and the rest of the staff will be disappointed when they hear the news. I don''t think the school will be quite the same after your departure. You will be dearly missed, Arin."

    I chuckled, shaking my head. "I''ll miss them, too, but I think they''ll be fine after a while," I said. "I don''t think I actually made that big of a contribution to the academy. I only gave so many lectures each semester after all." Clavell raised a brow at this and clasped his hands together on the desk.

    "My dear boy, I do believe you sometimes underestimate yourself," he told me with his own shake of the head. I stared at him as he continued. "You have the power to inspire people, Arin. You''ve touched many hearts here during your time at the academy. Staff have praised your ability to lead classes and been inspired to do better, and students have always sent me complaints about the lack of spots available for your lectures."

    "They have?" I asked, dumbfounded. I do think I remembered a student saying something like that in passing one time, but I hadn''t realized the extent of my own popularity it seemed.

    Clavell nodded with an extremely amused expression. "Why do you think I suddenly started giving you the biggest lecture halls to use halfway into your first year here?" he asked, and I made a big ''o'' shape with my mouth. "My point is, Arin, you should have some more confidence in yourself."

    He paused to wipe his glasses with a cleaning cloth. When he had placed them back on the bridge of his nose, he asked me a question.

    "Tell me, what is a Gym Leader?" Suddenly I felt like a student and not a teacher.

    "Someone who leads and protects their community. A teacher and guide for aspiring trainers," I replied almost automatically. Clavell nodded at me, pleased.

    "Full points," he chuckled, and I couldn''t help but give one of my own. "You''re exactly right. Gym Leaders are not just strong trainers with powerful Pokemon. They are people who can provide the right kind of challenge a young trainer needs to grow and advice so that they do not stagnate. They also act as leaders for the town or city they preside over and help keep everyone safe."

    Clavell adjusted his glasses. "And you, Arin. You understand this already. You''ve shown your ability to guide and lead many times during your stay here at the academy. I have no doubt you''re going to make an amazing Gym Leader, or that you will go on to do many great things."

    "I¡­ Thank you so much," I finally managed to get out quietly. To hear that from a man as respected as Director Clavell meant the world to me. We rose up from our seats for a final handshake.

    "Good luck, young Arin," Clavell smiled as he shook my hand. "Perhaps someday, when ¡ª and not if ¡ª Paldea finally opens its borders to the rest of the world, the students and I will come visit your Gym in Johto. I imagine it would make for a delightful school trip."

    I grinned, shaking his hand heartily. "I would like that a lot, Director."

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Peri and I arrived back at the house in Area Five at sunset. Five figures stood waiting for me on the ground. One of them, Hassel, was on the verge of tears, and one was already crying. I knew who it was long before Peri actually landed, and I jumped off hurriedly to run up to Poppy.

    The black-haired girl wailed even harder when she saw me coming closer. She dashed forward to meet me halfway, latching onto my leg like a Komala.

    "B-BIG BROTHER ARINNNN," she wailed. Fat tears rolled down her chubby cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Are you really l-leaving? Don''t go, don''t go, please don''t go! W-Who''s going to play with me when the others are busy, o-or tell me cool stories about magical places¡­?"

    "Hey. Hey," I said softly, gently prying Poppy off my leg before crouching down to her eye level. "Please don''t cry, Poppy." Her face was puffy from crying, and thick snot dripped from her nose almost like a Cubchoo. I tried not to chuckle as I pulled one of my designated Hassel handkerchiefs out of my pocket and gently dabbed at her nose.

    I had actually only known Poppy for about a year compared to the others. When the last Elite Four member passed away from old age, she had taken over for him not just because of her extraordinary skill as a trainer but because of her Ability as well.

    Yes, Poppy was the same as me. She was an Ability Holder ¡ª the only one in Paldea, in fact, aside from me ¡ª and she could communicate with Steel types. It was the reason why they listened to her so well despite her young age. We had bonded quite quickly over the fact that we could both understand Pokemon.

    I''d known already that Poppy was going to take the news the hardest given that she was just a young child and treated me like her own blood-related brother, but it still made me sad seeing her so distraught.

    I waited until I cleaned her up before speaking.

    "Poppy," I began, and she looked at me with teary eyes. "It''s true that I''m leaving. I''m sorry, but there''s something I really, really want to do back home."

    Poppy sniffed hard, about to protest more, but she stopped when I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. I looked into her eyes. "But! This doesn''t mean I''ll never see you again. I can always fly back here on Zuri. I won''t be able to visit every day or anything, but I promise to come back to see you as much as possible. You trust big brother Arin, right?" I smiled encouragingly at her.

    The young child stared back at me with watery eyes. For a second, I was afraid she was going to burst into tears again, but she finally nodded slowly. Her bottom lip trembled as she held up a shaking pinky. "P-Pinky promise?" she asked anxiously. "You''ll come back to visit?"

    I smiled, looping my pinky finger around hers. "Pinky promise," I told her firmly. "Fairies don''t lie, remember?"

    She nodded enthusiastically, cheering up a bit. "Y-Yeah¡­ Yeah! You told me that before! I remember!"

    "Good." I patted her on the head, ruffling her hair a bit as I stood up. Geeta and the rest of the Elite Four were waiting for me several yards away. Hassel was sobbing at this point from having watched the entire emotional display.

    Rika rolled her eyes as she held up two heavy picnic baskets. A huge picnic cloth had already been set up on the grass. "C''mon, Hassel, save that for later. We need to eat first and enjoy our time together!"

    "B-But¡­" Hassel sobbed, and Geeta calmly pushed him towards the blanket. I laughed as I took Poppy''s small hand in mine, guiding her to the rest of our friends.

    The Treasure Eatery takeout was delicious. Larry had ordered all of their specialties for the occasion. My friends had even picked up some famous sandwiches from Mesagoza which I all but scarfed down in seconds. Man, I was going to really miss Paldea''s food after I left. I loved my home region''s cuisine, but the stuff in Paldea was just as unique and tasty.

    We talked a lot as we ate and reminisced about the past. Rika laughed about how shocked I had looked after Larry appeared in front of me during my Elite Four challenge. In my defense, nobody else in any of the regions I''d been to before had had someone work as both a Gym Leader and an Elite Four! It was just unheard of!

    ¡­That was what I tried to argue at least, but Rika kept laughing anyway. Larry made a comment about being overworked and sneaked a hopeful glance over at Geeta, but the chairwoman just calmly sipped her drink. I sympathized with him. Perhaps he''d finally get more time off one of these days.

    We continued talking about old memories. There was the time of my first meeting with Geeta where I thought she was just a random League inspector in the food chain, and the time when I helped Larry take care of an injured baby Starly and they made a nest out of his hair¡­ There was a time when I had tried to stop a food fight at the academy only to accidentally trip and send a pie flying into Hassel''s face, and a time when Poppy somehow convinced me to do a weird dance with her with over two dozen Orthworm (which was actually a bit terrifying).

    Many memories had been made in Paldea and with these people sitting next to me. My heart felt a little heavier with every second that passed. At one point, I made myself get up to grab the souvenirs and hand them out before I could forget. Larry, Hassel, and Geeta seemed especially pleased by the local specialty teas I''d procured from Cherrygrove and Ecruteak. Rika was more excited by the coffee beans I''d gotten her, and Poppy drooled over the small pack of Rage Candy Bars in her lap (I had to warn her not to eat too many at once, and I told the others to make sure she limited herself). I''d also gotten everyone a small omamori charm from my hometown.

    Our hangout eventually dwindled to a close as the sun completely set and the sky darkened. The picnic blanket and empty plates were stowed away carefully, and then I stood facing my friends. All of my Pokemon had been returned except for Zuri. She was actually wearing a saddle with ropes attached today to help carry the luggage. I wasn''t sure yet how I was going to fit all the suitcases there.

    "So¡­" I trailed off awkwardly, staring at everyone. "I guess this is it."

    Much to my confusion, they all looked back at me with amused expressions.

    Rika shook her head and spoke for the rest of them. "Nope," she drawled lazily, and she flashed a smirk at me. "We haven''t given you our gifts yet."

    It took me a second to register what she''d just said.

    "Wait, what?" I finally blurted out in surprise, but Rika had already stepped forward to hand a bag to me.

    "Here, this is my gift to you," she told me. I still couldn''t believe they''d gotten me farewell gifts. Hesitantly, I took the bag Rika offered and peeked inside.

    What I saw made me smile almost immediately. There was an assortment of office supplies like Fairy Pokemon shaped paperweights, sticky notes, pens and a cup to hold them in, and even a coffee mug with a Sylveon pattern.

    "I thought you could use them for your fancy new Gym Leader''s office," Rika explained proudly with a hand on her hip. "This is advice straight from the main secretary of the Paldea League: filling out paperwork is never fun, so I hope you can at least make the experience a little more enjoyable for yourself."

    I nodded, still very touched by her thoughtful gift. "Thanks, Rika! I''ll put these to good use." She smiled at that and stepped back, allowing Hassel to take her place.

    "My gift has two parts. First¡­" Hassel paused, tossing a Pokeball out into the air. His Dragonite appeared next to Zuri, and they greeted each other cheerfully. "I noticed you had a lot of luggage, Arin, so I decided to lend you Dan. He might be getting on in his years, but he''s still an excellent flier. Don''t worry about whether or not he can keep up! Plus, I figured once he knows the way there, we can come visit in the future. An excellent idea, would you not say so?" He beamed at me, and I couldn''t help but chuckle.

    "That would be pretty nice," I admitted. "Thanks for the help, Hassel, Dan." The Dragonite bowed cheerfully, happy to be of service. I gave my attention back to Hassel as he pulled something out of his bag with great care. "I have one other thing for you. I hope you like it."

    A rectangular object wrapped in thick white cloth was held out to me. I grasped it securely in my arms and curiously pulled the fabric away.

    I gasped out loud when I saw what was underneath. Hassel grinned at me.

    "Well? What do you think?" he eagerly asked.

    Hassel had given me a painting. I knew it was Hassel''s own work right away because I''d seen him draw so many times over the years. A familiar looking figure stood with a Sylveon by his side in a field of flowers at night. Both of them wore determined expressions. A Moonblast was being formed above the Sylveon''s head, bathing the surroundings with an ethereal glow. Hassel had drawn me and Vel.

    "Hassel, this is¡­ incredible. It looks so realistic! Thank you so much!" I gushed in awe. I was already having trouble deciding if I wanted to have it hung up at home or in the Gym. "How long did this take you? Does it have a title?"

    "I''m so glad you like it!" Hassel looked absolutely ecstatic because of my reaction. "I got started on it right after you called yesterday actually. I would have liked to include more of your Pokemon, but I only had less than a day, so¡­ alas. It doesn''t have a title right now since I was too focused on painting to think. I''ll get back to you with a name sometime."

    My jaw dropped. I had kind of guessed already, but¡­ to think he had produced this in one day. Hassel was definitely a genius. I thanked him again for the gift and wrapped the cloth back on.

    Next, Larry came forward with his gift. He presented me with a small gray box.

    "Originally, I was going to give you these for your birthday and Christmas, but the timeline sped up a bit," Larry explained. We all looked at him, and he blinked at us. "Is something the matter? Do people not normally get gifts a year in advance?"

    I shook my head. Oh, Larry. I took the box and opened it. There was a set of five different ties inside. Each came in different shades of pink and patterns over them such as swirls, crescent moons, or stars. My eyes immediately went to Larry''s own themed tie that he currently wore.

    I laughed, already knowing I was going to use this present a lot. "These are wonderful, Larry! Thank you. I''ll wear them often," I told him, and the normally tired salesman''s expression lit up as he smiled.

    To my surprise, Poppy ran up to me with an excited expression. Even she had a present for me. She rummaged around in the little bag she always carried with her and pulled out¡ª

    "Here, Arin! I got you this with my allowance! Mommy has a squishy ball too, and she always feels better after using it. This will keep you happy even if you have a bad day!" Poppy exclaimed proudly, and she presented the ''squishy ball'' to me with a flourish.

    The ''squishy ball'' was in truth a stress ball shaped like a Marill''s tail. I thought it was adorable that Poppy had chosen such a thoughtful gift, and I gave her a big hug.

    "This is perfect, Poppy. I already feel happier just by looking at it," I laughed. Poppy''s eyes glittered with pride as she bounced backwards.

    Everyone turned to look at Geeta. She simply offered a mysterious smile. I was surprised when she used not one but both of her hands to retrieve separate things from her pockets.

    She presented two things to me: a phone and a short magnetic strip with six Ultra Balls on it. I took both of them with wide eyes.

    "I thought the newest phone model might be useful for your tenure as a Gym Leader. It comes with excellent security features and overall capabilities, and it can even fold into a bracelet form," Geeta explained. This was definitely a useful gift. I hadn''t changed my phone in almost five years, and it wasn''t as fast as I would have liked. I let out a laugh when I flipped the device over and saw the phone skin. There were faces of different Fairy Pokemon patterned all over it.

    I made a note to immediately switch over to the new phone when I returned to Johto. "What are these then? For capturing new Pokemon?" I asked curiously, raising the belt of Pokeballs up to my face with my other hand.

    "No. They contain one Porygon-Z, two Porygon2, and three Porygon," Geeta replied rather casually, and my head snapped towards her in shock. So did the rest of the Elite Four minus Poppy, who just tilted her head innocently.

    "W-What?" I stammered.

    Geeta simply blinked at me. "You can have Porygon-Z enter your phone and split the rest between your house and gym''s electronics. They aren''t particularly strong battlers, but they will be immensely useful for security purposes and should help prevent any data breaches," she continued calmly.

    That¡­ made sense, but it was still crazy! Porygon themselves weren''t hard to produce and were actually used for data security in almost every region, but Porygon2 and especially Porygon-Z were much, much rarer due to the sheer time and effort needed to safely code them.

    I had actually been thinking about getting some Porygon for myself and the gym. After dad''s warning about obstacles in my path, I''d turned a bit paranoid about enemies around every corner in the future. Thanks to Geeta, I now had a very impressive data security force on my hands.

    She had truly gone the extra mile with her gifts. I placed both of them away in my bag, thanking Geeta profusely. She merely waved away my thanks while looking very dignified.

    I did have one last thing to ask her, though. "About my two Pokemon¡­" I hesitated, and she nodded ever so slightly. She knew I was referring to my Paradox Pokemon.

    "I trust you, Arin. I know you will not say anything that will link Paldea to them," she said, and I nodded back resolutely. Area Zero was a secret that I would take with me to my grave.

    The gift-giving was over. I made sure everything was stored safely with the rest of my luggage, and Hassel helped me strap everything onto Zuri and Dan''s backs.

    I then turned to give each of my friends a quick hug. We could always call or text each other, but I knew I wouldn''t be able to visit anytime soon, not with the first and possibly most important year of my life coming up ahead of me. This would be my last time seeing them in person for a while.

    Hassel and Poppy both started bawling again, so I had to whip out even more handkerchiefs to give them.

    "DAKE CAYRE OF YURSHELF, ARIN!" Hassel sobbed as he dabbed at his eyes dramatically, but his words came out as almost complete gibberish. I had to take a few moments to translate what he said into proper words before I patted him on the back comfortingly.

    Poppy clung to Larry''s leg as he hobbled forward with the weight of two.

    "Please feel free to message me whenever you have any questions about Gym Leader matters. Our regional Leagues might differ a bit in how they run, but the overall duties and purposes are basically the same. I''ll be here for support or if you just want to talk," Larry told me, and I glanced at him with renewed appreciation. Why was this guy always so darn reliable?

    "Thank you, Larry. Take care of yourself," I replied earnestly, and he patted my shoulder once with a smile.

    I then looked down at the sobbing mess clinging to Larry''s leg that was Poppy. She looked up at me and cried harder. "Y-You have to come visit, okay?! You promised!" she managed to get out between her tears.

    I leaned down and patted her head gently. "Of course."

    Satisfied, she finally let go of Larry''s leg and allowed the poor man to step backwards unburdened.

    Rika came up and looked at me sternly. "Don''t let anyone push you around, okay? You need to show the Indigo League who you are and that you and your gym are there to stay."

    "I will," I replied almost instantly, clenching a fist. There was a lot of work to be done, but everything would be worth it in the end. I smiled as I saw the worry hiding beneath Rika''s stern expression. "I''ll be fine. Don''t worry too much about me, you just try to survive the paperwork next Circuit, okay?"

    "I should be the one saying that to you, Mr. Soon-To-Be Gym Leader," Rika snorted, but her expression softened as she gave me one final hug. "You take care now. I''ll miss having you around."

    "Same here," I murmured. Rika stepped back, and the last person came up to me.

    Geeta and I stared at each other.

    "Thank you for everything, Geeta," I finally said quietly. "My four-year-stay in Paldea only went so smoothly because you helped me with so many things along the way." I really was truly grateful for everything she had done for me, and I dipped forward in a small bow to her now.

    When I straightened, I saw Geeta giving me a rare closed-eye smile. "Thank you, Arin. These four years have truly been quite fun," she said in return. The woman then held a hand out to me. "This is not goodbye, Arin. We''ll see you later."

    I smiled at Geeta, shaking her hand firmly. "See you later."

    I felt the gazes cast upon me as I turned and walked away, climbing onto Zuri''s back.

    She and Dan rose up into the air. I gave one last look behind me at the house and the people I was leaving behind.

    Then the world blurred as we flew away, finally closing the chapter of my life in Paldea.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The sadness lasted for a good while on my flight to Johto. I missed Paldea and my friends already. With thoughts of the future in mind, I drifted to sleep on Zuri''s back.

    She woke me up once we arrived at the house in Cherrygrove. I yawned as I untied the luggage and saddles from both Zuri and Hassel''s Dragonite, trying desperately to stay awake.

    I dumped the stuff on the front porch before leading Zuri and Dan out back. They waddled off to find respective locations to sleep while I released all my Pokemon, first my main team and then the new Pokemon I''d caught in Paldea. I had to shush them a bit when they oohed and aahed at the picturesque surroundings a bit too loudly. Hopefully dad and the other Pokemon were still fast asleep. At least the new gym Pokemon were happy with the change in environment.

    As everyone wandered off to sleep or to explore the surroundings a bit, I dragged myself back to the front with Vel following after me. The Sylveon kindly carried over half the luggage by himself with his feelers, and I carried the last two inside. We put everything in the living room for now minus the one suitcase with stuff meant for my bedroom, and then we quietly went up the stairs. Vel went to my bedroom first with the luggage while I took the quickest shower of my life.

    Vel was still awake and waiting for me when I returned.

    As much as I wanted to claim glorious sleep, I couldn''t forget about the Porygon family Geeta had given me. Digital-made creatures they might have been, but they were still Pokemon capable of emotion. I released them from their Pokeballs and asked if Geeta had already explained anything to them about me and my situation. The strange block-shaped Pokemon all said yes. Arceus, I seriously appreciated that woman sometimes.

    Since the Gym wouldn''t be done for another two months, the Porygon didn''t have much to do for the time being. All of them disappeared into my room''s laptop except for the Porygon-Z, who dove into my phone.

    Vel chose that moment to call out softly, asking if I was going to sleep yet. I was about to crawl into bed when I paused, noticing my old journal I''d left haphazardly on my desk.

    "One sec," I whispered back softly. I grabbed a pen and the journal. Flipping it open to the last page, I began to write.

    I''d left Paldea and returned to Johto. I was well and truly home now and about to embark on a brand new journey.

    Ten years ago, I don''t think I ever would have thought this was where I would be in ten years'' time. My dreams then and now had intersected.

    Satisfied, I tossed the pen back and slipped into bed. Vel curled up next to my head, and we both fell asleep within seconds.

    On the desk, a journal lay face open with new words added to existing sentences.

    I WILL BE THE BEST GYM LEADER IN THE WORLD.

    I WILL PUT CHERRYGROVE CITY ON THE MAP.

    I WILL BECOME THE GREATEST FAIRY SPECIALIST.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    OMAKE 1

    They stared after Arin long after he and the two Dragonite disappeared from their vision. Only the whistling of the southern breeze and the sound of Hassel''s sobbing filled the air. Poppy had cried herself to sleep on the porch, tightly hugging the pile of souvenirs Arin had given her.

    "Do you think he''ll be alright?" Rika asked quietly, breaking the silence. "He''s one of the best trainers out there and smart to boot, but the Indigo League prides itself on tradition. They won''t make things easy for him."

    "We just have to trust in Arin," Larry said, still staring into the distance. "I truly believe he will achieve his goal."

    "But what if they purposefully fail him for Tauros dung reasons?" Rika countered.

    Geeta shook her head. "There is no possible way Arin will fail. He will get through whatever they toss at him in the end. Besides¡­" The Chairwoman of the Paldea League paused, neatly folding her hands behind her back. "If they do, we will just reveal Paldea''s presence to Johto and simply lodge a formal complaint to the Indigo League about the unfairness of his test. We''ll also threaten to rally with the rest of the international community in outrage over their League''s apparent corruption."

    Rika stared at her in shock. "You''re not serious, are you?" she finally asked.

    Geeta quirked a brow as she turned, meeting Rika''s gaze calmly.

    "Yes?"

    "¡­"

    Sometimes, Geeta was truly a terrifying woman.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    OMAKE 2

    While Arin slept peacefully in Paldea, on the other side of the world, Adriel Watanuki couldn''t fall asleep.

    So much had happened in so little time. His son ¡ª his son, Arin ¡ª had actually come back home. They''d made up and were tentatively a family again, and Arin had declared today that he wanted to take over the Cherrygrove Gym.

    Adriel felt like crying and laughing and smiling all at the same time.

    It didn''t matter that his life was on a ticking clock. Now he just needed to do right by Arin with the time he had remaining and cherish the moments they had together.

    Adriel grinned to himself. He''d felt so tired lately, but now he felt like he had enough strength to take on the world.

    It was obvious he wasn''t going to fall asleep any time soon with how hopeful he felt about the future. Humming to himself, Adriel decided to get a cup of water and left his bedroom. He took the stairs down two at a time and walked towards the kitchen. Even in the darkness, he knew where the switch was after so many years and reached out to flip it on.

    Then he saw the ragged yellow monster sitting ominously on the kitchen table, staring at him with strange black eyes and a creepy smile, and he froze.

    "GAH¡ª"

    Adriel let out a strangled sound of fright that was halfway between a gasp and a shout as he jumped nearly a foot into the air. He couldn''t hear anything above the sound of his own raging heartbeat. Was there an intruder? But Meguri and his Pokemon hadn''t said anything¡ª

    The man quickly turned on the kitchen lights, and he finally calmed down once he saw the identity of the monster. It was just Arin''s Pokemon.

    His heart was still racing from the adrenaline as he stared at the strange little guy. It stared back at him without moving. If he had to estimate, it couldn''t have been more than six or seven inches tall. The strange black eyes and creepy smile Adriel had been scared by were just part of the face scribbled on the top half of its costume. Apparently its actual eyes peered out of the small holes on its body, or at least that''s what Arin had told him. He hadn''t dared ask what was underneath the cloth.

    All in all, it was the strangest Pokemon Adriel had ever seen in his life. He wouldn''t go so far as to call it creepy, as that would be rude to both the Pokemon and to his son who considered it family, but he couldn''t help but feel unsettled by it.

    The cup of water went forgotten as Adriel pulled out a kitchen chair and sank down on it, his eyes never leaving Arin''s Pokemon.

    "Hello, er¡­ Mini? Mem?" he asked cautiously, struggling to remember the Pokemon''s nickname. When the Mimikyu reacted to the second name, Adriel nodded absentmindedly to himself. Right. Mem the male Mimikyu. He remembered now. "Good morning, I guess?"

    And by morning, he meant three or four AM.

    Adriel tried not to flinch when the Mimikyu let out a strange sound that sounded like a cross of static and nails raking across a chalkboard. That¡­ was certainly a very unique sound. He thought the Pokemon might have sounded happy, but it was hard to say for sure. Mem shuffled closer to him and looked up. Adriel looked right back.

    There was a long silence as Adriel struggled to come up with something to say in the odd situation he had found himself in. His eyes caught sight of the blue hearts sewn onto Mem''s cloth. "Arin added those for you, right?" Adriel asked, finally settling on that.

    Mem made that same strange sound again, and this time Adriel could more clearly tell it expressed joy. Adriel smiled to himself as he studied the sewn hearts more closely. "Huh, he did a pretty good job. They look nice."

    In response, Mem chittered another alien sound and spun around in a circle. Was he¡­ showing off Arin''s work? Huh, that was kind of cute, Adriel thought to himself as he watched the Mimikyu twist this way and that. He must have liked the compliment very much.

    Adriel almost jumped again when the Mimikyu abruptly flew into the air and zoomed into the living room. He returned moments later with a small bag clutched by a shadowy claw that extended from the bottom of his cloth. Adriel eyed the dark tendril, deciding he didn''t want to ask.

    The bag was gently placed on the table and opened. Mem began pulling out various yellow cloths with scribbled faces, each with their own little patterns sewn onto them, and he held them up one by one with his shadow appendages. They were waved excitedly in front of Adriel''s face, and he found himself smiling a little wider.

    The more he looked, the more he thought Mem was actually sort of¡­ adorable. His actions were definitely endearing.

    Adriel''s lips moved before he could even think. "Do you want another outfit? I might not look like it, but I''m pretty good at sewing."

    The Mimikyu paused in the middle of showing off another fabric. Adriel thought he might have offended Arin''s Pokemon somehow when Mem suddenly jumped up and down excitedly, letting out a steady stream of sounds that could have come from a horror movie.

    Adriel wagered that meant a ''yes.'' He went to grab his sewing kit and fabrics from a supply closet. When he came back and bunkered down at the kitchen table, Mem hopped up onto his shoulder and chittered away in his ear as he worked. Adriel didn''t mind.

    He ended up staying up for the rest of the morning talking to Mem.

 Chapter 9

    CHAPTER 9

    Only a precious few hours of sleep were granted to me before I had to get up, groaning as I did. Never again would I attempt so many back and forth extended flights in a short period of time. It was just too exhausting.

    There was no time to be tired, though. Two weeks remained until the promotion test, and I had gym Pokemon to train.

    When I entered the backyard, I was immensely relieved to see no signs of chaos. I had been a bit worried about adding so many new Pokemon at once and wondered if any fights would erupt, but it seemed the former wild Pokemon had already come to an understanding with each other that this was a safe place for all of them to live together. It helped that the presence of my own Pokemon encouraged them to be on their best behavior.

    Well, almost all of them at least.

    The new Tinkaton I had obtained from Paldea swaggered up to Mr. Puff right as I was about to start morning practice. I paused to watch the ensuing show, but I was ready to step in if needed. The Tinkaton beckoned with a hand in a ''bring it'' gesture and haughtily shouted out a challenge, swinging her hammer a bit for intimidation. From the way she acted, she really did remind me of some sort of gangster.

    Mr. Puff did not look amused whatsoever.

    His already stern expression turned even more severe as he answered that a battle with her wouldn''t be worth his time. Youngsters these days, he huffed.

    Tinkaton did not like that.

    I stepped in as Tinkaton flared up with anger and stomped forward. "Stop," I said in a level but firm tone. Everyone in the vicinity including Tinkaton actually froze at the sound of my voice, and they watched now as I strode up to the little spat.

    I looked at Tinkaton sternly. "Tinkaton, I didn''t bring you here so you could force other Pokemon to fight you against their wishes. You need to respect the Pokemon who will be working alongside you from now on. You''ll get plenty of fights later during training spars." The Hammer Pokemon looked away sullenly, but she eventually nodded.

    "Mr. Puff." I turned now to the Jigglypuff. He looked up at me with a stony expression, but I could see the hint of nervousness in his eyes. "Tinkaton was rude, yes, but you shouldn''t have provoked her further like that." I could tell he wanted to disagree, but he held back and nodded instead.

    Now, it was time to take advantage of the situation Tinkaton had caused and use it as an opportunity instead. What I had in mind would bring her and any potential troublemakers in line as well as inspire the other new Pokemon.

    "Okay. Mr. Puff, Tinkaton," I said suddenly, clapping my hands. They both looked at me. "To clear up any bad feelings, how about we actually do a quick battle before training? Tinkaton will be on one side while I give Mr. Puff instructions on the other. What do you guys think?"

    Tinkaton agreed immediately, lifting her hammer again with a fired up expression. Mr. Puff furrowed his brows at me, but he saw the wink I shot him and realized I was planning something. He took one look at Tinkaton''s haughty expression before turning back to me with hardened eyes, agreeing to the fight. I nodded. "Okay, we''ll start in a couple minutes. I need time to talk to Mr. Puff first, so start getting ready, Tinkaton."

    While the Hammer Pokemon skipped away to clean her hammer, I took Mr. Puff aside for a brief talk.

    I had already fought Tinkaton once before with Peri in Paldea and had a fairly good idea of her capabilities. She had the strength to be a contender for fifth badge challenges already, but that was all she had. Brute strength. She had little to no technique or sense of strategy, and she limited herself by only using big, powerful moves. She also had a terrible temper.

    All of these weaknesses were things to exploit.

    "Mr. Puff, thanks for agreeing to the fight after your earlier reluctance. I suggested it because we need to curb Tinkaton''s arrogance," I said, and Mr. Puff''s eyes gleamed. He liked the sound of that.

    I continued. "I''m going to be honest: this is not going to be an easy fight for you. With your current movepool, Tinkaton will be able to resist mostly anything you throw at her," I informed him. He protested angrily, but I quickly held up a finger. "Let me finish. In spite of that, we WILL win. It''s just not gonna be a short fight. I know we haven''t really fought together before, but you trust me, right?" Mr. Puff nodded vigorously, making me smile. "Okay, try to react to my commands during the battle as fast as you can. Let me go over the general strategy I have in mind¡­"

    Three minutes later, Mr. Puff and I stood ready on our side of the field. Tinkaton smirked at us from the other end, raising her hammer above her head.

    We didn''t need a referee for this. The battle started as soon as Tinkaton dashed forward.

    "Stay put and use Charm," I said simply. Mr. Puff''s eyes glowed faintly with Fairy energy as he stared at the incoming Tinkaton. She faltered slightly but kept up her charge.

    I waited right before she swung her hammer in a Brutal Swing attack. "Do it!"

    I''d given a strategy beforehand for what to do when Tinkaton got close, and now Mr. Puff carried it out. With one of his favorite moves, Minimize, he shrank to almost nothing in an instant. Tinkaton''s eyes flew wide open with shock as she swung and missed, hitting absolutely nothing.

    But that wasn''t the end of it. Mr. Puff undid the Minimize right after and screamed quite literally in her face. Tinkaton shrieked with pain from the Hyper Voice, stumbling backwards. To her credit, she didn''t drop her hammer and only used one hand to try and block out the noise. She swung her hammer blindly, but Mr. Puff had already bounced back out of range.

    "Rollout," I ordered.

    Mr. Puff took advantage of the lingering disorientation and barrelled into Tinkaton as a spinning ball of pink fur. He wasn''t strong enough to knock the heavier Pokemon down, but Tinkaton did let out a loud ''oomph'' from the heavy blow.

    Tinkaton roared with anger and swung her hammer again, but just like before, Mr. Puff smoothly transitioned into a Minimize to avoid the blow. To add insult to injury, this time he stood on top of Tinkaton''s hammer when he popped back to his normal size for a Hyper Voice. This was part of our plan.

    You didn''t make light of a Tinkaton''s hammer.

    Tinkaton screamed more with rage than pain as the fresh wave of Hyper Voice slammed into her. Her attention was focused entirely on the pink blob who dared to land on her hammer. Chaotic waves of Fairy energy wrapped around the ends of her tool as she swung it with all her might back and forth.

    Mr. Puff simply jumped away from the Play Rough and alternated between using Minimize and Rollout to either dodge the path of the hammer or spin out of the way entirely. I knew he wasn''t used to using either move in such rapid succession, so I was proud as I watched him escape Tinkaton''s warpath with his dodging. He mixed in Hyper Voices when he got the chance. Ineffective as they might have been against Tinkaton''s typing, they gradually chipped away at her health.

    Tinkaton was getting worse and worse by the second. Her swings got sloppier and sloppier as she let her fury blind her vision of the battle, and she stuck to the same few moves of Play Rough, Brutal Swing, and Gigaton Hammer. Mr. Puff looked like he was having fun as he bounced and zoomed across the field. I knew he was, but I also knew he wasn''t used to moving around so much in one battle. He was getting tired.

    That meant it was time to wrap things up.

    Pulsating waves of grayish energy spiked outwards from Tinkaton''s hammer as she launched herself into the air for another Gigaton Hammer.

    "Disable," I smirked. Mr. Puff''s expression matched my own as he stared at the falling Tinkaton with glowing eyes. The Steel type energy faded away much to Tinkaton''s utter shock. The Hammer Pokemon landed clumsily and quickly switched to a Play Rough. I called out another order after Mr. Puff spun away. "Mimic!"

    Mr. Puff''s face was one of complete glee as he rushed forward, body slamming Tinkaton with a pink aura surrounding him. He slapped her left and right with his stubby arms before she finally swung her hammer and managed to get her first hit in. Mr. Puff took the Play Rough in stride and gave back even harder, using Defense Curl to strengthen his body before headbutting her with the Play Rough he''d copied.

    Tinkaton finally dropped her hammer as she sank to her knees, cradling her head.

    "Mr. Puff, step back," I said, eyeing Tinkaton''s form. Mr. Puff looked a bit reluctant, but he did as I asked anyway. I called out in a louder voice to Tinkaton. "I think you should understand now that you were being too arrogant before, Tinkaton. Mr. Puff might not have as much power as you right now, but he makes up for it with his mobility and clever use of his moves. I want to end the battle here since I don''t want anyone to get too injured. Do you concede?"

    It took a bit, but Tinkaton finally raised her head with a frown and nodded. She was frustrated, but she had learned a good lesson. I encouraged both Pokemon to shake hands after the fight. They did, but it was very reluctant on both ends. I only hoped they would become friendlier with each other in the future.

    I raised my voice now, looking around at all the new gym Pokemon that had watched the fight. "Just like you all, Mr. Puff was a wild Pokemon until very recently. He only had two days of training with me and my Pokemon before this fight, but you saw how he managed to close the gap with a fully evolved Pokemon. He''s already become a little stronger since then. He was able to put on an impressive performance through the strategies I shared with him and his own hard work. I want all of you to know that you can do the same. I''m just going to need you to trust and work together with me to get there," I told them.

    Through the battle, I had hoped to show them how much faster a Pokemon could improve with the help of a trainer compared to when they were on their own in the wild. Looking around, I could see that I had achieved my goal. The Pokemon around me were nodding and looking more motivated than ever. Even Tinkaton seemed a bit interested by the thoughtful expression on her face. I hoped my words had gotten through to her and that she would be more cooperative from now on.

    With the fight out of the way, training finally started for real. I got the new batch of gym Pokemon started on similar routines that the others were on and gave each species a matching tutor from my own team of Elites. Moments like these made me truly appreciate being a Specialist since my Pokemon could easily share tips and techniques they''d learned with others that shared their type. I brought out my laptop at one point to record information on all the new gym Pokemon such as which Abilities and moves they had, their current progress, or future training plans for them.

    I spent some time checking in with the Pokemon that had joined from Route 30. Not too much had changed since I last saw them, but I was pleased to see they had a better grasp on their most basic moves. The ones I had marked previously for higher tiers were doing more than well. In a few days, we would move on to higher level techniques as well as getting them accustomed to following a trainer''s commands during a battle.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Most of my time was spent with the new batch of Pokemon and helping them get acclimated to the new environment. I especially made sure the Hatenna and Flabebe family lines were comfortable since I had made such a hefty promise with their leaders. Out of the new Pokemon from Paldea, I was most interested in training the Klefki, Ralts, Kirlia, and the one Gardevoir because I had never caught or trained any of my own before. I admit I nerded out a bit as I fawned over them and jotted down notes on my laptop about their characteristics.

    Speaking of Gardevoir, she and Tinkaton were like oil and water. I''d already seen how short-tempered and prideful Tinkaton could be. Gardevoir was the exact opposite. She was quite gentle, and she easily accepted my teachings as I taught her how to further harness Fairy type energy for more powerful techniques. Tinkaton had mellowed out a bit after the fight and was willing to listen to the advice I gave her about her shortcomings, which relieved me greatly. I had high hopes for both of them to eventually become part of my highest badge challenge rosters.

    I asked Filore for her help as well. She had assisted me with some lectures before at the academy in Paldea and enjoyed it, so I asked if she wanted to help with the gym as well. She easily agreed. That made one more Pokemon for the high end of the badge tiers.

    Things were starting to look up. I felt much better than I had a few days ago about the Pokemon situation, but I still wasn''t satisfied.

    I took a break while my Pokemon were training and pulled my phone out. I''d switched over to the new one Geeta had given me, and it was amazing. I hadn''t checked out all the new features yet, but it was so much faster than my old phone. I regretted not changing to a newer model sooner.

    My fingers moved quickly across the screen as I typed out a text message in a specific group chat. It included fellow Fairy Specialists I''d become friends with while traveling. They were also, admittedly, pretty famous people within their respective regions.

    [FAIRY GYM LEADERS] (3 People)

    Me [8:19 AM]: Hi everyone, long no time no talk. Long story short: I''m starting up a Fairy Gym in Johto, and I''d like to cash in on some favors now. Can you guys send me some native Pokemon from your regions who would be willing to join my Gym? Need to fill out the challenge rosters ASAP and start training them.

    Due to our different time zones, I was pretty confident everyone was either sleeping or busy with work and wouldn''t respond for a while. Much to my surprise, I was proven wrong as messages instantly came flooding in.

    Valerie [8:19 AM]: Magnifique! I always knew this day would come. Did I not say before that you would make an excellent Gym Leader, Arin?

    Mina [8:19 AM]: are u serious?! omg now ur one of us.

    I raised a brow. Mina should have been sleeping at this time. I chalked it up to her probably staying up late again to paint. Her comment did make me smile, though. The next text was from Opal, who was likely asking one of her Pokemon to type for her as usual.

    Opal [8:20 AM]: Oho¡­ and here I was hoping you would change your mind someday about becoming my successor. Still, congratulations are in order.

    I winced as I read that. Yeah¡­ Opal had really taken a liking to me years ago while I was on my journey through Galar. She''d wanted me to take over the Ballonlea Gym, but I had refused her offer multiple times.

    Me [8:20 AM]: Sorry, Opal. This is where I''m meant to be. You''ll find a successor one day for sure.

    Opal [8:20 AM]: I should hope so, young man, I''m not getting any younger. But let us move on. You would like us to send you Fairy Pokemon, correct? You are lucky that the Circuit in Galar has just ended. I have time to go looking in the Glimwood.

    Valerie [8:20 AM]: The Kalos League season is still going strong, but I can look for some today after the gym closes and tomorrow in the early morning. I''ll send you the loveliest ones I can find, Arin!

    Mina [8:21 AM]: oh lemme just finish up a little more of this painting im working on, then i can go out.

    Me [8:21 AM]: What? No, get some sleep!

    Me [8:21 AM]: It''s what, 1 or 2 AM for you over there or something? Get to bed already. I''m not in that much of a rush.

    Mina [8:21 AM]: eh? but i always stay up late¡­

    Mina [8:21 AM]: okay putting my phone away now to focus, i will text u later when i have the pokemon. bye!

    Opal [8:21 AM]: Tsk, tsk. That girl should take better care of her health. I suppose I should go now as well. The Pokemon are clamoring for lunch, and I must have my afternoon tea. Expect to hear back from me within a day regarding your request.

    Valerie [8:22 AM]: I must be off too, unfortunately. Break time''s almost over, and I can''t keep the adorable challengers waiting! I''m looking forward to discussing gym life with you from now on. Let''s all catch up another time, yes?

    Me [8:22 AM]: Thank you everyone! I really appreciate it. Talk to you all later.

    There was a big smile on my face as I pocketed my phone. Legendaries, I was so grateful to have so many friends and connections that I could make use of. After I received the next batch of gym Pokemon from them, I could stop with acquisition for the time being and focus on training.

    Plus, if my fellow Fairy Specialists got me some specific Pokemon I was hoping for¡­ well, I''d have a nice surprise for dad in a day or two.

    Very much in a good mood, I got up to continue guiding the gym Pokemon with their training. We wrapped up about an hour later. There were so many Pokemon at this point that it took awhile to lay breakfast out for everyone. I needed to get some gym trainers soon to help out. I''d have to take the time to teach them about Fairy type Pokemon and how to care for and train them, but having extra help would take a load off my shoulders.

    I paused, thinking. Perhaps dad would be willing to help. He had said on multiple occasions already that I had his full support; however, I was reluctant to ask due to his declining health.

    In the end, I decided to ask him over our own breakfast. I could smell the faint scent of sizzling eggs and bacon wafting outside from the kitchen, and I made my way inside with great anticipation. Dad looked up from the stove at the sound of my footsteps.

    "Morning, Arin!" he said cheerfully. "I hope the flight back wasn''t too bad. By the way, what is this strange Pokemon? It''s been following me around the house for the last hour and I can''t tell what it wants."

    He held up a spatula and gestured to a Klefki hovering in the air next to him. The small Pokemon immediately cried out a greeting and asked me if I had forgotten our agreement.

    "That''s a Klefki, dad, one of the Pokemon I brought back with me from Paldea. Their species is known for collecting keys. Would it be okay if we let him hold onto some? He''s been looking forward to this, and he''ll guard them zealously¡­" I paused to look at the Klefki. "Right?" He nodded back very seriously.

    Dad switched the stove off and turned to scrutinize the Klefki more closely. "Hmm¡­ Sure. He can take my copy of the house key and some for the outdoor sheds. Arceus knows I misplace them more often than not."

    It only took a second for dad to rummage around in his pockets for said keys and present them to Klefki. The Pokemon trilled happily and immediately attached his newfound treasures to his ring. I knew he would guard them with his life.

    Dad ducked his head a bit as the Klefki spun in energetic circles around him. "Well, I''m glad he seems happy," Dad chuckled. "Now let''s eat breakfast. I don''t know about you, but I''m starving."

    I helped dad pile everything onto plates on the table, and then we settled in to eat. Over breakfast, dad asked about my trip to Paldea. I informed him that everything had gone well and that I''d managed to acquire many new Pokemon for the gym. It was also a good segway into the question I had, and I asked dad if he would be willing to help out with the gym Pokemon each morning.

    Dad wore a huge grin as he looked at me.

    "I''ve been waiting for you to ask, Arin. I''d love to help out," he said much to my pleasant surprise. His expression became much more alive as he gestured wildly at the air with his hands. "You''re going to have to teach me more about the Fairy type, son. I took a peek out the window earlier, and all those new Pokemon outside look interesting. I want to know more about the type you specialize in."

    Dad''s words made me beyond happy. I was pleased that he was genuinely interested in Fairy type Pokemon and making an effort to learn more about them because of me. Now I was more excited than ever. I really hoped my friends in the other regions would come through and send me the Pokemon I knew dad would just fall in love with.

    I grinned, nodding my head vigorously. "Yeah, of course! You''re gonna be so amazed, dad, Fairy type Pokemon are capable of so many things¡­"

    The rest of breakfast was full of cheer as we talked about random things. Dad told me about how he''d bonded with Mem while I was gone and even made an outfit for him, and my happiness just ballooned further. I loved that dad was getting along with the Pokemon who were like family to me.

    This moment right here, where I sat with dad and laughed and smiled with him over breakfast, was a moment I wouldn''t have traded for the world. I felt happier than I had in ages. I was really home.

    As soon as I finished eating, I darted upstairs to grab dad''s souvenirs and Hassel''s painting. I had decided to hang it in the house for the time being since the gym wasn''t an option at the moment due to construction.

    Dad let out a low gasp of appreciation as I unveiled the painting, hanging it carefully in the living room. He''d always been an art lover.

    "Wow, this is amazing. And you said your friend painted this?" Dad asked, his eyes carefully looking over every inch of the beautiful scene.

    "Yeah, my friend Hassel of the Paldea Elite Four. Oh, that second Dragonite out back is his by the way. He let me borrow him," I said happily, completely oblivious to the fact that I''d dropped several surprises on dad in the span of a few sentences.

    His eyebrows flew up as he ran to the nearest window to check that, yes, we did indeed have two Dragonite currently in our backyard. He said nothing to that but merely shook his head with wonder as he returned to me.

    Dad loved the assortment of souvenirs I got him. He was especially excited to try the specialty coffee beans from Mesagoza and vowed to brew a cup the following morning. After carefully displaying some of the brand new Paldean succulents I''d gifted him on tables and windowsills around the house, dad cleared his throat and turned to me.

    "Arin," he began. "I''ve been meaning to ask you this, but when do you want to visit the Indigo Plateau? We''re gonna need to go in eventually to tell them about the change in ownership as well as apply for the promotion test."

    I hummed a bit in contemplation. That was definitely something we needed to do. I''d wrapped up morning training already, so¡­ "Now?" I said, and I smiled sheepishly as dad gave me an amused look.

    "I''ll go make an appointment," he said with a fond shake of his head. I watched him pull out his phone and walk off to a quieter part of the house. While he did that, I washed the dirty plates left over from breakfast.

    I had just finished drying them all and sat down on the couch to wait when dad came back looking pleased. "We''re in luck. Since the Circuit is drawing to a close, there''s a bit of a lull at the League''s Headquarters at the moment. They said we can go in today at 1:30 PM," he informed me. My eyes shot towards the nearest clock. We had about two and a half hours until our appointment, and I knew just what to do to fill in the time.

    I smiled at dad. "Want to help me unpack?"

    The next few hours were spent pulling everything out of the remaining luggage left in the living room. I called in more than a few of my Pokemon to help. With dad''s keen eye and the manual labor my Pokemon and I provided, we started decorating the house with everything from Paldea. I made conversation with dad throughout it all as he asked about certain things we were moving around, more than happy to revisit old memories attached to them.

    The best part was when I pulled out my trophies and cases filled with gym badges for dad to see. His whole face lit up with pride and awe.

    I let him have the honor of finally opening the empty display case in the living room. I would have helped him put everything inside, but after seeing dad happily engrossed in carefully arranging and rearranging all my awards in different setups, I left him to it with a smile on my face.

    By the time we finished, the whole house felt so much cozier with all the new additions in furniture and decorations. I even had time left over to run upstairs and start redecorating my bedroom.

    Clothes were carefully placed into the closets and dressers. Old posters were taken down from the walls and replaced with photos of me, my Pokemon, and the people I had met on my travels. On my desk, I carefully placed the daffodil Florges had given me in a vase and put Poppy''s Marill stress ball in a corner. Rika''s office supplies were put away in a drawer for the future.

    I was about to put away the ties Larry had gifted me when I stopped. I looked first at the clock and then right back down at the ties.

    Ten minutes later, I came downstairs with the gym papers carefully put away in my bag and a fresh outfit. I had put on a light pink dress shirt, some comfortable black slacks and matching dress shoes, and of course, a dark pink tie with small white crescent moons on it.

    I looked pretty damn good in all honesty.

    I figured I ought to show up to the Indigo League''s Headquarters in style for my first official appearance and to make a good impression. I was even considering wearing this kind of outfit from now on as my so-called everyday ''Gym Leader look.'' It would be important to be recognizable to the public going forward.

    Dad had changed into a more formal outfit as well, and he chuckled when he caught sight of my patterned tie. I merely grinned at him.

    "Shall we?" Dad asked, and I nodded.

    "Let''s go."

    It was finally time to visit the Indigo Plateau.

 Chapter 10

    CHAPTER 10

    "AHHHHH¡ª"

    The sound of dad''s screaming filled the air as Peri went full speed. I watched on with endless amusement.

    Let me explain what happened.

    We could have Teleported to the Indigo Plateau with dad''s Exeggutor since he had been there before, but dad avoided this method as much as possible due to the intense nausea he usually got as a result. So, before we left the house, I asked dad which of my fliers he wanted to ride on for the journey as he had none of his own (Zuri was not an option since she needed to rest after the international flight). Dad ended up choosing Peri.

    Peri was big enough that two people could ride on him at once, but since we had enough time, I chose to ride separately on Arya so she could enjoy a nice flight, too.

    The first five minutes into our trip went just fine. Dad loved how fluffy Peri''s fur was and patted him numerous times just to enjoy the softness. Peri did a few fancy flight tricks like swoops and turns to show his appreciation which dad enjoyed.

    Then dad innocently asked him how fast he could go, and Peri''s flip switched.

    Peri loved showing off his speed.

    That led us to the current situation where I watched dad become a mere speck in the distance ahead of me and Arya. The Altaria and I shared an amused glance.

    Half a minute later, Peri zoomed back to our side with a very pale-faced dad.

    "Peri is¡­ very fast," Dad finally got out after he took a few deep breaths, and I laughed loudly.

    "He manipulates the air around him with Flying type energy and combines that with Extreme Speed," I explained. My eyes gained a mischievous spark with my next words. "Zuri is even faster, you know. Dragonite can move at the speed of sound. You should try flying with her sometime."

    The frightened look dad made caused me to burst out laughing again.

    It was nice getting all the tension out of us on our way to the Indigo Plateau. Arya and Peri flew steadily towards the northeast. Eventually, the Silver Range came into view.

    A dense forest of trees stretched out for hundreds of miles below us. To our left, rugged mountains rose up towards the sky. Even though it was spring, those further north still had snowcaps. My eyes were drawn to the one mountain that clearly stood taller than the rest: Mount Silver. It was so tall, in fact, that its peak couldn''t be seen at all and was obscured by clouds. Up on that mountain, raging winds and howling blizzards reigned year long.

    Mt. Silver and the Range it was a part of were considered to be the most dangerous places within Kanto-Johto. These were untamed wilds full of powerful and dangerous wild Pokemon. For that reason, the League restricted access to the area to League-affiliated individuals only or those with at least eight gym badges and had made it past preliminaries at a Conference before.

    They wanted to ensure that only skilled trainers who knew what they were doing went inside. Even then, I had heard many tragic stories of people who returned with grave injuries or those who just didn''t come back at all.

    Arya and Peri stayed high above and far away from the mountains, but I half-expected some of the local birds to spot and chase us. Thankfully, no such thing happened, and we were free to continue on our flight uninterrupted.

    Forty minutes later, we finally reached the Indigo Plateau.

    Below us, a long dirt trail flowed out of Victory Road and was eventually replaced by a road of shining white bricks connected to flights of stairs. They rose up over different elevations in the ground with ancient statues of Pokemon and Pokeballs, grand archways plated with gold, and manicured hedges alternating between the sides.

    And at the end of the path, in a huge clearing surrounded by a forest and stone walls, was the League HQ itself, the Indigo Plateau.

    Red and honey-colored bricks made up the exterior of the massive building. Across its front, arched windows with fortified glass stretched out in neat rows and glinted in the sunlight. Small watchtowers jutted out from the roof above. Even from such a distance, I could feel just how old the entire structure was from the imposing atmosphere it presented.

    Before Peri and Arya could think about diving down, three figures riding Pidgeot or Fearow rose up into the air to greet us. Each wore a dark uniform that had the word LEAGUE emblazoned in white on them.

    "Halt. State your identities please," the man at the forefront asked warily.

    "Adriel and Arin Watanuki," Dad answered for the both of us. The man held up a hand and murmured words inaudibly, presumably speaking to an earpiece. A few seconds passed before he jerked his head back up and nodded curtly.

    "Thank you. Please follow us down for a security check," he said promptly, and he and his men swooped down towards the Plateau''s entrance. We followed right on their heels.

    As soon as we landed and I recalled my Pokemon, two guards standing by the doors came up with an Alakazam and Hypno. We had to go through a quick psychic check to determine that we had not lied about our identities or possessed hostile intentions before we were finally allowed inside.

    If I thought the outside of the building was grand, the interior was just as impressive. Marbled flooring made way for giant staircases draped with expensive carpets. The ceiling loomed high, high above our heads, and I took a second to admire the faded but beautiful mural of various Pokemon and their trainers engraved at the top.

    Then I looked ahead, took a breath, and stepped forward to the reception. Dad was right by my side.

    "Welcome to the Indigo Plateau. What brings you here today?" the lady at the counter asked brightly.

    Dad smiled politely at her. "Good afternoon. Adriel and Arin Watanuki. We have an appointment for 1:30 PM."

    The receptionist smiled back and nodded, eyes already drifting down to the computer screen in front of her as she clacked away on the keyboard. "Allow me to check the system¡­ yes, I do see both of you listed here for said appointment," she confirmed. "Please take the elevator to the third floor. They''re expecting you in Room 304."

    We thanked her for the help and moved towards the central elevator that she pointed out to us. Dad pushed the button for the third floor. The elevator rose up quickly. We didn''t have to wait long before there was a loud ding, and then the doors opened again.

    There was another reception counter set up in front of the elevator. The woman there greeted us and pointed to our destination, which was just a few doors down the hall. We went inside Room 304 without further delay.

    It was a pretty standard setup. Yet another reception desk awaited us, but this time there were rows of chairs and even a few couches and tables spread out in the room in a waiting area. Further back in the room was a door that presumably led to smaller offices.

    Dad and I walked up to the counter and stated our identities. After the receptionist confirmed our appointment, she asked us what exactly she could help us with. Dad glanced at me.

    "We''re here to update information on the Cherrygrove Gym," I calmly told her, and I pulled out a folder with our gym''s documents from my bag. I extracted the papers inside and handed them to the receptionist. "First, we''d like to report a change in ownership. Second, we''d like to report a change in the Gym''s type specialization. And lastly, we''d like to apply for the promotion test to become a major gym."

    The receptionist nodded at my words, already beginning to look through the papers as she typed away on her keyboard.

    "Let''s see¡­" she murmured before raising her voice. "Please confirm the following information for me. Ownership of the Cherrygrove Gym has been transferred from Adriel Watanuki to Arin Watanuki, is this correct?"

    "Yes," I nodded.

    "Next question. You are changing the Gym''s type from Grass to¡­" the receptionist trailed off in shock as she finally noticed what I''d written down on one of the forms. She quickly caught herself, clearing her throat as she continued professionally. "¡­to Fairy type, yes?"

    "Yes."

    The receptionist couldn''t completely hide her shock as she nodded, typing down said information. She looked at the last document.

    "Next, do you wish to apply for the promotion test to turn the Cherrygrove Gym from a minor to a major gym?"

    "Yes."

    More typing sounds followed. "On what day would you like to schedule the test? We have open spots for all days up to and including April the first."

    I''d made my decision before arriving at the Plateau. "March 30th," I stated clearly, and the receptionist nodded. She stopped typing at one point to make copies of the gym papers before handing them back to me.

    She waited until I had safely stowed the papers away before speaking again.

    "I''ve updated the information you''ve requested regarding the Cherrygrove Gym. As for the promotion test, it will be held on March 30th at 10 AM here at the Indigo Plateau. Please report to the front desk upon arrival that day so that you can be escorted to the testing grounds. As a reminder, you must bring your Elite team and a selection of gym Pokemon for the first badge, second badge, and fifth badge challenges. You may not bring anyone with you to spectate the test. Not following any of these instructions will result in your immediate disqualification." The receptionist finished rattling off the steady stream of information, pausing to look at me. "Do you have any questions?"

    I shook my head. "No. Thank you for the help."

    She smiled politely at me, bowing her head slightly. "It was my pleasure. Thank you for visiting the Indigo Plateau, and good luck with the promotion test, Gym Leader Arin."

    Dad and I left the office right away. It was only when we were in the elevator again that I let out a breath I hadn''t known I was holding.

    "I''m an official Gym Leader now," I said out loud in wonder. "Legendaries."

    Dad smiled at me as the elevator dinged, signaling that we were back on the first floor. "Gym Leader Arin," he said softly. "It suits you."

    I wore a huge smile as we stepped out of the elevator.

    Now I just had to pass the promotion test.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The Head of the Department of Gym Management, Orson Reilly, sat in his office filling out paperwork. He loved this time of year when the current Circuit drew to a close. That meant less work for him. With luck, he''d be able to go home early today¡ª

    He sighed when he heard a knock at the door. Or maybe not.

    "Come in," Orson called out tiredly. He signed off on another paper before replacing it with a new one. One of his employees, Hans, walked in with a nervous expression. Orson wondered what was wrong this time. Did one of the new hires screw up or something?

    "What is it?" he asked brusquely.

    Hans visibly gulped. "Er¡­ Lindy handed me this file she just updated¡­ I think you should see it right away, sir."

    "It can''t wait until later?" Orson gruffed. Hans shook his head, and Orson set his pen down with a sigh. "Fine. Give it here. What is so important about this file?"

    Hans cautiously set the paper down on the desk as Orson picked up his half-empty cup of coffee, drinking it. He should have finished it all sooner, it wasn''t hot anymore¡ª

    "Um¡­ the Cherrygrove Gym is Fairy type now, sir."

    Orson spat out his entire drink.

    "WHAT?" he yelled. Lukewarm coffee dribbled down his chin and onto his expensive shirt, completely ruining it, but he could have cared less. He snatched the report off the table and held it up to his face, reading the short block of text written there.

    CHERRYGROVE GYM FILE

    Latest information update: 03/16/2023

    Change in ownership: Adriel Watanuki (father) Arin Watanuki (son)

    Change in gym specialization: Grass (old) Fairy (new)

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Application for promotion test: Approved

    Orson''s face grew as pale as ash when he got to the last two lines. He couldn''t take his eyes off the blasted Fairy word in particular.

    "By the Ho-Oh," he whispered to himself. The higher-ups were not going to be happy about this. Orson forcefully tore his gaze away from the dreaded paper in his hands and stared at Hans.

    "Call for a Committee meeting. Now."

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Not even five minutes later, every single member of the Committee had gathered in what was known as the Iridescent Hall, the largest and grandest meeting room in the Indigo Plateau. Each person sat around the long circular table in the center and stared at the copy of a certain report in his or her hands.

    The room exploded into chaos as people began yelling left and right, arguing heatedly with each other.

    "Preposterous¡ª"

    "A Fairy type Gym in Johto? Unacceptable¡ª"

    "They''re daring to become a major gym!"

    The Committee members continued talking over each other in loud voices, most voicing discontent about the Cherrygrove Gym''s change in direction. These were the conservatives who valued tradition in Kanto-Johto. A few members ¡ª the younger and more open-minded ones ¡ª tried to argue in the Gym''s favor, but they mostly went ignored.

    Only a single person in the room remained silent as they looked at the paper in their hand. It was the person sitting at the head of the table and the current Champion of the Indigo League himself, Lance Wataru.

    It had been half a year since he had defeated Pryce and ascended to the position of Champion. Not a lot of time, but it had been enough for him to grow into his role as the new leader of Kanto-Johto. He had already made several proposals to better improve relations between both regions and life within. Most of the public adored him.

    Lance was confident. He always had been. He had never-ending ambitions and visions for the future.

    But as he stared now at the report in his hand, he suddenly felt very conflicted.

    First and foremost, Lance was the Champion of Kanto-Johto. He was someone who looked out for the interests of both Kanto and Johto.

    Yet he was also a Blackthorn. A master of Dragon types, and someone who believed in their superiority.

    When rumors about the Fairy type had first started circulating around the Kinjoh Area, the Elders of the Blackthorn Clan had dismissed it as mere rubbish. So had he. Their Clan had lived with and devoted themselves to Dragon types for hundreds of years. None of them had or could have believed in the idea of Pokemon who were completely immune to the sheer might of dragons.

    That had been a year ago.

    Over time, the rumors had slowly gained traction. Research was done, and investigations were made. Now, the Fairy type was no longer a speculation, but the truth. It had been verified by multiple regional Professors and each League had put out an official statement about the new type.

    Lance could still remember how the Elders had flown into a rage over the Indigo League''s own announcement. They had screamed at him to retract the news about the Fairy type ¡ª that blasphemous, incorrigible abomination ¡ª as they put it, but what could he do? It was the truth, and it could not be hidden.

    The word Fairy had since become a taboo around the household.

    The Blackthorn Clan had ruled their city for generation upon generation. The far-reaching power they enjoyed today had been built upon the strength of their mighty dragons and their contributions in wars throughout Johto''s storied history. They were the oldest and most powerful clan.

    But their hold on power was gradually slipping.

    Occasionally, people had gossiped about the Fairy type and what it meant for the Blackthorn Clan and its dragons. They wondered if they were no longer powerful. Up until now, the Elders had managed to quash any and all such ill-made remarks and kept up a display of unified strength and indifference in the face of the new Fairy type.

    Lance knew that with this change in the Cherrygrove Gym, they would not be able to do so as easily anymore.

    The rumor mill was going to run and keep running. People would cast their gazes once again on the Blackthorns. Worse, people were going to look at him and his position. There had never been a prominent enough Fairy type user or institution in Kanto-Johto or even in all of the Kinjoh Area before for them to make any comparison, and now they finally had one.

    The Champion Lance wanted to let things run their course. He was usually an advocate for change and progress, anything to make Kanto-Johto better.

    But this? He wasn''t sure this would make things better.

    The Blackthorn Lance wanted to intervene. He wanted to preserve the long-held tradition of Johto''s major gyms and keep the current system in place. He also couldn''t deny the part of him that refused to acknowledge Fairies as a Dragon''s greatest weakness. Dragons were absolute. He had believed that his entire life.

    Now, he had to make a decision.

    "Stop."

    Lance did not shout, but the single word he spoke carried powerfully through the room. All the Committee members immediately stopped what they were doing and sat back down, turning to look at him. Lance forced himself to wear a calm, indifferent expression as he looked up from the paper and set it down.

    "There''s no point in arguing over the validity of the Cherrygrove Gym. They are well within their rights to change type specialization, and the Fairy type has been verified across the continent," Lance said coolly. He glanced sharply around the room when people started to protest. They shut their mouths. Nodding, he continued. "Let us make more productive use of our time and discuss the promotion test instead. They will need to pass it to become a major gym after all."

    This made more than a few of the conservative members become more lively and confident as they realized that yes, everything would be a little less terrible if the gym''s rank stayed as a minor one. It wouldn''t hold as nearly as much influence.

    Then they remembered who they usually appointed as the final testing officer, and they wilted at the newfound problem. Someone was brave enough to clear their throat.

    "Champion Lance¡­" the man began hesitantly. "For this promotion test, I do believe it might be in our best interests to change the final portion of the test¡­ If we leave it as it currently is, it wouldn''t really allow us to test the capabilities of the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader given the, er, type disparity." He cringed a bit as he finished, watching Lance out of the corner of his eye for his reaction.

    Lance inwardly bristled, but he kept his face schooled in a composed expression. "You make a valid point," he readily agreed. He paused to think. This was as good of an opportunity as any for him and the Blackthorns. Clair wasn''t going to like it, but Lance had a chance to be both fair to the League''s testing process and feed less into the rumors that were surely coming the Clan''s way.

    "How about this? Instead of assigning Clair Ibuki for the final portion of the test like we so often do, we can call in Pryce Yanagi. He is just as strong as the Blackthorn Gym Leader and a former Champion, and with his Ice types, there will be no type immunity problem. That way we can observe the Cherrygrove Gym Leader properly," Lance suggested. More than a few people gaped at his words. He didn''t blame them.

    Not many people would openly recommend the former Champion they''d beaten out of office for a job they needed done. It was no secret that Lance and Pryce detested each other either.

    Lance hated having to do this, but it was better than letting the League see an open matchup between Fairies and Dragons. He didn''t want them to get even the faintest idea of weakness about him or his Clan. Plus, if Pryce managed to do his job right, then the Cherrygrove Gym Leader would fail and none of this would be as big of a problem.

    Lance might have felt a bit bad for the Cherrygrove Gym Leader for throwing him under the bus that was a former Champion, but he convinced himself that he had made the most logical decision regarding the promotion test. It was all for the sake of fairly testing capabilities without an inherent type advantage on either side.

    Apparently, the Committee members thought the same thing as him because they all nodded with pleased expressions. The Head of the Committee stood up.

    "All in favor?" he asked. He was met with a unified wave of responses.

    "All in favor."

    The Committee meeting ended there.

    As people slowly shuffled out of the room, Lance grimaced to himself. He might have been able to change the course of the promotion test a bit, but that didn''t change the fact that the Cherrygrove Gym was still a Fairy type.

    He already knew the Elders were not going like this fact at all.

    He also knew his cousin was going to be very displeased with his decision.

    Case in point, when Lance returned to his office after the meeting, Clair barged in not even a minute later. She had most likely flown over on Dragonite right after being told the news, Lance mused to himself.

    His cousin''s face was one of sheer fury.

    "Lance! How could you remove me as the final officer for the promotion test?" Clair seethed. She was breathing hard as she stormed up to his desk. "This duty has always been entrusted to the reigning Blackthorn Gym Leader. Do you think I''m not strong enough or something?!"

    Lance rubbed his temples as he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

    "The Committee and I did not come to this decision lightly, Clair. No part of it had anything to do with you being ''weak.'' We simply needed someone who could fight on more equal terms with the Cherrygrove Gym Leader so that we can see their capabilities, and thus keep the testing process fair," Lance replied tiredly.

    His cousin did not like that. "So you''re calling in Pryce Yanagi?" Clair scoffed. The disdain in her voice was so palpable it could have been cut with a knife. "That old fool who thought and still thinks he can stand up to dragons with his mere Ice types? I cannot believe you thought him to be capable enough for this task. This is a serious issue, Lance. There cannot be a Fairy type Gym in Johto. It''s blasphemy of the highest degree. It mustn''t be allowed to exist¡ª"

    "Calm yourself, Clair. I don''t exactly like it either, but it''s not the end of the world. There are more pressing matters to think about like Team Rocket¡ª"

    "LANCE!" Clair interrupted, staring at him with outrage. "We''re talking about the proud history of the Johto region here. For centuries, there have only ever been eight major gyms. Eight major families." She swept her arm forward with blazing eyes. "More importantly, this is an affront against the entire Blackthorn Clan and what we stand for! We are a proud clan of Dragon Tamers. Our dragons have always reigned supreme."

    "Clair," Lance warned, but she just spoke right over him.

    "We must put right the natural order."

    "Clair¡ª"

    "I won''t lose to some newly minted Fairies, I can show the superiority of Dragons if you''ll just let me¡ª"

    "Do not speak another word, Clair Ibuki," Lance finally snapped. His tone left no room for argument, but Clair still glared at him. "This ranting of yours is highly unprofessional. Accept what has been done and go back to the Gym. The season is still ongoing."

    When Clair didn''t move, his eyes narrowed into thin slits. "This is my final warning as the Champion of the Indigo League. Go back to your post right now, Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, or I will have to consider removing you from your position due to insubordination."

    Lance''s cousin stared at him for a few moments longer. The hatred hadn''t faded from her eyes. It had only grown stronger. With a click of her tongue, Clair eventually whipped around and walked away. She slammed the door behind her.

    Now that his whirlwind of a cousin had finally left, Lance could simmer in his own thoughts. He sighed for what felt like the nth time that day as he slumped in his chair.

    Clair honestly worried him. As stubborn as she was, that anger of hers was likely to hold for a long time. Lance only hoped she would stay out of trouble. He shared her views on Dragons and Fairies; he just wasn''t nearly as intense or vocal about it because he tried to be a level headed person due to his job.

    Then there were the Elders. They''d likely already heard the news as well and would be waiting for him tonight in the Dragon''s Den. He wasn''t looking forward to another screaming match between the oldest of them as they ranted about the blasphemous type that had wormed its way into the world.

    And the public? He didn''t even want to think yet about all the reporters he''d have to deal with later.

    Lance sighed, again, as he closed his eyes.

    Only half a year into his reign as Champion, and suddenly a slew of troubles was on the horizon.

    He couldn''t help but wonder if the Cherrygrove Gym Leader had any idea of the chaos he had just unleashed in all of Kanto-Johto.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Over in Goldenrod City, Wilfred Kemp stared at his computer.

    His eyes were focused on the picture he''d blown up on the screen. It showed a Dragonite flying off into the sky with a male trainer on its back. Pictures of the ''mysterious trainer with a Dragonite'' had begun circulating on Chatter a few days ago.

    It hadn''t gotten much attention at first. People thought it was just Lance or Clair or another trainer from the Blackthorn Clan, but then they realized it wasn''t as some more keen-eyed individuals sent in comments that all of them had been spotted at work or in Blackthorn City at the time. That was when the pictures went viral as people realized there was an unknown Dragonite user in Johto.

    The Blackthorn Clan had a huge monopoly on Dragon types within Kanto-Johto as most of them dwelled within their family grounds and were only given to members of their own. There were a scant few Dratini who lived in the Safari Zone that people tried every year to get, but those were protected by strict laws. They were both hard to find and could not be captured forcefully. They had to be willing to go with a trainer, and that basically never happened.

    Thus, that resulted in the craze that swept through Chatter and news companies alike as they desperately tried to find out who this mystery trainer was. It was clearly someone very skilled to have trained a Dragonite, one of the most powerful Pokemon known to man.

    Blurry as the images online were, Wilfred could make out some features such as the person being male, around five foot eleven, and having pale hair. What color, he couldn''t tell for sure in the half-darkness of the setting, but it was definitely a light shade.

    He had been trying for days now to figure this out. He wanted his news company to be the first to release an article so they could sweep up all the public interest. Wilfred had already eliminated a lot of people from a list of suspects. It had to be a powerful trainer, but none of the Gym Leaders or Elite Four matched. Perhaps a Top Ranger? It was a bit of a long shot, but¡ª

    "SIR!"

    Wilfred jumped as the door to his office slammed open. Mark came running in with a crazed expression.

    "What in the blazes of Entei?!" Wilfred shouted, irked at the interruption. There went his concentration. He made a sound of indignation as Mark suddenly ran over and grabbed his arm, dragging him outside. "MARK! WHAT are you doing?"

    "Forgive me, Mr. Kemp, but this is big news!" Mark told him in a rush of excitement, and that immediately got Wilfred''s attention. His employee pulled him towards Margaret''s cubicle. Basically the entire office had gathered around her and were looking at whatever was on the screen of her computer with shock.

    "Move, move! Mr. Kemp and I are coming through!" Mark yelled as he roughly pushed through the crowd. The sea of people parted more easily for them once they realized their boss was with Mark. Soon enough, Wilfred and Mark were standing on either side of Margaret and her computer. The woman beamed when she saw her boss.

    "Mr. Kemp! I was just refreshing the League homepage like I usually do when I saw they changed it. It''s seriously crazy, I mean¡­" Margaret blabbered on, but Wilfred wasn''t paying attention.

    He only had eyes for what Margaret had discovered.

    There on her computer was the Indigo League''s homepage. A list of all gyms in Kanto-Johto, both minor and major, was listed for everyone to see. Margaret''s cursor rested above the Cherrygrove Gym''s name in the Johto section.

    Wilfred normally would have cared less about that gym. It was rare in that it was the only minor one in Johto, but other than that, there was nothing special about it. He did admit, however, that Gym Leader Adriel was a very nice man. He''d interviewed him before in the past, and he was a far cry from some of the other, more standoffish Gym Leaders. He was the prime example of a Gym Leader who cared for his community and guided young trainers.

    Except¡­ Adriel wasn''t the Gym Leader anymore. Wilfred stared at the Cherrygrove Gym''s updated information.

    CHERRYGROVE GYM

    LOCATION: Cherrygrove City, Johto

    GYM LEADER: Arin Watanuki

    TYPE SPECIALIZATION: Fairy

    RANK: Pending

    Adriel was no longer the Gym Leader. Someone who sounded like a son or other relative had taken over. More importantly, the Gym had changed to a Fairy type of all things.

    And the pending status? That meant they had qualified and applied for the promotion test. Most minor gyms had trouble even qualifying. What if they actually succeeded?

    Wilfred could practically see their viewership and paper subscriptions skyrocketing already. He snapped his head up with glittering eyes.

    "Has anyone else seen this yet? Any articles or news clips floating around?" he asked in rapid fire succession. The employees closest to him immediately shook their heads. Wilfred wanted to scream with joy.

    "GO, GO, GO!" he suddenly roared, furiously clapping his hands once for each word. The trainer with the Dragonite was all but forgotten. His employees scrambled to their stations. "WE NEED TO BE THE FIRST TO PUBLICIZE THIS! Get Carson ready for a live report and publish an article the instant he''s done. And get someone over to the Gym¡ª no, forget it, I''LL go."

    Wilfred hummed to himself as he dashed back to his office to get ready for his trip.

    Johto''s largest news company, Goldenrod Post, was about to come out with the most shocking news Kanto-Johto had heard in a very long time.

 Chapter 11

    CHAPTER 11

    Before we left the Indigo Plateau, I brought out Silque so she could memorize the location for future Teleportation. I didn''t miss the way the entrance guards stared in shock at the strange Pokemon they''d never seen before.

    Then dad and I were off and flying back to Cherrygrove.

    I was officially the new Gym Leader of Cherrygrove City now. Excitement bubbled up inside me as my mind focused on a single date: March 30th. So close, and yet so far away. I would need to train everyone to the fullest until then.

    At least ten minutes must have passed of me being lost in thoughts of training plans before I noticed how strangely quiet dad was. I looked over at where he and Peri were flying alongside me and Arya.

    Dad had a faraway look in his eyes as he stared off into the distance. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

    "Something wrong?" I asked cautiously. Dad didn''t react right away. When he eventually turned to glance at me, he gave me a careful, considering look.

    "It''s gonna start from here, Arin," he said so softly that I almost lost his words in the wind. Arya drifted a bit closer so I could hear better. I had to stop myself from flinching when I looked into dad''s eyes and saw the serious intensity reflected in them. "You remember what I said before about Kanto-Johto being adverse to change, right? And those in the League wishing to uphold tradition? You''ve set the wheels in motion now, Arin."

    Dad paused to sigh, idly running a hand over Peri''s fur as he did. "You''re not just going to have to fight the League but public opinion, too. I know you''re a great trainer, and I doubt I''ve even seen a sliver of what you can do yet, but this is different from a Pokemon battle. I can''t help but worry. I myself had to deal with dissenters who thought I was too young when I first took over the Gym, but it pales in comparison to what you''re gonna have to face."

    He fell silent, and I was left to ruminate on his words. The wind whistled in my ears as I looked ahead.

    Of course I remembered. I remembered everything dad had warned me about back on that day I told him I wanted to take over the Gym. I had etched them deeply in my heart because I knew he was telling the truth, and that there would be many things I would have to face. The path I was taking was by no means a smooth road but a mountainous, uphill one. I hadn''t forgotten in the midst of everything happening around me.

    I just hadn''t been scared. Not then, and not now.

    I had already tasted a bit of oppression in the early days of my journey through Unova. People had pointed fingers at me then and condemned me for being an Ability Holder. I had soldiered on despite it all, and look where I was now.

    It wasn''t going to be quite the same situation here in Kanto-Johto, but I already knew what it felt like to have the world against you.

    Nothing was going to stop me.

    "I know, dad," I said quietly. I saw him look at me from the corner of my eye, and I turned to face him fully with a steady gaze. "I''m ready for it. I hope you can believe in me."

    He studied my face, searching for signs of doubt. There weren''t any.

    A gentle smile graced dad''s face as he finally replied, "I do."

    We flew onwards in comfortable silence.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    When the Cherrygrove Gym finally came into view, I found out exactly just how fast news could travel.

    Construction on the Gym had come to a halt. There was a horde of reporters camped out at the edge of the construction site with everything from parked vans, transport Pokemon, and equipment in the process of being set up. Even now, more vans and Pokemon were pulling up from the road leading from town.

    A huge group of workers from Blossom Hall, including Eric, stood at the edge of their tape barricade and gestured wildly at the reporters directly in front of them as their mouths moved. It wasn''t hard to guess that they were having some sort of argument.

    I frowned at the sight. I couldn''t believe these reporters had shown up so quickly after my visit to the Indigo Plateau, or the nerve they had to literally dump themselves and their stuff on the grounds of an active construction site.

    At the very least, I wasn''t worried about any of them finding the house or getting close to it. I knew both my and dad''s Pokemon wouldn''t have let any intruder take even one step into the forest behind the Gym. That was all private property anyway, and we would have the grounds to charge for trespassing if anyone did.

    Peri and Arya stopped flying to hover in the air, allowing me some time to think.

    "I have to go down there," I finally declared, eyes shifting over to dad''s figure. "The Blossom Hall workers can''t get anything done with all these reporters camping out, and I''m the one they''re looking for."

    "Do you have a plan, Arin?" Dad asked me. "They''re not going to just leave even if you tell them to. These reporters are here for the next big story."

    I hummed to myself, thinking. Dad was right that the reporters wouldn''t just up and leave because I asked them to. I could threaten to have them removed by the local police if they continued to stay and obstruct construction, but that would just encourage them to come back every day until they got a scoop. Plus, it would just waste time, precious time that Blossom Hall needed to finish the gym within the original schedule.

    I needed a way to remove the reporters and fast, as well as hopefully get them off my back for a while. The workers needed to focus on construction, and I needed to focus on training gym Pokemon for the promotion test.

    The only thing I could think of was talking to them like they wanted, which greatly irked me. I didn''t want to give these incredibly intrusive reporters any information if I could help it, but it needed to be done. It was probably good to say at least something to the public before the promotion test anyway and make myself known to Kanto-Johto.

    If I was going to do this, then I needed to set the terms. An idea popped into my mind for the location.

    "I got it," I muttered as I fished out my phone and looked up a certain number. Dad watched me with a puzzled expression.

    I waited patiently for the call to pick up.

    "Hello, this is Cherrygrove City Hall. How can we help you today?" a woman''s voice eventually answered.

    "Hi, this is the Cherrygrove Gym Leader, Arin Watanuki. I''d like to speak with the mayor in person. Is he free right now?" I asked innocently.

    "L-Let me check," the woman said quickly in response, clearly flustered. "Please hold!" I heard her dash off and waited patiently. Not even five seconds later, she came back and let out a shaky yes. I told them to expect me in five minutes.

    When I ended the call and looked at dad, I saw he had one brow raised in confusion. "You''re going to City Hall?" Dad asked with a tilt of his head.

    I nodded firmly, smirking a bit. "Yeah. I''m going to give these reporters something to talk about."

    Dad didn''t probe further and simply nodded, trusting me. I told dad I would take care of everything and that he should wait for me back home. We swapped rides since I was in need of Peri''s speed later, and then the Togekiss dove down towards the Gym.

    More than a few reporters jumped back in fright as Peri appeared from out of nowhere and zoomed to a stop. I jumped off before he even fully landed.

    "Arin!" Eric called out in relief when he saw me. I''d gotten him to drop the Gym Leader title since the last time we spoke. The rest of the workers around him looked just as relieved to see me. I felt bad already for all the trouble the journalists must have caused them.

    The sound of my name immediately caused all the reporters to tense and turn towards me as one with gleams in their eyes. They resembled hungry Mightyena about to pounce on their prey. Now able to put a face to a name, they began taking pictures of me and shouting questions all over each other.

    I stared back with an unflinching and unamused gaze.

    For the time being, I ignored them and turned to Eric and his employees.

    "I''m sorry. I didn''t expect them to swarm this place like this and disrupt the construction," I apologized loudly over the din. "I hope you didn''t go through too much trouble."

    Eric just shook his head vigorously, hands flailing back and forth. "No, no! It''s not your fault, Arin," Eric assured me. Raising his voice, he turned his head to glare at the reporters behind us and yell at them. "It''s because of these people that we can''t work properly. Yes, all of YOU! Please leave already so we can work!"

    The rest of the workers chimed in and yelled out their own words of agreement, shaking their fists in the air.

    I took this moment to turn to the crowd of reporters and raise a brow.

    "Well?" I said loudly to make myself heard. The strangers quieted down when they realized I was finally saying something to them. Unfortunately, they weren''t the words they wanted to hear. I needed to make myself clear and show that this was unacceptable behavior. "What do you have to say for yourselves? You''re obstructing these workers and their business. If you''re decent people, you''ll apologize to them."

    I heard a few reporters scoff which made my eyes narrow slightly. To my pleasant surprise, some reporters did actually look a bit abashed when I pointed out their behavior, and they bowed slightly to the workers and muttered apologies. That was more than I had expected. I did a quick scan of the crowd to memorize the faces of the people who had bothered to apologize, and then I nodded curtly.

    "You," I pointed to the first person I saw apologize to the workers. He looked a bit startled at having been singled out and pointed to himself.

    "Me?" he asked just to be sure, and I refrained from rolling my eyes.

    "Yes. Which news company are you from?" I asked.

    The man quickly straightened. "Goldenrod Post, Gym Leader Arin. Name''s Wilfred Kemp," he answered instantly. I nodded.

    "Well Wilfred, since you apologized first to the workers, I''ll call on you for the first question in the press conference," I casually informed him. "Everyone else I just saw apologize will be called on early as well." This instantly caused the reporters around him to gasp and start apologizing to the workers, and I seriously had to refrain from rolling my eyes again. Too little, too late.

    Meanwhile, Wilfred stared at me with a very interested expression. "Press conference?" he repeated. I nodded.

    Raising my voice, I called out to the crowd. "Thirty minutes from now, in front of the Cherrygrove City Hall, I will answer some of your questions. It will have to be a short conference for now since I need to prepare for the promotion test, but I will hold a longer one at a later time."

    I didn''t wait to hear their reactions. I jumped onto Peri''s back, and he left them in the dust as he sped away to our destination. It didn''t take long before Peri dropped me off in front of a large white building in the city''s center. A flag with the city''s symbol, a cherry blossom, was hoisted above the red-tiled roof.

    I didn''t stop to take in more details and walked briskly inside.

    "Arin Watanuki," I said simply but politely to the lady at the counter. Her eyes widened, and she quickly shot up out of her seat.

    "Right this way!" The receptionist half-ran down the hallway to a set of double doors accented with gold. She knocked on the door and then scurried away. I took that as my cue to enter.

    The mayor''s office had a very comforting atmosphere. A large circular rug with the shape of a Hoppip embroidered on it took up most of the room''s center. Large bookcases filled with tomes and scented candles lined the walls. I could have mistaken the place for a library.

    At the back of the office was a familiar figure already waiting for me. He was a tall, plump elderly man with round glasses and a signature green bowtie.

    "Mayor Sotheby," I said with a smile as I strode forward.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    He hadn''t changed at all in a decade. Arthur Sotheby had been the presiding Mayor of Cherrygrove City long before I was even born. He was wildly popular with the locals for his selfless nature and devotion to the city. I had only met him a few times before as a child when he came to talk to dad occasionally at our house, but he always had a few kind words for me and handed me a peppermint candy every time.

    The mayor greeted me now with a wide smile.

    "If I hadn''t known who you were in advance, I wouldn''t have recognized you, Arin," he chuckled. We met in the middle of the room and shook hands. "Oh, I suppose I should say Gym Leader now, shouldn''t I?"

    I immediately shook my head. "Arin is fine. We''ll be crossing paths quite often in the future from now on, so there''s no need for formalities." I also respected the man too much that it felt weird hearing him address me by an official title.

    He threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Ohoho, then you must call me Arthur in return," he said with twinkling eyes. After I readily agreed, Arthur pointed to the couch in the room. We both sat down.

    "Imagine my surprise when I saw the TV special a little less than an hour ago about your new appointment. I almost thought I was dreaming. The little boy from back then suddenly came back as our city''s Gym Leader," Arthur guffawed. "Some advance notice might have been nice, I admit. The phones have been ringing nonstop to the point where I had my secretaries just unplug them all for a bit. Everyone wants to know more about you."

    I winced. "Sorry about that," I apologized. That had been a little careless of me to not inform my city''s own mayor first. "What you said actually ties into a request I''d like to ask of you. I want to borrow the plaza in front of the City Hall for a little while in about¡­ twenty-two minutes from now. I need to give some reporters that swarmed the Gym earlier something to chew on before I chase them away, and I thought the locals would want to hear what I have to say as well."

    Arthur took everything I said in stride, looking the very picture of calm as he crossed one leg over the other. "Go right ahead," he said, easily granting me permission. I blinked twice. I must have looked surprised because Arthur guffawed again.

    "What, you thought I was going to deny your request or something?" he teased. I nodded sheepishly.

    Arthur looked beyond amused as he tugged at his bowtie. "My dear boy, I''ve always been a strong supporter of the Cherrygrove Gym. Your father and grandfather had always taken excellent care of our community during their terms and helped solve any problems that cropped up, both big and small. The least I can do now is offer my support to you now as the new Gym Leader."

    "That''s¡­" I trailed off. I hadn''t expected such a strong source of support, honestly. I voiced as such now. "Thank you, but¡­ are you not concerned about the Gym''s new type?"

    "Nonsense," Arthur instantly shot back. He waved his hand in dismissal. "What does changing the type have to do with anything? It''s still the Cherrygrove Gym in my eyes." He paused to peer at me curiously, glasses slipping a bit down his nose as he did. "I don''t really know much about the Fairy type, though, so I will say I''m eager for any information you might give me and the locals in the future."

    "Of course." I nodded resolutely. This impromptu press conference was starting to seem like a better and better idea. While I needed to get my name out to Kanto-Johto as a whole, I also had to show the locals who their new Gym Leader was.

    Arthur left me alone after that to go speak to some employees and set things up outside the building. Inside his office, I went over possible questions and answers in my head. I drifted towards the City Hall entrance half a minute before the conference.

    It was time to get this show started.

    I pushed the doors open and walked out, descending down the stairs into the plaza. Camera flashes immediately went off in a frenzy of movement as reporters took as many pictures as they could. Some were recording videos for live television. I could see more than a few locals had gathered behind the horde of reporters to see the event.

    City Hall employees had set up some chairs outside, but many of the reporters had brought their own foldable chairs and laptops to take notes with. I stepped up to the microphone stand that had been set up for me already near the foot of the staircase. Just to be sure, I tested it lightly to see if it was working properly. It was.

    Then I took a breath.

    "Hello. I''m Arin Watanuki, the new Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym," I said smoothly into the microphone. "Let''s get started right away."

    As previously promised, I pointed at the man who had apologized first to the Blossom Hall workers. Wilfred stood up from his chair and looked at me.

    "Wilfred Kemp from Goldenrod Post. Gym Leader Arin, ever since the Cherrygrove Gym''s founding, it''s been a Grass type gym. I''d like to ask the following question: why have you changed the Gym to a Fairy type?" he asked in a loud but polite voice.

    I wasn''t surprised to get this question right off the bat. I knew it was probably what people were most curious about.

    "It''s simple. I''m a Fairy Specialist," I answered. Wilfred scrunched his brows together and looked like he was going to ask for more info, but I beat him to it. "I don''t have the same passion for Grass type Pokemon as my father and predecessors. A Gym Leader cannot run a gym without that passion to drive them. So, I changed the Gym to Fairy type."

    Wilfred still looked a bit unsatisfied, but he uttered his thanks before sitting down. I pointed at the next person.

    "Where have you been for the last decade? According to our research, there are no records of you having participated in any Kanto-Johto Conferences."

    I hummed to myself. It was expected that they would have tried to look up information about me beforehand. "I''ve been traveling the world while honing my skills as a trainer. It is correct that I have not participated in any Kanto-Johto Conferences; however, I have participated in Conferences in other regions such as Hoenn or Sinnoh before the emergence of the Kinjoh Area, as well as those outside of its influence."

    This caused a huge stir among the reporters. There were plenty of regions out there either left undiscovered or inaccessible to the Kinjoh Area for a multitude of reasons. Most people never got to even learn their names, let alone see them.

    The same reporter excitedly tried to follow up. "Where have you been exactly¡ª"

    "I apologize, but I would like to keep questions limited to me, the Gym, or about the Fairy type since we are short on time. I''d be happy to answer questions about other matters in a later press conference," I interrupted politely.

    The journalist wore a disappointed expression as he slowly sat back down. Other people around him were frantically typing away on their laptops. I wondered if they were trying to dig up my Conference records from Hoenn and Sinnoh. If so, they weren''t likely to find anything in the archives. Ten years ago, technology had not been nearly as advanced.

    The next person stood up. "Gym Leader Arin, the Fairy type is still relatively new in the Kinjoh Area. As a Specialist, can you please give us a better idea of what the Fairy type is?"

    I nodded in approval. That was a great question and one I had been hoping someone would ask, and I said as much. "Excellent question, and one with an answer that to this very day I''m still expanding upon," I said with a smile. I held my hands out as I continued speaking, gesturing with them occasionally.

    "What are Fairy type Pokemon? They are as elusive as Dragon types, can rage as fiercely as Fire types, or be as gentle as Grass types. They encompass many aspects, and that''s the point. Fairies are whimsical. They are loveable, playful, and ruthless all-in-one. They act and do what they want without the shackles of the world binding them. They make their own rules."

    Reporters furiously scribbled down my speech word-for-word. I smiled, pausing to set my hands back down on the table. "If I had to use just one word to describe the Fairy type at its core, then I would use this: belief. It is with the powers of belief and perception that Fairies can shape the world around them."

    I ended my explanation there for two reasons: one, we still needed to get to other questions, and two, I wasn''t about to go full in-depth on the innermost secrets of a Fairy''s powers and how they could manipulate reality. That was stuff that should only be learned by those with good intentions and serious aspiring Fairy Specialists who could handle it.

    At least now people in Kanto-Johto would hopefully have a slightly broader understanding of what the Fairy type was about. In the future, I hoped to spread more teachings about Fairies across Kanto-Johto and eventually all of the Kinjoh Area. It was high time this part of the world caught up to the rest.

    But those were ambitions for another day in the far off future. Right now, I had to chase after other goals.

    The interview continued on for some time. Most of the questions were pretty simple and ones I expected, ranging from what my Elite team was like (which I answered was a secret for the time being, since I had some suspicions about the upcoming promotion test) to questions about the Gym''s ongoing construction and even more personal ones about me such as my age. I answered all of them in stride.

    At one point, someone brought up the age-old question.

    "It''s common knowledge now that Fairy type Pokemon are immune to Dragon type moves. Do you believe Fairies are superior to Dragons?" a reporter asked. I almost narrowed my eyes at his specific word choice but kept a calm expression.

    "No Pokemon type is superior to another," I easily replied. "Any Specialist or other experienced trainer could and would tell you the same. Type weaknesses are not everything in a battle. There are numerous other factors to take into account."

    The reporter pressed on. "Okay. May I ask another question then? Have you trained your team to be able to take on Dragon types?"

    "I have."

    Then came a half-expected curveball.

    "Do you think you have the ability to take on a renowned trainer from the Blackthorn Clan, such as Gym Leader Clair?"

    I paused as reporters everywhere adopted excited expressions.

    I knew who the Blackthorns were. Basically everybody in Kanto-Johto did, even small children who''d barely learned to speak. They were the oldest and most noble family in Johto known for their Dragon Tamers. They''d ruled Blackthorn City for ages, and one of their own was always appointed as the Blackthorn City Gym Leader.

    This generation, it was Clair Ibuki.

    Clair was the next rising star of the Blackthorn Clan after Lance Wataru, the current Champion of the Indigo League himself. She hadn''t been Gym Leader when I first left Johto, but I still knew who she was since I had kept up with news about my home region while traveling. She was the same age as me and had led the Blackthorn Gym for almost five years now. Her Gym was widely regarded as the hardest and the one that almost all trainers challenged last to qualify for the Silver Conference.

    As to why this had suddenly come up in the interview, I had a pretty good feeling when I peered at the reporter''s face and saw the glint in his eyes. He was looking for a specific story, and I wasn''t going to give him this one.

    "No comment. Your question strays away from the point of this conference," I said calmly. I started to point at the next person, but that same reporter kept standing.

    "Does that mean you think you can defeat her but are just staying silent for courtesy''s sake?" the man said with a sly smile.

    I really did not like this guy now. I knew there were going to be bad apples in the bunch since this was an impromptu press conference where the attendees hadn''t been vetted for integrity, but it still made me mad. I wanted to glare but that would not be a good look for live television, so I forced myself to stay indifferent. "Please refrain from making thoughtless remarks based on your own speculation."

    "But am I right?" the man demanded eagerly. "I am, aren''t I?!"

    I said nothing and just gestured off to the side. Nearby security guards from City Hall marched over and escorted the disruptive reporter out of the plaza. The rest of the crowd stayed silent.

    I stood there the entire time with a composed expression.

    "I''d like to begin wrapping up this press conference since I need to prepare for the upcoming promotion test. Any last questions?"

    A reporter raised their hand. "About the promotion test: how confident do you feel about it?"

    "Very."

    "It''s a fact, though, that no minor gym has ever passed the promotion test before in the entire history of the Indigo League," another reporter piped up politely. "What makes you think you can be the first to do so?"

    "Hard work," I said seriously, my gaze sweeping across the sea of faces. "I''ve dedicated the last decade of my life to learning everything there is to know about Fairy type Pokemon. I''m confident that I will be able to show off my understanding of them during the exam."

    "But the same could be said of other Gym Leaders who failed in the past," someone else countered. "What makes you different? What if your decision to change the Gym type turns out to be a poor one?"

    I stared at the crowd in front of me. Some just looked eager and others looked a bit bored, but most of them wore ravenous expressions as they looked back at me.

    Their true natures were spilling out. As much as they wanted a success story, the same could be said of the opposite.

    Platitudes were useless. I could spend an hour trying to convince these people that I was taking the Cherrygrove Gym in the right direction and going to succeed, but they wouldn''t care. There would always be doubters. There would always be people who wanted to see me fall to the ground.

    Even in the midst of all this, I somehow felt more sure of myself than I had ever been.

    So what if people thought I couldn''t make it? I just needed to prove them all wrong. This was a challenge I was not backing away from.

    No more running away.

    My grip on the mic tightened, and the crowd fell silent as they sensed that I was about to speak. A quiet fire of determination blazed in my heart.

    I wore a proud, confident smile as I spoke my next words clearly.

    "Just watch me. I''ll show you how far I can go."

    With that as my final declaration, I turned off the mic, ignored the stunned reporters, and flew away on Peri before they came back to their senses.

    Actions spoke louder than words.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Just watch me. I''ll show you how far I can go."

    Pryce Yanagi stared at the face of the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader on the TV screen in front of him. He continued staring long after the young man had left the frame and ads began playing.

    Over an hour ago, he had been contacted by Lance Wataru of all people and been asked to step in for Clair Ibuki for the final part of the promotion test. He didn''t have the option to refuse since it was his duty as a member of the League, but he rather enjoyed the fact that the Champion had sounded a bit strained asking for his help.

    That was beside the point. Lance had told him he would be testing the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader.

    Now he finally had a face to put to a name.

    Oh, what a new and young Gym Leader Arin Watanuki was. He had presented himself as being polite and humble, but he had also bared his fangs at the end. He had declared to the world his intent to rise up in the ranks of the Indigo League.

    Pryce would never allow it.

    For once, he agreed with Lance on something needing to be done. The weed known as the new Fairy Gym of Cherrygrove needed to be rooted out before it could begin to spread and infect the rest of the League with its nonsense beliefs.

    Pryce had lived a long, long time. He had seen things many others had not, experienced horrors during the war that could never be said out loud, and endured the scrutiny of gazes from within the country and beyond during his tenure as Champion. His whole life, he had been fighting for Johto and working to preserve its long-held traditions and glory.

    Values and ways of life had been carried through the region''s tumultuous history and passed down to descendants, creating a sense of identity that unified the people as one. It instilled pride in them as they followed the tried and true ways of their ancestors. The eight major gyms were looked up to as symbols of power and prosperity that had endured the tests of time and war. They helped raise young trainers into talents that boosted the region''s prestige.

    Tradition was what made Johto strong. Tradition was what kept Johto safe.

    Now some upstart with only ten years of training experience under his belt had appeared, claiming to be a Fairy Specialist and threatening to upend the current hierarchy.

    Pryce almost hated Arin more than Lance.

    In two weeks'' time, he would crush the young fool''s dreams and make him learn his place.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    When the reporter on her TV screen asked the question about Fairies and Dragons to the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader, Clair Ibuki sat very still in her gym''s office.

    Arin Watanuki never answered the heated questions, but that didn''t matter to her.

    She was furious.

    How dare they even think to compare some unknown trainer to her or her noble Clan, much less a blasted Fairy type user? Had everybody forgotten the might of dragons? How the Blackthorns had ruled their city for generations?

    Why was everyone so obsessed with the new Fairy type Gym and its Leader? They had nothing on the prestige of the existing eight major gyms, none of the glory or the reverent traditions. Clair wanted to do something, but Lance was watching her too closely at the moment.

    Pryce Yanagi got exactly one chance. If he screwed up, she would take matters into her own hands, consequences be damned.

    Nothing could exist above a Dragon, only below.

 Chapter 12

    CHAPTER 12

    My thoughts wandered as I flew back to the house on Peri. All things considered, the interview had gone very well. I''d answered enough questions to keep the reporters busy for a while and stayed composed throughout the entire session. I even felt great about how I''d ended it. My chest felt lighter than it had in ages, but just one little thing nagged at the back of my mind.

    The Blackthorns.

    That disruptive reporter had clearly been trying to create some drama between me and Gym Leader Clair, and by extension, the Blackthorn Clan. In hindsight, I should have expected comparisons to be drawn between us due to our contrasting type specialties. Going forward, I knew they would continue to do so.

    What I was doing ¡ª starting a Fairy type Gym ¡ª was never before heard of in Kanto-Johto or the entire Kinjoh Area. I was the only notable Fairy Specialist on this side of the world. All eyes were going to be on me and my ambitions for the future.

    Thanks to that reporter, I was pretty sure now that the Blackthorns would most likely pay attention to me as well. They were the most well-known family of Dragon users in the entire continent and the clan with the most power within Johto. Would they feel threatened by me and try to push me down with their influence somehow? Or would they just ignore me and watch silently from the side?

    I had no way of knowing. All I could do was come up with hypotheticals. Honestly, I almost didn''t care at all. I just wanted to run a Fairy Gym and be the best Gym Leader I could be, but it wasn''t going to be that simple.

    Regardless, I was determined to achieve my dreams, and I wouldn''t let anything stand in my way.

    Even if my biggest obstacle turned out to be the most powerful clan in Johto.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "I''m back," I called out as the door shut behind me. Klefki welcomed me back with a musical cry as he spun through the air. Muted sounds were drifting from the living room, so I headed there first. What I found was dad sitting on the couch watching the TV.

    "¡ªnot the youngest Gym Leader to be appointed, but he is certainly the youngest to apply for the promotion exam. Should Arin Watanuki succeed, the Cherrygrove Gym will be the first minor gym in Johto''s history to enter the ranks of the major gyms," a reporter on screen explained. "The Indigo League has released a statement¡ª"

    Dad finally noticed me and switched the TV off, turning to me with a small smile.

    "Welcome back, Arin. I watched your whole interview live on the screen," he revealed. "You did good, son, especially when that reporter asked about Gym Leader Clair."

    I smiled a bit in embarrassment. "Thanks. In a way, I''m kind of glad that journalist mentioned the Blackthorns," I said as my tone turned serious. "It made me realize I need to stay aware of them. I don''t know if they''ll try anything, but it''s better than getting blindsided."

    "The Blackthorns¡­" Dad murmured. He drummed a finger against his knee. "They''re an old family, Arin, the oldest in Johto. You''re right that you should probably keep them in mind. Out of everyone, they''re the ones most likely to oppose your new position and Gym."

    "I know," I sighed, sinking onto the couch next to him. "I came to that conclusion after the interview as well. But I''ll worry about that later if and when they make a move. Right now, I need to focus on the promotion test."

    I was about to say something else, but a large growling sound filled the air. I stopped and looked at dad instead. He laughed nervously, rubbing his stomach.

    "Time for lunch?" he suggested. I snorted with laughter as I got up, feeling less tense than I had been earlier.

    "Yeah. Let''s eat."

    Lunch was tasty. I helped dad make miso soup and fried salmon with rice, and I was so hungry after the day''s events that I ended up devouring two whole bowls. As we were cleaning up, a loud chime echoed through the house. Someone had rung the doorbell.

    I looked at dad. "Are you expecting anyone?" I asked.

    He shook his head.

    My brows furrowed. I obviously wasn''t expecting anyone either. It couldn''t have been a reporter because none of my or dad''s Pokemon outside would have let them approach, which meant it had to be someone who they were okay with.

    There was only one way to find out.

    "I''ll get it," I told dad, and he grunted in approval as he furiously scrubbed at the dish he was holding. I left him to it and headed to the front door. My gaze drifted to the intercom system dad had installed sometime during my ten-year absence. When I saw who was waiting outside, my eyes widened.

    I threw open the door and came face to face with Neil Ishimoto, dad''s old Head Gym Trainer.

    His hair had thinned, and he now sported a small beard, but he looked almost exactly as he had in my childhood. He was even wearing a silly T-shirt with dancing Bellsprout on it that I hadn''t seen in years. It was an odd contrast to his almost six foot one stature. For some reason, Neil was slightly out of breath. I wondered if he''d jogged all the way to our house.

    "ARIN! So good to see you in person again!" Neil greeted boisterously, and he brought me in for a bear hug. I wheezed a bit from the force. Arceus, he was as strong as ever despite getting older.

    "Nice to see you too, Neil," I managed to get out with some difficulty. I breathed in relief when the man finally let go. He wore a huge grin as he stepped back to look at me.

    "Look at you, kiddo, you''re all grown up now," he said with a proud expression. It quickly turned into one of mock indignation as he pounded his chest with a fist, firing off questions in rapid succession. "Why didn''t you or Adriel let me know you were back in town by the way?! How long have you been back for? Do you know how shocked I was when your name popped up all over the news this afternoon? I literally ran here from town as soon as I finished lunch."

    I smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. "I''ve technically been back since a few days ago. Sorry, a lot''s been going on," I apologized. "I promise I was going to reach out to you soon though! I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about." This was some perfect timing on Neil''s part.

    Neil raised a brow in interest. "Oh?"

    Before he could ask further, dad appeared behind me. He''d finished washing the dishes. "Arin, who''s the visitor¡ª oh! Neil, what brings you here?"

    Neil rolled his eyes as he patted dad on the shoulder. "Came to see our new Gym Leader of course!" he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "You should have told me your son came home! I''m guessing you guys made up? You seem friendly."

    It seemed Neil was the only one who knew about what had really happened between me and dad all those years ago. I offered the man a small smile. "We did."

    Neil beamed at that. "Wonderful, wonderful! I''m glad to hear it."

    I didn''t want to keep standing in the doorway, so I invited Neil inside to chat further. Dad, Neil, and I got situated in the living room with drinks, and we chatted for a bit. Mostly it was Neil asking me questions about where I''d been and if I had been doing well over the last decade. He even asked me if I had eaten and slept enough. Honestly, he was acting like an overprotective uncle or something.

    At the first lull in the conversation, I jumped right into what I really wanted to say.

    "Neil, how would you feel about becoming a gym trainer for the new Cherrygrove Gym?" I asked.

    Neil almost choked on the cup of water he was drinking from. "Uh¡­ what?" he said, baffled. He pointed at himself. "You want to hire me?"

    "Yep," I said cheerfully. "I trust you, and I already know you''d be good at the job."

    Neil stared at me like I''d grown a second head. "I''ve always been around Grass Pokemon. I don''t know anything about Fairy types, kiddo."

    "That''s fine. If you''re willing to learn, I''ll teach you," I easily replied. "Don''t feel obligated to say yes out of guilt or anything either, please. I just thought¡ª"

    "Stop." Neil held up a hand, cutting me off. I froze mid-sentence as he stared at me. He held up a finger. "Do you have any other gym trainers right now?"

    "Er¡­ no," I said slowly, and Neil nodded.

    "That''s what I thought." He held up a second finger. "Do you have a lot of gym Pokemon?"

    "Uh, yes, quite a few of them."

    A third finger was raised. "You''ll teach me about Fairy types?"

    "Yes, like I said¡ª" I tried to talk further, but Neil shut me up by swinging his head back in full-blown laughter.

    "ALRIGHT, say no more! Neil Ishimoto is back on the job," he guffawed loudly. It took me a few moments of staring at him to process his words, and then I jumped to my feet excitedly.

    "Really? You''ll come work at the Gym?" I gaped. I hadn''t expected him to agree so easily.

    Neil looked just as excited as he rose to his own feet, towering over me. "Kiddo, I worked at the Cherrygrove Gym for 30 years before Adriel shooed me away. That''s over half my life that I''ve dedicated to the Gym. It''d be weird if I didn''t have some strong attachment to the place by this point. Of course I''m going to stick around to help it grow. And, well¡­"

    Neil trailed off, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed. "That''s actually part of why I swung by¡­ I was going to ask if you''d let me help out somehow. Feels weird working as a night security guard at the local library nowadays. The job just doesn''t suit me. The Gym is where I feel most comfortable. Imagine my surprise when you asked me first."

    I stared at him. "So you mean¡­ you were going to ask me for your old job back? Why''d you ask all those questions then?"

    He scratched the back of his neck. "¡­To make my return more dramatic?"

    "¡­"

    "Well, I also had to gauge what the current situation was like!" Neil hurriedly said, but it didn''t matter. Dad and I were both already shaking our heads in fond exasperation. Classic Neil.

    I stuck a hand out to him with a big smile, and we shook hands heartily. "Well, welcome back, Neil. I''m glad to have you on board."

    "Do I get to be Head Gym Trainer again?" he asked with a sly smile. I snorted.

    "It''s all yours."

    I had finally obtained my first gym trainer.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Whoa¡­" Neil''s jaw dropped as he stared at all the Pokemon in the backyard. "There are so many of them. I don''t even recognize more than twenty percent of these Pokemon either."

    I stood proudly in front of dad and Neil. "Yep, and they''re all Fairy types. Most of them are native to regions outside of the Kinjoh Area. I''m waiting on another batch of new gym Pokemon to be sent to me tomorrow, so expect this group to get a little bigger."

    Minutes ago, I had finally negotiated a new contract with Neil. Basically, he thought I was paying him way too much, but I told him that he deserved it for his position and loyalty to the Gym for so many years. He only accepted after a long argument where I reiterated multiple times that I was wealthy enough to be generous with employee wages and that this was a contract befitting the experience he brought to the table with him.

    Now, I had brought dad and Neil with me to introduce them to the gym Pokemon since they would be helping from now on. It wasn''t time yet to start their afternoon training, so we slowly went around.

    "Arin! What are these adorable Pokemon?" Neil demanded with an excited expression. I followed his gaze to where he was looking at the pack of Fidough playing with their Dachsbun leader.

    Dad sniffed the air appreciatively. "Huh, is it just me, or does something smell nice?"

    I pointed at the Fidough family, smiling. "It''s from them. These are Pokemon from a region known as Paldea. Those small dogs are Fidough, and the big one is a Dachsbun. In the region I got them from, they''re commonly used to help with baking bread."

    Both dad and Neil''s eyes widened.

    "Bread?" they asked in unison.

    I nodded. "Yeah. You see, their breath contains yeast¡­"

    Dad and Neil listened to my explanation of the Fidough family with great interest. I introduced them to the dogs after, and we ended up spending around ten minutes with the pack since both of them loved playing with the dogs so much. My own Dachsbun, Choux, ran to where we were and bowled me over when he realized we were all playing without him.

    The rest of the tour went a little faster. The Tinkatink roughhoused with Neil who humored their measly attempts to whack him with their tiny hammers. Dad was surprisingly good with the Ralts and Kirlia, which I attributed to his gentle nature. He also loved meeting my Florges, Filore, and the Flabebe family because of their flowers and was surprised to hear they weren''t Grass types.

    Everywhere we went, I was pleased to see how delighted dad and Neil were with the Fairy type Pokemon. I couldn''t help but think how amazing it would be if the rest of the city, and eventually all of Kanto-Johto and the Kinjoh Area, grew to appreciate Fairy types as much as I did. They deserved more love and attention on this side of the world.

    After I finished introducing the various species to them, the afternoon training began. Dad and Neil followed me around as I checked up on each group of Pokemon. While we went along, I explained everything from basic characteristics of each species to their strengths and weaknesses and even the training plans I had them on.

    "¡­and Marill''s tail is very flexible, which is very useful for mobility and certain moves like Splash or Bounce. A lot of people don''t realize how useful a Marill''s tail can be and focus only on long range water attacks instead," I explained to dad and Neil at one point. I pointed at the Marill working out under Zuzu''s careful guidance.

    "Right now most of the Marill are just working on building up their overall stamina, but two of them ¡ª yes, those two in the corner, and the one with the darker fur is going to evolve soon ¡ª are working on strengthening their tail by doing this exercise. It helps them extend and retract their tail faster. Then they¡ª huh?"

    I paused in the middle of my explanation when I realized dad and Neil were staring at me with awed expressions.

    "Yes?" I asked with a raised brow.

    "It''s just¡­ amazing seeing you work, son. You know so much about so many different species. Even for a Pokemon as common to Johto as Marill, you have an incredible depth of information," Dad confessed, and Neil nodded with a serious expression.

    "I feel like I''ve learned more about Fairy types from you in the last hour than I could have with a regional Professor in a day, Arin," Neil said sagely. "You''re definitely a Fairy Specialist alright."

    My ears reddened a bit. I''d gotten compliments before about my teaching ability, but those had mostly been from young students at Naranja-Uva Academy. It was an entirely different thing hearing my own dad and a close family friend pay me such sincere compliments.

    I cleared my throat, trying to ignore how hot my ears felt. "Thanks," I mumbled. In a louder voice, I gestured over to where the Flabebe family was practicing. "Alright, let''s move on to some basic Fairy type moves you should know about. There''s Fairy Wind, which kind of speaks for itself. It summons wind powered by Fairy type energy¡­"

    I didn''t see since they were behind me, but Neil and dad shared a glance.

    "I think we should have brought notebooks¡­" Neil muttered.

    Dad quietly agreed.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Dad and Neil stuck around for another hour after afternoon training ended to continue familiarizing themselves with the gym Pokemon.

    Eventually, Neil needed to return home for dinner.

    Before he left, he asked to speak privately with me about something. We moved to a corner of the front yard while dad went inside to get started on cooking.

    When I saw the grim expression on Neil''s face, I knew whatever he wanted to talk about was something serious. I found myself growing a bit nervous as I watched Neil open and close his mouth a few times, clearly struggling to broach the subject.

    "Arin," he finally said. "Do you remember my son, Souta?"

    I needed a few moments to mull over memories. Souta¡­ Images of a shy young boy with dark blue hair and hazel eyes appeared in my head after a bit of thinking.

    "Yes. Kind of," I said honestly. "He''s four years younger than me, right? I remember he came to the Gym with you a few times. I think I might have said hi to him once or twice, but we didn''t really talk too much." I paused, dread overtaking me as my mind went to the worst possible scenarios. "Why? Is something wrong? Did¡­ Did he¡­?" I trailed off, unable to finish.

    Neil caught my implications and quickly shook his head. "No. No, he''s alive. He''s fine," Neil reassured me. I was about to smile in relief when Neil''s next words made me pause. "Well¡­ physically fine at least. He''s been¡­ heartbroken for a couple months now."

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "What happened?" I asked immediately, concerned.

    Neil sighed heavily, needing a moment to massage his cheek with a hand. "Souta''s always been a smart kid. He''s been wanting to attend the Blackthorn Trainer Academy since forever," he started, but I stopped him with a quick raise of my hand.

    "That''s the one in Blackthorn City, right? Not founded by but heavily sponsored by the Blackthorn Clan?" I asked.

    Johto may not have had any academies as nearly as impressive as Naranja-Uva Academy over in Paldea, but the Blackthorn Trainer Academy came closest. It was a private academy with some of the best teachers and curriculums in the country. Occasionally, the Blackthorn Clan even offered the best student of the year a chance to join their ranks as a trainee. Needless to say, the academy was exceedingly popular and difficult to get into with thousands of entrants competing each year for the right.

    The man in front of me nodded glumly. "That''s the one. He studied really hard for it. He even left a few years ago as soon as he was old enough to take a journey around the Johto region. Did it for experience that the Academy wanted to see on applications," Neil continued.

    Back when I first left Johto, the minimum age to sign up for the Circuit was a mere ten years old, but that age limit had gradually increased over the years as new laws were passed. People had rioted because of increasingly higher numbers of kids getting injured or even dying in the wilds because they were too young and not prepared enough to survive on their own. Now, the minimum age to sign up for the Circuit had been brought up to 15.

    I was less focused on that detail and more on everything else Neil said. I was starting to get a bad feeling the more he explained. This wasn''t going where I thought it was leading, right?

    "He did pretty good for a first-year and got three badges, but that''s beside the point. After he came back, Souta started studying again for the exam. He passed both the written and practical portions with flying colors in the top percentile."

    I stared at Neil, not understanding. "Doesn''t that mean he got accepted into the school?"

    Neil grimaced. "There was also a final interview portion he was waiting to hear the results of. It''s basically a little chat with a panel of professors to better understand the personalities of hopeful students and make sure they''re not troublemakers, you know? It''s more like a formality than anything. The academy approves or fails most students based on their exam results since that''s what''s most important to them. From what Souta told me, he said the interview went well."

    I remained silent, waiting for the inevitable drop I knew was coming.

    "He got a letter back a couple months ago, rejecting his entry into the school. They praised him for his work in the exam, but they cited his interview as the reason for his rejection and said he wasn''t a good fit for the school," Neil spat. "I called it ¡ª and still do ¡ª Tauros shit. Do you know what news came out after the interview happened?"

    "Fairy type," I realized out loud in a whisper.

    "Yes. By then the rumors had pretty much become fact with all the verification from regional Professors, and the Indigo League released a statement confirming the new type. The Blackthorns kept up a calm appearance in the wake of it all, but if you looked closely, it was really obvious they weren''t happy about something that went against their beliefs," Neil continued. "Souta and I have our own opinion about why he actually got rejected."

    "He has a Fairy type Pokemon on his team?" I guessed.

    Unfortunately, Neil did not prove me wrong. "He does. A little Snubbull he hatched from an Egg that he''s very fond of," he said. "He used her in the exam. We''re almost confident that the Blackthorn Clan put pressure on the school after the Fairy type became official and told them to decline applicants with Fairy types. There''s just no way they would have rejected someone who scored in the top percentile like Souta otherwise, but it''s just a guess and we can''t exactly prove anything."

    "Since then, Souta''s been moping around the house. He doesn''t eat or talk nearly as much as he used to and just stays in his room all day outside of meals. My wife and I have tried talking to him multiple times, but he just won''t open up to us no matter what we do," Neil sighed. "We''re getting really worried about him, Arin. He''s even been distancing himself from Snubbull a bit."

    He paused to look at me with an expression torn between guilt and hope. "I''m sorry for dumping all this information on you, but I finally made up my mind earlier. Would you try and talk to Souta for us please? I noticed he reacted a bit during the TV special on you today during lunch. Maybe you can get more of a reaction out of him than we can. I just¡­ want him to cheer up and start dreaming again."

    I sympathized with him. I really did. Souta''s situation basically reminded me of how dad had unfairly stripped me of my inheritance to the Gym because I favored Pokemon that weren''t Grass types. I knew the feeling of what it was like to have something denied to you after all the hard work you''d put in over all the years.

    I didn''t want Neil''s son to stay in that pit of despair I''d once been in myself.

    "I don''t know how much use I''ll be," I said honestly, "but I''m more than willing to try, Neil. Of course I''ll help."

    Neil''s shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you so much, Arin," he said with a bow of his head. "I''m not expecting Souta to magically get happier after talking to you, so please don''t feel pressured. I appreciate the help regardless of what happens."

    Neil and I agreed to visit his house after breakfast and morning training the following day. I watched him head down the trail from our house with mixed emotions. Thoughts of Souta were still swirling around in my head, but I was also thinking of something else.

    Blackthorn, Blackthorn¡­

    Why was it that that name kept popping up around me?

    First the reporter trying to stir up drama, and now Neil''s son. It felt like the Blackthorn name was going to follow me wherever I went. Were we meant to be ill-fated enemies or something?

    Like Neil had said, they couldn''t prove anything regarding Souta''s denied entry into the Blackthorn Trainer Academy. I more than agreed with him regarding how suspicious it was, though, and I couldn''t help but think Neil''s theory was right.

    Even as I headed back inside and ate dinner with dad, I kept brooding. Dad could tell something was wrong, but he could also tell it wasn''t something I wanted him to pry about and left me alone. I kept brooding long after I crawled into bed to sleep.

    Eventually, what I felt was outrage.

    What was so wrong with Fairy types? So what if they were just recently discovered on this side of the world? They were still a legitimate type just like all the others. All the esteemed regional Professors had proven that.

    And what was the Blackthorn Clan''s deal with them? Did they think themselves to be superior with their dragons to all others? What made them have the right to look down on a Pokemon type just because it opposed their specialty? It was just so narrow-minded that it boggled my mind.

    The more I thought about everything, the more frustrated I became.

    I ended up falling asleep with a huge scowl on my face as I thought about the Blackthorns.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Neil joined me and dad in the backyard the next morning like he would every day from now on. I tried to keep dark thoughts out of my head as I led the morning training. Not even the Blackthorns would stop me from focusing on my preparations for the upcoming test.

    The one nice thing that helped ease tensions that morning were text messages from my Fairy Specialist friends who lived abroad. I left dad and Neil to oversee the training as I dashed into the house.

    My friends finally had the Pokemon ready for me.

    I connected my phone to my laptop and pulled out small trays from its sides. This one had a nifty transfer feature. After setting up a connection between my location and those of my friends, I waited with an eager expression.

    Flashes of light filled the room as one Pokeball after another appeared on the trays. I quickly collected each one in a bag. My excitement only grew when I examined the Pokeballs more closely and discovered certain species among the bunch.

    After all the Pokemon had been transferred, I shot a quick message of thanks to everyone and then darted right back outside to the backyard.

    "Dad! Neil! Come over here!" I yelled, waving the bag I was holding a couple times. They jogged over with confused expressions.

    "Arin, what''s¡ª" Dad started to ask, but I cut him off.

    "Look at these Pokemon my friends got! They''re Grass and Fairy types!" I said excitedly, releasing said Pokemon before I even finished.

    A small group of Morelull and Cottonee appeared in front of them, and I laughed as I watched dad''s face instantly morph into one of adoration.

    "Grass and Fairy types you said?!" Dad exclaimed excitedly. He immediately ducked into a crouch, greeting the little Pokemon who stared back at him curiously. One of the Morelull gave him permission to run his hands carefully over her mushrooms. "Wow, look at the size of these! They smell nice, too. Lavender? No, cindersap? Or wait, maybe both¡ª Arin, what are these Pokemon called?"

    I laughed again. It was so obvious dad had fallen in love with the new Pokemon just like I thought he would. Neil seemed equally as enamored, fussing over the Cottonee and letting one hop onto his head like a fluffy hat. "The ones with mushrooms are Morelull. The ones that look like fluffy clouds are Cottonee. Both of them are capable of evolving once."

    Both Dad and Neil''s heads snapped up at that. For almost fifteen minutes, the Grass type enthusiasts grilled me about their evolutions, abilities, and basically every other piece of information I had on them. I had to cut them off at one point so I could introduce the other new Pokemon my friends had given me.

    They''d gifted me with a wide variety. The new group included everything from a few Carbink to Milcery to Dedenne to more uncommon ones like Galarian Ponyta or Alolan Vulpix. Heck, Opal had even given me a Galarian Weezing she must have recently evolved! Looking at the backyard sprawling with Pokemon, I basically had almost every known Fairy type Pokemon across the regions living there. It was like a Fairy sanctuary.

    I whipped out my phone to send another text of thanks to my friends, snapping a picture of the backyard in the process. I even sent them a follow-up message asking if they wanted me to catch any Johto Fairy types for them that they didn''t already have. They unanimously agreed, and I added that to a mental checklist of things to do later.

    We spent some time helping the new Pokemon get acclimated to the change in environment. With such a large population and diverse array of species, I was more worried than ever about little fights breaking out, but I trusted myself and my Pokemon to help keep things in line as everyone settled in.

    As soon as I passed my promotion test, though, I seriously needed to hire more gym trainers to help manage all the Pokemon.

    The rest of the morning passed quickly. We finished up training, and Neil joined me and dad for breakfast.

    Then it was time to go visit Neil''s family. I said goodbye to Hassel''s Dragonite, Dan, who had rested enough that he was now ready to return to his trainer. Neil and I got on Zuri''s back for the flight into the city.

    "So you''re the mysterious trainer with a Dragonite¡­" Neil muttered from behind me, and I twisted around to raise a brow at him.

    "The what now?"

    In response, Neil pulled out his phone and showed me pictures of what looked like me and Zuri on Chatter.

    "Must have been from when I went souvenir shopping¡­" I muttered as I stared at them. I hadn''t checked social media at all recently, nor had I realized it would be such a big deal. I guess I''d gotten too used to how slightly more common the Dratini line was in other parts of the world.

    Neil gave me an ''aha'' look. "So it is you! How come you have a Dragon type Pokemon anyway?"

    "Just because I''m a Fairy Specialist doesn''t mean I can''t make friends with other Pokemon," I said with a gentle smile. I rubbed Zuri''s neck as I spoke, and she cried out in agreement. "Alright, let''s get going."

    Neil barely had time to put his phone away before Zuri shot off, and I was vaguely reminded of a similar, recent incident as Neil screamed.

    "AHHHHH¡ª"

    One minute later, Zuri neatly landed in Neil''s backyard. I hopped off casually while Neil clambered down more slowly with a half-dazed expression.

    "I''m going to need¡­ a little warning next time, kiddo¡­" he groaned, and I barely refrained from laughing. I looked up when I heard a gasp. Neil''s neighbor had stuck her head out of the window to see what the fuss was about, and she was now gaping at us. Next to her was a young girl, presumably her daughter, pulling out her phone to take a picture.

    I offered a short wave of hello before following Neil inside his house. A woman with auburn hair tucked into a side ponytail and warm amber eyes greeted us near the backdoor. I had met her only once or twice when I was younger.

    "Hi, Arin! So good to see you. My husband already told me he''s working at the Gym again. Thank you for taking him back. He acted like a kicked puppy every time he came back home from his night job. It was getting a bit bothersome, really," she tutted in good humor at the end, causing Neil to stare at his wife with mock indignation.

    "Mari!" he complained. The woman just laughed as she slapped his arm, and I smiled at the display of affection between the couple.

    "Anyway, thanks for coming here today, Arin. Souta''s room is upstairs, third door on the left," Mari said with a sad smile. I nodded, leaving Neil and Mari to talk quietly in the kitchen as I headed to the second floor.

    The instant I placed a foot on the second floor, a few different Pokemon popped up from behind the corner of the hallway and stared at me curiously. There was a Weepinbell, Girafarig, Growlithe, and a smaller than average Snubbull. I knew right away that these had to be Souta''s Pokemon. I offered them a polite hello before continuing on my way. Most of them stayed where they were, but the Snubbull followed right behind me.

    When I made it to Souta''s room, I paused outside. To be honest, I hadn''t really come prepared with anything in particular to say. I would just have to wing it.

    I cleared my throat, knocking lightly on the door. "Hi, Souta. I''m not sure if your dad mentioned anything to you in advance, but this is Arin Watanuki. I was wondering if you''d like to talk?" I asked awkwardly. Souta''s Snubbull perked up at the mention of her trainer''s name. She shuffled closer to me, almost hiding behind my leg.

    Only silence answered me. I was about to try saying something again when the door opened just a sliver. Hazel eyes peered cautiously out the crack at me.

    "Hi," I said. "Can I come in?"

    Souta studied me for a moment. Finally, he gave the smallest of nods. "Sure," he muttered, and he opened the door wider. I moved inside. When I looked back, I saw Souta and Snubbull staring at each other. Snubbull wore a hopeful expression as she took a cautious step forward, but Souta tore his gaze away.

    "Play with the other Pokemon, Snubbull," was all he said quietly. The last thing I saw was Snubbull''s dejected expression before Souta closed his bedroom door. There was clearly some distance being put between them like Neil had mentioned, but I didn''t say anything.

    Souta wordlessly pointed at his chair while he plopped himself on the bed. I took that as my cue to sit down.

    "So¡­" I began cautiously, studying the teenager. He had hunched forward slightly and was staring at his lap. From his body language and lifeless expression alone, I could tell just how upset he was. Neil hadn''t been exaggerating when he said his son wasn''t in the highest of spirits.

    "Your dad told me you didn''t make it into the school you wanted," I finally said, deciding to start the conversation from there. "Do you know what you want to do from here on out?"

    "No," he said in a small voice. He still didn''t look up.

    "You could go on a journey again and collect gym badges," I suggested. I rattled off a few more hoping one of them would pique his interest. "Or you could apply for the school again, or try for another¡­"

    I trailed off when Souta didn''t react. It was like he''d¡­ given up on wanting to do anything. I felt sad just looking at Souta, and Neil and his wife had had to see their son like this for months. I wanted to help somehow, but how?

    All I could do was talk.

    "Although it was a different situation, I also went through a period of time in my life where I felt completely lost," I said quietly. I leaned back in the chair, smiling wryly to myself as I recalled the beginning of my journey. "It was my first time away from home. I''d left because of a terrible experience that made me want to run away and never look back, so I went to a different region where I didn''t know anyone and only had one Pokemon with me, my starter."

    Souta didn''t move, so I just kept going. "I spent a whole month feeling miserable. I couldn''t feel happy about anything, and I just kept replaying bad memories over and over again. I didn''t know what I wanted to do for the future. The dream I''d been working toward wasn''t an option anymore. I¡ª"

    "You don''t know what it''s like," Souta muttered loudly, interrupting me. I closed my mouth. He''d reacted.

    The teenager finally raised his head to look at me with red-rimmed eyes. "You don''t know what it''s like," he repeated. "You don''t know what it''s like to spend years working towards something and to have it in reach only for everything to get messed up because of something completely stupid!" He yelled out the last few words, panting.

    I just stared back at him with an even expression.

    "I don''t," I agreed. "I don''t know what you''re feeling exactly, or what it''s like to apply for a school I really want to go to only to get declined at the last second. But I can relate because I''ve been in a similar situation."

    "My dad refused to give me the Cherrygrove Gym when I was younger. This was after I''d spent years training to take over, and then he just cut me off from the right of inheritance. Why? Because I didn''t use Grass types. Instead, I used Pokemon he didn''t like," I said.

    I saw Souta stiffen, but I didn''t wait for him to talk. I went on. "What I felt after that was a terrible, all-consuming feeling that ate away at me. I was angry. Really angry, but it also left me wondering if I could have somehow done better. Worst of all, it made me doubt myself as a person and the choices I had made. Do you feel something similar to that right now, too?"

    Souta clenched his jaw. His entire body trembled as he croaked out an almost inaudible response.

    "Yeah."

    I smiled sadly. I''d been there before.

    "It sucks, right?"

    "¡­Yeah."

    We were both quiet for a long time. Only the chirping of Pidgey outside could be heard in the silence of the room.

    Souta was the one who spoke first. "I just can''t stop thinking about it. I was so close, literally one of the highest scorers on the exam, and then they told me I wasn''t a ''good fit'' for the academy¡­" he broke off, clenching his fist tightly. "I''m not an idiot. I know the academy is funded by the Blackthorns. The Fairy type hit the news right after I had my interview. I just know they rejected me because of Snubbull."

    "Do you regret choosing Snubbull for the exam then?" I asked quietly.

    Souta''s expression became pained, and he looked away. "I¡­"

    "Then¡­ would you get rid of Snubbull if it meant you could attend the academy?"

    "No!" Souta looked at me with wide eyes. "No¡­ I would never do that. I-I just¡­ I wanted to go there so bad," he whispered. "I don''t understand why they would reject me over having a Snubbull. She''s not weak. She''s as strong as any other Pokemon, and I proved it in the exam."

    He took a deep, shuddering breath, furiously blinking back tears. "It''s so unfair, and I can''t do anything about it. Going to the academy was my dream this whole time, and now it''s over. I don''t¡­ I don''t know what I should do now. I''m just so mad and confused."

    As I watched him try his hardest not to cry, it felt like I was looking at ten-year-old me. I''d been in his shoes before. I''d felt the pain of being forced to give up on something and felt the doubt creeping in as I struggled to figure out a new goal.

    I decided to give him the advice that I had given myself a long time ago.

    "Then get up," I said firmly. "Get up and fight."

    He looked at me with glistening eyes, startled.

    I pointed at him. "You''re right that you can''t do anything to change what''s already happened. But you can change what happens from here on out," I said. "Get up. Keep moving forward. Find a new dream you want to chase. Don''t let one stupid institution tell you that you can''t achieve great things, and make them regret not choosing you."

    "I¡­ I don''t think I can," Souta murmured.

    "Are you just going to give up and never try to reach for your goals ever again then?" I asked patiently.

    "But what if I fail again?"

    "You might. You might not," I said. "But you won''t ever know until you try. I think you''ll regret it more if you stay put and let opportunities slip away."

    A conflicted look crossed his face. As he struggled to form words, I nodded softly at the door behind us.

    "You know, Snubbull is waiting for you," I told him. Souta flinched, looking away with a guilty expression. "Even though you''ve been distancing yourself from her, she''s still there, waiting for you to pick yourself back up. It''s not just her either," I continued. "Your mom, dad, and the rest of your Pokemon are waiting for you. They care for you, and they believe that you''re going to get back up from this. I believe you can, too."

    Souta didn''t respond verbally, but he squeezed his eyes shut. I had said enough. Now he just needed time to think and process his own feelings. I got up quietly from my seat and headed towards the door, but a quiet, hesitant voice made me pause.

    "I''m not wrong, right?"

    I turned. Souta had opened his eyes, but he didn''t meet my gaze. He fiddled with his hands instead.

    "About Snubbull," he clarified. "About having a Fairy type Pokemon. There''s nothing wrong with them¡­ right?"

    I shook my head. "Of course not. They''re the same as any other Pokemon type. Those idiots at the academy are just too narrow-minded. You''re not wrong, Souta."

    The teenager blinked rapidly a few times. I almost thought he would actually cry this time, but he bit his lip and asked one last question.

    "Um, Arin¡­ What you said in your speech on TV¡­ do you really think you can pass the gym test? And¡­ achieve your dream?"

    "Yeah." My reply came instantly. "I do. I''m going to pass, and I''m going to create the greatest Fairy Gym." Souta didn''t look away from me.

    "I''ll prove to you and all of Kanto-Johto the strength of Fairy types. Just wait and see."

    Souta didn''t respond, and I finally left his room. Outside, Snubbull was still standing there with a glum expression. I reached down to pat her gently on the head.

    "Your trainer is going to be fine," I told her firmly. She was confused, but she looked at me with a hopeful expression. "He''s going to come around, he just needs a little more time. Stay with him, okay?"

    Snubbull barked energetically in affirmation. I patted her one more time before getting up and descending down the stairs. Neil and Mari got up from their seats in the living room when they saw me.

    "Is everything okay, Arin? We heard Souta yelling upstairs¡­" Mari trailed off nervously. Both she and Neil wore worried expressions.

    I nodded, smiling softly at them for reassurance. "Yeah. It''s okay, he just needed to let out some steam. He''s still feeling upset, but I gave him stuff to think about. I won''t say he''ll be okay right now, but I think he will be eventually."

    Neil and Mari both sagged with relief when they heard my words.

    "Thank you, Arin. We really appreciate this," Neil muttered hoarsely.

    I just smiled, patting him on the shoulder once. "I didn''t do much. Souta''s going to need some more time to sort out his feelings, so just be there for him in the meantime."

    Neil and his wife thanked me a few more times, but I just waved them off since I didn''t actually do that much and took my leave.

    As I flew back to the house on Zuri, my gaze was fixed on the northeast to a city I knew lay beyond the horizon.

    Blackthorn City, and the Clan that ruled it.

    The oldest, most powerful, and supposedly the wisest family in Johto, known and feared for their mighty dragons. They would be allowed to keep their precious reputation of being the strongest for only a little longer. Why?

    Because I was going to tear it to pieces.

    My conversations with Neil and Souta had only served to ignite a fire. The Blackthorns apparently hated Fairy types enough that they were even willing to stamp out the promising future of an innocent kid. Souta might not have been the only one. Who knew how many other kids they had rejected because they didn''t align with the Clan''s beliefs? Who knew what other little and major ways they were oppressing people in Johto?

    How incredibly narrow-minded they were, and it infuriated me. If they were petty enough to do that with the kind of power they wielded, what else would they do? How far would they go?

    I never wanted to find out. I would make things harder for them.

    To do that, I needed power first. I needed the influence and ability to stand at a more even level with the Blackthorn Clan before I came out swinging.

    Only then would it have the kind of impact I wanted.

    Everything came back to the promotion test and entering the ranks of the major gyms. I was going to double down on training after today.

    Two weeks remained until I shook up Johto even further.

 Chapter 13

    CHAPTER 13

    "Bubble Beam. Spread it wide."

    Azumarill sprayed a wave of fast-moving bubbles in a long arc upon my command, but none of them hit his target. Mr. Puff weaved back and forth with Minimize.

    "Defense Roll!" Dad barked. On the opposite side of the field, Mr. Puff glowed white as he ricocheted forward in a spinning ball of fur.

    "Match it!" I countered. I was proud to see Azumarill moving almost before I finished. He was getting better at reacting faster during a battle. A second later, both Pokemon rolled into each other so hard that they went spinning backwards from the impact.

    "Flip into Bounce!"

    "Drop fast with Gyro Ball!"

    Dad and I both had similar ideas as we commanded our Pokemon. Azumarill backflipped into the ground and slammed his tail against it, rocketing forward. At the same time, Mr. Puff used the Steel type energy from Gyro Ball to make himself heavier and drop instantly to the ground before spinning towards us. The pink and blue Pokemon met once again in a head-on collision.

    I raised a hand as they hit the ground hard.

    "Alright, we''ll end the spar here! Great work both of you. You''re reacting much faster to commands now," I called out to them. "Azumarill, you''re really taking Zuzu''s lessons to heart. That was a good backflip into Bounce. Mr. Puff, the power of your moves has increased a lot. You''re hitting so much harder now."

    Both Pokemon picked themselves up off the ground and turned toward me. Azumarill bowed shyly in thanks while Mr. Puff tried to hide a small smile. I grinned proudly at them before turning around. "Okay, next!"

    Azumarill and Mr. Puff tottered off to go take a break as Tinkaton and Gardevoir took their places on the field. Today, I was helping the gym Pokemon get used to fighting under a trainer''s command like we had done already for several past sessions.

    A week had passed since my visit to the Ishimoto household. I''d busied myself with preparations for the upcoming promotion exam, carefully guiding everyone through training sessions each day. With Neil and dad''s help, I had more time to focus on the higher tier Pokemon since the low tier Pokemon were easy enough for Neil and dad to manage on their own. Neil and dad were learning fast about Fairy type Pokemon, but they only knew the basics still.

    I was very thorough with my preparations. I hadn''t just spent time training the gym Pokemon and my Elite team but myself as well.

    The exam proctors would obviously test my ability to field appropriate Pokemon for each badge tier, but I also brushed up on my reasoning skills in case they asked me to explain the rationale behind decisions I made. For example, why I chose to go with so-and-so strategy for a particular challenge instead of something else.

    I had dad grill me each day with hypothetical battle situations as practice for that. Basically, he would give me a scenario of an example challenger and team before we verbally went through an imaginary Pokemon battle. Dad would ask me questions after each battle, and I would have to explain why I battled like I had. It was actually pretty fun. It reminded me of how I used to test my students with a similar game at Naranja-Uva Academy. The point of these exercises was to make sure I was giving the right kind of difficulty for each challenger depending on what badge level they were at.

    As for the gym Pokemon, they were making good progress. A few of them had evolved thanks to their hard work, including a Marill and Snubbull from the first batch of Pokemon I''d caught on Route 30. Their evolutions had actually inspired their more battle enthusiastic peers to train harder which, needless to say, pleased me greatly.

    I''d even begun teaching some simple combination moves to a small group of Pokemon that were ready for that step. For example, I''d taught Mr. Puff and Azumarill how to smoothly combine Defense Curl and Rollout in one motion. They wouldn''t be ready for anything more advanced until after the promotion test, but that was fine. I''d helped them all learn a few new moves to add to their arsenals.

    I had an idea already of which Pokemon I was going to bring with me as options for each tier, including the fifth badge level. Azumarill, Mr. Puff, Cally, a few others¡­ and the two Pokemon currently on the field in front of me, Tinkaton and Gardevoir.

    Tinkaton was still big on offense, but she had learned to weave in other kinds of attacks and not rush in blindly. After the promotion test, she''d probably be around the sixth badge tier if she kept up her current pace of training.

    Gardevoir¡­ well, actually, she was probably a little too strong for the test on this point. She was right on the edge of the sixth badge level because of the high level of technique she had. She''d already been crazy good with Psychic type attacks when I caught her, but after I''d helped her harness Fairy type energy more efficiently, she''d gotten even stronger.

    I probably wouldn''t bring her for the test, but that wasn''t a bad thing. Gardevoir was definitely heading straight towards the eighth badge tier for my Gym if she continued working hard over the next few months.

    "Tinkaton, you ready for this?" I asked. The Paldean Pokemon let out an eager scream, holding her hammer at the ready. She always loved a good fight and challenged my own Elite Pokemon frequently much to their amusement. To be honest, she was starting to grow on me, too, now that she no longer acted out.

    Across from us, Gardevoir bowed slightly to me. I smiled and dipped my head in acknowledgement. She was always so polite.

    The spar began as dad and I both yelled out commands.

    "Calm Mind!"

    "Fake Out!"

    Gardevoir glowed as she began concentrating, but Tinkaton put a stop to it almost instantly by slamming her hammer against the ground. The resulting shockwave made Gardevoir flinch and snap out of her half-formed focused state, and I immediately swept my arm forward.

    "Flash Cannon!" I ordered. Tinkaton''s jaw dropped as she fired off a blinding beam of light.

    "Get out with Teleport! Make copies!" Dad shouted, but Gardevoir was one step ahead of him already. She swiftly Teleported to the side of the beam as dozens of clones surrounded Tinkaton from the use of Double Team.

    Since this was a spar, I decided to try out a move Tinkaton was still working on.

    "Flatter."

    Red waves shot outwards from Tinkaton in a distorted arc, but they didn''t move as quickly as I would have liked. Dad immediately called for another Teleport. Gardevoir''s clones all appeared in the air above the red waves, unleashing a blinding flash of light as a follow up. The Dazzling Gleam took Tinkaton by complete surprise and made her fly back with eyes squeezed shut.

    "Come on, Tinkaton! Fairy Wind!" I urged.

    Still with eyes closed, Tinkaton screamed as shimmering wind fueled by her fury blanketed the whole area. The clones vanished. Gardevoir had nowhere to Teleport to avoid the attack and stumbled, struggling to stay grounded.

    I seized the opening.

    "Play Rough! Ten o''clock!" I barked quickly.

    Tinkaton''s eyes snapped open as she leaped with surprising speed. Her jump was a bit off since she wasn''t used to such precise directions yet, but her wide swing more than made up for it. A hammer with writhing Fairy energy slammed into Gardevoir. She tumbled backwards.

    The spar lasted another five minutes. Tinkaton put up more than a good fight, but Gardevoir gradually wore her down at the end with constant Teleports and long range attacks. I ended it before either side got too tired.

    I made sure to praise both Pokemon, especially the disappointed Tinkaton, at the end. Both of them went off to rest, and I called in the next set of Pokemon.

    And the next, and the next.

    Eventually, I called out loudly and announced the end of the session. Dad, Neil, and I distributed food for the Pokemon who hadn''t eaten yet before training started, and everyone else dispersed to go rest or play.

    After we finished, Neil went back home to eat with his family. Souta was still in the dumps, but apparently he came out of his room to sit quietly in the living room and watch TV sometimes. His parents considered that an improvement.

    Back in the house, Dad and I made some eggs on toast for breakfast since we were feeling lazy. While dad sipped on his new favorite drink, which was brewed from none other than the coffee beans I''d gotten him from Mesagoza, I decided to check social media. I realized I hadn''t looked at any since coming back to Johto, and I was curious how Kanto-Johto had reacted to my appearance.

    There was just a small problem.

    I only had social media accounts for apps used on the other side of the world. The ones used in the Kinjoh Area were completely different. For example, Frillbook and Farbook versus Indeegram and Chimegram. There were only a few social media accounts ¡ª such as Chatter or Teddit ¡ª that were universal but region locked depending on what side of the world you were in.

    "Legendaries¡­" I muttered to myself. I stuffed a piece of toast in my mouth before I began making fresh accounts. It was a little annoying, but at least the process went fast. If only all the regions in the world just finally connected with each other¡­ I idly wondered if that would ever happen during my lifetime.

    I made accounts for the most well-known social media platforms and even one for Turtwitch, a live streaming app that had originated from Sinnoh (in the rest of the world, it was more popular to stream on PokeTube). Thankfully, I didn''t have to make new ones for Chatter, Teddit, or PokeTube. After I verified my existing accounts to show that I had dual citizenship, I was allowed access past the regional block.

    I leaned back in my chair and decided to check Chatter first. My finger tapped on the trending section. Lo and behold, practically the entire page was related to me somehow.

    1. NEWS / TRENDING

    Arin Watanuki

    500K posts

    2. POKEMON / TRENDING

    Fairy Type

    427K posts

    TRENDING IN KANTO-JOHTO

    #CherrygroveGym

    312K posts

    #CherrygroveGymLeader

    398K posts

    I went down the list. There was everything from #FairySpecialist to Johto Gym History to #FairiesVsDragons. Intrigued, I pulled up random trending Chats on my timeline.

    Tuff Tuff King (Verified) ? tufftuffking ? 7d

    We''ve never had a prominent Fairy Specialist before in the Kinjoh Area, so this is awesome. Rooting for the new Gym. Please just tell me the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader has a Wigglytuff on his team¡­ Fingers crossed.

    1K Comments / 1.8K ReChats / 3K Likes / 5.1K Views

    Nika Chari ? nikaacharii ? 6d

    [Video clip of highlights from Arin Watanuki''s speech]

    Here are the best moments from Arin Watanuki''s press conference. I got chills from his last statement. I''m not sure he can back it up, though. Penny for your thoughts?

    5K Comments / 7.4K ReChats / 8K Likes / 10K Views

    Saras Kleeman ? saraskleeman8 ? 4d

    new cherrygrove gym leader is CUTE. xoxo sign me up for a gym challenge right away, sir.

    3K Comments / 10.2K ReChats / 23K Likes / 39K Views

    One brow was arched delicately as I stared with a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment at the last post I read. Why the hell were people talking about my appearance of all things in the midst of an upheaval in the political landscape? I shook my head, deciding to keep scrolling.

    The Chats ranged from the silliest of reactions to more important ones, but everyone was interested in who I was. The biggest question on everyone''s minds was whether or not I''d even pass the promotion test in the first place. I saw a lot of posts where people either dismissed me as an overconfident fool or believed in a success story. The rest of the social media apps and news sites I checked showed a similar divide in public opinion.

    Other than a brief twinge of annoyance, I didn''t get worked up over all the posts and articles that said I was going to fail. It just wasn''t worth it, and they had reason to doubt based on a history of previous failed attempts from numerous other minor gyms.

    I was going to prove that I would be the exception in one week''s time.

    With my initial curiosity now satisfied, I was about to put my phone down when I saw an interesting video near the bottom of the site I was browsing. It had been posted about a week ago and had a thumbnail of the Blackthorn Gym Leader, Clair Ibuki. The title was simply Gym Leader Clair Speaks.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I clicked on it, intrigued. The Blackthorn name still made me irritated every time I saw or heard it, but right now, I was more interested in Clair Ibuki. Once I passed the promotion test, we would be fellow Gym Leaders of major gyms for the Johto region. I wanted to know what kind of person she was and more importantly, if she shared her Clan''s beliefs on Fairy type Pokemon.

    The video loaded almost instantly.

    A young woman with sharp features appeared on the screen. Her long turquoise hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she wore a short black cape that fluttered in the passing breeze and instantly reminded me of Lance Wataru''s own image. Bright blue eyes focused on the reporter standing next to her. From the ramrod straight posture to the poised hand on her hip, every part of Clair Ibuki screamed confidence and dignity.

    "Gym Leader Clair, thank you for taking the time to speak with me in between gym challenges," the reporter began. "I understand you must be busy, so those of us at Olivine Daily truly appreciate it. I''m sure our viewers are thrilled, too."

    Clair offered a small but polite smile in return. "It''s my pleasure, but please understand that I can only stay for a few minutes before I must return."

    The reporter nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! Let''s get right into it. Today we''d like to ask you about a certain individual everyone is talking about right now: Arin Watanuki, the new Gym Leader of Cherrygrove City! We would love to hear your thoughts about him as a fellow Gym Leader."

    The moment my name left the reporter''s mouth, I instantly became twice as attentive. I stared more closely at the screen, wondering what would be said about me.

    "I''m afraid I can''t form much of an opinion at the moment since we have never met in person," Clair easily replied. "I do not know what kind of person he is, but I have seen his press conference and acknowledge that he seems like a bright individual. I would be interested in meeting him someday should he pass the promotion test and enter the ranks of the major gyms."

    My brows furrowed as I caught the slightest hint of movement. Clair''s fingers had tightened a bit around her clothes¡­ or had I just imagined that?

    The reporter nodded. "That''s reasonable. Do you believe he can pass the test?"

    "It will be difficult, but he may yet triumph," Clair said simply. "The test is known to be difficult to ensure the highest level of standards for the Johto major gyms. I wish him luck."

    The reporter nodded again, drawing the microphone closer. "I see, then what about¡ª oh," the reporter broke off suddenly as he ducked his head, bringing his free hand up to the earpiece he wore. He was silent for a few brief seconds as something was relayed to him.

    Whatever it was made his face light up with excitement, and he quickly turned back to Clair. "Gym Leader Clair, we''ve just received some very shocking news. Up until now, we had no idea of any of the Pokemon that Leader Arin possesses, but someone has just revealed with pictures on Chatter that he was seen in Cherrygrove with a Dragonite."

    I blinked. Those pictures must have been taken by the daughter of Neil''s neighbor that one time I went over to his house. I remembered her taking out a phone.

    I snapped my attention back to the video and watched as Clair''s composed expression actually fell for a moment as she stared with shock at the reporter. He didn''t miss that.

    "It''s very unusual, isn''t it? A Fairy Specialist with a Dragon! Do you have anything to say regarding this as a Dragon Specialist?"

    The reporter stared at her expectantly, as did I. Clair''s face quickly smoothed itself back out into a calm expression, but I paid more attention to the hand on her hip. She was clutching her uniform so tightly that I saw her knuckles starting to turn white.

    "Very¡­ unusual indeed," Clair finally said slowly. It was a bit hard to tell, but I was pretty sure I just saw Clair''s eye twitch. "I would not have expected him to have a Dragonite as a Fairy Specialist. It speaks volumes about his skill as a trainer."

    It was quite obvious to me from the slow and pronounced way she got out each word that Clair was not happy. I had no way of knowing for sure and could only hazard a guess. Was she annoyed that I had a Pokemon that was considered the symbol of the Blackthorns?

    I didn''t have time to think more as the reporter continued. "Truly! I can''t help but wonder what other Pokemon he has now. But let''s move onto the next question: what is your opinion on Fairy types, Leader Clair? It is widely known that Fairy types are immune to Dragon type moves. Our viewers are interested in hearing your thoughts as someone with an opposing type specialty."

    This time, Clair''s eyes flashed with emotion as she dropped the hand from her hip. "Immune they might be, but that is all. I have no doubt Dragons would overwhelm them," she said brusquely. The reporter hung onto her every word.

    He opened his mouth to say something else, but Clair had already swept her cape back and stalked away. "If you''ll excuse me, I must return to the Gym now. Thank you for the interview."

    The video ended there.

    I was left staring at the paused screen with narrowed eyes.

    I have no doubt Dragons would overwhelm them. Not even could, but would. I hadn''t missed the specific word choice.

    It looked like my hopes of Clair being less like the rest of her Clan were dashed. She clearly shared their sentiments of Dragons being superior to Fairy types, yet I couldn''t help but wonder what the extent of her beliefs were.

    Clair Ibuki was a Gym Leader of Johto. She couldn''t be that biased or terrible of a person¡­ right?

    I even vaguely wondered about Lance Wataru while I was on the topic of the Blackthorns. From the interviews and other public appearances I''d seen of him, he seemed to be a pretty decent guy who was trying to change Kanto-Johto for the better.

    Now I worried that even the Champion of the Indigo League was personally against Fairy types.

    Of course, there was no way to know. I had yet to actually meet either Clair or Lance, so maybe I could give them the benefit of the doubt for now. It was the rest of their Clan I was really worried about anyway since they had a ¡ª not ¡ª proven record of shady actions.

    Even if Clair and Lance turned out to be against my new position and Gym, I doubted they would try anything against me publicly. That would be a death sentence to their reputations as people in high positions of power. If anything, I had to watch out for less subtle moves. Something like¡­

    I stilled. There was no way¡­ but what if the promotion test¡ª

    I quickly put a stop to that train of thought, clenching my jaw. No. What I was thinking was impossible. There was no way they could tamper with the test. It had to be conducted fairly or the public outrage would absolutely kill the Indigo League''s authority and cause a point of no return.

    I sighed, poking at an uneaten piece of toast on my plate. Out of sight, out of mind, I told myself firmly. The promotion test came first. I would think more about politics later.

    I looked up when I realized how silent the table was. Dad had long since finished his cup of coffee and was watching me now with a concerned expression.

    "Were you listening to the¡ª"

    "Yep," Dad said before I finished. He offered a wry smile as he leaned back in his chair. "The volume on your phone is set to much louder than you think, son."

    "Ah¡­ sorry," I murmured. I poked at my toast again, but my eyes stayed on dad as he spoke again.

    "Are you worried about the Blackthorns again, Arin?" he asked.

    I shrugged tiredly. "Kind of. But don''t worry, I''m focusing on the promotion test first and foremost," I replied.

    Dad studied me carefully. "About Clair Ibuki¡­" he began. I perked up, staring at him with more interest. "I''ve met her a couple times before at the bi-annual Johto Gym Leader meetings. She''s a very¡­ headstrong individual, and there were a few times where she was a bit rude towards me¡ª" I bristled at that, but dad went on, unaffected. "¡ªbut I didn''t think she was a bad person. Clair cares a lot about Johto and maintaining its prestige. She''s similar to Pryce in that regard."

    I nodded slowly, deep in thought. "Hmm¡­"

    Dad didn''t seem to think Clair was much of a threat. Maybe I was overthinking when it came to Clair Ibuki. Maybe she would turn out to be a better person than I thought¡­

    I snapped out of my musings when dad cleared his throat, looking pointedly at me. "Why don''t you take a break, Arin? You''ve been working pretty hard this last week without rest. How about you come with me for a walk through the city? We could stop by the Cherrygrove Mall, too, and pick up some more Pokemon food before we start running out. What do you say?"

    I paused. Dad wasn''t¡­ wrong per se. I really had been a workaholic for the last week, constantly training either the Pokemon or myself in between sessions. I did feel a bit stressed out.

    I also came to the terrible realization that I actually hadn''t seen the city much at all since I arrived. I''d been so busy with everything else that taking a long-awaited tour of the hometown I hadn''t seen in years had completely slipped my mind.

    Like dad had suggested, it was time for a break.

    "Sure. Let''s go," I easily agreed, and dad beamed.

    We finished up breakfast, cleaned all the dishes and said goodbye to Klefki before exiting the house. Since this was supposed to be a break, we decided to walk to the city ourselves instead of flying.

    We followed the short trail from our house out of the forest and to the Gym, where construction was in full swing. I''d hired some security guards as insurance for any potential reporters who came back, but luckily we had only had to deal with two or three pesky ones so far. Everyone else had been satisfied by the previous press conference and were too busy writing up a storm of articles. That meant the Blossom Hall workers were free to work without interruption. I waved at Eric in the distance before following dad down the trail again.

    It was about ten minutes from the Gym to the city at a moderate walking pace given that we were located in the northwestern outskirts. The whole way, pink flowering trees lined the sides of the road. I had to constantly brush falling petals out of my hair lest they accumulate enough to become a small pillow. The blooming season was going strong in Cherrygrove, and boy, did it smell good.

    Eventually, the buildings on the city''s edge came into view between a row of cherry trees, and I felt a huge smile split my face. Dad noticed and donned a smile of his own.

    "Welcome back, Arin," he said softly right as we finally stepped foot on cobbled stone.

    Being in the city was so much more different compared to flying high above it. I was immediately hit with nostalgia as I looked left and right on our way through the streets. There were so many old stores that still remained, but there were new ones too that I had never seen before. The city was smaller than I remembered, but that was because I''d perceived all the buildings as being so incomparably tall when I was a young child.

    I still felt as comfortable as I had back then. If I had to use one word to describe Cherrygrove City, then it had to be idyllic.

    Blossoms fluttered through the air around us as we walked, filling the streets with splashes of pink. There were couples strolling around happily, children playing with small Pokemon while their parents carefully watched, and some elderly citizens talking in quiet voices as they played chess in the nearby park. All of this was just so¡­ calming.

    I''d really missed this sense of comfort and security. Paldea and its wilds were nice, but this was where I''d grown up. New buildings and residents aside, I basically knew this place like the back of my hand.

    I was in a much better mood than before. Happily, I could admit that Dad had been right about taking a break. My shoulders felt less stiff than they had in days, and my steps felt lighter as I walked alongside dad.

    Not even the stares from people passing by us could affect my good mood.

    People pointed and whispered fervently to each other when they noticed me and dad walking past, but surprisingly nobody came up to talk to me. I wondered if they were intimidated somehow. My first interaction turned out to come from a kid who actually yelled out an exuberant hi. His mother blanched, but I just laughed and humored the kid by yelling hi right back.

    That made everyone nearby break out in smiles as they realized that yeah, I was just an ordinary person like the rest of them out on an ordinary walk.

    Dad and I were about two blocks from the Cherrygrove Mall when someone else shouted out to me.

    "Arin! Arin! Over here!" I heard, and dad and I turned around. Instead of a fan or a reporter like I was half-expecting to see, an old man selling taiyaki at a stall was the one who had called out to me excitedly. My eyes widened. He''d definitely gotten older, but¡­

    "Old Man Toma!" I greeted energetically, walking over with Dad at my heels. Toma grinned at me, flashing a missing tooth. He was famous in the city for selling taiyaki at the same stall for over fifty years, and he was one of the locals I knew by name. I used to buy taiyaki from him a lot when I was younger, and he also frequently gave me and dad ones on the house.

    It made me incredibly happy to know he was still alive and well.

    "Look who finally showed up in town! Everyone was starting to say you had disappeared like a ghost with how you never came to the city at all," he said with a shake of his head, and I scratched my cheek with a sheepish smile. I felt a sense of deja vu as this was eerily similar to how Neil had reacted when he saw me again.

    "Sorry, I''ve been busy," I apologized. "I¡ª mfypmh!"

    I half-choked as Toma stuffed a warm taiyaki into my mouth, effectively shutting me up. He attempted to do the same to dad, but dad had learned from my fate and neatly intercepted the incoming treat with his hands instead.

    "No excuses!" Toma mock glared at me before bursting into raucous laughter. "Now eat this taiyaki, it''s on the house as a welcome back gift."

    I could only respond with a nod because I was too busy chewing the taiyaki that had been forcefully given to me. It had a strawberry cream cheese filling and tasted damn good, even better than I remembered it.

    While dad and I were busy eating, Toma waved his hands around energetically. "Anyway, now that you''re here¡­" He hobbled towards the alley behind his stall and cupped his hands around his mouth in the beginning of a scream. "OI! GUYS! ARIN''S IN TOWN! HE''S RIGHT HERE!"

    I almost choked on my taiyaki again in surprise as doors and windows flew open for the houses closest to Toma''s stall. People stuck their heads out and stared at me, but that wasn''t all. A small horde of people, both old and young alike, had begun pouring out of the alley Toma had yelled into. I didn''t know all of them by name, but I did recognize the entire sea of faces that crowded around us.

    These were all locals I''d interacted with as a child in some way, shape, or form. I saw people from the local market, others from the fisher''s association on the next street over, owners of restaurants dad had taken me to in the past, and more from all parts of the city.

    I remembered every single one of these people, and my mouth gaped as I stared at all of them in shock. They all clamored over each other, calling out excitedly to me.

    "Hey! Long time no see!"

    "Bring your dad with you to our restaurant sometime, I''ll give you a meal on the house!"

    "Arin, good to see you again! You''re looking well!"

    I continued gaping like a Magikarp. Ten years later, and these people still remembered and were fond of that little kid who ran through the streets of Cherrygrove without a care in the world.

    It was honestly really touching. Cherrygrove had the best damn community in Johto, and I didn''t want to hear otherwise.

    "Wow¡­" I finally said with a dazed expression. "I can''t believe you''re all so happy to see me¡­" Toma grinned from where he stood proudly next to me.

    "Hey, you brat! We take care of our own!" he scolded. He was about to say something else when someone caught his attention from the crowd, and he beckoned them over impatiently. "Oh, there he is. HEY, FINN! Get over here! Didn''t you say you wanted to see Arin?"

    An elderly man with a cane made his way out of the crowd and walked up to us with a sour expression. Old Man Finn. I definitely remembered him. He could be a bit harsh when speaking sometimes, but he was also one of the Cherrygrove Gym''s biggest supporters and had come to watch practically every match he could. Even if he was a bit of a grump, I was glad to see him still alive as well.

    "It''s good to see you again, Finn," I said sincerely.

    He nodded. "Yes. Good to see you again, too," he muttered, and then he looked me in the eyes with a frown. "Look, I''m just going to come out and say it, Arin. I don''t approve of you changing the Gym type."

    The crowd of locals instantly quieted as they all stared at Finn, me included.

    "Finn, it''s his right. I entrusted the Gym to him¡ª" Dad began to say, but I calmly held up a hand.

    "It''s fine, dad," I told him quietly with a shake of my head, eyes never leaving Finn''s.

    I''d known there was going to be opposition to me and the Gym. There was no way there wasn''t going to be. Furthermore, I''d known some of the locals wouldn''t be happy.

    Here I stood now in front of one such individual.

    "The Cherrygrove Gym was and always has been a Grass type gym. It''s the very symbol of this city that has endured for generations. Now you''re changing that symbol to some new Fairy type thing and mistakenly believing you can turn it into a major gym?" Finn paused in his rant to look at me with disdain. "It''s a complete mockery, and I think you''re in over your head."

    "Oi, Finn, that''s going too far!"

    "What are you talking about, Finn?!"

    More than a few of the locals began yelling at him, but Finn ignored them and stared at me expectantly. I raised a hand and waited for the yelling to die down. When it finally did, I looked at Finn with a firm gaze.

    "I understand you aren''t happy about the change, but I''m not going to change my mind."

    Everyone looked at me now with bated breath as I continued. "It''s true that the Cherrygrove Gym has always been a Grass type. That''s the way it''s been for generations, but I''m changing it now. I''m NOT doing it on a mere whim, and I''m NOT in over my head."

    I paused, looking out at the crowd around me. I spoke louder so they all could all hear how deadly serious I was. All these words? They were coming from my heart.

    "I didn''t come to this decision lightly. I''m a Fairy Specialist. The only gym I know I can lead well is a Fairy one, and that''s why I changed the gym type. I am determined to make the Cherrygrove Gym the best it can be, and this is the only way I know how."

    I raised my head defiantly, staring Finn in the eye. "I won''t settle for being a minor gym," I told him. "I also believe that the symbol of Cherrygrove City is its Gym, and it''s high time that symbol became known not just in our city but across all of Johto. I am serious when I say I believe I''m taking the Cherrygrove Gym in the right direction, and I''ll prove it to you when I pass the promotion test."

    The whole street was quiet when I finished. Nobody spoke a word as Finn and I stared at each other.

    I would not bend. This was my dream, and I believed in it.

    After what seemed like forever, Finn finally tore his gaze away with a grunt. "We''ll see," was all he said before he quietly limped away. I stared after him with a clenched fist. Old Man Toma apologized to me for Finn''s stubbornness, but I was only half-listening.

    I wasn''t mad at Finn. He loved the Gym and had a right to his own beliefs, but I would not give up on mine.

    Dad and I ended up talking to the locals for a bit more before finally saying goodbye and heading towards the mall again. In all that time, I could only think of one thing.

    One week couldn''t come fast enough.

 Chapter 14

    CHAPTER 14

    "Fairy Wind, 50%."

    Shimmering sparkles blew across the training field and uprooted branches I''d placed in advance. I nodded approvingly.

    "Give me full power now."

    Cally buzzed as another Fairy Wind blasted across the field, but this one was so intense that I grinned as I actually felt myself flying backwards. Vel''s feelers shot forward to support my back before I could actually fall. I quickly mouthed my thanks to him. Probably should have set up a barrier beforehand for my own safety, but it didn''t matter now.

    Turning to my Cutiefly, I shot her a thumbs up. "Great job, Cally! Your other moves are also in good shape. I''m really proud of you," I beamed. The little bee buzzed happily, zooming forward to nuzzle my face. I chuckled and reached up to gently pet her with the side of my finger.

    One day remained until the promotion test.

    I''d spent the last six days drilling everything I could into my Pokemon and my own head. I hadn''t forgotten to take more breaks in between all the training either. Both dad and Neil had pestered me to take naps and walks so that I didn''t overwork myself.

    Attacks had been polished, new moves and abilities were mastered, and tactics and strategies were learned well. The gym Pokemon, my own Elite team, and I were all prepared.

    I clapped my hands together loudly, shouting for everyone''s attention. "Practice is over! Gather up please!"

    It took a minute, but every single Pokemon in our backyard eventually gathered in a loose circle. Neil and dad stood on either side of me. I stared back at the sea of sweaty Pokemon and expectant faces, and I couldn''t help but feel proud. This group of Pokemon had grown by leaps and bounds compared to where they were two weeks ago, and everyone had grown pretty close to each other after living and training together everyday.

    "There won''t be training later since I want everyone to take the afternoon off, especially those of you I''ve told will be coming with me tomorrow for the promotion test," I informed the group of Pokemon. "Similarly, there won''t be training all day tomorrow either since it''s a special day, so rest up well. Those of you coming with me tomorrow will only do light running and stretches to warm up in the morning before we leave. Everyone understand?"

    The Pokemon all nodded. I smiled sadly when I noticed more than a few disappointed faces in the crowd. I could only bring so many gym Pokemon with me for the tier challenges, and those who had wanted to go but didn''t get to because of the limit were still feeling down.

    "Everyone, thank you so much for your hard work these last two weeks. I''m sorry I can''t bring all of you with me tomorrow, but I hope you can cheer on your peers who worked hard alongside you this whole time," I said sincerely. I held a fist out to them with a determined smile. "We won''t just be representing the Cherrygrove Gym tomorrow, after all, but all of you."

    This cheered up the Pokemon immensely. A cacophony of sounds ¡ª everything from buzzes to chirps to screams to musical cries ¡ª rang out as the Pokemon turned to each other, offering encouraging words to the ones I had chosen for the exam. I smiled, watching them talk until long after they dispersed to go rest. Only then did I turn to where Neil and dad were waiting for me.

    "You ready for tomorrow, kiddo?" Neil asked brightly, but I could detect the faint tremor in his voice. Dad didn''t even try to hide how nervous he was. He couldn''t stop tapping his foot on the floor as he voiced a similar question.

    I nodded. "I am. I''m fully prepared," I confirmed. To lighten the mood, I tacked on playfully, "It''s not even tomorrow yet, but you two look more nervous than I do for Ho-Oh''s sake. Seriously, you two resemble shaking Oddish right now."

    Neil''s eyes widened comically as he pointed to himself. "Nervous? Me? Nuh uh. No way. I don''t know what you''re talking about," he fibbed, shifting on his feet.

    Dad had a similar reaction, sheepishly forcing his foot to stay still only to pick nervously at the edge of his shirt sleeve. "We''re not nervous," he denied while blinking rapidly. "Maybe just a tad¡­ worried?" He cringed right after saying that, and I laughed at him.

    "It''s going to be just fine. Believe in me," I said seriously with a smile. Neil and dad both peered at me with dubious expressions, but they soon realized I had meant what I said about not being nervous at all and nodded.

    I told Neil he could take the afternoon off, but he refused. I think we argued for about five minutes before he finally relented and agreed to come in the following morning. Dad''s gaze was still on me as I watched Neil head down the trail. I turned to him now with an amused expression.

    "Dad, I''m seriously going to be fine tomorrow. Come on, let''s go have breakfast," I urged, and I had to pull dad by the arm to drag him inside and eat. Breakfast was not the nice, calm affair I thought it would be. I had to deal with dad staring at me all throughout breakfast before I finally had enough.

    I set down my empty plate and looked at him with a pointed look. He averted his gaze immediately.

    "Listen," I began patiently. "You told me before that you would believe in me and support me all the way, right? Then do that for me now. I am a hundred percent ready for tomorrow''s test."

    Dad looked at me with flickering emotions in his eyes for several long seconds. Finally, he gave a small nod.

    "Okay," he promised. "I''ll be cheering for you."

    I smiled in relief. "Thanks."

    Dad smiled back, shoulders dropping as the tension finally left them. He gestured to the kitchen. "How about I make you a nice breakfast tomorrow before you go? What do you want me to make?"

    I chuckled as I rose to my feet, carrying my dirty plate and utensils with me to the sink. "Can I ask for your chocolate chip pancakes? I haven''t had them in a while."

    "Done deal. I''ll even cut up your favorite fruits for you to go with them."

    "Strawberries?!"

    "Yeah, and blueberries¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    After breakfast, I went outside and sat on the front porch. Vel lay curled up at my side in a half-asleep state as he groomed himself. I pressed the call button on my phone and held it out in front of me expectantly. Not even two rings later, the first person entered the group video call.

    I smiled at the woman on the screen, waving with my free hand. "Hey. Nice to see you again, Geeta."

    "You too, Arin," she greeted back. She studied me carefully. "You look satisfied."

    "That''s because I am," I responded with a grin. "I''ve done everything I possibly could do these last two weeks for the promotion test, and I feel great about tomorrow."

    Geeta chuckled, folding her hands neatly in front of her. I assumed she had her phone set up on a stand. "Then I suppose I should offer congratulations in advance."

    I laughed at that. While I did, Larry, Rika, and Hassel finally joined the call. Poppy joined a split second later with her mom watching curiously from far away in the background.

    "Arin, Arin! Big brother! Hi!" Poppy said excitedly, putting her face so close to the screen that I only saw a gigantic blurry eye for several seconds.

    I laughed even harder than before, and the other Elites couldn''t stop amused smiles from crossing their own faces. "Hi, Poppy, how have you been?" I finally got out with some difficulty.

    The young girl finally pulled her face away from the screen and smiled toothily. "Good! I have a new Orthworm buddy!" she announced proudly, but then she wilted a bit as she frowned. "Oh, but um, I miss you lots."

    I smiled fondly. "I miss you, too."

    Hassel took this opportunity to jump into the conversation. His eyes were teary as he stared at me appraisingly. "Arin, have you been well? Look at you! I can''t tell if you''ve been eating enough¡­"

    "I have, Hassel," I promised, barely refraining from rolling my eyes at his theatrics. "Oh! Thanks for the painting again by the way. I hung it up in the living room at home, and my dad and I both love it. He even sits in the living room just to look at it sometimes. He''s a huge art lover."

    He beamed. "Oh my, really?! Perhaps I should send you more in the future, hmm hmm."

    "Make it a series of Arin and his Pokemon," Rika piped up slyly.

    "Draw Yuno!" Poppy demanded. "And Taffy! And Mem! And, and, uh, everyone else!"

    "What about one of Arin and his father?" Larry suggested calmly, and Hassel let out a loud gasp.

    "Oh, that''s actually an amazing idea¡­ Arin! What do you think? If you send me a picture of you and your dad, I could do it."

    I paused in surprise. That was¡­ "Yeah," I finally said after a moment of thought. "That would actually be really nice."

    Dad would love it for sure. And, well¡­ I just realized we hadn''t taken any pictures together or anything after I got back. There were only decade old pictures of me and dad around the house, too. Nothing to commemorate our reunion. I vowed to rectify that tomorrow after the promotion test.

    For a short while, I caught up with my friends from Paldea. We each talked about what we''d been up to in the last two weeks, and I laughed at a funny story Rika told about some wild Squawkabilly using her Clodsire as a bed.

    We had to start wrapping up the conversation about thirty minutes in. Everyone had to leave soon either to eat or run errands.

    "By the way, is your promotion test going to be televised?" Rika asked with gleaming eyes. "I was talking with the others the other day and we wanted to get together to watch it live."

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    "Yes," I answered, recalling an express mail I''d received from the League several days ago. In it was a repeat of the information they''d told me in advance on the day of my appointment as well as some additional info.

    One of the lines mentioned that for the final portion of the test (which they did not specify, but I''d long had a strong suspicion what it would cover), I had the option to have it broadcasted live to the nation. Otherwise, they would just keep a private recording for their own purposes. I had immediately penned back a reply saying I wanted it televised.

    I wanted all of Kanto-Johto and the Kinjoh Area to bear witness to the culmination of my efforts.

    It also made more sense now why dad and I had never found recordings before of past minor gyms who attempted the test. I think they hadn''t been brave enough to take the plunge and have the last part broadcasted for the world to see because they had thought they might fail, and they ultimately had.

    Not me.

    I cleared my throat, bringing myself out of my thoughts and back to the current conversation. "I don''t think you''ll be able to watch it though? I''m pretty sure the League is going to broadcast it in the Kinjoh Area only."

    Geeta laughed, and I had to force my eyes not to widen. Yeah¡­ I was never getting used to that. "Oh, we have our ways of getting information, Arin," she said with much amusement. "Every regional League both known and unknown to your side of the world keeps tabs on the Kinjoh Area. It''s not always easy, but we are able to get past the regional internet blocks to see what''s going on over there."

    Now my eyes widened as I stared at her. I was pretty sure she had just told me something major akin to espionage, but then again, even the governments here in the Kinjoh Area did the same to each other. Fingers couldn''t really be pointed if everyone did it.

    I gulped. Geeta was truly a terrifying woman.

    We ended the call after I told them the time of my test, and they promised that they would watch it live together. I found myself grinning as I closed my eyes, leaning back in my chair.

    Having such great friends was a wonderful thing.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I awoke with a start when I felt something wet on my cheek. My surprise turned into laughter when I realized it was just Vel giving me affectionate licks. Apparently we''d both fallen asleep for a little over two hours.

    Yawning, I followed the Sylveon out back. It wasn''t time for lunch yet, so I had a bit of time to spare. I decided I wanted to laze around with the Pokemon for a bit. Today wasn''t just about letting my Pokemon rest but myself as well.

    I chose the closest tree with shade and settled myself on the ground against it, gazing out at the rest of the backyard. Vel wandered off to go converse with dad''s Pokemon while some of my own approached me.

    Yuno slithered up to me, curling up and laying his head on my lap. Choux jumped onto my outstretched legs to claim them as his spot, and Cally and Mem took their spots on my shoulders. Silque silently floated closer and gently rubbed my hair with her tentacle, and Fizz and Arya perched on the branches above, greeting us before speaking to each other in a quiet conversation. The rest of my team was either spread out across the backyard sleeping or interacting with the gym Pokemon.

    I was almost covered head to toe with Pokemon, but I smiled. This was nice. A bit of calm before the storm tomorrow, so to speak. I chatted with my Pokemon for a bit, asking them what they thought about Johto so far. Granted, we hadn''t really had the chance to explore other parts of the region yet, but my Pokemon liked how peaceful Cherrygrove was.

    Choux asked me if I could buy more taiyaki for them after the test, and I instantly agreed. I had brought home taiyaki a couple times already from Old Man Toma''s stall for my team to try, and they were practically obsessed with the food now. Heck, they''d even had a full blown argument the other day over which flavor was the best that lasted an entire hour and a half.

    Strawberry and matcha cream cheese filling narrowly won.

    I tuned out of the conversation briefly as my Pokemon talked about their thoughts on the gym Pokemon, pulling my phone out of my pocket instead. I was surprised to see that I had gotten not just several but dozens of text messages during the time I''d been napping.

    I went through them first with curiosity then warmth that bloomed through my chest. They were good luck messages from my friends across the world. They''d all heard the news about my upcoming match and sent me thoughtful little messages.

    Mina, Valerie, and Opal, my fellow Fairy Specialists, had written the longest messages, rooting for me to show off my skills. I had messages from the Paldea Gym Leaders, too, and even a few from other regions I''d been to.

    My eyes widened when I saw one from Wallace. He was ten years my senior and had been a newly appointed Gym Leader when I first went through Hoenn. I had impressed him enough with Yuno during my gym challenge that he actually offered to teach me and Yuno for a week. We obviously accepted. I was pretty sure that Yuno and I had now surpassed him and his own Milotic, but they could still give us a run for our money. Wallace wasn''t one of the leading Water Specialists for nothing.

    At any rate, he had sent me a good luck message of his own.

    Wallace [2:29 PM]

    Good afternoon, Arin! Long time no talk! News of your promotion test is even trending in Hoenn now. I just wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow, though I doubt you''ll need it. Also, please accept my follow requests on Chatter and Chimegram when you have time? I hadn''t realized you had accounts for those and would love to stay connected there, too.

    My brows rose as I read the last two lines. How did Wallace find out about my social media accounts? They should have been private and region blocked¡ª

    I almost slapped a hand to my forehead as I remembered what I''d done a week ago during breakfast. I''d gotten the region blocks on my long-existing accounts removed after verifying, so now people on this side of the world could find me online.

    I hurriedly opened Chatter first, and my eyes bulged as I saw over a thousand follow requests for my account. It was completely maxed out. I was sure that if there wasn''t a limit, there would probably be thousands more judging by how my DM box was overflooded too. I mass deleted all DM requests, then turned off DMs and stared at the follower requests.

    After a moment of thinking, I ignored them for a moment and scrolled through my Chatter timeline. I didn''t actually Chat a lot on the app, but the ones I did post were about simple, ordinary stuff, so I was safe. I decided to mass accept all existing follower requests and turn off the request approval feature.

    Might as well start amassing followers online to help boost both my and the Gym''s reputation in the future.

    Wallace wasn''t the only one who had sent me a follow request. For some reason, I also had follow requests from other prominent individuals like the new Lavaridge Gym Leader in Hoenn, Flannery, and the Canalave Gym Leader in Sinnoh, Byron. I had never met Flannery before, and I had barely talked to Byron. I had no idea why they wanted to follow me, but I followed them back anyway and did so for Wallace as well.

    When I went to Chimegram, the situation there was pretty much the same. Thousands of follow requests and DMs. I hadn''t checked on any social media since last week, but I guess I should have expected people to find out quickly that I had made a new account. I followed the same procedures as I''d done on Chatter.

    Somehow feeling exhausted even though I''d done nothing but briefly check my social media, I looked at Mem sitting on my left shoulder.

    "Social media is scary, Mem," I told the Mimikyu seriously.

    He tilted his head at me.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    After I had lunch with dad, I spent some more time interacting with the Pokemon out back. I brushed the fur of the Alolan Vulpix and the manes of the Galarian Ponyta. I played hide-and-seek with Mr. Puff and the other Jigglypuff, and I chased the energetic Snubbull around in a game of tag.

    As the sun began to set, I decided there was somewhere I wanted to visit with my team. I collected my team and headed into the city.

    I walked through the streets without a care in the world. The locals had gotten more used to seeing me around by this point and offered various greetings as I passed. I returned all of them.

    Multiple times, I had to stop walking when locals swarmed me to offer good luck prayers for the upcoming exam. Old Man Toma was among them and promised to give me taiyaki on the house after I passed.

    Arthur even flagged me down from the third floor balcony of City Hall when I passed by, yelling out his own encouragement.

    Truly, so many people were looking out for me. I knew many others expected me to fail, but as long as I had myself, my Pokemon, friends and family, and what supporters I did have, then I could take on the world.

    My destination was not located in the city itself but beyond. I followed the trail out of the city''s other exit and began trekking up a spiraling hill. Eventually, I stood atop a cliff overlooking all of Cherrygrove and its surroundings.

    The entire city was cast in a golden glow from the rays of the setting sun. It looked stunning.

    I smiled to myself. This was a spot I''d come to often as a child. From here, you could see all of the city and the beach and Gym in the distance. It was the perfect little viewing spot and hideout.

    I released all my Pokemon from their Pokeballs so they could admire the view with me. They immediately let out sounds of appreciation. Together, we gazed down at the city below in comfortable silence.

    Eventually, I pointed to the sky, turning back briefly to look at my Pokemon.

    "Let''s Weave," I said softly. My Pokemon understood immediately.

    They shuffled closer to each other, shifting into comfortable sitting positions. I did the same, taking a seat on the ground between Vel and Yuno. We all looked up at the sky.

    The moon wasn''t visible, but it didn''t need to be.

    We knew it was there anyway. It always was.

    Silence descended upon the clearing as we concentrated. The air around us thrummed with the song of life, whispering of things unseen but never forgotten. Beneath, the earth vibrated softly in response to the shift of the world. And above, the unseen Moon and Stars beckoned to us with their grace and glory.

    I was not an Aura user, so I could not harness the power, but I could still sense and feel it after so many years. Feel the Pull.

    The best Specialists were able to become attuned with their chosen type specialty and energy after enough years spent with their Pokemon. It simply became a part of them. Some even adopted characteristics related to their element such as Water Specialists learning to think more flexibly.

    I focused on myself, diving deeper and deeper until I reached the part of me that held all my beliefs and dreams, everything that made up my very being and gave me meaning in life. I let that part of me swell in response to the ever growing Pull of the world around us.

    Above each of my Pokemon''s heads, they began to Weave. Delicate strands of shimmering energy were made visible from nothing and willed into existence. They intertwined with each other as slowly as a feather might drift through the air, interlocking and snapping into place without a sound. Each of my Pokemon Weaved differently for they all Believed differently, but ultimately, they all Believed just as strongly.

    Fairies did not just draw power from the moon and stars or the world around them, but from themselves. The strength of their emotions and beliefs was what empowered them.

    They had to believe they could manipulate the world to their liking. They had to believe that they could make their own rules, that they didn''t have to live bound by the shackles called reality, that they were capable of more and being more.

    They could forge their own place and future in the world.

    So long as they Believed, there was nothing a Fairy could not do and nothing the world could deny them.

    I watched in silence as my Pokemon finished crafting their Beliefs and giving them tangible forms. Everyone had shaped theirs differently, but I found every single one of them just as beautiful as the other. They glistened with a thousand different lights, pulsated with a myriad of thoughts, and thrummed with unspeakable power.

    I smiled, rising slowly from the ground.

    "I mentioned it before, but I''ll say it again. Tomorrow, I know there''s going to be a fight. One where I will call on you guys for help," I said softly. My voice was quiet, but it seemed to be amplified by the air still singing of older times around us. It carried throughout the whole clearing.

    I made eye contact with each of my Pokemon in turn. Everyone wore the same serious look of determination, myself included. "We''ve been in a lot of fights before. Some were life-threatening, some important, and others simply casual. But this next fight will be the most important one of all. It''s not just about passing and changing the status of the Cherrygrove Gym."

    I raised a fist above my head. "I want to show the world my family. I want to show them you guys. I want to change the status of Fairy types not just in Johto, but across all of the Kinjoh Area. People seem to think that Fairies are weak. That we don''t belong."

    "They''re wrong."

    "We do belong," I said firmly. "We are strong, and we''re going to prove it tomorrow to the world. No holding back."

    I lowered my arm and smiled almost ferally.

    "Let''s show them the might of Fairies."

    There was no cheering, but my Pokemon agreed unanimously. They rose up from the ground as one and turned their heads to the sky. I watched as they let their tangible Beliefs lift a few inches higher in the air.

    Then, together, they released them.

    The Beliefs flew up like countless reverse shooting stars. They rose higher and higher into the sky leaving trails of pink and white dust in their wake. Eventually, they drifted closer and converged into one.

    It burst silently.

    A shower of fine, almost translucent sparkles rained down from the skies without end. The wind carried them to every corner of the land and over the city, creating ripples in the air as the world felt itself being changed.

    The remnants kissed the earth and our skin with promises of the future, our future.

    My chest was still warm as I turned my gaze to the horizon.

    Tomorrow, we would greet the world.

 Chapter 15 â€” Test

    CHAPTER 15 ¡ª Test

    The dawn came and broke over Cherrygrove, heralding the beginning of a new day.

    I woke up a full ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off. Vel jumped off the bed first as I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, already fully alert. There was none of my usual morning drowsiness.

    March 30th. The promotion test awaited me.

    As I got ready, I felt strangely calm. I was about to go through the most important day of my life, but my mind was clear and my steps light. I had prepared so much that it was impossible to feel nervous. There was just no room for that kind of feeling.

    I put on a formal outfit similar to the one I''d worn on my last trip to the Indigo Plateau and selected a tie with stars to go with it. I wasn''t sure I was going to need it, but I wore my Key Stone bracelet just in case. After carefully brushing my hair and making it look presentable, I headed out to the backyard.

    Dad and Neil were already there and waiting for me. They took care of feeding the gym Pokemon while I led my Elites and the Pokemon I''d chosen for the test through light exercises.

    We stopped shortly and returned inside for breakfast. As promised, dad had made his famous chocolate chip pancakes for me with strawberry slices and blueberries on the side. I ate everything with gusto.

    The rest of my morning was spent quietly meditating until my phone beeped.

    It was time to leave.

    Dad, Neil, and the gym Pokemon gathered in the backyard to see me off. All my Pokemon had been returned to their Pokeballs except for Zuri.

    They all looked at me solemnly as I got on the Dragonite''s back.

    "Go get ''em, kiddo," Neil grinned, shooting me a thumbs up. "We''ll be watching you on TV." Next to him, Dad stared at me with an incredibly soft expression.

    "I believe in you, Arin. Announce your presence to the world," Dad told me in a hoarse voice, and my chest swelled with emotion.

    I offered both of them a determined smile. "See you in a bit."

    Zuri shot upwards into the sky, and we blurred towards the Indigo Plateau at an incredible speed. Hardly a few minutes passed before Zuri slowed down as our destination came within sight. Unlike before, League Trainers were already on mounts in the air waiting for me, and they escorted me to the doors. I returned Zuri and went through the standard psychic checks. Then I stared at the doors in front of me once I was cleared.

    I had returned to the hallowed grounds of the Indigo Plateau, and this time, I would come out of them born anew.

    With long, steady strides, I made my way to the front desk and told them my name. The receptionist nodded and pressed a button on her desk. A pair of League Trainers instantly entered the main lobby from a side door and gestured for me to follow them.

    Through numerous halls and doors we went, but I didn''t pay any attention to my historical surroundings. I was only focused on the goal in front of me. Eventually, the League Trainers led me to a set of ancient-looking double doors on one of the lower levels.

    They pushed them open for me, and I stepped inside.

    The testing room I had been led to was so massive that it could have easily been mistaken for a Gym''s stadium. I immediately noted that the battlefield was a standard one made entirely of earth. Around the field at the bottom, rows of stands cascaded upwards above a protective concrete wall.

    There were familiar figures sitting in the lowest level of the stands¡ª the Indigo Elite Four, I quickly realized. Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Koga were all in attendance. Below them, at a rectangular table just a few feet from the battlefield''s boundaries, was what appeared to be a panel of judges with papers and microphones set up in front of them. A person wearing a referee uniform and holding flags stood nearby.

    My eyes focused on the person sitting in the middle of that table. Lance Wataru stared back at me with a steady gaze. Even from a distance, he managed to exude a charismatic aura.

    "Announcing the arrival of Arin Watanuki, Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove City Gym!" One of my League Trainer escorts shouted as they bowed to their higher-ups.

    I did not follow their example, but I offered a short nod of respect as I stepped closer to the table of waiting people. I wasn''t sure if it was just me imagining things, but I could have sworn I saw some of their faces twitch imperceptibly.

    Lance rose to his feet and stood in place. His eyes flickered briefly to the Key Stone bracelet on my wrist before they met my gaze once more.

    "Welcome, Gym Leader Arin," he greeted in a powerful but polite voice. "Today we will be conducting the promotion test for the Cherrygrove Gym. With me here are a selection of individuals from the Indigo Committee. Together, we will be presiding over the test as judges. Masaki, if you would¡­"

    Lance sat back down as the man sitting on his left stood up instead.

    "I will now explain how the test will be conducted," Masaki began. "The first portion of the exam will consist of three different battles for the first badge, second badge, and fifth badge challenges. Whether you win or lose these battles will not be factors in the scoring process. What we will be evaluating instead is your ability to field appropriate Pokemon for each badge tier and adjust the difficulty level based on what badge a challenger is trying for. After each battle, we may ask you to explain your reasoning for decisions you make so please keep that in mind. We will also pass or fail you after each challenge. A fail will automatically end the test, but each pass will allow you to proceed to the next step."

    I nodded. Everything made sense so far and was what I had prepared for.

    Masaki continued, "Should you pass all three battles and clear the first portion of the exam, we will move onto the second and final part of the test. We will only explain the second part of the exam to you when and should you make it that far. Do you have any questions?"

    I shook my head. "No. I understand."

    He nodded and sat back down. "Then let us begin the first badge challenge," he said into his microphone. "Gym Leader Arin, please step into the box."

    I barely refrained from clenching a fist as I took my position on my side of the battlefield. At the opposite end, a League Trainer got into place and introduced himself as challenger Dave. Excitement coursed through my veins.

    It was about to begin.

    Two Kadabra on standby raised their spoons and conjured a wall of psychic energy around the field. Only then did the referee finally speak.

    "This will be a two-on-two battle with one switch-in allowed," the referee announced in a loud, clear voice amplified by his mouthpiece. "The challenger will send out their Pokemon first."

    I blinked as a Sentret was released onto the field. As far as Johto Pokemon went, that was as common as you could get. I decided to reciprocate and threw out a Jigglypuff. Both of us waited for the referee''s signal.

    "Begin!" he soon shouted.

    "Disarming Voice!" I said immediately.

    "Get in close with Quick Attack!" Dave countered.

    Pink sound waves blasted out from Jigglypuff''s mouth upon my command, but Sentret dashed forward out of range. The small Pokemon weaved left and right as Jigglypuff continued shrieking, quickly closing the distance.

    I hummed to myself. At this level, Sentret would only know close-range attacks.

    "Stop and get ready," I said. Jigglypuff immediately knew what I was referring to and cut her attack short to save energy, focusing on the incoming Sentret. I waited until it was the perfect distance away. "Sweet Kiss!"

    My opponent''s eyes widened as a pink heart flew into Sentret''s body. There had been no time for the Pokemon to react at such close quarters, and now it staggered back and forth in a dazed manner.

    I smirked. "Disarming Voice."

    Jigglypuff screamed anew, and this time the sound waves hurtled right into Sentret. I nodded in approval when my opponent recalled the Pokemon before another Disarming Voice could hit it. If he was a real challenger, I would have been pleased to see such a thing happening because it meant the challenger was smart and hadn''t forgotten to take advantage of the one switch-in available to them.

    Dave swapped out his confused Sentret with a Wooper. I threw a hand forward as soon as it materialized.

    "Rollout."

    Jigglypuff barreled forward as Dave yelled out for Water Gun. Short bursts of water were fired in the Jigglypuff''s direction, but she dodged all of them and slammed into Wooper.

    "Again!" Dave and I both ordered.

    Jigglypuff came spinning forward in another Rollout as Dave''s Wooper hurriedly picked itself up and sprayed more water. It wasn''t nearly strong enough to stop Jigglypuff''s momentum, and she crashed into the Water type a second time.

    "Mud Shot!" Dave finally screamed as Jigglypuff came for round three.

    Gunks of mud were spat on the ground in front of Jigglypuff. They mixed with the water that had already been there from Water Gun, and the ground was now so soggy that Jigglypuff actually slipped and slammed into the barrier behind Wooper instead. It was a good strategy, I mused to myself, but it came a little too late. Wooper was a frail Pokemon and looked to be on its last legs already.

    Dave''s Wooper fired another Water Gun while Jigglypuff was reorienting herself, but that was the only attack I gave them.

    "Echoed Voice," I said.

    Jigglypuff glared at the Wooper after taking a face full of water. The scream she let loose in retaliation swept the small blue Pokemon clean off its feet. It didn''t get up.

    "Wooper is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your final Pokemon."

    Sentret came back out onto the field with an attentive expression, no longer confused.

    "Keep using Echoed Voice," I said simply.

    Sound waves blasted outwards again. Much like before, Dave had his Sentret use Quick Attack to dodge before ordering it to get close. I raised my brow. Obviously he was going to do something a little differently this time, and I''d let him try it. I wasn''t supposed to go too hard in first badge challenges anyway.

    Jigglypuff''s sound waves got stronger the longer she screamed, but Sentret was too fast and expertly dodged. Only one managed to clip her tail. When Sentret got close enough, I called out for a Sweet Kiss like before. Dave was prepared this time.

    "Jump! Then Fury Swipes!" he barked.

    Unlike before, Sentret used its tail to spring into the air above the incoming heart. It came crashing down on Jigglypuff''s face and raked glowing claws across her relentlessly. It only jumped off when my Pokemon fainted.

    "Jigglypuff is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin, please send out your last Pokemon."

    I recalled my Pokemon and tossed out a second Pokeball without having to think hard. A Snubbull appeared on my side of the field.

    "Quick Attack! Slam!" Dave yelled.

    "Scary Face."

    Sentret hurtled forward. Snubbull''s face contorted in a menacing expression as he leered at it, causing Sentret to freeze up while running.

    I took advantage of the gap. "Headbutt!"

    Heads collided with a deafening bang as Snubbull slammed into Sentret with all the force he could muster, and I ordered him to finish it off with Bite. He grabbed onto the Sentret''s midriff with his jaws. Even as the Sentret screeched with pain and slashed repeatedly at him with razor sharp claws, Snubbull didn''t let go and only bit down harder. He dropped Sentret with a satisfied smile when he felt the Pokemon faint.

    The referee immediately raised a flag. "Sentret is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match."

    Dave and I immediately recalled our Pokemon following the match''s conclusion. Some Geodude and Graveler that belonged to the League quickly moved onto the field to return it to its default state. In the meantime, I turned to face the panel of judges.

    They were scribbling some notes down on paper. One of them finished first and spoke into her microphone.

    "Gym Leader Arin, why did you allow your opponent to try the same strategy again with Sentret against your Jigglypuff?" a woman at the table asked. Aha, I thought they''d ask about that.

    "As this is only a first badge challenge, I didn''t see the need to punish them too hard and allowed them a chance to learn from their initial mistake instead. I wanted to see if they could adapt," I answered easily.

    The woman nodded. "Thank you. That is the only question we had."

    I waited patiently as the panel of judges discussed quietly among each other with microphones turned off. A minute later, Lance spoke up for them.

    "The result is a pass. Please proceed to the second badge challenge," Lance said.

    I refrained from smiling and kept my mind sharp as I turned back to face the field. The first badge challenge was pretty simple for both the Gym Leader and challenger, but now we were going one step up on the ladder.

    The referee waited for the League Trainer to switch to a second belt of Pokeballs before speaking.

    "This will be a three-on-three battle with two switch-ins allowed. The challenger will send out their Pokemon first."

    Out popped a monkey with beige and purple colored fur. Aipom. I studied it for barely a second before making a choice. Marill appeared in front of me.

    I waited for the referee to announce the start of the match before moving.

    "Aqua Jet!" I commanded.

    "Tickle and Double Hit!" Dave barked.

    Water enveloped Marill''s entire body as she rocketed forward. Aipom was nimble enough that it managed to backflip through the air with its tail and land behind her. Snickering, it tickled the water mouse with its tail and punched her twice in the face when she whirled around in anger.

    "Fury Swipes!"

    "Splash, Bubble Beam, Play Rough," I said in rapid succession.

    With surprising natural speed, Aipom lunged forward with glowing claws. I wasn''t worried. Instead, I watched proudly as Marill carried out the sequence of moves perfectly. She slapped her tail harshly against the ground and bounced up several meters much to Aipom''s shock. Its claws only met thin air. With wide eyes, Aipom snapped its head up just as Marill blew bubbles into its face.

    They exploded against his eyes and skin.

    Aipom stumbled back howling with pain as it clawed at its own face, but Marill wasn''t done yet. Gravity took its course, and she crashed down on Aipom''s face with all the fury of a tiny mouse. Her stubby hands and feet were coated with Fairy energy as she punched and kicked Aipom every which way.

    My opponent jabbed with his finger. "Iron Tail!"

    I kept my eyes from widening. I hadn''t expected the Aipom to know that kind of super effective move.

    "Defense!" I quickly yelled.

    Marill abruptly stopped her beatdown. She barely had time to hunch and wrap her body with energy when a glowing tail slammed into her, knocking the wind out of the small mouse. She brought a hand to her stomach with a wince.

    "Charm, then Aqua Tail!" I said as I saw Aipom''s tail begin to glow again.

    Doe-like eyes looked innocently at the monkey, but Aipom only faltered for a moment before swinging its tail. That second was enough for Marill to whip around with water swirling around her own appendage.

    There was no contest of strength. Marill''s Huge Power boosted Aqua Tail slapped Aipom straight up into the field''s barrier, and he landed back down on the ground with a resounding oomph. Aipom didn''t move.

    "Aipom is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your second Pokemon."

    A Nidorina took the fallen Aipom''s place, and I stared at it in contemplation. I had been wondering when they would send out a Poison or Steel type Pokemon. When I looked at Marill, she looked like she could only take one more hit at most before fainting.

    Even though it would sound cruel to some people, I wasn''t going to use a switch here. Any good trainer knew that in a Pokemon battle, especially a gym challenge, the switch-ins you had were invaluable tools. I decided to let Marill go down to this Nidorina so I could keep my switches in reserve for my Pokemon with fresh health instead.

    "Toxic Spikes," Dave gave as his first order.

    "Aqua Jet. Interrupt it."

    Marill flew forward, but she wasn''t fast enough. Poison managed to seep from Nidorina''s spikes into the field before she was bowled over. I avoided grimacing when I saw purple spots spreading across my Pokemon''s fur as she wobbled to her feet. She was poisoned.

    My opponent could have just let Marill fall to the poison since she was already so close to fainting, but he played it safe and had Nidorina finish her off with a Bite. I''d known about Nidorina''s Poison Point and chose to rush it anyway to stop Toxic Spikes. It hadn''t paid off sadly, but at least Marill managed to get one hit in before going down.

    "Marill is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin, please send out your second Pokemon."

    I had two ways to counter the Nidorina based on the Pokemon I''d brought with me as options for the second badge challenge. I chose the annoying one for the opponent.

    Cottonee was released high in the air above the Toxic Spikes, floating with a dopey smile on his face. I didn''t miss the way the referee and League Trainer gaped at him for a second before schooling their faces back into neutral expressions. I didn''t look, but I was pretty sure the panel of judges probably had similar reactions. They might have known about Unova, but I don''t think they knew about any of its native Pokemon. They had probably never seen a Cottonee before.

    I didn''t waste time reveling in their reactions. I just smiled as I gave my order.

    "Fairy Wind and Stun Leaf."

    Cottonee propelled himself into action the moment the first word came out of my mouth. A shimmering wave of pink wind started buffeting the field. It wasn''t effective against Nidorina and would barely chip away at its health over time, but that wasn''t the point of the Fairy Wind.

    Cottonee rode it across the entire field. Since he barely weighed over a pound, his light weight made it so that he was carried incredibly fast to and fro, and he could control the wind to his liking. Leaves coated with Stun Spore were aided by currents and shot towards Nidorina.

    "Poison Sting!" Dave yelled.

    Out came a barrage of poisonous quills from Nidorina''s back, but they couldn''t take out all the incoming leaves. Several sliced into its skin, and I grinned as I saw the Nidorina immediately began to twitch from the paralysis effect.

    "Get out of there with Dig!" Dave shouted. I wasn''t going to let them escape just yet.

    "Leech Seed! Cotton Spore!" I ordered.

    Clouds of cotton mixed with seeds rained down on Nidorina as the Poison type dug painfully slowly at the earth. The cotton clung to its entire body and slowed it down even further. At the same time, the seeds popped open to reveal vines that wrapped themselves around Nidorina, draining it of its energy.

    "Energy Ball," I said.

    Nidorina had given up on digging. Instead, it was trying to melt off all the cotton and seeds using acid from its spikes. It didn''t work. There was just too much covering its body. The Poison type was torn out of its vain efforts as spheres of green energy peppered it one after the other, and it reared its head back from pain.

    Finally realizing the terrible matchup, Dave recalled the immobile Nidorina before it could take too much damage and sent out his next Pokemon, a Pidgeotto. The commonly seen bird of Kanto-Johto announced its presence with a loud screech.

    "Gust!" Dave shouted.

    "Poison Powder!" I yelled almost simultaneously.

    I kept a hand on Cottonee''s Pokeball, watching carefully as he instantly spewed a cloud of purple dust. The hazardous particles rushed toward Pidgeotto with the help of his Fairy Wind and barely managed to make contact before Pidgeotto began beating its wings furiously.

    I quickly returned Cottonee before the ensuing gales of wind could sweep him away, and the Fairy Wind petered out with his disappearance. Being able to land a Poison Powder was good enough, I thought as I eyed the purple spots blooming across Pidgeotto''s plumage. It was on a timer now.

    Cottonee was too vulnerable to Pidgeotto''s Flying type attacks, and its more powerful winds would just overwhelm him due to how light he was. I needed a different Pokemon.

    In his place, I sent out Granbull to fight. I uttered my command almost before he finished materializing.

    "Taunt."

    Granbull winced a bit as poison from the earlier Toxic Spikes infiltrated his body through his feet, but he quickly snapped to attention. His eyes locked onto the bird flying above him. Pidgeotto flinched from the intensity of Granbull''s gaze alone, rattled by his Intimidation. My Pokemon smirked at the reaction and barked out a mocking laugh, beckoning with a single paw. Our opponents would only be able to attack for the time being now.

    Dave shouted for a Gust. I remained unfazed even as strong winds began picking up again.

    "Break the earth around you into rocks," I instructed.

    The wind only served to annoy Granbull as he dug his paws into the ground with a grunt. He was too heavy to be blown away. His jaws lit up with a sinister glow as he suddenly slammed forward, ripping out chunks of the ground with just his teeth. Rocks of various sizes piled up at his feet.

    I smiled. "Throw them at Pidgeotto. Knock it down."

    Dave''s eyes widened at my words. "Get out of there!"

    Granbull wore a vicious grin as he grabbed a rock in each paw and launched them like speeding bullets. Pidgeotto had to stop whipping up wind to swerve out of the way, but Granbull nonchalantly followed up with more projectiles. This song and dance went on for almost twenty seconds before a rock finally nailed Pidgeotto''s left wing.

    It let out an undignified squawk as it plummeted to the ground.

    "Thunder Fang!" I yelled.

    Electricity crackled along Granbull''s jaw as he gleefully dashed forward. The instant Pidgeotto hit the ground, he pounced and snapped his jaws around its chest. Screams of pain filled the air as Pidgeotto spasmed from the electricity arcing off its attacker.

    "Wing Attack! Get it off you!" Dave screamed.

    Reacting more on instinct rather than on command, Pidgeotto lit up its wings with white energy and hammered them against Granbull even as it writhed in agony. Granbull bore with the beating as he kept his jaws wrapped tightly around Pidgeotto''s body. The bird managed to hit his eyes at one point, and that was when he finally let go and snarled with pain, slapping his paws to his face.

    "Air Slash!"

    Pidgeotto was barely conscious both from the super effective attack it had taken and the Poison Powder still running its course in its body, but it managed to fire off several blades of pressurized air upon Dave''s command. The Air Slashes exploded against Granbull''s fur, forcing him to his knees.

    That was all Pidgeotto could do before it crumpled into an unconscious heap of feathers.

    "Pidgeotto is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your last remaining Pokemon."

    My gaze was on Granbull as Nidorina popped back out onto the field with cotton still clinging to its body. He had raised himself back up, but his legs were shaking and his breaths coming out more unevenly. The damage he''d taken from Pidgeotto plus the poison from Nidorina''s earlier Toxic Spikes had rapidly added up. He was going to go down soon.

    I still had Cottonee at full health, so there was no need to make a switch here. I decided to let Granbull make his last stand.

    "Rush in and use Ice Fang," I told him. He barked, charging forward sluggishly but with a determined expression.

    "Poison Sting! Stay back," Dave barked.

    Poisoned darts flew forth in waves at the approaching bulldog. Granbull jumped and twisted his body as he ran, but his movements were clumsy because of the poison and several stingers buried themselves in him. To his credit, he avoided howling with pain and kept running. He lunged as Nidorina tried to dart away and grabbed its leg with his teeth. Frost spread rapidly on the limb before Granbull involuntarily let go.

    "Granbull is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin, please send out your last Pokemon."

    I promptly released Cottonee onto the field again after recalling my fainted Pokemon. He started up a Fairy Wind without me needing to give the command and zoomed forward, dropping a bombardment of cotton pieces and seeds onto Nidorina.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    With a half-frozen leg from Granbull''s Ice Fang and the leftover cotton from earlier that Nidorina hadn''t gotten rid of yet, it couldn''t move fast enough and suffered the same fate as before. It was now covered head to toe in sticky fluff and life-draining vines.

    "Finish it with Energy Ball."

    I saw Dave''s expression shift as he realized there he was not going to win this battle, but he still ordered Nidorina to put up a fight with Poison Sting.

    Cottonee easily zipped around thanks to the air currents and dodged every last dart sent his way. In return, he shot a series of glowing orbs as he flew around. Nidorina was a sitting duck with no way out, and it eventually went down.

    "Nidorina is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match," the referee declared.

    I exhaled quietly as I recalled my Pokemon. I''d kept the first match very basic on purpose, and I had upped my game a bit for the second badge tier. I turned now to the panel of judges to await their decision, confident that I had passed.

    Much like before, the men and women at the table wrote notes down and discussed quietly among themselves. One of them eventually spoke up.

    "Gym Leader Arin, the panel and I only have one question to ask you which involves the second Pokemon you brought out. What Pokemon is that?" the man asked.

    I had expected this question to come up and easily replied. "Cottonee. It''s a Grass and Fairy type whose species originates from Unova."

    The panel broke out in surprised murmurs over my response. Even Lance wore a thoughtful expression as he stared at me.

    The man who had originally asked me the question cleared his throat over all the noise. "Gym Leader Arin, please do not take offense but we will need to verify your claim that this Pokemon is a Fairy type as we have never seen it before. We only want to ensure that all the Pokemon you use today for the test are Fairy type or related to said type of your Gym. Do we have your permission to run a lie check with one of our Psychic Pokemon?"

    "I understand and give permission," I said with a nod of my head. What they were asking was perfectly reasonable, and I saw no problems with it.

    An Alakazam Teleported into the testing grounds and stood in front of me. I stared back with a neutral expression as it raised a spoon, barely reacting when an unfamiliar voice entered my head.

    I am a Psychic type Pokemon associated with the Indigo League, the Alakazam introduced itself. Please answer the following question. Are all the Pokemon you have already used and will use today for the promotion test Fairy type or related to said type?

    I spoke both out loud and in my mind. "Yes."

    There was a brief tickling sensation as I felt Alakazam carefully brush over the surface of my mind and emotions. I had mental shields in place due to my own Pokemon, so I knew the Alakazam wouldn''t be able to dig deeper, but I wasn''t worried in the first place. Alakazam would not dare to do beyond what was asked of it because to go further would be a serious crime that could cause a major fallout with the League''s reputation. There were very stringent laws in place regarding psychics and reading minds and emotions.

    After a few more seconds, the sensation vanished. Alakazam dipped its head to me before turning around. He nodded at the committee members and Teleported away, signaling that his job was done.

    The same man from before spoke. "Thank you for your cooperation, Gym Leader Arin. Now that Alakazam has verified you are telling the truth, I will announce the results of the second battle," he said. "You have passed. Please proceed to the fifth badge challenge."

    I rolled my shoulders a bit as I turned around. The first and second badge battles had been warmups. Now I was going up against the last obstacle that stood between me and the second portion of the exam. Similar to what my opponent was doing on the other side of the field, I pulled out from my bag a belt of Pokeballs containing gym Pokemon for the fifth badge level and clipped it around me. We waited for the League Pokemon to fix up the field and remove the poison.

    "This will be a five-on-five battle with three switch-ins allowed. The challenger will send out their Pokemon first," the referee explained once everything was ready.

    Dave sent out a scowling Marowak without delay. I took one look at it and snagged a familiar Heal Ball off my belt, tossing it up high.

    More than a few individuals in the room leaned forward in their seats as a tiny bee no more than a few inches tall emerged in the air. The referee and Dave in particular had to squint their eyes for several long seconds before they finally realized that yes, I had actually sent out a Pokemon.

    Cutiefly were counted among the smallest species in the world, and I really had to stop myself from laughing out loud at everyone''s shocked looks. I could already tell what they were thinking because it was written all over their faces: why had I sent out such a small and weak looking Pokemon for a fifth badge challenge?

    Cally just let out a determined buzzing sound in response to all the attention. They were about to see exactly why I''d chosen her for today.

    The referee cleared his throat, resuming a neutral expression as he raised a hand. I tapped a foot against the ground almost impatiently.

    "Begin!" the referee said as he brought down a hand sharply.

    "Ground it!" Dave shouted immediately. I just grinned.

    "Fairy Wind, Play Rough. Hit-and-run."

    Strong glittering winds blanketed the entire arena at my discretion. Marowak had just kicked up a barrage of mud when a mere speck of pink slammed into it, and the bipedal Pokemon reeled back in pain and shock. It slashed at the air with the bone it carried, but there was nothing to hit.

    The Marowak stumbled forward as something slammed into it from behind, then his right, his left, and all over again. He kept stumbling around like a drunkard with every impact. Every time, he waved his club around trying to get a hit in, but it was just impossible.

    Cally was too fast. Riding along the winds she had summoned, the Cutiefly was nothing more than a blur as she zoomed back and forth pelting Marowak with successive Play Roughs from various angles. He was losing health fast. Cally made what Cottonee had done earlier look tame in comparison. Out of all the gym Pokemon I''d brought today, she was the fastest.

    I could practically see the gears turning in Dave''s mind as he bit his lip. "Stomping Tantrum!" he finally called after some thought.

    Marowak clumsily slammed his feet against the ground in between Cally''s onslaught of attacks. Jagged pieces of rock and debris ricocheted off the field. Cally''s legs got clipped since she was close when it happened, but she quickly righted herself and blurred out of range.

    Dave called for a Bonemerang while Cally flew away. Marowak''s bone club hurtled through the air but Cally just spun past it and dove down for another Play Rough. She was forced to pull up short as Dave hurriedly returned his Pokemon. He''d realized what a terrible match-up this was.

    In Marowak''s stead, he sent out a Pokemon with yellow fur and black stripes. The Electabuzz roared at us. I hummed in thought to myself, already having an idea of what was probably coming.

    Dave didn''t disappoint. "Discharge!" he roared.

    "Fairy Wind, full power!" I shouted.

    The winds transformed into a complete storm right as electricity exploded outwards from Electabuzz. It gritted its teeth as the wind battered it from all sides yet stood its ground defiantly. Cally flew into the currents and zipped left and right of the incoming bolts as best she could, but there were just too many. Electricity eventually zapped her entire body and made her drop fast.

    I returned Cally before the Electabuzz could follow up with an attack, swapping her with another Pokemon that caused murmurs to break out: Galarian Weezing.

    "Smokescreen. You know what to do," I told the Pokemon.

    Thick smoke clouds instantly flooded the field from the protrusions and tubes along Weezing''s body. Neither Dave or I could see the field as it was completely obscured now, but I trusted Weezing to do his thing.

    Bright sparks of electricity lit up the field intermittently along with shouts from both Pokemon as we waited patiently for the smoke to thin out. Inside, I knew Weezing was using the smoke as cover while harassing it with waves of endless poison like we''d practiced.

    When the Smokescreen finally cleared, two battered Pokemon revealed themselves to us. Electabuzz was the worse off between the two with huge splatters of poison all over its now mangy fur, and its face was pale from what I assumed was internal poisoning. Steam rose from acid-induced craters in the ground around its feet. My own Pokemon hadn''t gotten off scot-free. Weezing was covered in scorch marks from electrical attacks and one of his eyes was squeezed shut in pain.

    "Strange Steam."

    "Thunder Punch."

    Both Dave and I gave our orders simultaneously. Weezing expunged powerful fumes that sparkled under the arena lights, but Electabuzz dove right in with complete disregard for its health. It smashed two fists sparking with electricity into Weezing in a one-two punch combo, and Weezing dropped to the ground. I reassessed Electabuzz with a wary gaze as I recalled my Pokemon. The Electric type was actually a lot stronger than I originally thought. I had expected the Galarian variant to be able to take it out.

    Maybe in the next badge tier or two up, I could have called for a Destiny Bond or Self-Destruct to take the Electabuzz down with Weezing, but it wasn''t appropriate at this level.

    "L-Leader Arin''s Pokemon is unable to battle. Leader Arin, please send out your second Pokemon," the referee quickly said, fumbling the first part of his announcement. He didn''t recognize a Galarian Weezing so he was unable to name it.

    I decided to let Cally back out. There were still fumes left from Weezing''s Strange Steam that covered the arena, and I planned on using them.

    "Stay low and dazzle it," I said.

    Cally understood what I wanted and flew forward into the steam. Electabuzz pre-emptively let loose arcs of lightning from its arms even before Dave commanded it to, but it couldn''t aim properly when it had no idea of where my Cutiefly had gone. After a sharp u-turn, Cally burst forth from the smoke behind Electabuzz. A wave of light exploded in its face.

    Electabuzz barely managed to stay on its knees after the powerful Dazzling Gleam, but Cally latched herself onto its arm and stabbed her proboscis through the skin. The still blinded Electric type tried to shake her off to no avail. A few seconds later, and the Electabuzz finally fell from the Draining Kiss.

    "Electabuzz is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your second Pokemon."

    My eyes narrowed when an Arbok came out next, eyeing Cally like she was something worth eating. She buzzed bravely even as she felt the effects of its Intimidation ability. This was not a good match-up for us, but I needed to scope out the Arbok''s abilities first.

    "Silver Wind," I ordered.

    Delicate wings fluttered even more rapidly as they produced tremendous winds for their deceptively tiny size. Inside the currents, sharp crescents of light flew towards Arbok.

    "Coil and Sludge Bomb!" Dave yelled.

    Arbok tensed briefly in concentration, and then it jumped high above the incoming blades of silvery wind. Multiple globs of brown sludge were spit out from its mouth in rapid succession, all at a downward angle.

    I hadn''t expected such mobility from it considering its bulky size. We needed to keep this thing on the ground.

    "Get close to it!"

    Cally stopped her Silver Wind to produce a Fairy Wind instead. With sharp movements, she weaved in between the incoming bombardment and zoomed towards the fast-falling Arbok.

    "Stun Spore!"

    "Glare!"

    Apparently Dave had a similar idea as me. I clenched a fist as Arbok twisted its head and hissed at Cally with glowing red eyes. Cally immediately froze up, but she pushed herself to spray spores and send them rushing forward before she fell. The powder fortunately settled on Arbok''s body.

    Cally hit the ground with barely a sound while Arbok''s landing kicked up a massive cloud of dust. Both Pokemon twitched from paralysis, but only Cally had a way out.

    "Aromatherapy," I said immediately.

    "Stop it with Acid Spray!" David countered.

    A soft green glow enveloped Cally''s form as she concentrated. Several meters away from her, Arbok awkwardly moved its spasming body and belched out poison.

    It splattered everywhere.

    Cally recoiled as globs of acid landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She''d finished curing herself of paralysis on time, but I was pretty sure she was going to get a different kind of debuff at this rate.

    I had no doubt Cally was under immense pain from the super effective attack, but I knew she could fight a bit more.

    "Struggle Bug," I said quietly. Cally still heard me.

    She beat her tiny wings with renewed energy as a red aura emanated from her body. Arbok realized something was off and tried to create more distance, but the paralysis meant it could barely slither a few centimeters away before its muscles locked up.

    Cally buzzed the loudest she had all day as a massive wave of red exploded outwards to her surroundings, melting all the poison on her body. Her pain and frustration had been converted into tangible power. It slammed into Arbok like a tidal wave and sent it crashing into the barrier in front of its trainer.

    "Hit it with Dazzling Gleam!" I ordered.

    Dave hurriedly called out his next command as Cally rushed forward. "Sludge Bomb!"

    Another burst of blinding light filled the arena, but not before Arbok let loose a barrage of polluted filth. Cally dropped to the ground as the snake reared back with newfound scorch marks.

    "Leader Arin''s Pokemon is unable to battle. Leader Arin, please send out your third Pokemon."

    I recalled my Cutiefly with a smile. She''d put in a lot of work in this match, and now it was time for everyone else to take over.

    More gasps filled the room as I let out my third Pokemon of the match, Tinkaton.

    "Flash Cannon," I said simply.

    A silver beam of energy blasted out of Tinkaton''s mouth the instant I relayed my command. That was all it took to finish off the vastly weakened Arbok.

    "Arbok is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your third Pokemon."

    Marowak came back onto the field with its bone club raised high above its head. Tinkaton took one look at her opponent and did the same with her hammer, lips curled in a challenging smirk.

    This was going to be a battle between two warriors, or in this case, a warrior and a reformed gangster.

    "Play Rough," I ordered.

    "Bone Rush!" Dave yelled.

    Both of our Pokemon dashed forward, one with a hammer radiating pink sparkles and the other with a bone club lit up in a brilliant blue. Sparks collided as they slammed their weapons against each other. The next minute was full of them jumping forward and back, left and right, diagonal and not. With each step they took, they exchanged blow after blow in an intricate dance. Tinkaton had more brute strength and speed than Marowak, but the latter''s skill and technique were a cut above Tinkaton''s.

    I simply waited for the best moment to strike. The moment Marowak stepped too far out, I shouted my command.

    "Fake Out!"

    With startling speed, Tinkaton closed the gap in an instant and smacked her hand against the handle of her hammer. The resulting reverberation echoed right in Marowak''s face making it reel back with surprise. Tinkaton and I grinned at the same time.

    "Gigaton!" I shouted.

    Tinkaton''s hammer seemed to grow larger as silver energy whipped around it like a raging tornado. An excited scream filled the air before she swung her tool down like a divine punishment upon Marowak''s head.

    She buried him halfway into the ground.

    The impact was so powerful that the ensuing shockwave shook the entire field. I was a little impressed when I saw Marowak barely clinging to consciousness after taking such a direct and powerful blow, but that quickly turned into shock when I heard the next move come out of Dave''s mouth.

    "Endeavor!" he barked.

    "Get back!" I yelled almost before he even finished.

    Tinkaton dashed away, but it was too late. Marowak squeezed out of the crater it was in with the last of its strength and rushed at Tinkaton with a glowing aura. It hit her so hard with its bone club that it actually managed to send both her and her heavy hammer flying. Marowak collapsed right after.

    "Marowak is unable to battle. Challenger Dave, please send out your fourth Pokemon."

    I honestly hadn''t expected Marowak to know that move. My eyes focused on Tinkaton''s form near the barrier''s edge. She was struggling to get back on her feet after the devastating Endeavor, both hands tiredly grasping her hammer like a makeshift crutch. There was no way she was going to survive more than one attack, but at least her eyes were still bright and determined.

    The next Pokemon Dave sent out was not one that could be found in Johto. At least, not to my current knowledge. I had no idea if biodiversity efforts had occurred during the decade I had spent traveling the world. Right now, a Beautifly fluttered its wings softly in the air.

    "Air Cutter!" Dave yelled.

    "Flash Cannon. Give it all you got," I said quickly.

    Blades of air shot towards Tinkaton in waves. She was too tired to try dodging, so she opened her mouth instead and fired a larger than normal beam of energy. It seared a path through the pressurized air and clipped Beautifly''s wings as it abruptly flew up.

    Tinkaton went down from the Air Cutters and sheer exhaustion right after.

    "Leader Arin''s Pokemon is unable to battle. Leader Arin, please send out your fourth Pokemon."

    My next choice was made quickly. Mr. Puff came out next in a vibrant flash of red.

    "Get up there!" I shouted.

    Mr. Puff jumped with a grin. Much to the astonishment of the referee and my opponent, he kicked repeatedly at the air and shot upwards to his target. His light weight and natural ability to float meant he ascended very quickly.

    I yelled for a Fire Punch when he got close enough. Mr. Puff made an extra large kick to propel himself forward as Beautifly tried to escape. His fist lit up with fire as he swung it, but he was denied his chance to show off the new move I''d taught him. Dave recalled Beautifly with wide eyes. I don''t think he''d expected Mr. Puff to be so agile or capable of a Fire type move.

    My Pokemon wore a sour expression as he dropped silently back to the ground, though he perked up a bit when the next Pokemon came out. It was another Pokemon not native to Johto. A large bell-shaped Pokemon with red eyes stared back at him. Bronzong.

    "Rain Dance!" Dave yelled.

    Bronzong instantly raised its arms and summoned clouds high up in the sky. Drops of rain fell first in a light drizzle and then an utter downpour.

    I think Dave had been more spooked by the Fire Punch than I''d thought. His last two Pokemon that he had on hand for the match were both weak to Fire, so he must have thought Mr. Puff was the biggest threat to his team and changed the weather to negate Fire Punch''s viability.

    What he had failed to realize, however, was that I still had one Pokemon left in reserve.

    That Pokemon happened to benefit very much from the change in weather.

    I returned Mr. Puff for the time being and threw out Azumarill''s Pokeball. Dave grimaced as soon as the water mouse''s form fully materialized, but I didn''t wait for him to react verbally.

    "Aqua Jet into Tail," I said quickly.

    By the time Dave yelled for a Flash Cannon, it was too late. Azumarill blitzed forward in a blur of raging water and slammed into Bronzong''s tough exterior. The impact of his boosted Water attack was so powerful that it created a thunderous bang both Dave and I flinched from.

    Azumarill whipped around before Bronzong could so much as blink and slammed his watery tail into the bell Pokemon''s face. One more bang echoed in the hall.

    "Iron Head!" Dave screamed.

    Bronzong dropped forward immediately. The Iron Head was more like a body press as Azumarill was slammed into the ground, forming a small crater.

    "Liquidation!" I ordered.

    Water swirled around Azumarill''s hands and feet as his eyes snapped open. With a furious yell, he struck outwards with all his limbs.

    Bronzong, a Pokemon that typically weighed over four hundred pounds, actually got shoved off. It flew back into the barrier before righting itself, but I had already given my next order.

    "Aqua Ring to heal, then get in there and clobber it."

    A ring of water droplets appeared around Azumarill''s body as he propelled himself with Aqua Jet. Realizing Azumarill could not be stopped, Dave decided to engage us in a head-on fight and ordered Bronzong to fight back.

    Azumarill and Bronzong went back and forth trading attacks. Every time Azumarill smashed a water-infused limb into it, Bronzong countered with beams of psychic light or tackled him with Steel type energy wrapped around its body.

    I stayed silent as I watched the exchange. I knew the attacks were hurting Azumarill more than he was letting on, but we needed to take advantage of the rain while it lasted to punch through Bronzong''s iron defenses. Azumarill hadn''t practiced Rain Dance yet so he wouldn''t be able to refresh it. I vaguely wondered if Dave would order Bronzong to change the weather again to Sunny Day as I knew their species was capable of doing, but since he wasn''t making any move to do so, I thought he was just fine letting things play out. That, and he didn''t want to give any advantage to Mr. Puff later even though his Beautifly would also benefit from the sun.

    Ten painful seconds ticked by before the slugfest finally came to an end. Two fists writhing with water were slammed down on Bronzong''s head, and its Levitation deactivated as it went down. The rain petered out.

    "Bronzong is unable to battle. Challenge Dave, please send out your last Pokemon."

    As Dave recalled his Pokemon, I decided to do the same. Azumarill still looked like he had fight left in him, but Mr. Puff''s mobility was better suited for the next opponent.

    Beautifly and Mr. Puff both appeared on the field again in flashes of light.

    "Sling the mud!"

    "Air Cutter!"

    Sickles of wind came bearing down from above, but Mr. Puff popped in and out with Minimize to avoid them. As soon as he became his regular size again, he spun in place and kicked powerfully with his feet. The former Rain Dance had significantly altered the terrain of the field to something akin to wet mulch. Now, globs of mud were flung towards Beautifly in an erratic wave.

    "Climb!" I yelled while Beautifly was busy dodging.

    Mr. Puff didn''t need to be told twice. He kicked up into the air and zoomed towards Beautifly. Dave was in the middle of shouting out a command when a blazing fist uppercutted his Pokemon.

    Ugly screeches filled the air as Mr. Puff punched Beautifly two more times before needing to fall back. Beautify had released a flurry of spores from its wings in its panic, and Mr. Puff narrowly avoided them by crashing to the ground with Gyro Ball.

    "Bug Buzz!" Dave snapped.

    Powerful sound waves fueled by Beautifly''s distress surged outwards and crashed into Mr. Puff. The ground was too muddy for him to dig his feet into, and so he went flying back into the barrier in front of me. I couldn''t see his expression, but I knew he was probably feeling insulted even through all the pain.

    "Hyper Voice," I ordered with a small smile. "Let''s make some real noise."

    Pinned as he was to the barrier, Mr. Puff still managed to smile as he opened his mouth and screamed. His sound waves gradually overpowered the resounding vibrations from Beautifly and sent it plummeting into the mud.

    It twitched for a few seconds before laying still.

    "Beautifly is unable to battle. Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match."

    Mr. Puff''s stern expression actually broke for once as he beamed, turning back to me with pride radiating off his entire body. I grinned at the Jigglypuff before recalling him. Every single member of my fifth badge team had contributed to our victory, and I was pleased with the overall direction it had taken. I made sure to whisper a promise to buy Leppa Berries to Mr. Puff''s Pokeball before putting it away.

    I now turned to face the judges.

    This time, the panel had several questions for me. Most of them were pretty simple and included asking me to explain my thought process during several stages of the match. I didn''t have any trouble with that.

    They nodded with very satisfied expressions when I was done explaining. Another few minutes of discussion passed before Masaki finally turned his microphone on.

    "Gym Leader Arin, thank you for waiting patiently. After a thorough discussion, we have come to an agreement regarding the fifth badge challenge''s results," he said, and then he paused. I was confident I had shown a suitable performance for this level, but I held my breath anyway.

    "You have passed. Congratulations."

    I exhaled slowly. After three different series of battles, I''d finally reached the end of the first portion of the exam. I allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of my mouth as I dipped my head in acknowledgement.

    "This concludes the first portion of the exam. We will now proceed to the second and final part of the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion test," Masaki said. I straightened immediately, my mind alert as I focused on the man in front of me and what he was saying.

    "You were asked in advance to bring your Elite team of Pokemon with you today. As a Gym Leader of Johto and Kanto-Johto at large, you are expected to be held to a minimum standard of strength. This is even more true for those who represent major gyms. Gym Leaders are pillars of our country who must help keep it safe. For this final part of the exam, you will face a proctor with your personal team and fight them in a six-on-six Elite tier challenge. Please defeat as many Pokemon as you can. We will grade you based on how many you are able to knock out and pass or fail you depending on the end results. Do you have any questions?"

    I wasn''t surprised in the slightest by this reveal. In fact, it had been a long time coming. Ever since dad first told me about how they''d said to bring an Elite team for the test, I''d had my suspicions they were going to test my full and unhindered capabilities as a Pokemon trainer. I''d made sure to increase the intensity of my Elites'' usual training as a result.

    Of course, I still had questions regarding the final exam''s rules. For one thing, it was vague. Not just a bit but extremely vague, and I voiced my concerns now.

    "You said I will pass or fail depending on how many opposing Pokemon I am able to defeat. May I get clarification on this? How many knockouts would be considered a pass?" I asked politely.

    "We cannot give you a number. There is no minimum," Masaki answered in a smooth voice. "We will be looking at your overall performance during battle when making our final decision."

    I stopped my eyes from narrowing but couldn''t help a brow from arching slightly. That was¡­ not exactly the answer I''d wanted to hear. Basically, they were implying I needed to put up a good fight. But I still wanted to know what was considered a ''good'' number of knockouts to achieve¡ª

    I barely refrained from smiling as a thought occurred to me.

    "Okay. Then let me ask a different question. Since you are grading me on how many Pokemon I defeat, does that mean the more I defeat, the more points I receive that go towards passing?" I asked instead.

    "Yes."

    This time, I actually let my lips curl into a smile as I stared at Masaki. "Then," I said slowly. "If I was to knock out all six of my opponent''s Pokemon, that means I would be guaranteed a pass¡­ am I correct?"

    Masaki hesitated for some reason. I also had no idea why, but I felt Lance staring at me from the seat next to him.

    "¡­Yes, that would be correct. Defeating all of your opponent''s Pokemon would ensure a pass."

    I felt annoyed once I heard his answer. Vagueness of the original explanation aside, why didn''t they just mention something like that in the beginning? I felt like I''d gotten worked up over nothing.

    At least now I knew for sure the win conditions for this test. I just had to knock out all my opponent''s Pokemon if I wanted them to pass me without a shadow of a doubt.

    "I have one last question: is Mega Evolution allowed for this portion of the exam?" I asked. The panel broke out in quiet murmurs over my words.

    Mega Evolution was and had been a commonly known phenomenon on the other side of the world for decades now. In the Kinjoh Area, it had been discovered just two years ago, and they were only aware of a few Mega Evolutions such as the Kanto starters. Many more had yet to be realized by the scientists of this sphere of influence.

    Due to the relative newness of the phenomenon as well as how expensive and rare Key and Mega Stones were, not a lot of trainers out there aside from those who worked for the League had access to Mega Evolution. The Stones needed for it were easily worth a year or more''s worth of salary even for a veteran Trainer, and even then, they needed to wait until Stones were found from the deep wilds and put on the market. They didn''t just grow on trees.

    Lance''s stare somehow grew in intensity, but I just kept my eyes focused on Masaki rather than returning his gaze.

    "For the purposes of this test, Mega Evolution will not be allowed for both sides. We wish to see your capabilities without it," he answered.

    I''d brought my Key Stone for nothing then, but I didn''t feel a sense of loss. I did not and had not ever needed to rely on it to eke out a win. My team was more than capable enough on their own.

    "I see. Thank you for answering my questions. I don''t have any more to ask."

    Masaki nodded. "Very well, then I will continue my explanation. As you requested in a previous correspondence, this last part of the exam will be broadcasted live. For the exam proctor¡­ Traditionally, we ask the reigning Blackthorn City Gym Leader to preside over this final part, but due to¡­ inherent type immunity issues between Fairy and Dragon types, the Committee came to the unanimous decision that a change in proctors was necessary. The point of the final test is to test the applicant''s capabilities as an Elite trainer, and we wanted to make sure both sides would be able to have a proper fight to that extent without immunity issues. We hope you understand."

    I nodded silently. The explanation made sense to me. I was kind of happy with the reasonable change they''d made, too, since this meant less leeway for a possible bad ruling at the end. I wouldn''t have wanted a type immunity issue to become something they factored in when deciding whether or not to pass me.

    Though, it did make me wonder who my opponent was. I was already a bit surprised that my original proctor would have been Clair Ibuki if not for the change. My guess had been that the League would have one of their Ace Trainers test me, but apparently that was not the case. It also made more sense now why past minor gyms had always failed the exam in the end. They couldn''t get past the last hurdle that was the reigning Blackthorn Gym Leader.

    I snapped back to attention as Masaki gestured to one of the guards at the doors.

    "I will now introduce the proctor and opponent you will be fighting," Masaki said as the guards pulled the doors open. My eyes instantly went to the man that walked toward us with slow but dignified steps, cane in hand.

    It was a figure I''d seen on TV many times when I was a child. I''d watched countless interviews and read about him in the newspapers dad always brought to the breakfast table, and I''d seen him every year at the Silver Conference for the opening and closing ceremonies.

    I was staring at Pryce Yanagi, the former Champion of the Indigo League.

    He stopped just a few feet away from me. A decade had changed the former Champion from the figure in my memories. His hair had fully turned white, and there were more wrinkles than there used to be on his face and skin. I also didn''t remember him using a cane before.

    Just one thing hadn''t changed about Pryce Yanagi: his eyes. They were sharp and full of life. He still carried with him an aura of steadfast dignity.

    I wasn''t sure whether or not I should say something, but I decided to just dip my head in a short nod for a greeting seeing as I was still in the middle of an exam. He gave back a curt nod of acknowledgement before we both turned to face the panel of judges.

    "As you can see, we have called in Pryce Yanagi, the Mahogany City Gym Leader, to be the proctor for the final part of this exam. You will be given fifteen minutes to prepare for the battle ahead as we take a break to fix the arena and set up the broadcasting equipment. The intermission begins now."

    As soon as Masaki finished speaking, the rest of the panel got up to stretch or get water. Workers and their Pokemon walked onto the messed up field to fix it while others began carrying in equipment for the upcoming broadcast. They even called in an Alakazam ¡ª presumably the same one from earlier ¡ª to make a stronger barrier for the next part of the test.

    I ignored everything, including the renowned man standing next to me, and immediately went to a corner of the arena to sit down and contemplate.

    Pryce Yanagi.

    I had never expected to be fighting him as my opponent today. Suddenly the weird pauses and looks I''d gotten earlier from Masaki and Lance made sense. They''d known I''d be fighting the former Champion, and they didn''t think I was capable of defeating him.

    They were about to be proven wrong.

    I didn''t have much of a personal opinion on Pryce as I hadn''t really idolized him as a kid, but he still had my respect. While he had not been the most popular Champion or always implemented the best policies for Kanto-Johto, he had still done a lot of work during his tenure as Champion.

    What I needed to focus on now, though, was his capability as a trainer. I rapidly went through memories and thoughts in my mind.

    Pryce had first stagnated and then slowly dwindled in power over the last decade due to growing complacency. It was part of the reason why Lance had been able to achieve victory over him. He''d since been relegated to the duty of being the Mahogany Gym Leader, but this was still a Champion-level trainer we were talking about. He hadn''t been able to hold onto his position for decades for nothing. Even if he was no longer at his prime, he was still considered to be as strong if not stronger than Clair Ibuki.

    As far as Ice Specialists went, he was the cream of the crop. He was a master of setting the weather up for his Pokemon and freezing opponents into oblivion. Many a trainer had fallen prey to the variety of custom moves at his disposal and the howling storms his Pokemon could instantly create. I''d fought Ice Specialists before, but Pryce was going to be a cut above them.

    I wondered how many new Pokemon he had and which ones he would use in today''s match. I did have some memories of Pokemon he used when he was Champion, but that was a whole decade ago. Ten years was a long time. Some of them might have retired, or they might have learned new skills and vice versa.

    In spite of all the thoughts running around in my head, I was relaxed as I sat there on the ground.

    Did fighting Pryce change anything for me?

    No, nothing at all.

    What I had to do was still the same: beat up all six Pokemon. Pryce''s Pokemon.

    It didn''t matter that he had been Champion of the Indigo League up until six months ago. Unfortunately for Pryce, he was going to be my stepping stone for entering the ranks of the major gyms.

    I''d toppled Champions before, and I was going to do it again.

    I kept track of the time as I went through a brief strategy outline in my head. One of Pryce''s greatest weapons, freezing his opponents, was not going to work with me, so I focused on everything else I needed to consider for the upcoming match.

    As fifteen minutes drew to a close, I clipped my Elite team''s Pokeballs to the layered belt I wore. I stood up and paused in place.

    "It''s you and me, guys," I whispered. I knew my Pokemon were listening intently from inside their capsules.

    "Let''s show them the might of Fairies."

    Without further ado, I walked towards the newly repaired field that was waiting for me. Pryce had already taken his place on the opponent''s side. As I stepped into my own trainer box, a League Trainer came up and helped attach a small microphone to my shirt. He also informed me the broadcast would start in one minute.

    I breathed in and out slowly, tuning everything out except for the referee, the field, and my opponent. My eyes locked with Pryce''s briefly before we looked away from each other.

    One minute soon came and passed. A League Trainer held up a sign that said the broadcast had started, and the referee immediately cleared his throat.

    "We will now begin the final portion of the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion test. This match is between Gym Leader Arin Watanuki of Cherrygrove City and Gym Leader Pryce Yanagi of Mahogany Town," the referee said in a clear voice. "This will be a six-on-six battle with no switch-ins allowed. Trainers, are you ready?"

    Pryce and I both nodded at the referee and grabbed Pokeballs off our belts. He eyed both of us before nodding back.

    "I will count down from three. Please send out your Pokemon when I get to the number one," the referee continued. "Three¡­ two¡­ one!"

    In front of Pryce, a Pokemon with a long, elegant tail and fur as white as snow appeared on the field. It was a Dewgong, one of Pryce''s most iconic Pokemon that he had used regularly as a Champion. I could tell it was the same one because of a very distinct pair of scars near its left flipper. I knew better than to underestimate its friendly and beautiful appearance. Case in point, when it casually flicked its tail against the ground, it left a very sizable crack in the field. This Dewgong packed a lot more bulk and power than people would normally guess.

    As for me, I''d chosen to start off with a very specific Pokemon with the full intent of making a strong statement to all of Johto and the Kinjoh Area at large.

    Taffy.

    I saw Pryce''s eyes narrow in concentration as he stared at the Wigglytuff on my side of the field. Taffy just wore a jovial expression as he innocently hopped a bit in place. Normally he would have gone a bit further and waved and smiled brightly for the audience, but since the situation was a bit serious, he focused on the Pokemon in front of him instead.

    Wigglytuff, a Pokemon that was unanimously considered cute by the masses. Just about everyone in Kanto-Johto knew what it and Jigglypuff looked like because of how common its pre-evolution was. Wigglytuff were very rarely seen in high tier Pokemon battling. If anything, the species was used more for caretaker and health services. Combine all of this with the fact that Fairy types seemed to be looked down upon in the Kinjoh Area, and you had a Pokemon that was often underestimated as being weak.

    Well, the Kinjoh Area hadn''t met Taffy yet.

    As the referee raised a hand in the air, I felt eerily calm. I''d faced worse before.

    Here we go.

    The referee swung his hand down.

    "Begin!"

 Chapter 16 â€” Starting Line

    CHAPTER 16 ¡ª Starting Line

    "Bring the mist."

    "Make it snow."

    While the field was flooded by a wave of pink mist, the sky above darkened instantly with clouds as snow began fluttering down. Pryce and I had both wasted no time in setting up the field to our liking.

    "Icy Wind," Pryce ordered next.

    Dewgong bellowed as chilled air rushed forth from its mouth, spreading rapidly outwards and freezing everything in its path. I remained silent as Taffy simply stood there and took the Icy Wind head on. A purple light emanated from his body as he concentrated, adding a Stockpile. Frost tried to cling to his body, but the Misty Terrain melted all of it instantly. Pryce frowned when he realized his freeze strategy wasn''t working and switched tactics.

    "Aurora Beam."

    "Bounce it," I finally said.

    A beautiful but deadly rainbow-colored beam shot towards Taffy. Instead of dodging or countering, he stood still and inhaled.

    The referee''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as Taffy inflated to the size of a Snorlax. The transition was so fast and smooth that it was like he hadn''t moved at all. Dewgong''s Aurora Beam deflected off Taffy''s rubbery stomach and slammed back into its caster, making it snarl with annoyance. I snapped my fingers.

    "Fireball."

    Fire crackled to life along Taffy''s hands before spreading. It rose and rose, eventually enveloping all of his body in a writhing coat of flames. The Wigglytuff deflated slightly to a more reasonable size, and then he bounced.

    He jumped upwards first and ricocheted off the ceiling, slamming into Dewgong before it could so much as blink. Its Thick Fat meant that it shrugged off the fiery attack like it was nothing, but Taffy was not done.

    No, he went back for more and became a living fireball of terror.

    He was like a ping pong ball as he ricocheted off the ceiling, the sides of the barrier, and every surface available, all the while amassing incredible speed and power. The fire from his body created sizzling spots on the snowy field whenever he bounced off it.

    From all directions and trajectories, Taffy slammed into Dewgong repeatedly. It roared and swiped at Taffy each time with a glowing tail or flipper, but Taffy was too fast for it to hit. Every impact inflicted fresh pain and burned off more of the fat insulating it. The hits were stacking up real fast, and Pryce realized this.

    "Blizzard!" he snapped as Taffy bounced forward again.

    A howling storm of ice and snow tore through the arena in an instant. This was a signature and staple move that all of Pryce''s Pokemon knew and had mastered, and there was no escaping it at such close quarters. Taffy was blown back by the sheer power of frigid gales that sliced at him and went spinning through the air.

    "Drop with Gyro and get in close," I said quickly.

    Silver energy swirled around Taffy as he deftly rotated mid-air. His newfound weight made him plummet instantly to the ground, and he began barreling forward through all the snow and wind even as more cuts appeared on his body.

    "Ice Bubble," Pryce ordered coldly.

    Spheres of water wrapped in thin layers of ice were blown out of Dewgong''s mouth, but they flew forward more like bowling balls as they crashed into Taffy one after another. He tanked through the hits and kept rolling without veering off course.

    Pryce clicked his tongue. "Aqua Tail! Slam it away!"

    "Shock ''em," I responded with a grin.

    Dewgong slid forward across the snow and used its momentum to spin wildly, whipping a tail wrapped in water at my incoming Pokemon. Taffy waited until the limb was a mere inch from his face.

    Then he disappeared.

    To be precise, he shrunk down with Minimize to avoid the blow. He reappeared an instant later and grabbed Dewgong''s tail, yanking the sea lion toward him with a murderous glint in his adorable eyes.

    "Aurora Beam¡ª" Pryce yelled, but he was far too late.

    Sparks flew as Taffy smashed a Thunder Punch into Dewgong''s tail. A howl of pain tore itself from the sea lion''s throat as it began thrashing wildly. Its webbed tail smacked Taffy''s face hard enough that he was forced to let go, but Taffy quickly lit his fists with fire and punched Dewgong two more times.

    The sea lion finally had enough and swung down with an Aqua Tail, hammering Taffy so hard that the earth cracked and buckled underneath him. He fell into the small crater as Dewgong began to slide away.

    Its Thick Fat was almost all gone.

    "Hyper Voice! Don''t let it escape!" I ordered.

    Taffy jumped out of the hole and screamed at the retreating Dewgong, but it bore with the debilitating sound waves and slid further out of range.

    "Aqua Ring. Make a wall!" Pryce barked.

    My eyes narrowed as small droplets of water began swirling around Dewgong. With a bellow, it formed a wall of layered ice around itself. It was bunkering down and slowly healing itself, and we needed to stop it.

    "Fireball. Smash it down, Taffy."

    Taffy inflated, lit himself on fire once more, and began bouncing across the field. It took a few crashes, but he managed to melt the sturdy dome Dewgong had surrounded itself with. The instant the structure fell apart, Dewgong blasted Taffy in the face with a rapid-fire Ice Beam.

    He grunted and fell down one last time, body slamming Dewgong with flames that danced across every inch of its body. He bounced back out of range before Pryce''s Pokemon could retaliate.

    Dewgong''s precious fur was a smoking mess by this point. Not even the Aqua Ring it had going on could heal it fast enough.

    It was about time to wrap things up.

    "Nasty Plot," I said in a loud voice.

    Dark energy swirled around Taffy as he smirked, boosting his strength. Pryce scowled and brought his cane down sharply.

    "Ice Shard."

    Razor sharp pieces of ice zoomed forward in a desperate bid to stop Taffy from buffing himself. Pryce had handed me an opportunity to end the fight on a silver platter.

    I spoke a single word.

    "Pop."

    If the referee was surprised before, now he was really shocked as Taffy suddenly inflated so much that he took up the entirety of my half of the field.

    Taffy understood what I wanted and let go of the shimmering fairy aura he normally kept around his body. The storm of ice darts flew towards him. They pierced through his fur¡ª

    And the world roared.

    An ear-splitting boom rang out as massive, invisible shock waves flew outwards from the point of impact on Taffy''s fur. They slammed Dewgong up into the barrier in front of Pryce before it crashed to the ground in an undignified heap, kicking up a storm of snow and dust. Pryce''s stoic mask fell as he flinched back in surprise. The shock waves were so powerful that the barrier around the field shattered instantly, though it was quickly reformed by the League''s Alakazam.

    All of it happened in a mere instant.

    Essentially, Taffy was like a balloon that had a hole made in it. That hole grew faster than the speed of sound and broke the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom.

    In this case, a very powerful sonic boom due to his extreme inflation.

    I didn''t wait for Pryce to recover. I quickly spoke my next command.

    "Hyper Beam."

    Taffy instantly deflated. A humongous beam of pulsating energy ripped through the air and struck Dewgong as it was picking itself up, incinerating the last of its protective fur.

    The bulky sea lion finally collapsed.

    "Dewgong is unable to battle. Leader Pryce, you have thirty seconds to send out your second Pokemon¡­"

    Pryce recalled his Dewgong with an unreadable expression. His fingers hovered over his belt of Pokeballs as he thought about who to choose next. Taffy took advantage of Pryce''s moment of hesitation to glow brightly, bringing his Stockpile count up to two.

    Seeing Taffy set up must have snapped Pryce back to attention, because he quickly threw out his second Pokemon.

    Another member of Pryce''s team I was familiar with appeared on the field. It was a red Pokemon covered with white feathers that could be commonly found in the Ice Path near Mahogany Town. The old Delibird leered at us and grasped its tail tightly, puffing itself up. I was a little surprised to see it hadn''t retired from battling yet to be honest.

    Its species was not commonly seen in high tier battles either, but Pryce and his Delibird were famous and the one exception. This was not a regular-sized Delibird either. It stood a full foot taller than the average for its species.

    Both Pryce and I ordered our Pokemon to refresh the weather and terrain respectively. Neither of us wanted to be blindsided during the middle of the match.

    I gave my order as soon as the mist had been strengthened. With Delibird, Pryce had one tried and true strategy that he loved using and that I assumed would come out here.

    "Pin it!" I yelled.

    Taffy''s eyes glowed as he threw his hands forward and tried to lock Delibird in place with Gravity.

    Unfortunately, Pryce''s Delibird was one of his fastest Pokemon.

    "Start a Blizzard. Exploding Spears!" Pryce barked, confirming my earlier suspicions.

    Delibird leaped up into the air before Taffy could slam a change of gravity on him. The snow that had been falling gently to the earth turned into a raging storm in an instant, and it was going to keep going for several painful minutes. Delibird was a master of prolonging the weather. Everything inside the barrier became obscured by blinding white including our Pokemon.

    I kept my panic to a minimum. This fell within my expectations of what Pryce would pull during our battle.

    "Taffy!" I yelled into the storm, hoping he could hear me. Nothing but howling winds answered. "Pixel World! Go on the offensive!"

    Even if he hadn''t heard my voice, I was pretty sure Taffy would eventually follow a similar line of thinking to me on how to beat up Delibird. We''d gone through lots of battles before, and this was not the first time I hadn''t been there to offer guidance in a match.

    All I could do now was believe in him and wait.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Taffy hummed to himself as he hopped in place. He''d lost sight of the damn bird the moment it ascended and turned the snowstorm up a few notches. The Blizzard was powerful and cut deeply into his fur, but he just swallowed audibly and let his earlier Stockpiles heal up the damage he''d taken so far.

    At least his eyes were thankfully unaffected by all the ice and snow. They were protected by a layer of tears that instantly washed all debris away. He looked around to try and locate his target only to have no luck. The storm was too thick. He knew the bird had a way to navigate it, though. Why else would it have summoned such a tempest?

    He couldn''t even hear Arin either. There was nothing but cold, biting wind in his face and ears.

    He was on his own for this one.

    Taffy glowed and built up his Stockpile count from zero again. Just as the rush of energy left him, he felt his skin prickle uncomfortably. By sheer instinct alone, he rolled to the side with Gyro Ball just in time.

    Two spears made of hardened ice dropped down from above and exploded on impact with the ground.

    The blasts rocked the entire field from how powerful they were. Haze billowed outwards, but Taffy could still see smoking craters amid the snow.

    There was no time to stare. More spears were dropping fast out of the sky, and Taffy kicked into high gear as he rolled left and right to dodge them. His mind went into overdrive as he tried to figure out a plan.

    The Delibird was obviously hiding far up in the sky to keep himself out of harm''s way and to maximize the speed and power of his bombardment. Taffy could have bounced or floated up to get to the bird like he normally would choose to do, but the Blizzard''s winds were too strong and would just push him downward.

    He would have liked to pull out the sonic boom move again, but that wasn''t something that he could do more than once or twice a match. It required him to actually let sharp objects or moves penetrate his fur which, needless to say, was more than a little painful for him. Even now, he felt the phantom pain of those Ice Shards digging into him.

    Maybe he could¡ª

    Taffy grunted in pain as one, two, three icicles crashed onto him from above and exploded. He hadn''t swerved fast enough. There was intense ringing in his ears as he skidded awkwardly across the snow, but he quickly picked himself back up and began rolling again. He ignored the aching pain of his newfound injuries. He had to keep moving. Staying idle would just be an act of self-destruction.

    He couldn''t bounce or float normally in these abnormal weather conditions, but what if he changed the rules?

    Oops, Taffy thought as he laughed merrily to himself. He couldn''t believe he hadn''t thought about this strategy sooner. Arin probably would have told him to do the same thing.

    It was Pixel World time.

    He dodged the latest wave of frozen spears and rolled to an abrupt halt, eyes focused on himself and his barren surroundings. He barely registered the two icicles speeding down towards his head.

    Taffy drew on his Beliefs and felt the Pull of the world. It was time to get this show on the road.

    He opened his mouth and sang, and the world bent to his will.

    The very air rippled and screamed silently as an unseen force spread outwards from his body. Everything screeched to a halt for the briefest of seconds. The snow, the ice, the falling icicle spears¡ª

    And then it all went flying up instead of down.

    Taffy had wrapped the entire arena in a massive Gravity, and now he had free reign. He bounced up with a friendly smile ¡ª or maniacal, depending on how you looked at it ¡ª and flew towards the now visible and clearly panicked Delibird. He even laughed as a few of its own spears exploded against it.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The moment I saw the snowstorm pause in place, I knew Taffy had figured out what to do. It was exactly what I would have called for. I let out an internal whoop of excitement as the entire Blizzard reversed.

    The snowstorm began flickering in and out of existence as snow flew upwards. When it finally began to die down a few seconds later and some visibility returned, I saw exactly why.

    Delibird was flying around erratically as if it suddenly had no idea which direction was which. Something invisible suddenly uppercutted its chin making it spin backwards. A moment later, Taffy appeared on the other side and smashed a Fire Punch into its back. He disappeared as the Delibird fired an Ice Beam.

    That invisible something was actually Taffy. He was attacking while in his Minimized form. He normally just used it to dodge attacks, but he could also attack with it. Whenever Taffy shrunk, his density increased exponentially which gave him increased strength. Basically, he could hit as hard as a truck when he was small. We often combined this ability with the manipulation of Gravity to give Taffy free reign to do whatever the heck he wanted. We had given this technique the name Pixel World.

    I sneaked a glance at the other side of the field and saw Pryce''s frustrated expression. He had no idea what was going on.

    In the arena, Taffy continued alternating attacking between big and small forms to keep Delibird confused. Eventually, Taffy snapped a separate Gravity field on Delibird and slammed it all the way down to the ground. The remnants of the Blizzard disappeared the moment the bird crashed.

    As it struggled underneath the shift in gravity, Taffy curled up and spun downwards in a Gyro Ball. Pryce finally made a move.

    "Exploding Shards!" he bellowed.

    Delibird''s eyes glowed. With a determined screech, it barely managed to dig into its bag-like tail and open it wide. Out came a flurry of jagged pieces of ice. They spun upwards in the air and popped against Taffy''s skin as he descended, and the whole sky filled with smoke from the multiple explosions that went off. A second later, Taffy tumbled to the ground with charred fur. His hold on the arena''s and Delibird''s Gravities vanished.

    "BRAVE ICE! Take it out!" Pryce yelled as he slapped his cane against the ground.

    The instant I heard the word ''brave'' come out of Pryce''s mouth, I''d already begun to shout my own command. "GIGA IMPACT!"

    There was no way to dodge, not with Delibird''s speed. Taffy had to fight back here.

    Air so cold that it warped the space around it wrapped around Delibird as it blitzed forward like a speeding rocket. It even froze the field in its wake. Taffy was undeterred by the incoming menace. He shot up from the ground to meet the bird head-on, bouncing forward with his whole body lit up in such a vibrant shade of yellow that I almost had to avert my gaze.

    The ensuing collision broke the field''s barrier instantly.

    Nothing could be seen on the field as smoke filled every inch and corner of it from the explosion of energy. Some of it even leaked out of the field''s boundaries before the League Alakazam put a new barrier in place.

    My fist was clenched as I waited for the smoke to thin out. I was sure Pryce was wondering the same thing as me.

    After a few long seconds, the air finally cleared and allowed us to see the aftermath.

    Most of the snow had melted from the impact. The Misty Terrain had petered out, and there was no longer snow falling from the sky either. My gaze went to the two Pokemon in the middle of the field.

    Taffy stood above Delibird''s smoking husk on the ground. He barely managed to let out a cry of satisfaction before he, too, fell to the ground with smoke emanating from his body.

    It was a double knockout.

    "Delibird and Wigglytuff are both unable to battle. As Delibird fainted first, Leader Pryce, you will have to release your next Pokemon before your opponent. You have thirty seconds to send out your third Pokemon. Leader Arin, you have thirty seconds to send out your second Pokemon after your opponent releases his."

    I was smiling as I recalled Taffy. He had handled not just one, but two Champion-level Pokemon by himself. He had made the best entrance possible.

    The world would surely have a different view of not just Wigglytuff but Fairy types as a whole now.

    Pryce picked his next Pokemon a lot faster than the last round. A Weavile revealed itself amid a flash of crimson light and shifted quietly into a battle stance. It didn''t say anything, but the Pressure it radiated was immense. It felt like something invisible was bearing down on my shoulders. Without realizing it, I had tensed up.

    I was on high alert for this one. I hadn''t seen Pryce with it before, but I was pretty sure this was probably the man''s famous Sneasel that he must have evolved sometime after the Sinnoh region officially linked up with Johto.

    It was obviously going to be a lot stronger now that it had evolved.

    I''d never fought a Weavile before, but I knew they were fragile. Their incredible speed more than made up for their weak defensive capabilities though.

    I made my choice within seconds. Freya appeared on my side of the field, announcing her presence to the world with a regal gaze. Her expression quickly hardened when she caught sight of her opponent. The Pressure Weavile emanated did not faze her in the slightest. She had never fought or seen a Weavile before, but she recognized deep within her bones that it was her archenemy and a Pokemon that she had to destroy at all costs. Weavile were known to hunt Alolan Vulpix in other regions. Snarling, Freya fanned her wispy tails as her hidden ability came into play.

    Pryce looked up with confusion as clouds formed once more in the sky and spit out snow furiously. He hadn''t told his Weavile to do so, and he now looked back at the field with his gaze shifting between his own Pokemon and Freya. I don''t think he''d ever seen an Alolan Ninetales before, but he''d probably caught on to the fact that she was part Ice type. For some reason, he scowled.

    I wondered if he considered it arrogant of me to use an Ice type against an Ice Master, but I hadn''t done it out of spite. I was simply confident in myself and Freya.

    All pre-existing thoughts were shoved out of my head as I called out to my Alolan Ninetales.

    "Blizzard, Fairy Snow version," I said. She and I shared a feral smile. "It''s time to hunt."

    Similar to what Pryce had done with his Delibird, Freya summoned a storm that enveloped the entire field in an instant. There were only two differences. There was actually some visibility left for the trainers, and the snow had traces of pink.

    It swirled around like a raging tornado, but it also shimmered slightly with a pink sheen. Fairy energy had been weaved into every particle and every cutting wind. As time passed, it would continuously chip away at Weavile''s health.

    Weavile ignored the fairy-infused weather biting at its skin and whipped its head around in search of Freya instead. She was nowhere to be found. She had already long disappeared into the snowstorm thanks to her Snow Cloak ability.

    "Hone Claws. Find it," Pryce ordered in an icy tone. "Strike with Metal Claw when you do."

    Weavile''s claws lit up with an ominous red hue as they were sharpened. Without further delay, it darted forth silently into the storm to seek out its target. Its steps were incredibly light and nimble. In just a few jumps, it crossed a third of the field.

    While it ran, an aurora appeared in the sky. Freya had set up a protective veil from somewhere on the field. Weavile didn''t pause to look and kept going.

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    It only managed to take two more steps before the ground blew up.

    Explosions of intense light rocked the field as Weavile inadvertently set off mines ¡ª miniature orbs of highly condensed Dazzling Gleam attacks ¡ª that had been planted under the snow by Freya. A pink haze filled the air as clumps of snow flew everywhere.

    A few mines blew up in Weavile''s face, but it managed to dodge most of them with an impressive display of natural acrobatics as it did everything from twirls and running jumps to somersaults and backflips.

    It was in the middle of pirouetting away from an explosion when a pink beam of energy nailed its shoulder, and it tumbled backwards. Two more beams were fired from within the snowstorm, but Weavile was ready for them this time. It weaved back and left to avoid them and hissed. Its eyes were locked onto the barely visible form hidden among the snow.

    Beautiful yet baleful blue eyes stared back at it. Freya had been waiting to snipe Weavile down.

    "Metal Claw!" Pryce roared.

    Weavile lunged forward like lightning and swiped viciously with glowing claws. They gouged across Freya''s fur making her howl with pain, and Pryce ordered his Pokemon to keep going. Sharp claws slashed once, twice, and many times over without pause. Freya''s screams soon became mere whimpers as she sank to her knees.

    "Finish it," Pryce ordered. A triumphant look filled his eyes as Weavile pounced again.

    Then an orb of moonlight exploded against its back, and Weavile was the one screaming with pain this time.

    Pryce''s look was one of complete shock as he stared at the Alolan Ninetales that had appeared behind his Pokemon. His gaze flew to where Freya should have been, except¡­ all that remained was a ghostly outline shimmering with pink dust that faded away with the wind.

    It had simply been an illusion brought to life and made real with the power of a Fairy.

    I couldn''t help but smirk a bit as I strained my eyes and saw Pryce''s expression contorting into one of sheer fury. Freya was good at what she did, and I wouldn''t have wanted to be on the receiving end of it either.

    Pryce''s next words came out in a hiss. "Metal Shards."

    Weavile leaped up from the ground with a glare. With one flick of its hand, bits of steel with edges as sharp as blades flew forward in a wave. There was no time for Freya to dodge. I threw my hand out.

    "Shield!" I barked.

    My Pokemon moved well before I even finished speaking. Ice crystals burst forth from her very fur and instantly formed a protective wall in front of her. Most of the incoming projectiles buried themselves in it with heavy thuds. Several had been fired fast enough to pierce through and nail Freya, however, and she winced from the impact.

    "Bullets. Return fire."

    The shield broke apart into condensed balls of hardened ice. Fairy type energy was added to them, and then they sped forward. Weavile darted to the right to dodge them, but then it and its trainer discovered a problem.

    The fairy ice bullets followed Weavile.

    They had been made of ice crystals produced from Freya''s own fur and enhanced with fairy aura. She could manipulate them however they wanted, and she was using them now as homing missiles. They followed closely at Weavile''s back and gradually closed in.

    Pryce made a loud tch sound as he slammed his cane against the ground. "Get rid of them with Ice Spinner!"

    In one smooth motion, Weavile spun around and kicked out powerfully with its feet. Ice flew out and shattered the majority of the bullets, but several whizzed through the gaps and embedded themselves in their target. Weavile snarled angrily.

    At this point, Pryce gave an order that took me by complete surprise. "Agility! Ice Steps! Dash into the storm and create distance!"

    I had expected Pryce to have his Weavile keep applying pressure to Freya since it was a close-range fighter. Now he was running away to bide time or attempt to hit us from a different angle?

    I wasn''t going to let him. We were the hunters in this situation and not the hunted.

    Weavile''s speed grew exponentially after it finished glowing. It jumped up and dove into the thick of the blizzard, quickly leaving Freya and the scene of battle behind. A u-turn was made as it deceptively circled back. It looked like Weavile was sprinting across the snow, but in reality it was running along thin ledges of crystals suspended in the air made from Ice Spinners on its feet. The Pokemon was leaving no traces for Freya to follow.

    It didn''t have to. Freya found Weavile anyway.

    Light exploded forth in a blinding wave without warning and slammed into Weavile from its front. It screamed in agony and stumbled back, clawing at the scorch marks it had gained. Freya chose that moment to reveal herself and appeared from between the falling snow. Her lips curled in a vicious smile.

    Like I had mentioned previously, this was a hunt, and we were the hunters. The Fairy infused Blizzard Freya had whipped up at the very beginning of the match had one more purpose aside from chipping away at an opponent''s health.

    Every single shimmering particle that fell and flew and settled inside the Blizzard was a part of Freya''s fairy domain.

    All of it was part of her sphere of influence. So long as she willed it, she could find out where her prey was. Nothing could escape her gaze. She stood now in front of Weavile, ready to put an end to things.

    Pryce would not have any of it. "Stay sharp and check your surroundings! Metal Claw!"

    Both trainer and Pokemon were wary of another illusion. Weavile darted forth and made an especially powerful slash at Freya with its claws. It jumped back as soon as it made contact. They had, unfortunately, guessed right. It was another illusion, and this one crumbled more easily than the first had.

    Weavile instantly swiveled its head and caught sight of the real Freya. I almost couldn''t believe my eyes as it made a superhuman jump, narrowly avoiding a condensed beam of Fairy energy. Its reflexes were still insane despite how much running and damage it had taken already.

    "Keep up the pressure!" I barked.

    More beams of Fairy energy were fired off in rapid succession, but Weavile dodged all of them and dashed forward in between shots. Freya roared as Weavile finally slashed elongated claws against her real self''s delicate fur. It nailed three separate Metal Claws before Freya lit her entire body up with a Dazzling Gleam, and Weavile stopped attacking to quickly somersault backwards. Its left leg got clipped before it fully got out of range.

    Freya was in pain from the super effective Steel types moves that she had a quadruple weakness to, but her eyes burned with determination to go on. Weavile was more hurt than it was letting on, and the scent of victory was on the horizon.

    "Metal Shards!" Pryce commanded.

    "Bullets into Moonblast, Illusive version!" I roared.

    The air was filled with sharp cracking noises as projectiles were fired from both sides. They spun through the air and collided with each other in small bursts of energy, and others sailed through to the opposing casters. Weavile was busy running around and trying to get homing bullets off its back, and Freya had put a crystallized shield up in front of her as she concentrated. Even as bullets got past her shield and ripped into her fur, she kept her focus.

    A spiraling wave of hazy pink energy formed in her mouth. Freya waited until she''d cornered Weavile by having her homing bullets attack from all sides. As soon as Weavile jumped up to kick them away with Ice Spinner, she released the Moonblast.

    It hurtled towards Weavile.

    "Slash it!" Pryce shouted.

    In yet another display of extreme skill, Weavile twisted in midair and swung its arm down in time. A powerful swipe of its claws slashed the Moonblast clean in two, and the splintered halves dissipated in the howling winds.

    Weavile jumped down to the ground. At least, that was what should have happened.

    A fully formed and very powerful orb screaming with fairy energy exploded in its face.

    Freya had layered an illusion around her Moonblast. The one Weavile cut had been the illusive layer, a mirage, and the real Moonblast had flown out afterwards.

    Weavile crashed to the ground with a charred face. It did not get up.

    "Weavile is unable to battle. Leader Pryce, you have thirty seconds to send out your fourth Pokemon."

    Freya let out a victorious howl as Weavile was recalled. Pryce was now down to half his Pokemon. Just three more knockouts until I etched the Cherrygrove Gym and my own name in the annals of Johto''s history.

    Another Pokeball whizzed through the air. For his fourth selection, Pryce had gone with what must have been a new addition for him in the last decade: an Abomasnow. Its powerful, bulky figure stood at about seven and a half feet tall. It let out a roar as snow began blasting downwards from its own Snow Warning ability and mixed with Freya''s storm. It was practically impossible to see anything now.

    "Hide in the snow and attack from far," I told Freya. I couldn''t see her, but I assumed she disappeared into the snowstorm after my command.

    "Earth Power, Abomasnow!" Pryce barked.

    This time, Pryce''s Pokemon was the one who caused the earth to explode.

    All over the field, explosions went off as the ground erupted. Pillars of orange energy burst forth and shot into the air so high that they touched the barrier''s ceiling. This Abomasnow packed some serious power compared to Pryce''s other Pokemon that relied more on speed or technique.

    Faint flashes of pink illuminated the field in between all the snow and exploding geysers of energy, so I knew Freya had engaged Abomasnow in a skirmish.

    Sadly, when the aurora in the sky and Fairy-infused Blizzard died down, I also knew who had won the fight. Freya lay unconscious in the snow with multiple bruises and scorch marks. Abomasnow had wounds all over its front from Freya''s powerful onslaught, but strangely the Pokemon did not look affected in the slightest.

    I immediately understood why when I saw what was hidden in the snow around it. Countless glowing roots had stabbed through the ground. Pryce''s Pokemon was healing everything with Ingrain.

    "Leader Arin''s Pokemon is unable to battle. Leader Arin, you have thirty seconds to send out your third Pokemon."

    I made my decision instantly in order to restart the battle as fast as possible. A green-skinned Pokemon sporting long, dark purple hair appeared with a theatrical bow on the field.

    Pryce scoffed at the sight. "Blizzard."

    Powerful winds mixed with sharp ice and snow rushed outwards from Abomasnow, but I calmly gave my order.

    "Start setting up, Grima."

    My Grimmsnarl immediately snapped to attention. With impossibly fast movements, he weaved two different barriers of shimmering light in the air around him ¡ª Reflect and Light Screen ¡ª and simultaneously released pink mist again onto the field. Among all my Pokemon, Grima was the fastest at setting up the field due to his inherent Prankster ability.

    He smirked now as he flexed his muscles. Abomasnow''s Blizzard slammed into him, but Grima did not flinch or stumble. His entire body tensed and rippled as a red aura began to emanate from him. Before my very eyes, Grima''s body shifted outwards as he grew in size from the Bulk Up.

    "Blizzard¡ª"

    "Torment!" I interrupted Pryce.

    A loud and mocking laugh reverberated in the air from the Dark type energy that enhanced it. Grima threw his arms out dramatically, locking eyes with the Abomasnow right as it gathered cold air in its mouth. The Blizzard died out before it even truly began. I wanted to force Pryce to alternate between moves so that he couldn''t get into a rhythm.

    "Get in close!" I told my Pokemon. We had finished setting up, and now it was time to take the fight to Abomasnow. "Rip those roots away."

    Someone snarled, and it wasn''t Abomasnow.

    "Alternate between ice and normal. Beam it down," Pryce said with a livid expression.

    Beams of energy came one after the other in a steady barrage as Grima dashed forward through the snow. He leaped over cratered earth and twisted to the sides to avoid the Ice and Hyper Beams, but he was not the fastest at running. Several attacks nailed him in the shoulders and midriff. He simply shrugged them off and kept running with a huge grin on his face.

    "Ice Punch!" Pryce roared when Grima got within range. Abomasnow obeyed faithfully and encased its fist with swirling ice. With a yell, it swung it forward like a looming hammer. I shouted a command.

    "GRAB IT!"

    Grima laughed darkly as hair shot forth from his body like vines.

    They wrapped around the incoming fist and locked it in place. Abomasnow bellowed and swung with its other fist wreathed in grass, but more hair surged outwards and grabbed that, too. No matter how hard Abomasnow twisted its limbs, it couldn''t do more than shake within Grima''s hold. The hair of a trained Grimmsnarl was strong enough to contest even the strength of a Machamp when ensnaring opponents.

    "Spirit Break!" I yelled before Pryce could make a move. Snatches of pink light poured out of Grima''s torso as he threw a glowing fist back.

    He snapped his wrist forward, and the world rippled.

    Light exploded against Abomasnow''s chest, and Grima let go as the hulking Pokemon roared with intense pain and jerked back. The air screamed as rays of flickering light distorted every inch of the atmosphere in a frantic dance of chaotic energy. This was an attack that transcended the physical plane. It affected not only the physical body, but one''s very being.

    The Spirit Break shook Abomasnow to its core.

    Its eyes grew bloodshot from a mixture of stress and fury as it whipped back and forth in a restless state. While Abomasnow was distracted, Grima ripped all the Ingrain roots out of the ground with a Dark Pulse. They couldn''t grow back because of the Dark type energy leaking through the snow, acting as a void that severed the connection between Abomasnow and nature.

    "FOCUS!" Pryce screamed in frustration. He had to slam his cane a few times before Abomasnow settled down from its rattled state. "All in on offense! Wood Hammer and Ice Punch!"

    This was about to turn into a slugfest. Grima and I both braced ourselves.

    "Sucker Punch and Play Rough!" I ordered.

    Grima leaped forward to meet the charging Abomasnow, and the ensuing collision from their fists caused smoke and snow to fly everywhere.

    Back and forth Grima and Abomasnow went trading powerful blows that would have instantly knocked out any other Pokemon. Hardened ice met waves of pink in wide swings. Fists that grew as large as tree stumps slammed down on Grima''s head like the fists of Arceus Himself, and surprise uppercuts were launched in return with energy as dark and foreboding as the endless night.

    Grima had the natural power to match Abomasnow. He might not have been as bulky as his opponent, but he made up for it with the defensive setups he''d created way in advance. I watched on as he kept up with Abomasnow''s brute force in a prolonged fight.

    But all things must come to an end.

    A particularly powerful Wood Hammer caught Grima off guard and sent him spinning across the snow. He picked himself up with heavy breaths as Abomasnow limped towards him. Both Pokemon sported heavy bruises and marks from the countless punches they had exchanged, and they were on their last legs.

    Abomasnow tiredly lit up its fist in an Ice Punch as it approached. With much effort, Grima dipped his head and allowed his shoulders to droop.

    Then countless hairs laced with darkness shot outwards from Grima''s back and speared through Abomasnow''s arms and shoulders, and I barely held back a smirk.

    False Surrender.

    Pryce ¡ª and especially his Pokemon ¡ª had not expected this at all. Abomasnow fell face forward in the snow with a loud crash. It was knocked out cold.

    "Abomasnow is unable to battle. Leader Pryce, you have¡ª"

    The referee broke off as Grima gave one last actual bow with an outstretched arm. He managed to flash a small smile and a thumbs up in my direction, and then he toppled over. The Grimmsnarl had hung on long enough past the brutal slugfest to ensure his opponent''s downfall.

    It was another double knockout. The referee quickly amended his previous statement.

    "Abomasnow and Leader Arin''s Pokemon are both unable to battle. Leader Pryce, you must send out your Pokemon first. You have thirty seconds to send out your fifth Pokemon¡­"

    Admittedly, I was a bit confused when I saw a Jynx come out next on Pryce''s side. It was not a Pokemon he had commonly used in the past, so I had not expected him to pull it out here. I vaguely remembered watching an old match before where it froze opponents and locked them in place with Psychic, but that was it. Grima would have been the perfect choice here to negate any Psychic type attacks, but he was out of commission.

    There was another Pokemon I had in mind, though, and one that I figured was the perfect lead-up into the finale of this long match.

    Zuzu appeared in a flash of crimson. She saw the beyond messed up field of upturned earth, snow, and craters before her, and she just gave a determined smile.

    "Refresh the field," both Pryce and I ordered our Pokemon. The second the mist and snow came back online, I gave my next order. "Belly Drum."

    We were going all in from the get-go.

    Pryce''s eyes widened just a miniscule amount. "Ice Beam! Interrupt it!"

    A blindingly fast ray of ice shot out and slammed into Zuzu''s chest making her totter, but she gritted her teeth and refused to let her concentration break. The foreboding sound of two slaps against her stomach resounded through the arena as Zuzu traded health for power. All she did was merely shift her weight to one foot, and the earth below her fractured instantly.

    "Psychic! Lock it!" Pryce screamed.

    "Aqua Jet! Play Rough!" I shouted at the same time.

    Jynx waved her hands with glowing eyes as Zuzu rocketed forward in a spiraling column of water. Even if she was proficient with Psychic type attacks, Zuzu''s momentum was so fast and powerful that Jynx did not have the strength to keep my Pokemon from advancing.

    Realizing that Zuzu was too fast to hold in place with Psychic, Pryce switched strategies. "Ice Wall! Layers!"

    Multiple sheets of hardened ice rose up in front of Jynx like protective shields just before Zuzu made contact.

    She smashed through them like they were butter.

    Gaping holes were punched through the frozen walls as they toppled like dominos. Zuzu tore a destructive path right towards her target. Jynx blew out a raging Blizzard, but Zuzu quickly let go of the water around her, hurtled through the storm with just her own body, and wrapped herself in a screaming mass of Fairy type energy.

    She slammed into Jynx so hard that Pryce''s Pokemon flew back into the barrier and broke it from the sheer force of its impact. The League Alakazam rapidly patched the forcefield, but it didn''t need to hurry quite so much.

    Jynx lay still on the ground. Pryce''s fifth and very fragile Pokemon had gone down in just one hit.

    "J-Jynx is unable to battle. Leader Pryce, you have thirty seconds to send out your last Pokemon¡­" the referee stammered in shock.

    One last Pokemon. That was all that stood between me and the end of this test.

    It was now that I saw Pryce''s careful expression begin to crack. Throughout the match, there had been some traces of anger and surprise, but he had always carefully smoothed it back out every time. Now?

    Pryce was stewing in cold fury. Perhaps he had not expected me to get this far, or perhaps he was just angry at all the choices he''d made during our series of match-ups. I had no way of knowing.

    The former champion wordlessly recalled his fallen Jynx, and I watched with bated breath as his hand went down to the one Ultra Ball among his belt of capsules.

    I knew what Pokemon was going to come out even before it materialized.

    The crimson light from the Ultra Ball''s release mechanism grew and grew and grew as a behemoth slowly appeared on the field.

    It slammed onto the field with a roar. The earth under its feet instantly cratered from its incredible weight. At a whopping ten foot stature, it towered over Zuzu and stared at her as if she was a bug. Tusks made of pure, solid ice curved outwards into sharp, pointed ends that glittered under the arena''s lights. Just by breathing, it expelled clouds of ice crystals and snow into the air around it.

    It had evolved into its final form sometime during the last ten years, but this was Pryce''s famous starter. Mamoswine.

    This¡­ this was a true titan, and both the best and worst last obstacle.

    I had never fought a Mamoswine before. A normal person might have felt nervous about facing such a monster for an important test, but me?

    All I felt was excitement. My mind was already coming up with ways to fight this beast and take it down.

    I felt the thrill of a challenge.

    The snow fell around us, and pink mist swirled at our feet. Zuzu and I stared with determination at the last thing standing between us and the future. A moment of silence passed, and then¡ª

    "Blizzard!"

    "Defense Roll!"

    Orders came flying out of our mouths.

    Another storm of ice and wind flew across the field. The sheer power and speed of it spoke volumes of Mamoswine''s experience. Even after Zuzu had hardened her body, and even with her Thick Fat ability, the Blizzard cut deeply and would have frozen her solid if not for the mist brushing comfortably against her fur. She was already halfway there to being knocked out because of her earlier Belly Drum, and this was not helping.

    Zuzu bravely rolled forward right into the thick of the storm and began closing the distance between her and Mamoswine. Her normal go-to for quick travel was Aqua Jet, but I couldn''t use that here without risk of the water freezing from sudden Blizzards or other ice attacks.

    "Earthquake!" Pryce demanded.

    I quickly threw my hand forward. "Bounce!" I said urgently.

    Mamoswine simply raised one foot and smashed it against the floor, but the effect was devastating.

    The earth ruptured instantly. Entire fissures formed in the space leading from Mamoswine to Zuzu. Snow disappeared in their gaping maws and rocks went flying everywhere from the intense rumbling and pressure.

    Zuzu had slammed her tail hard against the ground the moment I gave my command. She went spinning upwards diagonally through the air on a one track course for her target, safely above the growing hellscape below her.

    "Play Rough!"

    Zuzu tucked herself into a ball and then sprang back out with flailing limbs as soon as she neared Mamoswine. Pink energy swirled around her body as she punched and kicked powerfully upon impact. Mamoswine tanked the hits with just a grunt of annoyance, and it spewed out globs of mud that were more like speeding bullets as Zuzu fell to the ground. Several slammed into her in rapid succession making her reel back from the pain.

    "Ice Slam!" Pryce barked.

    I clenched a fist. "Endure!"

    Zuzu barely managed to brace herself before Mamoswine slammed into her with all the force a seven hundred pound monster could bring. Instead of flying away, she stubbornly clung onto Mamoswine''s tusk. She looked extremely haggard and on the verge of passing out from that one attack alone, but the Endure had bought her just a bit more time.

    Zuzu would go down soon, but she would go down fighting.

    "SUPERPOWER!" I yelled.

    "SMASH IT TO THE GROUND!" Pryce roared.

    My Azumarill swung herself up into the air and screamed as her body lit up in a brilliant orange glow. She poured every last ounce of energy in her body into one final attack, and the Huge Power and Belly Drum boosted Superpower did not disappoint.

    She lashed out rapidly with her fists and uppercutted Mamoswine into the air.

    Granted, the behemoth did not fly up far, just a few yards or so, but it was still a testament to Zuzu''s strength that she was able to temporarily lift a Pokemon of such sheer size and weight. Mamoswine actually bellowed in pain from the super effective attack. A yell from Pryce made it compose itself and come crashing back down with Ice Shards coming out of its mouth.

    Zuzu fell to them immediately.

    "Azumarill is unable to battle. Leader Arin, you have thirty seconds to send out your fifth Pokemon."

    Zuzu had done the best she could, and now it was time to pass the baton.

    I passed it to the partner that had been with me since the very beginning.

    Vel landed softly on the ground. His eyes locked with the contemptuous gaze of the titan before him, and he snarled viciously in response. His feelers swirled around him at the ready.

    No one looked down on a Fairy.

    "Earthquake!" Pryce yelled.

    Once again, Mamoswine raised a foot, and I yelled out my own command.

    "FAIRY STEPS!"

    Most of the field was already fucked, and it worsened as Mamoswine slammed his foot down again. Existing fissures opened even wider and new ones spread instantly along the ground Vel was standing on.

    He calmly jumped up and flew.

    More accurately, he was stepping on condensed ledges of Fairy energy that he formed underneath his paws as he ran across the air unhindered. The scene of destruction below could not touch this flying fairy.

    "Nasty Plot!" I shouted. Mamoswine was as tanky as they came, and we needed to start stacking buffs now. It was going to take more than a few hits to defeat this beast.

    "Knock it down with Earth Power!" Pryce snapped.

    Mamoswine took what Abomasnow did and made it look laughable in comparison as humongous geysers made of pure, erratic energy exploded out of the fissures below Vel. The Sylveon barely had time to buff himself before he used Quick Attack and blurred left and right to avoid the deadly geysers. One nailed him right in the stomach and sent him flying, but Vel quickly caught himself with a burst of shimmering wind and landed on his feet in the air again.

    "Hyper Beam, Split Homing version," I said quickly as Vel dodged another roaring geyser.

    A huge orb of Pixilate-boosted light charged up in Vel''s mouth before it exploded outwards in a dozen smaller rays. Vel''s eyes glowed as he continued running through the air. He controlled each individual ray as they homed in on Mamoswine.

    Three instantly slammed into Mamoswine before it could move.

    "Counter with Earth Shards!" Pryce commanded.

    Pieces of rock tore themselves out of the ground around Mamoswine''s feet and went hurling through the air to meet the split Hyper Beams. Each collision between the attacks rocked the field violently. Some of the shards flew past and slammed into Vel, but he kept his balance.

    In the end, only three more beams managed to hit Mamoswine. The rest had been deflected.

    That was fine, though. They had bought time for Vel to get in range.

    "Jump! Draining Snare!"

    With a burst of speed from Quick Attack, Vel jumped onto Mamoswine''s head. Feelers instantly shot out and wrapped around Mamoswine''s ivory tusks. The moment they made contact, they glowed bright pink and began sapping health away from Pryce''s Pokemon.

    Vel went one step further and began to boost himself up with a second Nasty Plot simultaneously.

    "Ice Shards! Get it off!" Pryce barked.

    Mamoswine roared in agreement, furious over the fact that something had dared to step on it. Razor sharp slivers of ice were expelled from the fur on its body and stabbed into Vel''s fur, but he hung on tight and bore with the pain. The second Nasty Plot was finished, and his feelers continued healing him even as more shards sliced at his fur.

    Pryce changed plans. The Ice Shards weren''t enough, so he went for something bigger. "Ancient Ice!"

    Entire boulders were ripped out of the ground and frosted over with ice before they were sent flying towards Vel. The Sylveon hurriedly uncurled his feelers and jumped off, but he wasn''t fast enough. A gigantic rock slammed into him and threw him into the barrier.

    "Now freeze it! Icy Wind!"

    Air colder than the frigid north blew outwards from Mamoswine. Vel''s ears pinned back as it swept over him, and he hissed with pain. It would slow down his movements, but he would not freeze. The constant Misty Terrain ensured that.

    "One more Nasty Plot!" I yelled.

    "Make it stronger! FREEZE them already!" Pryce shouted with a hint of annoyance. I would have felt bad for him and how he had failed to freeze any of my Pokemon in any other situation, but not this one.

    Vel bunkered down as the wind grew stronger. It was so powerful that it threatened to sweep him off his feet and into the barrier again, but he dug his heels into the ground and saw his last Nasty Plot through to the end.

    As soon as his eyes finished glowing, I threw a hand forward.

    It was time to go on the offensive.

    "Dazzling Gleam!" I barked.

    The most blinding light I''d seen all day rushed out from Vel''s body in a silent wave. It was as bright as the sun, and I had to jerk my head away as it enveloped the entire field. An ear splitting scream of pain rang out from Mamoswine when the light exploded against it. I hurriedly looked back as the light died away, but I still had to blink away black spots from my vision.

    Mamoswine had been completely blinded by the light and was stumbling backwards as it shook its head. I took advantage of its disorientation.

    "Moonblast, Gravity versions. Take it down," I said firmly.

    Vel was moving even before I finished. A huge orb of energy as large as his own body charged up in his mouth, and he fired it with practiced ease.

    "Earth Blizzard!" Pryce roared with urgency. Even he could tell this was a bad situation for his Pokemon.

    Mamoswine''s eyes were still squeezed shut from the earlier Dazzling Gleam, but it didn''t need to see to unleash a raging storm. Rocks and snow alike whipped around him like a tornado and exploded outwards.

    The Moonblast grabbed everything that flew toward it.

    Everything that had been in the storm orbited around the shining orb of energy instead. Within seconds, it had swelled to half of Mamoswine''s size from all the debris gravitating around it.

    The small moon made contact with the behemoth and slammed it back into the barrier. Mamoswine awkwardly fell to its feet from the impact.

    "Get up!" Pryce screamed.

    Vel didn''t wait for anyone. He fired off more Moonblasts like it was nobody''s business. Each ripped out chunks of earth from the ground in their gravitational pull as they flew towards Mamoswine. The titan rose to its feet only to get hit in the face again and again by more miniature moons.

    Pryce tapped his cane against the ground almost anxiously. "Protect and Ice Pillars! Tank the hits and knock that Pokemon down!"

    He had switched his strategy to try and take out Vel instead of the Moonblasts.

    Mamoswine grunted and braced itself for the incoming onslaught by forming a protective shield in front of it. He stomped with one foot. In an instant, ice pillars shot out of the ground around Vel''s feet. The Sylveon had to let his latest Moonblast go early as he screamed in pain from the pillars stabbing him from all sides. His half-formed orb was still powerful enough that it fractured Mamoswine''s Protect when it made contact.

    "Burn with Dazzling Gleam!" I ordered with a clenched fist. "Then glamour and Moonblast!"

    Vel screamed and let light shoot outwards, scorching the ice pillars down into melted stubs. As soon as he was freed, Vel darted forward.

    He vanished.

    He had wrapped himself inside a fairy bubble and temporarily turned himself invisible, and Pryce actually panicked.

    "BLIZZARD!"

    Icy gales surged forward in a widespread attack. This would have worked ordinarily to locate Vel''s hidden form, but he had already formed a Gravity Moonblast and let it fly.

    It appeared out of thin air as it left Vel''s bubble of influence and roared, pulling the approaching Blizzard into its embrace. Mamoswine''s Protect shattered into hundreds of pieces the moment the orb touched it.

    More followed. Mamoswine was getting beaten down by the barrage of Moonblasts, and there was nothing it could do.

    Pryce refused to give in and shouted out for more Blizzards and other custom moves, but they were all swept up by the gravitational pull of the Nasty Plot boosted Moonblasts. Mamoswine was fast approaching its end.

    "Ice Walls!" Pryce finally snapped out of desperation. "Wait for the next one and freeze it with a concentrated Ice Beam instead!"

    Sturdy walls of ice rose up in front of Mamoswine in a last ditch effort of protection. In its mouth, it readied an orb of frigid air.

    "Moonblast," I said quietly.

    It was time to end things.

    It was time to take down once and for all this monster that had taken beating after beating, and it was time for the world to remember our names.

    I knew Vel would still hear me wherever he had his invisible self hidden on the field.

    "Silent version."

    The barrage of Moonblasts stopped, and the arena went deathly silent.

    Debris rolled around on the field, but it made no noise. Not even breathing could be heard. It was like all sound had been removed from the world for the briefest of seconds. Mamoswine was startled but readied itself, yet it couldn''t react in time.

    A massive Moonblast that put the previous ones to shame appeared so suddenly and silently in front of Mamoswine that it was like it had just popped into this plane of existence.

    It exploded in its face.

    The entire field shook from the explosion, and for the nth time that day, the barrier cracked into pieces and had to be reformed.

    My heart was beating at a million miles an hour as I waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, I saw Vel''s form ripple back into existence as he removed the fairy dust around him. I followed his gaze to the other side of the field.

    There, a titan lay felled at the barrier''s edge.

    Mamoswine was on the floor, and it was not moving.

    "Mamoswine is unable to battle. With a final score of 6-4, Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match."

    I barely heard the referee''s words.

    Vel had turned back to look at me. He was battered and bruised, but he didn''t look tired at all. His eyes shone as brightly as they had on that day I found my calling as a Fairy Specialist.

    I raised my fist high above my head in a silent but powerful cry of victory for all to see. Blood roared in my ears from the high of our achievement.

    My team and I had done it. We had crossed the starting line.

    We had just made history.

 Interlude â€” Pokenet I

    INTERLUDE ¡ª Pokenet I

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    CHIMEGRAM

    tufftuffking ? Cianwood City

    [PHOTO: Various belongings stuffed into cardboard boxes. Some boxes are open and some have been taped shut with packing tape already.]

    tufftuffking I''m moving to Cherrygrove City, guys. Like RIGHT now. Called up a real estate agent the moment the match ended and bought an apartment and everything already. I''ll support the Cherrygrove Gym with all my heart and watch every match I can next season. Gym Leader Arin and his Wigglytuff have my undying loyalty. I WILL FOLLOW YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD, SIR!

    5,761 Likes

    Posted 31 min ago

    tabithajones8 ? you''re moving halfway across the country just because of a GYM? um, wait, that''s not quite right. because of a POKEMON?

    29 min ? 98 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (65)

    coffeebluelover Er tufftuffking ¡­You do realize that Wigglytuff is one of Leader Arin''s Elite Pokemon, right? It''s not gonna show up in any of the gym badge challenges. It could maybe show up in an Elite tier challenge, but that''ll probably be like¡­ once every couple months or something if Arin rotates through all his Elites equally.

    20 min ? 351 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (98)

    ¡ª tufftuffking coffeebluelover First of all, that Wigglytuff''s name is TAFFY, thank you very much. Watch the match replay and re-educate yourself! Secondly, I don''t care. I''m going to support the Gym anyway!

    20 min ? 987 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª coffeebluelover tufftuffking Ahh sorry, I didn''t mean to come off as condescending or anything! Just didn''t want your hopes to get dashed later if you don''t get to see your favorite Pokemon. ;-; And yeah, I do know his Wigglytuff''s nickname, I just didn''t use it the first time around.

    20 min ? 150 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª tufftuffking coffeebluelover No it''s fine, I''m sorry too for getting a bit worked up. It might seem silly to some people that I''m choosing to uproot my whole life here to move to another city for a Gym, but this is what I want to do, and by Ho-Oh, I''m going to do it!

    19 min ? 1,492 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª coffeebluelover tufftuffking Mad respect for you¡­ Good luck with the moving process! Hope all goes smoothly.

    15 min ? 287 likes ? Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    FARBOOK

    BLACKTHORN CITY COMMUNITY

    About

    ? Blackthorn City Community is a community page for the locals of our historical city.

    ? Use this group to get advice, share interesting things going on in the Blackthorn City scene, and to connect with other members of the community.

    ? Be respectful to each other.

    Discussion / Newest Activity ¡ú

    Goro Abei (Admin) ? 5h

    Hello, I am one of the administrators for this Farbook Community Page. If you would like to talk about anything regarding the Cherrygrove Gym, Fairy types, Arin Watanuki, or the promotion test that just ended, please talk about it in the comments below. Too many people have been requesting approval for dozens of posts about these topics, and the moderator team has decided we would like things to stay in one place for organization. So please use this post to chat. We will delete any incoming post requests for the aforementioned topics from now on.

    312 reactions / 1,571 comments

    Top Comments ¡ú

    Janeru Ju I don''t know how to feel about these Fairy types to be honest¡­ We''re known as the City of Dragons. This just feels¡­ wrong somehow.

    3h / Like / Reply

    Simon Lang I asked my son to help me figure out how this works so I could send my first message here. I just want to say that I disapprove of the Cherrygrove Gym.

    4h / Like / Reply

    Karina Celeste Does anyone know if Gym Leader Clair has said anything yet in response to the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion test results?

    1h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (22)

    ¡ª Jurie Waruiya Karina Celeste No. I''ve been checking the news, but she hasn''t made any sort of statement yet. It''s likely we''ll hear from her later though. This is the first time in all of Johto''s history that the ranks of the major gyms have been expanded. I''m sure all the Gym Leaders will have reactions to this.

    1h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Timothy Henderson Karina Celeste I imagine she and the Blackthorns won''t be happy. I for one am certainly upset. I take pride in being a part of the City of Dragons. These new Fairy Pokemon honestly disgust me a bit.

    2m / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Maribelle Tinnoran Timothy Henderson Really? I actually think they''re quite beautiful. They might not have the distinct majesty of our beloved dragons, but they''re still lovely¡­

    2m / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Timothy Henderson Maribelle Tinnoran You must be joking. Do you have no pride as a Blackthorn local?

    1m / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Maribelle Tinnoran Timothy Henderson Why are you questioning my pride as a local? I never said I didn''t like Dragons anymore. Am I not allowed to like both Dragon and Fairy types?

    1m / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Jason Suzukino Timothy Henderson She has a point. I''m a huge supporter of the Blackthorn Gym myself, and I admit I didn''t really think that highly of Fairy types before, but I''ve changed my mind after the promotion match. Fairy types are actually kind of¡­ cool. I think I like both types, too.

    1m / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Timothy Henderson Maribelle Tinnoran Jason Suzukino Disgusting. You should both be ashamed of yourselves. If you were true citizens of Blackthorn City who appreciated its long history and culture, then you wouldn''t take the side of Pokemon that challenge our traditions.

    Just now / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Garrett Nyugen (Moderator) Timothy Henderson This is the first of three warnings for you before a ban from this community page. Please remain respectful during conversation. We''re all a part of the same city here.

    Just now / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Timothy Henderson But are we really?

    Just now / Like / Reply

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    DUNCORD

    POKENERDS (Community Server)

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    Main Chats ¡ú #cherrygrove-gym-promotion-test

    Due to HIGHLY popular demand, we have temporarily created a new channel under this category to discuss the recent Cherrygrove Gym promotion test. No bot commands are allowed in here.

    kamkam ? Today at 1:46 PM

    SOMEONE please tell me they know SOMETHING about those Pokemon Arin Watanuki used. Yes, Wigglytuff and Azumarill, we all know those, but which regions are the others from?

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 1:47 PM

    Check the pins¡­ A moderator already posted official lists with pictures and names of all known Pokemon in the Kinjoh Area, and they''re not shown on any of them. Either they''ve been undiscovered until now, which could be possible, or they''re from outside the Kinjoh Area (the latter is much more likely).

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 1:47 PM

    I literally just came online. So you''re telling me these are probably new and unregistered Pokemon? Oh my Arceus. OMA OMA. Legendaries, if only I could see them up close and write about them for my thesis next year¡­ I would be valedictorian for sure. :sob:

    hushbubble ? Today at 1:47 PM

    On the bright side, at least we know one thing about all of them? They''re all Fairy types.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 1:47 PM

    Well¡­ okay fine. We at least know that. I think we can also safely say two of them are dual types? The fox-like Pokemon who fought Weavile definitely had to be part Ice judging by its physical appearance and its mastery over Blizzard alone, and the Pokemon with dark fur (or hair? I have no idea what it is) that fought Abomasnow looked like it could be Dark type. I''m only making guesses though, so don''t quote me later. (But hopefully this message ages well with time.)

    hushbubble ? Today at 1:48 PM

    I think my favorite is the last one Arin used, the pink and white Pokemon with ribbons. It was so beautiful when it flew through the air. Maybe it''s part Flying type?

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 1:48 PM

    :shrug: Who knows? Hopefully we''ll get some answers from regional professors or from Arin himself soon.

    kamkam ? Today at 1:48 PM

    I should be studying for my exam in two days, but I just can''t stop thinking about those unknown Pokemon¡­ gahhh, it''s bothering me so much.

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 1:48 PM

    Me too, brother, me too¡­ I want to sleep but I can''t. Why? Because my curiosity is the size of a Snorlax. T _ T

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 1:48 PM

    Oh oh oh speaking of Snorlax, y''all remember how Arin''s Wigglytuff inflated to half the size of the field towards the end of the first match-up?

    kamkam ? Today at 1:48 PM

    Yeah. It was pretty memorable. Why do you ask?

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 1:49 PM

    I Zoogled how big a standard field is and ran some calculations based on average sizes for Wigglytuff and Snorlax. An average Snorlax can maybe take up a fourth of a standard field. That means Wigglytuff inflated to DOUBLE the size of a Snorlax in an instant. Crazy. I knew they could inflate to become bigger, but I''ve never seen one grow that big before.

    kamkam ? Today at 1:49 PM

    Seriously?

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 1:49 PM

    While we''re on this topic, I watched a Professor Oak documentary before about Wigglytuff. It showed a few of them competing to inflate the farthest. None of them got nearly as big as Arin''s Wigglytuff, though. His is a prime specimen.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 1:49 PM

    Wait, that sounds interesting. Can you link the video here? I''m totally not gonna watch that now instead of finishing up this paper¡­ ;;

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 1:50 PM

    (Oi, just make sure you finish that paper on time, yeah?) But anyway, here''s the link: https;/poketube/watch?v9ka/channel=OakTalks

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    POKETUBE

    BATTLE CENTRAL

    BattleCentral ? 6.1M subscribers ? 3k+ videos

    Battle Central brings you all the latest news and analysis videos on matches of all kinds. Whether they''re matches from tournaments, regional Conferences, exhibitions, or even just random battles between trainers that go viral, our experts will break them down for you in a professional and comprehensive manner. You can also find more detailed breakdowns and other information via articles on our website.

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    [THUMBNAIL: A picture split in two halves with close-up shots of Arin Watanuki and Pryce Yanagi. They have determined expressions, and in each of their hands is a Pokeball waiting to be thrown.]

    AN ULTIMATE BREAKDOWN: Arin Watanuki vs. Pryce Yanagi

    1M+ views ? 5 hours ago

    Join experts Fujino Jiro and Cai Holman as they analyze the epic battle between Cherrygrove Gym Leader Arin Watanuki and Mahogany Gym Leader Pryce Yanagi. This match was conducted during the final portion of the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion test and originally broadcasted by the Indigo League.

    [Play Video at 4:06? ¡ú Yes]

    [Experts Fujino and Cai sit next to each other in front of a table and two large screens. One screen is replaying the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion match and the other has graphics and various numbers and text on it. They have papers on the table in front of them and presentation remotes.]

    "¡ªtuff is not normally seen in high tier battling. In fact, we combed through different archives and found out there has never been a single person in the Kinjoh Area who placed high enough with a Wigglytuff in a major tournament. The only instance that comes close is Murata Yoni in the Kanto region who made it to the top 64 of the Indigo Conference three years ago, and he retired from battling to join Kanto''s Ranger Corps after," Expert Fujino explains.

    "Yes, so it''s really quite incredible that Arin Watanuki has raised his Wigglytuff to be so powerful. This is a Pokemon that managed to take down not one, but two of Pryce''s famed Ice types. And as we are all aware, both Dewgong and Delibrid were active members of his team during his tenure as Champion," his co-host, Expert Cai, follows up. He gestures to the screen as shards pierce a vastly inflated Wigglytuff, sending shockwaves everywhere. "This moment here was one of the highlights of the match. For viewers who don''t understand what happened, let me slow it down¡­"

    He picks up a remote and clicks it, rewinding the video back a few moments and then playing it in slow motion this time. "As you can see here, the moment the Ice Shard from Dewgong hits Wigglytuff, it sends out shockwaves that end up hurting and stunning Dewgong enough for Arin''s Pokemon to deal a devastating last blow with Hyper Beam. How did this happen? Well, let''s think of a balloon. When you pop a balloon, you hear a loud bang, right? It probably startles you because of how sudden and loud it is. Where does the bang come from? It comes from the tear in the balloon. That tear grows faster than the speed of sound, breaks the sound barrier, and creates a sonic boom. Arin''s Wigglytuff was basically a gigantic balloon that popped because of the Ice Shards piercing its fur, so you can think of it as being an exponentially more powerful sonic boom. I¡ª"

    [Skip to 7:58]

    "¡ªther highlight from the match is this moment here. Viewers, were you surprised when the Blizzard went up instead of down?" Fujino chuckles. "I know I was! This was because of an incredible display of Gravity from Arin''s Wigglytuff. This was a Gravity powerful enough to wrap around the entire field AND control a raging Blizzard."

    "It''s unfortunate that we could not see most of the second match-up due to the arena''s weather, but what we did see was¡ª"

    [Skip to 12:41]

    "We don''t know what Pokemon this is, but we don''t have to know the species to understand that it is another incredible battler. Thankfully, during this match-up, we were able to actually see through the Blizzard. It''s a bit hard to see, though, so we''ll do close ups for you viewers," Fujino says as he zooms in on the screen. There, a white and blue fox is engaged in a fight with a Weavile. "Arin''s second Pokemon that he released overwhelmed Pryce''s famous Weavile with its masterful illusions and powerful long-range attacks¡ª"

    [Skip to 20:15]

    "Another Pokemon we don''t know, but this one was powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with Pryce''s Abomasnow, who is one of his team''s biggest physical attackers. We were surprised to see how fast it could set up screens in the beginning¡ª"

    [Skip to 25:19]

    "¡ªfeated Jynx in just one hit!" Cai exclaims. "Even fragile Elite tier Pokemon are usually trained to be able to take more than one hit before going down, but Pryce''s Jynx was knocked out almost instantly. Arin''s Azumarill is the prime example of a terrifying physical attacker. Most likely, Arin''s Azumarill has trained its Huge Power ability, which, on top of Belly Drum, proved¡ª"

    [Skip to 29:02]

    "¡ªversus Pryce''s most powerful Pokemon, his starter, Mamoswine. And, for lack of a better description, what an epic final match-up it was. Arin''s Pokemon unleashed a devastating barrage of moves that pierced through Mamoswine''s high defenses¡ª"

    [Skip to 40:33]

    "Overall, those of us at Battle Central unanimously agree that Arin Watanuki is a Champion-level trainer. With a sizable gap in the final score to prove it, he and his Pokemon displayed overwhelming strength and creativity, and we''re looking forward to seeing more Elite tier matches from Arin in the future."

    [Pause Video]

    500k+ Comments

    Sort By ¡ú Top Comments

    Pinned by BattleCentral

    BattleCentral (Verified) ? 5 hours ago

    What did you think about today''s breakdown and the match itself? Let us know in the comments below!

    120k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (800k+)

    yumixoxo ? 3 hours ago

    I''m sorry, Lance¡­ I have a new bias now¡­ WHY IS ARIN SO HOT. 33

    1k+ likes / Reply

    TinyLotad ? 5 hours ago

    I think I forgot how to breathe like a hundred different times when I watched the broadcast. That''s how intense and fast-paced it was. Thanks for the breakdown BattleCentral!

    3k+ likes / Reply

    superbpancaker ? 4 hours ago

    LET''S GO, ARIN! Can''t believe he beat Pryce so handily!

    574 likes / Reply

    tracksprinter10 ? 4 hours ago

    LOL and so many said he was going to fail! Where are the doubters now, huh?

    290 likes / Reply

    FreeParasect ? 2 minutes ago

    I think you guys are overhyping Arin too much. Maybe Pryce was holding back? He was the former Champion for Ho-Oh''s sake.

    2 likes / 2 dislikes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (2)

    ¡ª jolliROO ? 1 minute ago

    FreeParasect Oh thank Arceus someone agrees with me. There''s no way someone with Pryce''s experience would lose with such a big gap.

    0 likes / Reply

    ¡ª APEX6Red ? Just now

    FreeParasect jolliRoo You guys have got to be kidding me. You really think PRYCE would hold back in a LEAGUE-MANDATED exam that''s meant to ensure a certain standard for gyms in Kanto-Johto? That''s literally the stupidest thing I''ve heard all year. Arin is Champion-level, deal with it and stop making excuses.

    P.S. Pryce is kinda washed up, y''all.

    0 likes / Reply

    tsunamipika45 ? 2 hours ago

    I''m surprised BattleCentral didn''t mention how many freaking Elite Pokemon Arin has. Did anyone else see the quick shots of his belt at 0:29, 0:45, and 1:10? If you combine all those different view angles, you''ll see he had about nineteen Pokeballs total or something. Even Lance and Pryce only have like¡­ thirteen to fifteen max Pokemon each off the top of my head? It''s crazy.

    5k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (2k+)

    ¡ª TinyLotad ? 1 hour ago

    Holy Moltres, you''re right. Just went back to check and that is a LOT of Pokeballs. Dream Balls, Love Balls, Heal Balls¡­ so many. Props to you and your keen eye.

    106 likes / Reply

    ¡ª FortreeForever6 ? 1 hour ago

    Yeah I caught that, too. Think he might be tied with Champion Cynthia from Sinnoh, she has about eighteen or nineteen as well. Conclusion? They''re both insane. Insanely good.

    157 likes / Reply

    ¡ª TipTopFlower ? 1 hour ago

    I can''t help wondering what other Pokemon he has aside from the ones he showed¡­ Maybe a Granbull? Or uh¡­ Clefable? I can''t remember which Pokemon are Fairy types now, ugh.

    120 likes / Reply

    ¡ª dicedicebaby ? 1 hour ago

    TipTopFlower He has a Togekiss and a Dragonite!

    208 likes / Reply

    ¡ª TipTopFlower ? 1 hour ago

    dicedicebaby Oh the Dragonite I knew about already from reveal articles I read online, but I didn''t know about the Togekiss. Where''d you hear about that?

    93 likes / Reply

    ¡ª dicedicebaby ? 1 hour ago

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    TipTopFlower Arin''s Caterpedia page. Some people already made one for him and began contributing to it. They got the Togekiss from eyewitness posts someone read on Chatter. Check out the site if you have time.

    208 likes / Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CATERPEDIA

    Welcome to Caterpedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

    Main Page ¡ú Article

    ARIN WATANUKI

    Page / Talk

    [PHOTO: Picture of Arin Watanuki in March 2023.]

    Arin Watanuki (born November 28, 2002) is the Cherrygrove City Gym Leader and a notable Fairy Specialist in the Kinjoh Area.

    Personal Details

    Age (20) / Height (5''11'''') / Hair Color (Pink) / Eye Color (Blue)

    Early Life

    Arin Watanuki was born on November 28, 2002 in Cherrygrove City as the only son of Adriel Watanuki, who was Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym at the time, and his wife Kana Watanuki.

    At some point during his childhood, Watanuki left Johto to travel the world. He returned in the year of 2023 to take over the Cherrygrove Gym.

    Travels

    Information not available yet.

    Gym Leader Career

    Information not available yet.

    After taking over the Cherrygrove Gym from his father, Watanuki changed the Gym''s type specialization from Grass to Fairy type. The Cherrygrove Gym is currently undergoing construction and remodeling efforts at this time.

    Personal Life

    Information not available yet.

    Trainerpedia

    Watanuki is a Champion-level trainer who specializes in Fairy type Pokemon.

    Watanuki''s personal team consists of nineteen different members. They include a Wigglytuff (nickname: Taffy), Azumarill, Dragonite, Togekiss, and other unidentified Pokemon as of this moment. Whether they are all Elite tier or not remains to be seen.

    His starter Pokemon is unknown.

    Click here for detailed information regarding his team such as known moves, abilities, etc.

    Match History

    March 30, 2023: Arin Watanuki v. Pryce Yanagi (6-4) [Match details: Elite tier, six-on-six, no switches]

    Accomplishments

    On March 30, 2023, Watanuki took and passed a gym promotion test conducted by the Indigo League, becoming the first ever Gym Leader to do so in the history of both Kanto and Johto. He succeeded in turning the Cherrygrove Gym into a major gym, also another first in the history of the two regions. He is also the first Leader of a Fairy Gym in the Kinjoh Area.

    He has stated in a previous press conference that he has competed in Conferences such as those in Hoenn and Sinnoh, but also ones outside of the Kinjoh Area''s influence. His placements in them and the locations of these Conferences were not mentioned.

    Notable Quotes

    "Just watch me. I''ll show you how far I can go." ¡ª Press conference, March 2023

    Page / Talk

    StarDust Arceus¡­ this page is still so barren. (T _ T) I tried to fill in what I could, but there''s really not much information available about Arin yet. He''s only had one press conference and one public match so far¡­ I even had to dig around for random eyewitness accounts on social media and the trainer forums. I need more than just these meager bread crumbs!

    SnailMaster5 Wait, I literally just saw your name in the edit history. You''re the top contributor for this page!

    StarDust Yeah¡­ I''m a fan of Arin now. I wish I lived in Johto so I could at least visit the Gym sometimes to watch matches. I''m all the way over in Sinnoh so I can only resign myself to soaking up any news I can get online. *sigh* You people who live in Kanto-Johto are so lucky¡­

    MMY Ah¡­ Yeah, I live in Johto. I''m sorry for you. ;; Anyway, nice work with the Caterpedia page so far! I came here to get more info on him too haha. Mostly more details about his Pokemon.

    StarDust That''s the question everyone wants to know, isn''t it? It''d be cool if we could see the rest of his team soon.

    KitKat I just came here to find out his relationship status. o Is he single?

    SnailMaster5 ¡­Are you for real?

    StarDust The other contributors and I didn''t add that in because we aren''t sure. Don''t think he mentioned that in his press conference or any other setting yet.

    KitKat Shame. :c My friends and I want to start a fan club at our school for him.

    StarDust Go for it! Doesn''t matter if he''s single or not, you should support him anyway. Heck, I even joined a fan club already.

    SnailMaster5 ¡­Are you for real? (Again!)

    StarDust Yeah, go check on Chatter. ArinFanClub that''s the one. Some Cherrygrove locals made it a week ago and it''s really taking off now.

    MMY Oh I saw that when I looked earlier! There are a lot of fan clubs already, but that''s the biggest one. Sadly there are a lot of anti-fan clubs too.

    StarDust Ugh. Don''t remind me. I got so mad when I scrolled down and saw how many there were. It doesn''t matter, we''ll outnumber them in the end anyway! Guys, you can also follow Arin''s own social media accounts too by the way!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CHATTER

    Arin Fan Club (Verified)

    ArinFanClub

    The Official Arin Watanuki Fan Club. A must follow for any true fan! Join us in the world of Fairies!

    2 Following 308K Followers

    [Followed by StarDust, tufftuffking, and more]

    Posts ¡ú

    Pinned by ArinFanClub

    Arin Fan Club (Verified) ArinFanClub ? 5 hours ago

    History was made today! Arin became the first Gym Leader in Johto''s history to pass the promotion test, and the Cherrygrove Gym is now a major gym. Watch highlights of the match below.

    [VIDEO: Highlight reel of the promotion match that''s been edited professionally.]

    10K Comments / 19K ReChats / 32K Likes / 50K Views

    ¡ª View Comments (10K+)

    Arthur Sotheby (Verified) arthursotheby ? 5h

    I could not be prouder. The whole CITY could not be prouder. Big congratulations to Arin!

    Perry Wu perrywu ? 5h

    Cherrygrove local here! GO ARIN! Also, wow, I can''t believe Mayor Sotheby''s following this fan club too LOL.

    Janna Zhang jannazhang7 ? 3h

    My family and I all watched the match together. Now my kids are begging me to take them to Cherrygrove Gym matches in the next League Circuit haha. Keep it up, Gym Leader!

    Tuff Tuff King (Verified) tufftuffking ? 5h

    GYM LEADER SIR! I''m going to be a Cherrygrove local soon, too! I will come support you at gym matches! KEEP ROCKING ON!

    franticgold franfrangold ? 2h

    Dang, all the Cherrygrove locals came flooding here to Chatter LOL o_o I''m also one of them! I didn''t know anything about Fairies before but I''m invested now. Congrats Leader Arin!

    FAIRY HATE fairyhate886 ? 2m

    [This reply has been deleted by a moderator for offensive content. The user has been banned from the page and their post reported.]

    Arin Watanuki (Verified)

    arinwatanuki

    Believe in yourself, and you''ll go far. Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove City Gym & Fairy Specialist.

    78 Following 529K Followers

    [Followed by ArinFanClub, wallacemikuri, and more]

    Posts ¡ú Sort By Latest

    Arin Watanuki (Verified) arinwatanuki ? 1 day ago

    Ready for the promotion test tomorrow. :)

    31K Comments / 68K ReChats / 74K Likes / 129K Views

    View Comments (31K+)

    rikaisitrika rikaisitrika ? 3h ago

    arinwatanuki Hey congrats! Knew you could do it! Heh, hope you realize who this is from. It took a bit getting past the block. I think I''ll use this from now on to check out your timeline. We all watched the match by the way!

    0 Comments / 0 ReChats / 0 Likes / 0 Views

    Wallace Mikuri (Verified) wallacemikuri ? 2h ago

    arinwatanuki Bravo, Arin! It was a wonderful match, and I enjoyed seeing you battle again after so long. Congratulations on your success.

    9K Comments / 15K ReChats / 20K Likes / 31K Views

    ¡ª fanofcontests22 fanofcontests22 ? 2h ago

    Am I dreaming? Did WALLACE MIKURI the freaking Hoenn Gym Leader and Top Coordinator just reply to Arin''s post? ARE THEY FRIENDS?!

    ¡ª JACKfine Jackfineee ? 2h ago

    fanofcontests22 You''re not dreaming cuz I see it too. XD Also, don''t be too shocked, but if you look at the top of Arin''s followers and following lists, you''ll see he has a looooot more important connections¡­ Remember to breathe! Say it with me! Breathe!

    ¡ª fanofcontests22 fanofcontests22 ? 2h ago

    Jackfineee OMA. OMA. OMA. Winona Nagi, Drake Genji, Crasher Wake, Volkner Denzi¡­ he even knows the freaking president of the DEVON CORPORATION? I¡ª ahhhhhhh my mind is blown. Breathe, me, breatheeeee!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    THE GOLDENROD POST

    BREAKING NEWS

    [Arin Watanuki passes the promotion test.]

    By Wilfred Kemp / Published March 30, 2023 at 12:44 PM JST

    Today is a historic day for Johto as the ranks of the eight major gyms shift into that of nine. Just an hour earlier, Arin Watanuki, Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym, became the first Gym Leader in Johto''s history to pass the promotion test in a stunning 6-4 victory against the exam proctor, Gym Leader Pryce Yanagi of Mahogany Town. Arin is also the first Leader of a Fairy Gym in all of the Kinjoh Area. A man of many firsts and precedents.

    The political landscape of Johto has certainly shifted, and only time will tell how exactly this will impact the region going forward. Johto has only ever had eight major gyms. For readers who are unaware of the history of the Johto gyms, here is a short explanation.

    The eight major gyms were granted long ago to eight separate Clans after the Scarlet Conflict in Johto''s storied history: Hayato of Violet City, Tsukushi of Azalea Town, Akane of Goldenrod City, Matsuba of Ecruteak City, Shijima of Cianwood City, Mikan of Olivine City, Yanagi of Mahogany Town, and Blackthorn of Blackthorn City. These families went on to safeguard their respective gyms through entire generations leading up until present day, and they became known as symbols of stability and power through times of peace and conflict.

    The Cherrygrove Gym boasts a very long history itself and dates back to about fifty years after the Scarlet Conflict. Its founder was granted the gym for contributions in a small-scale conflict between Johto and invaders from the sea. Its founder also contributed significantly to helping Cherrygrove City expand into the city it is today.

    Now, this institution has gone from being a minor to a major gym. This is the latest change in an entire wave of changes after four different Gyms started this League Circuit with new Leaders. These include the Violet, Azalea, Goldenrod, and Mahogany Gyms. All eyes will be on Arin Watanuki from here on out. The Goldenrod Post will continue to keep you updated with the latest news.

    Comments (1,173) ¡ú

    Optimistic Pokefan ? 30 minutes ago

    The brief history refresher was nice, thank you Goldenrod Post. I remembered learning about it last year in class but I slept through the lesson because I was tired¡­ Anyway, congrats to the Cherrygrove Gym! I think it''s cool we have nine major gyms now.

    ¡ª View Replies (71)

    ¡ª Rather Be A Gloom ? 29 minutes ago

    Optimistic Pokefan You should pay more attention in class, child. Education is important. And if you had TRULY listened to your teachers and what this article talks about, then you would realize the importance of the original eight major gyms and families. They protected Johto during the Scarlet Conflict and have continued to do so to this very day. The Cherrygrove Gym doesn''t hold any significance compared to what they have achieved. Youngsters these days don''t have any appreciation for the past.

    ¡ª Johto Forever ? 28 minutes ago

    Fully agree with you Rather Be A Gloom. I don''t care that the Cherrygrove Gym passed the test, they shouldn''t be allowed into the ranks of the major gyms.

    ¡ª green as the grass ? 28 minutes ago

    Rather Be A Gloom Johto Forever ? I get that history is important, but does it really matter so much that you''re going to boycott the Cherrygrove Gym over it? Shouldn''t we just look ahead to the future and what Arin and the Gym will accomplish from here on out?

    ¡ª Rather Be A Gloom ? 27 minutes ago

    green as the grass How foolish! Johto prides itself on its long history and traditions that have endured the test of time. It''s what sets us apart from the rest of the world. The Cherrygrove Gym will just be a stain on that history.

    ¡ª Johto Forever ? 27 minutes ago

    green as the grass I highly doubt the new Gym Leader will be able to accomplish anything. He''s too young and inexperienced. He won''t be able to serve Johto to the best of his ability and help protect it.

    ¡ª whaduyamean ? 27 minutes ago

    Johto Forever Uhh listen, mister or lady, did we not watch the same promotion test on TV? If you''re so worried about protection, you shouldn''t be. He literally proved his skills as a trainer today. Pretty sure he could help protect the region in a crisis.

    ¡ª LETS TRAIN ? 26 minutes ago

    Rather Be A Gloom Johto Forever Screw history. As a trainer who seriously aims for the Conference every year, I''ll tell you one thing. I just care about getting good challenges at gyms so that me and my team can get stronger. Arin''s match today made me hopeful that he''s going to be a good Gym Leader, and I plan on visiting the Cherrygrove Gym next season.

    ¡ª Optimistic Pokefan ? 16 minutes ago

    Okay wow, I did not think my comment was going to set off an entire freaking argument in the reply section. You all need to chill. I''m just trying to be happy for a guy who clearly put in the work to pass a damn test (very relatable by the way, curse those midterms I just took).

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    THE VERMILION GAZETTE

    [Cherrygrove Gym becomes the ninth major gym in Johto.]

    By Tristan Tsunayoshi / Published March 30, 2023 at 1:29 PM JST

    History was made today in Johto as Arin Watanuki successfully completed the promotion test and changed the Cherrygrove Gym''s status into that of a major gym. The political scene over in Johto may be rapidly changing, but it is also changing in Kanto as well. There are already growing concerns among the citizens that power may be shifting too far into Johto''s balance with nine major gyms versus Kanto''s eight.

    Minor gym leaders in Kanto, both present and past, have begun speaking out against the Indigo League as well. Through the criticisms they have begun directing at the League, it has been revealed that previous promotion tests involved the applicants needing to fight the reigning Blackthorn City Gym Leader for the final part of the exam. Minor gym leaders are outraged over the fact that Arin Watanuki did not have to do the same. The general masses are split fifty-fifty on whether it was a fair substitute or not to have Pryce Yanagi fill in as the proctor instead.

    When asked for comments, the Indigo League responded that they needed to change the final proctor for the Cherrygrove Gym''s test due to "inherent type immunity issues between Fairy and Dragon types." They also stated that "the point of the final test was to test the applicant''s full capabilities as an Elite trainer and keep things fair for both the applicant and proctor." This more than reasonable statement has quelled some of the questioning from minor gyms and the public alike, but there is still restlessness among the public.

    It was only 50 years ago that Kanto and Johto formally united under the flag of Indigo after the War of Ashes, and 15 years since the Rocket War. Kanto-Johto relations have improved rapidly within the last decade, but this latest shift in the political landscape of Indigo paints an uncertain future. Those of us at the Vermilion Gazette hope that Kanto and Johto will continue to maintain good relations amidst tensions caused by Team Rocket''s revival and new political structures.

    Comments (980) ¡ú

    Kantonian8 ? 12 minutes ago

    Screw Johto. They just want to oppress us again, and I won''t stand for it.

    ¡ª View Replies (5)

    ¡ª tired and retired ? 11 minutes ago

    Kantonian8 I share your sentiments exactly. Even before the fucking War of Ashes 50 years ago, we fought with Johto so many times and lost so many lives over the years. We might have peace now, but who knows when it''ll shatter. I won''t ever forgive Johto anyway. Memories still haunt me.

    ¡ª Kantonian8 ? 10 minutes ago

    tired and retired Ah¡­ a fellow brother-in-arms. Former member of the 5th Regiment of the Pewter City Corps here.

    ¡ª tired and retired ? 10 minutes ago

    Kantonian8 Good meeting you too, and Legendaries, I am sorry to hear that. I know the Pewter City Corps went through hell and back defending the north. I was leader of the 12th Squadron of the Viridian Forces.

    ¡ª Kantonian8 ? 9 minutes ago

    tired and retired You had it rough too¡­ The Battle of Mt. Silver was one of the deadliest during the War. Sigh. Forget all the hatred, I just feel tired now. Would you like to meet up for drinks sometime?

    ¡ª tired and retired ? 8 minutes ago

    Kantonian8 That''s how I always feel nowadays. Tired and bitter. And yes, let us meet up for drinks if possible. I will send you a private message with my contact details.

    whispersofdoom ? 25 minutes ago

    Initially, I found the chaos happening in Johto over Arin Watanuki and the Cherrygrove Gym to be pretty funny. Johto deserved all the panic for everything they''ve done to us in the past. But I still had a bad feeling before the promotion test¡­ and now it''s come true. They have nine major gyms now to our eight. Who''s to say this is the last step? What if they encroach further on the fragile political balance?

    ¡ª View Replies (36)

    ¡ª Liam sprints ? 16 minutes ago

    I''m sorry, I don''t understand why this is such a big deal I guess? They have a new major gym. Why are so many people concerned over that?

    ¡ª Disambient ? 14 minutes ago

    Liam sprints I was a bit confused too so I asked my family about it. Apparently the older folks are still shaken up over the War of Ashes and the overall long period of oppression we faced against Johto in the past. Kanto actually used to be a vassal state to Johto way in the past before they broke off. They basically often strongarmed us into disadvantageous trades and other policies that benefited them more than us. After uniting together as Indigo, and after careful policies made by Champions throughout the years and most notably Lance as of late, we''re at peace and things are much better. But¡­ I guess people are still worried about Johto taking any advantage they can get to increase their own power. They feel threatened, or so my grandmother says.

    ¡ª Liam sprints ? 13 minutes ago

    Disambient Damn¡­ I had no idea. I should probably start paying more attention in history class¡­

    ¡ª Prayers for the fallen ? 13 minutes ago

    whispersofdoom You''re right! This is absolutely not the last step. I swear this is just part of an elaborate plan by Johto to accumulate enough power that we can''t do anything to them when they eventually strike. There''s going to be war again!

    ¡ª Meowther ? 12 minutes ago

    Prayers for the fallen Are you crazy?! Why would you say something like that? Take it back. We''re at peace, and there won''t be another war.

    ¡ª Prayers for the fallen ? 12 minutes ago

    whispersofdoom No, YOU listen to ME. They added one more gym, next they''ll bring back their army and invade Kanto! SCREW JOHTO!

    ¡ª smileCURE ? 11 minutes ago

    Stop! Stop fighting! We''re supposed to be unified as one country!

    ¡ª Doubledip ? 11 minutes ago

    Sigh¡­ There are worse things to be thinking about at the moment like Team Rocket. Who cares about politics right now¡­

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Is it working?"

    "Yeah, it should be working¡­"

    "Then why hasn''t it started yet?"

    "Probably because Arin''s still taking the first half of the test¡ª Oh! It''s on!"

    The Paldea Elites stopped their squabbling and watched with excited expressions as the screen flickered to life. Geeta made a mental note to thank the small army of Porygons and Rotoms later. They had spent no small effort infiltrating the regional blocks and allowing them to watch the Indigo League''s official channel while keeping their activities hidden.

    "Good morning, citizens of Indigo," the League official on screen greeted. She was seated at a desk with a white wall behind her and a co-host sitting to her left. "In five minutes, we will begin the promotion test for the Cherrygrove Gym. In the meantime, we will explain the rules and format of the test as well as introduce the applicant and proctor¡­"

    Rika groaned. "Ugh, ANOTHER five minutes of waiting? Yeesh¡­"

    "Shh!" Hassel said quickly as he focused on the screen with interest. Larry couldn''t hold back an amused quirk of his lips as Rika rolled her eyes.

    Geeta blinked in surprise when the official announced Pryce Yanagi as the exam proctor. She was well aware of who he was. The former Champion of the Indigo League. She''d researched him in great detail in the past when she first took up her post as Top Champion and tried to form an opinion on Johto''s governing body.

    Still, she wasn''t worried. She doubted Arin was either.

    The Elites were all snacking on popcorn on the couches in Geeta''s house. She had invited them over for a watch party, and now here they were, about to witness Arin announce his presence to the Kinjoh Area. Poppy was especially excited, and she bounced up and down in her seat impatiently.

    Thankfully, five minutes came and passed quickly, and the match began.

    All of them focused sharply on the match. It was a good chance to not only support Arin, but to get intel on the former Champion of the Indigo League. Throughout the match, they only commented briefly out loud to each other about strategies and moves, and they decided to analyze the match more thoroughly afterwards.

    "Good use of momentum from Arin''s Wigglytuff."

    "Huh, that Dewgong is rather bulky. Its Thick Fat ability must have been trained extensively."

    "Yes, I would have expected Taffy to melt it all by now¡­"

    Poppy¡­ Poppy was just excited. Every time Pryce sent out a Pokemon, she asked what it was because she''d never seen any of them before.

    "Ooh, what Pokemon is that?!" Poppy squealed, pointing at the huge white seal on screen that Taffy was slamming into.

    "That''s a Dewgong, Poppy."

    "What does it do? Does it dance?"

    "Uh¡­ they CAN dance?"

    "What about that Pokemon?" She pointed to the next one.

    "Delibird¡ª"

    "AWW! I can''t see it anymore in the snow! It was so cute¡­"

    And so on and so forth.

    Then the match went to the last match-up between Vel and Mamoswine, and all the Elites leaned forward to the edges of their seats with bated breath. Even Poppy fell silent as she watched with wide eyes.

    "Mamoswine is unable to battle. With a final score of 6-4, Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match."

    The instant those words came out of the referee''s mouth, everyone was cheering loudly. Hassel had even leaped up from the couch and was punching the air with his fists as he hollered. Rika and Poppy were clapping enthusiastically, and Geeta didn''t miss how Larry quietly did a fist pump when he thought no one was looking.

    Geeta herself wore a very proud expression as she rose slowly to her feet, clapping with just a bit more force than she normally would. She stared at Arin''s figure on screen and smiled.

    Now¡­ the winds of change were blowing in Johto, and hopefully for the better.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Cheers arose not just in Paldea, but elsewhere on their side of the world as well.

    In Kalos, a woman with colored contacts and dressed in an elaborate kimono spun in place happily. "MAGNIFIQUE!" Valerie squealed loudly into the phone she held in her hands, and Siebold winced. Her eyes never left the TV screen in front of her.

    "Not so loud into my ear please¡­" Siebold muttered through the phone, but he chuckled anyway. There was a sudden whooshing sound, and then Diantha''s voice filled the phone instead. She must have snatched the phone from Siebold.

    "Arin did it!" Diantha laughed, just as giddy as Valerie. She and Siebold had been watching the broadcast live, too. "It''s too bad he didn''t use his Altaria, I was hoping to see Arya again."

    They chatted for a long time, happy for their mutual friend''s success.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    In Alola, a young woman covered from head to toe with splotches of bright paint flung her arms outward, nearing hitting the man next to her in the process.

    "YAY ARIN!" Mina screamed, and then she smiled sheepishly as she pulled her arms down. "Er, sorry Professor Kukui."

    Kukui merely smiled at her in amusement as he adjusted his glasses. "No worries, Mina. I know you''re just excited. I am too," he chuckled. "Wanna go see what Hala and the Tapus think?"

    Mina blanched. "Uhh¡­ maybe Hala, but not the Almighty Tapus¡­"

    As friendly as they sometimes were to the islanders, the Almighty Tapus were still Gods. Beings of immense power. Fairies.

    And as a Fairy Specialist, she knew better than anyone how capricious the moods of Fairies could be. Their Gods had decimated before for the smallest of offenses.

    Kukui coughed, clearing his throat. "I was just joking about the Tapus, Mina. That would be¡­ pretty risky. I don''t think they''d care too much anyway."

    "Oh whew," Mina said with a nervous laugh. She hurriedly pulled on Kukui''s sleeve, tugging him outside and moving past the ominous subject. "C''mon! I wanna go see what Hala thought about the match!"

    And off they went.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "That young man really did it," Opal whispered with a smile. The old woman sipped her tea as the rest of the Galar League''s Elites talked excitedly around her. Leon seemed especially fired up as he waved his arms around everywhere and pointed at the still playing TV screen. They''d all gathered to watch it.

    Opal simply rolled her eyes at their Champion''s antics and leaned back in her seat. She made a mental note to send a congratulatory message to Arin later, and perhaps some tips for being a Gym Leader if he needed any. If only Arin had accepted her offer to become her Gym''s successor¡­

    Well, she mused to herself with another small smile. It couldn''t be helped.

    Arin had found the place where he was meant to be.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Souta, do you want to watch the promotion test with us?"

    Souta Ishimoto froze in place for a moment. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder. Both his parents were looking at him with hopeful expressions from where they sat in the living room. There was a League official on the TV screen explaining that the match would start soon.

    A lump formed in Souta''s throat. He swallowed it down with difficulty. "¡­No thank you."

    He felt a bit bad when he saw his mom and dad deflate at the answer, but Souta quickly turned and headed upstairs. He ignored his Pokemon ¡ª especially Snubbull ¡ª who tried getting his attention and entered his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

    He flopped onto his bed and exhaled slowly.

    Arin. He''d been thinking a lot about the words Arin left him with two weeks ago. He was still depressed over his rejection from the academy, but he had actually been trying harder to get over it after Arin''s visit. He felt like he''d only made a bit of progress, though.

    It was like there was one last little block around his heart that he just couldn''t tear down. Something preventing him from moving on.

    He wished he could be more like Arin. He was so confident in himself and had a clear goal of what he wanted to achieve. Even though people were expecting him to fail, he pressed on anyway.

    Souta had actually talked to him a few times when they were both much younger. While the most they ever did was exchange greetings, he still clearly remembered how confident Arin had been even as a kid.

    Arin''s parting words were still fresh in his mind, and they rang out now.

    "I''ll prove to you and all of Kanto-Johto the strength of Fairy types. Just wait and see."

    Arin had told him he was right. That Snubbull wasn''t and had never been a mistake. That the academy had been wrong to deny him entry because of a Fairy type Pokemon.

    Souta bit his lip as he stared at the mini TV on his desk.

    After a few long moments, he got up from his bed and sat down in his desk chair. The TV was turned on with one click. He pressed the buttons until he got to the channel he wanted.

    His eyes widened when he saw Arin was about to fight Pryce Yanagi. The freaking former Champion of the Indigo League himself. Master of Ice Types, the Prodigy from Mahogany Town, the famed Ice Specialist and Sculptor, the list went on and on.

    Arin had to fight THAT kind of person to achieve his dream?

    That was so¡­ unfair. Did the League actually think it was okay to pit a Gym Leader against a person that had, until recently, been their Champion? It almost felt like they were setting him up for failure on purpose, and that instantly made him angry. It reminded him of his own experience with the academy.

    Souta''s shoulders sagged as he leaned back in his seat. He wasn''t sure he could watch this. Arin had confidently told him he would pass, but this was insane. Souta had half a mind to turn the TV off, but then the match started, and he resigned himself to watching just a minute or so.

    Souta almost forgot how to breathe as a Wigglytuff ¡ª a Wigglytuff! ¡ª demolished Pryce''s Dewgong.

    One minute turned into two, and then three, and then more as he kept his eyes glued to the screen.

    Arin was¡­ Arin was winning. He was in the lead, and he was fucking kicking Pryce Yanagi''s butt with his Fairy type Pokemon.

    One Pokemon went down after the other as Arin demonstrated to the nation his strength as a trainer. By the time the final match-up rolled around, Souta''s mind was beyond fried with shock as he watched the epic last showdown.

    And Arin finally won. He took down Mamoswine, and he made history.

    Souta sat there in wordless shock after the broadcast ended. He was pretty sure he heard his dad yelling out in excitement and joy from downstairs.

    Arin had achieved his dream just like he said he would. He had faced impossible odds and came out on top of them. He was a Champion-level trainer.

    He had proved Fairy types were awesome.

    Souta didn''t realize he was crying until a few tears fell onto his pants, and he hurriedly rubbed at his eyes.

    Legendaries, he''d been so pathetic until now. Continuing to mope around wouldn''t change anything. Just like Arin had told him, he needed to get back up. The real losers were the ones who stayed down and did nothing.

    And he was not a loser. He was a winner, and he had the best damn Snubbull in the world. Screw the Blackthorns and the academy. He didn''t want to go there anyway if the people were so narrow-minded. It was their loss and not his.

    He was going to keep moving forward.

    Souta shot up out of his seat and threw open his bedroom door. His heart broke when he saw Snubbull sitting outside. She jumped up in surprise from the door opening so quickly, and now she looked up at Souta with wide eyes. How many times had she been there waiting for him? Too many to count.

    Souta immediately scooped Snubbull off the ground, breaking down into tears as he cried into her fur. His other Pokemon hurriedly dashed towards him from where they''d been hiding around the corner.

    "I''m sorry, Snubbull¡­ I''m sorry, you guys¡­" he cried. "Thanks for waiting for me."

    With her stubby arms, Snubbull awkwardly patted him and let out comforting, distressed growls. His other Pokemon let out comforting noises of their own.

    Souta cried for a long time with his Pokemon surrounding him.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    In Olivine City, Haru Agawa sat at his desk with Turtwitch pulled up on the old computer in front of him. His Azurill, Mimi, sat on a puffy cushion on his lap to watch with him. She''d been a present from his mom ¡ª a lil Egg at the time ¡ª and he''d hatched her just a few months ago.

    The kids at his high school had been envious of him at first when he announced he had a Pokemon of his own, but when they found out about Mimi, they quickly changed their minds. The boys and even some of his friends had laughed at him and said he got a weak Pokemon. The girls had been much nicer and said his Azurill was cute.

    He was very much inclined to agree. Mimi was cute, and he was thankful to his mom for the surprise gift. He knew it probably had cost a lot of money to purchase the Egg for him, and they weren''t very well-off. His mom was most likely still feeling deep guilt over the fact that she couldn''t send him on a Pokemon journey last year.

    Not enough money. The life of a traveling trainer could not be afforded by everyone.

    Haru pushed aside any depressing thoughts and looked at the live chat. The Indigo League was broadcasting the match live on all their official channels across all platforms available. The promotion test had been the only thing people could talk about at his school for the last week, and it was finally about to begin.

    EmmyZooks: Just here for some entertainment. XD

    CrazyMeowthLady: he''s gonna lose he''s gonna lose ain''t no way he beats pryce

    gulpIN: FRFR man''s in over his head, this is gonna be a quick fight.

    Ruxiy33: CMON ARIN I believe in u!

    CrazyMeowthLady: he''s gonna lose he''s gonna lose ain''t no way he beats pryce

    RaISiN: Ugh, can you PLEASE stop spamming!

    Haru rolled his eyes. The viewer count on the League''s Turtwitch channel was over a million strong already, and the chat was going fast. Most people seemed to think Arin was going to lose. Haru didn''t have an opinion. He didn''t know anything about Arin Watanuki or Fairy type Pokemon, but he was interested in watching the match. It finally began after another minute.

    Pryce led with a Dewgong. He leaned forward excitedly to see what Pokemon Arin would start with. Probably something big and strong to make an impression on the League.

    His brows furrowed as his expectations were dashed and a Wigglytuff popped out instead. That¡­ was certainly an interesting choice. One quick glance at the chat revealed that other people were thinking along similar lines.

    Bizarre Blizzard: WTF

    70 Cents: OMA it''s over

    See_You_Gulpin: :shock: :shock: :shock: wigglytuff? Who uses that pokemon?/

    There was no time to read more of the messages zooming past one after the other. Wigglytuff and Dewgong sprang into action.

    And Arin''s Wigglytuff was a monster. Haru couldn''t believe half of what it was doing against Pryce''s bulky Dewgong, and he and Mimi both jumped in shock when the sonic boom hit. Dewgong went down. As soon as he had calmed himself down from the jump scare, Haru glanced at the chat again.

    VVUEEVEE: HOLY MOTHER OF CLOYSTER THAT WAS SO LOUD

    EmmyZooks: WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT :scream:

    geogeo: oi oi dewgong''s down

    FlyingFan4: that wigglytuff is friggin OP

    And so on and so forth. Yet again, Haru had to wrench his gaze away from the chat to focus on the match as Pryce tossed out his second Pokemon, a Delibird.

    Once more, Wigglytuff thrashed Pryce''s Pokemon. It wasn''t the only one to do so. Every single member of Arin''s team that he sent out was a living monster that took down more and more of Pryce''s Pokemon. Haru didn''t recognize a lot of them, but he felt his heart beating faster with every move that flashed across the screen and every command that came out of the trainers'' mouths.

    This was epic. There was no other way to put it.

    The people in the live chat were quick to change their tune.

    COUGH Koffing: YOOOOO pryce might actually lose

    JakeHush: who''s that Pokemon?!

    Flippin 77MRed: ARIN ARIN ARIN LETS GO ARIN

    Haru''s favorite part turned out not to be the admittedly amazing showdown between the unidentified Pokemon and Mamoswine, but when Arin sent out an Azumarill against Pryce''s Jynx. He and Mimi watched in awe as it slammed into Jynx and took it out in one hit.

    Just one.

    The live chat exploded with activity after Arin won.

    KeepsakeKing: I WANNA CHALLENGE THE CHERRYGROVE GYM IN THE FALL

    EmmyZooks: OMA he''s CHAMPION LEVEL

    geogeo: YOOO WE JUST WATCHED HISTORy HAPPEN!1 RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW

    But Haru wasn''t looking at the live chat anymore. His eyes were locked onto the screen where the camera had zoomed up close on Arin. It showed his back, but it also showed Arin lifting a fist high into the air above his head in a silent victory pose.

    That image of him was so powerful. It practically burned itself into Haru''s mind. It was so cool, he thought to himself. Arin was so cool.

    Haru looked down and found Mimi looking back up at him with wide eyes full of awe. He was sure he probably looked the same, and he grinned as excitement coursed through his veins.

    "Do you think we could be like that too?"

    Mimi hopped up and down enthusiastically in response.

 Chapter 17

    CHAPTER 17

    With blood still roaring in my ears, I recalled Vel into his capsule as Pryce did the same with his fallen Mamoswine. The broadcast was still ongoing as I walked out of my trainer box and over to the panel of judges.

    I stood in front of them with a proud expression. They were locked in a quiet discussion as they furiously scribbled things on their papers, but I''d obviously passed the test. I''d knocked out all of Pryce''s Pokemon with a sizable gap to boot. I just waited patiently for them to wrap up their conversation.

    Eventually, they all fell silent. Lance rose from his seat and looked at me.

    "Gym Leader Arin Watanuki," the Champion began. Brown eyes so light that they almost appeared yellow gazed intently at me. "On behalf of the panel of judges, I am pleased to announce that you have passed the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion test. From this day forth, the Cherrygrove Gym will be the ninth major gym in Johto. Congratulations."

    My lips stretched wide in a huge smile as I dipped my head respectfully. I''d known the results already, but it felt different hearing it said out loud from the authorities in charge.

    "Thank you. I am beyond honored to be able to enter the ranks of the major gyms," I said sincerely.

    With a practiced sweep of his cape, Lance turned and made his way around the table. He stopped in front of me and held out a hand with a smile. I understood immediately and put my hand in his, and he grasped it in a firm handshake.

    "Today is a historic day for Johto. I''m looking forward to working with you from now on, Leader Arin," he said in a dignified tone, and my existing smile grew even wider.

    "Thank you, Champion Lance."

    I vaguely felt the gaze of the broadcasting equipment on us as we shook hands. The instant we let go, the officials manning the machines turned them off.

    The promotion test was truly over now.

    I was about to turn and leave when Lance stopped me.

    "Leader Arin, before you go, I''d like to inform you that your swearing-in ceremony will be held tomorrow here at the Indigo Plateau. I''ll ask them to schedule it for¡­ 10 AM again, I suppose. Is that agreeable with you?" Lance asked.

    A swearing-in ceremony. It made sense since I was now in charge of a major gym in Johto. From this moment onwards, I was one of the pillars of our region and someone who held a key position of power within the Indigo League.

    I nodded instantly. "Yes. I''ll be here at 10 AM tomorrow."

    "Wonderful," Lance said with a smile. "Any family members may join you tomorrow for the ceremony. Needless to say, please do show up in formal wear for the occasion. After you are sworn in, you''ll be allowed and encouraged to make a short speech to the cameras for the public. There will be a small celebration slash meet-and-greet afterwards, so look forward to that as well."

    "I understand," I replied firmly, already committing all the information to memory. Arceus, I was gonna have to figure out what I wanted to say before the day was over. My first impression on the public after the promotion test needed to be a good one.

    Satisfied, Lance gave me a nod. "Then the Indigo League and I will see you tomorrow. Have a good rest of your day."

    He walked off without another word and his signature cape billowing behind him. I stared after Lance with a thoughtful expression. Now that I''d actually met and talked to Lance in person, he did seem like a pretty decent guy. Then again, we hadn''t really talked about anything personal and only about official business. Perhaps he was just putting on a polite appearance.

    At any rate, it was time to go home. I needed to get my Pokemon healed, and I couldn''t wait to see dad and Neil when I got back. I could already imagine their proud expressions.

    I hummed to myself as I made my way out of the room. The League Trainers who had escorted me on my way in walked in front of me, ready to show me through the maze of hallways back to the building''s entrance. We had just exited the set of double doors when I caught sight of a familiar back. Pryce was walking ahead of me, presumably heading back to his Gym. I jogged ahead of my escorts and called out to him.

    "Leader Pryce!"

    The old man paused at the sound of his name before turning back with a questioning expression. I came to a stop just a few feet away from him and smiled politely, dipping my head in a greeting.

    "I just wanted to say it was an honor to battle you today. Even if you were just doing your duty as an exam proctor, I truly enjoyed the match," I said sincerely. "I''m looking forward to working together with you from now on as fellow Gym Leaders."

    Now that I was the leader of a major gym, I would be working closely alongside Pryce and the other Johto Gym Leaders. I would be in contact with them often for work-related purposes as well as be seeing them at Gym Leader meetings, so it was important to foster good relationships with each one.

    And I would start with the former Champion and present Gym Leader of Mahogany Town.

    Pryce''s eyes darted back to somewhere behind me before coming back to rest on my face. I had just begun to wonder what that was about when Pryce scoffed at me.

    I immediately stiffened as he leaned in closer.

    "Johto does not need a Fairy Gym," he hissed venomously. "I will never acknowledge you as an equal."

    He whipped around with speed and ferocity one would not expect from someone of his age and stalked away. Every tap of his cane against the ground was more like a forceful slam, and I stared after his retreating back first with shock, then confusion, and finally anger. My League Trainer escorts chose that moment to catch up to me, and I realized that Pryce''s strange behavior before had been him checking to see if they were far away enough to not hear.

    The blasted old man had wanted to keep up a public appearance befitting a proper Gym Leader, and now I was the one who scoffed out loud.

    So much for maintaining good relationships with all the Johto Gym Leaders. The first one I''d reached out to, and he didn''t think I was worth talking to apparently. What the hell was Pryce''s problem anyway?

    Johto doesn''t need a Fairy Gym? I''m not acknowledged as an equal? I''d at least proven my strength as a trainer today against him, for Ho-Oh''s sake!

    Any respect I''d previously had for Pryce Yanagi went out the window from this one interaction alone. I had thought him to be above such narrow-minded thinking one would expect from the Blackthorns, and I struggled to understand why he held such animosity towards me.

    I tried putting myself in the shoes of Pryce Yanagi for a moment. He was a war veteran who had survived several of the deadliest conflicts in Johto''s history and a man who had dedicated his life to the country as Champion after Samuel Oak''s abrupt retirement. He was as patriotic and conservative as they came.

    Was his problem with the fact that I was breaking Johto''s tradition of only having eight major gyms governed by important families, or was it that I specialized in a Pokemon type that was considered blasphemous according to cultural and religious beliefs? Or both? I didn''t know, and I couldn''t interrogate Pryce for answers even if I wanted to. He was already long gone.

    I exhaled deeply, pushing all bad thoughts out of my mind for the time being. Today was supposed to be a special day and one for celebration. I''d etched my name and that of the Cherrygrove Gym into Johto''s history, and I shouldn''t ¡ª wasn''t ¡ª going to let one jerk ruin my good mood.

    I''d figure out what to do about Pryce another time. It was time to go back home.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    As soon as Pryce was back in his office at the Mahogany Gym, he slammed his fist against the wall and snarled.

    He''d failed.

    After his defeat at Lance''s hands, Pryce had sharpened his skills in the last six months and tried to bring him and his Pokemon back up to speed. Fine, perhaps he was past his prime, but he was still the Prodigy of Mahogany Town and the famed Ice Master himself. With decades of experience under his belt, he thought he would be able to defeat Arin Watanuki easily. Fairy types? Though he was loath to admit it, anything was just weak in comparison to Lance''s dragons, especially some new Pokemon type that had sprang up from nowhere.

    Then the Cherrygrove Gym Leader beat him with a blasted Wigglytuff, and that was the first of many dominos sent crashing down.

    Arin Watanuki had proceeded to pass the promotion test, and now there was a Ho-Oh forsaken ninth major gym in Johto. His predecessors would be rolling over in their graves if they knew this, especially when the Gym in question was a wretched Fairy type.

    Seventeen Pokemon types, eight major gyms, eight sacred Clans.

    That''s how it had always been and how it always should be. Johto did not need change. As long as they kept to their traditions and what they had always done, they would remain stable and powerful. Johto did not need something rocking the boat.

    Pryce wanted to scream as he dropped into his office chair with a loud thud. He''d already been unsatisfied with the merge of Kanto and Johto as one country after the War of Ashes. While he''d grown to accept it during his tenure as Champion, it still left him with complicated emotions. Now Johto had to deal with a change to their long-existing political structures.

    If only Radiant Ho-Oh would smite down the unholy Cherrygrove Gym, then Pryce would feel a bit more at peace again.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "The Cherrygrove Gym Leader is quite strong, isn''t he?" Koga mused out loud.

    The Elite Four were the only ones left in the underground arena. In fact, they were still sitting in the exact same row of stands they''d been in for the promotion test. Everyone else ¡ª Lance, the panel of judges, and all the other League trainers and workers ¡ª had departed long ago after fixing up the field and clearing the room of equipment and furniture.

    Only the Elite Four remained now in quiet discussion, for it was not every day that history was made in Johto and a new major gym was instated. As the men and women in positions of power just below the Champion, they were naturally very invested in the future of their country.

    Lorelei Kanna''s eyes swept over her fellow Elites as they talked quietly.

    Beneath Agatha Kikuko''s feet, shadows constantly swirled around and shifted. It was something Lorelei had not grown used to even after four years of service, and she didn''t think she ever would. The old woman the shadows were attached to was the longest standing Elite Four member between all of them. She''d been in power ever since Samuel Oak''s legendary reign. Lance was not very fond of Agatha''s personality (neither was Lorelei, to be honest), but he still greatly respected the woman for her many feats and service to the country. Even now, Agatha contributed significantly to the nation''s security with her small army of ghosts.

    Sitting to Agatha''s left was Bruno Siba, Kanto''s famed Fighting Specialist and Aura Master. There were a few Aura users under the Indigo League''s employ, but Bruno was by far the strongest. He''d spent almost fifteen years honing his skills and technique in the dangerous wilds of Mt. Silver before challenging for an Elite Four position and subsequently winning. His physical strength alone already exceeded the limits of what a normal human could do, but when enhanced with aura? There were rumors Bruno had pierced through a mountain before.

    Finally, sitting in between her and Agatha was Koga Kyou, the Indigo Elite Four''s newest member. He had been nominated by the Committee to take Lance''s spot six months ago after the change in Champions, and he''d since left his Gym in the care of his daughter, Janine. Koga was the current head of the infamous Kyou Clan of ninjas based in Fuchsia City. His epithet was the Poisonous Ninja Master, and that title had spread like wildfire because of his efforts in the Rocket War. Similar to Agatha, he and his Clan were vital in the country''s defenses for their intelligence gathering abilities.

    As for her?

    She was the second newest member of the Elite Four. Lorelei split her time between her duties for the League and giving lectures at schools both in Mahogany Town and her place of birth, the Sevii Islands. The history between the Sevii Islands and the mainland was a very strained one. Both Kanto and Johto had fought in the past to claim the islands and their mineral resources as their own territory before Sevii eventually claimed independence. If the islanders had to pick one region they hated the most, though, they would unanimously say Kanto.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    They had felt the effects of oppression most deeply from Kanto due to the fact they were located south of them. After the War of Ashes and the Rocket War, Kanto, Johto, and Sevii all united under the flag of Indigo. Relations between Kanto-Johto and Sevii improved rapidly, but there was still hatred on both sides. The reason why Lorelei had even left the Sevii Islands in the first place and clawed her way into the Elite Four was to improve the standing of the Sevii Islands in the eyes of the world. Compared to the mainland, they were worse off in just about everything: education, healthcare services, overall living conditions, etc. Her position in the Elite Four was for the sole purpose of being a voice for her people.

    Lorelei had fans, but she also had a significant base of people who hated her and her origins. For the love of Articuno, even Lance disliked her except it was for other reasons, those being that she was of an opposing type specialty and the fact that she was Pryce''s granddaughter. She was sure he was secretly hoping someone would challenge her and take her position, but she would never allow it.

    Lorelei had to refocus on the conversation at hand when Bruno abruptly turned to look at her. Did he always have to look so stern?

    "What do you think, Lorelei?" the man asked gruffly.

    "About Arin Watanuki?" she asked, arching a delicate brow. One hand went up to carefully adjust her glasses as Bruno grunted out a yes. She could feel Agatha and Koga staring at her as she pondered for several moments, taking her sweet time to formulate a response. "Yes, I do think he''s strong. I''m looking forward to seeing what he will accomplish during his tenure as Gym Leader."

    And she meant it. Even though he''d beaten her grandfather, Lorelei didn''t have any hatred for Arin. It was clear to her how much he had staked on the promotion test, and she could respect the strength and tenacity he''d shown as a result. Lorelei''s relationship with her grandfather was rather strained nowadays anyway. The year before the inevitable fight between Pryce and Lance happened, she had been aware of Lance''s poorly hidden intentions to eventually challenge him. She had warned Pryce multiple times that he needed to start training again, but he had ignored her every time. Then the fight happened, and the rest was history. Now her grandfather refused to talk to her outside of official settings.

    Bruno seemed displeased with her answer because a frown marred his features. "I''m inclined to disagree. I will admit some of the fight interested me, particularly the strength his Azumarill showed, but he used more gimmicks and subterfuge than I would have expected."

    "And that''s considered bad?" Koga was the one who arched a brow this time. "Not everyone fights every match straightforwardly like you, Bruno. I rather liked the strategies that young man employed. I would be interested in speaking with him sometime." Agatha scoffed out loud from his side.

    "Bah, I''m not convinced yet," Agatha said sharply. Her eyes narrowed as she whacked her cane against the ground. "Pryce, that blasted fool. He had such a poor showing today. Truly an embarrassment as our previous Champion."

    Lorelei tuned out of the conversation again as the others kept chatting.

    Arin Watanuki. How would he affect the Indigo League going forward?

    Only time would tell.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Flames licked at the air from within stone braziers. There were only a few of them, but it was enough light that objects and figures could be seen through the darkness. Massive statues of Dragonair and Dragonite, old yet polished to perfection, rose up on every side of the room like towering guardians. Across the ancient wooden floors, straw mats and silk cushions had been placed at set intervals. Each had a member of the Blackthorn Clan sitting upon them.

    This was the most sacred location inside the Dragon''s Den and the place where Clan meetings were always held. It was here in this very shrine that the founder of the Blackthorn Clan made a pact with a Dratini and started the legend of their family.

    Ordinarily, it should have been quiet in the Dragon Shrine. Today, however¡ª

    "BLASPHEMOUS! ABSOLUTELY BLASPHEMOUS! May Radiant Ho-Oh raze down that blasted Cherrygrove Gym with its holy flames!"

    "The sheer INSOLENCE of the Watanuki family! How dare they try to stand alongside the Sacred Eight?!"

    Lance Wataru refrained from sighing as he was forced to listen to yet another screaming match between the Blackthorn Elders. He''d flown here right after the promotion test because they''d issued a Clan-wide meeting, and he was already regretting it. Of course Lance deeply respected the Elders and everything they had gone through and done for the Clan over the years, but there was only so much screaming he could take. He swore he was going to go deaf or insane if he had to put up with this even a few more times.

    Furthermore, it was really quite unbecoming of them in his opinion. He was not fond of all the new changes in Johto''s political scene either, but he had to toe a careful line between Lance the Champion and Lance the Blackthorn. All his feelings were being bottled up so that he could maintain a neutral, respectable appearance. The instant he let his true and tinted beliefs slip, the people of Indigo would be on him faster than an Arcanine using Extreme Speed.

    It was mostly the Elders screaming obscenities at the moment. The younger members of the Clan, including trainees and successors for their respective branch families, had chimed in a bit near the beginning, but now they wisely kept their mouths shut and let the Elders rage. The sooner they got it out of their system, the better. The meeting had been called to discuss everything about Arin Watanuki and his Gym, but it had completely derailed from its original purpose.

    Arin Watanuki. Lance could still clearly visualize determined blue eyes looking back at him with a steady gaze. He had not been afraid of Lance or acted overwhelmingly deferential to him as people tended to do, and he had actually liked that. Lance enjoyed commanding respect from people, but there was a point when it became too much.

    Lance had been extremely surprised by the promotion test results. He hated Pryce, but he still respected the man and acknowledged his skills as a trainer. Even though Pryce wasn''t as good as he used to be, Lance had fully believed that the former Champion would handily beat Arin. He had believed Arin to be just an ordinary trainer.

    Then the opposite happened, and Lance was shocked to find out that Arin was actually a Champion-level trainer himself. Lance had narrowly beaten Pryce 6-5 six months ago to take his position. Arin had beaten Pryce 6-4 and with his fifth Pokemon still in a decent state.

    Lance would be lying if he said he hadn''t felt threatened for a few moments by the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader. What if Arin challenged him someday for his position? If it ever came to that, Lance would show him his place.

    He had complicated feelings about the whole situation to be honest. On one hand, he respected Arin as a trainer and acknowledged his strength. It wasn''t easy to beat someone like Pryce. Lance also liked the idea of another powerful trainer ¡ª from his home region, Johto, even! ¡ª coming under his employ, which would in turn strengthen the Indigo League and national security. These were frankly troubling times. Any extra help would be helpful if, Ho-Oh forbid, another Rocket War came to pass in the future. Those were all the positives.

    The negatives? Well, like the Elders were currently screaming on about, Lance also had strong pride in being a member of one of the Sacred Eight Clans. They were the cornerstones of Johto itself. It was unthinkable that a family with less prestige was now technically on the same level as them. Even more important than all of that was the issue of Fairies themselves. They posed a serious threat to the future of the Clan and everything it stood for.

    Fairies could not ever be compared to Dragons. Lance had gone his whole life believing Dragons were absolute, and he would continue to do so.

    As the Elders continued yelling at each other about the current state of affairs, Lance cast his gaze around the room. His eyes eventually settled on his cousin, Clair, who was¡ª

    His brows furrowed. Was she¡­ was she on her phone? In the Dragon Shrine no less? That was a blatant display of disrespect if he had ever seen any, and he was about to snap at her to put it away when he suddenly paused.

    A few more people in the room had pulled out their phones as well and were staring down at them. Lance realized quickly that they were all trainees who assisted at the Blackthorn Gym. What were they all looking at? Their group chat maybe? It was at this moment that the Elders finally noticed the lack of attention from some of their audience and screamed anew with anger.

    "HOW DARE YOU¡ª" one of them began, but Clair interrupted.

    "''From the Commerce Post: is this the end of the Blackthorn era?''"

    The entire room fell deathly silent in an instant.

    Even the Elders stopped screaming to stare at Clair in shock. She did not look up from her phone and merely continued.

    "''Protests from minor gym leaders across Kanto have revealed that previous applicants had to fight the reigning Blackthorn Gym Leader of the time, yet the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion test was different in that Pryce Yanagi was the proctor. This has many people questioning if the change was made to protect the Blackthorn Clan,''" Clair read out loud, coldly enunciating each and every word.

    "''As it is now commonly known, Fairies are immune to Dragons. We at the Commerce Post do not believe that this change in proctors was for fairly testing the applicant''s skills. In fact, we believe that the change was made to protect the Blackthorn''s image as the most powerful Dragon Tamers. Clair Ibuki was removed as proctor because there was a high chance she would lose, thus revealing to the world that indeed, dragons are no longer the most superior Pokemon. This is the end of the Blackthorn era and the might of dragons.''"

    Silence. There was nothing but silence long after Clair finished. The sheer absurdity of the article she had read aloud had stunned all of them into shock as they processed it.

    Lance felt like he was going to explode from anger. Yes, he had changed the proctor, and a small part of it had been because he wanted to save the Clan some trouble, but the most important reason had been to fairly test Arin''s capabilities without giving him a huge advantage during a battle.

    "Random journalists running their mouths off and spouting rubbish¡­!" Lance finally hissed, breaking the silence. He had to try very hard not to grind his teeth together. "For Ho-Oh''s sake, even the Committee agreed with me that it was the best course of action to have the proctor changed in the name of fairness! Pay that article no mind, Clair. We can have it deleted for defamatory content, I can get people on that right now before anyone sees it¡ª"

    "It''s been shared over 100,000 times already," Clair cut him off, and Lance clenched his jaw out of frustration. His cousin finally tore her gaze away from her phone and stared at him with a cold expression of her own. "We can bury it, Lance, but the seeds of doubt have already been planted."

    Lance didn''t get a chance to say anything else. The Elders began arguing again, this time over the fucking article that Clair had brought to their attention.

    Almost an entire hour and a half later, when the Elders ran out of energy to scream and squabble, the Clan meeting finally came to an end. Lance ignored the aching of his legs from kneeling for so long and jumped to his feet, hurrying outside to catch Clair before she left the Dragon''s Den completely.

    "Clair!" Lance shouted at his cousin''s back.

    The young woman turned around with fury blazing in her eyes, and Lance sighed internally as he came to a halt in front of her. Just as he''d suspected, she was pretty worked up over the article. "Clair, don''t worry about that paper. No matter what anyone says, you''re strong. They simply made up Tauros shit to incite false drama and viewership. Just go on with your daily life and duties like normal, and people will forget about it soon enough once they see there''s no drama to jump on."

    "They questioned MY authority and MY strength as a trainer, Lance," Clair hissed in response. Lance had to give her props for not yelling and drawing the attention of the other Clan members. "Worse, they disrespected our Clan and Dragons. How can you expect me to stay calm after that? How can YOU stay calm after that? They even questioned the authority of the Indigo League!"

    Lance breathed out through his nose patiently, refusing to let Clair rile him up.

    "For the record, Clair, I am NOT unaffected by this," he replied in a level tone. "The article angers me too. I am merely keeping my emotions in check, however, which is something you should also be doing. The media companies want to see us lose our cool. They are looking for the faintest whiff of drama or weakness, and the instant they get it, they''ll just write more pieces to tear the Clan down."

    "So what? We just constantly pretend to be fine and ignore all the nonsense?" Clair demanded.

    "Yes," Lance instantly replied in a firm voice.

    Clair stared at him for several long seconds. Eventually, she shook her head slowly.

    "I can''t believe this," she muttered. Her expression was a mixture of disappointment and anger as she looked Lance in the eyes. In a louder voice, she continued. "I can''t believe you of all people would encourage me to lie low. You always told me that Blackthorns must face the world with pride."

    Lance''s eyes softened. "We still do, and we always will. Just because I''m telling you to do nothing in response doesn''t mean we''re cowards. But sometimes, Clair, we have to do things we don''t like," he murmured.

    A vibration alert from the phone in his pocket reminded him that he needed to get going, and he sighed as he ran a hand through his carmine colored hair. "I''m sorry, but I need to head back to the office. I''ve been gone too long. If you have time tomorrow, show up for the swearing in ceremony, alright? It''d be good to show your support for the new Gym to the public."

    "Fine," Clair muttered, and Lance gave her a nod before leaving.

    He was fond of Clair, he really was. She was loyal to her friends and family, and she was an excellent trainer and Gym Leader. Lance could not be prouder to have her as a cousin.

    But Clair had a lot of faults as well. She cared almost too deeply about the Clan, Dragons, and traditions to the point where her devotion blinded her to almost everything else. She was an intelligent young woman, but pride meant everything to her. The instant something threatened it, all her senses tended to fly out the window.

    She was twenty years old, but she was so headstrong and short-tempered sometimes that it was like she was a young teenager instead.

    Lance wished Clair wouldn''t let her emotions take such a strong hold over her. She had the potential to become Elite Four material someday if she could just rein in her temper and stop to think.

    Lance sighed to himself. He had better things to think about right now.

    Paperwork awaited him.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Clair found herself staying in the Dragon''s Den long after the rest of the Clan members filtered out. She only spared a few greetings to her worried gym trainers; otherwise, she remained silent as she sat on a boulder near one of the ponds.

    Anger still coursed through her veins. She was furious about a lot of things. The article, the reporters who came up with it, all the doubters who seemed to think the Blackthorns were a joke¡ª

    She was even a little mad at her cousin. She knew Lance meant well and cared for her, but it was frustrating to be told, again, to stand down and do nothing.

    Ultimately, though, most of her rage was aimed at one person.

    Arin Watanuki.

    He and his blasphemous Fairy types were causing a wave of change through Johto, and Clair did not like that change. She didn''t like the idea of Fairies who could stand up to Dragons, she didn''t like the idea of another family being equal to the Sacred Eight, and she certainly, certainly, did not like that people were questioning her capabilities.

    Pryce Yanagi, that stupid old man, had failed to defeat Arin Watanuki. He had let him pass the test and enter the ranks of the major gyms. If she had been in his place, she would have stopped the Cherrygrove Gym from advancing. She and her Dragons would have made sure of it.

    When Clair thought about it like that, she came to a decision on the spot. She had allowed Pryce one chance, and he had messed up spectacularly. Now it was her turn. She clenched a fist.

    Lance wanted her to go to the swearing in ceremony? Fine, she would go, but only because she''d finally get to meet the wretched, so-called Fairy Specialist at long last. As she hopped off the boulder and headed back to her Gym, Clair Ibuki looked like the incarnation of wrath itself as she thought about tomorrow.

    Oh, Lance was not going to be happy. She loved her Clan, and she was going to defend their honor. She was planning on telling Arin exactly what was on her mind.

    She was a Blackthorn, and she would face the world with pride.

 Chapter 18

    CHAPTER 18

    I came back home to an admittedly pretty funny but also very heartwarming sight.

    Streamers and Pokemon shaped balloons decorated the back porch in eye popping colors. From columns, little strings of star and moon-shaped fairy lights had been tied and wrapped around. Pinned across the windows of the house was a huge pink banner with the words CONGRATULATIONS ARIN in bold letters and what looked like little drawings Dad had made of me and my Pokemon (he wasn''t a great artist, but he was better than me at least).

    That wasn''t even the best part, though.

    Dad, his Elite Pokemon, and even some of the gym Pokemon were still adding more decorations when we arrived. Zuri landed in the backyard at the exact same moment that dad''s Venusaur, Ivy, accidentally stepped on a pile of confetti poppers.

    It went flying everywhere, and suddenly dad and all the Pokemon were covered head to toe with tiny pieces of confetti in every shade of the rainbow. They all stared at me with wide eyes as I slid down from Zuri''s back. I took one look at their oh no faces and their new makeovers, and I really couldn''t help it.

    I laughed so hard.

    The sound of my laughter was what finally caused everyone to unfreeze as they welcomed me back home.

    "A-Arin, you came back so quickly! We were still setting up," Dad stammered. He hurriedly slapped some confetti pieces out of his hair and ran up to me with the biggest smile I''d seen from him as of yet. His eyes were suspiciously shiny.

    "Congratulations, Arin. I''m so, so incredibly proud of you," he told me hoarsely. I''d already been feeling a bit emotional on the flight over, but seeing dad like this made my eyes sting a bit with tears of my own.

    What a wonderful feeling it was to have your family support you.

    "Thanks, dad," I whispered. With some hesitation, I held up my arms and outstretched them a bit. Dad understood immediately and leaned in, wrapping his own arms around me in a brief but tight hug. I felt like we''d been transported back to older and happier times for a moment.

    When we let go of each other, dad beamed at me. "I''m going to go and brag about you to the townspeople later!" he said excitedly. "Imagine having a son who defeated the former Champion in a Pokemon battle and rewrote Johto''s history all in the same day. I get so restless every time I even think about it."

    An image of dad running through the streets of Cherrygrove like a madman and bragging about me at the top of his lungs filled my head. I snorted with laughter. "I AM pretty cool, aren''t I?" I said cheekily. My stomach chose that moment to growl and made me flush with embarrassment.

    Not even someone who''d just made history could defy hunger.

    "I don''t suppose we could eat an early lunch, could we?" I asked meekly.

    It was dad''s turn to laugh now as he whipped out his phone. "Of course! I was planning on ordering delivery from some restaurants in town actually."

    I perked up instantly. "Charizard Palace and Super Mantine Sushi," I rattled off quickly. "I really want to eat their pork gyoza and king avocado rolls. Oh! And taiyaki from Old Man Toma''s stall please, I promised my Pokemon I''d get some for them."

    "Anything for the man of the hour. I''ll call them right now¡­"

    While dad turned away and made phone calls, all the while boasting to the restaurant owners about me, I sent out my Pokemon and passed all the injured ones to our on-hand team of medical Pokemon. This consisted of my own Elite, Audi, two Chansey, and a trained Comfey Mina had gifted me. One of the Chansey used to work at the Cherrygrove Gym before dad closed it this season, and the other was one that I had acquired recently to stay around the house and help dad. I wanted someone to be there to look after him in case of a medical emergency, Ho-Oh forbid.

    The gym Pokemon who had stayed behind made sure to give their injured peers space as the medical team looked them over, but they couldn''t stop throwing questions at them excitedly. Apparently dad had dragged a spare TV outside so the gym Pokemon could watch the match, but they wanted to hear all about it still.

    My own Elites were much the same. I laughed as I watched them pester Vel and the others for details. They were more than happy to oblige. Vel in particular looked very smug as he sat down, one ribbon carefully smoothing out his ruffled fur while he recounted how he''d taken down Mamoswine. Dad''s own Pokemon joined mine for the storytelling.

    While we waited for the food to arrive, I sat down with dad on the back porch and chatted with him about the test. He waved his arms around animatedly as he went on and on about his reactions.

    "¡ªstill can''t believe you took down Pryce''s Jynx like that, son!" he exclaimed at one point. "Your Azumarill is so strong¡ª"

    "HELLO!" a loud voice rang out from somewhere near the front of the house. Dad and I both put a pause on our conversation. "Delivery from Charizard Palace!"

    "From Super Mantine Sushi, too!" another voice piped up.

    "And don''t forget me! I brought taiyaki!" Old Man Toma''s distinct voice added.

    The instant the word ''taiyaki'' came out of his mouth, some of my Pokemon ¡ª particularly Choux ¡ª went running to the source. Dad and I quickly got up to join them at the front door, and I laughed when I saw Choux jumping around Old Man Toma and his Machoke in excitement.

    Then I saw how many boxes of taiyaki there actually were, and I stopped laughing as my mouth dropped open.

    "I thought we only ordered three boxes?!" I exclaimed, eyeing what had to be at least a dozen containers in Machoke''s arms. Old Man Toma just laughed boisterously.

    "I promised taiyaki on the house after you passed the test, remember?" he reminded me with twinkling eyes, and he strode forward to clap me on the shoulder heartily. "You really did it, Arin! Congratulations! The whole city''s celebrating. Arthur even said he was considering making today''s date an official holiday from now on!"

    I continued gaping. "A-An official holiday?" My shock just made Toma laugh harder.

    "It''s not every day we get a new major gym in Johto, Arin, and in our city no less! You bet your ass people are gonna celebrate," Toma guffawed. "Heck, all the stores are closing for the day to set up stalls in the streets for a day-long festival. I need to get back and set up, too!"

    I was still processing Toma''s words as I followed everybody to the backyard. Toma''s Machoke carefully placed all the taiyaki boxes on a table as the other delivery couriers and their Pokemon did the same. They all gave me congratulatory remarks and cheers before they left.

    I only snapped out of my dazed state when Dad placed a warm hand on my shoulder.

    "Why so surprised, Arin?" he asked gently. As I watched my Pokemon dive for the boxes of taiyaki, I struggled to put what I was feeling into words.

    "It''s just¡­" I trailed off. In the background, Willow swiped a strawberry fish away from Fizz and caused a mini squabble to break out. "I guess I didn''t expect so many of the locals to be happy. I thought there would be more resistance, more people like¡­ Old Man Finn who wouldn''t accept the change."

    Dad hummed as we watched the Pokemon continue to eat and mock fight. "Well¡­ I''m sure there are still going to be locals who aren''t happy about it," he admitted. He quickly held up a finger. "But, Arin, that''s just a small minority. I''m sure you''ve probably even managed to sway some of those locals after today. Cherrygrove''s one of the smaller cities in Johto, son. It''s a bit sad to say, but people don''t really know anything about us beyond our namesake. The gym, despite its minor status before, was the biggest thing locals could boast about. Now though? Everyone''s gonna know Cherrygrove. This is the city that''s home to the ninth major gym of Johto. Of course locals would be happy about that. They have something to take pride in."

    Dad turned to look at me, eyes crinkling with joy. "I know I do."

    A lump formed in my throat. Everything dad just said had reminded me of something.

    I will put Cherrygrove City on the map.

    That was one of the goals I''d written in my journal.

    Growing up, I''d realized quickly that we were different from other cities. We didn''t get a lot of tourists, nor were we ever talked about on the news. We had no major attractions unless you counted the minor Cherrygrove Gym. Even the city''s beautiful, blossoming trees went largely unnoticed in favor of the glittering beaches and ports of Olivine or the centuries old buildings of Ectruteak. Back then and even now, it had frustrated me greatly.

    The rest of the nation didn''t care for us. To them, we were just a sleepy little city in the southern corner of Johto.

    Until now at least.

    Like dad had mentioned, we were home to the ninth major gym of Johto. Any town or city with a major gym usually saw a huge uptick in business and visitors. I sincerely hoped we would see the same soon. I was proud of our city and community, and I wanted us to prosper.

    Today, I''d managed to take my first step towards truly putting Cherrygrove City on the map.

    "I''m going to keep going further from here," I finally said with a grin. I clenched my fists, feeling more fired up than I had been in ages. "I''m going to help the Gym and the city become the best they can be."

    I''d passed the promotion test, but this was just the beginning. There was so much to do and so much more that I could become.

    Dad placed his hand on my shoulder once more, patting it ever so gently.

    "I know you will. Now let''s eat some food before the Pokemon finish everything," Dad said with no small amount of amusement, and I shook my head fondly.

    "Right."

    My grand ambitions would have to be set aside momentarily. Right now, I had a feast to eat and an achievement to celebrate.

    Dad and I finally sat down and dug into our freshly delivered food. Arceus, was Kanto-Johto cuisine good. I''d had a lot of foods from many different regions over the years, but nothing could beat the taste of home. Roll after roll of sushi disappeared into my mouth after I''d snacked on fried dumplings and edamame. For dessert, I had some strawberry matcha cream cheese taiyaki that Vel had thankfully hid from the others for me. All the boxes were gone already.

    As I sipped on soda, I remembered a promise I''d made to myself, something I had vowed to do after the test. I swiveled in my seat to look at dad. He was in the middle of eating some sushi with chopsticks.

    "Dad."

    "Hmm?"

    "Let''s take some pictures together."

    A piece of sushi froze halfway to dad''s mouth as he turned to look at me.

    "I¡­ What?" he asked. I raised a brow at him, smiling.

    "Why? Is it that weird that I want to take pictures with you?" I asked playfully, but I turned serious as I spread my hands out in front of me. "I just wanted to commemorate today. And, uh¡­ I''d like it if we took more pictures in general from now on. Make memories, you know?"

    Dad stared at me as he slowly put his chopsticks down. I suddenly felt a bit nervous. Did he not want to? I don''t think I remembered dad ever being averse to taking pictures, but maybe that had changed in the last ten years¡ª

    "Yeah! Yeah, of course. That''s a great idea. Let''s take some pictures," Dad finally said, interrupting my train of thoughts. I smiled in relief when I saw how enthusiastic he looked. Perhaps I''d just caught him off guard with the sudden question.

    Since we were the only two humans around, I ended up asking my Pokemon to take pictures for us. Silque volunteered immediately since she liked this sort of thing. She kept my phone floating in front of her face with psychic powers while dad and I got into position.

    "Arin, is this fine?"

    "No, we need to move back a bit, Silque said she wants to get the perfect ratio of trees to flowers¡­"

    "Here?"

    "I think so¡ª oh, never mind, Silque said to move up just a hair."

    "She told me that as well, I didn''t think she would speak telepathically to me. First time hearing someone else in my head aside from Ein¡­"

    Eventually, Silque was satisfied enough that she began counting down with her claws. Dad and I slung arms over each other''s shoulders and smiled for the camera. We did a few more poses before dad and I took turns being the photographer, taking pictures of each other with our respective teams and the gym Pokemon.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    We pored over the camera roll afterwards, pleased with how the pictures had turned out.

    "Let''s print some out for the house later," Dad suggested. I nodded eagerly. That was exactly what I''d been planning.

    "By the way, do you mind if I send some pictures of us to my friend Hassel? He was the one who drew that painting of me and Vel, and he said he could paint a picture of us if we wanted¡ª"

    "YES! Definitely yes, your friend is an absolute genius. I can''t wait to see the finished painting," Dad interrupted excitedly. He babbled on for a bit, and I just smiled to myself as I sent pictures to Hassel. I''d already guessed dad would love the idea.

    It was also at this moment that I realized I had over dozens of messages from friends. I''d had my phone turned off because of the test, but I could see all the notifications now. Dad plodded off to eat some more yakisoba while I went through each message with a smile, sending back thank you notes and various stickers. It was heartwarming to know so many friends and acquaintances I''d made over the years had been watching the match and rooting for me.

    I checked up on my social media accounts afterwards. Unsurprisingly, there were hundreds of thousands of more followers on each platform. I was in the spotlight now, and I would be for a long time. What did surprise me a bit, however, was the fact that there was a verified Arin Fan Club account on Chatter. I felt both embarrassed and happy about it. Apparently it had been made by some Cherrygrove locals, and I only knew that because they said as much in a private DM to me.

    It helpfully reminded me that I needed to get started on expanding the Cherrygrove Gym''s social media presence soon. There were already existing social media accounts and even a website from dad''s days of running the Gym, but those needed to be updated for obvious reasons. It was important to attract both prospective challengers for the next League Circuit season and fans who would come support matches.

    Not to mention, I needed to send out hiring ads soon. I''d do that tomorrow after my swearing-in ceremony.

    I was about to put my phone back into my pocket when it rang. Neil was calling me. My thumb pressed the accept button before I held my phone up.

    "Hi Neil¡ª"

    "CONGRATULATIONS, KIDDO! Do you know how proud I am?" Neil practically roared into the phone, and I immediately jerked the device away from my ear with a wince. Wow, okay, that was loud. I slowly brought it back.

    "Thanks, Neil," I said with a slight cough. If I listened closely, I could hear a lot of commotion in the background. "Huh, what''s all the noise I''m hearing?"

    "That''s the festival, Arin! It''s part of why I called you! Come into the city. We can''t have a party without the main star!" Neil explained excitedly. "I''m hanging up now, but come to the City Hall plaza, okay?!"

    He really did hang up after that before I could say anything.

    I blinked rapidly several times as I slowly lowered my arm and stared at the black screen of my phone. I guess there was somewhere I needed to visit now. My Pokemon were all engrossed in partying and chatting among themselves, so I quietly walked over to dad and tapped him on the shoulder.

    "Hey, I''m going to go visit the city. Neil called and wanted me to join the festival going on. Do you want to come with me?" I asked.

    "You go ahead first son, I think I''m gonna need to sit here a bit and rest. Ate a bit too much, urgh¡­" Dad groaned, patting his stomach. I laughed and held up a hand in a wave, already walking away.

    "Alright, see you later!" I called over my shoulder. I began heading down the trail from our house.

    It was time to see this so-called festival.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I gaped as I entered the city, half out of shock and half out of embarrassment.

    Banners with various congratulatory messages for me were hung across buildings everywhere I looked, and there were balloons and festival lanterns tied to every lamppost. Every single store had closed up for the day with makeshift stalls and outdoor dining areas lining the sidewalks. The tantalizing scents of freshly-cooked foods wafted through the air. Even though I''d just eaten, I already felt hungry again. I wondered how in the name of Arceus they''d gotten all of this ready so soon after the match ended.

    And everybody, everybody, was out in the streets.

    There were hordes of Cherrygrove locals as far as the eye could see. Everybody was eating and chatting happily. The first person to notice me enter the city gave out a loud cheer that spread like wildfire as more and more people realized I''d showed up.

    "It''s Arin! Look, he''s here!"

    "CONGRATULATIONS, ARIN!"

    "Pride of our city!"

    "Leader Arin, the match was so cool!"

    People of all ages and backgrounds came up and congratulated me. I almost felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that crowded around me, but more than anything, I felt happy. The townspeople ¡ª my townspeople ¡ª were happy. That was enough for me. There was a huge smile on my face as I thanked them and continued on my way.

    It was a whole darn parade as people followed me through the streets or hollered congratulations to me as I passed by. It slowed me down a bit as I stopped to say thank you to the locals, but I eventually made it to my destination.

    The City Hall plaza was in party mode.

    Much like the rest of the city, there were stalls set up but in a circular ring around the edges of the plaza. The middle section was set aside for live musicians and people to dance along to their upbeat songs. I even saw some city officials looking over boxes of fireworks to be set off later in the far corner.

    I took a step forward to begin my search for Neil and paused mid-way. Someone stood in front of me.

    Old Man Finn.

    We hadn''t exactly parted on the happiest of notes the last time we met, so we stared awkwardly at each other for a few moments.

    I eventually spoke first after clearing my throat. "Good afternoon, Finn. Enjoying the festival?"

    "Yeah," he muttered with a stiff nod of his head. I nodded slowly as silence filled the air again. Around us, the townspeople continued partying.

    I was about to give a polite goodbye and leave when Finn limped a bit closer. He stopped just a few feet away and looked me in the eye. Was this about to turn ugly? In front of City Hall no less?

    "You really did it," he said instead in a quiet voice. "You made the Cherrygrove Gym the ninth major gym in Johto¡­ congratulations, Arin."

    "I¡­ Thank you, Finn," I finally settled on. I had initially braced myself for scathing words from him, so this was nice.

    Finn stuck out a weathered hand to me, and I stared at it. "I''m sorry about what I said last time about you not knowing what you were doing. You clearly do, and I''m proud to be a local of Cherrygrove City today," he apologized. His face was twisted in a weird expression of embarrassment, but his words were genuine. "I don''t know how to feel about Fairy type Pokemon yet, but I''ll keep supporting the Gym."

    Finn''s apology shocked me, but it also made me realize dad had been right. I''d been so worried about locals resisting the change, but here I was now looking at someone whose opinion I had swayed.

    I shook Finn''s hand firmly, more than happy to be back on better terms with him. "It''s alright, Finn. I understood where you were coming from last time," I told him. "The Cherrygrove Gym wouldn''t be the same without one of its biggest supporters. We''re gonna need you around."

    Finn clicked his tongue but couldn''t hide a smile as he turned around. "Hmph. Count me to be there for lots of matches in the fall. See you around town, Arin." And with that, Finn disappeared into the crowd.

    I was left to reflect on the conversation that had just occurred with a small smile of my own. So long as I kept up my current success, I had no doubt more people would change their minds about me and everything I stood for. I hummed happily to myself as I walked forward into the mass of people.

    It took a bit, but I eventually found Neil. He was sitting at a table with his son, Souta, and Arthur with plates of food in between them. Arthur saw me coming up first and waved energetically, nearly knocking a bottle by his elbow to the ground.

    "Arin, my dear boy!" Arthur yelled. "Congratulations! Truly the pride of our fair city!" His face had the slightest flush to it. On closer inspection, the bottle next to him turned out to be Shyera Sora, one of the better-known wines from Johto made with the help of Shuckle.

    In any other place, drinking in broad daylight would not be a good look for anyone, much less the mayor, but this was Cherrygrove. We were a city with a tight-knit community, and especially today of all days, people wouldn''t care because they were all celebrating.

    Neil''s face was also rosy as he twisted in his seat to look at me. "Hey, you finally made it!" he grinned. "Party''s in full swing across the whole city!"

    I rolled my eyes but smiled as I sat down in the empty chair next to him. "Yeah, I kind of noticed on my way here," I chortled.

    Apparently that was enough to send Neil and Arthur into an entire fit of laughter. I chatted with them for a bit before they got up. Neil left to kidnap his wife from her housewife friends for a dance while Arthur went to go and brag about me to some random locals.

    That left me sitting alone at the table with Souta. He had only said a single ''hi'' when I initially sat down and hadn''t said anything else. He looked rather nervous for some reason, but I was glad to see he didn''t look as depressed as he had the last time I saw him.

    I smiled at him, hoping to ease off some of the tension. "So, how are you doing lately¡ª"

    "I''M SORRY!" Souta blurted out, cutting me off. I blinked as he stared at me with wide eyes, looking profusely apologetic. "I was, um, kind of rude the last time you came by, and I wanted to apologize."

    I hurriedly waved a hand through the air. "No, it''s fine, you weren''t really¡ª"

    "Wait, please let me finish!" Souta interrupted again, and I snapped my mouth shut as he bowed his head a bit. "I''ve¡­ been thinking a lot about what you said in these last two weeks. It took me a long time, all the way up until this morning even, to realize that you were right. I need to keep moving forward. I''ve got a whole future ahead of me, and I''m not going to let one failure set me back. And ever since I realized that, my chest has felt a lot lighter."

    He peeked up at me with a small but very genuine smile. "I''m¡­ really thankful you came and talked to me, Arin. Thank you. I made up with my parents and Pokemon already, including Snubbull."

    "Really?!" I beamed at him, very pleased by what I''d just heard. I was already touched by Souta''s gratitude, but more than anything, I was happy that he had repaired his strained relationships with his family and team. I wondered if that was why Neil had seemed even more cheerful than usual. I didn''t think my visit to the Ishimoto household would do much, but I guess it had more of an impact than I could have ever hoped for.

    Souta nodded, looking very happy himself. "Yeah. I''ve also decided what I want to do next," he said excitedly, and he suddenly looked nervous again as he looked at me. "I, um, would like to be a gym trainer for you. What I really want to do now is learn from you and understand more about Fairy type Pokemon. Would you be willing to accept me as part of your staff?"

    I had to stop myself from gaping for the nth time that day. Souta wanted to be a gym trainer for me? I wondered if Neil and his wife knew already. I honestly couldn''t say that I had expected this in any shape or form. I had thought Souta might try for a different academy.

    But this was a welcome development, and I adopted a serious expression. Souta gulped as he noticed the change in my demeanor.

    "I''m happy to hear you''re interested in becoming a gym trainer at the Cherrygrove Gym. You would be a welcome addition, however, I cannot just accept you into the staff," I said sternly, and Souta''s face fell. Alright, that was enough for messing around. I dropped my serious expression instantly and grinned as I continued. "You''ll need to apply for the job like everyone else and beat the competition if you want to join. Hiring ads and applications open tomorrow, so look sharp."

    Souta''s expression instantly morphed into one of understanding and joy as he nodded vigorously, eyes blazing with newfound determination. "Got it! Look out for my application!" he said seriously, and I watched in amusement as he jumped up from his seat and dashed away somewhere. Was he going to start preparing now?

    I hadn''t been lying when I said Souta would be a welcome addition to my Gym. He was very intelligent for his age, and I liked his hardworking personality and the fact that he was seriously striving to achieve a new goal. I planned on reviewing his future application very carefully.

    My good mood practically soared to the skies as thoughts and hopes about the future swirled around in my head. I shifted in my seat to view my surroundings. Everywhere I looked, people were happy.

    As I watched everyone dance and laugh and cheer, my heart threatened to burst from all the positive emotions I was feeling. I wouldn''t have traded this instant in time for the world.

    Quietly, I renewed my vow to myself. I wasn''t going to stop here. I might have put Cherrygrove City on the map, but this wasn''t enough.

    "Arin, come over here!" Neil yelled. He, his wife, and a bunch of locals waved eagerly at me to join them in the festivities.

    I smiled and got up from my seat.

    Yes, this was just the beginning of my ¡ª our ¡ª tale.

    "Coming!"

    We sang and danced for the rest of the day and long into the night.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    OMAKE

    And?! What did you do next? Choux demanded. The rest of the Pokemon nodded and leaned in.

    Vel flashed a proud smile at his audience as he raised two feelers above him in the shape of a moon. I felled the ugly thing with one last Moonblast. Silent version, if I might add. The look the beast''s elderly trainer had was priceless. He never saw it coming, he said smugly.

    There were roars and cries of appreciation from his fellow family members as they leaned back, chatting excitedly amongst one another.

    Congratulations, Vel, and to everyone who fought, Yuno said with a proud expression. Although we could not witness it, it sounds like it was a marvelous battle.

    Gahhh, I wish I could have fought in the match too! The enemies you all described don''t sound terribly strong, but they would have made decent opponents I think, Willow sighed. He threw his hands up as the jaws behind his head snapped wildly at thin air. I could have shown them my might! I could have even gone Mega!

    You wouldn''t have been able to Mega Evolve, Willow, Freya quipped back. She moved to lick at her fur only to pause. Best not to aggravate wounds in the process of healing. There was no Mega Evolution allowed for the match. Did you not hear what that voice said in the beginning?

    Willow instantly deflated. Ah¡­ I may have ignored the match introduction. I was too excited at the thought of battling.

    Cally buzzed happily. I''m sorry you didn''t get to fight, Willow. I had lots of fun participating. Hehe, the judges were so surprised when they saw me!

    Yeah, it was fun! Taffy chimed in. He jumped up and down with a joyful smile as he waved his short arms around. You guys should have seen how I took down TWO Pokemon! Especially that blasted bird, it was quite annoying hiding up in the air, but I laughed when I hit it in the face with its own combination move. I¡ª

    Taffy! Stop jumping please! Audi interrupted, and everyone instantly shut their mouths as the Audino marched forward with a frown marring her usually smiling features. Just because the medical team and I treated you does not mean you''re back to one hundred percent right away. You''re going to need to rest, am I understood?

    Taffy smiled sheepishly as he sat back down. No one wanted to deal with a pissed off Audi. Sorry, Audi. Thanks for the healing again.

    Goodness, Audi said with a fond shake of her head. The frown was quickly replaced with a smile as she clapped her hands together. Everyone sighed in relief to see her return to normal. Well, I''m always happy to help. I will say I wish I could have fought in the match, though. I would have liked to show off.

    Right? Right?! Willow exclaimed. He sighed again, clutching his head tightly. Well, I''m happy for you guys at least. It''s good we won.

    As we always should, Fizz piped up. He fluffed himself up a bit and spread his wings. The world shall know the might of Fairies.

    Brie cocked a nonexistent brow at him. Perhaps so, but I''m guessing you just wanted to show off personally, too?

    Er¡­ Fizz looked abashed, and everyone rolled their eyes. They all knew he was fond of strutting his stuff. Fizz looked around at the sea of reactions and squawked indignantly. Okay, so I did want to show off, but that''s not the whole reason, guys! I owe Arin for a lot of things. I wanted to personally contribute to the battle and pay him back, you know¡­? He trailed off, sulking.

    One of their resident ghosts floated over to him. Fia''s expression was one of understanding as she brushed a feathered appendage against Fizz''s side. I can understand that, Fizz. Arin means a lot to me, too. I''ll always jump at the chance to help him. I''m confident I could have shown the strongest performance out of all of us in the match today.

    A touching silence fell upon the clearing. Each of them had joined at different times throughout the years from different walks of life, but they all cared for each other and Arin deeply. They''d been through hell and back together. For a few moments, the team of Pokemon ruminated on old and nostalgic memories.

    Then chaos descended as more than a few of them finally processed the last sentence Fia had said.

    Hold on a second! Grima exclaimed. He was about to wave an injured arm in the air when Audi glared at him, and he quickly put it back down. My dear Fia, please tell me you did not just say that you think you could have outdone us?

    Golden eyes gleamed mischievously in response. Perhaps?

    No, no, no. You simply cannot say that to someone who fought up close and personal with a brute! Grima complained. I put on a rather riveting performance if I do say so myself.

    If we''re talking about performance, then I believe I outshone everyone today, Freya interjected proudly. I led that filthy Weavile around by its nose.

    Huh? But I defeated two Pokemon by myself¡ª

    Yes, and Vel defeated the Mamoswine¡ª

    Nah, I could have done better than all of you if Arin put me in for the match!

    As everyone devolved into friendly squabbling, Vel could not help an amused smile from crossing his face. His eyes went to where Arin was sitting and eating with his father, and his smile grew even bigger.

    The two of them had come so far from their humble beginnings. Now they had an entire family to share joys and troubles with, and a brand new future ahead of them.

    Vel couldn''t be happier.

 Chapter 19 â€” The Righteous Path

    CHAPTER 19 ¡ª The Righteous Path

    "Dad, you have two choices. Zuri or Teleport¡ª"

    "Zuri! Definitely Zuri," Dad quickly interrupted with a nervous expression.

    It was the morning of my swearing in ceremony at the Indigo Plateau. Both dad and I had gone to sleep at about one or two in the morning after partaking in the city''s festivities, but we''d managed to rest well enough.

    We''d dressed up to the nines for the occasion. Dad was wearing a very nice set of dark green formal wear and had even brought out one of his favorite wristwatches. For me, I''d added a vest and suit jacket to my usual formal wear. I was also wearing some expensive cufflinks in the colors of a Sylveon''s feelers. Valerie had pestered me into buying them in the past, and I had only worn them a few times before for galas and other parties in Kalos and Galar.

    Now they were finally seeing some use again. And of course, I didn''t forget to wear one of the ties Larry had given me either.

    I''d just asked dad about what mode of transport he wanted to take. He hated Teleporting and didn''t want to risk throwing up later, so we climbed onto Zuri''s back.

    "It''ll be a quick ride, dad, just a couple minutes," I promised.

    "A few minutes? What¡ª" Dad tried to ask, but Zuri had already taken off.

    Dad screamed as the world blurred past us. I snickered, patting myself on the back for startling dad yet again on a flight.

    We arrived at the Indigo Plateau soon enough. There were more security checks than normal due to the special occasion, but it didn''t take long for us to clear all of them. Dad was finally starting to look more composed as we were guided inside the building to the ceremony''s venue.

    Today''s swearing-in ceremony was being held in the Hall of Strength, one of three different halls used for ceremonies in the League Headquarters'' West Wing. Dozens of chairs had been set up in neat rows in front of a grand stage. Some of the rows were sectioned off for reporters, and others had name cards on them for important guests.

    Up on the stage, there was a podium and six chairs placed on the far left. The symbol of the Indigo League, an intricate Pokeball crest, was emblazoned proudly on a huge flag that hung from the walls for all to see.

    The instant dad and I entered the room, reporters noticed and began to snap pictures of us. They weren''t allowed to leave the seating area since there were guards blocking it off, but camera flashes went off anyway as they took what they could get from a distance.

    "I have to get backstage to prepare for the ceremony," I explained to dad in a quiet voice. He nodded in understanding.

    "Got it. I''ll see you after, Arin," he said with a small smile, and then he left with a guide to be shown to where his seat was. I made my way to the back of the room where two guards stood next to a door. They let me through, and I found myself in a large waiting room. Six individuals were already seated inside and waiting for me: Lance, the Indigo Elite Four, and the current President of the Indigo League, Koushin Aoma.

    Compared to other regional Leagues, particularly those on the other side of the world, most of the power in Kanto-Johto rested with the Champion instead of a more equal balance with the League itself. The President of the League was more of a glorified manager who oversaw the League''s overall structure and dealt with broader organizational tasks.

    Our unbalanced political structure was part of the reason why some other countries, particularly Unova, were reluctant to deal with Kanto-Johto as they saw us as bordering on dictatorship. Luckily, we hadn''t had any incidents with rampaging Champions so far in our history, and it would stay that way. Usually the Elite Four kept the Champion in check, or¡­ other and more dangerous forces could intervene like they had during the War of Ashes. Beings who were like Gods and would destroy anything and everything in their paths.

    Nobody wanted a repeat of that.

    Our reigning Champion of the time and League were usually very careful not to abuse their powers and plunge all of Kanto-Johto into a crisis.

    I tore myself out of my thoughts as Koushin Aoma got up from his seat and walked toward me with a polite smile. He was very old, probably over seventy if I had to guess, yet his grip was strong when we shook hands.

    "It''s very nice to finally meet you, Gym Leader Arin. Congratulations on your historic achievement yesterday," he said in a quiet but steady voice. He had been in power when I was a child as well. It was a bit unreal that I was meeting him like this.

    "Thank you, Mr. President. It''s an honor to meet you as well," I said sincerely. His eyes crinkled as he smiled again.

    "I''ll be looking forward to seeing what you accomplish as Gym Leader," he said, and then he gestured to the door. "I waited here so I could greet you, but I should get going now to make sure everything''s going well outside. I''ll come back when it''s time for the ceremony to begin. Once again, it was nice meeting you."

    I bowed my head in a show of respect as he waved goodbye and disappeared out the door. He''d been a lot nicer than I''d expected. I almost thought of him like a kindly old grandfather instead, though I quickly reined in that thought. He was still in a higher position of power than me even if he didn''t actually hold too much power in the League.

    Lance was the next to greet me as he called out across the room.

    "Leader Arin, come have a seat with us. The ceremony won''t begin for a bit," he said, and I quickly walked over to join him and the Elite Four. I ended up taking the empty chair between Lance and Lorelei.

    As soon as I sat down, I felt stares on me from all sides. The Elite Four were looking at me with expressions ranging from everything from curiosity to indifference.

    Lorelei greeted me first, perhaps because she was sitting directly next to me.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Leader Arin," she said as she extended a slender hand. I shook it with a nod of my head.

    "You as well, Elite Lorelei," I greeted in return. Even after we let go of each other''s hands, I was still trying to come up with what to say when I suddenly felt a chill. The temperature had dropped almost instantly. I had an idea why even before I looked down.

    There on the floor, a Gengar''s face peeked up at me from an elongated shadow it was attached to. The Ghost''s crimson eyes glowed brighter when it saw me looking back at it, and its lips stretched wide in a grotesque smile as darkness oozed around my feet. It let out a loud cackle before it disappeared.

    I looked back up with a neutral expression. That had been one of Agatha''s famed Gengar, obviously. Now what it had been doing, exactly, I could only hazard guesses. Perhaps it had been playing a prank of its own.

    That, or it had been ordered to do something.

    The Gengar''s owner gave a cackle of her own as she leaned forward in her seat, staring at me with interest.

    "Not many people would be able to look at a Gengar with hardly any reaction," Agatha mused out loud. "You have more of an iron will than I thought, boy."

    I shrugged. "I mean no offense, Elite Agatha, but I have a lot of experience dealing with Ghosts. I''m used to the behavior they can exhibit by now," I said simply.

    "Oh?" Agatha arched a brow. "Does that mean you have some Ghost and Fairy type Pokemon?"

    "I do," I replied honestly. Agatha''s grip on her cane tightened as her expression shifted. If she''d looked interested before, now it had doubled as she regarded me like some sort of exotic prey.

    Before she could inquire further, Lorelei interrupted. "Since we are on the topic of Pokemon¡­ might I ask if that Pokemon you used against my grandfather''s Weavile was an Ice type? I assumed that was the case due to its capabilities in the snow, but I would be greatly interested in hearing the truth of the matter from you," the young woman asked politely. She was trying her best to hide it, but I could still hear the interest leaking through her neutral tone.

    I nodded. "Yes, an Ice and Fairy type Pokemon."

    The moment I confirmed it, Lorelei''s composed expression cracked as her lips quirked into a smile. "How lovely," she murmured. "It was quite beautiful and powerful. You''ve done a wonderful job raising your Pokemon, Leader Arin."

    I felt myself relaxing a bit as I leaned back in my seat. Getting to hear compliments about my Pokemon was always nice. "Thank you, Elite Lorelei. I''ll be sure to pass your kind words on to her later."

    Lorelei''s smile actually widened a bit more at that. She was so different from Pryce that it was honestly kind of astounding to know they were related.

    "I heard you said in a previous press conference that you had been outside the Kinjoh Area," Koga interjected at that moment. The famous head of the Kyou Clan of ninjas tapped a foot once against the floor. "Quite a remarkable feat for someone so young to make it that far."

    "Oh yes, I wanted to inquire about that too, actually," Lance added, and he turned to me now. "Leader Arin, which places have you been to outside the Kinjoh Area? You mentioned Unova during the exam, but am I right in assuming you have been to others?"

    "I have. Several other regions in fact."

    Lance nodded thoughtfully in interest. "Was there a place called ''Alola'' among them? The Indigo League has some very old records dating back several hundred years ago. A lot of it is undecipherable, but they did reference a faraway place called Alola several times."

    My eyes widened ever so slightly. Huh, I wouldn''t have expected our League to have that kind of information. It made me wonder what the connection was between Indigo and Alola and if anyone had ever made it there in the past. "That''s right, a place called Alola exists. It''s a region made up of five different islands."

    "A region of islands? Intriguing," Lance muttered to himself before speaking in a louder voice. "Thank you for the confirmation, Leader Arin. It''s always good to broaden the understanding the Indigo League has of the world as a whole. I would be interested in speaking more with you about your travels another time perhaps."

    I nodded readily. I didn''t mind talking about my travels as they were rather fond memories, and if it helped me get brownie points with the Champion, then all the better. "Sure."

    I thought the conversation would end there, but Bruno actually spoke up. He''d simply been staring at me the whole time until now.

    "Did you meet any Aura users on your journey?" he asked. Somehow, I wasn''t surprised to hear him ask that. Bruno was well-known for his Aura capabilities and the fact that he loved seeking out challenges. It made sense he''d be interested in knowing if there were strong people abroad.

    "Many actually, and quite a few of them were Gym Leaders," I said as I mentally ran through a list of people in my head. "There was a girl I met who uprooted an entire forest by herself before¡­ the world''s a big place."

    "Hoh¡­" Bruno''s eyes gleamed. Agatha, who sat next to him, clicked her tongue and whacked her cane against the ground.

    "Don''t be giving Bruno ideas now, boy," she said sharply. "Goodness knows he''ll actually go and do that, and then we''ll have to clean up the mess for him."

    I had to refrain from one, chuckling, and two, frowning as she called me ''boy'' yet again in a condescending manner. Agatha was famous for her very¡­ particular personality, though, so I let it slide.

    Lance took the lull in the conversation as a chance to finally give me a run-down of how the ceremony would proceed later. I committed everything to memory with a nod. I was admittedly a bit nervous for the ceremony, but I was more nervous about the speech I''d give afterwards. It would be my first official appearance as a Leader of a major gym, and I hoped I left a good impression on the public.

    I spoke a bit more with the Elite Four after Lance finished his explanation, but it was mostly just trite pleasantries as we impatiently waited for the ceremony to begin. Finally, after another five minutes, my not too terrible conversation with Lance and the Elite Four drew to a close when the President came back inside and told us it was time.

    The Elite Four left first to take their seats on stage, and President Aoma followed them to make introductory remarks at the podium. When he finished, Lance and I finally walked out.

    Camera flashes went off the instant we left the backstage waiting room. We both wore smiles for the reporters as we took our positions on the stage. I stood to the right of Lance while he stood at the podium, adjusting the microphone to his liking. While he was doing that, I managed to spot where dad was sitting in the crowd. He smiled at me reassuringly.

    Everyone began settling down when Lance tapped the microphone lightly. Satisfied, he turned his gaze to the crowd before him. The room of people went silent in an instant. Lance had an incredible ability to command attention and respect just from standing still.

    "Citizens of Indigo, yesterday was a historic day as we welcomed the Cherrygrove Gym as the ninth major gym of Johto. Now today, we will officially welcome Gym Leader Arin Watanuki into the ranks of the Indigo League," Lance spoke powerfully. "He has shown that he possesses the strength to be a pillar and guiding force of our country. We will now begin the oath of office."

    Done with his opening speech, Lance swept his cape back before reaching forward.

    The hall had already been quiet when the ceremony first began, but a new hush ¡ª an almost reverent silence ¡ª fell over the attendees again as Lance brought something out from inside the podium. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the venue. All eyes were inexplicably drawn to the object in his hands, mine included.

    Inside a small, ancient brazier, golden flames so brilliant they threatened to blind all who laid eyes upon them burst forth and danced in the air unbidden. Flashes of vibrant red and orange mixed with the golden hues in a mesmerizing symphony of color.

    The flames were alive and spoke of power no mortal could comprehend. They were the Beginning and the End, and the Passion of everything that came in between. These were the flames of the Incarnation of Wrath and the Bringer of Early Spring itself.

    The flames of the Legendary Moltres.

    "Please place your hand on the Flames of Virtue," Lance instructed in a clear, loud voice as he held the brazier out to me.

    I felt every single pair of eyes in the room barely manage to rip itself away from the hypnotizing flames and rest on me instead. I barely acknowledged them. I only had eyes for the flames.

    The flames of Moltres ¡ª or the Flames of Virtue as they were commonly referred to ¡ª symbolized the spirit of the Indigo League. They represented the dreams and ambitions of aspiring individuals. In important ceremonies such as this one, they tested the quality of one''s very soul.

    The Flames of Virtue would judge you. If you passed, then you were considered worthy. If you were burned¡­ supposedly you were a sinner beyond all redemption. No one had ever been burned by the Flames before in the history of Indigo, and I didn''t plan on being the first either. They were more a formality than anything anyway.

    My gaze was resolute as I raised my hand. Every person in the room leaned forward silently in their chairs with bated breath. Even Lance''s eyes sharpened as they followed my movements. Without hesitation, I placed my hand directly onto the Flames of Virtue.

    My skin remained unburned. Everyone in the audience relaxed, and even I unknowingly released the tension that had built up in my shoulders. Lance nodded ever so imperceptibly.

    The Flames were surprisingly cool to the touch.

    Inside, however, I felt warmth blooming in my chest from their radiance. The Flames were¡­ comforting. As they brushed up against my fingers, I felt as if they were cleansing me of any hatred and despair. Like they were telling me everything would be alright. I would have even dared to say that they seemed like they were growing¡ª

    My eyes widened, and so did Lance''s and everyone else''s in the room as the Flames did grow.

    They expanded before my very eyes not in a sudden explosive pillar of light, but in a gentle and silent ascent. The Flames enveloped my entire hand and rose up almost two feet, the top ends coalescing swiftly into a distinct shape.

    I stared as a bird''s head was formed near my eye level. Radiant specks of scarlet crackled in the air behind it as a fiery plumage, and the way the Flames shifted across its face gave it the impression of eyes. They looked into my own, and I almost forgot how to breathe. These were just Flames from Moltres, but I felt like I was looking at the Bird of Noble Fire itself.

    The fiery visage leaned forward and regarded me for several long seconds. I stared back with a hammering heart and tried not to flinch, wondering if I was about to get burned to a crisp. After what seemed like an eternity, the bird''s head dipped low in acknowledgement. The Flames spiraled back down to the brazier in a mere instant and went back to their normal height.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    It was like the entire thing hadn''t happened at all, except it had. The whole room was still stunned silent by the events that had just unfolded.

    I had to be the most shocked person of all. Whatever just happened to me had never occurred before in the history of the Indigo League. There had never been an instance when the Flames rose up like that. I didn''t know what to think about it. Was the Bird of Noble Fire interested in me? Could it still see through the Flames it left behind generations prior?

    All I knew for sure was that I hadn''t been burned, and the head the Flames conjured had even acknowledged me. That meant I was worthy. Lance came to the same conclusion as I did, and we both recovered faster than the audience.

    Without even clearing his throat or blinking abashedly, Lance opened his mouth to speak. His ability to carry on unfazed after such an event was admirable.

    "The Flames of Virtue have deemed you worthy. Your soul is pure and your heart true," Lance recited carefully. His eyes bore into mine as he continued. "Do you, Arin Watanuki, solemnly swear that you will be faithful to your appointment as a Gym Leader of Kanto-Johto and serve Indigo for the greater good?"

    There was not, and had never been, any room for hesitation. Everything I''d done so far had been building towards this moment, but I was looking to the future already now. I''d never been more sure of myself as I spoke just two words.

    "I do."

    "Then, with my position as Champion and the power vested in me by Indigo, I proclaim you are now part of the Indigo League''s upper ranks."

    Lance nodded ever so slightly at me. "Congratulations, Leader Arin."

    It was only when Lance finished speaking that the room finally unfroze, and I slowly lowered my hand from the Flames of Virtue. The audience rose up from their seats and began clapping and cheering, filling me with pleasant feelings. Dad was cheering in an especially loud voice for me. In the reporter section, they were going crazy with how rapidly they were clicking their cameras and taking pictures. I felt as if I was going to go blind from how many camera flashes there were, practically a sea of light in itself.

    Movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I looked over to see Lance smiling at me and gesturing to the podium. It was time for my short speech.

    Everyone sat back down as Lance put the brazier away and walked off, taking his seat on stage alongside the Elites and the President. In the meantime, I took his place at the podium and set an outline of my speech in front of me. I''d spent hours yesterday trying to come up with what to say.

    Full silence finally filled the hall again as I looked out towards the sea of faces before me. My previous nerves had disappeared. This was the culmination of all my efforts, and I was proud to stand before everyone.

    I belonged here. I''d proved it.

    The notes I''d brought with me were all but forgotten as I began my speech.

    "I stand here now as the Gym Leader of the ninth major gym in Johto, and I am beyond honored to be able to serve Indigo. To my friends, family, Pokemon, and especially the people of Cherrygrove City, I only have deep appreciation for all the support you have shown me along the way," I began. My eyes swept across the audience as I continued, heart beating calmly in my chest.

    "To be a Gym Leader is to be an unshakeable pillar. It is not only a position of strength, but one of wisdom and also courage. I swear that I will uphold my oath and work tirelessly to support the country as one of its guiding forces. My strength will be for our nation''s protection, my wisdom for guiding aspiring trainers through their journeys, and my courage for walking a constant, righteous path."

    I paused, allowing a small smile to overtake my serious features.

    "I shall endeavor to help our nation''s prosperity continue. Thank you, citizens of Indigo."

    The crowd went wild after I finished. Reporters frantically took pictures and typed a verbatim account of my speech on their laptops. Around them, people clapped and cheered even more loudly than they had when Lance finished talking. I had to hold back a smile of amusement when I saw dad clapping so furiously it looked like his watch was gonna fly right off his wrist.

    My speech was over, and with it, the swearing-in ceremony. The afterparty was next on the agenda.

    I followed Lance and the others into a luxurious ballroom adjoined to the venue. There were countless banquet tables and chairs spread throughout the room for people to sit at. More importantly, there were tables set up along the sides of the room with foods and drinks already. I saw everything from colorful plates of hand-held appetizers to expensive main dishes like spiny lobster and grilled sea bream with steam still rising from them.

    Before any lingering reporters could intercept me, Dad walked up to me first.

    "Arin, it was a wonderful speech. You also looked great up there. I''m really proud of you, son," Dad said in a voice thick with emotion, patting me on the shoulder twice. I was happy that dad was happy, but something still nagged at me. I eyed our surroundings before leaning in.

    "Thanks, dad," I murmured. "The Flames moving though¡­ I didn''t expect that to happen during the ceremony."

    "Ah, yes¡­" Dad blinked the moistness away from his eyes as he lowered his own voice. "It''s quite unheard of, Arin. Not even Samuel Oak experienced something like that when he touched the Flames before."

    I tapped one foot against the ground anxiously. Yeah¡­ it was unusual alright. Probably not bad, or at least I hoped so, but definitely unusual. "Legendaries¡­ This is probably going to become a hot topic for a long time."

    I wanted to discuss further with dad, but Lance chose that moment to step toward me.

    "Could I speak with you briefly?" he asked. Dad offered a polite greeting to the Champion before ambling away to give us privacy. I barely noted that he was heading for the buffet tables, most notably the section that held fried squid and roasted duck, before I turned my attention back to Lance.

    He wore a serious expression as he folded his hands behind him.

    "Please allow me to cut to the chase. Did you hear anything when the¡­ Flames rose?" Lance asked with furrowed brows. Ah, so he''d wanted to talk about the incident too.

    I shook my head. "No," I said almost regretfully. Perhaps hearing a voice would have been better if only so it could have given answers. "I didn''t hear anything. It just looked at me and bowed its head."

    "I see¡­" Lance trailed off with an almost disappointed expression before he schooled his face back into one of composure. "Thank you for answering honestly, Leader Arin. As this is not something that has happened before in Indigo''s history, I was curious to know if you had received a vision or message, anything of that sort. Anyway, congratulations again. Enjoy the afterparty, and do meet with some of the other League officials if only to make connections."

    "I will, thank you." The instant I finished, Lance offered one last polite smile before wandering off to another corner of the room.

    The hyenas ¡ª hungry, excited reporters ¡ª finally came flooding in now that I was alone.

    They maintained a certain distance but still shoved cameras and mics toward me with glittering eyes. Since they spoke eagerly all over each other, it was difficult to make out what they were saying. I had a feeling what the number one question on their minds was, though, so I just decided to speak freely.

    "I do not know why the Flames rose as such, so I cannot answer any questions regarding that. All I know for sure is that I was not burned and thus deemed worthy," I said immediately. "The Flames have spoken, and I will respond in kind to serve Indigo to the best of my ability. Thank you."

    I made it clear I was done answering questions and quickly walked further into the room, leaving the reporters far behind me. I wasn''t feeling very hungry, so like Lance had suggested, I wanted to try talking to people in the room. They were all either Indigo officials or important people worth getting to know and making connections with.

    Five minutes into my socializing, I came to a realization. Everyone I talked to had either one of two reactions. There was no in-between.

    They either loved me or hated me.

    The latter was much more common. At least eighty percent of the people I talked to rudely dismissed me in a careful, roundabout sort of way or looked at me with barely hidden wariness and dislike. Dad''s previous warnings echoed in my head. I might have been winning some support from the people so far, but the League was a whole other matter. Most of these people were conservatives who greatly valued tradition in Kanto-Johto and the current political structure.

    They didn''t like that I was stirring up the Beedrill''s nest with my Fairy Gym so to speak.

    Only a small minority of people I talked to actually reacted positively to me. These were mostly younger representatives, and they were a lot more open-minded and forward-thinking compared to their older counterparts. They expressed great interest in my ambitions for the future and asked plenty of questions about the Fairy type. I was more than happy to oblige, glad that there were at least some people in the League''s ranks that didn''t outright oppose me. A few of them even excitedly remarked about the Flames part of the ceremony, saying Moltres must have sensed something special in me.

    That¡­ could not be verified, so I just smiled politely at them and shrugged.

    I took a break at one point to lean against the wall and rest. I''d talked to so many different people yet only made a few worthwhile connections, and a quiet sigh slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Politics was tiring. At least dad was enjoying the food from the buffet. I''d seen him eating at a table earlier and talking to some acquaintances.

    "Ah, here you are. It was a lot of trouble finding you amidst the crowd," a male voice suddenly remarked in good humor. I looked up to find two figures stopping in front of me, and I rose to a proper standing position immediately.

    I was staring at the Gym Leaders of Ecruteak and Olivine, Morty Matsuba and Jasmine Mikan.

    Morty was twenty-six years old and had led the Ecruteak Gym for about nine years now. He was widely known as ''The Mystic Seer of the Future'' due to the powers of clairvoyance he held.

    More importantly, he was also an Ability Holder who could communicate with Ghost types. I recalled reading an article before about that. A big fuss broke out in Johto when Morty revealed his Ability to the nation a few years into his tenure as Gym Leader. At that point in time, the stigma surrounding Ability Holders was still rather strong, so people opposed him at first.

    But Morty had also built up a dedicated base of supporters in his local community by the time of his reveal, and they defended him with everything they had. The fuss eventually died down. Morty was even seen as one of the country''s greatest assets today. Any Ability Holders, psychics, or Aura users were useful for national security and hurriedly employed by the League.

    Standing next to him was Jasmine, known as ''The Steel-Clad Defense Girl.'' If I recalled correctly, she was one year older than me and had taken up her position about four years ago. She was a soft-spoken individual known for her kind personality and wildly popular in her own City. Locals also liked to call her ''The Iron Thorn'' because of how she became more aggressive during Pokemon battles.

    I smiled at both of them, pleasantly surprised to finally be meeting more of my fellow Gym Leaders.

    "Greetings to you both. It''s a pleasure to meet you," I said as I extended a hand first to Jasmine, and then to Morty. Both of them echoed similar greetings as we shook hands.

    "It''s nice to finally meet the person we''ll be working with from now on," Morty said cheerfully. "Would it be alright if we went by first names with each other? I''m usually all for formalities, but between us Gym Leaders, I like to keep things casual and friendly."

    I already liked Morty a lot. He seemed like a chill guy and was a vast improvement over the grump that had been Pryce. "By all means, yes. I''d like to treat each other as friends anyway," I said eagerly. Both Morty and Jasmine looked pleased by this, especially the latter.

    "Wonderful! Lovely speech by the way, Arin. I was quite inspired."

    "Thank you," I said sincerely, and I dared to grin a bit. "To be honest, I was looking forward to meeting my fellow Gym Leaders as well, you especially."

    Morty cocked a brow in interest. "Oh? Do pray tell."

    "I thought it would be nice to become friends with a fellow Ability Holder."

    Morty and Jasmine actually froze a bit as they stared at me with wide eyes.

    "You''re¡­ an Ability Holder?" Jasmine finally asked in a quiet, surprised voice.

    I nodded. "I am."

    "Oh wow¡­" Jasmine''s expression turned into one of envy as she fiddled with her hands. "You and Morty are so lucky! I wish I was one, too. There are so many useful Abilities out there."

    I think I was about ready to burst from the seams with joy at this point from Jasmine''s short statements alone. If only people had reacted this way ten years ago in Kanto-Johto.

    "Really?!" Morty''s calm expression actually slipped a bit as he grinned excitedly. "How marvelous! There aren''t many of us in Kanto-Johto, only two others in fact who work for the League or the Rangers. May I ask what your Ability is?"

    I shared in his excitement as I leaned forward. "Communicating and bonding more easily with Fairy type Pokemon," I rattled off, and Morty positively beamed at that.

    "Ah, so our Abilities are quite similar then. You can communicate with Fairies, and I with Ghosts. How simply splendid, I can''t help but think what a fortuitous meeting this is. Perhaps we could talk more about our Abilities another time and bond over similar experiences?" Morty asked hopefully, and I nodded vigorously.

    "Definitely. I''ll be looking forward to that," I agreed. I didn''t want Jasmine to feel left out, so I turned to her now and smiled. "Maybe we could all get together to hang out sometime and learn more about each other?"

    Her eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Yes please," she said in a soft but eager voice. "I''d love that."

    I continued chatting with Morty and Jasmine for a good while. Both of them were actually quite nice, and I grasped a basic understanding of their personalities halfway into our conversation. Morty was a calm and level-headed individual with a natural, old-fashioned way of speaking, and he revealed that he had a great interest in myths and legends. He made that very clear to me when he managed to talk for fifteen minutes straight about Ho-Oh and Moltres with an excited expression, even remarking about me and the Flames in the process.

    "Morty often gets like this when talking about Legendary Pokemon¡­ you''ll have to excuse him," Jasmine whispered to me as he rambled on. I chuckled quietly and filed that tidbit of info away in my mental archives.

    Jasmine herself was a bit quiet but very friendly. I got the impression that perhaps she did not have a lot of friends outside of the Gym Leaders, and even then she told me she wasn''t very close with any of them aside from Morty. She was great at listening to others and offering thoughtful comments, but she wasn''t afraid to add to the conversation either, especially when given the chance. I found her easy to talk to if I was being honest. She had a comforting aura with her smiles and overall kind demeanor.

    At one point, the three of us exchanged phone numbers to keep in contact. Morty even went one step further and added me to a group chat with all the Johto Gym Leaders.

    "Ah yes, Arin, I almost forgot to mention this¡­ We decided a short while ago to have one of our bi-annual meetings a little earlier this year, mostly because of the massive shift in the gym structure," Morty said with a snap of his fingers. I listened with interest as he continued.

    "It''ll be in two weeks. It''s my turn to host the meeting, so it''ll be at my Gym in Ecruteak. I''ll send you an invite reminder via text so you can mark it down on your calendar. We''ll just be talking about how this League Circuit went and what to expect for next year as well as some other things. It''ll be a good chance for you to meet the others. Most of them couldn''t come to the ceremony because of prior obligations at their Gyms due to the ongoing Circuit, so please don''t take offense to their absences today."

    "Got it. Thanks for letting me know, Morty."

    He smiled at me. "It''s no problem at all," he said with a smile, but then he shared an awkward look with Jasmine that made me clench a fist.

    "There''s something we should probably warn you about in advance," Jasmine said after a moment''s hesitation. I stared at her with no small amount of anxiety.

    "Er, is something wrong?" I asked. Jasmine hesitated again as her brows furrowed.

    "Not¡­ exactly," she said. She peered up at Morty, and he took that as his cue to take over.

    "I''ll be blunt, Arin. Some of the other Gym Leaders have some¡­ reservations about you and your Gym," Morty explained.

    Ah¡­ of course they wouldn''t all be happy with the changes. I''d already met one example.

    "I''m not surprised. I know Pryce is among them," I said with a sigh. Morty visibly winced.

    "I''m assuming he probably said something to you after the exam, then," he muttered. "Unfortunately, yes, Pryce is one of them. There are two others, but I don''t know if I should be outing them by name. You''ll see at the meeting I suppose."

    I gave a terse nod. I was both looking forward to and dreading the upcoming Gym Leader meeting already. Thoughts swirled around in my head about the ''two others'' Morty had mentioned. One of them I assumed to be Clair even though I hadn''t met her yet, and the other''s identity I couldn''t even begin to guess.

    We talked about happier topics for a bit before Morty and Jasmine had to go back to their Gyms. Despite the warnings they''d given me about the other Gym Leaders, I felt pretty happy overall. I at least had two Gym Leaders that were friendly towards me so far, and now I finally had some friends of my own in Johto.

    I hummed to myself as I craned my neck, searching for dad''s whereabouts. I figured I''d go ask if he was ready to head back home. No more socializing for me.

    I had just spotted him and taken a step forward when someone moved in front of me again. This time, it was a very recognizable young woman with long turquoise hair tied up into a high ponytail.

    I went still.

    Clair Ibuki.

    I had finally come face-to-face with the Blackthorn City Gym Leader.

    She carried herself with even more confidence than she had shown in videos or articles. She was also taller than the average for women in Kanto-Johto, coming up to about five foot seven. Clair regarded me with a neutral expression, so I did the same. Her eyes stared into my own and narrowed. They searched for something I did not know.

    For several long seconds, we did not say anything to each other.

    I''d never met her before, but I was already wary of Clair.

    "Greetings, Leader Arin. I apologize for not coming to greet you sooner. It was a wonderful ceremony," Clair finally said in a clear, dignified voice. Her lips stretched into a smile.

    Well, that was normal enough.

    I smiled back politely but did not hold out a hand. "Greetings to you as well, Leader Clair, and thank you."

    I left it at that. Suspicions about Clair and overall bad feelings about the Blackthorns stopped me from making conversation. I was still studying Clair and trying to figure out what I thought about her when she helpfully remedied that problem for me.

    I felt a sense of deja vu similar to my meeting with Pryce as Clair''s eyes darted left and right. When she finished, she stepped closer and leaned in.

    "Alright, enough of the pretenses. I despise you, Arin Watanuki," Clair hissed.

    I was not surprised. I''d had suspicions that had been somewhat tempered by dad''s thoughts and my own second guessing, but they''d never fully gone away.

    "Might I ask why?" I said calmly in response.

    Clair bristled at my reaction but held herself together. "You dare change the ways of Johto that we''ve long lived by," she ground out. "There have only ever been eight gyms and eight families. You dare sully the long history of our region by introducing a Gym of some new and random type that appeared and believing you could be equal to the Sacred Eight. I will tell you now: there is no place for you or your Fairies in Johto."

    My eyes narrowed.

    Arceus. Clair Ibuki¡­ she was just like Pryce and the rest of her Clan. Narrow-minded and unable to accept change.

    It was infuriating. Maddeningly so.

    "Who are you to tell me that I have no place here?" I retorted in a low voice. "I passed the test fair and square. I''ve already been officially inducted into the ranks of the major gyms, and the Flames of Virtue even deemed me worthy. It''s all set in stone, Leader Clair."

    Everything I said was factual, and Clair knew it. She actually gritted her teeth now as she glared at me.

    "That may be so," she began, "but I''ll never accept you as an equal. You think you''ve proven yourself by beating Pryce Yanagi? He''s old and past his prime. You merely defeated a former shell of a man. The original proctor of that test was supposed to be me."

    Clair practically snarled out that last word before she continued. "Johto is a place for the strong and not the weak. Your Fairies are an affront to everything the Blackthorn Clan stands for. They are blasphemous beings that should not exist under the old teachings, and I assure you, had I been the one you faced for the test, you would have failed. Dragons have always reigned superior in Johto."

    I stared at her in utter disbelief. I think I was finally starting to realize the sheer magnitude of the issue I was facing.

    This was something that went beyond Clair. Clair was the obstacle right in front of me, yes, but if I thought about it more deeply, the real problem traced all the way back to the Blackthorn Clan themselves and other traditionalists. They were an obstacle to the nation''s future itself. With their backwards thinking and misguided beliefs, they were spreading terrible teachings to the generations that came after them.

    Clair wasn''t going to be swayed by words. This was a person who had shown she was obsessed with strength and tradition. Perhaps she truly believed in what she said, or she had just been badly influenced by her Clan. It didn''t matter either way.

    Then and there, I knew I had to put Clair in her place. Was it going to permanently and negatively impact my relationship with the Blackthorns going ahead? Oh, most definitely, but this had to be done not just for me, but for the good of all of Kanto-Johto. I needed to make a statement to the Clan who stood behind Clair.

    The country could not live stuck in the past. The country did not need to be poisoned by the beliefs of those stagnating at the top.

    This was a new age, and the Blackthorns needed to know the world was changing with or without them.

    "How foolish," I said coldly. "To think the noble Blackthorn Clan couldn''t see the reality right in front of their eyes."

    Clair moved to retort, but I cut her off. "You think you could have prevented me from passing the test?" I scoffed. "That''s quite funny. I would have beaten you with a wider gap than Pryce. Just one or two Pokemon, three if I''m being extremely generous."

    "You dare¡­!" Clair trailed off, needing to take a sharp breath. "You dare think you could stand up to Dragons?"

    "Yes," I said instantly. "You and your Dragons don''t scare me."

    All of these provocations were intentional. She would dig her own grave, and I would revel in it while having justification.

    Clair''s eyes flashed with anger. "You are as low as your Fairies," she hissed. "Very well. This aligns with my original purpose for coming here today."

    I had a very good feeling what she meant by that and what she was going to do as she leaned back. In fact, I had been hoping for it.

    The young woman drew herself to her full height and looked at me with an imperious gaze.

    "Leader Arin of the Cherrygrove Gym," Clair began in an especially loud and confident voice.

    Multiple heads turned our way as the people closest to us stopped talking and realized two Gym Leaders were having an interaction. That in turn caused everyone else around them to swivel their heads and try to see what was going on. Clair continued on without pause.

    "I, Leader Clair of the Blackthorn Gym, challenge you to a Pokemon battle."

    Silence descended on the ballroom.

    As for me¡­ My oath resonated in my heart.

    My courage is for walking a constant, righteous path.

    The ghost of a vicious smile played on my lips, one as vindictive as that of a centuries old Fairy.

    "I accept."

    Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

 Chapter 20 â€” To Slay a Dragon

    CHAPTER 20 ¡ª To Slay a Dragon

    When two Trainers'' eyes meet, they must battle.

    This certain adage had existed for ages not just in Kanto-Johto but across the whole world. No one could say for sure when or where exactly this saying originated from, but all historians unanimously agreed it came about sometime during the feudal era. In an age where kingdoms and states constantly waged war against each other, soldiers on the fields were often locked in deathmatches. The moment they saw their enemy was when the battle began. They didn''t have a choice, and they couldn''t look away lest they forfeit their lives to stray attacks.

    Nowadays, the adage was just used to express the idea of a Trainer honoring the challenge of a battle.

    Clair and I completely ignored the chaos and camera flashes happening around us. We had locked gazes, and the only thing on our minds was the imminent showdown.

    Back and forth Clair and I went hammering out the details of the match in rapid fire succession.

    "What time would be suitable for you?"

    "Now."

    "Location?"

    "The Blackthorn Gym is fine. You can even broadcast it."

    "Done. I will. Conditions?"

    "Standard six-on-six with three switch-ins. And," I paused to smile innocently. "Mega Evolution will be allowed."

    "Very well," she easily agreed. Clair suddenly gave an innocent smile of her own as she clasped her hands behind her back, looking every bit as a dignified leader. "How about we add one more condition to the match? Something fun to commemorate our meeting and¡­ new friendship. The defeated will grant the victor one favor within reason."

    I stopped myself from raising a brow, but I did smile with thinly veiled amusement. I''m sure our spectators were eating up this entire thing as a friendly battle between fellow Gym Leaders. Little did they know the poison behind every single one of Clair''s words.

    Clair''s added suggestion was also entirely unexpected. It was quite obvious she was planning to win and take full advantage of that so-called favor, however, and whatever she asked for would not be good for me.

    Unfortunately for Clair, her plans would not come to fruition as I had every intention of winning this battle and now the bet she had proposed.

    "Sure. That sounds fun. Let''s add it," I agreed.

    There were no take backs, not when we were saying all of this in a very public setting with hundreds of eyes on us. The few reporters that had stayed this late into the afterparty were having a field day as they snapped picture after picture of me and Clair with crazed expressions.

    This was probably the most dramatic thing that had happened ¡ª at the League Headquarters no less! ¡ª in a long time.

    "Then let us be off to the Blackthorn Gym. Allow me to guide you there," Clair said simply, putting an end to the conversation. She spun on her heel without giving me a chance to reply and marched off. I assumed she was heading for the building''s front entrance.

    I would have moved to do the same, but I needed to locate dad first. Thankfully, I didn''t have to. He found me almost right after Clair disappeared into the crowd, and he now stood in front of me with a shocked expression.

    "Arin, what was that about?!" he whispered quietly to me. His eyes were as wide as saucers. "How did you end up getting challenged by Clair?"

    I mulled over my response for a mere second.

    "Bad blood. Blackthorns. Dragons versus Fairies," was what I ultimately ended up rattling off casually in a quiet whisper. Dad stared at me with increasingly wide eyes for every word I spoke.

    "I¡­ Okay, I get the gist of it, but can you give me a more detailed explanation on the ride over?" Dad sighed. "I''m coming with you."

    I smiled, glad that I didn''t have to ask him about that. "Sure."

    The two of us headed outside while reporters and people trailed after us excitedly.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Before Clair could leave the ballroom, Lance intercepted her and dragged her into a nearby empty meeting room. As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, he whipped around and stared at her with an absolutely livid expression.

    Yep, just like she''d expected, Lance was as angry as the Incarnation of Wrath personified.

    "CLAIR IBUKI," he all but exploded in a loud voice. "What in the blazes of Entei was that?! Issuing a challenge to the new Cherrygrove Gym Leader in public and at the ceremony''s afterparty, really? After everything I told you yesterday, you went and pulled something like this anyway¡ª"

    "Not now, Lance," Clair hissed. She was entirely unafraid of Lance''s fury as she glared at him. "I have a match to go to and a person to beat."

    That just made Lance even angrier.

    "Listen here, Clair, what you''ve just done has endangered the entire Clan''s reputation. This is going to look poorly on us later!" Lance yelled. "Did the Elders even give you approval for this?"

    In any other situation, Clair might have found it humorous that their roles were reversed ¡ª Lance was usually the calm one and her the angry one ¡ª but this was not one of those times. She scoffed at her cousin now.

    "This was all my idea. I was supposed to be the original proctor anyway! I''m merely going to put all the rumors to rest once and for all by giving a fight that should have occurred earlier," Clair rebutted. Her eyes flashed angrily as she threw her hand out. "There won''t be any issue after I win¡ª"

    "You are severely overestimating yourself, Clair!" Lance interrupted with narrowed eyes. "Did you not understand after watching the promotion test? As loath as I am to admit it, Arin''s skill as a trainer is leagues above you. He''s on par with Champions for Arceus''s sake!"

    "He beat Pryce Yanagi!" Clair cried with outrage. "A fallen Champion. That''s no indication of skill at all!"

    "You''ve never even fought Pryce before!" Lance shot back. "Stop thinking he''s weak just because I managed to beat him!"

    She hated that Lance was putting facts in her face. She had indeed never personally fought Pryce before, but she could estimate her strength as being close to his. Clair had not suffered through years of training together with her Dragons for nothing. Even the public thought she was as strong as Pryce.

    Clair''s frustration was quickly skyrocketing to an all time high as she clenched and unclenched her fists rapidly. She just wanted to defend the Clan''s honor and show the world that Arin and his Fairies were not as big of a deal as people were making them out to be. Why couldn''t Lance just support her on this? Did he not love the Clan as much as she did?

    "Why are you making it sound like I won''t win? That my Dragons will lose?" Clair finally demanded. "Do you not believe in me as a fellow Blackthorn, Lance?"

    It was just a split second, but she saw him hesitate.

    That was all she needed to see before she whipped around and stalked away.

    "Clair! Clair, please come back here! Call off the match or do something¡ª"

    The Blackthorn City Gym Leader ignored the Champion''s voice growing more and more distant behind her. Apparently, Lance did not believe in her.

    That was fine.

    She just needed to believe in herself and her absolute Dragons.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Dad and I were talking and already waiting on Zuri''s back when Clair finally showed up. For some reason, even though she''d left first, she arrived after us by almost several minutes.

    Her lips curled back with displeasure when she spotted Zuri, but she remained silent as she sent out a Dragonite of her own and hopped on. We took off the instant they did.

    Zuri flew alongside them easily even when Clair and her Dragonite pettily tried speeding up. I would have liked to see the expression on her face, but it was hidden by her hair.

    The buildings of Blackthorn crested into view within minutes.

    Despite the situation, I couldn''t help but be impressed. Blackthorn was an entire city carved into the mountainside. Traditional houses with either thatched or black shingle roofs had been built into the cliffs across various elevated platforms. It was surely a very unique way of living and reminded me a bit of Fortree from Hoenn.

    And, as if to proudly announce that they were indeed the City of Dragons, I saw several Pokemon had come to greet us in the air. Two young and nervous-looking trainers were riding on the back of a Dragonite as three Dragonair floated around them.

    Clair spared no greetings for them. We all continued on our way as one big group, and I was left wondering if the people behind us were gym trainers or otherwise associated with the Blackthorn Clan somehow. I doubted they were the owners of the accompanying Pokemon. Most likely they had been lent to them by an older and higher ranking member.

    We landed at the back of a large traditional building that looked more like a temple to me: the Blackthorn Gym. Its tiled roofs rose up high in the air and were covered with black ceramic pieces that glistened under the sun. Old statues of Dratini and Dragonair lined the perimeter of the grounds. I had to admit the overall atmosphere was rather imposing.

    Zuri was returned to her capsule before dad and I followed Clair and the unknown trainers inside. It was now that they finally spoke to her.

    "Gym Leader Clair, we heard about the match already from the Elders. What should we do about the locals? There are still people left in the stands from the gym challenge earlier¡ª" one of them began, but Clair cut them off.

    "Leader Arin, are you fine with having spectators in the arena?" she asked in a brusque voice without turning around.

    "Yes. I''m fine with it."

    She nodded. "Very well. The spectators can stay then," she directed the last sentence at the young trainers, and they bowed their heads. Clair stopped abruptly in front of a door and pointed at it, finally turning around to face me. "This is the waiting room. I''ll have someone call you out in a few minutes when the field is set up. Your¡­ father can be guided to the stands by my gym trainers if he so wishes."

    She eyed dad briefly before looking back at me. Her eyes glittered coldly as she smiled. "I shall see you on the field."

    I only offered a curt nod back. Clair disappeared down the hallway leaving us alone with her gym trainers. I turned to dad now.

    "Guess I''ll see you later then," I said with a strained smile. Arceus, now that I was actually here at the Blackthorn Gym, I was getting angry all over again.

    Dad noticed the displeasure I was radiating and placed a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "Try to relax, Arin," he murmured. He squeezed my shoulder lightly. "I''m not worried about you, just so you know. I know you''re strong. See you in a bit."

    I offered one last smile to dad before the trainers escorted him down the hall, but it came out more like a grimace instead. I entered the waiting room without delay and plopped myself down into the first chair I saw.

    I tried to rein in my anger as I breathed in and out slowly. From my bag, I pulled out the stress ball Poppy had given me weeks ago and gripped it tightly. I tended to carry it around with me nowadays, but I hadn''t thought I''d be using it so soon. A full minute passed of me simply doing breathing exercises and repeatedly squeezing the stress ball. When I felt like I''d calmed down enough, I spoke out loud.

    "Frankly, guys, I''m pissed off. We showed that we were strong enough in the test, but apparently, some people ignored the memo," I said icily. The Pokeballs along my belt all wiggled unhappily in response. My Pokemon were listening.

    "I know, it''s extremely frustrating. But this is probably going to keep happening from here on out. So we''ll just have to win again, and again, and again, as many times as it takes for people to realize they''ve chosen the wrong opponent."

    The intensity of the shaking Pokeballs grew even more. We were all furious with the absurdity of the situation and more than ready to put an end to it.

    Half a minute later, I heard a knock at the door. Someone had come to fetch me for the match. I wore a grim smile as I rose to my feet. I let go of my anger and allowed a more positive feeling to replace it instead: determination.

    Clair Ibuki awaited me.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I emerged from the doors to a completely silent yet packed arena.

    The stands were full of people from top to bottom. Presumably, almost all of them were Blackthorn locals. I was literally right in enemy territory and surrounded on all sides by citizens who were maybe or maybe not very loyal to the Clan that had governed their city for generations.

    I didn''t feel nervous at all. I was looking forward to the match ahead and the punishment my Pokemon and I would dole out.

    Hundreds of pairs of eyes settled on me as I took my place at one end of the field. Clair was already in position at the other end. Kadabra stood at one corner with raised spoons as they held a barrier up around the field. Near the referee, a cameraman was broadcasting the match live. They didn''t look like a gym trainer, so perhaps Clair had brought in a local news company instead.

    As for me and Clair¡­ we didn''t bother looking at each other. Instead, we both turned to the referee for the match introduction.

    He opened his mouth at the same time that the spectators did.

    It was just one boo at first, but then another followed, and another. Suddenly there were dozens of people booing at me from the crowd, and I just looked on impassively.

    I almost felt like I was at the Vertress Conference in Unova all over again. The audience there hadn''t been fond of me either.

    "Stop."

    That single word rang out powerfully and immediately caused the disruptive spectators to shut their mouths.

    Surprisingly, Clair had been the one to speak instead of the referee. We had both been outfitted with microphones for the match. I watched now as the Blackthorn Gym Leader turned to face her people with a displeased expression.

    "I understand you wish to support me, but do not disrespect the spirit of the Indigo League without a valid reason. A battle between two trainers is sacred, and both must be respected," Clair said with narrowed eyes. "If you cannot show common courtesy to our guest, then you should leave now."

    No one moved. They''d all been cowed into respectful silence. Satisfied, Clair turned back and offered me a curt nod.

    Huh. I hadn''t expected Clair to do that for me. She was more noble than it initially seemed. While I still vastly disliked her, I respected that she was faithful to the spirit of battling at least and knew where to draw the line.

    Now that the audience had settled down, the referee spoke.

    "This match is between Gym Leader Clair Ibuki of Blackthorn City and Gym Leader Arin Watanuki of Cherrygrove City," he said in a loud voice. "This will be a six-on-six battle with three switch-ins and Mega Evolution allowed. Trainers, are you both ready?"

    Clair and I responded by holding respective Pokeballs in our hands.

    "Then I will count down from three. Please send out your Pokemon on one," the referee continued. "Three! Two! One!"

    Shocked gasps rippled through the audience as two forms materialized on the field in flashes of scarlet light. On my side of the field, Arya rose up into the air and hovered in front of me gracefully. Her normally cheerful expression had been replaced by one of fury as she stared at Clair.

    On the opposite end¡­ when I saw which Pokemon Clair had chosen to lead with, I had to seriously refrain from laughing out loud. Clair really could not have chosen anything better for the start of her downfall.

    Her Pokemon was noticeably smaller than mine, but she''d sent out an Altaria as well.

    Clair''s face twisted with confusion as she stared at Arya. I could practically see what she was thinking. Why had I sent out a Dragon type in a match that was supposed to determine the pecking order between Fairies and Dragons?

    One of the conditions I''d suggested for the battle, Mega Evolution, had not been made without reason. No, I had proposed that because of a very specific plan of action I had in mind. Before we took off from the Indigo League, I''d even looked up what Mega Evolutions were currently known to this side of the world just to make sure my plan would truly have the shock factor I wanted.

    The fact that Altaria could Mega Evolve ¡ª and into a Dragon/Fairy type no less ¡ª was not yet known in the Kinjoh Area. I was going to upend not just Clair''s but the entire Blackthorn Clan''s understanding of the world as they knew it.

    I wasn''t worried at all for this match. I hadn''t seen any recordings of Clair''s battles before, but I didn''t need to. Her reputation and Dragons didn''t scare me. My team and I had been through hell and back together over the years and felled countless opponents.

    Among them had been Dragons from all walks of life. Ferocious Hydreigon and Haxorus from the Gym Leaders of Unova, old and almighty Dragons under the command of Elites such as Drasna and Hassel, ones as fast as lightning in double battles against Raihan, the list went on and on.

    We''d conquered them all, and it was time to do so again.

    The referee slashed a hand through the air.

    "Begin!"

    I instantly held up my wrist. A familiar Key Stone bracelet sparkled under the arena lights as a simple sentence left my lips, one that made Clair''s eyes widen.

    "Arya, we''re going Mega."

    Light exploded from my Key Stone and the Mega Stone hidden within Arya''s wings.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Fluff multiplied outwards from my Pokemon''s back and formed a protective cloud of armor. More grew around her neck and head, and her tail feathers fused into one long streamer. Her entire body glimmered with a beautiful iridescent sheen.

    As the light around Arya faded, the crowd was turned speechless by the first Mega Altaria they''d ever witnessed.

    Clair was much the same. Turquoise eyes darted first to Arya, then to her own Altaria and back again. Her entire face had gone white, but not from shock.

    She was absolutely furious.

    "Tailwind into Flamethrower!" she shouted.

    "Match it," I said calmly in response.

    Gales of wind blew at the backs of our Pokemon as they flew rapidly upwards. Flames shot forward in waves in Arya''s direction, but she easily dodged all of them with graceful, almost lazy maneuvers and retaliated with her own searing column.

    There was no contest.

    The fire she blasted was double the size of her opponent''s and twice as powerful. It completely swallowed up the other Altaria''s flames and surged outwards like gaping maws stretched wide.

    "Speed up!" Clair barked.

    Altaria immediately glowed from the effects of an Agility. With a burst of speed, it tucked its wings in and dove past the humongous flames; however, Arya was not yet done. Five more Flamethrowers followed in rapid succession. Clair''s Pokemon twisted and swerved, but the flames were too big and too fast to dodge all of them. One clipped it in the wing making it stumble mid-air, and the rest of the fire descended swiftly.

    Pained screeches filled the air as Altaria''s feathers burned away. I didn''t wait for it to recover.

    "Blazing Gales. Let''s turn up the heat."

    It began quietly at first. Soft murmurs of wind blew at the edges of the arena. Around Arya, the smallest hints of flames flickered in and out of existence. Then cloud-like wings flapped furiously, and fierce winds mixed with white-hot flames howled into existence.

    A raging inferno instantly enveloped the entire field.

    The fire fed the air, and the winds fanned the hungry flames in return. Intense heat distorted every inch of the surroundings as a vortex of screaming fire and currents ripped forward. The hurricane from hell was on a one way track for Altaria, and there was no escape.

    Clair and her Pokemon both knew it.

    "Dragon Pulse then Rush! Make a path through!" my opponent commanded.

    A turquoise orb of energy hurtled into the hurricane and forced open a small gap. Blue flames wrapped around Altaria like a protective cocoon as it quickly flew forward into the temporary hole it had made. I merely smiled to myself. They''d flown right into the trap of their own volition.

    "Smother them."

    Arya''s eyes glowed as she beat her wings again. Sparkling winds were summoned and wrapped around the turbulent hurricane, and they shone with a thousand different lights. The flames intensified and surged wildly in response, but only for a moment. The hurricane stuttered in place.

    Then it shrank down into a sealed sphere and imploded.

    More than a few screams rang out in the audience as the entire stadium shook violently. The barrier broke from the shockwaves and was hurriedly reformed as fire, fire, and yet more fire went screaming through the air in every direction from the force of the rebound. They pelted the sides of the newly made barrier in rapid succession and shattered it once again.

    As for the bird that had been stuck inside the pressurized storm of deadly forces¡­

    Altaria crashed to the ground in an unmoving, charred heap.

    The first match-up had barely lasted a minute.

    "Altaria is unable to battle. Leader Clair, you have thirty seconds to send out your second Pokemon."

    Just from that fight alone, I had a good estimation of my opponent''s level of strength already and it was a poor one. Clair had severely overestimated herself when challenging me.

    I didn''t stop to enjoy the look of sheer anger on Clair''s face. This was just the beginning.

    "Lunar Grace."

    An ethereal glow surrounded Arya as she weaved a short but intricate dance in the air. Faint clouds of shimmering dust were left behind her. This was a dance not of Dragons but of Fairies, and Arya was boosting her Special Attack and Speed.

    Clair hurriedly recalled Altaria and sent out her second Pokemon while Arya flew around. The moment I saw a large Salamence take its place on the field and Clair raise her hand, I knew what was coming. My lips quirked upwards into a faint grin. Hopefully this match-up would be less disappointing.

    "Salamence! It''s time to Mega Evolve!" Clair announced firmly. Her side of the field lit up in white.

    Before my eyes, Salamence grew. Front legs were tucked in and hidden behind a metallic frame that extended around its body. Its two wings melded together into a single bright red crescent, and the fins around its head elongated into sharper ends. As soon as her Pokemon had finished its transformation, Clair jabbed at the air with a finger.

    "Focused Wingbeat!"

    Salamence shot forward like a speeding rocket with orange energy wreathed around its streamlined body. Although it was not the fastest Mega Salamence I''d ever seen, it was still a little speedier than Arya even with her Tailwind and boost from dancing.

    Glowing wingtips bashed into my Pokemon''s exposed belly before she could dive out of the way and sent her spinning backwards. She quickly righted herself as Salamence made a wide u-turn. When it came hurtling toward us for round two, I snapped my fingers.

    "Full defense, Arya!"

    Cotton popped up around my Altaria''s body and surged outwards in multiple layers. Each piece stuck tightly to one another with no gaps in their defenses, and the top surface held a faint pink sheen.

    Clair just sneered. "Power through it."

    Contrary to her expectations, Salamence crashed into the newly formed armor with a very muted oomph. Glowing feathers instantly poked their way out of the cotton and attached themselves to the invader. They clung to the Dragon and sapped its strength.

    Salamence twisted and turned, but there was nothing it could do. Its entire left side was trapped inside the heavy mass of cotton, and a bellow of annoyance left Salamence''s throat when it realized it was stuck.

    "Burn it with Hyper Beam!" Clair yelled.

    Swirling energy condensed into one powerful beam that blasted out from Salamence''s mouth. It melted the cotton and feathers, but more regrew instantly before Salamence could tear itself away. The frustrated Dragon turned its head to the side sharply, aiming the beam at Arya herself instead.

    "Blind it," I ordered.

    The Hyper Beam hit Arya in the face, but she took it in stride as a wave of light burst forth from her body. A loud roar of pain filled the air as the Dazzling Gleam''s glow receded. Salamence was sporting some very visible and heavy scorch marks while it whipped back and forth frantically.

    I swept my hand forward.

    "Hyper Song!"

    Arya opened her beak, and she sang. Notes more beautiful than the heavens themselves poured out of her and filled the entire stadium. I saw hundreds of spectators in the stands break down crying because of how moved they were by Arya''s singing.

    Salamence?

    He was in pain. A lot of pain. This was a song so beautiful that it hurt and pierced the soul, courtesy of the fairy energy imbued into Arya''s voice. Pixilate-boosted sound waves were slamming into Salamence front and center, and the Dragon screamed in utter agony.

    "FOCUS! Get out with Thrash, Salamence!" Clair demanded with a clenched fist.

    Still writhing in pain, Salamence barely managed to comprehend the order. Its eyes became almost bloodshot as its body lit up with a silver aura. The Dragon slammed its free wingtip forward¡ª

    "Propagate."

    The bladelike edge sank uselessly into cotton that was fast multiplying.

    Limbs thrashed powerfully in all directions, but every movement was another death sentence for Salamence as it became more and more entangled. Cotton was spreading out like some sort of virus across its body. Feathers were added to the mix and glowed ominously as they piled up. In just seconds, Salamence became nothing more than a glorified mummy.

    I smiled.

    "Detach."

    Still singing her deadly song, Arya shed the layers of Cotton Guard and Feather Dance around her. With so much sticky mass clinging to every part of Salamence''s body, especially its wings, it had no control whatsoever.

    Salamence immediately dropped like dead weight.

    The still thrashing Dragon plummeted to the ground in an undignified manner and kicked up a storm of dust. While it screamed and struggled, Arya was content to boost herself with another Dance from the safety of the air. Melodious, damaging notes continued to fill the air.

    "SALAMENCE!" Clair screamed. Her voice was hoarse from the strain of Mega Evolution, but she looked like she was about to pop a vein from anger. "Listen to my voice! Hyper Beam!"

    The grounded Salamance did not listen. It was more like it couldn''t.

    The stress it was feeling both from Thrash and Arya''s accursed song had stoked the massive, inherent rage a Mega Salamence normally possessed, and now it had lost all sense of reason.

    I looked coldly at the Dragon pathetically flailing around on the field. I couldn''t say my thoughts out loud since they would be seen as very unsportsmanlike, but Arya probably knew what I was thinking anyway.

    Put it out of its misery.

    "Hyper Beam!" I ordered.

    An enormous beam of pink energy ripped through the air and struck Salamence almost before I finished speaking. One last scream filled the air before it abruptly cut off.

    Salamence had slumped over, eyes rolled into the back of its head while steam rose from its smoking husk. Its form reverted back to normal.

    "Salamence is unable to battle. Leader Clair, you have thirty seconds to send out your third Pokemon."

    Clair stared at her fainted Salamence with sheer disbelief. To be honest, she looked terrible after having induced Mega Evolution. I was a bit pale-faced from Arya''s own transformation, but Clair was basically sweating buckets. She probably did not have as much experience with it if I had to guess.

    Above us, Arya wore a triumphant look as she flew a circle in the air again and completed a third Dance. If she had been dangerous before, now she was nigh unstoppable.

    At the rate things were going, we were going to wrap up the rest of this battle very quickly.

    With gritted teeth, Clair threw out an Ultra Ball. Her next Pokemon emerged to resounding cheers from the audience. A very familiar figure and the symbol of the Blackthorn Clan stood before me.

    A Dragonite.

    This was a Pokemon I knew like the back of my hand considering how I had trained one from a small Dratini. As the most ancient family of Dragon Tamers in the Kinjoh Area, the Blackthorn Clan probably would have had my head if I ever claimed such a statement out loud.

    I wondered vaguely if Clair had grown frustrated enough with Arya that she was sending out what were probably her biggest powerhouses one after another. Since she had sent out the representative of her family''s beliefs against me¡­

    I figured I ought to return the kind gesture.

    Our orders came out simultaneously.

    "Dragon Dance!"

    "Summon the stars!"

    Dragonite began dancing erratically, but Arya ignored it. A renewed current of wind blew at her back as she ascended with incredible speed. In just a moment, she had reached the tallest point inside the barrier''s confines.

    The Altaria''s body lit up with every color of the rainbow as she spread her wings wide. Shouts of alarm rang out in the audience as not just the sky but all space inside the barrier darkened.

    Twilight had fallen over the whole arena. By now, Clair realized something was up and ordered her Dragonite to whip up a Hurricane.

    It was far too late. Two words left my lips.

    "Celestial Wrath."

    Heaven''s judgment rained down.

    Dozens of meteors wreathed in raging, pink energy warped into existence above Arya''s head and hurtled through the sky at dizzying speeds. Each distorted the air in its wake from their numbing heat.

    And each was headed straight for Dragonite.

    Clair''s eyes flew open at the sight of the familiar move turned Fairy, and she roared out her next order. "FLY AND PROTECT!"

    Dragonite hurriedly abandoned its half-formed Hurricane and flew away with a shield wrapped around it. Just in time, too.

    Meteors crashed one after another into the ground where it had just been standing, each so powerful that they instantly cratered the earth and produced deafening bangs. More rained down on the field without discrimination. The barrier shattered multiple times from the onslaught, and I saw the Kadabra starting to sweat from all the work they had to put in to keep up.

    It became a chase between a sinner and the divine as Dragonite frantically zipped around the growing hellscape. It dodged flaming meteors left and right and all over again, but it could not run forever. Arya was barely winded from the last two match-ups, and she was summoning more and more meteors with every second that passed.

    A meteor eventually clipped the tiring Dragonite''s shield and fractured it. Another pelted it from the front, completely shattering it. Then another slammed into Dragonite''s back with enough force that it fell into a large crater in the ground, and that was the start of the end.

    The bombardment of flaming, sparkling rocks descended without mercy.

    Anguished screams tore themselves out of Dragonite''s throat as meteors slammed into it from all sides. Each exploded on impact and melted off more of the Dragon''s protective scales until they reached the more vulnerable skin beneath.

    And with all the Dances Arya had stacked up, even just one of these meteors packed a hell of a punch.

    Smoke obscured the arena as more explosions went off, but not for long. Arya stopped her offensive only a few seconds later. The smoke eventually dissipated enough for all to see what lay within.

    The field was gouged from top to bottom. Not a single part of it hadn''t been razed by the devastating meteors, and there were holes upon holes and long fissures that stretched from one end to another across the ground. It was the scene of a horrible disaster as well as the aftermath of a Fairy''s fury.

    At the bottom of the biggest crater, Dragonite lay charred almost beyond recognition. Hazy clouds of pink dust hovered ominously in the air around it.

    "Dragonite is unable to battle. Leader Clair, you have thirty seconds to send out your fourth Pokemon."

    Clair was down to half her team already, and Arya was still raring to go.

    My opponent returned her prized Dragonite with a furious expression. Before Arya could set up again like she had in between match-ups, Clair sent out her fourth contender. An Aerodactyl screeched loudly as it took to the skies. It exerted its Pressure with beady eyes, but Arya merely regarded it with a cool gaze.

    This was a pleasant surprise. I had been expecting Clair''s famed starter next in all honesty. I''d fought some prehistoric Pokemon before but never an Aerodactyl, so I was at least grateful to Clair for the new experience.

    Clair''s gaze flickered to the Key Stone on her wrist. I almost raised a brow. She wasn''t thinking about Mega Evolving again, was she? Even highly experienced trainers could only handle maybe two transformations at most within a short time frame. Clair was definitely not one of those judging from her rapidly deteriorating physical state. She was sweating even more than she had been earlier.

    I didn''t wait to find out if she would risk it.

    "Dragon Pulse, hybrid," I called out.

    Powerful orbs of condensed energy blasted out from Arya''s beak. Each was a screaming mass of opposing draconic and fairy energies fused together, and they pulsated wildly as they flew through the air.

    Clair snapped her head up. "Iron Head!"

    With surprising speed and maneuverability, Aerodactyl twisted through the air and flew between the fluctuating orbs of energy. It was as fast as Mega Salamence had been.

    "Defense!" I yelled.

    The Cotton Guard was only half-formed when Aerodactyl''s glowing head rammed into Arya. She''d felt the super effective attack, and a hiss of displeasure left her.

    "Follow up with Stone Edge!" Clair barked.

    "Guard again, then Lullaby!" I said at the same time.

    Jagged pieces of stone embedded themselves in a more pronounced armor of cotton this time. Safe from further harm, Arya began to sing a gentle yet almost haunting melody.

    Sound waves amplified by fairy energy blared outwards in a fast-moving, widespread attack. Aerodactyl immediately darted away, but the waves traveled faster than it could fly. Its eyes drooped, and its movements grew sluggish. Clair yelled out in frustration, yet there was nothing she could do.

    Aerodactyl fell sound asleep and dropped right out of the sky. I grinned.

    "Dragon Pulse again! Hybrid."

    An endless barrage of multi-colored, swirling spheres peppered the sleeping figure once it hit the ground. No shouts from Clair could awaken Aerodactyl, and it went down soon after.

    A disappointingly easy fourth win.

    "Aerodactyl is unable to battle. Leader Clair, you have thirty seconds to send out your fifth Pokemon."

    As I wondered what method I should use to take down the next Pokemon, a Pokeball went whizzing through the air. The fully evolved form of a famous Kanto starter announced its presence with a bloodthirsty roar. Charizard.

    Now here was another familiar Pokemon to me. I may not have known what exactly this particular Charizard''s style of fighting was, but I could go with a similar strategy I''d used in the past.

    Arya was moving well before I spoke.

    "Anti-Leon Strat Two."

    (Somewhere in Galar, a certain purple-haired man with a hat and cape sneezed.)

    The air around Arya''s body shimmered as a protective veil snapped into place. With one flap of her wings, she summoned a Hurricane that enveloped the entire arena. Pink sparkles whipped around in the currents and colored the whole storm pink. The powerful winds were at Arya''s beck and call as she looped astonishingly fast circles around Clair''s Pokemon.

    "Heat Wave into the storm!" Clair ordered with a glint in her eyes.

    She was obviously trying to use the winds to her advantage and do something like what I''d done against her Altaria, but it wouldn''t work here.

    A massive wave of sweltering flames was exhaled by Charizard into the currents around it, but to both Clair''s and her Pokemon''s astonishment, the fire evaporated in the wind instead of growing larger. The fairy particles weaved into the wind were extinguishing any foreign attempts to invade their space.

    This was Arya''s storm, and it could not be quelled or manipulated.

    When Arya fired off hybrid Dragon Pulses that followed the wind''s path and spiraled towards their target like incoming missiles, Clair snapped out of her state of shock.

    "Dragon Rush! Take the fight to them!"

    Charizard bellowed furiously as it charged into the hurricane to escape the barrage. Its entire body was wreathed in blazing, draconic energy that protected it.

    Moments into the storm, that coating petered out.

    The fairy winds devoured their natural enemy and ate the blue aura until there was nothing left. In the end, Charizard was left exposed to battering winds that sliced viciously at its skin.

    Clair''s eye twitched. "Keep going! Air Slash!"

    Her Pokemon gnashed its teeth together and whipped its wings. Pressurized blades of air went spinning outwards, but Arya easily navigated the winds to avoid them. This just infuriated Charizard and encouraged it to give chase. It was a strong and fast flier, but it couldn''t ever hope to catch up to Arya. The Altaria had everything at her disposal: the Hurricane, a Tailwind, and her speed buffs from Dances to boot.

    I nodded to myself. It was about time to wrap things up.

    "Moonblast. Specialty."

    Arya instantly rode a strong updraft high into the air above Charizard and snapped her beak open. Out flew a lone orb of light that traveled downwards. It didn''t just fly a straight path.

    It drifted and multiplied.

    Like what Arya could do with cotton, the orb propagated rapidly until there were at least a dozen different copies. Each vibrated with a magical hum.

    Clair''s eyes widened.

    "HYPER¡ª"

    She couldn''t get an order out fast enough. The sea of orbs smashed into Charizard and exploded one after another.

    Sound overwhelmed the world.

    Each explosion let out not a deafening scream, but a symphony of choral notes so divine that even I felt my heart wrenching from how otherworldly it was. The sounds overlapped each other with startling intensity and followed what could only be called an exponential crescendo. Even for those outside the barrier, it almost became too much to bear.

    It was a different story for those inside.

    Charizard was screaming from excruciating pain. The roaring hurricane, the explosions burning its skin, the singing voices rattling Charizard''s brain and very being¡ª all of it was just too much sound being amplified at Arya''s will.

    Arya''s hurricane died away as Charizard crashed to the ground. The Dragon was out cold, yet its lips had twisted into a smile ¡ª not of its own volition ¡ª from the sounds it had been subject to. Endless euphoria awaited it in dreams triggered by heavenly voices.

    "Charizard is unable to battle. Leader Clair, you have thirty seconds to send out your last Pokemon."

    I rolled my neck a bit and exhaled. After a series of short fights, here we finally were at the home stretch.

    Any other trainer might have had a miserable expression on their face from such a one-sided match, but Clair looked as defiant as ever as she released her last Pokemon. A regal seahorse appeared in a flash of crimson light. This was Clair''s famous starter and, supposedly, most powerful Pokemon.

    Kingdra.

    I could have swept Clair''s entire team with just Arya alone, but I decided to end the match with a more dramatic finale instead. This was as much a beatdown as it was a showcase for me to brag about my Pokemon.

    Before Clair could bark out an order, I revoked the Mega Evolution process, recalled Arya, and tossed out another Pokeball in one fluid transition. A massive serpent materialized on the field and instantly drew himself to his full, threatening height. Yuno stared down at the opposing Kingdra as if it was a mere speck of dust.

    This would be a battle between two rulers of the sea.

    "Ice Beam!" Clair yelled out.

    A lightning fast beam of swirling frost was fired from Kingdra''s snout at the same time that Yuno slammed his fan-like tail against the ground.

    Mouths gaped in the audience as he flew all the way up to the ceiling from the Splash. Light reflected off his beautiful, multicolored scales and made it seem as if he was glowing.

    We both smiled viciously.

    "Submerge and drown."

    The skies were covered with dark clouds in an instant. Sparkling water poured downwards in a never-ending deluge as Yuno fell back to earth. In front of me, an enormous tidal wave rose up.

    It came crashing down on the field, and Yuno plunged right in.

    The water level rose exponentially. In mere seconds, the entire space within the barrier had been submerged underwater from top to bottom from the Rain Dance and Surf. The Kadabra off to the sides were straining to keep the barrier up in the face of such sheer volume.

    Inside, Yuno and Kingdra were swimming back and forth at incredible speeds as they circled each other. Only one of them was enjoying themselves.

    This normally would have been more than an ideal environment for a Pokemon like Kingdra, but not when it was laced with the equivalent of poison for it. The whole body of water shimmered from fairy energy. Kingdra''s scales were already starting to sizzle and burn away from prolonged contact.

    Clair''s face contorted with fury at the sight.

    "Laser Beam!" she barked.

    Powerful orange rays ripped through the water one after another without pause. As accurate as the shots were, Yuno still managed to stay ahead of them and weaved left and right in a mesmerizing dance.

    Kingdra eventually swam forward to try and snipe my Pokemon down from a closer range. Yuno merely whipped back through the water and continued twirling out of its way. Neither Pokemon was giving the other any opportunity.

    We could have played a keep-away game and let Kingdra fall to the ticking timer, but neither Yuno nor I would have been satisfied with that.

    "Get closer. Burn it!" I said sharply.

    "Stop it, Kingdra!" Clair ordered in response.

    Kingdra traded strength for numbers as it fired off much thinner but blindingly fast Hyper Beams. Yuno fearlessly sped forward in a colorful blur. Most of the beams missed their mark, but a few slammed into him.

    He simply continued on his way without so much as blinking. The shots were not as strong as they could have been, and against a defensive powerhouse like Yuno, they might as well have just been tickles.

    When he got into range, Yuno made his move.

    Light surged outwards in one big, concentrated wave from his body and crashed into Kingdra. The seahorse let out a gargled scream as more of its precious scales were incinerated, their paltry ashes drifting upwards around it.

    "Dragon Tail! Slam it!" I ordered.

    A glowing tail slammed powerfully against Kingdra before it could recover, and the seahorse went spinning backwards from the force. I snapped my fingers.

    What better way to end the whole match than with a move that represented me and my Fairies?

    "Moonblast, specialty."

    A miniature moon was released from Yuno''s mouth. It spun violently as it tore a path through the water like a speeding torpedo, and it expanded with every inch it took. Clair screamed at her Kingdra to beam it down, but it couldn''t move.

    Kingdra stood frozen in place, staring at the orb with a look of morbid fascination. The way it morphed and shifted made it seem alive. Insidious whispers drifted outwards from the approaching bubble and echoed through the watery tomb.

    Don''t look away from me, they murmured in Kingdra''s ear.

    And it really couldn''t. The orb was so bright, so compelling, so beautiful¡ª

    Then it exploded in Kingdra''s face, and the water burned.

    The Moonblast burst outwards in dozens of thorns. Some exploded against Kingdra, others flew through the water, but they all burned whatever they touched. The water became a boiling, superheated mass of concentrated fairy energy that essentially cooked Kingdra alive. Its screams rang out long after the water collapsed and surged back out after the initial explosion.

    The barrier shattered as a result of the pressure. Some of the sizzling water actually leaked out before the Kadabra snapped additional layers in place, and the audience breathed a sigh of relief since they were safe.

    Kingdra could not say the same. The regal seahorse sank to the bottom of the field, severely burned and definitely unconscious.

    "Kingdra is unable to battle. With a final score of 6-0, Gym Leader Arin is the victor of this match."

    The submerged field evaporated instantly at Yuno''s command as if it had never been there in the first place. Even from a distance, I could make out a mixture of emotions on Clair''s face, everything from disbelief to anger to defeat. All the spectators sat in stunned silence.

    I was still a bit pale-faced from invoking Mega Evolution, but I hummed to myself cheerfully.

    Just another day of dragon slaying.

 Chapter 21

    CHAPTER 21

    The arena was still deafeningly silent when I recalled Yuno. I made sure to whisper praises to his Pokeball before I placed it back onto my belt, and then I looked across the field. From the way Clair''s expression was shifting rapidly between different states, she seemed to be having trouble coming to terms with the match''s outcome. She hadn''t even returned her unconscious Kingdra yet.

    It was only when I began walking toward her that Clair finally snapped back to attention and hurriedly recalled her Pokemon. We both made our way around the field of craters and met each other halfway. From up close, I could see just how tired Clair was from her Salamence''s earlier transformation. Her face was as white as a sheet while she drew sharp, ragged breaths.

    Even if a part of me found her suffering to be rightly deserved for all the ill will and arrogance she had shown, I still felt concerned for her as a fellow human being. Mega Evolution was not to be taken lightly.

    "You should probably rest after this," I advised. My voice came out at a normal volume. It seemed the microphones had been turned off as soon as the match verdict was given.

    Even through her obvious exhaustion, Clair still found the energy to glare at me.

    "Don''t tell me what to do," she snapped back irritably. "I''m fine." While she said that, she swayed a bit to one side.

    It was not a very convincing display of strength. Not at all.

    I refrained from scoffing and inclined my head instead. "Best to wipe that glare off your face then. The camera''s still rolling."

    Clair''s eyes darted sideways to said cameraman and his equipment on the other side of the field. Realizing I was right, she quickly smoothed out her features into a more neutral look.

    I regarded her with less than pleasant feelings, but I smiled politely and stuck out my hand first. Clair took it with a strained smile of her own. We needed to keep up pretenses for the public.

    At the sight of us shaking hands, the audience finally unfroze and began clapping. It was a very mixed crowd, though. Some of the spectators were cheering reluctantly and others more energetically, but they all wore dazed looks at the very least.

    I supposed they didn''t often see their Gym Leader be on the receiving end of a clean 6-0 sweep.

    "What was it you said again? ''Dragons have always reigned superior in Johto?''" I quoted out loud in a musing tone. My smile was almost cruel as I looked at Clair. "I do believe I''ve disproved that point today with my Fairies beyond a shadow of a doubt. And, just to make it clear, the Mega Altaria I used today to beat five of your Pokemon? She''s part Fairy type."

    Out of all the Dragon Specialists I''d ever faced in my life, Clair was the absolute worst.

    Clair said nothing in response, but her grip on my hand tightened into that of iron. Or at least, she tried to. She was so tired right now that all I felt was like a light squeeze. Her hand fell limply back to her side when we finished our handshake. Without further ado, I followed her out of the arena.

    As soon as we were backstage, Clair turned around and looked at me.

    "As per our agreement, I will grant you one favor since I lost," Clair ground out. Ah, so she hadn''t forgotten the bet after all. I''d been wondering which of us would bring it up first.

    With a very reluctant tone, she continued. "I won''t go back on my words. Just spit it out and tell me what you want. You want me to apologize in public? Crawl in the mud and beg? Or will you save the favor for the future?"

    I stared at her calmly even after she rattled off several guesses about what I would ask for.

    I opened my mouth.

    "What I want is¡ª"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The Dragon Shrine was not quiet today as well.

    The Clan had gathered for a meeting once again after the match at the Gym ended. This time, the subject was focused on her. Fifteen painstakingly long minutes had passed already.

    "Absolutely ridiculous, how could you do something so foolish¡ª"

    "Perhaps we might have turned a blind eye if you had won, but to lose like that¡ª?"

    "A pathetic showing! You overestimated yourself, Clair!"

    Clair sat on a silk cushion directly in front of a row of Elders, silently enduring screams and insults hurled her way for the stupidity and ineptitude she''d shown. Sitting along the sides of the room were the rest of the Clan members. Most of them either gave her angry looks of their own or pitying expressions, but she didn''t want any of those.

    She was still struggling to do so, but she was starting to finally accept the reality.

    Lance had been right in warning her about Arin''s strength. As much as it killed her to admit it, Arin and his Pokemon were truly Champion-level.

    Clair had lost to them. Terribly.

    Her loss wasn''t even to older, stronger Dragons but to a bunch of newly minted Fairies.

    More than the insults from the Elders, it was her own shame and humiliation that consumed Clair the most. She had brought embarrassment to her beloved Clan and to the reverent Dragons they cherished and worshiped. Her own reputation was no doubt going to take a hit from the terrible performance she had displayed. Clair was known for never losing any public Elite tier matches. She''d of course lost in private matches to Lance and some of the Elders before they and their Pokemon retired from battling, but aside from them, she''d never lost to anyone else before.

    Today, that pristine record had a fresh and permanent stain.

    A wretched 6-0 sweep of her entire team by just two of Arin''s Pokemon, and one of them had taken on five of hers by itself. Neither of Arin''s Pokemon had been wounded very much either. It was the embarrassment of the century for her.

    Clair wanted to close her eyes and gnash her teeth together with frustration just from thinking about what had happened, but she couldn''t do that with the Elders sitting literally right in front. She could only play back the match over and over again in her head in a numbing daze.

    What could she have done better? Should she have utilized some of her three switches? But she''d only brought out her most powerful Pokemon for that accursed Altaria, each with a specific plan of action in mind for taking it down. No switches would have mattered, and her Dragons would have been furious with her if she withdrew them in the middle of a match.

    Could she have even taken down one of Arin''s Pokemon?

    Clair immediately bit her lip.

    No, she would not doubt herself and her Dragons. The second she did, that was when everything would truly come crumbling down¡ª

    A single weathered hand raised itself into the air at that moment. All of the Blackthorn Elders immediately ceased their arguing and turned their heads. Together, they looked expectantly at the Eldest among them.

    Hiromasa Naobu.

    A long scar ran down the left side of his face from eye to lips, only one of dozens that also marked his arms and legs. They were all courtesies of wars and conflicts he had participated in throughout Johto''s history. At ninety-four years old, he was currently the oldest living member of the Blackthorn Clan. There had been a few representatives older than him, but they had all perished in the War of Ashes or the Rocket War. Had they been alive still, one of them would have enjoyed his position today instead of him.

    The Eldest now fixed his cold gaze upon Clair and raised his chin. She stiffened, preparing herself for the inevitable scolding.

    "Clair Ibuki," the Eldest began in a quiet but harsh voice that sent shivers down Clair''s spine. "You''ve greatly dishonored our noble Clan. Not only did you make a foolish move without first consulting the Elders, you also suffered a humiliating 6-0 loss in a public, televised battle against another Gym Leader, that despicable Arin Watanuki no less."

    He leaned forward ever so slightly in his seat, fingers tightening around the embellished cane lying next to him. "Do you understand the magnitude of your actions? The consequences they had and the gravity of the Ho-Oh forsaken situation now upon us?" he asked rhetorically.

    Clair already knew, but she correctly remained silent.

    "You allowed yourself to lose to filthy Fairies," the Eldest spat out with as much venom as he could muster. "You allowed the nation to see weakness in our almighty Dragons, weakness that people now see in OUR ancient Clan. People are already getting damned ideas now that we are no longer to be feared and respected. The Blackthorn Gym''s reputation has fallen. The Clan''s reputation has also been tarnished!"

    The Eldest spoke the last phrase in a loud, booming voice that made a few of the youngest members jump a bit. Clair merely clenched her jaw as the Eldest gave her a withering glare.

    "Clair''s actions were truly the height of folly; however, we need to move onto the next topic," a new voice spoke. Clair knew who it was even without turning: Lance. He''d been sitting silently somewhere to her left this whole time, but now he apparently deemed it time to speak.

    "I''m referring to the stupid bet you made, Clair. What did Arin ask for? Did he ask for a public apology? For you to expose your hypocrisy to the world? I swear, if it was anything ridiculous¡ª"

    "No," Clair said in a voice so small she almost went unheard. Her voice still carried through the Shrine''s venerable chambers.

    "What he asked for was¡ª"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "¡ªfor you to treat me like a fellow Gym Leader."

    Clair stared at Arin Watanuki with utter disbelief.

    "Excuse me?" she finally said, and there was a bit of anger rising in her as she glared at him. "Is this a joke? I can''t tell if you''re looking down on the weight of the bet. I said you could ask for any favor within reason, and that''s what you ask for? Not an apology?"

    Arin stared back at her with an expression so cold that it could have put any from Pryce or Lance to shame.

    "It''s not a joke. I don''t want or need an Arceus damned apology from you. It wouldn''t be genuine, and it wouldn''t benefit me in any way," he said in a very firm tone that left no room for refusal. "An apology is too weak. I already obtained something even better from beating you today on live television. I reminded everyone that Fairies are not weak, and more importantly, that Dragons are NOT absolute."

    Clair flinched at the reminder of her humiliation, but Arin just went on uncaringly.

    "You and your Clan need to understand that the world is bigger than you think, that there are truths out there that cannot be ignored or denied simply because you are content to rule from the safety of your little territory," he said with blazing eyes. "You supposedly care deeply about Johto''s prestige to the point that you''d get on my case about it, but you''re the ones who are preventing our nation from reaching greater heights by clinging to traditions and misguided beliefs. As Gym Leaders, you and I should be acting as role models for the country. It''s astounding that I, a new Gym Leader, understand this better than you, someone who''s had her post for years now."

    "So no, I don''t want a fucking apology from you," Arin repeated. "I want you to treat me with respect as a Gym Leader so that we can both do our jobs without drama. Don''t ignore me at meetings, don''t try to sabotage plans I make, etcetera, etcetera. I want you to be a professional and not let your emotions and beliefs get in the way. I highly dislike you as a person, but it can''t be denied that you''ve done good work as a Gym Leader over the years."

    He stared at her intently, disdain clearly visible in his blue eyes. "We''re pillars of Kanto-Johto. That means we must appear unified to reassure the public. If you care as much about our nation as I do, then you''ll agree with me on this. I can put up with you, so I''ll need you to at least try to do the same. I don''t doubt that your Clan will try something in the future, and I WILL deal with whatever comes, but I hope this is the last time I have to deal with Tauros shit from you specifically."

    "If not, well¡­" Arin shrugged his shoulders in a mocking, exaggerated fashion. "I''m more than happy to do this again and humiliate you a second, third, fourth, or however many times it takes for you to understand that you''re a small fish in a big pond. Just keep that in mind."

    He walked off without another word.

    Clair didn''t watch him go. She looked at the wooden floors of her Gym and hung her head low, furiously fighting back a scream that threatened to burst out.

    She was weak.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    While the Elders screamed about Arin''s insolence, Lance had a far different reaction. He sat there in shocked silence.

    Lance simply couldn''t believe what he''d just heard.

    From the moment he had witnessed Clair propose such a foolish bet to the moment where she lost against Arin, his mind had come up with what had to be a hundred different terrible scenarios about what Arin would ask for and the subsequent consequences. He''d already been preparing ways to clean up whatever mess came out and soften the blows to Clair''s and the Blackthorn Clan''s reputations. Demanding an immense public apology or exposing Clair''s hypocrisy had been near the top of his list for most likely things Arin would do.

    Lance had not ever expected Arin to just give his cousin a slap on the wrist.

    He could not wrap his head around the fact that Arin simply wanted Clair to do her damn job as a Gym Leader. If he had been in Arin''s position, he would have been pissed off by Clair to the point that he desired retribution. He would have made sure to expose his opponent''s faults to the world and ruin their reputation so as to boost his own. Lance''s pride would not allow him to just calmly look the other way if someone bared such insolence in his face.

    Arin? He had taken the higher road. Instead of retribution, he had been thinking about the greater picture. He had been thinking about how this could impact their country if it became publicly known that two Gym Leaders had bad blood between them. Needless to say, it would have stirred the whole country into a panic, and they didn''t need more unrest added to the pile in such currently tense times.

    Putting aside the clear threats Arin had made to his cousin and the Clan as a whole, his character was a whole lot more apparent to Lance now.

    Just like Arin had promised in his swearing-in ceremony, he was looking out for Kanto-Johto. He was truly intending to serve Indigo for the greater good and to the best of his ability.

    This realization was incredibly sobering.

    Arin was¡­ admirable. There was no other way to put it. Lance had already respected his prowess as a trainer, but now he could also respect his strength of character. During his time in the Elite Four and now as Champion, Lance had grown too used to the filthy underbelly of politics. There were too many people looking out for themselves and their own interests. They backstabbed, lied, and constantly looked for ways to tear their opponents down. It honestly got very tiring.

    To have someone like Arin around who could put the interests of the country first was very refreshing. It wasn''t just Arin''s character that was sobering, but everything else he had told Clair, too, that resonated with Lance.

    The world is bigger than you think.

    You''re the ones who are preventing our nation from reaching greater heights by clinging to traditions and misguided beliefs.

    Lance snapped out of his thoughts when he realized the Eldest was speaking again.

    "¡ªand let us all not forget that blasted abomination either, that so-called¡­ Mega Altaria," the Eldest hissed.

    Mega Altaria. Yes¡­ Arin''s reveal had shocked Lance greatly. He never could have imagined Altaria was capable of Mega Evolution nor that it could transform into a¡­ Dragon and Fairy type of all things. He had extremely conflicted emotions over it.

    The Eldest continued on. "Blasphemous to the old teachings and a Pokemon corrupted by unknown evil. An atrocious being that should not even exist, yet Ho-Oh has not struck it down with its radiant flames. I do not and will not ever recognize it as being a Dragon."

    He snatched his cane from where it lay on the floor and held it up threateningly. In a loud and furious voice, he proclaimed, "Heed my words now as law, members of the Blackthorn Clan: we will not ever Mega Evolve the Altaria in our possession even if we someday come into possession of their Stones. Do not even entertain the thought. We must remain faithful to the old and practiced ways. Should a member violate this decree, they will be punished severely."

    The rest of the Elders immediately agreed in loud, enthusiastic voices. Across the room, all lower-ranking members of the Clan, including Clair, bowed their heads silently in acknowledgement.

    Only one person did not follow. Just one.

    "No."

    The Eldest''s head snapped forward. He stared with an incredulous expression at the person who had just defied his will in front of the entire Clan.

    "Excuse me?" he asked with barely contained fury.

    Lance stared back at him unflinchingly.

    Arceus, he could not believe what he''d just heard the Eldest announce. His mouth had nearly dropped open in an undignified display of astonishment before he caught himself.

    Banning a Mega Evolution just because it did not align with their Clan''s beliefs?

    They were denying a Pokemon ¡ª a Dragon ¡ª a right to the full and unbridled power it could possess. It did not matter that the new power in question came from the Fairy type. Lance may have had reservations about Fairies, but this was where he drew the line.

    He was a Pokemon trainer and Dragon Tamer first and foremost, and it was unthinkable to cut off a Pokemon''s potential just like that. He respected Pokemon, and he respected his Dragons. He would always give them the choice to choose their paths, and he would help them walk it.

    "You may follow that law, but I will never acknowledge it," he said tersely. "It is a ridiculous decree and one that should not be implemented."

    Furious outbursts came from the Elders all at the same time, but the Eldest was the loudest.

    "LANCE WATARU!" he thundered. Dark eyes were wide with anger as they glared with all their might at Lance. "YOU DARE GO AGAINST THE CLAN¡ª"

    "I DO!" Lance bellowed right back, and all eyes were on him as he rose slowly to his feet. Now that he was actually speaking up, all the fury and shame he''d been feeling until now was surging up within him like a colossal wave. "Do you even hear yourselves?! You are denying a Pokemon a right to its full potential! Is that not despicable? We are a Clan of Dragons. We walk with them, for Ho-Oh''s sake! We have no right to tell them what they can and cannot do!"

    "You are naive, Lance¡ª"

    "Listen to me! There are truths out there that cannot be ignored or denied. Fairy types are not blasphemous, they exist and are a match for us¡ª"

    "Do not even suggest they could be equals to our invincible Dragons!"

    "DRAGONS ARE NOT ABSOLUTE!" Lance roared. Everybody in the room flinched from the sheer volume and content of the statement, but he went on without a care. "We CANNOT ignore the truth in front of our eyes. Fairies are not weak. They are as strong as any other Pokemon. To continue denying this will only spell our downfall. The world is bigger than we think! It is moving and changing in ways we cannot hope to stop, so we must learn to change with it!"

    It pained him to admit it. It really did.

    But this was a truth he should have realized sooner. Like Arin had told Clair, Lance and his Clan had been living in an isolated bubble this whole time. They ¡ª he ¡ª had been trying to convince themselves they were untouchable.

    No longer.

    "It''s time to stop," Lance continued with a clenched fist. "We must learn to live with this new reality and adapt to the emergence of a new Pokemon type. Even before Arin Watanuki and his Fairies came along, we''d slowly been losing sight of ourselves in the face of the news. We are taking steps back instead of forward."

    "You dare suggest we let Fairies live and let live? Never," the Eldest hissed. With some effort, he rose to his own feet and slammed his cane against the ground. "So long as we are Blackthorns, we will stand firm by our long-held beliefs. We will never accept Fairies, and we will never accept that blasted Arin Watanuki. They are poisoning the nation with their presence."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Lance looked at the scowling Eldest. Without a word, he slowly turned his head. Everywhere he looked, he saw a sea of similar expressions. Obstinacy, fury, denial, the list went on and on. Clair looked back at him with a displeased expression of her own. It didn''t matter if the Clan members truly sided with the Elders or if they had been intimidated into agreement.

    Every single one of them was choosing to remain ignorant, and it was a terrible moment of realization for Lance.

    With a pang in his heart, he realized the Clan had truly begun to lose its way. Nothing he said was having any effect. They were willing to stay stuck in the past. Their misguided hatred for Fairies was blinding their judgment for everything else to the point where they were willing to tie their hands and feet just to prove themselves noble.

    Lance suddenly felt so very, very ashamed.

    He had been just like them. He''d been letting his own tinted beliefs about Arin and Fairies cloud his vision. He had thought they were below him, that they were weak and had nothing good to offer Kanto-Johto. But that wasn''t right.

    He''d seen with his own eyes how Fairies could beat Dragons. Even if Clair''s Pokemon were not as strong as his own, it had still been shocking to witness Dragons falling so helplessly. He had believed Dragons were absolute his whole life. Now, he had seen for himself a different truth, and Lance felt like his world was collapsing in on itself.

    It was truly a bitter pill to swallow, but he knew he had to accept it in order to grow. He could not remain stagnant like the rest of his Clan. He had to accept change, accept Fairies, and accept Arin as part of new winds blowing in Kanto-Johto.

    Lance was the Champion of their nation, and he had to guide it to the future.

    He said as much now.

    "I may be a proud Blackthorn, but I am also Lance Wataru, the Champion of the Indigo League," he said. His voice was quiet but firm, and in his eyes conviction burned. "I will always look out for Indigo first and foremost. Today¡­ I have never been more disappointed in our Clan. This is where I draw the line. Do not expect to see me at any more meetings related to Fairies or Arin Watanuki. My only courtesy to the Clan will be turning a blind eye to any ridiculous schemes you might try and pull from here on out regarding the new Gym Leader. I will have nothing to do with them for they will all fail anyway."

    "LANCE WATARU! YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE¡ª"

    The Elders all screamed obscenities at him, but he merely ignored them and swept his cape outwards. Lance only spared one passing, meaningful glance to his cousin before he walked out of the Dragon Shrine.

    He walked away from the Clan that was only hurting itself from its own poisoned beliefs and away from the sheer absurdity of it all.

    Lunch was in order. Then, after¡­

    Lance had a certain destination in mind.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Hyper Song!"

    On the phone screen, a Mega Altaria sang a heart-wrenching, beautiful song. Tears filled her eyes, and she had to furiously blink them away so she could see what was going on. The video shifted as new sounds filled her ears, choral notes from a sea of glowing orbs.

    She''d replayed this highlight reel for what had to be at least a hundred times by now.

    How could such a Pokemon exist? She didn''t know what she found more beautiful, its appearance or its voice. Both were absolutely divine. And it was a Mega Altaria! She still couldn''t get over that.

    She wanted so badly for an Altarianite now. From now on, all of her admittedly meager savings were going to go towards getting one someday should a Stone ever be discovered and put on the market. It didn''t matter if it took a decade or more. This was her new goal.

    She grinned as she played the highlight reel again. As soon as her shift ended for the day, she''d show Nimbus this video, too. She just knew her Altaria would love it as much as she did. Maybe it would give him some ideas for how to improve his own singing¡ª

    "GUYS, BIG NEWS!"

    She nearly slammed her knees into the table from the way she jumped in her seat. With a still racing heartbeat, she tore her earbuds out and stared at the door to the break room. Naete had barrelled in. He closed the door behind him now and looked at her and the other Blackthorn Clan trainees with wide eyes.

    "Naete, what¡ª" one of the other trainees started to ask, but Naete shut him up by criss-crossing his arms in an emphatic ''X'' shape.

    "Like I said, big news. I just heard it from Yoshi. He was at the Clan meeting in his father''s stead just now and¡ª" Naete stopped suddenly, gaze focused on the still playing device in her hands. There was no sound since the output was set to her ripped out earbuds, but the screen was shifting constantly with frames of Mega Altaria.

    Naete let out a strangled gasp.

    "Are you crazy?! Put that away before anyone sees!" he hissed frantically at her. Naete even went as far as to run back to the door and press an ear against it as if he was listening for a hidden presence. His odd behavior instantly made her and the other trainees cautious. She held her phone to her chest defensively, eyes widening further as she stared at Naete.

    "Why? What''s wrong?" she demanded. "I''m on break right now, I''m allowed to be on my freaking phone¡ª"

    "It''s not that!" Naete interrupted. He stayed still with one ear pressed against the door. When he was satisfied, he quickly walked back to where she and the other trainees were sitting. He stood at the edge of their table with an anxious expression. "New decree from the upper echelons of the Clan. They''re banning Mega Evolution for Altaria. Forever. You''re not allowed to acquire a Stone for it if they''re made available in the future. They''re freaking pissed, guys. They don''t even want people to think about Altaria''s Mega Evolution. It''s taboo now, which is why¡­"

    Naete trailed off to stare pointedly at her phone. "To be on the safe side, you should probably NOT watch that here in the Gym of all places. Someone could walk in and catch you with it. You could get fired or worse, permanently kicked out of the Clan''s trainee program."

    All the trainees stared at him with shock over the news, but none more so than her.

    Yurie Irazuki sat there in utter disbelief.

    "What¡­ the actual fuck?" she finally said. She was so out of it that the words didn''t even feel like they''d come out of her own mouth. "They''re banning Mega Evolution for Altaria¡­ for the whole Clan? Even non-blood related trainees?"

    "Yep," Naete said quietly, popping the ''p.''

    That helped bring back some of her focus. Yurie felt anger washing over her as she slowly put her phone in her pocket. "That''s so stupid!" she retorted, but she made sure to keep her voice down. Her eyes briefly darted to the door before they went back to the bringer of bad news. "Look, I get that the Blackthorns don''t like Fairies, but didn''t Clair tell us after the match that the new Mega was a Dragon AND Fairy type? It''s still part Dragon for Arceus''s sake¡ª"

    "They don''t care, Yurie," Naete replied firmly. "It''s part Fairy. That''s all they know and care about. Anyway, guys, just make sure you do not say anything about Mega Altaria from now on if you want to stay in the Clan''s good graces¡­"

    Yurie sat there in silence while her fellow trainees talked among themselves. Her previous good mood from watching the video had all but evaporated in the wind.

    She had not come here all the way from Hoenn, had not passed ¡ª after multiple failed attempts no less ¡ª the grueling test to enter the Clan''s ranks as a mere trainee, and had not suffered through years of personal training just to sit here and be told there was something she and Nimbus could not do.

    Yurie Irazuki fumed to herself.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Dad couldn''t stop being worried on the flight back and long after we were actually home.

    "It was a magnificent match, Arin, but I don''t think the Blackthorns will be happy¡ª"

    "I''ll take care of it, dad. They needed to be knocked down a peg anyway."

    "What about Clair? You''re going to be working with her from now on¡ª"

    "We came to an¡­ agreement. We''ll see if it holds."

    "But the Clan might¡ª"

    "Dad!" I said calmly but firmly. I looked up from the work I was trying to do on my laptop and raised a brow at the man hovering near me. He''d changed out of his formal wear already for a more casual outfit, but I had only shed my stuffy suit jacket and vest.

    "I appreciate and understand that you''re worried, but what I did today had to be done," I told him. "I needed to make a statement to the Blackthorns and the country. I have no doubt they aren''t gonna be too pleased with me after today, but I''ll deal with whatever happens without fail. And besides¡­"

    I smirked, drumming a finger against my leg. "It was free and pretty damn good advertising, if I say so myself. If people weren''t already talking about me and the Cherrygrove Gym before, now they definitely will."

    Dad gaped at me. After what seemed like forever, he finally shook his head slowly with an incredulous smile.

    "Only you would consider the advertising aspect of today''s events, goodness¡­" A few chuckles escaped him as he sat down on the couch across from me. "Very well. I''ll stop bringing this up then since you don''t seem to be worried."

    I nodded gratefully. I understood where dad''s concern was coming from, but I really didn''t care too much.

    I didn''t have any lingering feelings regarding my match with Clair. I hadn''t been expecting much from her at all, but the fight had truly been a disappointment from start to end. What needed to be done had been done, and now it was time to think about the future.

    I was the Gym Leader of a major gym now, the ninth in Johto even. Not to toot my own horn, but it was a pretty big deal. I was confident we were going to get lots of challengers in the following League Circuit season. Of course, I wasn''t going to rest on my laurels until then.

    It was finally time to upgrade the Cherrygrove Gym''s social media presence and, more importantly, recruit gym trainers. Humming to myself, I pulled up the URLs for the Cherrygrove Gym''s website and social media platforms. Both my brows immediately flew up to my hairline.

    "Er¡­ Dad, did you hire anyone to help with these?" I trailed off, flipping the laptop around so dad could view it. He winced when he saw the split tabs on the screen. The Gym''s website design looked like something from a bygone era, and its Chatter and Chimegram timelines were very¡­ sparse.

    Heck, the last post for each of them was from two years ago! Two!

    "No¡­" Dad slowly admitted. He wore an embarrassed smile as he avoided my gaze. "I did everything on my own. I''m not the best with technology though. For the website, I just used a free template I found online. And the social media apps were kind of forgotten as time went on¡­"

    I stared at him half in disbelief and half in amazement.

    To think he had somehow managed to obtain the qualifications to apply for the promotion exam in spite of a lack of heavy advertising¡­ it was astounding, that was for sure.

    I cleared my throat and swiftly turned the laptop back around. "Well, first things first. I''m going to archive all these old posts on the Gym''s social media pages."

    That was easy enough. Soon enough, there were blank timelines in front of me just begging to be updated. I would get back to them in a moment.

    Right now, I stared at the website with furrowed brows. Now this would be a little tougher. I knew my way around social media, but I had zero experience dealing with website management. Before I began accepting applications for anything, I needed to make sure the website was both one, presentable enough, and two, able to handle what was probably going to be a Tauros load of incoming traffic.

    A small idea popped up in my mind. Before I knew it, I had called out softly.

    "Porygon family."

    Dad let out a startled yelp when six different heads popped up out of the computers or my phone, staring at me attentively. These were the Porygon, Porygon 2, and the one Porygon-Z Geeta had gifted me before. I''d talked to them a bit in the last two weeks and learned they were surprisingly chatty.

    I also knew they''d been feeling kind of restless so far since they didn''t have a lot of work to do.

    "How good are you guys with web design?" I asked hopefully. The Porygon family members all stared at each other and communicated silently. Porygon-Z ducked back into my phone, and an electronic voice blared out a second later.

    "Our specialty lies in data security and management. We do not possess any skills related to web design; however, we are capable of learning such skills right now. Shall we download information regarding this?" Porygon-Z''s chosen voice asked.

    "How is it doing that?" Dad silently mouthed at me with wide eyes, and I had to refrain from snorting with laughter.

    "Yes please, I''d like it if you could, er¡­ spruce this website up a bit? To a more modern look at least. Doesn''t need to be anything too fancy, I just need something better than what we have right now for the time being. I''ll hire people with suitable skill sets for this later," I said vaguely, hoping that was enough for the Porygon family. I looked at dad now. "Did you use a free hosting service for this?"

    He stared at me blankly, and that was all I needed to know.

    I turned back to the Porygon family and nodded sagely. "Please find and switch the hosting service to the best possible one, too. I don''t want to deal with crashes later. Here''s my card number¡­"

    While the Porygon family zipped back into the computer and got to work, I started making drafts for hiring ads and application forms with dad''s input. Right now, I only planned on hiring gym trainers and some people to help manage the Gym''s online platforms. All other positions ¡ª janitors, receptionists, security guards, and the like ¡ª would be hired after construction on the Cherrygrove Gym finished in one and a half months.

    That was when the ball would really get rolling. I couldn''t wait for that day.

    The website''s new look was completed before long. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw how much more in line with modern times it looked. The design was a bit simplistic and didn''t truly fit the theme of the Gym, but that was fine. This was just temporary. I quickly got all the forms and posts ready for submission on my laptop and pulled out my phone.

    It was time for the last step before everything went live and hit the Pokenet.

    Dad watched curiously as I held a finger to my lips in a shushing gesture. I angled my phone carefully in front of me, navigated to my Chimegram page, and hit the ''livestream'' button.

    Thousands of people flooded into the room within seconds, and I mean thousands.

    I was up to over a hundred thousand viewers by the time half a minute passed. Across my phone screen, comments and reactive emojis zoomed past. I had expected to get some attention because of the swearing-in ceremony, my match with Clair, and all the new followers on my social medias, but this was more than satisfactory.

    I finally spoke when the viewers breached one hundred fifty thousand.

    "Hi guys. I hope you all enjoyed my friendly match with Leader Clair," I began conversationally. People instantly responded with waves of comments, and I picked one out at random to react to.

    "''Mega Altaria is Dragon/Fairy type?!''" I read out loud. "That''s exactly right."

    Upon my verbal confirmation, the screen became flooded with emojis to the point that I almost couldn''t see my own face.

    I smiled. "As much as I''d like to keep chatting, that''s not why I started this abrupt livestream. I''ve got some big news I''d like to share," I revealed with a sly smile. "I''m looking to hire gym trainers and some social media managers for the Cherrygrove Gym. Applications will be open for the next five days. You can apply at the Gym''s website starting¡­ now."

    At a discreet nod from me, the Porygon family made the forms live on the website. All social media timelines were updated with colorful hiring ads and informational posts. As for my livestream?

    It had ballooned to over three hundred thousand viewers now.

    I didn''t need to spread the word so much that others would be spreading the news for me. This livestream was just minimal advertising on my part to poke the curious masses.

    "That''s all I wanted to say. Please apply for the positions if you''re interested," I said with one last smile. I''m pretty sure I looked almost ecstatic as I ended the call and hurriedly refreshed all the tabs on my laptop.

    There were hundreds of comments under the hiring ad posts already. People were talking about it, and they were sharing and spreading it to the rest of the country like wildfire. I knew if I looked in another hour, the website would probably have tons of applications already as well.

    It was going to be a pain in the butt later to go through all the forms after the deadline, but it would be worth it. I had grand ambitions for my Gym, and I only wanted the most suitable trainers to work for me.

    If I had to comb through the entire country to make that happen, I would.

    I had to explain to dad what that was all about since he wasn''t too familiar with Chimegram. We were in the middle of discussing what other advertising we could do when Silque''s voice spoke urgently in my head.

    Intruders heading¡ª

    I was up and running before she even got the second word out.

    An assortment of growls and cries rang out from the front yard long before I reached the entryway and flung the door open, expecting the worst.

    What I saw instead made me blink about five times in rapid succession.

    Some of my Pokemon had made an enclosure already as more ran to the scene from the back including Dad''s own Elites. Peri had a fully formed Moonblast ready to go from his position in the sky, and Fizz was stationed on the roof with one wing spread wide as poison coalesced around it.

    On the ground, Vel hissed threateningly with his feelers lashing the air around him. Silque had already woven a barrier around the whole front yard preventing escape, and Zuri''s fangs were bared as she snarled, tensing in preparation for a fight. In front of her were the so-called intruders.

    A Dragonite that was distinctly not my own had landed in the front yard. Just from the intense aura it radiated, I knew that this was a true Dragon that had seen and won many fights. It bared its own fangs as it looked left and right. And standing in front of it was¡ª

    "Champion Lance?" I asked with no small amount of confusion. My initial anger and adrenaline subsided once I realized the intruder was just him and what was presumably his famed starter.

    Lance''s gaze flickered first to all the Pokemon that had surrounded him, then to Zuri with particular interest, and then finally to me.

    "Greetings, Leader Arin. I apologize for my sudden and unannounced visit. It would have been more proper to call you in advance, but it slipped my mind with everything going on," he said with an apologetic dip of his head. "May we have a chat?"

    I stared at him for several long seconds. Why had the Champion of the Indigo League decided to make a personal house visit to me? I wasn''t sure, but I did have a small guess.

    "Is everything alright, Arin?!" Dad asked, finally appearing behind me at the door. His eyes followed my gaze and widened when they caught sight of Lance. He did not say anything, but dad''s gaze darted back and forth between us.

    "Yeah," I said quietly to dad. In a louder voice, I turned back to Lance and nodded. "Sure. Would you like to come inside to talk or¡­?"

    Lance neatly folded his hands behind his back. "Outside is alright. I wouldn''t want to intrude more than I already have."

    I nodded slowly. It was the unspoken signal for all my Pokemon to relax and let go of their moves or battle positions. Most of them returned to the backyard, but a few of them ¡ª Vel and Zuri in particular ¡ª stayed in the front yard off to the sides and fixed Lance and his Pokemon with intense stares. Lance''s Dragonite stared back at them with a mixture of interest and caution.

    Dad drifted back inside to give us privacy, and I closed the door as I gestured to the chairs on the front porch. Lance walked up with dignified steps. He carefully swept his cape back and sat himself in a chair, and I sank into the one across from him.

    "So," I immediately began, eyeing Lance carefully. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

    He took a deep breath. "I came here not as the Champion but as Lance Wataru. I want to apologize for my cousin''s actions."

    I leaned back in my chair with a slow nod. I''d figured his visit probably had something to do with Clair, but I hadn''t expected an apology of all things.

    "That''s not necessary. It was a friendly battle that we both agreed to¡ª" I began politely, but Lance held up a hand.

    "I''m aware of what she said to you at the ceremony, Leader Arin, and the true context of the match," he explained. "I also know of the conversation that occurred afterwards."

    If I was wary before, now I was doubly alert as I stared at him with narrowed eyes. He''d just blatantly admitted that he knew everything including the threats I''d made to Clair and his Clan.

    He wasn''t here looking for trouble, was he?

    As if he sensed my apprehension, Lance quickly shook his head. "I didn''t come here to start a fight," he reassured. "I meant what I said before. I really did come here to apologize on behalf of Clair. She''s¡­ a very headstrong individual. What she did today was terribly foolish and could have caused public unrest had you not chosen to look the other way. I''d like to thank you for that. I know you haven''t had your post for long, but you''re an exemplary Gym Leader of Kanto-Johto."

    That¡­ was nice of him, but I still stared at him with suspicion.

    "I did choose not to escalate things, yes, for the sake of showing a unified appearance," I said slowly. "But¡­ you do realize I threatened your cousin, right? I haven''t forgiven her. I don''t exactly have fond feelings towards your Clan either. Whatever they try, I will deal with it, and if it crosses the line¡­"

    I trailed off, eyes hardening. "Then you''ll have to forgive me if troubles arise on your hands, Champion."

    Lance merely inclined his head. "I will admit I hope that does not come to pass. Clair should hopefully settle down after this, and my Clan¡­ well, I don''t think they''d do anything too drastic, but perhaps that''s just my wishful thinking. Regardless, you would be justified in taking actions against them, and I would not hold you against it so long as what you do is reasonable."

    My eyes widened. Did Lance just¡­ Did he just give me permission to fight his family? I had expected him to take an issue with it, and not just¡­ be so nonchalant about the fact that I was potentially going to ruin his Clan''s reputation in the future to some degree.

    This was weird. Very weird, and definitely way out of my range of expectations.

    There was a brief period of silence between us as we took in the conversation so far. I was idly fiddling with my hands when Lance spoke again, and I wrenched my focus back.

    "I''d also like to offer my own apology," Lance added. I raised a brow, but he merely continued on after a moment''s hesitation. "I''ll be honest: like the rest of my Clan, I did not think¡­ highly of you or Fairy type Pokemon before. I thought Fairies to be beneath Dragons."

    I barely avoided hissing through my teeth. My previous paranoid wonderings about the Champion''s beliefs turned out to have some substance after all. Even Lance had apparently been firmly entrenched in his Clan''s ideologies. It was one thing to wonder if the Champion of your League perhaps secretly disliked you and another to actually hear it from their mouth.

    I had, however, not missed the ''before.''

    "You didn''t have to tell me this. You could have just gone on pretending to tolerate me and I wouldn''t have known any better," I pointed out with narrowed eyes. "So¡­ why bring this up?"

    Lance hummed softly as he looked off into the distance over my shoulder.

    "I could have, yes," he easily agreed. "But I don''t enjoy putting up pretenses, even if I have to often do so for political reasons. I prefer speaking my mind freely and facing things head-on."

    He turned his gaze back to me and looked me in the eyes with a serious expression.

    "I have lived my whole life believing Dragons were absolute, but I saw a different truth today. It''s shocking, really, to have your world upended in the span of just a little over an hour, but I''m grateful for this splash of cold water you gave so to speak. I know now that the world is bigger than I think and that there are truths I must face if I wish to grow," Lance said solemnly. "I still have some reservations about the Fairy type, admittedly, but I will no longer look upon them with such misguided hatred like the rest of my Clan does. I respect your strength, Arin, and the strength your Fairies have shown."

    Lance actually dipped his head low in acknowledgement, and I almost gaped at him. It was obvious he was being very genuine about all this if he was even willing to bow his head to me. Lance was famous for his unbending pride.

    Any suspicions I''d had towards Lance flew away as I threw my hands up. Compared to Clair, now here was someone who was actually noble.

    "Thank you," I quickly said, and I meant it. I don''t think I ever could have imagined something like this happening. Not just any Blackthorn but the Champion himself was acknowledging my strength and that of my team. It was certainly gratifying. "But you can raise your head, I don''t feel comfortable having the Champion bow his head to me like this!"

    Lance actually barked out a short laugh as he raised his head, staring at me with amusement.

    "I can see you have strength of character as well," he mused out loud. "Most people would relish the sight of having the Champion bow to them in acknowledgement."

    I smiled awkwardly. "Well¡­ not me. I do respect you, Champion Lance, and even more after the honesty you showed me today. It''s much appreciated."

    "I''m glad my sincerity reached you," Lance replied. He smiled a bit as he clasped his hands together on his lap. "To go back to what you asked before¡­ why did I bring this up now? I felt humbled by your actions today and the words you shared with Clair. What you told my cousin may not have affected her or the rest of my Clan, but it has resonated deeply with me. I felt the need to reach out to you and start anew."

    Lance gave me a serious nod. "I am still a new Champion, Leader Arin. I''m only half a year into my tenure, but I have many visions for the future. When I took up my post, I swore to help make Indigo the best it could be, and I meant it. There is much work to be done in Kanto-Johto. I need allies who will work with me both to improve it and keep it safe, and I would be honored if you could join me in this pursuit."

    He looked at me with a hopeful yet resolute gaze. Then and there, I realized Lance was a greater person than I ever could have thought him to be. He was willing to acknowledge his past faults and grow from his mistakes.

    If it was a person like this, I could agree to follow them.

    "You don''t even need to ask, Champion Lance," I smiled. "That''s what I was planning to do anyway. I swore as much during my own ceremony, so¡­ I''m looking forward to working together with you from now on."

    A very pleased smile stretched across Lance''s face. He offered a hand, and I shook it heartily.

    "Me too. To the future," he said softly, and I nodded.

    "To the future."

    Lance studied me as we let go of each other''s hands. "Would it be alright if we addressed each other by first names outside of official settings? I always thought titles got a tad¡­ stuffy."

    "Oh sure¡ª"

    "Excellent! Then Arin, before I leave, might I ask about your Dragonite? She looks incredibly well-trained, and the size of her wings is simply marvelous¡­" Lance continued rambling on and on excitedly, and I stared at him with amusement. It almost felt like our previous conversation had never taken place.

    The dignified Champion of the Indigo League had been replaced by an enthusiast who geeked out over Dragon Pokemon.

    I ended up introducing Zuri to Lance and his own Dragonite. Once I made it clear that they were allies now, she relaxed and treated them much more amicably. Lance had endless compliments for me about how Zuri had been raised, and I admit, it did feel great having a literal expert on Dragons pass you with flying colors. Zuri also chatted with Lance''s Dragonite a bit, more than happy to talk to a fellow dragon once caution was no longer required.

    I think we were all feeling a little closer to each other when Lance finally got on his Dragonite''s back and zipped away in the sky. Before he left, we had exchanged contact details.

    There were enemies and obstacles ahead, but at least now I knew the Champion of the Indigo League would not interfere with me. Our overarching goals were the same: to serve Kanto-Johto to the best of our abilities.

    That was a load off my mind.

    I hummed to myself as I re-entered the house. It had been a fairly crazy day so far, and I couldn''t wait to relax a bit during lunch. Delicious scents were wafting from the kitchen already. Some sort of soup maybe?

    Then my phone rang, and I paused in the living room to fish it out of my pocket.

    I frowned at the screen. There was no name or picture, just a phone number. Someone not on my admittedly long contacts list was calling me.

    That in itself was a bit alarming. My personal phone number wasn''t known to the public. The Porygon-Z in my phone didn''t seem to think it was an issue, though, so I held the device up to my ear and accepted the call. I couldn''t help but feel a bit wary still.

    "Hello?" I asked cautiously.

    "Hello! Good afternoon, Leader Arin. I apologize for the sudden call to your private number. I actually phoned the Cherrygrove Gym first but didn''t realize the Gym was under construction, so I called up the League to inquire about your contact details instead," the voice on the other end explained. It was a deep, slightly gravelly voice that sounded like it belonged to an elderly man, but it was full of cheer and vitality. I even thought I detected some excitement leaking through.

    For some reason, the voice also kind of sounded vaguely familiar.

    "I was hoping to speak with you regarding your Pokemon. This is Professor Samuel Oak calling from the Oak Lab."

    My mouth dropped open like a Magikarp''s.

    I almost thought I was dreaming. I even quickly Zoogled the other person''s number on my phone to make sure it was authentic, and it was.

    Samuel Oak, the legendary Hero of the War of Ashes and the most esteemed Professor on this side of the world, was on the phone with me.

 Chapter 22

    CHAPTER 22

    Samuel Oak.

    There wasn''t a single person in Kanto-Johto or the entire Kinjoh Area that did not know his name. He was a legendary figure and one who had been firmly etched into the annals of Indigo''s history.

    There was a dizzying array of achievements under his belt. Samuel Oak held records for longest ever held Champion title, first ever Champion after the country officially unified as Indigo, and zero losses during his tenure. He had not been beaten out of his position but stepped down of his own volition after a certain tragedy. He was also, of course, widely known for having created the Pokedex, and he had been the one who contributed most to ending two different devastating conflicts: the War of Ashes and the Rocket War.

    The Undefeated Champion, the Hero of Wars, the Guardian of Kanto¡­ his epithets went on and on. Heck, some people even called him the Immortal Oak. That last one was more common in Kanto than Johto due to how it was perceived as blasphemous by devout believers of Ho-Oh.

    Nowadays, he just went by Professor Oak.

    I couldn''t believe I was actually talking to such a distinguished individual. This was a person who had literally devoted his life to the country and accomplished things of near unimaginable proportions. It was no exaggeration to call him a national icon or treasure. He was Indigo.

    I reined in the nervousness and excitement I suddenly felt and gripped my phone more tightly. Focus, I told myself.

    "Good afternoon, Professor. What exactly can I help you with today?" I greeted politely. I already had a good idea of where this conversation was heading based on Oak''s interest in my Pokemon, but I asked anyway for the sake of it.

    "Hmm, to preface things¡­ I watched your matches against Leaders Pryce and Clair. I was unaware Altaria was capable of Mega Evolution, and there were several Pokemon you used against Pryce that I did not recognize. Am I right in assuming they are from outside the Kinjoh Area?" Oak asked.

    "They are," I readily confirmed. A sharp intake of breath came from the other side of the phone.

    "I thought as much! I''ll be blunt with you, Leader Arin. I''m vastly interested in studying your Pokemon. Would you be willing to let me research them? And for that matter, letting me pick your brain about the wealth of knowledge you surely possess?"

    I didn''t even have to think very hard about my answer. One, I couldn''t really deny such a heartfelt request from Samuel Oak of all people, and two, it was a chance to spread awareness of Fairy type Pokemon. If I collaborated with someone as credible and well-known as Oak, then the information we later released to the Kinjoh Area was bound to get more than a fair amount of attention. This side of the world had a lot of catching up to do.

    "I myself am happy to oblige, but¡­" I paused to smile even though Oak couldn''t see me. "I''ll need to ask my Pokemon if they''re willing. Can you hold for a bit?"

    "Oh, of course! As a researcher who focuses on the bond between people and Pokemon, that makes me quite happy to hear actually. It''s truly an indication of not just a good trainer but an individual when they are so considerate of Pokemon and treat them as equals," Oak happily answered. "I''ll be waiting right here, so take your time!"

    Oak was certainly a pleasant person, not that I''d expected anything different. I thanked him for his understanding and put the call on mute as I headed to the backyard.

    I cupped my hands to my mouth and called for everyone to gather up. That meant my personal team and all the gym Pokemon which, at this point in time, was a massive horde of various species altogether. Once everyone had bunched together in a tightly packed group, I explained the situation at hand and asked how they felt.

    Almost all of them were okay with it aside from more skittish individuals among the gym Pokemon. I marked down which ones were not willing on my phone, and then I unmuted the call. The Pokemon all drifted back to what they''d originally been doing.

    "Hello, Professor, I''m done speaking with my Pokemon."

    "Yes! How did they react?"

    "Most of them are willing, including my personal team, but some of my gym Pokemon are a little shy. I''ll tell you which ones are off limits in person," I told him. "So yes, you can come study my Pokemon if you''d like¡ª"

    "Really?!" Oak nearly shouted through the phone, and I had to refrain from wincing. He could be loud when he wanted to be. "Splendid! Thank you so much for allowing this, Leader Arin. How many Pokemon do you have exactly? I''ll need to figure out logistics for this research venture."

    "Nineteen on my personal team and ninety-seven for my challenge rosters, so a hundred and sixteen Pokemon total," I answered immediately. There was no way I wouldn''t know the exact number with how much these Pokemon meant to me and how much time I spent with them every day. "Most of them are not native to the Kinjoh Area, so there''s a lot of different species for you to study aside from the ones you''ve already seen on TV."

    I waited for Oak to say something, but only silence came from the other end. My brows furrowed as I lifted the phone away from me to check that, yes, the call was still connected. I brought it back to my ear with a confused expression.

    "Professor? Are you still there¡ª"

    "D-Did you just say one hundred and sixteen Pokemon?" Oak interrupted with a breathless voice. "And that there are more new species among those?"

    "Er¡­ yes?"

    Silence fell again.

    "Good Arceus. I¡­ please wait right here a second, Leader Arin! I need to make some phone calls real quick!" There was a rattling sound that sounded like the phone had been dropped to the table and loud, receding footsteps. I didn''t even get a chance to respond before Oak was gone.

    I rubbed the back of my neck. I''d forgotten how shocking that would be for a person in the Kinjoh Area. To someone like me who had traveled the world and seen vast varieties of Pokemon already, I just treated it like a normal, everyday occurrence.

    Almost five minutes passed of me milling around in awkward silence before Oak finally returned.

    "Leader Arin!" Oak exclaimed in just as breathless of a voice as before. "Thank you for waiting! I apologize, I was calling up some associates. Some friends of mine had been planning to contact you as well, actually, to ask if they could study your Pokemon. I thought I''d speed up the process and ask on their behalf since we''re on the phone already. Would it be alright if they joined? Four brains would be better than one to study all these Pokemon."

    I blinked. "Oh. May I ask who they are?"

    "Professors Oliver Elm from Johto, Miles Birch from Hoenn, and James Rowan from Sinnoh."

    Now it was Oak''s turn to drop a surprise. I nearly wheezed out loud right then and there.

    Every region had a few different Professors, but they each had one that eclipsed the others in terms of prestige and was considered their leading authority.

    For Kanto, it was Professor Oak who researched the bond between people and Pokemon. For Johto, it was Professor Elm who specialized in Pokemon breeding. For Hoenn, it was Professor Birch who investigated Pokemon habitats. Finally, for Sinnoh, it was Professor Rowan who studied Pokemon evolution and form changes.

    They were the four greatest Pokemon Professors of the Kinjoh Area, and they all wanted in on this research venture.

    This was as star-studded of a cast as any. Anything they published would basically take the world by storm. I didn''t hesitate with my answer.

    "They''re welcome to join," I declared firmly. "Now then, shall we go over the specifics of this project?"

    "Wonderful! They''ll be so pleased. I''ll tell them right now¡ª actually, may I add them to this call? It''d probably be best to go over things together as a group."

    As soon as I gave my assent, Oak scurried off again to tell them the good news. That left me enough time to shoot a quick text message to Lance. With extremely influential figures from neighboring regions coming to visit, I figured I should probably give the Champion a heads up.

    The text message had barely been sent when Oak came back to the phone.

    "I''ll add them to the call now, just give me a few moments¡­"

    I didn''t have to wait long. Suddenly three new voices entered the call at the same time and overlapped each other.

    "Leader Arin, this is Professor Oliver Elm. I''m so very honored¡ª"

    "Professor Miles Birch here! Leader Arin, I can''t wait to¡ª"

    "Hello, Leader Arin. I''m Professor James Rowan. Thank you for¡ª"

    They continued on excitedly without pause. I just stood there with an awkward look on my face as I tried desperately to recall whose voice was whose.

    "Gentlemen, gentlemen! We''re overwhelming Leader Arin," Oak scolded gently. That was enough for everyone else on the call to settle down, and Oak huffed lightly with amusement. "There''ll be time to greet each other in person. How about we focus on the project at hand? With that being said¡­ Leader Arin, how many assistants can we bring with us?"

    "Oh! What about the duration of this study?" Elm piped up.

    "When can we start?" Birch chimed in right after.

    "Any limitations on equipment we can bring?" Rowan followed up.

    They continued talking in a more orderly manner this time. Their excitement was clear as day from the way they peppered me with questions, and I found myself relaxing a bit as I chuckled.

    "Well, the duration can be however long you can afford to stay here. I will note, though, that I need to spend time training the gym Pokemon each day for the upcoming Circuit. Also, in a week I''ll have new gym trainers that I need to teach and get accustomed to the gym Pokemon, so that will significantly reduce the time allowed for research each day even further. In between training and rest, however, you''re welcome to come and study the Pokemon," I explained.

    There were various hums of agreement from the other end. I continued on. "Let''s set a limit of three assistants per person if that''s alright. My own team will be fine, but my gym Pokemon might get scared if there''s too many unknown faces at once. Our family''s land is quite expansive, so there''ll be enough space for any equipment you might bring. I would also offer housing, but we don''t have enough guest rooms at our house and the Gym''s staff lodgings are under construction."

    "That''s quite alright, Leader Arin. Birch and I can find an inn to stay at in the city," Rowan replied.

    "Yes, don''t worry about us!" Birch agreed.

    Oak added his own thoughts. "Elm and I will be fine, too. I can just have my Alakazam Teleport me there and back home to my lab. I can pick up and drop off Elm while I''m at it since New Bark Town is so close to Cherrygrove."

    I nodded. Lodgings were taken care of it seemed. "Then¡­ all that''s left is when to start the project."

    "I could come over today if you''ll allow me," Oak immediately suggested brightly.

    "Ah, me too! I''m right next door to Cherrygrove!" Elm cried out.

    "Erm, tomorrow would be better¡ª" The other Professors cut me off before I could finish.

    "Samuel! Oliver!" Birch switched to their first names in utter indignation. "Really? You''re trying to get a head start over us?"

    "I must agree with Birch here, my good fellows. You two are at least close by, but we, in fact, are in completely different regions," Rowan sniffed. "We should all meet up tomorrow."

    "Yes, exactly! We can''t just pop over at the snap of a finger¡ª"

    "I can''t wait any longer!" Elm interrupted Birch with an impatient voice full of yearning. "Do you realize how those new Pokemon have been consuming my mind day and night? I must see them now!"

    "He''s right! Research waits for no man!" Oak all but cackled.

    They devolved into friendly bantering on the line, and I was left to listen to them with amusement. If anyone else had heard this, they would never have guessed it was a conversation between very distinguished Professors.

    Eventually, the four men remembered that I was there and pulled themselves together. Oak cleared his throat.

    "We apologize for the arguing, Leader Arin," he said politely. "I said that all in jest. I''ll wait until tomorrow."

    "You better have! I''m going to leave and book a flight now then. Rowan?" Birch spoke excitedly.

    "Yes, as will I. Choose one that''ll get you there around 9 AM perhaps? I''ll do the same."

    "Oh, would you like me to come pick you up tomorrow?" I offered. "I imagine you''ll have a lot of equipment and luggage to carry over."

    "That would be greatly appreciated, thank you. Both Birch and I will book a flight with Goldenrod Airlines if you could meet us there."

    "Sure. Just text me when you arrive¡­"

    After ironing out final details and exchanging phone numbers and goodbyes, the call finally came to an end. I stared at my phone for several long seconds after I lowered it. I still hadn''t completely come to terms with the fact that I''d spoken not just to Samuel Oak, but the other top regional Professors as well.

    And I would meet them all in person in less than twenty-four hours.

    I shook my head as I plodded toward the kitchen. Dad was going to freak out when he heard who was visiting tomorrow.

    Dad noticed my presence as soon as I placed one foot on the kitchen tiles and turned to face me. Behind him, there was a bubbling pot of soup on the stove. It seemed my earlier guess of what lunch would be was right.

    "Everything okay with Champion Lance?" he asked with wide eyes.

    I smiled widely. "Yeah, more than okay actually. He''s a really good guy."

    Dad absolutely deflated with relief, smiling as he turned back to stir the soup. "Oh, good. I thought you were in trouble or something¡­"

    I hummed to myself as I leaned against the fridge. There was no other way to put it, so¡ª

    "By the way, Samuel Oak, Oliver Elm, Miles Birch, and James Rowan are all coming here tomorrow morning to visit."

    Dad whipped around so fast I was honestly surprised his neck didn''t snap.

    "WHAT?" he said in a strangled voice.

    "Yep."

    He ended up doing an entire sweep of the house''s perimeter after lunch to clean up the gardens and make everything look extra nice. Neil joined him in frantic gardening when he dropped by later and I dumped the news on him, too.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The next morning was full of tension for some (Dad and Neil) and excitement for others (me).

    All the gym Pokemon had already been warned of the people who would be dropping by later and for the foreseeable future. Dad and Neil were also prepared to greet Professors Oak and Elm if they dropped by while I was out.

    My phone was strapped to my wrist in a foldable bracelet form, and I glanced down now upon feeling it vibrate.

    Rowan [8:57 AM]: Hello, Leader Arin. Birch and I have arrived at Goldenrod Airlines with our teams. We are waiting outside Terminal A.

    Finally, the text message I''d been waiting for had arrived. I grinned from my position on Zuri''s back. We''d long been ready to take off. Silque was the only other Pokemon coming with me for this short excursion.

    "Alright, let''s go girl!"

    An eager bellow was all I got in response before Zuri took off like a speeding bullet. Clouds and trees blurred past in hazy shapes. Within minutes, Zuri slowed down as the ''Happening Big City'' came into view.

    Stolen story; please report.

    A sprawling metropolis lay before us. Densely packed skyscrapers and other modern buildings rose up high into the air. Across the whole city, bricks with a beautiful amber hue paved the roads. To the far left, I saw the famous Radio Tower with its large antennae piercing the sky. Dad had taken me there once as a kid, and we''d explored the Department Store afterwards for fun. Bordering the city''s limits was the large, glittering sea that stretched out far into the horizon.

    Goldenrod City, the biggest city in the region and one of the largest in the world. It was Johto''s hub for activity, economy, and telecommunications all in one, and a melting pot thanks to its widely used train station and position on the western coast. The city usually saw many travelers coming in from abroad or by sea.

    I directed Zuri to the airport in the city''s northeastern district. She banked down and stopped on a designated landing pad near Terminal A, and I promptly hopped off. The airport was bustling with activity this early in the morning already, but I barely had to look around to find the group I was picking up.

    Rowan and Birch were right outside the entrance gates with briefcases in hand and five assistants in total huddled around them. All of them bore luggage and equipment. There were people walking nearby who had already recognized the Professors, and they talked excitedly among themselves as they snapped pictures with their phones.

    I walked up to them with a smile and ignored the phones now being pointed my way.

    "Professor Birch, Professor Rowan," I called out. They reacted to the sounds of their names and turned my way. Recognition lit up their eyes as I stopped in front of them, offering my hand. "Welcome to Johto."

    Rowan shook my hand first with a smile of his own and a firm grip. "It''s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Leader Arin."

    Professor James Rowan was tall. I was pretty sure he was about six foot one, the same height as Neil. If not for the smile on his face, he would have come off as rather intimidating. His blockish face and naturally fierce eyes did not help.

    He moved back to let Birch heartily shake my hand next. "Thanks again for this amazing opportunity, Leader Arin! I was so excited last night that I couldn''t fall asleep for a long time," Birch beamed.

    Indeed, I could tell as much by how his eyes were slightly bloodshot. Compared to Rowan, Professor Miles Birch was dressed much more casually with sandals and shorts. It was a lot hotter in Hoenn so I didn''t see his wardrobe choice as too out of the ordinary.

    I greeted their assistants, too. With introductions out of the way, it was time to head back. The Professors and their aides watched silently as I unhooked a Dream Ball off my belt and clicked it. That silence transformed into a round of gasps when Silque materialized next to me. The tall humanoid Pokemon concentrated briefly as she memorized our location, all the while with stares on her from all sides.

    "Is this one of your Elite Pokemon?" Birch blurted out. He and Rowan had leaned forward excitedly and looked like they were struggling to keep themselves from getting closer.

    "Silque, my Hatterene," I introduced proudly. Done with memorizing the surroundings, Silque turned now to the researchers and dipped her head ever so slightly in a silent greeting. Some of the aides felt intimidated or obligated enough that they hurriedly gave back deeper bows of their own, and I refrained from chuckling.

    "If you''re willing, she can Teleport some of you to Cherrygrove so you can drop off things at the inn you booked. I''ll take the others with me on my Dragonite to head to our house," I explained.

    Rowan, Birch, and their assistants all looked at each other and communicated silently.

    Quickly, the assistants all threw their hands up and asked for the Teleportation experience with eager expressions. I¡­ guess even getting Teleported by a new species of Pokemon was interesting for them? Rowan and Birch seemed a bit put-out by how fast their aides had been with their responses, but they cheered up quickly when I directed them toward Zuri.

    I made sure to warn them about Zuri''s speed, but they seemed too excited to care.

    Silque waved goodbye to me before disappearing with the aides. As soon as Rowan and Birch had clambered onto Zuri''s back and gotten into comfortable, secure positions, I urged my Pokemon to take flight. The Professors let out shocked yelps as Zuri shot up.

    Minutes later, we were back home in the front yard. Two very disoriented Professors jumped onto the ground after me. Dad and Neil came walking down from the front porch to greet us.

    "Truly¡­ a prime specimen of a Dragonite¡­" Birch managed to get out weakly.

    Rowan seemed better off than his companion as he coughed, adjusting his vest. "Thank you for the ride."

    "Professors, welcome," Dad greeted politely at that moment. Neil echoed his greeting, though he looked a bit nervous. Birch and Rowan quickly moved to shake their hands.

    "Lovely gardens you have here."

    "Yes, they''re as beautiful as ones you might see in Eterna or Hearthome City back in Sinnoh."

    "Thank you, you''re both too kind¡­"

    They chatted on, but not for too long. Everyone jumped a bit when Silque suddenly Teleported into existence inches away with Rowan and Birch''s assistants. All luggage had been dropped off, and they only had various lab equipment with them now.

    "I guess now we wait for Professors Oak and Elm¡ª" I began, but I paused as I heard voices. Squinting, I looked towards the end of the trail that led away from our house.

    I hadn''t been imagining things. The voices grew louder as a group of seven people came into view, huffing and puffing as they emerged from the rows of trees with equipment in tow. The two people leading the group were unmistakable.

    Professor Oliver Elm was a lanky man with glasses that threatened to bounce right off his face for every step he took. His lab coat pockets were stuffed to the brim with pens, loose sheets of paper, and notebooks to the point where I wondered how he had managed to fit them all, and he marched with a terribly excited expression. If I''d thought Birch''s eyes were kind of bloodshot, then Elm''s were much worse off. Clearly he hadn''t managed to sleep well. I vaguely wondered if it was a one-off thing or a common recurring event.

    And¡­ walking alongside him was the one and only Professor Samuel Oak.

    I''d seen him on television when I was a kid, and although Oak had clearly aged since then, he still looked as dignified as I remembered him. He walked with a steady gait, a straight posture, and two notebooks tucked under an arm. A red object peeked out from one of his lab coat pockets ¡ª a Pokedex in all likelihood ¡ª and ballpoint pens and sticky notes were stuffed into the others. Wrinkles adorned his face, but his eyes were bright and full of life.

    Those same eyes rested on me as Oak and his entourage finally drew close. With a few extra large strides, he came up to me first and smiled widely.

    "Leader Arin, I''m honored to meet you in person at long last. I didn''t mention it yesterday while we were on the phone, but I was quite moved by your speech at your swearing-in ceremony. I''m looking forward to what you will accomplish as Gym Leader," Oak greeted cheerfully. My eyes widened a bit as we shook hands. Hearing that from a hero like Oak made me both elated and nervous.

    "Oh no, Professor Oak, the honor is all mine," I said hurriedly. "I only hope I can live up your and Indigo''s expectations."

    He just laughed merrily in response. "I don''t doubt that you will. I have pretty good instincts, if I do say so myself, and they''re telling me you''ll go far."

    My eyes widened even further. I barely spewed out some heartfelt thanks before Elm all but lurched forward with stars in his eyes.

    "Good morning, Leader Arin! I''m so excited to be here today, thank you once again for letting us study your Pokemon!" he blabbered fervently. He used both hands to shake one of mine with more energy than I would have expected out of his tired-looking self. Elm saw Zuri behind us and let out an appreciative ooh of surprise.

    Then he saw Silque and let out a whole strangled gasp. Oak and the other aides followed his gaze and stared at Silque with similar shock and curiosity.

    "Oh my Arceus¡­ W-What Pokemon is this, Leader Arin?!" Elm gushed loudly, stumbling backwards from a mixture of shock and delight. "I''ve never seen a species remotely like this one before! How magnificent, it''s so incredibly tall!"

    Silque merely smiled in response, yet I knew her well enough to know the act was not entirely genuine. She could tolerate loud noises from our team because she loved us, but strangers were a different matter. The rows of terrifyingly sharp teeth she flashed actually startled everybody, including Elm, into silence. I immediately took this chance to speak.

    "This is Silque, my Hatterene," I introduced for the second time. "She''s¡­ not very fond of loud noises, so if you could try to talk in reasonable voices, that would be much appreciated."

    "O-Oh!" Elm recovered in a heartbeat, eyes widening as he hurriedly ducked his head in apology. "I apologize, I let my excitement get the better of me again¡­"

    Silque dipped her head in acknowledgement. Just from the feelings Elm emanated, she could tell Elm meant well.

    I myself gave a satisfied nod and beckoned the guests to come closer. Once they''d all gathered in a loose circle, I reined in the nerves I felt at addressing so many important people and looked around me.

    "Before I lead you to the rest of my Pokemon, I''d like to say a few things," I began. "First, I''m honored to have so many esteemed Professors and their aides here who want to study my Pokemon. I''m looking forward to helping expand the information on Fairy types available to the Kinjoh Area."

    I paused to take a deep breath. "Now for guidelines concerning the Pokemon themselves¡­ I already mentioned this to Professor Oak before, but I''ll say it again. Most of them are willing to let you study them, but there are some who are not. I''ll point them out to you when we go out back. Next, the most important thing I need to tell you all: please be careful around the Pokemon. I am not questioning your sense as Pokemon researchers and caretakers, but I need to make it clear that some of these species have very peculiar characteristics. Some are shy, others sensitive to emotions, and vice versa. At least for the first couple of days, I will be shadowing you just to make sure nothing goes wrong, and I will let you know what to look out for when interacting with certain Pokemon. Finally¡­"

    I smiled, gesturing to myself. "Feel free to just call me Arin. We''ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, and I wouldn''t feel comfortable if you all continued to address me by an official title every time."

    Once I confirmed that every Professor and assistant had understood my warnings, Dad, Neil, and I led them to the backyard with Zuri and Silque bringing up the rear. We made it to the back porch, but we had to turn when we realized no footsteps could be heard behind us.

    All the Professors and aides stood frozen in place. Their eyes were glued to the huge expanse of land and more importantly, all the Pokemon living in it.

    "Good Arceus," Rowan said in a barely audible whisper.

    "Am¡­ Am I dreaming?" Elm asked faintly. "Someone please tell me I''m not."

    "You''re not, Oliver," Birch reassured, but he had a dazed expression of his own as he stared out at the backyard. "That¡­ is a lot of new Pokemon."

    "¡­We''re going to need to expand the Pokedex by more than we expected¡­"

    Oak was the first to snap out of his stupor. With a blinding smile, he ran up to me. "Arin! Let''s begin right away!"

    That was the signal for the rest of the group to hurry forward with their equipment. Each member wore an almost crazed expression as they ran.

    I scratched the back of my head. "Well¡­ which Pokemon would you like to start with then? My personal team or the gym Pokemon?"

    They all looked at each other and then back at me.

    "May we study your gym Pokemon first?" Birch asked politely for the group. "It would give us a better reference point if we looked at those species before comparing them to stronger and fully evolved Pokemon like your own."

    "Sure."

    I had to wait a couple minutes for the group to set up some heavier and less mobile equipment near the back porch. As soon as they had unburdened themselves and put notebooks and smaller tools and devices in their hands, they followed after me as one quivering swarm. Their excitement was palpable to the point that I could almost physically feel it brushing against my back.

    I didn''t have to think very hard about which Pokemon to introduce them to first. I chose ones that were rather friendly to start things off.

    A collective wave of gasps rang out as we stopped in front of a group of familiar cream colored dogs and their leader. I greeted them first before turning to the researchers.

    "The small dogs are Fidough, and the large one is their leader, a Pokemon called Dachsbun," I explained. I glanced at dad and Neil from the corner of my eye and jerked my head slightly.

    They understood the unspoken question and were more than happy to step up, showing off the knowledge they''d learned from me.

    "They have yeast in their breath?!" Elm echoed in shock after dad revealed that tidbit. He bit his lip, rapidly tapping his foot against the ground. "Lizzie, Wen, we''re making some bread tomorrow to test this! I must see it for myself!"

    The rest of the Professors gave their aides similar tasks. I barked out a laugh before I could stop myself.

    I sat down on the grass and idly patted one of the Fidough while dad and Neil continued the presentation for me. Every single person was writing things down frantically and taking numerous pictures and videos. More than a few Pokedexes were taken out to record information.

    "My word¡­ they''re so adorable!" Oak all but beamed at one point. He''d sat down on the grass with me and was interacting with one of the Fidough. While he gingerly squeezed its paws, another playfully butted Oak''s side and let out cheerful barks.

    "Their skin is firm yet somehow soft to the touch¡­ I do detect elastic qualities, too," Rowan mumbled to himself from somewhere behind us.

    "We don''t have a large enough sample size, but¡­ an average of twelve inches for Fidough''s height among the ones here," Birch muttered. He and his aides were holding up measuring tapes or staring down at portable scales. "And about¡­ twenty-one pounds? Fascinating."

    "They smell so delicious! Particularly this Dachsbun," Elm squealed, though he hastily backtracked. "I mean, of course, not that I would eat them or anything! I''m merely saying they give off a shockingly appetizing aroma."

    "That scent is what helps wheat grow," I piped up. "Historically, they''ve been vital parts of farming communities in other parts of the world. They also have an interesting ability that grants them immunity to fire."

    "Truly?!" Oak snapped his head toward me. "Might we see this in action?"

    I was sure the Dachsbun leader wouldn''t have minded humoring them, but I decided to call for Choux and Peri instead. My own Dachsbun immediately bounded over with a happy expression as Peri swooped down from the sky questioningly.

    "Would you guys mind demonstrating Well-Baked Body for our guests?" I asked.

    Both gave nods of understanding and went off to a safe distance. As soon as Choux barked, Peri opened his mouth. Writhing flames flew forward in a powerful stream and washed over Choux for several long seconds. When Peri finally cut off the Flamethrower, gasps arose from the researchers. Steam hissed as it rose off Choux''s body, but he was otherwise unaffected and plodded back over with a pleased expression.

    "To withstand even Elite-tier flames¡­" Rowan muttered.

    Elm stumbled towards Choux like a drunkard only to be hurriedly pulled back by his aides. "Marvelous! Oh my! Just look at that hardened skin!" he exclaimed excitedly. His glasses had slipped all the way down his nose as he craned his neck every which way. "The result of being exposed to such intense heat, I presume. The biology of this Pokemon is truly astounding, how on earth is its skin capable of withstanding high temperatures, I¡ª"

    Elm and the other Professors happily engrossed themselves in conversation. Numerous scientific terms were thrown around with meanings I couldn''t ever hope to guess. All I knew was that they looked like they were having fun, and that was enough for me.

    Though she was technically supposed to be resting from the fight against Pryce, Freya got Audi''s approval to come over and help cool Choux down. A breath of cold air was exhaled. The Dachsbun shivered in delight as he shook off a thin layer of frost, barking out a thank you.

    Oak wrenched himself away from his ongoing conversation and stared at Freya with glittering eyes. "Ah, that is the Pokemon you used against Pryce''s Weavile! I must admit, I was particularly excited to meet this one. Tell me, Arin," Oak paused in his excited chatter to look at me. "I don''t know if this is a wild guess or not on my part, but ever since I first saw it on TV, I couldn''t help but think it resembled a Ninetales somehow. Is it the next evolution?"

    Everyone fell silent as their gazes darted between me and Freya, who preened from the attention. I couldn''t help but feel impressed as I shook my head.

    "An astute observation, Professor," I complimented sincerely. "You''re slightly incorrect, though. This is actually a Ninetales, just a regional variant that is an Ice/Fairy type. It evolves from a regional variant of Vulpix."

    Rowan stared at me as if I''d grown two heads. He looked about ready to faint on the spot.

    "Did you just say¡­ regional variants?" he asked slowly.

    I nodded, and that was all he needed to wave his hands around excitedly.

    "My goodness! So you mean to say there are Pokemon out there similar to those found in Kanto, but they''ve adapted to new environments and gained different typings?" Rowan half-yelled with rapidly blinking eyes.

    Birch was in a similar state of euphoria as he clapped his hands together. "By the Rayquaza! I can''t wait to add this to my research on Pokemon habitats!" he said gleefully. "Arin, can we see these Vulpix variants you spoke of? Do you have any?"

    The moment I nodded my head, all the researchers hurriedly packed up at the speed of light. We said goodbye to the Fidough and went further back into a small cave by the cliffside. The researchers shivered as they felt the temperature drop considerably. The cave''s interior was completely frozen over, and pieces of Never-Melt Ice were embedded in the walls and ground at set intervals.

    "I had to make a suitable environment for the Vulpix," I explained with an apologetic dip of my head. "They normally live in icy caves on snowy mountains, so I brought in Never-Melt Ice to help them feel comfortable. My own Ninetales drops by occasionally to keep things cold by expelling ice crystals from her fur. They don''t melt easily."

    We didn''t have to walk far as the cave was not terribly deep. Soon enough, fluffy white Pokemon came into view and stared at us with curiosity. One of the more outgoing ones came right up to me and nudged my leg, and I smiled as I picked her up in my arms.

    "These are Alolan Vulpix, regional variants from a place called Alola," I explained, but the researchers were only half-listening. They stared at the adorable little fox I held with soft expressions.

    They obviously found the Pokemon endearing.

    I warned them not to touch two Alolan Vulpix near the back that wanted to be left alone. With that in mind, the Professors and aides unpacked again and carefully interacted with the Pokemon.

    "Best be careful with their breath, they can freeze just about anything¡ª" I began to warn, but Birch let out a shocked yelp before I even finished.

    "Oh, that''s cold!" he exclaimed. One of the Vulpix he had been petting had accidentally sneezed and frozen the ground around it in a wide radius. Luckily, Birch had pulled his hand away in the nick of time.

    Rowan immediately pointed at one of his aides. "Toby! Temperature?"

    The assistant knelt down with a measuring tool. "About ?60 degrees Fahrenheit or ?51 degrees Celsius sir," the man responded much to Rowan''s delight.

    "How extraordinary! They''re not even fully evolved, but they''re on par with Froslass."

    Elm just looked moved to the point of tears. "I''ve never seen such cute Pokemon before! I think I''m going to cry, oh no¡­ Lizzie, please tell me you brought tissues!"

    His aide rolled her eyes but handed him a pack.

    Oak merely chuckled at his associate''s antics, but even he couldn''t hide how excited he was as he jotted down notes one after another.

    "Fascinating! Absolutely fascinating!" he said out loud without looking up. "At seventy-four years old, I''ve learned yet again that the world is an enormously vast place with numerous species waiting to be discovered! Oh, if only Blue was home, I could have brought him with me to see these Pokemon¡­"

    "Blue?" I asked with a curious tilt of my head. Oak paused in his writing to meet my gaze.

    "Yes, my grandson!" he happily answered, and suddenly he looked more like a doting grandfather than anything. "He''ll be turning seventeen in a couple months. Blue''s a Pokemon trainer. Right now he''s off in Hoenn competing in their League Circuit."

    "Is that so?"

    "Indeed. He''s a bit, erm¡­ too serious for a teenager, but he''s certainly talented. Why, he even made it to the finals of the Silver Conference last year!" Oak bragged, and I indulged him with a small sound of appreciation. "I have a granddaughter, too, who''s around your age. She actually came with me today as an assistant, now where is she¡­ Ah, Daisy! There you are! Can you come here for a second?"

    A young woman drifted toward us. Right away, I could see the resemblance between her and Professor Oak from her face shape and the way she carried herself. She had soft hazel eyes and long orange-brown hair with hints of copper. Around her neck hung a distinct pendant.

    Oak smiled as she stepped into place next to him. "This is Daisy, my granddaughter. She''s an aspiring Pokemon researcher with an uncanny ability to soothe Pokemon."

    "It''s nice to meet you, Arin," Daisy greeted. She had a quiet but pleasant voice. "Thank you for allowing my grandfather and the rest of us this opportunity today."

    "You as well, and it was my pleasure," I replied amicably. One of my brows went up slightly in interest. "What Professor Oak just said¡­ are you an Ability Holder by any chance?"

    A wry smile was what I got in response. "Unfortunately, no. Pokemon just seem to be more comfortable around me for some reason. It certainly helps with work, though, so I don''t mind it at all."

    I swallowed back feelings of disappointment. I had admittedly been a bit excited at the prospect of meeting another Ability Holder in Kanto-Johto, but I supposed it would have been too good to be true. Morty had told me there were only a scant few others like us in the nation. "I see. I thought we had similar Abilities which is why I asked."

    Daisy nodded. "Oh it''s alright, I¡ª Er¡­"

    She trailed off suddenly, freezing in place as she finally registered what I''d said. Oak had a similar reaction. He''d completely stopped taking notes at this point to stare at me with eyes as wide as saucers.

    "Are¡ª Are you an Ability Holder, my dear boy?" Oak finally asked.

    "I am," I readily acknowledged.

    I jumped as Oak threw his hands up into the air.

    "Goodness me!" he exclaimed. He looked the most elated he had all day as he looked at me. "I don''t often get to speak with Ability Holders or pick their minds! Arin, what is your Ability?"

    "Er, being able to communicate and bond with Fairy type Pokemon¡ª"

    "TRULY?" Oak all but exploded with excitement at this point, grasping my hands in his own. "Might I observe you interacting with the Pokemon? And ask you to translate for them? I would love to write about the bonds between you and your Pokemon. I''ve never had the chance to study an Ability Holder in depth before! The ones who work for the League are usually too busy."

    "Now, now, grandfather, let''s not burden Arin¡­" Daisy finally unfroze as she placed a warm hand on Oak''s shoulder, but I just smiled at both of them.

    "Sure. I don''t mind."

    Oak beamed at me like a child at Christmas. Daisy merely shook her head with amusement and wandered off to conduct more research on her own.

    "Oh dear, I should have brought more pens with me¡­ I have a feeling I''ll be writing a lot more than I initially anticipated today," Oak mumbled. He turned to the other Professors and waved sharply at them. "Oliver! Miles! James! Come over here! Did you know Arin is an Ability Holder? He can talk to Fairy types!"

    A moment of silence filled the cave, then¡ª

    "WHAT?"

    "Truly?! Why was this not mentioned sooner?"

    "Oh oh oh, Arin, can you please tell me what this Vulpix is saying right now?"

    I looked at the stampede of researchers heading my way and barely refrained from shaking with laughter.

    "There''ll be plenty of time. I mean, we haven''t even seen a fraction of the Pokemon I own yet. You haven''t seen the regional variant of Ponyta, or¡ª"

    "There''s a regional variant of Ponyta?!" Oak interrupted.

    He and the other Professors looked as if they''d been told the sky was red and not blue.

    I had a feeling it was going to be very chaotic around the house for the next week.

 Interlude â€” Pokenet II

    INTERLUDE ¡ª Pokenet II

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    DUNCORD

    POKENERDS (Community Server)

    ? 19,781 Online ? 35,088 Members

    A server for aspiring Pokemon Researchers, students, or just nerds who love discussing Pokemon. Our proud members come from all corners of the Kinjoh Area. We only have three rules.

    1. Please follow Duncord''s TOS.

    2. Try to keep discourse respectful and on topic.

    3. No fuckery, only nerdery. You may, however, use the word fuck and other swear words when no other words can properly convey your thoughts. (?? ? ??)

    Main Chats ¡ú #arin-watanuki

    Okay, because you guys complained so much, we made a permanent channel for everything related to Arin Watanuki. Have fun. No bot commands are allowed in here.

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 9:04 AM

    MEGA ALTARIA, A DRAGON AND FAIRY TYPE! Arin confirmed it himself in his livestream! I''m still so excited from the reveal.

    kamkam ? Today at 9:04 AM

    The Blackthorns are probably going to throw a (secret) fit over it¡­

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 9:04 AM

    Shhh, avoid politically sensitive topics here¡­ Go to #politics for that.

    hushbubble ? Today at 9:05 AM

    It''s so strange to think about. Two conflicting Pokemon types mixed into one form? I wonder how Mega Altaria even came to be. What precipitated its coming into existence?

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 9:05 AM

    I am, for lack of a better descriptor, MINDBLOWN. First the appearance of new Pokemon, now this new Mega Evolution¡­ what''s next? Pokemon can transform into gigantic versions of themselves?!

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 9:05 AM

    Wonder what other Megas he knows about¡­ Damn, I get excited just thinking about it. Mega Nidoking maybe! Or or¡­ Mega Politoed! Mega Typhlosion! I want to see the rest of his team, too.

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 9:06 AM

    You think Arin''s doing it on purpose?

    kamkam ? Today at 9:06 AM

    What? Not revealing the rest of his Pokemon? Or telling us what new species they are? If so, definitely.

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 9:06 AM

    Y''all¡­ I''m gonna go INSANE from curiosity at this rate ffs. Q _ Q This is not helping with my precious sleep!

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 9:06 AM

    /snaps fingers Okay, everyone, PUT YOUR HEADS TOGETHER. We''ve got a mystery afoot on our hands.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 9:06 AM

    I might have to sit this one out, my brain''s too fried from writing¡­ was up all night sigh. :sob:

    kamkam ? Today at 9:07 AM

    Uhh what mystery are we talking about exactly?

    hushbubble ? Today at 9:07 AM

    Arin''s Pokemon?

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 9:07 AM

    No, I mean yes, fine, that''s always something worth debating about, but that''s not the mystery I''m talking about!

    Serperior Academic ? Today at 9:07 AM

    GUYS ARIN WAS SPOTTED WITH PROFESSORS ROWAN AND BIRCH

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 9:07 AM

    Noooo what the heck Serperior Academic?! You stole my thunder! I was gonna tell them!

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 9:08 AM

    Serperior Academic nvm i''m wide awake now, are you serious? OMA

    kamkam ? Today at 9:08 AM

    WHERE

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 9:08 AM

    Goldenrod Airlines in Goldenrod City.

    Serperior Academic ? Today at 9:08 AM

    Goldenrod Airlines in Goldenrod City

    kamkam ? Today at 9:08 AM

    Okay lemme change my previous inquiry then to HOW WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 9:09 AM

    :shrug: That''s why I said we should put our heads together to think. All aspiring researchers, students, and Pokenerds! ASSEMBLE!

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 9:09 AM

    I mean, if WE''RE this excited about Arin''s Pokemon, imagine how excited distinguished Professors who study them for a living must be.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 9:09 AM

    No way¡­ collab between Arin and the top Professors maybe?!

    hushbubble ? Today at 9:09 AM

    That would be INCREDIBLE. Wonder if he''s spoken to any other Professors¡­

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 9:09 AM

    I''m proud to be the bearer of good news: Arin probably HAS spoken to other Professors! The Legendary Samuel Oak and Professor Elm were just seen hiking up the trail that leads out of Cherrygrove.

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 9:10 AM

    Holy crap, that''s like¡­ a real-life version of the Pokevengers. Arin and the four best Professors from the Kinjoh Area¡­

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 9:10 AM

    Okay, it''s DEFINITELY a research collab of some sort then.

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 9:10 AM

    PLEASE ARIN! Allow us a peek into your glorious mind! Give us the knowledge we seek about your Pokemon!

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 9:10 AM

    I can''t wait to read the studies that the Professors will publish!

    Serperior Academic ? Today at 9:11 AM

    Gah¡­ I have half a mind to apply to be a gym trainer at the Cherrygrove Gym just so I''ll have the ability to pepper Arin with questions 24/7¡­

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 9:11 AM

    You think they''d mind if I just¡­ sneaked in¡ª er, popped by for a peek? Just to see what they''re doing? ¡­Just a tiny peek?

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 9:11 AM

    Oi oi oi, let''s not do anything crazy now. Best to wait for further news, either from keen-eyed gossipers or from Arin and the Professors themselves.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CHIMEGRAM

    arinwatanuki (Verified) ? Cherrygrove City

    [PHOTO: Selfie of Arin, Vel, and Freya smiling in front of a tree.]

    arinwatanuki (Verified) Just got back from the swearing-in ceremony! We''re about to head in for lunch.

    186,356 Likes

    Posted 2h ago

    maybeMAYBEnot OH TWO OF THE POKEMON FROM THE PROMOTION TEST!

    2h ? 633 likes ? Reply

    JupiterRay Looking good Arin my man! #letsgocherrygrove

    1h ? 485 likes ? Reply

    StarDust Hope you enjoy lunch! Wonder what the Pokemon''s nicknames are. Is one of them your starter by any chance¡­?!

    2h ? 1,249 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (91)

    ¡ª arinwatanuki (Verified) StarDust We will. :) Vel (left) and Freya (right). And yes, Vel is my starter.

    2h ? 3,572 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª LineOrLinoone StarDust YOOOO he actually replied to you dude!

    2h ? 905 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª StarDust arinwatanuki OMA adskjfa; uh thank you very much for the answer!1

    2h ? 2,004 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª BANEtte StarDust dang freaking lucky this one, imagine getting your comment noticed and replied to

    2h ? 711 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª sereneayayay arinwatanuki ARIN IM A HUGE FAN OMA

    1h ? 15 likes ? Reply

    tufftuffking (Verified) ? Cherrygrove City

    [PHOTO: Interior of a small but cozy living room. Open cardboard boxes are strewn across the whole space with furniture and other objects still being set up.]

    tufftuffking (Verified) I still have to fully unpack, but IT''S DONE! I''M NOW A RESIDENT OF CHERRYGROVE CITY! Wahahaha.

    2,910 Likes

    Posted 23 min ago

    coffeebluelover Ay nice, congrats! You get a chance to explore the city yet?

    16 min ? 35 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (11)

    ¡ª tufftuffking (Verified) coffeebluelover Thanks! I made a quick grocery run so far, but that was it. It''s a nice place in all honesty. I do miss Cianwood, but I think I like Cherrygrove already. Calming atmosphere here, and their famous trees are quite beautiful.

    16 min ? 56 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª coffeebluelover tufftuffking Upload some pictures of them next time if you''re willing! LOL what if you run into Arin on a grocery run sometime¡­ Or his Wigglytuff!

    15 min ? 29 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª tufftuffking (Verified) coffeebluelover Sure, I can do that! PFFT, if that happened I think I would just freak out on the spot.

    14 min ? 27 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª coffeebluelover tufftuffking Hey, you never know!

    13 min ? 15 likes ? Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    FARBOOK

    CHERRYGROVE FOLKS

    About

    ? Cherrygrove Folks is a community page for the locals of our fair city.

    ? Make friends, share interesting things happening in the neighborhood, and take pride in being a Cherrygrove local here.

    ? Treat each other kindly!

    Discussion / Newest Activity ¡ú

    Liara Kowle Hi all, I''m the owner of Charizard Palace. I''m not sure if it''s just me, but I''ve been getting a lot of customers from out of town in the last couple of days.

    8h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (12)

    ¡ª Boru Ichiya Liara Kowle Employee at Super Mantine Sushi here! Yeah, we''ve been getting an influx of tourists lately. A lot of them asked about the Gym, but it''s still under construction so I just recommended other stores and places around the city for them to visit instead.

    8h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Liara Kowle Boru Ichiya Aha! I knew it was because of Arin! Not that I mind of course, this is great for business. Cheers to our Gym Leader!

    8h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Fiona Clearwell I think the Mayor mentioned he would donate more funds to the local museums and other attractions. He''s really excited by all the visitors, too.

    7h / Like / Reply

    Perry Wu I bragged to my friends in other cities that our Gym Leader is the best, heh! Who else can beat both Pryce and Clair?

    1h / Like / Reply

    Toma Young Grr, technology is hard. Had to ask some of the younguns who dropped by my stall to help me set up accounts for everything. Everyone! Don''t forget to follow the Cherrygrove Gym''s Chatter and Chimegram pages! We gotta support Arin!

    1h / Like / Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    POKETUBE

    BATTLE CENTRAL

    BattleCentral ? 6.2M subscribers ? 3k+ videos

    Battle Central brings you all the latest news and analysis videos on matches of all kinds. Whether they''re matches from tournaments, regional Conferences, exhibitions, or even just random battles between trainers that go viral, our experts will break them down for you in a professional and comprehensive manner. You can also find more detailed breakdowns and other information via articles on our website.

    Subscribe ? Join

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    LATEST ¡ú

    [THUMBNAIL: A Mega Altaria is hitting a Mega Salamence with a Hyper Beam.]

    OF FAIRIES AND DRAGONS: Arin Watanuki vs. Clair Ibuki

    1M+ views ? 9 hours ago

    Sparks will fly as Fairies and Dragons duke it out! Join expert Mara Gouto as she analyzes the friendly match between Cherrygrove Gym Leader Arin Watanuki and Blackthorn Gym Leader Clair Ibuki. This match was originally broadcasted by Blackthorn News.

    [Play Video at 2:59? ¡ú Yes]

    "¡ªfirst ever seen and previously undiscovered Mega Altaria in the Kinjoh Area! In a shockingly fast first match-up, it easily took down Clair''s Altaria. Those of us at Battle Central believe the Blazing Gales custom move to be a skillful combination of Heat Wave and Hurricane¡ª"

    [Skip to 5:40]

    "¡ªceeded to fell another Dragon, Mega Salamence. Altaria is commonly known for its beautiful singing voice, but Mega Altaria''s voice seems to go multiple steps beyond. While trapping Mega Salamence with Cotton Guard and Feather Dance, it wore it down with a version of Hyper Voice."

    [Skip to 9:06]

    "In another stunning display of strength, Mega Altaria used what we have concluded is a Fairy enhanced version of Draco Meteor to one hit KO Dragonite¡ª"

    [Skip to 11:31]

    "Aerodactyl went down to a masterful mix of Dragon Pulses imbued with Fairy energy. It was helpless to do anything as it remained fast sleep¡ª"

    [Skip to 15:27]

    "¡ªCharizard fell to explosions and singing. Mega Altaria most likely amplified sound across the whole field and concentrated it in the area closest to Charizard. All of it was too much for the fully evolved Kanto starter to bear."

    [Skip to 20:52]

    "¡ªinfamous starter, Kingdra, was no match. Arin''s Milotic showed its mastery of water when it submerged the whole field underwater with what we believe was through the use of Surf and Rain Dance. Towards the end of the match, Kingdra remained frozen in the face of an incoming attack called Moonblast by Arin. Why Kingdra did not dodge, we cannot say for certain, but¡ª"

    [Skip to 30:44]

    "Arin Watanuki did not disappoint. With another splendid Elite tier match, he has yet again cemented our evaluation of him as a Champion-level trainer. He has shown what an overwhelming force Fairies can be."

    [Pause Video]

    726k+ Comments

    Sort By ¡ú Top Comments

    Pinned by BattleCentral

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    BattleCentral (Verified) ? 9 hours ago

    And there you have it, a breakdown of a battle between Fairies and Dragons! Let us know your thoughts in the reply section!

    120k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (900k+)

    TinyLotad ? 3 hours ago

    FAIRIES over DRAGONS. No ifs, ands, or buts!

    5k+ likes / Reply

    diveonsunday ? 8 hours ago

    *chef''s kiss* Thank you for another awesome breakdown BattleCentral, and thank YOU, Arin, for an epic beatdown.

    876 likes / Reply

    DragonFan99 ? 39 minutes ago

    Let''s think about this for a moment. Fairies are immune to Dragon type moves, yes? That means Clair wasn''t able to show off the extent of her might. Arin''s not a big deal!

    101 likes / 145 dislikes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (56)

    ¡ª Salamence_Wanter ? 2 minutes ago

    DragonFan99 You said it! Jeez, poor Mega Salamence didn''t even get a chance to shine.

    0 likes / Reply

    ¡ª BRAVE_NINE ? 2 minutes ago

    DragonFan99 Salamence_Wanter Just by looking at your usernames, I can tell you''re very biased individuals. But that''s beside the point: y''all must not be big on the Pokemon battling scene. Every good Pokemon trainer knows that typing isn''t the end all, be all in a match. The best trainers and Specialists know how to fight and even overcome their team''s weaknesses. Don''t use type immunity as an excuse.

    0 likes / Reply

    ¡ª Waitingforbreakfast ? 1 minutes ago

    DragonFan99 Salamence_Wanter yeah to add onto what the commenter above me said¡­ sure, clair didn''t have offensive dragon type moves available to her for the match. but she had PLENTY of other strategies at her disposal. dragon and normal type pokemon have some of the most diverse movepools out there, and clair''s no slouch when it comes to battling. she was outmatched, plain and simple.

    0 likes / Reply

    Pika_Forever_Yes ? 4 hours ago

    He used only two Pokemon to sweep Clair''s entire team¡­ I still think it''s insane. He didn''t even NEED to switch to Milotic to be honest, but I certainly appreciated getting to see another one of his Pokemon!

    3k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (402)

    ¡ª nyoozer ? 2 hours ago

    It was totally for the clout, and I''m all for it.

    256 likes / Reply

    ¡ª oreogimme ? 2 hours ago

    I admit, I would have liked to see him sweep with just one Pokemon¡­ but this is still pretty neat.

    190 likes / Reply

    ¡ª 100meowthsgo ? 1 hour ago

    Man¡­ lost some respect for Clair today. She didn''t put up a good fight at all.

    58 likes / Reply

    AspiringTrainerACE ? 5 hours ago

    Arceus, so many custom moves Arin showed off¡­ Note it down! Note it down!

    2k+ likes / Reply

    Bellossom Power Up (Verified) ? 5 hours ago

    Mega Altaria! Mega Altaria! I have half a mind to change my channel name because of how hyped I''m still feeling from watching the match.

    10k+ likes / Reply

    Jane says ? Just now

    Weren''t there dissenters talking about how he would have lost if Clair proctored the test instead of Pryce? Weeeeell¡­ I''d like to direct them to this match LOL

    0 likes / Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    TEDDIT

    r/arinwatanuki ¡ú Posted by u/SurviveByCookies 1d ago

    First meme I made here in honor of Arin (Meme)

    [PHOTO: Picture with faces of Arin, Pryce, and Clair pasted in. The caption reads: Arin to Pryce, Clair, and Kanto-Johto as a whole: The future is now, old man!]

    30.9k Upvotes / 729 Comments

    Sort By: Best ¡ú

    Zombie_King2 ? 1d ago

    Holy shit, that''s funny af. Upvoted.

    981 Upvotes / Reply / Share

    Metronome_Clefableee ? 1d ago

    Yeah, gave you an award for that. Good stuff.

    [This user has given the poster a Teddit award! Duration is one week.]

    2.9k Upvotes / Reply / Share

    ¡ª SurviveByCookies (OP) ? 1d ago

    OHHHH! Thank you, my fellow Tedditor! Much appreciated.

    1.7k Upvotes / Reply / Share

    DancingBeedrill ? 1d ago

    That''s right! Fear the Arin! It''s the dawn of a new age here in Kanto-Johto!

    561 Upvotes / Reply / Share

    ¡ª Seelingaway ? 8h ago

    First Pryce, then Clair. Who''s next to fall to Arin''s might? Lance?

    812 Upvotes / Reply / Share

    ¡ª MILLIONvase ? 5h ago

    Okay whoaaaa I don''t know if you should be saying that in public¡­ that''s gonna stir up a whole lot of Beedrill''s nests from multiple factions¡­

    470 Upvotes / Reply / Share

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CATERPEDIA

    Welcome to Caterpedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

    Main Page ¡ú Article

    ARIN WATANUKI

    Page / Talk

    [PHOTO: Picture of Arin Watanuki from swearing-in ceremony on April 1, 2023.]

    Arin Watanuki (born November 28, 2002) is the Cherrygrove City Gym Leader and a notable Fairy Specialist in the Kinjoh Area.

    ¡­

    Edit History ¡ú Most Recent

    Added to Trainerpedia section ¡ú Altaria (nickname: Arya), Milotic (nickname: Yuno), unknown species (nickname: Vel), unknown species (nickname: Freya)

    His starter Pokemon is Vel.

    Added to References section ¡ú 19) Arin Watanuki, personal confirmation from Chimegram page. 20) Blackthorn News Channel, footage of Arin v. Clair match. 21) Wallace Mikuri, mention on Chatter page.

    Added to Match History section ¡ú April 1, 2023: Arin Watanuki v. Clair Ibuki (6-0) [Match details: Elite tier, standard six-on-six with three switch-ins, Mega Evolution allowed]

    Page / Talk

    StarDust I HAVE to brag on here¡­ Arin actually replied back to me on Chimegram and gave me some information on his Pokemon! I''ve already added the lil tidbits to his Caterpedia page.

    SnailMaster5 I saw that! Man, I wish Arin would reply to one of my comments, too.

    StarDust Heh. I feel so blessed. Now, if only he would release more information to the world¡­ Q _ Q The page looks a little less barren, but it''s still pretty empty.

    New Algae Soon! Hopefully. Apparently he was spotted with the top Professors from the four regions, so they''re probably going to publish something later on.

    YAMO Yeah, and maybe he''ll do another livestream. A Q&A would be cool.

    StarDust Oh man¡­ I''d definitely tune in for that.

    JoyC8 He might post more stuff on his social medias and the Cherrygrove Gym website. They''ve all been updated with new posts and info lately.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CHATTER

    Arin Watanuki (Verified)

    arinwatanuki

    Believe in yourself, and you''ll go far. Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove City Gym & Fairy Specialist.

    82 Following 746K Followers

    [Followed by ArinFanClub, wallacemikuri, and more]

    Posts ¡ú Sort By Latest

    Arin Watanuki (Verified) arinwatanuki ? 2h ago

    Thank you for the friendly match! :) It was fun getting to battle you. clairibuki

    26K Comments / 57K ReChats / 64K Likes / 102K Views

    View Comments (26K+)

    Wallace Mikuri (Verified) wallacemikuri ? 1h ago

    arinwatanuki So great to see Yuno in action again! To think you''ve both come this far since our classes long ago¡­ You both have grown so much, truly forces to be reckoned with now.

    9K Comments / 10K ReChats / 28K Likes / 44K Views

    ¡ª maybelle8jo maybelle8jo ? 1h ago

    Who is Yuno?

    ¡ª hungryforCANDY hungryforCANDY ? 1h ago

    maybelle8jo Probably the nickname for Arin''s Milotic. Anyway, stamp of approval from one of the leading Water Specialists himself! Damn.

    ¡ª TO_me_7 me777 ? 1h ago

    Uhhh did Wallace Mikuri just mention he tutored Arin and his Milotic sometime in the past?

    ¡ª For The Blues bluenoter ? 1h ago

    me777 Yeah¡­ I think he did. Holy crap.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    TEXT MESSAGES

    Winona Nagi ¡ú April 1, 2023

    Winona [7:19 PM]: Arin, I know we haven''t chatted in awhile, but how come you never told me there was a Mega Evolution for Altaria?!

    Arin [7:19 PM]: It¡­ may have slipped my mind over the years?

    Winona [7:19 PM]: I''m going to tattle on you to Wallace. :))

    Arin [7:20 PM]: Whoa whoa please don''t! Mercy, have mercy LOL

    Winona [7:20 PM]: Very well, I''ll take pity on you just this once, you hear me? :) Gosh, now I need to beg our League to let me have the first Altarianite they find¡­ I think I''m going to have to fight Drake for it probably.

    Arin [7:21 PM]: Ah¡­ yeah. You probably will.

    Winona [7:21 PM]: *squints suspiciously* Did he tell you as much?

    Arin [7:22 PM]: ¡­No?

    ¡ª

    Drake Genji ¡ú April 1, 2023

    Drake [6:43 PM]: ARIN MY BOY!1! WHERE DID YOU FIND YOUR ALTARIANITE

    Arin [6:43 PM]: Well hello to you too, Drake.

    Drake [6:43 PM]: Yes so nice to talk to you again but WHEREEEEE

    Arin [6:43 PM]: Uhhh¡­ I found it on the other side of the world¡­ Sorry.

    Drake [6:43 PM]: well FUCK i want one so bad

    Arin [6:44 PM]: Here''s a pic at least? If you ever find an unknown stone someday, at least you''ll be able to tell right away if it''s an Altarianite.

    Arin [6:44 PM]: [altarianite img]

    Drake [6:44 PM]: huh it looks damn nice. im calling dibs on the next one they find. Never thought I''d be encouraging our Champion to slack off, but I think I''m gonna yell at him to spend more time cave spelunking to find me one of these

    Arin [6:45 PM]: Winona''s going to want one too, though? Right?

    Drake [6:45 PM]: HELL NO! OVER MY DEAD BODY! I''ll be the first to get one!

    ¡ª

    [FAIRY GYM LEADERS] (3 People) ¡ú April 1, 2023

    Opal [3:01 PM]: Goodness, young man, you surely know how to land yourself in trouble left and right. Imagine my surprise when Leon called all of us to connect to the Indigo channel and we saw you get challenged by another Gym Leader¡­ at your swearing-in ceremony no less. Quite uncivilized, that one.

    Valerie [3:02 PM]: ARIN I''M SO PLEASED! You wore the cufflinks I urged you to get that one time! Your whole outfit was quite stylish truth be told. Tr¨¨s bien!

    Opal [3:02 PM]: Hmm yes, it gets a passing grade from me as well. One''s appearance is always important.

    Arin [3:02 PM]: Thank you?

    Valerie [3:03 PM]: You truly showed off the beauty of Fairies, Arin. That Dragon user had no idea what hit her, ufufufu.

    Mina [3:04 PM]: im so sad omaaaa. yall got to watch it live but i had to settle for a low quality recording that kukui managed to nab¡­ sob Q _ Q

    ¡ª

    [PALDEAN MUSKETEERS] (5 People) ¡ú April 1, 2023

    Rika [10:17 PM]: Alright, Arin? That match gets a chef''s kiss moment from me. Absolute perfection.

    Geeta [10:17 PM]: I must agree with Rika on that. I quite enjoyed watching it.

    Rika [10:17 PM]: Yeah she was SMILING the whole match, Arin, it was kind of scary.

    Geeta [10:17 PM]: Whatever does that mean?

    Rika [10:17 PM]: Uh¡­

    Hassel [10:18 PM]: ARIN! YOU DID SO WELL! I''m so proud of you. Although¡­ as a fellow Dragon Specialist, I was not at all impressed with that Gym Leader you fought. She is still young and has much training to undergo if she wishes to truly call herself a Dragon user.

    Arin [10:18 PM]: Yeah¡­ I thought the same. Her Dragons weren''t nearly as scary as yours, Hassel.

    Hassel [10:18 PM]: Why, thank you for the compliment my dear boy.

    Hassel [10:19 PM]: Oh yes, here''s a short letter Poppy wrote for you by the way, since she couldn''t stay up to chat.

    Hassel [10:19 PM]: [poppysletter img]

    Arin [10:19 PM]: Aww¡­ that''s so nice of her. Look, she even drew me, Arya, and Yuno at the bottom!

    Larry [10:19 PM]: Quite charming. By the way, I saw you wore one of the ties I gave you. I''m glad they''re seeing some use.

    Arin [10:19 PM]: What? Of course I''m gonna wear them! They''re awesome. I think I''m going to cycle through them when the new League Circuit starts over here in a couple months, too.

    Larry [10:20 PM]: I''m glad to hear it.

    Larry [10:20 PM]: [smilingstaraptor sticker]

    Arin [10:20 PM]: ¡­?! Wait, what? Larry, you know how to use stickers now?!

    Rika [10:20 PM]: Oh, that was me, I taught him.

    Arin [10:20 PM]: Holy crap¡­ four years later, and we''ve finally reached through to him about the art of stickers.

    Rika [10:21 PM]: LMFAOOOOOO

    Larry [10:21 PM]: [displeasedflamigo sticker]

    Larry [10:21 PM]: [hangrytropius sticker]

    Larry [10:21 PM]: [laughingoricorio sticker]

    Arin [10:21 PM]: Oh Arceus, what have you done, Rika¡­

    ¡ª

    Morty Matsuba & Jasmine Mikan (2 People) ¡ú April 1, 2023

    Morty has made a new group chat.

    Morty [11:49 AM]: Legendaries, I literally just saw the news as soon as I entered my gym office.

    Jasmine [11:49 AM]: ah same, i didn''t expect clair to do that right after we left¡­ i didn''t even realize she was there at the ceremony

    Morty [11:49 AM]: *sigh* Perhaps I should have expected this in hindsight. I should have just directly warned Arin about Clair before leaving.

    Morty [11:49 AM]: Arin, I hope she didn''t say anything too troubling to you.

    Morty [11:52 AM]: ? Is he not here?

    Jasmine [11:52 AM]: hmm he''s probably preparing for the match right now

    Morty [11:52 AM]: Ah. That makes sense. Good luck, Arin!

    Jasmine [11:53 AM]: fighting! (* ^ ¦Ø ^)

    Arin [1:16 PM]: Oops! Sorry, guys! Had my phone set on silent until now. Thanks, it was a fun match.

    Jasmine [1:17 PM]: congrats arin! i can''t believe you beat clair 6-0, i fought her in a one-on-one before and her kingdra beat steely¡­

    Arin [1:17 PM]: Thanks! Er, who''s Steely?

    Jasmine [1:17 PM]: my steelix :)

    Arin [1:17 PM]: Oh, that''s a cute nickname!

    Morty [1:18 AM]: Allow me to offer my heartfelt congratulations as well. It was a marvelous match! Perhaps it is unbecoming of me to say so, but it was high time Clair was knocked down from her pedestal a bit. Her attitude was becoming rather¡­ insufferable during Gym Leader meetings.

    Arin [1:19 PM]: Heh. Happy to be of service. :thumbs-up:

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    FORUMS

    Indigo Forums

    The Indigo Forums is a site where people can discuss news related to the Kanto and Johto League Circuits. Come join fellow trainers attempting the Circuit(s) and battle enthusiasts!

    Home / Forums / Official News / Archives / Support

    Johto Gyms ¡ú Cherrygrove ¡ú Arin

    Thread Topic: Time to catch some Fairy type Pokemon?

    William Rowes (Verified) / April 1st 2023 / 4:22 PM JST

    Tags: Fairies, Fairy Type, Pokemon, Cherrygrove Gym, Arin Watanuki

    I didn''t know where else to post this, so I''m putting it here. Like the title says¡­ I think it''s time to catch some Fairy type Pokemon. They''ve been slept on for far too long. Arin''s showed us that they''re more than capable of becoming strong fighters. For two years now, I''ve failed to get the Blackthorn Gym''s badge. I think it''ll be worth my time to capture and train a Fairy type to try and boost my chances.

    View Replies (891) ¡ú

    Cameron Faren (Verified)

    Ouch. Yeah, Clair''s a tough Gym Leader to beat. She used to only let people with seven gym badges challenge her, but she''s since lowered the threshold to five badges or more. But that''s getting off topic. Go for it! A Fairy type Pokemon might help, but remember that type matchups aren''t gonna specifically win you the badge. They''ll help, but you still gotta train your Pokemon well.

    P.S. Everyone, don''t forget that Arin and his Pokemon are Champion-level. Try to keep your expectations in line for your own Fairies.

    Addie Rose (Verified)

    Honestly¡­ I''ve been kind of thinking about adding a Fairy type to my team, too. They''d be useful against the Cianwood Gym. Which Fairy types are available in Kanto-Johto again?

    William Rowes (Verified)

    Sigh. Not a lot, sadly. Our most common native Fairy types include members of the Jigglypuff, Snubbull, and Marill lines. We also have Clefairy (but those are basically impossible to find and there are strict laws for those found on Mt. Moon), Togepi (again, also very rare and definitely impossible to find in the wild, must acquire from breeders), or Mr. Mime (also¡­ hard to find in the wild). Gee, there''s a pattern going on here¡­ I think I''m going to add a Marill to my team most likely. I''m already lacking a good Water type in the first place, and the dual Fairy typing will be a nice bonus.

    Mary Wheatfield (Verified)

    There''s also Ralts and Mawile you can get from Hoenn if you''re willing to travel, or Mime Jr. from Sinnoh! ¡­These are all still uncommon Pokemon, though.

    Hayato Jouji (Verified)

    For the love of Ho-Oh, why are Fairies so elusive? They''re practically as rare as Dragons at that point!

    Mary Wheatfield (Verified)

    *shrug* Who knows?

    Cameron Faren (Verified)

    I mean¡­ if you''re super desperate, you could travel to Sinnoh and enter that one famous raffle in Jubilife City. One of their best prizes is a Togepi Egg. Maybe you''ll win?

    Sora Ashiko (Verified)

    Oh heck no. You''d be better off catching a wild Fairy type of your own.

    Addie Rose (Verified)

    Yeah¡­ So you want a Marill William Rowes? That''s nice. I''m thinking about a Jigglypuff myself.

    William Rowes (Verified)

    Good luck to us both!

    Johto Gyms ¡ú Cherrygrove

    Thread Topic: Cherrygrove Gym is currently hiring gym trainers

    Annabelle Boseira (Verified) / April 1st 2023 / 3:19 PM JST

    Tags: Cherrygrove Gym, Gym Trainer, Hiring, Arin Watanuki, Internship, Job

    I think we''ve all heard the news by now, but just in case someone out there hasn''t¡­ Leader Arin announced in a surprise livestream today that he''s looking to hire gym trainers for the Cherrygrove Gym. Social media manager positions are also available. You can find the application forms on the Cherrygrove Gym''s official website. Deadline is April 5th 11:59 JST.

    What I want to know is your thoughts. Anyone here interested?

    View Replies (5k+) ¡ú

    LilCharmander

    HECK YEAH! I already sent in my application!

    SouthBlue

    I want to apply sooo badly¡­ but I already got accepted into a college I really want to go to next year. Sigh.

    Seth Briggs (Verified)

    I also want to apply, but I think I''ll take one more stab at the Johto League Circuit before I take a year or two off. I was two badges away from qualifying for the Conference last year, ugh.

    Ayaka Morn (Verified)

    Hmm¡­ I''m a bit tempted by the social media manager position. Wonder if he''d be willing to let those people work remotely. I want to keep traveling.

    Hazel McMillon (Verified)

    Nah, gym trainer route for me. I''m in the middle of writing up my application right now in fact. I was already looking to get an internship somewhere, so this is perfect!

    Aaron Smith (Verified)

    I really, really hope I get accepted. Arin seems like a cool guy and I''d be able to learn a lot from him.

    Hayato Zaru (Verified)

    I don''t know about y''all, but I feel like I have a good shot at being accepted! I have a Fairy type on my team!

    Seth Briggs (Verified)

    LOL at that point then, he''d be picking anybody who has a Fairy type.

    BudewRising

    Arin! I have no idea if you''re on this site and reading this, but please at least give my application a good look even if you end up rejecting it! I really admire you and your Fairy types. QQ;;

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    THE GOLDENROD POST

    [Flames of Virtue deem Arin Watanuki worthy¡­ or more?]

    By Wilfred Kemp / Published April 1, 2023 at 2:19 PM JST

    Arin Watanuki''s swearing-in ceremony will most likely go down in history as one to be remembered. When the Cherrygrove Gym Leader put his hand on the Flames of Virtue, they rose up into the air and formed an outline of the Bird of Noble Fire''s head. The visage then proceeded to bow in acknowledgement of Arin Watanuki.

    The Flames of Virtue were gifts from the Legendary Moltres long before Kanto and Johto unified as one country. Then and even now, they have always been used for important ceremonies and rituals. Readers might be most familiar with the use of the Flames for the annual opening ceremonies of the Indigo and Silver Conferences. Designated torch runners bring the Flames up to the top of their respective stadiums and light the Fires to begin the competitions. The Flames are meant to represent the passionate spirit of the Indigo League.

    They are also commonly used for swearing in ceremonies such as the one for Arin Watanuki. The official who is taking up a post must place their hand on the Flames to prove they are worthy. Legend states that the Flames will judge their very soul.

    What happened to Arin Watanuki at his swearing-in ceremony is unprecedented. Never before in the entire history of Indigo has there been an instance similar to what happened today, not even during Samuel Oak''s own swearing-in ceremony as Champion. Usually, the Flames will not visibly react.

    What today''s incident means exactly, no one can say for sure. According to Arin himself, "All I know for sure is that I was not burned and thus deemed worthy¡­ The Flames have spoken, and I will respond in kind to serve Indigo to the best of my ability."

    We at the Goldenrod Post are inclined to believe what happened today is a sign of good fortune and that new winds of prosperity may be blowing in Indigo.

    You can view a video of the whole ceremony and transcript here. The Goldenrod Post will continue to keep you updated with the latest news.

    Comments (2,081) ¡ú

    Teapartygoer ? 30 minutes ago

    If the Legendary Moltres acknowledged him, that''s more than enough for me to give him my vote of trust! Please work hard, Leader Arin!

    Mary_Anne ? 11 minutes ago

    His speech was really inspirational. Proud to have him as a Gym Leader of our country.

    Optimistic Pokefan ? 49 minutes ago

    Thanks (again) for the history refresher! I didn''t realize how important the Flames of Virtue were to our nation. Hmm, if I had to form my own opinion¡­ I think I''m the same as Goldenrod Post. I''m inclined to believe that the Flames deemed Arin truly worthy.

    ¡ª View Replies (80)

    ¡ª Johto Forever ? 45 minutes ago

    I won''t believe it. Never. It''s an omen, that''s what it is!

    ¡ª Rather Be A Gloom ? 45 minutes ago

    Johto Forever Thank goodness there is someone who agrees with me. The Flames rose up in anger, not joy. They never should have allowed the Cherrygrove Gym Leader to step up onto that stage.

    ¡ª whaduyamean ? 45 minutes ago

    Johto Forever Rather Be A Gloom You two wanna run that by me again? You think what happened was BAD? Ffs, Arin wasn''t burned. That should tell you everything you need to know.

    ¡ª Simpler_Times ? 44 minutes ago

    Johto Forever Rather Be A Gloom You should probably review the footage again. The fiery head clearly bowed to Arin in a show of acknowledgement. That means he''s more than worthy if anything.

    ¡ª Rather Be A Gloom ? 43 minutes ago

    whaduyamean Or he was, and he just lied through his teeth.

    ¡ª Johto Forever ? 43 minutes ago

    Simpler_Times Bah! It wasn''t acknowledging him as someone good, but someone of great evil!

    ¡ª whaduyamean ? 43 minutes ago

    Simpler_Times Forget it, those two are just delusional. They can''t see what''s right in front of them and on actual, recorded footage.

    ¡ª Optimistic Pokefan ? 25 minutes ago

    Why do you guys always argue in the reply section of MY posts?! Sigh¡­

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "¡ªand you better give the Stone to me first, got it?" Drake gruffed, but Steven was only half-listening. He kept staring at the picture on his phone that his Elite Four member had sent him. A beautiful round stone stared back at him. It was pink with white and sky blue swirls inside its center, and it moved Steven deeply.

    "Steven! Are you listening?" Drake sighed.

    "I heard everything you said, Drake. No promises, though," Steven said absentmindedly into his phone.

    "Wha¡ª Oi! Steven¡ª"

    Steven politely said goodbye and ended the call, effectively cutting off Drake''s indignant splutters. He would do his best to look, but there was no guarantee that he''d find an Altarianite in the first place.

    And he was a fair person. He''d let Winona and Drake decide between themselves who would get it.

    Quickly, Steven called up the first number on his contacts list and put it on speaker.

    "Steven? Why are you calling¡ª"

    "Dad," Steven interrupted excitedly. "How about we take a trip to Johto sometime?"

    "Er, why a trip all of a sudden? Wait¡­ don''t tell me it''s because of the newly unveiled Mega Altaria¡­"

    "It is," Steven readily agreed. Faint memories of a young ten-year-old boy drifted through Steven''s mind. "That boy you introduced me to a long time ago, Arin? I''m sad now that I didn''t keep in contact with him. It seems he''s done a fair bit of traveling. I''d like to meet him again and see that Altarianite in person. Who knows, maybe he''ll have other new Stones!"

    The very thought filled him with utter glee. At his core, Steven was just a very passionate collector.

    "Son," Joseph Stone said with no small amount of disbelief. "You do realize the Hoenn Circuit is still ongoing, right? You''ll be needed here until it ends."

    "Okay, then what about after?"

    "Er¡­ sure. We can take a short trip, but no longer than a day or two at most, alright? I admit I''d be interested in meeting Arin again, too. I talk to him occasionally, but it''s always nice to catch up in person."

    "Fantastic!" Steven all but beamed. "I''m off to go exploring then!"

    The Champion of Hoenn grabbed his bag of supplies and headed off, humming cheerfully to himself.

    Gosh, he couldn''t wait to see the Altarianite in person. In the meantime, he''d keep digging.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Hazel eyes stared intently at a computer screen. The Cherrygrove Gym''s website was pulled up. Currently, it was on the page for gym trainer applications. The cursor rested above the submit button.

    Souta had spent the last few days locked in his room in fervent preparation. He''d made sure his resume was up to date, checked the whole application about a hundred different times for typos or things to improve, and even handed it off to his mom for an outside perspective. (He didn''t give it to his dad since that would have been a conflict of interests, seeing as his dad was a Cherrygrove Gym employee.)

    He hadn''t forgotten to spend time training with his Pokemon either. He didn''t want to get ahead of himself, but if he made it to the interview stage, Souta just knew there was a likely chance Arin would test prospective employees on their ability to handle Pokemon battles. Most Gym Leaders did the same for their own hiring processes.

    Not only that, Souta had even been preparing a list of possible interview questions way in advance, too. He was pretty sure he''d worked harder on the application than he ever had when studying for the Blackthorn Academy''s exam.

    He really wanted this job.

    All of his Pokemon were in his room with him. Snubbull in particular was sitting on the desk with eyes peering curiously at the computer screen.

    "Alright, here goes," Souta muttered to himself.

    With much anxiety, he managed to bring himself to click the submit button. The application was sent, and it could not be undone.

    Now, he could only wait for good news.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Click. Click. Click.

    Across Kanto-Johto and even Hoenn and Sinnoh, numerous clicks went off as thousands of people submitted applications, all for one very specific place.

    The Cherrygrove Gym.

    Arin Watanuki would only find out later just exactly how many people were interested in working for him.

 Chapter 23

    CHAPTER 23

    I could tell how badly the research group wanted to see the Ponyta variants by the subtle yet constant tapping of their feet against the ground.

    Still, they were professionals. They didn''t let themselves be distracted while they studied the Alolan Vulpix. After Birch''s near accident, they now knew the danger surrounding the innocent-looking foxes and carefully proceeded with their investigations. Rowan seemed the happiest out of everyone as he repeatedly held up measuring tools and logged temperatures for every Alolan Vulpix''s icy breath.

    As for me, I went back and forth in the cave translating what the Pokemon were saying for the Professors. Oak could have used his Alakazam instead, but he didn''t want to startle the Alolan Vulpix by suddenly bringing out a large and strange Pokemon they''d never seen before right inside their home.

    At one point, Elm held up one of the fluffy foxes with shining eyes.

    "I think this Alolan Vulpix likes me, Arin! It keeps licking my fingers!"

    "He does, although¡­ he says he would like you more if you gave him that Pokemon treat hidden in your pocket, Professor Elm."

    "Oh. Oh! May I give it to him then? It''s made of Oran Berries."

    "Go right ahead."

    I watched in amusement as Elm cooed at the Alolan Vulpix and even whispered compliments in baby talk while the fox ate. A couple feet away, Oak waved me over with an intrigued expression.

    "Arin, might I ask you to convey what this Vulpix is trying to tell me? For some reason, it keeps looking at me and tilting its head," Oak said as he gestured to the Pokemon in question.

    I listened to what Vulpix had to say and immediately coughed out loud.

    Perhaps this wasn''t worth translating¡ª

    "Arin?" Oak prompted eagerly at that moment. "What did Vulpix say?"

    "Er¡­" I desperately tried to figure a way out of the situation that the young Vulpix had just landed me in. I couldn''t lie, I didn''t like doing so and to do that to Samuel Oak of all people would just be horrifying in more ways than one. Perhaps an¡­ abridged version then?

    Oak quickly caught onto my hesitation and smiled reassuringly, patting my shoulder. "Go ahead, Arin. I won''t take offense. I''d like the full translation."

    I sighed internally. As I eyed Oak with a careful, almost nervous expression, I opened my mouth. "She said, and I quote¡­ ''This strange man has odd, bushy eyebrows as big as a Geodude''s. Is he a rock person?''"

    I''m not sure how, but I barely stopped myself from cringing after the last word left my mouth. Arceus. I couldn''t believe I''d just said that to a renowned Pokemon Professor. Hopefully Oak wouldn''t be upset with Vulpix''s¡­ innocent observation about his facial features.

    Much to my relief, Oak didn''t mind at all. He showed as much by laughing uproariously in response.

    "Oh my, that''s quite funny," Oak finally said once his laughter subsided. A few more chuckles escaped him as he waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated manner. The Alolan Vulpix giggled at the display and let out a few yips of appreciation in return. Pleased, Oak turned back to me with a wide smile. "Thank you for translating, Arin. Although¡­ I must admit I''m slightly confused. Geodude don''t truly have thick eyebrows so much as they are rocky."

    "Ah, that''s because she''s referring to an Alolan Geodude, not a Kantonian one," I explained, and Oak''s brows flew up.

    "Another variant?!"

    Quickly, I unfolded my phone from my wrist and snapped it back into a straighter form. I only needed a few seconds to dig through my camera roll before I found a picture I was looking for.

    "Here," I offered as I held my phone out.

    Oak squinted at the screen. There, a photo of a younger me playing with some wild Alolan Geodude was reflected. A particularly large one was flexing its arms in the background.

    "How very curious, this variant resembles yet also looks so different from the Geodude I am familiar with," Oak muttered to himself. "But oho, I see now why Vulpix made that comparison. These are some fine eyebrows I see here if I do say so myself!"

    The Professor looked up at me with a delighted expression.

    Well, as long as the Hero of the nation was not offended, then I was happy.

    Another half hour passed. The Professors and their aides managed to hold themselves back long enough to study the Alolan Vulpix in greater detail. As soon as they finished recording preliminary observations, though, they marched up to me with excited expressions and begged for me to show them the Ponyta variants.

    I obliged, of course. Dad, Neil, and I led them out of the cave and to a corner of the backyard where the Ponyta liked to roam. A cluster of small trees branched outwards here with fields of flowers dotting the grass between them. Several Galarian Ponyta glanced up as we approached, and I raised a hand in greeting.

    Any second now, I just knew the researchers were going to¡ª

    "They''re so cuuuute!"

    Professor Elm in particular did not disappoint with a loud, barely contained whisper of glee. I could practically see hearts in his eyes as he hurried towards the closest Ponyta. He wasn''t the only one. Every single one of the researchers looked beyond smitten with the small Pokemon as they stared with wide eyes.

    "They''re Galarian Ponyta," I supplied. "They''re pure Psychic types, but when they evolve into Galarian Rapidash, they gain a Fairy secondary typing."

    "Ooh¡­!" Oak breathed out loud in wonder. He knelt down and carefully held a hand out to one of the horses. A huge smile overtook Oak''s features when it came closer and whinnied at him. "I feel like a young boy again! So many surprises one after the other!"

    Rowan and Birch had already pulled out more measuring tools a few yards away. One of the Ponyta willingly stood still as they examined it.

    "Seems to be about a foot smaller than its Kantonian counterpart!" Birch declared almost triumphantly. His tongue stuck out of his mouth in concentration as he juggled the tools he was holding with his notebook and writing utensil, frantically writing notes. "Horn is¡­ two inches long¡­ mane and tail are quite voluminous¡­"

    "It''s very soft," Rowan commented. The tall Professor could not help his lips from quirking into a smile as he gently ran a hand through the Ponyta''s mane. The horse nickered softly, pleased with the attention. "My, aren''t you a well-behaved one."

    "Since you mentioned the mane¡­ they can collect life energy from the atmosphere and store it there," I explained. "Their horns even have healing properties. They can cure small injuries for people and Pokemon just by rubbing their horns against the site."

    Dad and Neil looked at me in surprise. This was a fun fact I hadn''t yet told them, and it surprised the researchers just as much.

    "Truly?" Elm''s head snapped up at that. He looked first at me then back down at the closest Ponyta. "May we be allowed to test that? I can volunteer! I''ll just take some loose sheets from my book here¡­ ah yes, these''ll do fine, and then give myself varying degrees of paper cuts¡ª"

    "Oliver!" All three of the other Professors immediately shut down that line of thought. Oak in particular looked scandalized.

    "Elm, my good fellow, you need to rein in your tendency to get carried away when researching!" Oak chided gently. "No need to give yourself paper cuts. We could simply look further into this topic at a later time, perhaps when Arin''s Pokemon are naturally tired out from training and need healing."

    "Yes and also, we don''t even know how young these Pokemon are! It wouldn''t be right to startle them by suddenly showing them even just a small amount of blood," Birch quickly added. Rowan gave a firm nod of agreement.

    Elm wilted. "Oops," he said with a glum expression. "Sorry about that. I got excited at the idea of a Pokemon that could heal¡­ I apologize, Arin."

    "It''s fine, Professor," I said with a wry smile. Goodness, I''d heard numerous accounts about how eccentric Elm was, but he really had a one track mind when it came to research. "I understand you''re excited. But, er¡­ please do try to contain yourself. These are, in fact, mostly young Pokemon. Only one of them is mature enough to battle at the moment."

    The Professor apologized again. The mood didn''t stay down for long, however, as Elm and the other Professors quickly formed a circle to go over their initial observations. All of them waved their hands around excitedly and displayed open notebooks as they talked. Their aides continued examining the Ponyta on their own, and I hummed to myself in thought as I watched them.

    Elm''s excitement was understandable. Lots of Pokemon knew healing moves, but most didn''t and simply couldn''t affect humans the same way they did with other Pokemon. Our anatomies were too different. There were other ways humans could be healed by Pokemon, though. Many Pokemon had forms of healing properties outside of moves. For example, the fluid from a Croagunk''s fingertips was a key ingredient for lower back pain medication. Seadra fins, bones, and barbs were all ground up and used in various herbal medicines. And eggs from Chansey or Blissey could be eaten for revitalizing effects.

    Only a small number of species such as Galarian Ponyta or Comfey actually possessed the ability to outright heal people through specific quirks, and it was only to the extent of small injuries. Anything bigger needed to be handled by human medicine and healthcare.

    I snapped back to reality when I heard Neil pipe up.

    "The Professors are certainly excited," he remarked with a grin. "I don''t feel as nervous as I did when they first arrived."

    "Mm, I''m still a bit in shock that Samuel Oak is here," Dad admitted, eyeing said Professor laughing in the distance. "Never thought I''d see the day where he''s having fun looking at Pokemon in our backyard."

    I merely smiled softly, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

    "I mean, neither did I, but it''s a nice occurrence. Plus, you guys were just as excited as them when I gave you the tour awhile ago," I pointed out with a teasing lilt. Dad and Neil both rubbed their necks and mumbled out incoherent words of denial.

    My smile only grew wider as I stared at the scene before me, content to simply look on while the researchers had fun. It was always nice to see people fawning over Fairy type Pokemon. Honestly, I was starting to get some ideas for future events just by watching them. After construction on the Gym finished, I could set aside visitation days where people could come by and play with willing Pokemon. I had a feeling it would be really popular especially with families and kids.

    I still needed to do that Fairy Pokemon showcase Eric had suggested a long while ago, too.

    The rest of the morning went by quickly. The Professors and their assistants were basically bundles of energy and happily followed me all over the backyard to be introduced to the various species.

    It was one shock after another for them.

    "This is a Pokemon?" Rowan''s brows furrowed as he peered curiously at a Klefki. "If it wasn''t floating, I would have just thought it was another keychain. Was it originally a key that was granted life in some way?"

    "Its original appearance is still a mystery, but¡­ due to how much the species likes to collect keys, it''s believed that Klefki''s appearance is the result of an adaptation to suit that hobby," I responded after a moment of wracking my brain. I remembered Professor Sycamore telling me that before over a cup of tea.

    "Huh!" Rowan stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "How very intriguing."

    "And this one?" Birch asked with disbelief. He pointed to a tiny pale-colored Pokemon floating nearby. "Forgive me, but it resembles a drop of milk¡ª oh, whoa!"

    Birch hurriedly jumped back when the Pokemon spun closer to him, trilling happily. Small droplets flew outwards from its body from the sudden movement and plopped onto the ground below.

    "Nothing dangerous," I assured the startled Professor. "That''s Milcery. It''s a Pokemon made of cream."

    "Excuse me? Cream, you say?" Birch''s eyes were as wide as saucers as he slowly turned his head back to stare at the Pokemon. It smiled back cutely.

    Elm ran up to me with an excited expression, gesturing to something behind him: a small rock-like Pokemon with gems covering its body and floppy ears.

    "Arin, Arin, may I ask what this one is?" Elm asked so quickly that he almost stumbled over his words. "It''s so remarkable! I tried picking it up earlier and it was so light! Not at all what I expected for its rock-like figure."

    Upon hearing that, the other Professors instantly raced to pick up the Pokemon in turns. Each of them wore a flabbergasted expression once they had verified Elm''s claim and turned to me questioningly.

    "That''s Carbink," I supplied with a grin. "Some of them can sleep for millions of years."

    Oak stared down at the Carbink in his arms. "Fascinating! What could it be made of, I wonder?"

    That innocent inquiry started a whole darn debate.

    "Graphite?"

    "I mean, none of us are rock experts, but I''d wager some sort of carbon-based body, yes."

    "Indeed¡­ it''s quite light. What about the gems then?"

    "Sapphires! ¡­Maybe?"

    "No, blue diamonds!"

    On and on they talked without end. Daisy came by at one point to gently pull the Carbink out of her grandfather''s arms and return it to the ground, and it proceeded to float away. I think almost twenty minutes passed before the Professors realized the subject of their discussion had disappeared.

    We moved on.

    I showed them a few more species, but one that particularly surprised them was¡ª

    "Goodness!" Oak exclaimed as a yellow bee darted past his face. "These are remarkably tiny!"

    I smiled as Cally flew up to me and nuzzled my cheek. My skin felt a bit ticklish from her fuzz. "They''re called Cutiefly. Even in other regions, they''re considered to be among the smallest species of Pokemon in the world. They can see the aura of living things."

    "Definitely a well-fitting name," Elm agreed with a vigorous nod of his head. He had to hold his glasses up as he craned his neck, attempting to keep track of the multiple Cutiefly buzzing around him. "And that is truly an interesting ability they have. Ah, if only I could share their vision¡­"

    "Arin?" Rowan spoke up.

    "Yes?"

    "Do they come in different colors perhaps? Such as how the Shellos in Sinnoh differ by which sea they come from? I see that the one by your face is pink, but the rest of these are yellow."

    "Oh. No, Cutiefly is normally yellow. This one here, Cally, is one of my personal Pokemon. She''s a Shiny variant."

    All four Professors echoed the same thing.

    "A SHINY?"

    They whipped their heads around to stare at Cally. Shiny Pokemon ¡ª those with unusual colorings compared to the rest of their species ¡ª were uncommon across the world, but occasionally they were found. Wealthy folks and especially coordinators were willing to spend up to hundreds of thousands to acquire one to boost their prestige. I''d seen only a handful of such variants throughout my own journey, some wild and others under a trainer''s ownership.

    Cally seemed more amused than anything as the Professors converged on us, rattling off an array of questions.

    "May we study her?"

    "I''ve only researched one Shiny specimen before¡ª"

    "Oh my, look how brilliant this fuzz is compared to the others!"

    My Cutiefly answered for me by happily flying around the Professors'' heads. That was all they needed to get started, eagerly sitting down in a circle together with Cally and other Cutiefly in front of them. Numerous pictures were taken as points of comparison. Pages and pages of notebooks were dedicated to notes. When the Professors were satisfied enough, I showed them around some more.

    Eventually, the hours rolled by and bled into the afternoon. A timely and humorous growl from Birch''s stomach made everyone pause in the middle of conversation.

    He stared back at us with a sheepish smile.

    "Lunch?" he suggested.

    Elm had to be dragged away from some Cottonee he was studying, but everyone ultimately agreed it was time for a break. I ordered takeout from Charizard Palace while dad and Neil fed the gym Pokemon. They were peppered with questions on diets and eating habits from the researchers. We set up foldable chairs and tables in the back well before the food arrived, and when it did¡ª

    "Did you see how sticky the Swirlix''s fur was?"

    "How could I not, Birch? I saw you struggling to detach yourself from it¡­"

    "I almost want to borrow a Spritzee for a day¡­ Our lab''s been smelling terrible recently."

    "Elm¡­ never mind. Wasn''t the Dedenne so adorable? If I could, I''d squish its cheeks¡ª"

    "Grandfather, please don''t even entertain that idea. Remember Lt. Surge''s Pikachu?"

    The Professors held a long and thorough discussion even during lunch. Some of the food even went a bit cold because of how much more they talked rather than ate. It was only when their aides ¡ª especially Daisy ¡ª scolded them that the Professors finally put a pin on their conversation.

    I was pretty sure they inhaled their lunches.

    The rest of the day proceeded much the same way. Dad, Neil, and I stayed out in the backyard to keep an eye on our guests while they roamed around. When evening came around, the researchers politely stayed off to the sides as we conducted a training session for the Pokemon. They held up strange tools that were hooked up to large machines from afar. I had no idea what they did.

    Initially, the Professors decided to go back to their lodgings to have dinner on their own¡­ until I mentioned how some of the Pokemon were more active at night. They immediately changed their minds and told me they''d stick around. We ordered more delivery and ate inside this time.

    After dinner, and when night finally fell, everyone headed out to the backyard. It wasn''t hard to spot what we were looking for.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "This is¡­" Birch trailed off. His and everybody else''s eyes were glued to the glowing figures that shed light on their dark surroundings.

    Not too far from us, a small group of Morelull swayed from side to side. Each of them had mushroom caps that glowed with different colors based on the spores inside. Some of the Galarian Ponyta had wandered over to join them in their little dance, manes glimmering with soft yet radiant colors as they drew on the energy around them. Klefki twirled around with sparkling keys nearby, and Carbink floated through the air with shining gems. In the sky, Cally and the other Cutiefly were enjoying the breeze. They playfully chased each other and zipped back and forth. Their bodies radiated fairy aura in order to keep track of each other.

    It wasn''t just these species, either. In one way or another, all the Pokemon in the backyard were enjoying the night. A lot of them were gazing up at the moon or stars and drawing inspiration from their power, glowing faintly as they did.

    "So that''s what the Morelull look like at night¡­" Rowan murmured. Beside him, Elm could only muster the smallest nod.

    "How very peaceful," Oak whispered. His face was one of sheer wonder as he held up a Pokedex to record the scene. "I don''t think we should disturb them."

    "Quite right. Let''s just sit over there and observe in silence for a bit¡­"

    A bit turned out to be an understatement. The researchers ended up going back to their lodgings a little after midnight.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Just like that, I got used to having the researchers around. I started to treat them more like excited school kids than Professors honestly.

    Five days passed in the blink of an eye. For most of them, I followed a similar routine. I''d get up, train all the Pokemon, greet the Professors when they walked or Teleported in, and follow them around the property as they studied different species. I stopped shadowing them after the first three days. At that point, they knew enough about each species that I trusted them to be by themselves. Of course, Dad, Neil, and I were always a yell away in case anything happened.

    Thankfully, no terrible incidents occurred.

    (The only thing that came remotely close was when Elm and Birch first caught sight of the gym Mimikyu. They''d thought they were dolls that were left out¡­ until they moved. The two Professors ended up shrieking like banshees and stumbling over themselves in their haste to get away.)

    Every time I remembered their horrified faces, I couldn''t help but laugh. Yet now was not the time for reminiscing, now was time to eat.

    Slurp.

    Soft noodles and thin slices of pork disappeared into the depths of my mouth one after another. With chopsticks, I deftly grabbed more from my bowl of ramen. A mouthwatering, savory scent continuously drifted up from the broth and only made me devour the dish faster.

    Legendaries. Super A Ramen was truly one of Cherrygrove''s best food joints. If not for one tiny, little detail, I would have happily been enjoying my lunch.

    Fourteen different pairs of eyes drilled into my back.

    I didn''t even have to look to know who they belonged to. The Professors and their aides were watching me like a Talonflame eyeing its prey. I did my best to ignore their intense gazes. I knew what they were waiting for, but I continued eating.

    I was hungry, darn it!

    They''d decided to eat lunch later in their excitement to see my Elite Pokemon. Yes, today was the day they were finally going to take their first look at my team. The last five days had just been baby steps for them to learn more about Fairies in general.

    The back of my neck prickled uncomfortably. I did my best to eat in peace, but several painful minutes ticked by before I finally finished. Still conscious of the gazes on me, I slowly stood up and turned around.

    "I''m done eating. Shall we¡ª"

    "YES!"

    A single word echoed resoundingly from multiple mouths and cut me off. Without further ado, the researchers faithfully followed me outside to the backyard. I whistled for my team. They were spread out across our family''s land, but it didn''t take long for all of them to gather.

    "My team," I said almost unnecessarily with a wave of my hand.

    "Ohhh¡­!" Elm let out a gasp of appreciation as he stumbled closer. "Finally! I get to study truly prime specimens!"

    He and the other researchers immediately buried themselves in their work.

    One of Elm''s aides held up a speed measuring tool in the air while Zuri and Peri flew back and forth rapidly. On the ground below, Yuno laid himself flat to make measuring him easier. Gasps of shock arose when they discovered he was a whopping twenty two feet long, higher than average for a Milotic. A few other assistants crowded around Freya and asked the Alolan Ninetales to demonstrate illusions for them. She was more than happy to oblige, pleased with the attention.

    The researchers appreciated all of my Pokemon, even the ones native to the Kinjoh Area that they were already familiar with; however¡­ a few excited them more than the others.

    "Is this¡ª Is this a Jigglypuff?" Rowan stammered. He and the other Professors only had eyes for the Scream Tail blinking up at him. Lico yawned, showing off tiny but sharp fangs. "Oh, please tell me this is a form change! Where did you find this Pokemon?"

    Thank Arceus I''d already been thinking about this moment way in advance. I''d promised Geeta I would not say anything about Area Zero or the Paradox Pokemon''s true origins, and I was going to keep that oath well until I drew my last breath.

    "I found him in a far off, deserted land," I smoothly explained. It wasn''t a lie, Area Zero really was devoid of actual people who lived there. "This is not a form change but a variant of Jigglypuff. A very old and almost extinct kind. Perhaps like¡­ the Hisuian Pokemon you recently discovered several years ago in Sinnoh, Professor. As old as them perhaps."

    They were from an age MUCH further back than that, but the Professors couldn''t know that.

    All four Professors gasped. Rowan in particular looked like he was ready to faint.

    His mustache quivered as he crossed his arms. "An old and almost extinct variant of Jigglypuff, you say?! Oh my, oh my¡­"

    "Can they be as loud as Kantonian Jigglypuff?" Birch asked innocently.

    "Yes, their species can unleash powerful screams¡ª LICO, not now!" I hurriedly raised my voice when I saw Lico open his mouth for a demonstration. With a sullen expression, he closed it.

    We''d narrowly avoided becoming a scene of disaster. I could have gotten arrested for indirectly incapacitating several top Professors and their aides!

    Oak cleared his throat at that moment, pointing at Fia with glittering eyes. "Then¡­ is this one a variant of Misdreavus then? It resembles one far too much for me to think otherwise."

    "Yes!" I nodded happily, glad to be moving past the topic of screaming for the time being. "Also a very old variant."

    "Good Arceus!"

    The four Professors converged on the Paradox Pokemon like Mothims to a flame. Lico and Fia just allowed themselves to be examined without a fuss. They were used to such behavior from their time spent with researchers in Area Zero, so it wasn''t anything new for them.

    I think they spent nearly two or three hours just examining those two Pokemon. When they were done, they finally looked at the other Pokemon.

    "Ooh, who''s this?" Elm asked excitedly, gesturing to a bird with black wings and a magenta chain wrapped around his body.

    "This is Fizz, a Fezandipiti," I introduced. Said Pokemon puffed himself up with pride and spread his wings wide. All the Professors let out appreciative sounds at the sight of such unusually glossy plumage. That just encouraged him to showboat further, and he serenaded them with a song on par with one from Arya. I refrained from rolling my eyes as the Professors clapped.

    I loved Fizz, but he really needed to stop being an attention-seeker sometimes.

    "In the land where he''s from, they worship him as a local legend."

    "Interesting¡­ So like how Arcanine was treated as a legend by villages in Kanto, then," Birch eyed Fizz thoughtfully. "What about that pink thing around his body? It looks like a chain to me."

    "It is," I confirmed. Elm stepped forward in interest, but I blocked him off by throwing an arm out. "Professor! Don''t think about touching it. It''s poisonous. Highly."

    Elm blanched at that.

    "Oh."

    I carefully watched the Professors while they studied Fizz at arm''s reach. They had no idea they were dealing with a so-called ''Legendary'' Pokemon. He was by no means a true Legend like others, but one that had acquired power through stories passed down through the generations in a small, localized area.

    Not to mention that Toxic Chain¡­ If half of Fizz''s power came from being worshiped by a small community, then the other half came from those damn shackles. They promised great power but at a heavy price. The Chain did not just poison enemies, but corrupted and consumed its bearer. Fizz could control himself perfectly now, but it had taken two whole years of me working with him to achieve that. Our first meeting had not been a good one.

    I still had terrible memories from then. The Chain''s powers running wild, people screaming¡ª

    But that was a story for another time.

    The Professors and their assistants happily engrossed themselves in their research. We had to take multiple breaks because while my Elites didn''t mind being examined, they got very restless when they stood still for too long.

    Eventually, dinnertime rolled around. The Professors went back early today to go over all the notes they''d taken, so dad and I just needed to figure out a meal for two. Our fridge was completely empty at this point thanks to our guests.

    That meant a grocery run. I walked to Cherrygrove with Vel at my side, humming a tune as we went. Today I went to a new store instead of the usual ones we frequented. I liked to switch it up every now and then so I could support multiple local businesses.

    A blast of cold air washed over me as I slipped inside the grocery store. This one allowed up to two small Pokemon per customer, so Vel walked right in with me. Ambient music played overhead from the speakers, and retro television sets played different channels near the entrance.

    "Nutritional, fresh milk that will make you and your Pokemon strong! Get yours from the Moomoo Farm today, right here on Route 39¡ª"

    "¡ªeader Giovanni recently made generously large donations to several orphanages in Viridian City¡ª"

    "Come take a relaxing vacation in Olivine! Glittering beaches await you!"

    I started humming again as I grabbed a cart and pushed it along the aisles. Vel was very helpful and grabbed stuff off the higher shelves for me using his ribbons, so we breezed through shopping pretty quickly.

    Salmon, pre-cut slices of pork, more milk and apple juice¡­ I ducked into the snacks aisle to pick up more cookies that dad and I liked eating. There was someone else in the thin aisle, so I carefully rolled my cart around them and twisted my head back and forth. Hopefully this store had the specific brand I was looking for.

    Ah, they did. I slid the cart to a stop and grabbed a few boxes, putting them in my cart. Now what else did I need to get¡ª

    "WHOA!"

    Vel and I both jumped a bit as a very loud exclamation came from behind us. We turned around with wide eyes and found ourselves face to face with the person who had been in the aisle with us.

    It was a young man around my age with a shopping basket in hand. Something about him just screamed college student vibes for some reason. But what I was fixated on was his outfit.

    Wigglytuff hoodie, Wigglytuff shorts, Wigglytuff socks tucked into stylish sneakers¡­ everything he wore was pink and Wigglytuff-themed. Multiple bracelets with¡­ little charms, I think, wrapped around his right wrist, and a Wigglytuff lookalike peered at us menacingly from behind the man''s shoulders. A gigantic backpack, that''s what it was. Pins with various Wigglytuff faces and poses were embedded in the bag straps.

    He even had a Wigglytuff-shaped phone case covered with stickers in his hand, complete with pointy ears and all! I couldn''t forget the phone charm either.

    I was instantly reminded of Poke Fans or Poke Maniacs just from looking at him. They were individuals who were part of the Global Pokemon Fan Club and devoted themselves to their chosen favorite Pokemon.

    He had to be one of them, right?

    The three of us stared at each other in utter and complete silence, all with flabbergasted expressions. I jumped again when a loud clang rang out. The stranger''s shopping basket had dropped right off his arm as he stared at us with shock.

    "L-L-L-Leader Arin!" he finally stammered out in a trembling voice. Those first words out of his mouth seemed to empower him as he finally blinked back to reality, inching forward with wide, shining eyes. "WOW! I can''t believe it''s you in the flesh! In a grocery store with me! I-I''m a huge fan, sir!"

    He bowed deeply multiple times in respect, and I finally snapped out of my own daze as I held out my hands.

    "Whoa, whoa, no need to bow so much," I said quickly, and the Wigglytuff person snapped back upright with a serious expression.

    "Yes, sir!"

    I was almost surprised that he didn''t salute.

    "Well, uh¡­ thank you for your support. I''m pretty sure I know the answer, but are you a Wigglytuff fan?" I barely got the words out before the stranger clapped his hands together enthusiastically.

    "YES! Uh, um, I''m Tuff Tuff King, sir. I don''t know if you''ve seen my posts, but I''m a Chimegram and Chatter influencer. 600,000 plus followers!" he said proudly. "My favorite Pokemon is now Taffy! I think you two are very cool!"

    I think Vel was struggling not to laugh in the background as I smiled, relaxing a bit. Just an overenthusiastic fan then. "Nice to meet you, Tuff Tuff King. Do you want, uh, a picture with Taffy then?"

    I nearly went deaf from the shout that followed.

    "OMA YES, DEFINITELY YES!"

    Taffy and I took a quick picture with Tuff Tuff King ¡ª he was on the verge of tears when Taffy happily shook his hand ¡ª and then the three of us left the store after checking out.

    Strange but nice fellow. I wondered vaguely if I''d see Tuff Tuff King at matches in the fall.

    I immediately turned to Vel and wiggled my brows playfully.

    "Heh, wait until you get a fan club of your own."

    The Sylveon blanched.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Dinner was nice. Now, though, I sat in my room.

    I stared eagerly at the Cherrygrove Gym''s website. More specifically, the hiring tab. Today was the last day for people to apply for jobs at the gym.

    The clock hit 11:59 PM.

    Immediately, the upload page was locked and the submit button frozen. No more applications would be accepted at this point.

    I rolled my neck a bit with a nervous smile. I hadn''t bothered checking how many applications there were after the first day. I had been content to just let them pile up and surprise me at the end. Hopefully there was a good number of entries¡­ I was expecting at least a thousand or so after all the advertising I''d done. My two matches against Pryce and Clair had helped boost my prestige. Even if people didn''t know a lot about Fairy types yet, they at least knew I was a damn good trainer and worth learning from.

    I hummed to myself as I entered my administrator info and logged into the applications portal. I was planning on sleeping soon, but I was also excited. Maybe I could get through a few forms before bedtime.

    "Let''s see, how many are there¡­" I muttered to myself. With one click, I refreshed the page.

    My jaw immediately dropped. A big, bold number stared back at me from the screen.

    "What the¡ª 6,832?!"

    I quickly sifted through the data in more detail. About one thousand of them were from people applying to be social media managers, but that meant there were still over five thousand who wanted to be a gym trainer.

    This had to be an all-time record for incoming gym trainer applications or something!

    A huge grin lit up my face before it slipped away, and I immediately slumped back in my chair. I''d done my job a little too well. This was going to take ages to sort through. Then and there, I decided I was going to pull an all-nighter for the first time in a long while.

    It was better to hire people as soon as possible and teach them the ropes.

    I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to breathe in and out calmly. "Porygon family, can you remove some applications for me right now? Any with missing information, troll-like or defamatory content, improper images¡­ etcetera, etcetera. Don''t delete them, just set them aside in a separate folder in case we need to take action later."

    I knew better than to think all of these would be applications made in good faith. There were probably going to be ones filled out as pranks or worse.

    Case in point, the Porygon in my laptop ended up deleting about a couple thousand. I stared at the new numbers on the screen.

    3,478 gym trainer applications and 503 for social media managers.

    Okay, that had¡­ kind of helped, but there were still so many of them. I sighed to myself. I would just need to sort everything into filtered groups for my perusal.

    "Right. We''ll start with the gym trainer applications first. Can you put some aside into specific groups? One for people from Cherrygrove City, another for people who own at least one Fairy type Pokemon, and another for people who check off both these boxes. Then for the remaining applications, please make filters and sort them from ascending to descending¡­"

    I rattled off a few different filters I had in mind such as how many gym badges the applicant had, whether they''d had previous experience working for a gym leader or interning at a League-related facility, and more. A minute later, I wore the look of a soldier going off to war as I clutched my bluetooth mouse tightly.

    It was time to begin.

    I looked at the ones that had been sorted into specific groups first. Preferably, I wanted at least one or two locals to come under my employ since they would be very familiar with the surrounding areas. Part of a Gym Leader''s duty was to guard their town or city. That included patrolling nearby routes and coordinating with local Rangers.

    Just like Souta had promised, his application was there in the pile. And boy, was it a good one. I felt my brows rising higher and higher as I went through his application with an impressed look. Three gym badges during his first attempt at the Johto League Circuit, previous internship at the renowned Day Care over on Route 34, stellar grades at the Lightwood Academy here in Cherrygrove, one of the top scorers among teenagers in the nation for mock written and practical exams¡­ the resume went on and on.

    I liked what I saw. Definitely hard working, and I appreciated that he had a good mix of academic and practical achievements under his name for someone of his age. Even Souta''s cover letter made me smile. He''d talked at length about wanting to broaden his horizons.

    My decision was an easy one. As soon as I finished reviewing his full application, I clicked a bright green button on screen and designated Souta as someone who would move onto the interview stage later.

    That was the first application to make it to that pile.

    More were added or rejected as I went through the applications with the help of the Porygon family. The entries all varied widely. They were from people of all ages and backgrounds, some from civilians and others from established trainers. Surprisingly, I even had quite a few from people who lived in Hoenn or Sinnoh.

    Not all the entries were good. In fact, a lot of them had very barebones resumes. I still gave the rest of these forms and cover letters a brief glance over to see if anything caught my interest. Preferably, I wanted to hire experienced trainers, but I was willing to teach prospective employees from the ground up if they had the right kind of attitude and were willing to put in the work.

    The Porygon pulled up forms for me that caught their attention, and one of them was especially impressive.

    Nadia Rurimosu, a twenty-three year old trainer from Violet City who had completed the Johto League Circuit four different times. She always made it to the group preliminaries of the Silver Conference but failed to get further, and this year she was taking time off to train.

    Just in case, I went online and cross-checked on the League archives to make sure Nadia had not lied about her achievements.

    She hadn''t.

    I felt like I''d struck gold. I hadn''t seen a lot of very experienced trainers apply so far. If I had to guess why, they probably either didn''t want to risk working for someone who had not yet established a strong history with their Gym, or they wanted to keep going on their own journeys.

    I smiled to myself as I looked over the rest of Nadia''s entry. Everything looked great. High win to loss ratio for public matches, a well-balanced team of Pokemon, recommendations from several people including a Professor from Johto that was not Elm and another from a Professor at the Blackthorn Trainer Academy¡ª

    I did a double take.

    The what now?

    Truly, the Blackthorn name was following me everywhere it seemed. I read the rest of Nadia''s resume. She''d graduated from Blackthorn Trainer Academy several years ago with top honors. Impressive. It was hard to get into that school, much less succeed to that extent and nab a recommendation from the Principal to boot.

    ¡­The school was also heavily sponsored by the Blackthorns, as I was well aware.

    My previous pleasure at discovering Nadia''s application dimmed a bit as I drummed my fingers against the table. I felt like I was pulling at straws here and being paranoid for no reason, but¡­

    "Porygon family, can you dig through Nadia''s social media accounts for me? And her general history through whatever you can find online? Look specifically for connections to Dragons, Blackthorn City, or its Clan," I asked.

    I couldn''t help but tap my feet against the ground as I waited for the Porygon to finish their investigation. After a couple minutes, they pulled up some tabs and social media posts for me. I looked through them with eyes that narrowed further with every word I read.

    Nadia was currently based in Violet City, but she had been born in Blackthorn City. By combing through the earliest posts on her cluttered and vastly enormous Chatter timeline, they''d also found mentions of her stating numerous times how much she loved Dragons and vowed to be a Dragon Specialist.

    And she had applied for MY Gym? A Fairy Gym? Perhaps she had just changed her mind and ambitions¡ª

    That thought came to an immediate cold stop.

    The most damning evidence was right in front of me. I stared at a picture of some elderly men shaking hands with Nadia at some sort of school award ceremony. The Porygon helpfully identified the strangers by using an electronic voice from the laptop.

    "Elders Eiji Warui and Masami Saitoga from the Blackthorn Clan. They came to congratulate her in person for graduating with top honors. In a subsequent post from August 19th, 2018, Nadia Rurimosu cryptically said she had ''accepted a huge opportunity to learn from the best.''"

    I rubbed my temples. That had a lot of implications. She''d most likely interned under the Blackthorn Clan. Whether or not she was still taking classes from them or had entered their ranks as an official trainee was unknown, but one thing was clear.

    She was associated with the Blackthorn Clan.

    Nadia''s application was good¡­ almost too good. Had the Blackthorn Clan ordered her to do this? To hopefully get hired and spy on me for them? Was I leaping too far here with my thoughts? But Lance had even said his Clan might pull something, and I had expected them to do something as well after Clair''s beatdown.

    "Put her application in a separate folder. In fact, dig through the rest of the forms and put any with connections to the Blackthorn Clan in there," I said tersely.

    To my dismay, I saw the new folder quickly fill up with a dozen more entries. A few of them were rather inconspicuous like new trainers from Blackthorn City who recently added Fairy types to their team, but a lot of them were powerful trainers with impressive resumes who supposedly wanted to work for me.

    I had half a mind to just reject them all, but then I could potentially be ruining chances for innocent people. I would deal with them in person instead.

    I spent almost six hours going through other applications and trying to put the Blackthorns out of my head. At some point, I realized I desperately needed at least one or two hours of sleep. Sluggishly, I copy pasted some messages into emails and sent them off, letting the people I''d chosen so far know to expect an interview at so and so time. More applications would have to be viewed later.

    Then I staggered off to my bed.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The next morning, a teenager with a Snubbull fist pumped the air and yelled exuberantly when he saw a new email notification.

    That woke both his parents up.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Oh my Arceus. Oh my Arceus."

    Haru felt like he was on the verge of hyperventilating. He had just finished reading an email sent from none other than Arin Watanuki. He even checked to make sure the sender was legitimate, and yes, it was the Cherrygrove Gym''s official email.

    To Haru Agawa:

    Thank you for applying to be a gym trainer for the Cherrygrove Gym. I have reviewed your application and would like to invite you for an interview at 10:15 AM on April 8th. Please bring your Pokemon with you, and let me know if this date and time work for you. We can reschedule if you cannot make it.

    Regards,

    Arin Watanuki

    Cherrygrove Gym Leader

    He''d passed to the interview stage. Legendaries, he wanted to brag to all of his classmates.

    Haru couldn''t believe it. He hadn''t had a lot of hope when he sent in his application mostly because of the lack of gym badges under his belt and overall trainer experience, but he had made it to an interview.

    Now came the hard part. He had to get there.

    Haru tried not to grimace as he dashed out of his room and down the stairs to the kitchen. His mom was sitting at their tiny table. He felt a little worse when he saw her miserable expression and the pile of opened letters and calculators on the table.

    She was probably going over bills and expenses for the month.

    He almost had half a mind to just leave when his mom noticed him standing near the entrance. She brightened up immediately, offering him a weary but big smile.

    "Hey sweetie, what''s up?" his mom greeted.

    "Um¡­" Haru swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. After some difficulty, he finally unfroze and held his outdated phone out to his mom. He continued in a quiet voice after she took the device and began reading the email there. "I, um¡­ I applied to be a gym trainer at the Cherrygrove Gym. My application passed the first stage. Leader Arin wants me to come in for an interview."

    His mom''s brows flew up as she tore her gaze away from his phone and looked at him instead. Surprise filled every feature of her face.

    "Haru, that''s great!" she said with wide eyes. "Um, I didn''t know you applied."

    "I didn''t tell you because I didn''t know if I''d even make it far enough," Haru admitted. He awkwardly scuffed his foot against the ground. With a shaky breath, he forced himself to look at his mom. "I know it''s a lot to ask, and I''m really sorry. But um¡­ can you buy me a plane ticket to Cherrygrove? I know it''s going to be expensive because of how far it is, and there''s no guarantee I''ll even pass the interview, but I¡ª"

    "Haru."

    The firm use of his name made Haru stop rambling entirely. His mom looked at him with a disappointed expression.

    Oh. She wasn''t happy. He shouldn''t have asked¡ª

    "We might not be the most well-off, but I would never allow our finances to get in the way of your dreams. You shouldn''t worry about money and leave that to me," his mom told him instead of the scolding he expected, and Haru gaped at her. "Go do what you want to do. Even if it doesn''t work out, I''ll be proud of you anyway for trying. I won''t be able to come with you though. Two tickets would be stretching it, sadly¡­"

    Haru felt his eyes water a bit as he raced forward, throwing his arms around his mom in a tight hug.

    First Mimi, and now this. His mom was seriously the best.

    "Thank you so much, mom!"

    She merely smiled, patting his arm.

    "Be safe while you''re over there, okay? And tell me if Leader Arin is rude to you. If he is, I swear I''ll come right over there and sock him a new one."

    "MOM!"

 Chapter 24

    CHAPTER 24

    I woke up without Pancham eyes, but apparently I still looked tired enough that dad, Neil, and all the Professors and aides commented on my haggard appearance the following morning.

    "Did you not sleep well, son?" Dad asked with a raised brow.

    I sipped on my cup of green tea, eyes trained on the sight outside the kitchen window. Elm was being chased around by Tinkatink and Tinkatuff. It was honestly kind of funny seeing as neither Elm or the Pokemon were particularly fast runners.

    "I got zero hours of sleep," I admitted begrudgingly. I would have gotten at least one had I not kept myself up for so long thinking about the maybe, maybe not suspicious applications. Then I had to get up and oversee morning training. "But I''m fine. This tea is helping, and I plan on sleeping early tonight. I''ll be interviewing some gym trainer applicants tomorrow."

    "Already?" Dad exclaimed with no small amount of surprise. "Wasn''t the deadline just last night? Wait a second¡­ did you stay up to go through some of the forms?"

    My wry smile was confirmation enough for dad. He began scolding me gently, but I was only half-listening as I took a swig of my drink.

    Last night, the people categorized in what I now called the ''Blackthorn Spy'' folder had been among the recipients of various emails I sent out. I''d offered them all interviews for the following day because I wanted to put my suspicions to rest. Surprisingly, a lot of them had sent back positive replies already. I was waiting to hear from a few more.

    Tomorrow, we would see if I was right about their true intentions or not. Hopefully it was the latter.

    I drifted outside after I finished my tea. I''d promised the Professors something last night before we parted ways, and I intended to follow through. I lifted a hand in greeting as I approached the person closest to me.

    "Hello, Professor Oak, I have time now if you all aren''t already in the middle of something," I said, smiling.

    Oak''s forehead creased with concern as he stared at me. "Arin, we don''t have to do the study today of all days. You don''t seem to be in the best of shape," he pointed out.

    "I look worse than I feel, trust me," I reassured him. "I know my own limits."

    "Hmm¡­" Oak stared at me a little longer. When he was satisfied, he bobbed his head in a tentative nod. "Alright then."

    He shouted loudly for the other Professors and aides. Within a minute, they''d wrapped up what they were doing and grouped together. They all stared at me with great interest.

    "Are we finally going to see Mega Evolution?" Elm asked eagerly.

    As soon as I nodded, a wave of excited murmurs rippled through the crowd of researchers. I merely smiled, squaring my shoulders in preparation of what was to come. "Which Mega Evolution do you want to see first? I only have the energy to pull off one transformation today, but I''ve got five that I have the corresponding Stones for."

    The murmurs died down in an instant. Everyone stood frozen in place as they looked at me with shocked expressions.

    "Er¡­ five?" Rowan repeated, blinking rapidly. "How many of them are new? We were aware of Mega Evolutions for Milotic, which Birch discovered a year ago, and also Altaria thanks to you¡­"

    "I''ve got Stones for a Mawile and two other new species on my team you didn''t have time to study yesterday," I explained.

    "What?!" Birch jumped about a foot into the air from surprise. "There''s one for Mawile? I think Steven is going to go crazy when he finds out¡­"

    "Alright, everyone, we''re putting it to a vote!" Oak announced firmly. With blazing eyes, he clapped his hands together. "Mega Mawile or Mega Altaria?"

    The Professors and their aides immediately entered an intense discussion complete with frantic, waving arms and loud voices. About five minutes passed before they came to a final, albeit not entirely unanimous, decision.

    "We''d like to see Mega Mawile, please," Elm announced for the group.

    As the researchers hurriedly set up large and strange looking equipment near the back porch, I called out to Willow. The Mawile wandered over with a baffled expression and asked what was going on.

    "How would you feel about showing ''em your Mega form?" I simply asked with a knowing smile.

    Jaws repeatedly snapped at the air as Willow jumped and down. Clearly, he loved that idea. I made sure we were a suitable distance away from the researchers before beginning. I exhaled, drawing on the bond between me and Willow and focusing deeply on it.

    "Alright, let''s go."

    Two sources of light washed over our surroundings, one from my Key Stone and the other from the Mawilite Willow held. A single pair of jaws split into two massive ones. His body and sleeves gained a magenta coloring, and long, black extensions grew outwards from his head.

    The newly Mega Evolved Willow whipped around, yelling out excitedly as he opened his jaws wide and revealed rows of sharp teeth. Gasps of appreciation left the researchers at the display.

    "My word! Two jaws instead of one!" Rowan breathed out loud in wonder. Daisy and one other aide went up and carefully measured Willow''s jaws as another held up some sort of tool that resembled a satellite dish.

    "Let''s test them!" Elm squealed gleefully. "Boulders! We need boulders! And steel!"

    While the researchers scurried off to get testing materials or make some with the help of lab Pokemon, Oak turned to me.

    "How are you feeling, Arin?" he asked with furrowed brows. He''d obviously noted my pale expression from triggering Mega Evolution.

    "Could be better," I admitted. My severe lack of sleep was not helping me keep up the transformation whatsoever. I felt more sluggish than usual after invoking the process. "But I''ll be fine. I can keep it up for¡­ fifteen minutes maybe? Then I''ll need to stop for the day."

    To my amusement, Oak wore a serious expression as he reached down and set a timer for fifteen minutes on his phone. It seemed he was very intent on not jeopardizing my health.

    "Well then¡­" Oak cleared his throat, trying and failing not to look too excited as he stared at me. "While the assistants are busy getting the materials Elm requested, may I see the other two Pokemon you mentioned? The ones also capable of Mega Evolution?"

    As soon as Vel and Audi came to stand in front of Oak, the Professor waved energetically.

    "Hello!" he greeted. Audi chirped a hello right back and held out a small, cream-colored hand. Oak wore a delighted expression as he bent down and gingerly shook the offered limb.

    "What a friendly Pokemon!" Oak beamed. "Hmm, for some reason this one reminds me of a Chansey.

    "That''s Audi, my Audino," I introduced with a smile. "In other regions, she and her species are commonly seen as healers and assistants for healthcare services. She also has an incredible sense of hearing and can perceive something as small as a falling pebble from a mile away."

    Oak seemed quite interested by that if the sudden shine in his eyes was anything to go by. "I''ll have to test that later! What about this other Pokemon, Arin? I recognize it from your promotion match."

    "Vel, my Sylveon," I supplied. Said Pokemon smiled politely and used a feeler to shake Oak''s hand. "He''s an evolution of Eevee."

    Oak''s hand froze in place long after Vel''s ribbon slipped out of it.

    "Excuse me?" he asked with wide eyes. His gaze darted back and forth between me and Vel. "This is¡ª This is an evolution of Eevee, you say? I¡­" Oak finally unfroze, one hand coming up to rub at his eyes. "For lack of a better word, wow! I thought seven evolutions was already incredible, but now there''s an eighth!"

    He straightened to his full posture immediately and whipped out a notebook and pen. In one smooth movement, he flipped to a brand new page and clicked his writing utensil.

    "How does it evolve? Stone? Time of day? What kind of abilities does it have?" Oak rattled off questions one after another without pause, and I chuckled to myself. The Mega Mawile was entirely forgotten for the time being it seemed.

    "You need to have a deep bond with your Eevee, and they must have a solid grasp of Fairy type energy and how to control it¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I was finally back in the comfort of my room.

    Oak had pestered me with questions for all of fifteen minutes before his alarm rang, and he looked more than a little disappointed when he watched me go. I was pretty sure I heard the other Professors yelling at him on my way back into the house, something about stealing a march on them.

    I snatched my thermos off the corner of my desk and uncapped it, greedily gulping down water. Yeah, I was definitely hitting the hay early tonight. I didn''t think I was capable of doing much more than simple housework or errands for the time being, but that was completely fine.

    There was a full day ahead of me and applications to go through.

    First though, I needed to make sure the plan I had in mind for tomorrow would pan out. I hummed to myself as I went to the Indigo League''s official website. Once I was there, I pulled up a frighteningly long list of laws and scrolled to the section I needed. My lips gradually curled upwards with every word I read.

    Perfect. Everything was in order.

    I cracked my knuckles. With that over with¡­ it was time to speedrun these forms. The goal was to interview applicants and finish hiring people within a week if possible.

    I found myself looking forward to tomorrow as I threw myself into work.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "Oh shoot, I hope I''m not lost¡­"

    Nadia Rurimosu anxiously swung her head left and right. She had an interview today with Leader Arin of the Cherrygrove Gym and had flown all the way over to the city on her massive Fearow. She''d arrived a whole twenty minutes early, but it was now dangerously close to her interview time because she simply couldn''t find the meeting spot.

    Everybody knew the Cherrygrove Gym was under construction and wouldn''t be open to the public for a while. The fact had been spread across every social media platform by disappointed tourists. She personally knew it because she''d tried to get a peek of her own earlier and saw the main road was blocked off by endless barricades and safety cones.

    So, instead of the interview being held at a Gym like it normally would have been, there was a different venue. According to the email Nadia had gotten, it was supposed to be somewhere past these trees¡­

    "Oh!" Nadia''s eyes brightened when she saw a wooden sign planted in the ground. It read CHERRYGROVE GYM INTERVIEWS and even had an arrow indicating the site was further ahead. Thank Arceus, she wasn''t going to be late after all.

    Past more trees and shrubbery she went until finally, she came upon a clearing¡ª

    "Huh?!" Nadia couldn''t help but blurt out in shock. She stared with wide eyes at the scene before her.

    Standing dead center in the clearing was a terribly plain but massive building made entirely of smooth rock. It resembled a cube but with a missing front face, and she could see inside. There was a long table covered with folders, pens, and a laptop. Two chairs were on either side of it. One of them was empty, and the other was occupied by none other than Leader Arin. He had spotted her and raised a hand in greeting.

    Okay, she hadn''t expected an outdoors-y interview, but this was fine.

    Nadia barely registered the earthen battlefield next to the structure and hurried forward. A flustered apology began to form on her lips only to die away.

    It was now that she saw the menacingly tall, humanoid Pokemon standing silently in the far corner of the makeshift room. She''d never seen anything like it before. It had to be at least seven feet tall, with a gradient-colored body and some sort of¡­ wide-brimmed, conical shaped hat. Something long extended from it ¡ª a tentacle? ¡ª and ended with sharp claws.

    Its face was much smaller than she would have expected for such a large body. When Nadia made eye contact with it, the Pokemon smiled.

    She stiffened when she saw rows of blindingly sharp teeth. How did they all fit in there?

    "Hello. Nadia Rurimosu, right? Is something wrong?" Arin raised a brow in confusion. "Here, have a seat across from me."

    "Y-Yes, that''s me. And er¡­ no," Nadia stammered. She cleared her throat, muttering out a thanks as she slid into the seat across from the Gym Leader. "Is that your Pokemon? I didn''t realize¡­ there would be someone else in the interview room."

    "Oh, don''t mind her. She just likes to keep me company," Arin smiled, waving a hand through the air.

    Even as he said that, Nadia eyed the Pokemon with no small amount of anxiety. It was no longer smiling, but something about it still deeply unsettled her. She tore her gaze away from it when Arin cleared his throat.

    "Cutting it a bit close, are we?" he remarked with a good-natured smile, but Nadia still felt embarrassed anyway and ducked her head apologetically.

    "I apologize, Leader Arin. I got a bit lost on the way here¡­" she murmured.

    Thankfully, Arin had an amicable expression as he nodded. "It''s fine. Now then, I don''t want to hold up the other applicants who will be arriving after you, so let''s begin this interview."

    Nadia watched as the Cherrygrove Gym Leader picked up a manila folder from the table and opened it. His blue eyes moved across the page slowly. "I reviewed your application carefully. Your resume in particular was very impressive. It''s not easy for trainers to make it to the Silver Conference for consecutive years like you have. I have your resume right here with me, but could you walk me through your journey?"

    "Yes, of course," Nadia immediately agreed. The interview had well and truly begun. She continued on with as calm of an expression as she could muster, hoping she wouldn''t flub any of her responses. "My time at the Blackthorn Trainer Academy inspired me¡­"

    Back and forth they went trading questions and earnest answers. She was asked questions such as her objective opinion on the Fairy type, why she wanted the job, what skillsets she thought she would be able to bring to the table, and vice versa. All standard interview questions. Arin wore a smile the whole time, but whether it was polite or not could not be determined. Still, his smiling visage and the fact that he had not ended the interview yet reassured Nadia that she was doing decent so far.

    In fact, she even found herself smiling at one point. Arin was so amicable that it put her at ease, and she found herself giving answers in a much more relaxed state. If only all interviewers were like this, she lamented.

    Nadia blinked when Arin held up a hand about five minutes later. They were only fifteen minutes into the interview! Everything had been going so well. Had she said something wrong and offended him¡ª?

    "No need to look so worried, Ms. Rurimosu," Arin reassured. She must have looked more panic-stricken than she''d initially thought. "I''m quite pleased with the interview so far and think I''ve heard almost everything I need to know. I just have one last question for you."

    Nadia barely refrained from sighing with relief and beamed instead. That sounded like she''d made a very good impression on him.

    Arin set the folder he held face down on the table. "What do you think about the Blackthorn Clan?"

    She blinked. That question had literally come from nowhere. "I apologize, before I answer, how is this relevant to the interview?"

    "Recently, comparisons have been drawn between me and the Blackthorns given our¡­ contrasting type specialties, and more will only continue to be made. Any employees at my Gym would need to keep them in mind going forward, so I''m just curious what you think as a prospective gym trainer."

    Nadia nodded. Okay, that made a lot more sense. "I''m well aware they''re a Clan of Dragon Tamers and one of the Sacred Eight, but almost every person in Kanto-Johto knows that information. I simply try to focus on helping my Pokemon grow as strong as possible instead of thinking about other things," she answered confidently.

    Arin nodded, jotting notes down. The Cherrygrove Gym Leader then looked up and smiled at her.

    "Thank you, Ms. Rurimosu. I enjoyed our conversation," he said.

    Nadia moved to echo the same when Arin''s next words made her freeze in place.

    "Unfortunately, I do not believe that you''ll be a good fit for the Cherrygrove Gym and will have to reject your application. Thank you for your time."

    She stared at him with wide eyes.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "W-What?" she stammered. Her heart thumped faster in her chest from the shock of the situation. "But¡­ you said you were pleased with my answers earlier! You haven''t even seen my skills as a trainer yet either!"

    Arin stared back at her with a neutral expression that bordered on cold. He was no longer smiling.

    "I don''t need to," he said calmly. "I already heard enough."

    "What do you mean¡ª"

    "You lied during the interview," Arin interrupted. "Multiple times, if I might add."

    "Leader Arin!" Nadia exclaimed, shock quickly turning into fury. "I didn''t expect something like this from a respected individual like you! How could you accuse me of lying?!"

    "The visible act you put up was very convincing, but your emotions are too loud," Arin responded. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, and Nadia looked at what ¡ª or who, in this case ¡ª he was pointing at.

    She found herself staring at the tall Pokemon in the corner, the very same one she''d forgotten about after the interview started. The Pokemon eerily stared at her in a way that made shivers run up her spine.

    "Are you familiar with the Ralts line that is native to Hoenn? If not, I''ll enlighten you. Their species can sense emotions," Arin explained politely, but his eyes were hard as they stared at her. "My Pokemon over there? Her species is capable of much the same. You''re very skilled at putting up a normal appearance and lying to my face, but your emotions fluctuated strongly whenever you did so¡­ especially when I brought up the Blackthorns at the end. You panicked."

    Nadia gaped at him. "Excuse me? Did you have your Pokemon read my thoughts without my consent? That''s illegal!"

    The young man across from her leaned back in his seat with a decidedly unamused look. "There are stringent laws in place for reading minds and emotions, but what my Pokemon did was not illegal. She did not probe your mind or your thoughts, she merely felt the strong emotions naturally radiating from you. You would have felt a distinct presence in your mind if she had actually read your thoughts, and that would be illegal without consent. You can look up our national laws if you don''t believe me. Article 189."

    She did just that, fishing her phone out of her pocket with a furious expression. Half a minute later, her expression turned into one of dismay when she read that, yes, Arin was right.

    He finally smiled at this point, but it was cold as ice. "Furthermore, I''d like to inform you that as a Gym Leader, I have the authority to run my own lie checks based on reasonable suspicion. If you''d like, I can have my Psychic type actually go through your mind and verify your supposed innocence," Arin said. He held his hands out in an almost mocking manner. "Well? How about it?"

    Nadia barely refrained from closing her eyes and sat there with a stoic expression. Of course she wasn''t going to offer herself up for a lie check.

    Fuck.

    She''d been found out.

    So much for putting up a facade. How was she supposed to guess that Arin would bring a freaking Psychic type to the interview that could sense her emotions? Had he singled her out? Her application shouldn''t have been too suspicious. If anything, the Elders had even said Arin would probably jump for joy when he saw an experienced trainer applying for his gym and rush to hire her.

    She said nothing and got up from her seat. Best to leave and report as soon as possible¡ª

    "The Blackthorn Clan sent you," Arin suddenly said out loud, staring at her. It was a statement more than it was a question.

    Nadia walked away without a word.

    She felt the Cherrygrove Gym Leader''s piercing gaze on her up until she left the clearing. As soon as she was out of view, she flew away on Fearow and pulled her phone out. She swore internally as she dialed a certain number and brought the device to her ear. The Elders weren''t going to be happy with her.

    "I apologize, but I failed¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    She reacted to that statement, Silque said with a dip of her head. The Hatterene floated closer to me, frowning slightly. That woman tried harder to rein in her emotions this time, but they were clear as moonlight to me. I sensed discomfort, anger, and underlying anxiety. Most likely, she was here on orders. It is a shame she did not stay and take you up on your kind offer. I would have liked to peer through her mind and grasp the truth.

    I clicked my tongue in annoyance. My very first interviewee turned out to be an Arceus damned spy. It was frustrating, too, because Nadia would have been a trainer I wanted to hire otherwise. I opened the folder with her printed resume and took it out, holding the paper up with a glare.

    Finally, the Blackthorn Clan members had made a move against me.

    May I have that? Silque asked innocently, but I saw the glint in her eyes and knew what she wanted to do. I was more than happy to pass the paper to her. The Hatterene grabbed it with her psychic powers and crushed it to oblivion within a mere instant. I couldn''t even see small pieces flying away in the wind.

    It didn''t actually do much in the grand scheme of things, but I still felt some sense of satisfaction. Good riddance.

    I felt nothing but gratitude as I looked at one of my longtime partners. "Thanks for agreeing to help today, Silque. I know you hate being around anything¡­ loud."

    The Hatterene flashed her pointy teeth at me, but I found the smile charming. I''m sure anyone else would have thought otherwise and found the sight terrifying. I will live. Mere annoyances to bear with. I''m simply happy to be of some help, she replied gently. Her smile gained a vicious edge as she tilted her head. I will admit I did enjoy scaring her, though. Perhaps there will be similar reactions later.

    "Perhaps," I chuckled. "Hopefully this was just one of only a few misses¡­"

    Even as I said that, I had a feeling I was probably going to be wrong. I felt even better now about my decision to hold the interviews far away from our house.

    The Gym hadn''t been a venue option for obvious reasons, and I hadn''t felt comfortable about the idea of letting potential spies near our house and all the Pokemon. So, I chose a far off location that was still part of the forested property our family owned. Peri had whipped up a plain, makeshift building with Ancient Power for our use. He had argued for a more magnificent design to stun interviewees, but I had to sadly turn down the idea as I wanted applicants to not get distracted and just focus on the interview itself. I found I liked this setup a lot already.

    If things ever turned ugly, well¡­ the rats only had one visible way out.

    I made myself comfortable at my desk. Nadia was just one of many applicants coming in today for interviews. I was going to be here for hours on end barring breaks for mealtimes and such.

    While waiting for the next applicant to arrive, I arranged and rearranged papers on my desk out of boredom. I quickly realized my interviewee was not coming when I checked the time later. It was a whole ten minutes past the scheduled appointment.

    The missing person also happened to be someone from the Blackthorn Spy folder.

    I smiled to myself. Maybe I''d have my work cut out for me after all. I''d purposely failed Nadia right after the interview and revealed Silque''s abilities so she could go back and warn her superiors. I wanted them to know I knew the Tauros shit they were pulling, and I wanted them to panic as they tried to figure out what to do.

    They would either give up like the second person had, or they would try harder.

    I met an example of the latter when the third applicant arrived early. This one didn''t seem as surprised to see Silque and greeted me when he sat down. We began a discussion immediately. I quickly noticed how¡­ calm they were. Almost unnaturally calm, to the point where I wondered if¡ª

    There is a Dark type at work, Silque announced in my mind hardly a minute into the interview. It is faint, but the protection of the night is emanating from this man and separating him from his emotions.

    I kept talking while I processed Silque''s words. If that didn''t scream suspicious, then I didn''t know what did. Clearly this person was trying to hide something, so I just automatically assumed they were with the Blackthorn Clan. I should have known the Clan wouldn''t give up, and now they''d brought out a Dark type to get past Silque.

    The Dark type was not just a representation of shadows and the long and endless night, but the void of it all. Absence. Emptiness so vast that it consumed, obstructed, and severed. It was why Ghosts and Psychics were naturally at odds with Dark.

    This move by the Clan, removing turbulent emotions, would have been a good one except¡­ they hadn''t done enough to hide their work from Silque. A rush job in all likelihood, and they might have thought Silque was just a pure Psychic type. Alas, they were about to be reminded about the interaction between Fairies and Dark.

    I wanted to just reject the applicant on the spot and not waste more time, but first¡ª

    Dispel it, I said through my telepathic link with Silque.

    The Hatterene''s eyes glowed almost imperceptibly. I couldn''t see it, but I knew she had just released more fairy energy into the air around her. It swept forward in an invisible wave, washing over me, the applicant, and the rest of the room.

    If Dark types were part of the long and endless night, then Fairies represented the brilliant light that pierced through them.

    The effect was immediate. Silque informed me the paltry veil had dissipated almost immediately, and I could tell as much by the way the applicant''s eyes suddenly widened as he stared at us. I only had to ask two questions about the Blackthorns to see what a floundering mess the man had become.

    I smiled. "Thank you for your time, but¡­"

    Just like Nadia, I sent him off. At least I''d wasted less than five minutes this time.

    The rest of the morning went by in a blur. I had more attempts by people who tried to hide their emotions through various means, but none of them worked.

    "Leader Arin, it''s such an honor. I¡ª"

    "Please see yourself out."

    "I believe Fairy types to be very versatile Pokemon¡ª"

    "I''m sorry, but I will have to reject your application. Thank you for coming."

    I grew tired enough of these people that I breezed through their half-baked interviews in a minute or less. So far, every single one of the applicants I''d filtered out beforehand turned out to be associated with the Blackthorn Clan.

    My displeasure was further compounded by the fact that the regular applicants I met with that morning ¡ª ones not associated with the Blackthorn Clan ¡ª turned out to be a terrible mix. There were people who turned out to be very different in person than on paper and could not hold an interview for the life of them, others that constantly froze up or had other poor habits during the battle portion, and vice versa. There wasn''t a single person I wanted to hire for my Gym yet.

    I took a break at one point to fetch more water from the house. Another hour ticked by, and I held a paper in my hands as I awaited a particular interviewee. The next and final so-called Blackthorn Spy applicant from the ones I''d marked walked in. It was a young woman with wavy blonde hair in a stylish, asymmetrical bob cut. She was taller than the average, about five foot six if I had to guess, and she walked with as much confidence as someone like Clair Ibuki.

    Yurie Irazuki, a nineteen-year-old orphan from Fallarbor Town in Hoenn. She had started her trainer career three years late but took the Hoenn League Circuit of that year by storm, nabbing all eight badges and managing to get past the group stages to the top 256. She''d unfortunately lost right after, but it was still a testament to her skill. Sometime in the year since then, she had managed to successfully enter the Blackthorn Clan''s ranks as a trainee and moved permanently to Johto.

    I hadn''t found that last bit out from a background check. No, Yurie had outright put on her entry that she was currently a trainee with the Blackthorn Clan as well as interning at the Blackthorn Gym. She was looking for a new job.

    I honestly couldn''t believe it at first when I first read her application. I could have thrown it out right then and there from the information that was blatantly on display, but I wanted to verify it in person. Who the heck would just admit that to the Leader of a Fairy Gym, much less someone that had beat their employer in a devastatingly one-sided match?

    Either a very foolish spy, or¡­

    "Ms. Yurie Irazuki, yes?" I greeted carefully. The young woman nodded in response as she took a seat across from me, but not before she looked at Silque in the corner. She seemed more fascinated with my Pokemon than the other failed spies had.

    No mental protections in place, Silque informed me, and I almost raised a brow in disbelief. None whatsoever?

    Mystified, I looked down at the resume in my hands. I''d learn more about her soon enough. "Thank you for coming today. Let''s begin the interview¡ª"

    "I give you permission for your Pokemon to run a lie check with me," Yurie interrupted. I raised my head to stare at her with narrowed eyes. She didn''t seem deterred by my reaction at all, merely smiling cheerfully. "I already heard all about it from Nadia. She warned the other people sent by the Blackthorn Clan."

    I stared at her with a neutral expression, but internally, I was so very, very confused by this turn of events. "And¡­ why would you propose this?" I asked slowly. "Or tell me any of that for that matter? You just outed the Clan you''re affiliated with."

    "Previously affiliated with," Yuri immediately corrected. She wore a proud expression as she raised her chin. "I sent them a letter of resignation on the way here. I couldn''t quit any earlier because I was, uh, kind of paranoid they might do something to me. Or chase me."

    "Excuse me?" I blinked.

    "I resigned," the young woman repeated. "Quit. Done. No longer with them. I wasn''t very attached to the Clan anyway. All those old guys ¡ª the Elders ¡ª were bastards with sticks up their butts. I just hung in there so I could try and learn as much as I could from them. They didn''t even teach me that much and relegated me to dumb tasks around the city instead!"

    I couldn''t even get a word in before Yurie''s eyes widened, and she continued on in an indignant tone. "Did you know they banned Mega Altaria for the whole Clan? No affiliated members are allowed to buy Altarianites once they are discovered! That was the last straw for me. I decided Nimbus and I are better off learning from you instead."

    I just sat there in silence and tried to process everything Yurie had just told me. She was certainly¡­ very chatty and energetic. Unafraid to say her opinion. Putting aside the fact that the Blackthorn Clan had apparently made a law against Mega Evolving Altaria (which I found extremely stupid), it seemed Yurie was telling the truth. Silque told me she hadn''t sensed any conflicting emotions radiating from her.

    I still had to check. "Okay. Before we discuss anything else, I''d like to conduct an actual lie check first. Do I still have your permission to run one?"

    Yurie''s answer was immediate. "Yes."

    Silque drifted forward without me needing to say anything. The Hatterene stopped just a few feet from Yurie and stared into her eyes. I knew she was actually peering into Yuri''s mind now. To the young woman''s credit, she did not flinch and merely stared back confidently. I cleared my throat.

    "Were you sent here by the Blackthorn Clan?"

    "I was, but I do not and will not follow through with their orders. I just needed a chance to leave the city without a fuss."

    "Did you resign from the ranks of the Blackthorn Clan?"

    "Yes."

    "Why did you quit?"

    "I didn''t want to listen to them anymore. I think it would be much more worthwhile to learn from you at your Gym instead, so I quit in advance as a show of good faith."

    "Will you return and join again?"

    "No. Never. I''m done with them."

    I ran through a few more questions, but Yurie answered all of them without fail. Silque didn''t detect anything strange or false.

    Yurie was telling the truth. She was not a spy. Satisfied, I leaned back in my seat to study her curiously. She looked back at me with an eager expression.

    "Does this mean we can begin the actual interview now?" she asked.

    My lips quirked into an amused smile. I don''t think I could have ever imagined seriously interviewing a former Blackthorn Clan trainee, but here I was about to do so. Admittedly, I found Yurie Irazuki''s character to be interesting. She had resigned even though there was no guarantee she would pass my interview. Her confidence was shocking. If she failed today, well, she was probably permanently out of luck with the Blackthorns and would need to look elsewhere for a job.

    That didn''t mean I was going to show pity or favoritism to her, though. I would be treating her as any other applicant.

    "We''ll begin now," I said in response. Yurie snapped to attention as I glanced down at a paper. "Your resume was interesting. You wrote that you had started your trainer career late, three years past the normal age to go on a journey. May I ask you to elaborate on this?"

    "I didn''t want to rush into collecting badges," Yurie easily explained. "Instead, I decided to spend a few years focusing on my Pokemon and building up a cohesive team. Improving ourselves was more important than getting badges at the time. When my team and I felt like we''d prepared enough, we challenged the Hoenn League Circuit to test our skills."

    I nodded silently in understanding. A lot of trainers rushed to get badges and challenged their respective region''s Circuit year after year, but there were some who held off and trained on their own much like Yurie had done. There was no right or wrong to either approach. Some trainers grew faster by repeatedly challenging Gym Leaders while others learned more from secluding themselves in the wild for intense training. In the end, trainers needed to choose what would benefit them and their Pokemon the most.

    "Let''s move onto the next question. Why did you apply for my Gym?" I asked curiously.

    Yurie practically lit up at this inquiry and grinned widely. "The salary is amazing!" she said in all seriousness. "That''s a big part of it, but the most important reason is that I want to learn from you. I watched both your matches against Pryce and Clair, but it was your battle with Clair that truly resonated with me. You and your Mega Altaria were practically in synch with one another. Well, you have to be to sustain Mega Evolution, but it was still inspiring. I wish to become a trainer like you. With my own team, I focus primarily on fostering strong bonds and teamwork, too."

    "Plus," Yurie added exuberantly, "I would love to be able to help Nimbus ¡ª my starter, I mentioned him earlier, he''s an Altaria ¡ª grow stronger from any teachings you could give. I plan on buying an Altarianite for him someday once I''ve saved up enough."

    She was certainly honest, that was for sure. No one else that I''d interviewed so far had brought up the high salary that came with the position. I was more focused on the rest of what she said, though. It seemed her primary motivation came from wanting to help her Altaria instead of any grander reasons, but that was fine. It was good that she cared about her Pokemon, and it was still a valid reason for wanting to join the team.

    I smiled, drumming my fingers against the table. "How about we chat about your Altaria for a bit then? May I hear more about him and what you would want to learn from me should you come under my employ?"

    "Oh, definitely!" Yurie happily agreed, and she launched into an entire speech. "Nimbus is a bit different from other Altaria. He, er, has trouble singing well. Terrible singing, really, if I''m going to be completely honest. I''ve been trying to help him¡­"

    The interview ended up going on for another thirty minutes. Overall, I was very pleased with the answers Yurie gave to the questions I asked. She had obviously prepared for this interview with everything she had, which made sense given how much she had staked on it.

    She wasn''t even nervous when we left the room to conduct the battle portion of the interview outside. Silque put up a barrier for us.

    "This will be a one-on-one spar, and I''ll tell you when the battle is over. We won''t be fighting until one side faints. I want to see a little bit of how you handle yourself during a battle and how you interact with your Pokemon," I explained carefully from my side of the field. There was no need to do a prolonged battle. I''d already seen videos of Yurie''s previous fights on the League archives online, and I still had tons of applications to review and people to meet with.

    "Understood!" Yurie called out in response.

    To no surprise, she chose Nimbus, her Altaria. After a moment of consideration, I threw out Mem''s Dream Ball. Yurie was beyond the current level of any of the gym Pokemon, so I would just need to use my own Pokemon instead and adjust things accordingly.

    My Mimikyu appeared on the field in a flash of crimson. Today, he was wearing a cloth patterned with red diamonds. He let out a loud, dissonant screech that Yurie actually flinched from, but she quickly regained her composure.

    I let her have the first move.

    "Mist!" Yurie yelled.

    Heavy white mist descended upon the makeshift arena. Even as the temperature dropped a bit and the surroundings became obscured, I smiled.

    "Playtime."

    I couldn''t see Yurie''s Altaria anywhere in the sky. Most likely, he had disappeared into the mist and was going to try and attack from a different angle, but that was fine.

    Here in such hidden surroundings, Mem was right at home.

    Yurie''s eyes widened when sudden squawks of pain filled the air. I don''t think she''d expected Mem to ambush her Altaria instead of the other way around, and she backtracked on her earlier call.

    "Defog!"

    Gales of wind cut through the sea of white, and within¡ª

    It was no longer just Nimbus and Mem on the field. They had a dozen other friends with them. Shadowy figures given life raced through the air and chased the fleeing Nimbus without pause. Each was an eerie copy of the actual Mimikyu in their midst, and each unleashed moves of their own. Orbs writhing with shadows and blue balls of hellfire all went flying as Nimbus zipped left and right desperately.

    I didn''t give any other orders. I wanted to see what Yurie would do, and I turned my gaze to the other side of the field. Even from here, I could see the gears practically turning in Yurie''s head as she tried to figure out a plan.

    "Nimbus! Speed up!" she finally yelled. "Get ready!"

    Fierce winds blew at her Altaria''s back, and with another beat of his wings, he pushed himself further ahead of the terrible nightmares chasing him. Yurie looked as if she was waiting for something¡ª

    "Down! Flare Voice!" Yurie barked.

    With another burst of speed, her Altaria made a sudden flip through the air. He was upside down and right below the incoming demons when he opened his beak and screamed.

    Fire spiraled outwards in flashes of red and yellow-orange. The sound waves accompanying the intense fire were so powerful that they actually caused the flames to fly further and faster than they could have otherwise.

    Mem''s shadowy friends instantly flew in front of him and formed a living barricade. More terrifying, otherworldly screams filled the air as they took the attack for him, but they were not ones of pain.

    They were ones of fury. The flames eventually died away and revealed barely scorched exteriors. A dozen different pairs of eyes turned their distorted, hateful gazes on the bird that had attacked them, and they flew forward once more.

    I let the battle go on for another minute. Mem kept things reasonable and didn''t instantly end the match like he could have, choosing instead to draw things out and see what Yurie and her Altaria could do. All things considered, they were a good pair. They both understood they were vastly outmatched, but neither of them seemed to even entertain the thought of losing. Nimbus faithfully matched whatever energetic command Yurie gave and showed impressive aerial maneuvers one after another.

    "Stop! That''s enough," I eventually called out loudly. Yurie and I immediately recalled both of our Pokemon. She all but dashed forward to meet me in the middle of the field. The young woman was grinning, but she couldn''t hide the anxiety in her eyes.

    "How did I do?" she asked in an almost breathless voice. "It was so short. Are you sure you don''t need to see more?"

    I held up a hand with an amused smile, cutting her off.

    "Don''t worry about how short the battle was. It wasn''t about winning or losing in the first place," I reassured Yurie, and she deflated with relief almost instantly. "You and your Altaria clearly have a strong bond. He reacted quickly to all the commands you gave him even when under the intense stress of being chased by so many figures. I was impressed by that custom move you showed, too. Very powerful voice."

    Yurie beamed at that. "Really, you think so?! Thank you! We''ve mostly been practicing how to improve his sound-based moves lately," she said. "So¡­ is this it? Did I pass?"

    "Expect to hear back from me by the end of the day. I''ll let you know my decision by then," I said instead.

    Yurie didn''t seem disappointed. She just nodded enthusiastically. "Alright! Thank you so much, Leader Arin."

    As I watched her walk away, presumably to rest in the city while she waited on my response, I couldn''t help but smile a bit. It had taken a whole morning of rooting through spies and other disappointing meetings, but¡­

    Now that had been a promising interview.

 Chapter 25

    CHAPTER 25

    The rest of the morning and afternoon passed without incident.

    Dozens of applicants were met and all rejected for various reasons. I Teleported back for lunch and came right back after making sure the Professors hadn''t set fire to our backyard yet. It was only day one of the hiring process, and I felt like I was going to go insane already. Perhaps I had bit off more than I could chew by agreeing to meet so many people, but I wanted to evaluate people in person to make sure I didn''t miss out on surprisingly suitable candidates.

    Eventually, 6 PM rolled around. I sat at my desk with an expectant expression as I waited patiently for the last applicant of the day. A familiar boy with dark purple hair emerged from between the trees and marched up to me confidently. Souta didn''t even seem surprised by the strange setup I had going on or the appearance of Silque in the corner. In fact, he even offered her a brief smile before sitting down.

    "Good evening, Mr. Souta Ishimoto," I greeted. As this was an interview, I planned on treating him just like all the other applicants. "Thank you for coming here today."

    "Thank you for having me," Souta replied in kind, bowing his head slightly in respect. We shook hands briefly.

    With pleasantries out of the way, it was time to get this interview started for real. I had to admit, this was the one I''d been looking forward to the most today. I had certain expectations in place at this point given how much I already knew about Neil''s son and what I''d read about on Souta''s own application.

    And boy, Souta did not disappoint me.

    "On your application, you wrote that your previous internship at the Kujimata Day Care on Route 34 greatly impacted you as a trainer. May I ask you to elaborate on how exactly it did so?"

    "While working at the Day Care, I was exposed to many different kinds of Pokemon from all four regions of the Kinjoh Area. Each possessed their own personality and characteristics known to their species, and some trainers even left very specific instructions on how they wanted their Pokemon to be treated," Souta explained with a smile. "I learned how to handle these Pokemon and their unique temperaments in a short amount of time. I believe that these skills will be invaluable at the Cherrygrove Gym¡­"

    Out of all the applicants I had met today ¡ª including Yurie ¡ª Souta was by far the best speaker and the most prepared. Our conversation flowed naturally from one inquiry to the next. He maintained steady eye contact while speaking and gesturing with his hands, and he always gave clear, concise answers. He even looked pretty relaxed through the whole thing.

    It was obvious he had put in lots of work to impress me today and get the job. With how Souta was doing so far, the odds of me hiring him were looking pretty good.

    And I was meant to understand that the Blackthorn Trainer Academy had passed up on recruiting this kind of talented teenager? It was shocking, really.

    About thirty-five minutes into the interview, I set down the folder with Souta''s information on the table and leaned back in my chair. I had saved a question I normally asked near the beginning for the end.

    "Why do you want to work at the Cherrygrove Gym?" I asked.

    Something in Souta''s eyes shifted. His already perfect posture straightened further as he stared at me, and he looked even more alive than he had for the entire interview so far.

    "I view this opportunity to work at the Cherrygrove Gym as a way for me to contribute to broadening not just my own horizons, but Kanto-Johto''s as well," Souta replied confidently. I remained quiet as he continued. "The Fairy type only became known and verified within the last year in the Kinjoh Area. With such a recent emergence and heavy shift in the existing type classifications, there are many people who are reluctant to embrace the change or have trouble understanding what Fairies are. I wish to serve at the Gym and act as a bridge between these people and the new type. I want to spread awareness of Fairies so that people can make their own informed opinions about them, and I believe I possess the knowledge and skills to succeed as a Cherrygrove gym trainer and help do so."

    Every word he spoke was one full of sincerity and determination. This¡­ this was part of Souta''s new dream and what he wanted to achieve now. There wasn''t any trace of that despairing boy who''d felt crushed by failure.

    Souta was already looking ahead to the future.

    By the time the last word left his lips, I had long been smiling to myself in approval. It was the most thoughtful ¡ª and ambitious ¡ª answer I''d heard all day.

    "I see. Then, this concludes the first part of the interview," I said, still smiling. "We will move onto the battle portion now."

    I explained the rules to Souta before we went outside. Just like with Yurie and all other applicants who''d made it this far, we would be doing a short one-on-one Pokemon battle. Souta still looked confident as he sent out his Pokemon.

    I smiled when I saw who he''d picked. Snubbull. The tiny Pokemon growled cutely, but I knew better than to underestimate her innocent appearance. According to what Souta had indicated on his application, Snubbull was slightly lagging behind the strength of his other Pokemon by about one badge level. I''d use one of the second-badge gym Pokemon I''d brought with me then.

    Out popped Marill from her Pokeball. Souta studied the mouse with a thoughtful expression, but not for long. Orders quickly flew from both our mouths.

    "Aqua Jet!"

    "Roar!"

    Sound waves blasted outwards from Snubbull''s mouth. Marill, who had blitzed forward in a massive column of water at my command, actually got pushed off course and flew past Snubbull''s face into the barrier. Souta jumped on the opportunity.

    "Thunder Fang!"

    She was very slow, but Snubbull charged at her opponent. Marill had just stumbled back around when jaws crackling with electricity latched around her body, and she screeched loudly.

    "Tail!" I ordered.

    Water exploded from a small but bouncy tail as it whipped forward, smacking Snubbull right off Marill and clean across the field from the impact. I ordered Marill to hit the downed Fairy type using Aqua Jet. With fur still smoking from the earlier shock, she moved to wrap herself in water¡ª

    "SNUBBULL!" Souta yelled meaningfully.

    And Marill promptly froze in place, looking horrified. High-pitched wails echoed in the clearing as Snubbull cried loudly. Short arms flailed around in the air from the Pokemon''s pain and distress.

    "She''s faking it, Marill! Bubble Beam!" I called urgently. I knew right away what was going on because my own Pokemon had done similar strategies in the past, but Marill did not. She was too distracted by the pitiful sight to realize her senses had been fooled by the Dark type energy woven into Snubbull''s voice.

    "Now! Mimic!" Souta yelled, clenching a fist. Snubbull''s body glowed. In an instant, she dropped her convincing Fake Tears act and sped through the air with the Aqua Jet she''d copied. It didn''t hurt very much when she slammed into Marill, but it was the momentum Souta had been going for to quickly put Snubbull back in range of my Pokemon. Once again, Snubbull bit down hard with arcs of electricity lancing off her jaws.

    I let the battle go on a little longer. Once I''d observed enough, I ended things before either Pokemon got too hurt.

    "May I ask for your thoughts on how I did?" was the first thing Souta asked when he came up to me after the match.

    I smiled, nodding. The desire for and willingness to accept feedback was a trait any good or aspiring trainer should have and definitely what I wanted to see from potential gym trainers. To my amusement, Souta whipped out a pen and small writing pad from his pocket to jot down notes.

    "Your Snubbull has a solid grasp on her basic moves, and the teamwork you showed was praiseworthy. I especially enjoyed how you employed Fake Tears. By not outright yelling the move''s name as your command, you caught Marill unawares," I said, making sure to speak slowly enough that Souta could copy things down.

    "As for things you could improve¡­ For your Snubbull, I''d recommend incorporating more running exercises in your training routine. In our match, she started having trouble after I had Marill keep away and attack from afar. Mimic can help, but you either need to teach her some long-range moves or improve her physical abilities so she can run and get into range of her opponents on her own. For you personally, towards the end, I noticed you tended to wait for me to yell out commands before reacting with your own. Try to avoid doing so in the future as you''ll end up falling into your opponent''s pace. Don''t be afraid to take the initiative."

    The small advice-giving session ended there. I waited until Souta had finished writing what he wanted before speaking again.

    "Before we end the interview, do you have any questions?" I asked.

    "Yes, may I ask how¡­"

    After answering a few questions from Souta, I let him know to expect a decision from me by the end of the day. He gave me one last handshake before walking off.

    I was done interviewing applicants for the day, and I was mentally exhausted.

    There was a lot to think about.

    Peri helped seal the cube shut for the night by adding a huge slab of rock over the front. I had decided I''d just be using this setup for the next couple of days in case of any other¡­ suspicious interviewees. Then I went back home.

    I found very distraught Professors upon my return and four different voices clamoring over each other in my face.

    "Arin! Please help, I was playing with the Cottonee¡ª"

    "You shouldn''t have said you envied their fluffiness¡ª"

    "¡ªlook at us, we''re covered in sticky cotton!"

    "I mean¡­ it''s not all that bad? Maybe?"

    I stared at the four Professors. Their aides, who were standing behind them, had gotten off much more lightly than their bosses had. The Professors were covered head to toe with fluff as Cottonee floated around their heads. The little pranksters cried out apologies but couldn''t hold back giggles.

    Honestly, I almost couldn''t either as I smiled wryly.

    "¡­Let''s get you all cleaned up."

    After I got that sorted out and ate dinner, I finally got to sit down in my room and think.

    I was hopefully done with Blackthorn spies. Just in case I''d missed anyone, I''d have Silque stick around for the next couple of days as I interviewed people. On the one hand, I was very flattered that the Blackthorns deemed me enough of a threat that they attempted such a trick, but on the other hand I just found it plain annoying.

    My sights were set on the next League Circuit.

    I planned on making the Cherrygrove Gym the best it could be. For a moment, I fantasized about the look Clair and her Clan members would have when I surpassed the Blackthorn Gym in popularity and reputation. Not if.

    Invigorated by hopes of the future, I started up my laptop to begin work. I needed to look through more applications, but first¡­ I reviewed the notes and rating sheets I''d written earlier in the day. I sent out courtesy rejection emails to applicants who had ultimately not passed, but I did send some acceptance emails with a smile.

    Just two. They went to the very first people to be hired on as Cherrygrove gym trainers.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Yurie bit her nails a bit as she paced back and forth in her hotel room. She was far away from Blackthorn City, yet she couldn''t help but feel anxious. The Clan wouldn''t send someone after her, right? Maybe to yell at her or beat her up in a Pokemon battle? This was real life and not a movie, but weren''t those still within the realm of possibilities?

    She''d basically betrayed them.

    The Blackthorn Clan was the oldest and most powerful Clan in Johto. It wasn''t easy to enter their ranks even as a trainee. Luckily, she had only been a trainee, so she hadn''t yet taken an oath to join the Clan as an official member. If she had, well¡ª

    Them chasing her down would definitely not be off the table and be the least of her worries.

    She''d probably be blacklisted by the Blackthorns, but that was a small price to pay. Honestly, even if Yurie could go back in time, she would make the same choice again and quit. She really hadn''t been able to stand being there anymore. The Blackthorns were simply so oppressive that trying to learn from them just wasn''t worth it. She and her team were better off in a happier, less restrictive environment and under the guidance of someone like¡ª

    Yurie paused when her phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her pocket and stared at the screen. When she saw she had an email from Arin, she immediately clicked on it with wide eyes.

    She read the first few lines of the message and threw her arms up with a loud yell.

    "HELL YEAH!"

    Yes, under the guidance of someone respectable like Arin Watanuki.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Souta bounced one leg and down uncontrollably.

    It had been a couple hours since his interview. Arceus, was he glad he''d run through mock ones in advance with his mom. The real thing had been terrifying. He''d never been more nervous yet confident about something in his whole meager life of sixteen years. It was like his brain had gone on autopilot while he talked¡­ at least he hadn''t messed up. From his point of view, it had been a perfect interview from start to end.

    He was still worried.

    This was a highly competitive job he was trying to get. He''d scoured through online forums and social media platforms, and there were tons of people who had claimed they applied. Souta knew there would be applicants better than him with more gym badges or training experience under their belts. For now, he focused on himself.

    His eyes were glued to his computer screen. Every few minutes or so, Souta refreshed his email. He didn''t have to considering he''d hear a notification from his phone, but he did it anyway to try and settle his nerves¡ª

    Ding.

    Annnnd his nerves caught on fire when he heard the telltale sound alert he''d designated just for messages from Arin or the Cherrygrove Gym.

    Souta immediately clutched his mouse like a lifeline and clicked the refresh button.

    There it was, a new email from the Cherrygrove Gym. Souta''s heart felt like it was beating a million miles an hour as he opened the email and read it.

    Ten seconds later, he''d dashed downstairs and all but charged into the living room like a raging Tauros. Both his mom and dad were startled enough that they almost dropped their drinks. They''d been in the middle of watching a movie.

    Souta took a deep breath.

    "I''m a gym trainer of the Cherrygrove Gym now," he announced proudly.

    His parents stared at him for a moment, then¡ª

    "ATTABOY! That''s my talented son for you!" Neil yelled excitedly.

    He jumped up from the couch and ran over, pulling Souta into one of his signature bear hugs. Souta normally would have complained, but he felt too happy today and just hugged his dad right back. His mom offered her own congratulatory remarks and rushed to the kitchen to whip up late night snacks for the family.

    The smile Souta had on his face was huge.

    He finally felt like everything was right in the world.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Friday, April 7th. 10:19 PM. Dragon Shrine, Dragon''s Den. Blackthorn City, Johto.

    "Every single spy failed¡­"

    "What should we do now?"

    It was just the Elders tonight. Clair and Lance would have normally joined them due to their statuses within the Clan, but they were both absent. Clair was growing incredibly busy with gym duties now that the Johto League Circuit had less than one month left, and Lance¡­ well, Lance had already declared his refusal to attend certain meetings.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Every time the Eldest even thought about that ungrateful brat, he ended up grinding his teeth together. They had helped raise him after what happened to his parents, yet this was how he chose to repay them.

    A rebellious Lance was the least of the Clan''s worries. Just today, they had a trainee defect from their ranks. Their sources all said Yurie Irazuki had applied for the Cherrygrove Gym. Another ungrateful brat. She was already blacklisted from the Clan and would be for the foreseeable future.

    The Eldest forced himself to focus and turned his gaze to the people sitting around him.

    "We wait," he said simply. "The Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym will be wary of us after what we attempted today. We''ll wait for some time to pass and try a different plan of action."

    The idea had been to have at least one or two people infiltrate the Cherrygrove Gym. Then, they could keep an eye on Arin Watanuki and even sabotage plans from the inside, but that had failed spectacularly.

    It didn''t matter. The Eldest''s eyes glittered coldly as he leaned back in his seat.

    There was always a next time.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Saturday, April 8th. 11:22 AM. Interview Site. Watanuki Property. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    Not that I''d expected anything different, but Yurie and Souta both gave positive replies to my emails. They were now looking over contracts.

    I couldn''t help but smile to myself as I settled in for another day of interviews. Having two new gym trainers already was reason enough for a good mood. Today, there were a few applicants I was looking forward to.

    They were Jisoo Learmall, a twenty-seven-year-old who had rotated between working for different Gym Leaders across Kanto-Johto; Maxwell Westin, a twenty-year-old trainer from Sinnoh who always got eight badges every year but failed to get past group stages in the Conference; and Asami Hachoto, an eighteen-year-old with a mix of coordinator and trainer experience interestingly enough.

    I eagerly awaited the applicants.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Cherrygrove was big.

    Not as big as his hometown, of course, but still large and different enough that Haru Agawa found himself lost. Apparently it showed enough on his face that a local called out to him.

    "Hey! Boy with the green hair!"

    An old man manning a stall waved his hand furiously. Haru looked left and right before realizing that, oh, that meant him. He walked forward with a nervous expression. The old man smiled at him, revealing a missing tooth. "You must be from out of town. Saw you pass by here three times now. Where are you trying to go?"

    Haru''s ears went pink from embarrassment. Yes, he''d gone back and forth a few times in his attempts to figure out which direction was which.

    "Er¡­ I''m trying to get here," Haru said. He showed the old man a circled location displayed on his phone''s map. "For an interview with Leader Arin."

    "Oh!" the old man''s eyes lit up at that reveal. "Aspiring gym trainer then?"

    When Haru nodded, the stranger broke out into loud and cheerful laughter. "Good luck! Don''t look so nervous, Arin''s not going to eat you up. See that exit over there? Head out of the city and turn right, then keep going straight for about ten minutes. That''ll take you to where you need to go."

    "Thank you so much!" Haru didn''t forget to make a deep, respectful bow to the elder before dashing off excitedly.

    Thank Arceus for that helpful local, maybe he wouldn''t be late after all.

    Sure enough, Haru found himself at the interview site before long. He gaped at the giant cube made out of rock, and he gaped a second time when he saw a strange Pokemon he''d never seen before. What kind of species was it?

    Haru would have liked to ask, but this was not the time or place for that. He reined in his nerves as he took a seat across from Arin Watanuki. They exchanged greetings before Arin glanced down at a paper. Haru''s application, if he had to guess.

    Holy crap. The Cherrygrove Gym Leader was so much more imposing in real life than on video. He just had this sort of¡­ aura that radiated from him, one that anyone could interpret as belonging to a seasoned, powerful trainer.

    Haru tried not to gulp when intense blue eyes flickered up to rest their gaze on him instead. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

    He was not going to waste the plane ticket his mom had bought him.

    He would pass this interview.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I had been vastly disappointed.

    The applicants I had been looking forward to ended up being marked with poor ratings. While they were all experienced trainers to some extent, each of them was rejected for various reasons. These ranged from being too full of themselves to terrible interview etiquette and beyond. None of them were particularly interested in the job and had just applied for the clout.

    I now sat in front of the next applicant on a list of scheduled meetings.

    Haru Agawa, a sixteen-year-old from Olivine City. He only had one Pokemon, an Azurill called Mimi that he''d hatched from an Egg a few months ago, and no badges. He hadn''t gone on a journey last year due to not having the money for it.

    Normally, I would not have interviewed someone who had what was essentially zero trainer experience, but it was the rest of his application that had interested me.

    His resume was long. Very long and filled with things that quickly made me understand what kind of person Haru was.

    From as young as ten years old, he''d taken up volunteer work and part-time jobs around Olivine. He''d done everything from cleaning beaches to painting hospital rooms for kids to being an assistant for the local trainer''s academy and helping abandoned Pokemon find new homes. There were references and contacts attached to each and every listing with glowing reviews. They all stated how good Haru was with Pokemon or what a respectable, hard working boy he was.

    I found myself smiling as I looked at a picture of Haru soothing an injured Growlithe. Next to him, a doctor prepared to give it a vaccine shot.

    He may not have had any trainer experience, but this was a person who clearly knew how to interact with both people and Pokemon. Even if he hadn''t gone on a journey, he had been slowly accumulating experience in his own way. I set down the paper I held for the time being and stared at Haru Agawa.

    The interview began.

    "I understand you have never attempted a League Circuit before, but I was impressed by the resume you sent in. Can you explain your skills and strengths?" I asked.

    "From my time working at adoption centers and clinics, I''ve interacted with many different kinds of Pokemon. I''ve learned how to care for and respect them as our equals," Haru answered. His voice was loud, but it shook from nervousness. "I''m able to quickly adapt to a Pokemon''s unique body language and understand what they want¡­"

    Haru was definitely nervous. I think it took about ten minutes before he finally loosened up enough that the rest of the interview flowed more smoothly. I discovered that while he had no trainer experience, he had plenty of Pokemon-related knowledge he''d picked up from firsthand experience or from research he''d done on his own over the years. At one point, I gave him some sample scenarios of a gym Pokemon reacting in so-and-so manner and asked what he would do. Each time, Haru replied with a near perfect way to handle the situation.

    By the time the first part drew closer to its end, I felt very pleased. I hadn''t expected to find such a hidden gem. Haru was a humble teenager with a bright mind and promising future. I had no doubt that if I was to hire and teach him, he would sponge everything up in the snap of a finger.

    Before we moved on, I asked one final, important question.

    "Why do you want to come work at the Cherrygrove Gym?"

    I waited patiently as Haru took a deep breath to settle his nerves, but I was not truly prepared for what I heard.

    "I want to be a Fairy Specialist," he bravely declared. "I didn''t know anything about Fairy types before the Cherrygrove Gym''s promotion match, but I want to know everything about them now. I want to know their strengths and weaknesses, their unique characteristics and needs, and everything that makes a Fairy Pokemon a Fairy."

    Haru looked at me with a determined expression. "I admire you, Leader Arin," he said, and his voice didn''t shake this time. "I want to be a Fairy Specialist like you who can stand up to the world with his Pokemon. Instead of going on a journey, I''d like to learn from you at the Cherrygrove Gym."

    I didn''t need to ask Silque to know this boy had just told the truth. He wasn''t sugarcoating anything or making something grandiose up to get hired. I saw it in his eyes.

    He really wanted to be a Fairy Specialist, and he looked up to me.

    Damn. I suddenly felt so emotional. I''d had students before at Naranja-Uva Academy who held me in high regards, but I''d never had someone tell me they wanted to follow in my footsteps and become a Fairy Specialist.

    I wished the me of ten years ago could see this¡­ that I had come far enough to inspire someone to such an extent.

    Maybe I would have felt a bit braver then about stepping onto an uncertain path of my own.

    For now, I didn''t let how emotional I felt show. I merely gave a small, encouraging smile and nodded.

    "Thank you. That was the last question I had for the first part of the interview. The next section will be a quick Pokemon battle."

    We headed for the field next to the cube. I refrained from chuckling when I saw Haru following me with stiff, almost robotic movements. That was not going to cut it later if he wanted to end this interview on a good note. After I explained the rules, Haru sent out his only Pokemon.

    Mimi the Azurill let out a threatening cry. At least, she tried to. It came out as a cute squeak instead. She looked a little less nervous than her trainer, but they were pretty much a mirror of each other. Looking at Haru''s Azurill instantly brought up fond memories from when Zuzu was a baby. She used to chase me around everywhere with energetic little hops.

    I refocused on the test at hand. During our conversation earlier, Haru had mentioned he''d only ever practiced a few moves with his Pokemon. They''d fought a few wild Pokemon before but never another trainer.

    So¡­ I sent out one of the weakest first badge Pokemon I had, a Snubbull. I made sure to whisper to his Pokeball in advance that he was fighting a young and inexperienced Pokemon. I''d be taking things easy on Haru just to check the bond he had with his Azurill.

    To help Haru ease into the battle, I allowed him the first command.

    "Water Gun!" he ordered.

    "Scary Face. Get in close," I told Snubbull without missing a beat.

    Water was fired in short bursts from Mimi''s mouth as Snubbull slowly charged. He leaped to the side and barked loudly, face contorting into a terrifying expression. The barrage of water came to a halt as Mimi froze up with fear. Snubbull didn''t wait; he instantly took advantage of the lapse in offense and ran forward.

    I waited to see how Haru would react, and he did not disappoint. His previous anxiety vanished in an instant. Instead of panicking, Haru''s eyes hardened.

    "Mimi! Start!" Haru called out encouragingly.

    The sound of her trainer''s voice snapped Mimi back to attention. I watched with interest as the Azurill began spinning her tail in the air. Even now, Snubbull was about to get in range for a Tackle¡ª

    "NOW!" Haru yelled.

    Mimi twirled her tail one last time and threw it.

    My Snubbull smashed into nothing but empty space as Haru''s Azurill flew through the air. She went as far as ten meters before clumsily bouncing across the ground and landing back on her tail. Now that was a good move, and I couldn''t help but nod to myself approvingly. Haru had taken advantage of how naturally long and bouncy an Azurill''s tail was and used it as a method of movement.

    The battle ended soon after. True to what Haru had said, his Azurill only knew a scant few moves, and she got tired out very quickly. I was still impressed by how much water she had managed to expel for her Water Gun attacks. Azurill typically didn''t have a large capacity for water-based attacks until they evolved, so it was a good indication that whatever training routine Haru had come up with on his own was a good one.

    When I told Haru as much, his eyes lit up. I couldn''t stop a chuckle from escaping me this time as I watched him walk back to the city with a spring in his step.

    That night, I sent out just one acceptance email.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    At a hotel somewhere in Cherrygrove City, a teenager almost cried tears of joy when he called his mom and told her the good news.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Sunday, April 9th. 8:50 AM. Interview Site. Watanuki Property. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    Today was a little different. Instead of gym trainers, I was interviewing people for social media manager positions.

    It was not an overstatement to say how different these people were from the gym trainer applicants.

    That was not meant in a bad way, of course. Many of them were simply outgoing and nearly threatened to chat my ears right off during their interviews. I didn''t mind. I focused more on their skills and qualifications. Nobody really stood out to me by the time the afternoon rolled around.

    Around one o''clock, my next applicants walked in. This case was a little unusual in that a team of two had sent in one form. They were a pair of siblings, a high school girl and her older brother who worked as a freelance designer. Both of them were Cherrygrove locals.

    I couldn''t help but stare at the girl a bit as she and her brother took their seats. For some reason, I felt like I had seen her before¡ª

    "Ah!" I said out loud in realization. I smiled politely. "You packaged the souvenirs for me a couple weeks ago at Granny Miya''s shop. Thank you for that again."

    "Y-Yes!" the girl said excitedly in response. She looked absolutely elated. "That was me! I''m happy you remembered. I need to thank you as well for the large tip, it really made my day."

    What a coincidence this turned out to be. Apparently Kari ¡ª that was the girl''s name ¡ª had pestered her brother into applying for the job with her. Despite Kari''s young age, she was a talented editor and had helped numerous social media influencers with their own pages. Her brother, Yulian Chester, had experience with both web and graphic design.

    They showed me their portfolios and examples of their work. I was already more than satisfied with what I saw, but I still had to run through interview questions. One of them was to see how the applicants would improve the Cherrygrove Gym''s website and social media pages.

    "Forgive me for saying this, Leader Arin, but the Cherrygrove Gym website doesn''t fit at all," Yulian said. He wore a sheepish smile as if he expected me to reprimand him, but I just laughed.

    "I''m well aware," I replied. The Porygon had tried their best, but website design just wasn''t what they specialized in. "May I hear your ideas then for how to change it?"

    "Certainly!" Yulian beamed, and he pulled out printed pages from his bag for me to peruse. "I was thinking about altering the website to have separate looks depending on if it''s day or night. I''m not a trainer, but I did some research on Fairy types for this. For the day, we can use bright hues to emulate the moon. Then for the night, we can switch to darker, softer colors and a starry theme like so¡­"

    He talked on for another five minutes. By the end of it, I was already sold on his idea. Kari wasn''t willing to be outdone by her brother, either.

    "For the social media pages, one thing I suggest is including short biographies or fun facts of you and your Pokemon," Kari said as she waved her hands around animatedly. "This way, the public can better understand who you and your team are as individuals and even grow to love your Pokemon as much as you do¡­"

    She showed me some examples of what she was talking about based on other famous social media influencers and their own Pokemon. I had to admit it was a fun and charming idea, and I internally gave the okay for it in my head.

    Even after I said goodbye to the Chester siblings and met the rest of the applicants, it was clear who I wanted to hire.

    Kari and Yulian ended up joining the team.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Tuesday, April 11th. 11:46 AM. Interview Site. Watanuki Property. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    I had three gym trainers and two social media managers already, and today¡­

    It was the last day of interviews.

    I hadn''t hired anyone yesterday. Every person I''d met with had been unsuitable in some way for the job. Now, I was facing the last batch of interviewees. I had high hopes already as I stared at the paper in my hands. Across from me sat a man with black hair tied into a short ponytail.

    Murata Yoni, a thirty-year-old former Ranger affiliated with the Indigo League''s 3rd Ranger Squad based in Fuchsia City.

    And by former, I meant he''d quit literally two days after turning in his gym trainer application. I knew as much because I ran a quick reference and background check on him.

    Why he had resigned in advance, I had no idea, but Murata had been an active Pokemon trainer up until three years ago. He''d made it to the Indigo Conference on and off over the span of eight years, and his best record was reaching the top 64. He''d retired from battling after that to become a Ranger. He had the best Conference-related achievements out of everybody who had turned in an application, and it was a big part of why I''d wanted to interview him.

    That, and the fact that he had a Wigglytuff on his battling team.

    I decided to jump right into the question I wanted to ask.

    "Mr. Yoni, when I called your now previous employers, I was told you had already resigned from the Ranger forces. May I ask why you want this job?" I asked.

    "Because of you," Murata said politely. I stared at him as he continued. "When I gave up on my trainer career three years ago, it was because I felt like I couldn''t go further. That my Pokemon and I had hit our limit and done the best we could possibly do. But¡­ you inspired me. When I saw your match with Pryce, I realized I had never left behind my love of battling after all. My Pokemon and I decided we wanted to try and improve ourselves again. My Wigglytuff in particular wants to learn from you. I quit the Rangers already because even if I do not get hired by you in the end, I will continue being a trainer."

    He smiled, awkwardly fiddling with his hands. "Thankfully, my wife is very supportive. Part of the reason I quit battling was to see if I could find a stable, decent-paying job to support my family. I''ve enjoyed my work as a Ranger, but it never fulfilled me the same way training and battling did."

    I learned that Murata had been born in Kanto and his wife in Johto. His wife had willingly moved to Kanto to be with her husband and support his career, and they had two young daughters. Twins. I made a note on my paper that he''d probably want staff lodgings for his whole family or be reimbursed for an apartment or house in Cherrygrove in the future should I hire him.

    Murata''s calm personality and aspirations aside, I also liked his skills as a Pokemon trainer. It was obvious he was a bit rusty fighting actual people compared to the wild Pokemon he had been handling as a Ranger. He started slipping in the second half of the short match because he couldn''t keep up with the high, intense pace.

    I also humored him by fighting his Wigglytuff with my own. Murata''s Pokemon was different from Taffy in that it specialized in jumping. Wigglytuff generally lost a lot of their mobility once they evolved due to much bigger and less rounded bodies, but Murata had trained his Pokemon to be able to kick powerfully and launch himself from one place to another.

    I liked what I saw. Murata was marked down with high ratings.

    More interviewees came and went, but only one in the afternoon ended up standing out to me more than the others. It was a young man with messy light blue hair. He had large, round spectacles that he constantly adjusted. More than a bit nervous, if I had to guess.

    Hazel McMillon, or ''Haze'' as he apparently liked to be called. He was twenty-three-years old and a former student of Celadon University who had majored in Pokemon pharmacology. Even if I hadn''t looked at Hazel''s transcripts or various academic awards, that in itself was a high indication of his intelligence. Celadon University was the best and most competitive college in Kanto-Johto, period. It had produced a number of notable Professors and other individuals.

    Hazel had quit about two years in to finally pursue something he''d always wanted but never had the guts to do: being a trainer. He was a bit of a traveler and had taken on the Silver, Lily of the Valley, and Ever Grande Conferences in that order. His best record was top 128 in the Ever Grande Conference. He''d actually faced and barely beaten Yurie only to get knocked out in the next round.

    When I asked about why he wanted the job¡ª

    "I''ve decided to take time off from challenging League Circuits to train and explore other career options related to Pokemon," Hazel revealed. "I like competing in Conferences, but I''ve been wondering if there is something my Pokemon and I would enjoy doing more. I actually heard about and was encouraged to apply for this job from my older sister. She''s a doctor here in Cherrygrove."

    "Oh?" I raised a brow in interest. Hazel took that as a sign to continue.

    "Yeah! She works at Solaris Hospital. I was actually born in Cherrygrove, but I moved to Ecruteak when I was seven. My sister transferred there for work at the time and came back to serve in our hometown," he proudly explained. "So I guess I''m technically a returning local?"

    Huh. I idly wondered if we''d ever passed by each other in the streets before he moved. We talked for another twenty minutes, and I was glad to see Hazel relaxing the further into the interview we got. He was surprisingly very chatty once he shook off his initial nerves and even injected some humor into the conversation with witty remarks.

    The battle portion went well, too. Hazel used a Sudowoodo against me which was very intriguing. Not a lot of trainers typically bothered adding one to their teams or training one because they were seen as rather weak. In fact, as seen on his resume, Hazel''s entire team was made up of Pokemon that were either uncommonly used in high tier battling or considered ''unpopular'' by the masses.

    When I inquired about the reason, Hazel simply said with a smile, "All Pokemon deserve to be loved."

    I gave him extra marks for that sincere statement alone.

    That evening, I carefully reviewed all the notes I''d taken. There were a couple different people I was considering, but in the end, I hired just two more gym trainers.

    Murata Yoni and Hazel McMillon made the cut.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Friday, April 14th. 9:36 AM. Living Room. Watanuki Household. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    I stared at the small group of people sitting on the couches in our living room.

    Yurie Irazuki, Souta Ishimoto, Haru Agawa, Murata Yoni, and Hazel McMillon were my five new gym trainers. Kari and Yulian Chester, my social media managers, were also present for this initial meeting.

    A few days had been necessary for contracts to be finalized and for everyone to make the necessary arrangements to join the team. Since the Gym was currently under construction, staff lodgings would not be ready for a while. Yurie, Haru, and Hazel had all expressed interest in getting a room on site eventually, so for now I was paying for their stays in inns or hotels in the city. Souta also wanted to use the staff lodgings, but he would be doing an arrangement where he spent half the week there and the other half commuting from his house in Cherrygrove. As for Murata, I had already reimbursed him for a house purchase he made. He and his family had already moved their things over to their new place from Kanto.

    Everything was ready.

    There were plates of food laid on the tables, and everybody had a drink of some sort in hand. I would begin teaching the gym trainers after the party, but for now¡­

    I raised my cup of juice into the air. Behind me, dad and Neil did the same. Everyone else raised their own glasses with smiles.

    "Congratulations once again to everyone for passing the interviews," I began. My lips quirked higher and higher into a smile for every word I spoke. "The Cherrygrove Gym is embarking on a brand new journey as the ninth major gym of Johto. It''s not going to be easy, but I believe we can make this Gym the best possible version of itself. I''ll be counting on all of you to help me achieve that."

    I paused briefly, all but grinning at this point. I was one step closer to the League Circuit and my dreams.

    "To the future of the Cherrygrove Gym."

    Everyone cheered.

    "To the future of the Cherrygrove Gym!"

 Chapter 26

    CHAPTER 26

    This was both a party and a meet-and-greet for the new staff members. We would be working together for the foreseeable future, so it was important to learn who everybody was.

    Well¡­ some people already knew each other.

    "Haze," Yurie said flatly.

    "Yurie," Hazel greeted with a dip of his head.

    The two of them stared at each other with what appeared to be mutual caution. I couldn''t help but feel interested and drifted away from where Neil was talking to Murata.

    "Are you two familiar with each other?" I asked, one brow raised in curiosity.

    "Leader¡ª I mean, Arin," Hazel quickly amended. I''d already told everyone to drop titles with me since I hoped for us to become a tightly-knit crew someday. Hazel smiled sheepishly, eyes darting back and forth between me and Yurie. "You already know I fought her in the Ever Grande Conference last year, but we actually met before that¡ª"

    "A lot of times at a lot of different places, in fact," Yurie interrupted with a sage nod of her head. She started holding up fingers as she continued talking. "Run-in at Rustboro Tunnel, checking out a Master Rank Contest at Lilycove City, training in the desert on Route 111¡­ heck, sometimes Haze even signed up for gym battles when I did! It was almost like he was following me."

    "What?!" Hazel''s eyes widened with absolute horror as he spun back to face her. "Are you kidding me? It almost felt like you were following me¡ª"

    "Not to mention!" Yurie instantly cut him off, her face morphing into a horrified expression of her own. "Every time we met, something awful happened!"

    Both of my brows flew up as I stared at her. "As in¡­?" I prompted.

    "This one time we ran into each other, his Spinda was in the middle of training and backflipped right onto my Mightyena! Mind you, Haze''s Spinda actually hits like a truck!" Yurie ranted.

    "It was an accident! Listen, I ran into Yurie one time on the outskirts of Slateport. She was training with her Altaria, right? Well, he sang so terribly that a bunch of angry wild Pokemon ended up chasing us around for thirty Ho-Oh forsaken minutes!" Hazel shot back with a grimace.

    "Okay, now that was an accident! Nimbus was just trying his best!"

    "Let''s not forget how your Magcargo evaporated the pond my Qwilfish was in and left him stranded¡ª"

    "What about how your Dodrio chomped on my hair when it was still long, remember¡ª"

    "I apologized for that like fifty times already, and so did they!"

    I watched them banter with a faintly amused expression. If I didn''t know any better, I would have guessed they were childhood friends or something from the way they interacted with each other. There was definitely a feeling of rivalry, though, which made sense given their Conference history and relatively similar levels of strength.

    Halfway into their arguing, Yurie and Hazel finally realized what they''d been doing in front of me, their employer. They hurriedly apologized and promised they wouldn''t let anything get in the way of work. I just waved their apologies off.

    Having a rival was a good thing. It meant both parties grew faster with someone to spur them on.

    The pair went back to bickering with each other not even ten seconds after they apologized to me. I left them to¡­ foster their bonds and went to get a refill of cranberry juice. While doing so, I heard snippets of conversation coming from somewhere to my right.

    "¡­to meet you, Haru. I''m Souta Ishimoto."

    "Oh, are you related to the Head Gym Trainer?"

    "Yeah, that''s my dad. He actually worked for the previous Cherrygrove Gym Leader, too."

    "Wow¡­! That''s so cool. And you said you went on a journey before?"

    "I went on one two years ago before they raised the minimum age again¡­"

    I found myself smiling when I saw Souta and Haru talking animatedly to each other. They were the youngest gym trainers I had and the same age, so I hoped they would be able to rely on each other and become fast friends. Luckily, it seemed like they were getting along pretty well already. I even heard them sharing fond memories of raising Snubbull and Mimi from the time when they were still Eggs.

    "Arin!" An exuberant voice piped up at that moment. I turned around and found Kari staring at me with shining eyes. In her hands was an expensive looking camera, and her brother stood beside her carrying a small tablet.

    "Can we take pictures of you?" Kari all but blurted out eagerly.

    "To update the website and social media pages with," Yulian quickly clarified for his sister. "We''d like to snap some shots of your current staff members as well."

    "Oh," I blinked a few times. "Sure."

    I carefully set down my drink on the table behind me and donned a relaxed smile. Kari was really into the impromptu photography session and flitted all around me to get pictures from multiple angles. Once she was satisfied, she flipped the camera around to show me what she''d taken.

    She was good. The shots had all come out looking very professional.

    While Kari cheerfully ambushed Souta and Haru next, Yulian stayed to talk.

    "I''ll have the new website design ready for you to view in just a few days," he informed me. "But that''s not what I wanted to ask about. While I was working last night, Kari actually came up to me with an inquiry. We wanted to ask you how you felt about gym-related merchandise."

    I hummed thoughtfully to myself.

    Merchandise.

    It wasn''t something I was unfamiliar with, that was for sure. Dad actually used to sell some Grass themed T-shirts and pins back when he was Gym Leader (little me had even helped pitch a few ideas for designs). It wasn''t just him, either.

    Every Gym Leader sold official merchandise. It provided extra revenue for their gym, but more importantly, it was a crucial method to connect with supporters. Merch was a way for fans to show their support for a gym by wearing or bringing them to matches or even just for everyday purposes.

    I wasn''t too concerned about the money aspect. Even after the vastly expensive gym construction fees had been deducted from my account, I still had enough left over to live comfortably for a while. I was, however, motivated to get more people interested in the Cherrygrove Gym. I needed fans who would come watch gym matches in the fall and help make each challenger''s experience feel special.

    "Merchandise is necessary," I finally said in response. "We need to keep people talking about the Cherrygrove Gym and build up our fanbase."

    "Great!" Yulian beamed. He tapped on the screen of his tablet as he spoke. "Kari and I actually drafted some¡ª"

    "T-shirts! Posters! Rally towels, flags, and banners!" Kari interrupted, apparently done taking pictures. She popped up next to her brother so suddenly that he jumped a bit in fright. That only made Kari giggle with laughter. "And more. Come on, Yulian, show him!"

    Out of all the new staff members, Kari was by far the most bubbly. There wasn''t a trace of that nervous girl from the interview.

    Her brother rolled his eyes but wore a fond smile as he obliged, turning his tablet around.

    "These are digital mockups I made of our ideas¡­"

    He scrolled down the list slowly, but I already liked what I saw just from the first two rows of images. True to Kari''s word, there was everything from T-shirts to backpacks to keychains and more. They had Fairy themed colors, patterns of Pokemon like Wigglytuff or Azumarill slapped over them, or even¡ª

    I barely stopped myself from choking on my drink when I saw some hoodies with quotes from me printed on their fronts or backs.

    Believe in yourself, and you''ll go far.

    Just watch me. I''ll show you how far I can go.

    Those were from my social media biographies! And my first press conference!

    I felt the back of my neck growing hot when I spotted another hoodie with a silhouette of me striking a victory pose. It was an image of my back and one fist held high up into the air. Was that¡­ was that from my promotion match against Pryce?

    "What do you think?" Kari asked in a breathless voice. I snapped back to reality to look at her. She looked absolutely excited as she waved her hands at the tablet Yulian was still holding up for me. "The hoodies are nice, right? We actually got requests for them from the Arin Fan Club on Chatter. I saw their DMs when I logged into the Cherrygrove Gym''s account. Oh! And I''m in talks with their management team. We''re thinking about coordinating posts from now on to maximize support and viewership for you and the Gym¡­"

    She chatted on endlessly, and I could only give Kari an impressed look. She was certainly taking her job very seriously already which I appreciated.

    Kari only stopped to take a breath once I cleared my throat. "They''re great," I said, referring to the merchandise she and her brother had come up with. Slightly embarrassing, perhaps, but the designs were admittedly quite cool. "Go ahead with production. You can charge everything to the account I told you was for gym-related purchases."

    Kari clapped her hands together in delight, squealing. "Thank you, Arin! We''ll add them online once we have some items in stock. Oh gosh, I can''t wait until I graduate in three weeks. I''ll have so much more time to come up with stuff once I do¡­"

    I ended up talking a bit longer with the Chester siblings before taking my leave.

    Thank Arceus I''d hired them. I truly felt like a load had been lifted from my shoulders already since they were taking care of gym promotion for me. That meant I had more time to focus on other matters.

    After sneaking a piece of sushi into my mouth, I drifted back to where Neil and Murata were still talking. Dad had joined them at this point.

    "¡­Two little princesses?" I heard Neil say as I approached. He even made a little aww sound. "So precious!"

    Murata smiled into his drink. "Not a day goes by when I don''t consider myself blessed. I''m so grateful for my wife and daughters."

    This made both Neil and dad smile in return.

    "What a lucky man," Dad said softly. "Did you say your wife is from Johto?"

    "Yes," Murata nodded. "Azalea Town in fact. I met her when I dropped by Johto for a small vacation. It was tough for us at first while we dated. Her family didn''t approve of me, so I had to spend a year winning them over. Then, we had trouble when we finally married and my wife moved to Kanto with me. A lot of the older neighbors made a¡­ fuss, to put it lightly, when they found out she was from Johto. Took a couple years to gain their trust, and even then, we still faced opposition."

    I frowned as I stepped into place next to dad. That was¡­

    "Terrible," Dad murmured. "I''m so sorry you went through that."

    Murata shook his head, exhaling quietly. "It''s alright. My wife and I have learned to not care about what others think. So long as we have each other and our children, we can take on anything. I just think it''s a shame there are still lingering feelings of resentment within Indigo considering we''ve long unified as one country¡­"

    He trailed off when he noticed how quiet we were. After seeing our somber faces, Murata quickly waved a hand through the air. "Sorry. Didn''t mean to bring the mood down. I''ll tell you what, my family and I are really liking Cherrygrove so far. Great community here, and my daughters already made friends at the local kindergarten! My wife''s getting along with the neighbors, too."

    The former Ranger paused to flash a small smile at me, raising his cup. "It''s a new start for us, so¡­ Thank you again for accepting me as part of your staff, Arin. I''m looking forward to what''s to come."

    I smiled back, lifting my own glass. "Same here."

    While Neil talked with Murata (he even invited him to come over for dinner sometime so their wives could meet), I found myself lost in thought.

    The rift between Kanto and Johto¡­ We''d come together under the flag of Indigo a whole fifty years ago, but there were still underlying tensions within the country despite all the progress that had been made since the War of Ashes.

    A lot of people had died on both sides of that conflict. So many, in fact, that they still didn''t know the exact number due to the sheer devastation and the lack of technology back then. It was estimated at least three million had perished.

    The people who had lived through that catastrophic War all blamed different sources. Johtonians blamed Kantonians, Kantonians blamed Johtonians, or both blamed Legends. In the end, there was only bitterness and sorrow for everything they''d gone through even after peacetime was achieved. Some people moved on. Others did not.

    The Rocket War had helped further unify the country because of a common enemy, but like Murata had briefly touched on¡­

    Sometimes, it was not easy to forget the past.

    I shook myself into thinking of happier thoughts. This was not the time nor place to dwell on such dark topics. We were still in the middle of a party, one that I had hosted to celebrate the present and what was to come.

    So celebrate I did. I talked, drank, and ate until I was near bursting from the seams. Judging by a cursory glance around the room, I think everyone else was suffering from a similar problem. I gave us all thirty minutes to rest before clapping my hands together meaningfully.

    Class was in order.

    The tables were cleared of empty plates and drinks. Yulian and Kari didn''t need my so-called first gym lecture, but they were interested enough to stay and watch. Dad and Neil were also in attendance even though they already knew everything I was going to cover today. Everybody else dug out notebooks and pens like I''d asked them to bring. They opened them to fresh pages and got ready as I clicked a remote. On the huge TV in our living room, a presentation I''d used during my teaching days in Paldea popped up. I''d edited it a bit to suit today''s purposes, but it was pretty much the same. The opening slide had a picture of the Fairy type symbol, a butterfly-esque shape.

    I turned to my new gym trainers with a smile. Yes, today was going to be part one of a crash course on Fairies. I needed to start teaching these people everything they needed to know to work at my Gym.

    "Alright, let''s begin our first lecture on Fairy types," I began. My audience focused their gazes on me. "We''ll start with the very basics: type advantages and disadvantages. What are Fairy type Pokemon weak to?"

    As soon as the question left my lips, three people raised their hands. I chuckled, pointing at Souta. "Go ahead, Souta. By the way, everyone, please feel free to just say the answer next time instead of raising your hand."

    Souta looked very much like a model student as he rattled off, "Poison and Steel types."

    "Very good," I nodded approvingly, clicking to the next slide. The symbols for said types were shown on the screen. I was about to move on when Haru spoke up.

    "Um, may I ask why Fairies are weak to them?" he asked hesitantly. The other gym trainers looked at him with varying degrees of confusion or interest. Most people didn''t typically think about why certain types were weak to others. They just memorized type matchups and rolled with them during battle.

    That was why I appreciated Haru''s inquisitive mind. As an aspiring Fairy Specialist, he was taking this very seriously. I offered a short nod to his inquiry.

    "Before I get into either weakness, let''s think about Fairies first. The Fairy type is all about belief," I emphasized. One hand was raised in front of my face and clenched. "Faith or acceptance about something that is so strong it becomes real and true¡­ essentially belief given tangible form. The most skilled Fairy type Pokemon are able to defy the natural laws of the world and manipulate reality to their liking."

    "So what about the Steel type?" I raised a brow.

    Nobody answered, so I went on. "Steel is resilient. It represents an unyielding nature, the refusal to bend or break in the face of anything. A determination to remain absolute, which is why Steel types are strong against Fairies. They stay the same even when the world changes around them."

    "Then¡­ what about Poison?" Hazel ventured to ask.

    "Poison represents corruption," I answered. "Long does it fester, and long does it rot. Physically or mentally, Poison consumes whatever it touches. Poison types can disrupt Fairies from shaping the world around them by corroding even their beliefs."

    I clicked to the next slide while people hurriedly wrote down notes. The image for the Dragon type element was displayed now.

    "Since we''re on this topic already, I''ll explain the relationship between Fairies and Dragons. It''s common knowledge that Fairy types are immune to Dragon type moves, but let''s think about why," I said. "The Dragon type is about authority. Power. Sheer domination. Dragons exert their pressure on the world and demand everything to bow to their wills. What they want, they take by force. And when matched up against Fairies?"

    I smiled, tapping a foot against the ground. "Like I mentioned before, the core of the Fairy type is inherent belief. How can authority stand up to belief?" I paused only briefly after my rhetorical question. "It can''t. Fairies cannot be oppressed by the overbearing nature of Dragons, and they cannot be cowed into submission. Authority means nothing to them because Fairies have their own beliefs. They can just make and play by their own rules."

    I paused to take in my audience. The more intellectual individuals ¡ª Haru, Souta, and Hazel ¡ª seemed the most fascinated, but everybody else wore thoughtful expressions at the very least.

    "It''s interesting, right?" I smiled. "We could talk more in depth about the different types of energies and how they interact, but let''s save that for another time and continue the lesson. What are Fairy types strong against?"

    "Dark, Fighting, and Dragon types!" Yurie answered this time for the group. Three new symbols came up on the screen right after she spoke.

    "That''s right."

    I flipped through two more slides to show them what types resisted and were resisted by Fairy type moves before moving on.

    "Has everybody followed along so far?" When I received a sea of nods in return, I clicked my remote. Pictures of Pokemon appeared. "Good. Please try to have these offensive and defensive properties memorized as soon as possible. We''ll move onto actual Fairy type Pokemon now. You''ll need to learn how to care for and use these Pokemon in battle as a Cherrygrove gym trainer, so¡­ let''s start with species native to Kanto-Johto. These are the ones you''ll need to become most familiar with because we will be using them a lot especially for the low-tiered gym challenges."

    I pointed at the screen. Three Pokemon faces stared back at the room. "Snubbull, Jigglypuff, and Marill. These are what I''ll call the Big Three for Kanto-Johto. Jigglypuff is common across both Kanto and Johto while Snubbull and Marill are found primarily in Johto. All three of these species can actually be found on Route 30 just north of Cherrygrove."

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Nobody seemed very surprised at seeing these images. I would have admittedly been concerned if they did not recognize these very iconic Pokemon.

    I rattled off some basic traits of these species while everybody faithfully listened and copied down what I said. Souta and Haru were particularly interested since they either had one of these Pokemon or one that could evolve into them. I went over their first and final forms as well, but only briefly since I wanted to concentrate on first stage Pokemon today.

    After the Big Three, I talked about other Pokemon from Kanto-Johto like Clefairy, Togepi, and Mr. Mime. From the other regions, I mentioned Pokemon like Ralts or Mawile.

    Once I had finished, I adopted a serious expression as I clicked my remote to the next slide. Two words were displayed in bold: CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. All my new staff members tensed up.

    I was pretty sure I even heard someone audibly gulp in the silence that followed.

    "What I am about to share with you is highly confidential information for the time being. This is because I am currently collaborating with Professors Oak, Elm, Birch, and Rowan on a research study that will be released soon. Until then, I don''t want any of the detailed information I am about to share to somehow be leaked, so please keep it to yourselves until the paper is published," I said in a very firm tone.

    Seven very surprised faces stared back at me from the reveal I''d just dropped on them. Hearing the four top Professors casually get mentioned was not an everyday occurrence. I waited until I got physical nods from everyone before holding up my remote again.

    "Great. Then I''ll now begin covering Fairy types outside of the Kinjoh Area. You''ll get to meet them all after the lecture ends," I said cheerfully, and I was not oblivious to the mouths that dropped open one after another like Magikarps.

    Nope, it was quite clearly displayed.

    I simply clicked my remote to a slide filled with pictures of Fairies from Unova and Kalos, and suddenly everybody looked like Gyarados instead from the way their mouths dropped further.

    I merely smiled to myself.

    "I''ll start with this fluffy looking Pokemon here," I said as I gestured to said Pokemon with a laser pointer. "This one is called Cottonee, and it''s a Grass and Fairy type Pokemon¡­"

    I went on for another hour. My audience frantically wrote down everything they needed to know and flipped pages left and right. Already, their notebooks had dozens of pages filled from today''s presentation alone, and this was just me covering the basics.

    They''d need to get new notebooks soon for the other lectures I had in store.

    By the time I switched the TV off, every single new employee looked like their brain was fried from a combination of shock and wonder. I chuckled and clapped my hands together.

    "That''s the end of today''s crash course on Fairies. Next time, we''ll cover gym trainer know-hows. I don''t expect you guys to remember everything I taught you today right away, but please try your best to slowly get it all down. I''ll be quizzing you throughout the next week," I explained, and I jerked my hand to the backdoor. "Now for the fun stuff: we need to get you guys adjusted to the gym Pokemon. Part of your duties as gym trainers will be helping to feed and take care of all the different species. It''s just about lunch time, so you can observe me, my dad, and Neil feed them. Let''s go."

    This seemed to bring people back to life as they hopped out of their seats and followed me like Duckletts trailing behind their mother. I could sense their excitement even without looking.

    When we finally made it outside and off the back porch, I turned around. Souta, Haru, Yurie, Murata, Hazel, Kari, and Yulian¡­ every single one of them had frozen in place as they stared at the huge expanse of land my family owned. The Professors and their aides were all spread out doing different things.

    "Fucking awesome¡­" Yurie breathed out loud. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with embarrassment. "Oops. Sorry."

    I barely had time to chuckle before Oak called out to me.

    "Oh Arin, these must be the new staff members you mentioned hiring," Oak cheerfully greeted. He walked up to us with a Fidough in his arms and swept his gaze over our little party. "It''s a pleasure to meet you all. Don''t mind me and the other researchers, we''ll just be studying the Pokemon off to the sides whenever you need to train or feed them."

    Oak didn''t get any verbal replies. Everyone just looked back at him with eyes as wide as saucers. My youngest gym trainers, Souta and Haru, seemed like they would just blow away in the wind any second now from how faint they looked.

    I don''t think any of them had been prepared to meet the legendary former Champion of Indigo.

    I cleared my throat, gesturing to some outdoor sheds. "Thank you, Professor. Alright everyone, please follow me. Those sheds are where we store Pokemon food and equipment¡­"

    Feeding all the gym Pokemon took a bit longer today because we had to explain diets, dos, and don''ts to everyone.

    "The Swirlix only eat sweets. If they don''t eat enough, it can also affect their mood later on. You can tell if they''re in good health or not by the stickiness of their fur."

    "Be careful with the Impidimp. I already told them to be nice, but some of them still like to play pranks. They may or may not throw a fake tantrum just to get extra servings of food to hoard¡­"

    And so on and so forth. I gave severe warnings in particular for two different evolutionary lines: the Ralts family because of how timid they were, and the Hatenna line because of the oath I had made to their protectors, their sensitivity, and¡­ ability to lash out when startled.

    "You see these Pokemon right here with the hats and ponytails?" I pointed to the few Hattrem we had. I''d made everyone else stand back further as a precaution. "They highly dislike strong emotions and will move to silence anything or anyone that disturbs them. One punch from their ponytails can instantly send you into an unconscious state. Until you guys grow closer to them and get approval from me to handle them on your own, I will take care of feeding the Hattrem. Do I make myself clear?"

    Everyone nodded and eyed the innocent-looking Hattrem with newfound caution. Yurie in particular had furrowed brows as if she couldn''t believe such Pokemon were capable of violence.

    That was exactly why I''d warned them ahead of time so as to prevent any accidents from occurring.

    Once all the gym Pokemon were fed, I led everyone back in to order lunch. I snapped my fingers to get everyone''s attention while we waited on delivery.

    "Two quick announcements. First, we''ll be getting you guys started on patrols after lunch. Today we''ll show you around the city, the beach, and then Routes 29 and 30. From now on, you''ll need to help patrol these places as gym trainers. Luckily, the surrounding areas are very peaceful. These are some of the safest routes in the region¡­ provided you don''t go too off-route," I said. When everyone nodded, I went on. "Second, I have a gym leader meeting in the morning, so I''ll be gone for up to a few hours. Follow Neil''s instructions when you show up here tomorrow for work."

    While everyone chatted excitedly about what they''d seen and learned so far, I couldn''t help but smile to myself as I leaned back in my seat.

    I was finally going to meet all the Gym Leaders soon.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Night fell, and morning came.

    With Neil and dad around to supervise the gym trainers, I left for the gym leader meeting with peace of mind. Zuri sped through the lovely morning skies towards our destination.

    She slowed down as Johto''s oldest and most prominent city, Ecruteak, came into view.

    Sprawling forests cradled the city on all sides. In the fall, tourists would flock to Ecruteak when the ginkgo trees transformed into brilliant shades of gold and orange. Inside nature''s embrace, buildings featuring traditional Johtonian architecture spread out across every inch of the land, each with sloping roofs and layers of dark tiles covering them. Some of these buildings had withstood the test of time and been there for centuries, yet none of them held a candle to the Bell Tower.

    Even from here, the millennium-old pagoda rose up towards the heavens and cut an imposing sight. Across from it were the remains of its once grand twin, the Burned Tower. Not a single soul in Johto did not know the story of these two structures or the tragedy that had befallen the city years ago, the Great Fire of Ecruteak.

    I had Zuri fly towards the southwest district. She flew past several notable buildings, the Ecruteak Dance Theater and Pokemon Center among them, and landed by the backdoor of the Ecruteak Gym.

    Morty was already there waiting for me.

    "So good to see you again, Arin!" the blonde-haired man beamed. We had occasionally texted each other in a private group chat that we had with Jasmine, but we hadn''t actually seen each other since the swearing-in ceremony two weeks ago.

    "You as well," I greeted back cheerfully, and I recalled Zuri. "Is Jas here already?"

    That was Jasmine''s nickname that she had allowed me to use. I had to admit, I was equal parts looking forward to and dreading this gym leader meeting. I hadn''t forgotten Morty and Jasmine''s previous warning, but I couldn''t wait to officially meet the other Gym Leaders.

    Much to my delight, Morty gave a nod of affirmation. "She is! Jas arrived five minutes before you in fact. You can head in first, my gym trainer will show you to the meeting room. I have to stay out here to greet the last few arrivals."

    I waved a temporary goodbye to him and entered the Ecruteak Gym. There was an assistant waiting right inside, and she guided me to a sliding door in the building''s east wing.

    With some sense of trepidation, I slid the door open and walked inside.

    The meeting room was not particularly spacious, but it was cozy. Scented candles burned brightly in the corners. Off to the side, there was a small cart with refreshments like water or juice if anyone got thirsty. In the center of the room, a large circular table had been set up with nine cushioned chairs around it.

    Five of those were occupied already.

    Jasmine was there facing the doorway. She perked up when she saw me and offered a small yet energetic wave. There were empty seats on either side of her, presumably saved for me and Morty.

    The other four occupants were people I had not met in person yet, and one of them came bounding up to me with an excited expression.

    "Hi Arin! It''s so nice to meet you," a girl with pink hair greeted. She stuck a hand out with a wide, charming smile. "I''m Whitney, the Goldenrod Gym Leader."

    I smiled back politely, grasping her hand with my own. She surprised me by nearly shaking my arm off from enthusiasm. "Pleasure meeting you."

    Whitney Akane, a sixteen-year-old who had taken up her post as Gym Leader this very League Circuit season. In less than a year, she had endeared herself to the public and challengers alike due to her friendly personality. Her ace, Miltank, had become an iconic Pokemon. Not many of them were seen in high-tier battling.

    I was about to take a seat at the table when Whitney suddenly leaned in. Her grin reminded me of a Meowth that had gotten the cream.

    "I enjoyed your battle with Clair," she remarked casually. Her voice dropped to a low and serious whisper, but the corners of her lips stretched further. "Clair said something that led to it, didn''t she?"

    The gleam in her eyes told me Whitney knew more than she was letting on. Then again, Morty and Jasmine had already implied that Clair, Pryce, and the last dissenter had made clear their reservations of me to them and the others, so I just shrugged with a small smile.

    "Nothing that couldn''t be handled," I said back quietly.

    Bright, appraising eyes measured me as Whitney leaned back on her heels, hands clasped neatly behind her back. "Hmm¡­ you''re pretty strong," she finally acknowledged. "Anyway! Welcome to the team. Oh, and before I forget, can you please follow me back on Chimegram and Chatter? It''s good exposure for both of us if we support each other on social media."

    The whiplash I had from Whitney''s serious demeanor to her more bubbly exterior made me blink a few times. There was definitely more to this girl than met the eye. After humoring Whitney''s request, I finally sank into the chair to Jasmine''s right.

    "Hi Arin," she said softly. "Don''t mind Whitney too much, she''s a very smart and enthusiastic girl at her core."

    "I could tell as much," I whispered back, chuckling.

    We would have conversed more if a new voice hadn''t spoken up then.

    "U-Um¡­ nice to meet you, Arin," a teenage boy said in a voice so quiet it almost went unheard. I smiled kindly at the person who had greeted me.

    "You as well, Bugsy."

    Bugsy Tsukushi, Leader of the Azalea Gym. At fifteen years old, he was the youngest of all the Johto Gym Leaders and had recently taken up office just like Whitney. He was a master of Bug types. People seemed to think he was weak, but that was the worst assumption one could make based on a type specialty. I''d seen a video before of Bugsy absolutely thrashing an unsuspecting challenger in an Elite tier challenge. He was young, but he and his team were strong.

    He smiled abashedly, only managing to hold my gaze for a few seconds before he looked away and fiddled with his hands. I wondered if he felt intimidated being around much older and more experienced Gym Leaders¡ª

    "WAHAHA!"

    Jasmine, Bugsy, and I all jumped a bit when a boisterous laugh filled the air. It came from a man sitting just two chairs down from me.

    "Hey there, Arin! Glad to have you around, though I''ll admit it''s weird not seeing Adriel around anymore," the man said in a loud, booming voice. "Name''s Chuck of the Cianwood Gym. You wanna train together sometime? I''d be interested in seeing how that Azumarill of yours got so strong."

    Chuck Shijima, the forty-three-year-old Leader of Cianwood. He''d been in office for two decades already. He was one of the more¡­ eccentric Johto Gym Leaders. Similar to Bruno, he was known to seek out and enjoy good battles, but he also had a tendency to bury himself in training after a loss. Still, his Gym was a popular one. I heard they gave challengers the option of having a commentator. If they chose to have one, then the emcee went all out and made the match feel more like a show or a fight to the death instead. Chuck was a guy who knew how to hype up the experience for his challengers.

    In response to his earlier inquiry, I offered a grin. "I wouldn''t mind. I''m sure my Azumarill would enjoy sparring with your famous Poliwrath."

    Chuck laughed again, this time with a huge grin of his own. "Excellent! He and I have been wanting new training partners. Come visit Cianwood sometime after this season ends, alright?"

    "Sure."

    Whitney, Bugsy, and Chuck all seemed normal or nice enough. I turned now to the last person in the room I had not yet greeted.

    A young man in traditional garb stared back at me. One of his eyes was almost completely covered by his dark blue hair.

    Falkner Hayato, the Leader of the Violet Gym. He was a new Gym Leader who had sworn in at the beginning of the current League Circuit season, and he was the same age as me. His father, Walker, had been a member of the Elite Four. When he eventually lost his position to another challenger, he took over the Violet Gym from his then dying brother and trained Falkner to be the successor. Walker had passed down everything he knew about Flying types to his son before passing away last year.

    Falkner himself was a bit intriguing. He and his bird Pokemon apparently helped deliver mail around Violet City in their free time. His Gym had¡­ an interesting mix of reviews from what I''d seen online already. Apparently people thought he went too hard on challengers sometimes, both with the battles he gave and his manner of speaking.

    I had admittedly been interested in meeting Falkner since we were the same age and our respective Cities happened to be very close to each other. A part of me hoped we could be friends, but a sinking feeling had already started to bloom in my chest from what I''d gathered so far from the other Gym Leaders.

    "Greetings, Falkner," I said with a dip of my head. "It''s nice to meet you."

    "You as well," Falkner replied stiffly. I got a curt nod in return, and then Falkner''s lips snapped shut into a thin line again. He crossed his arms and looked away. Clearly, he did not want to talk further with me.

    ¡­So, based on this interaction, I had to assume Falkner was the third Leader who held reservations about me and my Gym.

    I glanced at Jasmine hoping to catch her attention. She caught on and fished her phone out, waving it a bit at me from under the cover of the table. I pulled out my own phone and began to type.

    Me [9:25 AM]: Jas, just to make sure¡­ Clair, Pryce, and Falkner. Are these the three Gym Leaders who don''t like me?

    Jasmine [9:25 AM]: umm¡­ yes. sadly.

    Me [9:25 AM]: Clair, I already understand. Pryce, I have some guesses about, but¡­ why is Falkner included?

    Jasmine [9:26 AM]: he cares a lot about tradition. stickler for rules, old-fashioned¡­ you get it.

    Jasmine [9:26 AM]: he''s also, uh, trying to live up to walker''s legacy. don''t get too mad at him, i think his first year as gym leader didn''t quite go as perfectly as he hoped¡­

    Me [9:26 AM]: Ah.

    We put our phones away when we noticed Whitney begin to lean over the side of the table with interest. My short conversation with Jasmine had helped shed some light on Falkner. I eyed the very traditional Johto clothing he wore with renewed understanding.

    Falkner respected Johto''s history. He also seemed to have a lot on his plate as a newly appointed Gym Leader.

    Did that excuse the animosity? No, but at least I had a slightly better idea of who he was.

    Plus, I still wanted to be friends with him somehow.

    I chatted with Jasmine while we waited for the other Gym Leaders to arrive. Occasionally, I even exchanged some words with Whitney or Chuck. Bugsy seemed too shy to say anything, and Falkner of course stayed silent and out of the conversation entirely.

    Another five minutes passed before the doors opened once more. Morty walked in with both Pryce and Clair in tow. Pryce ignored me when he walked past, but Clair surprisingly offered a short nod of acknowledgement. Her eyes were cold, though.

    That was better than nothing.

    Both took empty seats around the table, and Morty slid into the empty chair on Jasmine''s other side.

    He clapped his hands together, smiling.

    "Thanks for coming, everyone. I''m sure we''re all eager to go back to our Gyms and get work done since there''s only two weeks left in the Circuit, so¡­ let''s begin this meeting without delay," Morty began. He clasped his hands together on the tabletop. "Are we all in good shape for the last two weeks of the Circuit?"

    He received a sea of affirmative words in return. Pleased, Morty leaned back in his seat.

    "Great. No problems then? What about anything to report regarding challengers you''ve seen? It can be good or bad."

    Nobody spoke up with any problems, but Bugsy did raise a hand.

    "Chuck, you should expect, um, a challenger named Ruth Sakiru to come sign up for your Gym soon. She''s looking to get her eighth badge," the teenager said quietly. "Very promising second-year trainer. She has a Scizor, Dugtrio, Magneton, Golem, Linoone, and Golduck. Also a Machoke that she didn''t use against me. She focuses on brute offense."

    "Oh!" Chuck brightened, smiling. "Thanks for the heads up, Bugsy. I''ll get started on crafting a counter lineup for them then."

    That started a whole discussion where everybody warned each other of last-minute challengers looking to get their final badges at certain gyms. For the eighth badge level, Gym Leaders needed to go hard on trainers and test them on everything they knew.

    I felt a bit left out listening to them, but it was still interesting. I knew I would be in their position next Circuit season anyway, plus it was good to hear what my peers thought and how they interacted.

    Morty continued leading the conversation and brought up more points of discussion such as whether each Gym''s records were still up to date, if anyone needed more Kadabra loaned to them by the League for barrier and Teleportation purposes, etc.

    Once they moved onto preparations for next year''s League Circuit, I actually got to join the conversation a bit. We discussed things like ordering more TMs and physical gym badges from the League (something I had yet to put in a request for), whether or not to allow challengers to book match reservations before the season started, and more. I made sure to copy down some advice my fellow Leaders had for me on running the Gym and keeping tax and Pokemon health records up to date. I already knew most of what they were suggesting to me, but they were good reminders.

    Pryce and Falkner basically ignored me throughout the whole meeting, but Clair at least offered short yet polite responses to inquiries or comments I made. Better than I could have hoped, I supposed.

    When we started talking about staff members and whether we had enough, Morty turned to me.

    "Arin, how is the Cherrygrove Gym doing? Did your gym trainer recruitment go well?" he asked.

    "Construction work on my gym will finish in a month. I plan on having a grand opening for it sometime after, and I''ll extend invitations to all of you," I said with a smile. There were looks of interest or nods from various Gym Leaders around the table.

    As for the second part of Morty''s inquiry¡­ I wore a neutral expression as I drummed my fingers against the table.

    "I successfully hired five new gym trainers and have already begun teaching them. But¡­" I trailed off. "I had one of my Pokemon screen the emotions of interviewees. There were over a dozen suspicious individuals who applied for my Gym."

    Tense silence flooded the room in an instant. Every person had stiffened upon hearing what I said, and they looked at me now with varying degrees of grim expressions.

    Chuck spoke up first.

    "Team Rocket?" he asked quietly.

    Those two words of his caused the atmosphere to become even more stifling.

    Team Rocket.

    A terrorist organization that had first shown up twenty years ago, and the worst one the world had ever seen thus far. They had committed numerous evil acts over the course of five years, everything from stealing Pokemon to Pokemon experimentation to mass murder and more. And fifteen years ago¡­ things came to a head when Team Rocket declared war on Indigo.

    The entire country was embroiled in a week-long conflict that became one of the deadliest in history, second only to the War of Ashes. Many trainers and innocent citizens were caught in the crossfire and died from the hands of Rockets. Our Champion at the time, Samuel Oak, had also experienced great tragedy and retired as a result.

    The Rocket War should have been the end of that organization. The mastermind had been caught and killed. The rest of Team Rocket had been rounded up and sentenced to life imprisonment or death sentences based on the degree of their crimes, and the League had spent up to a whole year looking for remnants and destroying every last one of them.

    Yes, it should have been the end.

    A year ago, there had been sightings across Kanto-Johto of members wearing dark uniforms with the letter ''R'' emblazoned on them.

    Nobody, not even a fool, would try to imitate Team Rocket after the overwhelming atrocities they had committed and the fate they had suffered. To imitate them was to become the target of the League itself and be eliminated on the spot.

    So, the League treated them as real remnants of Team Rocket and sought them out. They couldn''t even do anything. The supposed Rockets had disappeared without a trace. No more sightings of uniformed members had appeared within the last year.

    That did not mean Indigo was not wary. The League had eyes and ears peeled for news, and the public was restless even now.

    We all wondered the same thing.

    Had Team Rocket actually revived?

    It made sense that the Johto Gym Leaders would think I meant Rockets by suspicious interviewees. Even now, the League was concerned about a potential comeback after those initial sightings. And as pillars of Indigo, us Gym Leaders were considered part of the country''s first line of defense.

    "No."

    Just that one word from me was enough to relieve the tension in the room, but only slightly. I saw shoulders sagging a bit with relief and fists unclenching. Even Jasmine, who was sitting next to me, let out a shaky breath.

    "Then¡­ who were they?" Whitney asked with narrowed eyes.

    "They were spies from Blackthorn," I replied carefully.

    The room went quiet again.

    Just because I was willing to put up a unified appearance in public did not mean I was willing to do the same in private. I stared across the table, eyes boring into unflinching turquoise orbs. Everyone else followed my gaze and looked at Clair questioningly.

    "As Blackthorn City is your jurisdiction¡­ Do you know anything about this, Clair?" I asked.

    We all stared at her expectantly. I myself wanted to know if she was in on this or not. If she was, well¡­

    Being disappointed would be the least of what I felt.

    Clair clenched her jaw. After a long pause, she finally shook her head. "I swear by Radiant Ho-Oh that I was not involved," she declared in a slow but firm voice. "I do not know anything about those applicants you have mentioned or why they were there, but I will apologize for trouble having come your way from Blackthorn City''s borders."

    My eyes narrowed. It¡­ didn''t seem like she was lying. And for someone so stuck on pride like her to apologize and even swear by the name of Johto''s reverent deity?

    She was being honest in all likelihood. That meant her Clan had moved on their own.

    "I see. Thank you for the clarification," I said.

    An awkward silence descended upon the meeting room. I was pretty sure the other Gym Leaders had put together by now that there were tensions and less than friendly feelings between me and the Blackthorn Clan.

    Morty cleared his throat loudly, waving a hand. "Let us move on," he urged. "Before we end this meeting, I''d like to remind everyone that Memorial Day and Indigo National Day will be upon us after next week. Like every year, we''ll be expected to be there for the festivities on National Day. Lance will probably send out reminders to each of us soon."

    Everyone unfroze and nodded, including me.

    Memorial Day was a national holiday held on the last Monday of April. It was a day where Indigo honored fallen soldiers and loved ones who had perished throughout our history, and the holiday had gained even more significance after the War of Ashes and the Rocket War.

    As for Indigo National Day¡­ it was held on the last Friday of April. Like the name suggested, the nation celebrated the unification of Kanto and Johto as one country under the flag of Indigo. This was the day the War of Ashes had ended and when the Indigo Peace Treaty had been signed. The Indigo League hosted a grand celebration at the Plateau to commemorate our history. Parades, choir singing, maneuver demonstrations¡­ they did a lot. Tickets to the event usually sold out a month in advance, and everybody else watched it on television at home without fail. It was our country''s biggest holiday for obvious reasons.

    I was looking forward to being there and witnessing everything in person. Dad had attended in the past, but he had never been able to bring me because of how exclusive tickets were even for League officials.

    Nobody had any questions or remaining comments, so we wrapped up the gym leader meeting there. People got up and started leaving. I wanted to say something to Pryce and Clair, but both of them vanished quicker than I could blink.

    I swung my head toward a familiar mop of blue hair next. Maybe I could at least try talking to Falkner¡ª

    "Arin!" Whitney smiled, popping up in front of me. "Would you like to join a group chat with me and some other new Gym Leaders? There''s quite a few of us. Bugsy''s in it, and so is Janine from Kanto¡ª oh, she''s Koga''s daughter if you didn''t know¡­"

    I was so distracted by this suggestion from Whitney that by the time I glanced back up, Falkner was long gone. I refrained from sighing. Perhaps I''d be able to speak with him next time. Clair and Pryce were going to be hard to befriend if I ever ¡ª by some blue moon ¡ª even wanted to, but I felt like Falkner would not be as difficult.

    "Sure, here''s my number."

    Maintaining good relationships with all the Johto Gym Leaders seemed like a far off dream.

    At least I had holidays at the end of the month to look forward to.

 Side Chapter â€” Indigos History

    SIDE CHAPTER ¡ª Indigo''s History

    Kari stared out the window quietly. Ten minutes had already passed of her just standing there. She should have been doing anything else ¡ª studying for final exams or coming up with new social media posts for the Cherrygrove Gym perhaps ¡ª but she found herself lost in thought.

    Memorial Day and Indigo National Day were coming up in two weeks. She never knew how to feel around this time of year. She hardly remembered mom or dad, and grandpa¡­

    Kari tensed up without realizing it. She breathed in and out slowly, letting her shoulders fall further with each breath she took.

    She''d never really gotten a chance to know him either. He''d taken care of her and Yulian, but right up until his day of passing he''d just been¡­ a silent shell. Someone who had provided for them but went no further. A veteran who had been scarred by war and loss and no longer wished to talk.

    It had felt like she and Yulian just lived by themselves rather than it being a family of three.

    She was a senior in high school now. She was going to graduate in just a few weeks, and she had a respectable job at the Cherrygrove Gym. Everything was pretty much perfect, but¡­

    She was old enough now, and she wanted to know. She wanted to know about what had fractured her family apart until it was just her and Yulian. She''d learned about the Wars in school, but that wasn''t enough for her.

    With a heavy resolution in her heart, Kari padded through the halls of their little house and stopped in front of her brother''s bedroom. Even from here, she could hear muttering coming from inside.

    "Maybe this¡­ no, wait, I should make the colors brighter¡­"

    What a workaholic, Kari thought to herself with a smile, She raised a hand and rapped on the door softly with her knuckles. A very hasty come in got yelled out before Yulian went right back to his muttering.

    So Kari slipped inside, carefully closing the door behind her. Just like she''d suspected, her brother was hard at work at his computer. He clicked rapidly with his mouse as he adjusted what looked like a version of the Cherrygrove Gym''s new website. Kari wasn''t sure how to broach the subject, so¡­

    "Yuli?" she asked hesitantly.

    Her brother actually paused in his work. Kari didn''t often use his nickname. When she did, it was for something important. Yulian''s expression was one of immense concern as he turned around in his swivel chair.

    "What''s wrong?" he immediately asked. Kari refrained from smiling. She really did have the best older brother in the world.

    "Memorial Day and Indigo National Day are coming up," she began. Yulian stared at her with confusion. Kari almost thought about leaving, but she forced herself to stand there and continue. "I was wondering¡­"

    "¡­Can you tell me more about what happened to mom and dad during the Rocket War? And what grandpa went through when he was younger?"

    Yulian stiffened. The concern melted off his face and was instantly replaced with pain and sorrow instead. Oh Arceus, she already felt bad for asking.

    She may not have remembered anything, but her brother¡­ he''d been old enough at that time to be told the details by authorities. She was about to apologize when Yulian sighed softly. Her brother ran a hand tiredly through his hair. He suddenly looked decades older instead of a young man in his twenties.

    "¡­I kind of expected you to ask me this sometime soon," he admitted. His eyes drifted to something on his bedroom wall. Kari followed his gaze.

    It was a photo of a man and woman holding a young toddler in their arms while a boy jumped up and down next to them excitedly. A smiling elderly man had his arm around the woman''s shoulder.

    Their family.

    She tore her gaze away from it when Yulian spoke again. "It''s crazy how time flies¡­ you''re about to graduate from high school," he murmured. With another sigh, he got up from his seat and looked her in the eye.

    Kari saw so much pain there that she almost shied away instinctively. "I¡­ don''t think I can bring myself to tell you what happened to mom and dad right now," Yulian said, and he took a shaky breath. "But¡­ I can tonight. I just need some time to prepare myself first. For now¡­"

    Yulian walked over to one of the bookshelves in his room. In one smooth motion, as if he''d long memorized the location, he gingerly plucked a book off it and presented it to her.

    "Read this," her brother said quietly. "It''s a history book about Indigo with some¡­ firsthand accounts. Grandpa actually contributed to this. I only found out after he passed away and an editor contacted me. This one''s an updated edition I was planning to give you after graduation."

    Kari''s eyes widened.

    "I¡­ Thank you, Yuli," she managed to get out with difficulty. She took the offering with trembling arms.

    Why was she shaking so much?

    Kari had no idea how she got back to her room. She only remembered briefly hugging her brother, and the next moment, she was sitting at her desk with the book sitting in front of her.

    It suddenly looked so ominous. She forced herself to place a hand on the cover.

    Kari took a deep breath, opened the book, and began to read.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    MEMORIES OF INDIGO BY KUWARU HIRATSUKA

    [PREFACE]

    Indigo did not always exist.

    There used to only be Kanto and Johto. Two regions which had been at each other''s throats for as long as they had existed. Traces of conflict go as far back as the age of warring states. Kanto ultimately lost, became a vassal state to Johto, and suffered under their tyranny for generations.

    Highly disadvantageous trades, policies, the refusal to share technology, education, or help in times of need and more¡­ Kanto paid high tributes and received nothing but pain from Johto in return. They suffered from the effects of oppression in many different ways. Eventually, Kanto grew tired and broke free, claiming independence.

    The two regions became equals, but peace only lasted for so long.

    Kanto and Johto began to encroach on each other''s territories. They cried for peace but spilt blood to prove their strength. Neither region was willing to give in to the other. Kanto wanted revenge for its past years of suffering, and Johto wanted to expand its power and territory.

    So how did Indigo come to be? How did two regions with such a relationship stained by blood and oppression come to unite as one country?

    We will begin with the conflict that precipitated the formation of Indigo.

    [PART I: THE WAR OF ASHES]

    The War of Ashes.

    There is no one in Kanto-Johto who does not know this conflict. It is the deadliest in Indigo''s history with an estimated three million deaths. I say ''estimated'' because technology was too poor back then to keep more accurate records. The sheer destruction of the war also contributed to the lack of numerical data we have on it today.

    How can you count deaths when no traces are even left behind? When entire people and settlements disappear as if they never existed at all?

    We will get to that, but first, we must start from the beginning.

    Fifty-four years ago on January 26th. That was the day the world changed as we knew it.

    Just one month prior to that date, Kanto and Johto had engaged in and completed a small conflict near the borders that resulted in over five thousand deaths on both sides. On January 26th, the Elite Fours and Champions of both regional Leagues met at a summit near the base of Mt. Silver.

    We do not know who started the fight, and we never will. What was supposed to be a meeting to sign a temporary ceasefire agreement turned into a bloodbath as leaders from both sides turned on each other with their Pokemon.

    Both went back to their respective regions and declared war¡­

    A war that would not end for another four grueling years.

    The fighting was mostly concentrated on the border between Kanto and Johto along the Mt. Silver Range; however, there were times when it went as far north as Mahogany Town in Johto or Pewter and Cerulean City in Kanto. Several named battles came out of the War of Ashes for their particular brutality. The Battle of Mt. Silver, the Mt. Moon Ambush, Operation Tohjo¡­ and the list goes on. Each of these battles resulted in inexplicably high casualties.

    Many notable individuals rose to fame during this time. Samuel Oak, who served as a commander and later became the Hero of the War. Agatha Kikuko, who was one of Oak''s most trusted aides and decimated battalions with her Ghosts. Pryce Yanagi, who froze over entire battlefields with his Ice types. Orsino Sakaki, who swallowed soldiers whole with his Ground types. Yamada Ichijou, who dominated the skies with his Dragons. Each offered fighting prowess just below that of their respective region''s Champion and Elite Four.

    Despair. Hatred. Revenge. Death. So much of it accumulated over the course of four years. Endless battles were waged and fought in the name of glory. The war was ugly and cruel, and it seemed like it would stretch on forever. Both sides gave and took, and then took some more.

    But all things must come to an inevitable end.

    April 21st.

    Kantonian and Johtonian forces were locked in a battle along Route 27''s coastline. They fought hard to break the stalemate and push through to each other''s regions. Champions and Elite Fours led the charge of their respective armies.

    None of them ¡ª not the soldiers, the Elites, or the citizens waiting back home ¡ª truly realized the consequences of the long war they had started.

    We are humans, and we share the world with Pokemon.

    And in this world we call home, there are always forces greater than we can imagine and could never hope to surpass. Beings we have worshiped and feared since time immemorial.

    Legends. Deities.

    They are the Servants of Arceus and Rulers of Concepts. Rarely ever seen, yet always spoken of. They dwell and slumber in unseen places, content to let the world run by itself and to stay out of worldly affairs.

    Only if they are not angered and provoked.

    [ACCOUNT I: JOUJI CHESTER, WAR VETERAN FROM JOHTO]

    My battalion had been called up to assist in the battle along Route 27''s coastline. We had extra supplies loaded on our backs and fresh Pokemon and weapons to fight with. We hurried as fast as we could, but I can only be grateful today that we did not hurry enough.

    We had not yet made it to the battle''s outskirts when we saw the world light up in the distance.

    The skies turned bright red. The air warped from heat so intense that we could feel it from miles away. The seas boiled and lurched. And fire, there was so much fire¡ª

    A storm of flames engulfed our sights, so blinding that we had to look away lest we permanently lose our vision. My first thought was that the Kantonian forces had come up with some sort of new and terrible explosive.

    But when my comrades and I finally felt it safe to open our eyes, I realized it was something much worse.

    I''ve heard some young people of today claim in passing that they want to meet a Legend¡­ to lay eyes on a being that no one else has ever seen before. They think only of the glory meeting one would bring and the majesty such a Legend must behold.

    They don''t know what they''re talking about.

    When I saw the Incarnation of Wrath flying through the skies, I felt nothing but sheer terror.

    A deity. That''s what it was. Something that could kill my entire battalion where we stood with just a single soft breath. We were so far away from it, but we fell to our knees from the pressure it radiated. Some people even had trouble breathing and began choking.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    I couldn''t see the Legendary Moltres properly. Its massive form constantly shifted with brilliant, moving flames so bright it physically hurt to look at it for more than a second at a time. I only allowed myself a few snatched glimpses before averting my gaze entirely.

    I felt like if I looked any longer, then Moltres would sense my presence and kill me. We stayed there long after the Legendary Bird flew away. Only when we deemed it safe did we finally get up and run towards our destination.

    Nothing.

    There was absolutely nothing left. No trees, no grass, no armies.

    Our Champion was dead. Our Elite Four members were dead. Those from Kanto were dead as well.

    I saw only scorched earth, and I felt terror. Not even traces of bodies had been left behind. They''d burned until there was nothing left. We looked towards the beach, and the sea itself was still on fire.

    We went back to report to our superiors, but we were already falling apart.

    It did not end with Moltres. Articuno and Zapdos, too, eventually appeared in the skies above Kanto and Johto. Together, the three Legendary Birds began to punish us humans for our folly.

    We never should have started that war or prolonged it as long as we did. It only served to anger beings who slumbered across the land we lived in. They taught us our rightful place in the world.

    Do you know why they call it the War of Ashes?

    It''s because the sight of entire villages and towns razed by the Birds was so terrible. There were no bodies to even mourn. Elemental forces wreaked havoc and instantly annihilated whoever and whatever they touched. The air across Kanto and Johto became nauseating, thick with the smell of death as ashes constantly rained down from the skies without end.

    So, so many ashes¡­

    [AUTHOR''S WORDS]

    It is a mystery how the Legendary Birds were able to endure four years of constant fighting. Perhaps it was one last act of mercy from them to see if we would ever end the conflict on our own, but that was all they gave.

    One awoke before the others and with more fury than its equals. Long ago, it had gifted the people of Kanto and Johto its Flames. The Legendary Moltres was displeased by the fighting and rose up into the skies above, raining fire upon the earth and the sea.

    Its Flames destroyed everything. The Champions and Elite Fours of both regions, their armies, their surroundings¡ª

    Everyone and everything in the vicinity died.

    Articuno and Zapdos awoke next and joined their equal, and they flew out to make their anger known.

    Fire, ice, and lightning. Together, these three Titans and Rulers of Seasons single handedly accounted for over eighty percent of the war''s total deaths by themselves. They brought devastation wherever they went across Kanto and Johto.

    Entire towns, cities, and villages were wiped out with mere flaps of wings. The earth was ravaged and torn apart from lightning, forests were burned into nothing but scorched earth, and everything froze into ice and shattered.

    If not for Samuel Oak, the three Legendary Birds would have gone on to destroy all of Kanto and Johto until there was nothing left. The act of Moltres killing the Champions and Elite Fours of Kanto and Johto had created a power vacuum in both countries. They had lost their leaders, and their armies had fallen into disarray.

    Samuel Oak took up the role of leadership and united both forces into a single army.

    To stand up to a true Legend is impossible. A human simply cannot stand up to a deity.

    So Moltres gave the army a sliver of a chance for survival. It still held some love for the people it had once gifted Flames to. The Legend bade its equals to halt in their advance, and the Bird of Noble Fire split itself in two. One was its True Self, and the other was just an Embodiment of Fire. An elemental proxy.

    That single elemental proxy was what Samuel Oak and his army fought for one week. Proxy it may have been, but it was still a fragment of a Legend. Many people died in the process, yet Samuel Oak miraculously vanquished the splintered self on the seventh day.

    Moved by Samuel Oak''s strength, Moltres gifted him new Flames. The Legendary Birds disappeared and went back to their slumber. The Indigo Peace Treaty was signed, and Kanto and Johto formally unified as one country under the flag of Indigo. People on both sides were tired of fighting. They had also learned that to fight further would only bring about their eventual destruction from outside forces, and so they came together with the mutual goal of survival. Samuel Oak was appointed as the first Champion of Indigo.

    That was how the War of Ashes concluded, and how Indigo first began. It was truly a horrific war on a scale never before seen, and one that reinforced the fact that Legends can destroy mankind if they so wish.

    Survivors from that war have contributed to this book with firsthand accounts of what they experienced. You have already read one, but I have included more below.

    [ACCOUNT II: CHIYO DRALL, COMBAT MEDIC FROM JOHTO]

    They brought us in from another camp for backup and told us to save as many people as we could.

    I had worked as a nurse my entire life and assisted with hundreds of emergency operations, but nothing prepared me for the devastation later called the Battle of Mt. Silver. It was horrifying.

    The screams of pain. The cries for help. The frantic prayers to Ho-Oh for salvation.

    All of it mixed together until I heard nothing but a garbled, unknown language of fear.

    Bodies were hauled into our makeshift hospital in endless waves. We ran out of space not even five minutes in and had to order able soldiers to place patients outside on the cold, filthy ground instead. Many of them ¡ª Pokemon and humans alike ¡ª died before they were even looked at or received treatment. There were simply too many of them and not enough of us.

    I lost track of time as I ran desperately from one side to another. It felt like for every individual I looked at and assisted, three more passed away around me. Some people died even after we gave them aid. The fighting was just too severe and the wounds too grievous. I saw arms severed by the blades of Scyther, legs burned away from the acid of Victreebel, chests split by the claws of Sandslash¡­ It was a wonder how some of those people barely clung to life, and I did my best to save them. Blasts from the battlefield constantly rocked the earth and made it difficult to keep our balance or focus, but we could not afford to slip up.

    So many lives were in our hands, and it was frightening.

    At one point, someone grabbed my wrist. Not a fellow combat medic, but a patient that had just been looked at. Blood seeped through bandages wrapped around his head. One of his eyes had been taken by a Fearow, and the one that remained¡ª

    I will never forget the overwhelming emptiness in it.

    No sorrow, no fear, no anger, just¡­ emptiness.

    "I''m tired," he told me.

    Around us, the sounds of fighting and pained screams seemed to only grow louder. We were one year into the war at this point.

    I wished everything would end.

    [ACCOUNT III: ANONYMOUS, WAR VETERAN FROM KANTO]

    Pewter City Corps, Fifth Division.

    I was no one of importance. Not a lieutenant general or any other commander, but a simple private. I had not been drafted but instead volunteered for the army. Our mission was to defend the north. Johtonian forces had recently been pushing along the edges of the mountainous borders in a bid to invade from a different angle, but they had not managed to get through our line of defense yet.

    June 2nd. My division was camped outside of Mt. Moon. Half of us patrolled Route 3 and the other half along Route 4. The stars were bright that night and shined down like beacons of hope¡­ a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere among us.

    It was year three of the war. Nobody had expected it to drag on for so long.

    We were tired. We''d lost many good friends over the course of the war, and we missed being at home with our families. Still, we soldiered on to protect our country. I remember someone next to me saying how he was going to get married after the fighting ended. We all smiled and offered our sincere congratulations and hopes towards that future.

    Then the world exploded.

    I don''t know how the Johntonian forces accomplished it, but they had managed to sneak past the border and caught us completely off guard. They came from all sides and trapped us: the air, the sides, and even from within Mt. Moon itself.

    Boulders were thrown and bodies smashed. Slashes of wind hurtled through the darkness from the wings of Flying mounts and sliced soldiers in two. Ground types burst out of the earth and gored people where they stood.

    It was a massacre.

    I became one of the few survivors of the Mt. Moon Ambush. We held on long enough that when reinforcements finally came, the enemy decided not to push their luck and fled.

    I was lucky, but others were not.

    More friends of mine had vanished in the span of less than thirty minutes. Their spouses and children would never get to talk to them again. I looked back up at the starry sky obscured with smoke from explosions, and I could only think of two things.

    How many more people would die before the war ended?

    And¡­ would anyone even win?

    [AUTHOR''S WORDS]

    It took many years for the newly unified Indigo to rebuild itself after the War of Ashes, and it was by no means an easy endeavor.

    It was not just the physical devastation that was difficult to undo, but the emotional scars that had been wrought on Indigo''s people. Many people had been lost. Friends, family, lovers¡­ There was only a great sense of loss no matter where you looked.

    And while Kanto and Johto had unified as one country, there was still lingering resentment between them. It was not just their long and tenuous history that was brought into question now, but¡­ who to blame for the War''s beginnings. For its prolonged state.

    Champion Samuel Oak served as a bridge between Kanto and Johto during this time. He advocated for Kantonian rights and spent years enforcing fair policies for equal trade, education, and healthcare, policies which were long overdue. He urged the two regions to respect one another and put the past behind them.

    And people listened. He was the respected Hero who had saved the country from certain doom. If he actively promoted cooperation and friendship, then the citizens would follow. Not everybody could so easily forgive and forget, but as time passed, Indigo began to heal and grow anew. They worked together to rebuild from the ashes and become better people.

    Then, twenty years ago, signs of darkness fell upon the newly formed Indigo once more.

    [PART II: THE ROCKET WAR]

    There have been gangs and terrorist organizations across not just Indigo''s history, but the rest of the world as well.

    Out of all of them, Team Rocket has firmly cemented itself as the worst.

    Illegal and inhumane Pokemon experimentation and trafficking. Kidnapping innocent citizens to try and create artificial Psychics or Aura users. Murdering anyone who got in their way. These are only a few of the terrible actions Team Rocket is known for. The number and sheer depth of the atrocities they committed would be enough to fill a book of its own.

    They showed up out of the blue twenty years ago and slowly terrorized Indigo over the course of five years. The League tried its best to root out their bases of operation and their ringleader, but it was too difficult to find them all. The Rockets hid themselves and bided their time. A pre-emptive strike from the League was never launched.

    Instead, fifteen years ago, Team Rocket struck first and declared war on Indigo, a conflict that would come to be known as the Rocket War. It only lasted one week, but it became the second deadliest conflict in our history.

    Their organization''s goal and overarching purpose was claimed as thus: to destroy the League and take over Indigo.

    Members of Team Rocket launched offensives on major cities across Kanto and Johto such as Vermilion, Fuchsia, Blackthorn, and Olivine. While their forces within each region distracted Gym Leaders, the bulk of the fighting occurred, once again, at the borders between Kanto and Johto along the Mt. Silver Range. The head of Team Rocket, known simply as Boss, and the Champion of Indigo, Samuel Oak, led their respective armies there.

    Heroes emerged during this conflict. Koga Kyou of the famed clan of ninjas rose to prominence after single handedly wiping out entire Rocket bases by himself. Matisse Surge, or Lieutenant Surge as he is more commonly known, won a naval battle against the Rockets at Vermilion. The Sacred Eight of Johto defended their respective towns and cities.

    For as many heroes that emerged and lived, there were others who perished. Two include Orsino Sakaki and Yamada Ichijou. These former Gym Leaders of the Viridian and Blackthorn Gyms and veterans from the War of Ashes both died in action.

    Many innocent citizens perished, too.

    The Rockets did not care who they fought and killed. Their goal was to sow chaos and force the League''s soldiers to spread out and protect everyone. In fact, they even targeted specific peoples of interest.

    Champion Samuel Oak''s family was among them.

    While the Indigo Champion fought at the front of the war, his family was being protected at a safe house. Rockets found and murdered Samuel Oak''s daughter-in-law as well as his son, Theodore Oak. Samuel Oak arrived in time to save his young grandchildren from suffering similar fates, and he went back to the war with renewed fury.

    He eventually defeated the Team Rocket leader and dealt a fatal wound. The man escaped from battle, but his corpse was later found and his death confirmed. The last two days of the war were spent wiping out the remaining Team Rocket forces.

    Samuel Oak stepped down as Champion following the Rocket War. He passed his position to Pryce Yanagi before retiring to Pallet Town with his remaining family.

    This terrible conflict only served to deepen Indigo''s unity. They had been brought together by a common enemy, and now they mourned together for mutual loss and tragedy.

    We will never know the deeper reasons for why Team Rocket was formed, or what the mastermind''s true motivations were. But one thing is clear: they were an evil beyond all evil, and they sacrificed the people of Indigo for their heinous goals.

    As both a historian and a citizen of our country, I can only hope an organization like Team Rocket never rises again.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Oak hated this time of year.

    Memorial Day and Indigo National Day always dredged up terrible memories for him. Years had passed, but the pain never lessened. He never forgot. It was impossible not to. Especially¡­

    His eyes squeezed painfully shut.

    Charizard burned the Rockets alive, and Dragonite tore them apart with his claws. Alakazam Teleported into the house before he did and removed the last few perpetrators.

    With trembling hands, he flung the door open and looked inside.

    Blood, so much blood.

    It was everywhere. On the walls, the ceilings, every surface of the furniture¡ª

    And in the back, there was what was left of his son and daughter-in-law. Alakazam had already located his grandchildren and pointed silently to a closet in the corner. Soft crying came from it.

    He felt like his world was crashing down around him¡ª

    Oak slowly opened his eyes. Heavy, laborious breaths dragged themselves from his throat as he stared with sorrowful eyes at a photo on his desk. His son and daughter-in-law stared back up at him, both of them holding Blue and Daisy in their arms.

    He''d thought the War of Ashes would be the last tragic event Kanto and Johto had to experience during his lifetime, but he''d been wrong. They''d only had peace for so long before it shattered, and the second time, Oak had lost more than dear friends and comrades.

    He''d lost parts of himself.

    What good was a Champion that could not even protect his family? Oak had been too heartbroken to carry on after that and left once he made sure the League would be fine without him. He''d dedicated enough years of his life to the country that he felt it was fine to finally live for himself and his family. He didn''t have to fight to contribute to Indigo''s prosperity, so he turned to a more peaceful path instead: research. Expanding the knowledge people had about Pokemon, guiding aspiring trainers onto the right and correct path¡­ All of it was fulfilling.

    He only wished these years of peace hadn''t been achieved at the cost of so many sacrifices.

    He still remembered the look on the Team Rocket leader''s face, the cold smile even as Oak screamed and cursed at him for what his organization had done. They''d fractured his family and thousands of others across Kanto-Johto in their widespread violence.

    For a true and better future. We don''t need Indigo.

    That was the last thing the man told him before disappearing.

    To this day, Oak still had no idea what sort of Tauros shit the man had been spewing. Killing people and dragging the country through a war was supposed to bring about a ''true and better future?'' A unified country ¡ª Indigo ¡ª was not needed? What kind of lunacy was that?

    He didn''t know what the man truly meant, and he could have cared less. No matter what their motivations were, they were a terrorist organization plain and simple. Team Rocket was gone. They''d thoroughly destroyed every last one of them. But¡­

    If, Moltres forbid¡­ those sightings from a year ago had some substance¡­

    Almost all of his beloved Pokemon had retired from battling or died already. He himself had grown old. He was in no shape to go gallivanting off into the thick of war. His time as a hero was over, and it would be up to the current League and its pillars to protect the nation.

    Oak prayed such a time would never come. The younger generation did not know the true horrors of war.

    It brought nothing but devastation and tragedy.

 Chapter 27

    CHAPTER 27

    "Bye, Arin! It was nice meeting you!" Whitney hollered enthusiastically. The pink-haired girl waved at me one last time from the entryway before disappearing, leaving me to stare after her with a faintly amused expression.

    She''d come and gone like a hurricane after chatting my ears off and exchanging contact details.

    I stared thoughtfully at my phone. The group chat I had been added to really did have a lot of new Gym Leaders who had taken up office within the last year. Whitney, Bugsy, Janine, Brock, Erika¡­ There were more than I expected, and most of them were much younger than me.

    Falkner was not in it. Apparently Whitney had tried inviting him before, but he refused.

    I was pretty sure Kanto-Johto had not experienced such a massive shift in their gym hierarchy in a while. So many Gym Leaders being sworn in around the same time¡­ it was certainly interesting.

    Something, or in this case someone, gently poked me in the arm. I wrenched my gaze away from my phone and found Jasmine smiling at me. She and Morty were the only other people left in the room at this point.

    "Do you have time to hang out with us?" she asked softly.

    "We both have a few hours before we need to get started on gym paperwork," Morty piped up, and he spread his hands wide. "I could show you around Ecruteak a bit! We can even enjoy lunch somewhere."

    I didn''t have to think about it very hard. There weren''t any pressing matters to attend to, so I could afford to spare a few hours hanging out with the first friends I''d made in Johto.

    A huge grin split my face. "Let''s go!"

    While Morty led us outside of the Gym and into the city, I shot a quick text to dad letting him know to eat lunch without me. I stuffed my phone into my pocket right as we entered the main streets.

    Ecruteak was beautiful.

    Dad had brought me here a couple times when I was a child for various festivals, but getting to walk through the roads on an ordinary day like this was just as neat. The streets and buildings were charming and spoke of so much history that I felt like I''d been transported back to the past. Morty gave me and Jasmine a tour of some popular spots in the city. These included historical buildings that he rambled on about for minutes at a time.

    The tour was interesting, but I also had fun seeing how much the locals adored Morty.

    Everybody recognized our group ¡ª it was impossible not to considering how eye-catching a trio of Gym Leaders was ¡ª but it was Morty that everybody went crazy for. They all offered waves or exuberant greetings when we passed. More than a few elderly citizens actually came up to Morty to ask for help finding things, and Morty apologized to us every time he stopped and used his clairvoyance to search. Here in Ecruteak, he had the best results with his powers because he was so familiar with its people and layout.

    It was quite amazing actually. Morty was obviously no match for Sabrina or the esteemed psychic Clans in Kanto, but he was probably one of the best psychics Johto had.

    "You''re so popular, Morty," I commented out loud. We''d just waved goodbye to an old woman Morty had helped reunite with her Meowth, and now Jasmine and I were following him down the path to a restaurant he had in mind.

    Morty merely chuckled, waving a hand in the air without turning. "I don''t know if popular is the right word," he said humbly. "They''re all used to me because I''ve been their Gym Leader for so long now. Plus, everyone is close to each other in Ecruteak. It''s mostly a lot of families and older folks who live here. Is it not like that for you and Jas as well?"

    Jasmine smiled in embarrassment and ducked her head. "It is. Olivine''s community is very lively. We all support each other," she admitted. "I just wish they''d stop with the embarrassing nicknames they give me¡­"

    I snorted with laughter. It came at the cost of a mock glare from the young woman next to me. "Ah, yes, the Iron Thorn," I teased, and Jasmine pouted. "But yeah, Cherrygrove''s community is pretty tight-knit as well. A lot of nice folks."

    "Don''t laugh, Arin," Jasmine grumbled quietly. "Just wait until they give you an embarrassing nickname of your own."

    That shut me up real quick. Arceus, I hoped they never did.

    Eventually, Morty led us to the Dancing Aipom. Apparently it was a new and trending restaurant that had opened a few months back. I could understand why when we stepped inside. The store mascots, a quartet of energetic Aipom, were putting on a show for the patrons on the ground level while a popular song played from the speakers.

    I smiled without even realizing it.

    It also turned out Morty was already a well-established regular here and one of their best patrons. The host at the front smiled when he saw the Ecruteak Gym Leader and ushered us to a private room on the second floor.

    After we sat down, he took orders for drinks and left us to go over the menus. I just about salivated when I saw their selection. It seemed this place specialized in noodle and rice bowl dishes. What was I in the mood for? Tempura soba? Katsudon?

    A quick glance to my right revealed that Jasmine seemed to be having a similar problem as she stared with furrowed brows at her own menu. I wondered if this was her first time here, too.

    I blinked back to attention when someone coughed. Looking up, I saw Morty staring at me with a raised brow. Was he done looking at the menu already?

    "So¡­" Morty clasped his hands under his chin. "It was a bit tense in the meeting. Is everything alright between you and Clair? And the Blackthorns by extension?"

    Oh, he''d wanted to ask about that. Jasmine had stopped perusing the menu to stare at me as well. I offered them both a wry smile.

    "Clair and I have come to an agreement," I said simply so as to not worry them. Based on what I''d seen today, Clair appeared to be keeping to her word of giving me a very minimal level of respect. Her pride had some use after all. "As for the rest of her Clan¡­ I''ll be honest, I can''t believe they deemed me enough of a threat to send spies after me. Flattering, I suppose?"

    Morty''s other brow rose delicately.

    "If it''s any consolation, they tried the same with me when I took up office almost a decade ago," Morty remarked casually, and it was my turn to stare at him now as he went on. "They tried to get more information on my powers of clairvoyance to see how I compared to the psychics of Kanto. I kicked them all out, of course. My point is, the Blackthorns are a cautious bunch. They keep close tabs on the flow of power in Kanto-Johto. Tread carefully, Arin."

    I nodded firmly. "I know," I assured him. "I''ll be ready for whatever they might try next."

    "Good," Morty smiled as he leaned back in his seat. One hand went up to tug lightly at his signature purple scarf. "Let me know if you need help with anything that comes up. I''ve always believed the Blackthorns and their scheming ways are ridiculous. I respect tradition, but there comes a point when Johto must learn to move forward and progress."

    "A-And me, too!" Jasmine added hastily. I turned to her and saw light brown eyes lit up with unusually fierce determination. She wore a smile as she raised both her hands and clenched them into fists. "Olivine''s slightly further away, but¡­ if you need help, I''ll come to Cherrygrove! I''ve got your back, Arin."

    My chest felt warm as I looked back and forth between Morty and Jasmine. We hadn''t known each other for very long, but I was very appreciative that they supported me as both friends and fellow Gym Leaders.

    If only every Johto Gym Leader was as friendly or open-minded as these two were.

    "Thank you, Morty, Jas. I really appreciate it," I said sincerely with a smile. That same smile became tinged with mirth as I held up my menu and waved it a bit. "Now, uh, can I get some help choosing what to order? I can''t decide."

    Morty and Jasmine looked at each other and burst into laughter at the same time.

    I ended up settling on oyakodon, a chicken and egg rice bowl. Morty got cold soba noodles with dipping sauce, and Jasmine ordered spicy hot soba noodles with fish cake.

    She didn''t just order it spicy. She got the maximum spicy level the restaurant offered.

    After the food arrived and we began digging in, I stared at her with absolute astonishment as she ate her dish with a perfectly composed expression.

    I learned Jasmine Mikan was not to be messed with when it came to spice tolerance.

    The three of us traded portions of our meals to each other so we could try everything. They all tasted great. I did blanch a bit at the sheer spiciness from Jasmine''s dish, though. Morty made a face that looked like he was dying after he tried it as well. He all but snatched his cup of water off the table to gulp it down, and I almost choked on rice from laughing so hard.

    We chatted while we ate and long after we finished. Morty and Jasmine had plenty of fun stories for me, everything from gossip about the other Gym Leaders ¡ª apparently Chuck had been seen getting dragged by the ear by his irate wife the other day ¡ª to challengers they''d fought in the current League Circuit.

    "Could we train together sometime?" Jasmine surprisingly asked me at one point. She actually looked a bit excited as she fiddled with her hands. "I realize it may not be that useful sparring against my Pokemon considering they''re nowhere near your level, but¡­ I''d like to get stronger. I don''t want my personal team to get rusty and fall behind the other Gym Leaders. Er, pun not intended."

    My eyes widened. "Of course! But give yourself more credit, Jas."

    Jasmine was not as weak as she had made herself seem. Every Gym Leader of Kanto-Johto was a powerful trainer in their own right, and so was Jasmine. Her Pokemon were capable of switching between absolute defense to offense and right back in an instant.

    I was more than happy to accept her request. This would be great for my own team, too. Self-training and spars against dad''s Elite Pokemon helped keep them in shape, but they needed to switch up training partners every so often so they wouldn''t stagnate. This hadn''t been a problem in Paldea since I regularly got to fight against Geeta and the Elite Four when we all weren''t busy working, but now I was all the way in Johto.

    I wondered how Lance would react if I asked him to train together. Fighting other Champion-level Pokemon would be the most ideal plan of action for my team, and I was sure they''d look forward to maybe, maybe not totally pummeling Lance''s Dragons.

    Morty smiled, leaning in with a glint in his eyes. "I hope I''m invited. I need to keep my skills sharp, too," he said cheerfully. "Gengar and my other Ghosts have been getting bored lately, and I have no plans to ask Clair for another match anytime soon. For lack of a better description, she always gets a big head afterwards."

    I almost snorted into my drink while Jasmine giggled next to me.

    "Morty''s fought Clair six-on-six a few times before. He always loses 6-5, but it''s still really impressive," she explained softly. "He''s the third strongest out of the Johto Gym Leaders¡ª er, fourth now actually since you''ve joined."

    "Oh?" I turned toward her with interest. "How do the Gym Leaders stack up against each other then?"

    "Well¡­ it''d be you, then Pryce, then Clair and Morty are sort of tied in my opinion," Jasmine began. When Morty gave her a look of disbelief, she quickly waved her hands in front of her face. "I mean it! You''re always so close to beating her. Anyway, then it''d be me and Chuck. The other three are about the same in terms of strength."

    "Interesting¡­" I hummed to myself. "Well, feel free to let me know whenever you guys want to train and spar together. My Pokemon would love the chance to fight your teams."

    "Great!" Morty beamed. "We can start next month then, when Jas and I are no longer slaves to the Circuit."

    Jasmine and I both laughed so hard that our stomachs hurt.

    Morty merely smiled as he waited for our laughter to subside. Once it had, he turned to me with an eager expression. "While we still have some time, I''d love to discuss our Abilities."

    I perked up at this, nodding vigorously. I hadn''t forgotten Morty''s promise from last time we met in person, and I was glad he hadn''t either.

    "When did yours manifest?" I asked curiously.

    "I was around four or five years old. It''s hard to remember the exact time, but it did fully manifest for me by age nine," Morty mused out loud. "What about you?

    "Huh. Same here. My Ability didn''t fully develop until I was ten, though."

    "Fascinating! I wonder if these rates are similar for other Ability Holders as well."

    "What about the others in Kanto-Johto you mentioned before? What kind of Abilities do they have?"

    "One of them is a Ranger over in Kanto with the Ability to feel and share the emotions of Pokemon. We have one more who works for the League and is able to link senses between her and her Pokemon¡­"

    We chatted on for a bit and shared memories, both good and bad, that had to do with our Abilities. Jasmine was vastly interested and frequently asked questions or commented on our stories.

    When I let it slip that I had a few Ghost and Fairy type Pokemon on my team, Morty grew understandably excited and asked if he could see them. There was enough space in the room, so I let out Mem and Fia.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Morty fawned over them.

    "Wow!" the Ghost Specialist exclaimed, eyes darting back and forth between the Mimikyu on my shoulder and the Flutter Mane hovering off to the side of the table. "Marvelous, simply marvelous! Hello to you both, I''m Morty!"

    He, and surprisingly Jasmine as well, were unfazed when they got an otherworldly string of cries in response.

    Morty just nodded his head sagely, beaming. "Thank you for your compliment about my scarf. The little hearts on your cloth are quite charming."

    Mem and Fia both seemed astonished at this and turned to me questioningly. I just pointed back at Morty with a grin. "He''s like me, but he can understand Ghost types," I explained.

    With renewed understanding, my Pokemon proceeded to humor Morty''s curiosity and chatted with him. Mem in particular got very attached to Morty and Jasmine in the span of ten minutes and made a game of hopping between all of our shoulders. Out of all my Pokemon, he tended to enjoy making new friends the most.

    I didn''t want Jasmine to feel left out, so I told her about how I had a Mawile. She revealed she''d gotten one of her own from Hoenn a year after becoming Gym Leader. I also ended up showing Jasmine some pictures of the Tinkatink family and other Steel types I had back home.

    The smile Jasmine had was so blinding it threatened to dazzle the room itself.

    All of this led to a discussion of my journey and the kinds of places and Pokemon I''d seen over the last decade. I barely got to talk about anything at all before Morty and Jasmine checked the time and realized they had to go.

    Immense paperwork awaited them even on a weekend.

    I waved goodbye to both Leaders as they disappeared, Morty down the streets and Jasmine off into the skies on the back of her Skarmory. That had been a lot more fun than I ever expected it to be, and I reminded myself to set aside more time for socializing and hanging out with friends down the road.

    Seeing how excited Morty and Jasmine had been earlier also gave me some ideas for the future. Maybe in the future I could give them some gifts¡­ I couldn''t help but chuckle to myself as I walked down the street. I had a feeling they would be really happy.

    I ducked into an empty alleyway and let out Silque. She would memorize Ecruteak for the future, and then I''d Teleport home¡ª

    I jerked my head back when I saw a familiar figure with blue hair walking in the distance.

    "I''ll be back, Silque!" I yelled over my shoulder before I jogged away. Back onto the main street I went, and I walked hurriedly through the crowd to catch up to the figure I''d seen.

    "Falkner!" I called out once I got within distance. A person wearing very distinct traditional clothing turned around at the sound of his name. I knew I couldn''t have seen wrong. Falkner''s appearance was just too recognizable. I stopped just a few feet in front of him, smiling. "I didn''t expect to see you in the city still. Are you heading back to your Gym now?"

    "Yes," came a single word of confirmation from Falkner''s mouth. He stared at me as if he couldn''t understand why I was even talking to him. I pressed on.

    "Would you like to exchange contact details? I was hoping we could keep in touch seeing as our respective Cities are close to each other," I explained, pulling out my phone. "A lot of trainers pass back and forth between Violet and Cherrygrove, and I expect this to increase further with the next League Circuit. Challengers will probably visit our Gyms one after the other. I thought it''d be nice if we could exchange information."

    Falkner eyed me with undisguised wariness. I thought he would just reject me on the spot, but after several long moments, he silently pulled his phone out and handed it to me.

    I took that as my cue to enter my phone number. As soon as I had given the phone back to him, Falkner gave a curt nod and marched off.

    He hadn''t even given me his own phone number!

    I stared after him with dismay. There was a part of me that wanted to run up to him and ask what his problem was. It wasn''t like I had personally done anything to him, but I couldn''t do anything about it. Falkner was entitled to his own opinions and feelings.

    Sighing, I turned and headed back to Silque. It was time to head home.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Pidgeot sped through the skies back to Violet City. On the gigantic bird''s back, Falkner listened to the familiar, comforting sound of wind rushing past. His eyes were trained on the new contact card on his phone.

    Arin Watanuki.

    He hadn''t expected to see the other Gym Leader still hanging around in Ecruteak either. Falkner had just finished running some errands when Arin called out to him. He hadn''t felt like talking to him at all, but¡­ there was the risk of someone seeing him give the cold shoulder to the Cherrygrove Gym Leader. So, he showed the bare minimum of courtesy and stayed long enough to hear him out.

    Arin was a strong trainer. There was no denying that, but he still had mixed emotions about Arin and the Cherrygrove Gym.

    His father''s last hopeful words echoed in his head.

    Falkner, always remember to respect Johto and the old ways. I know you''ll be a great Gym Leader.

    Of course he respected Johto''s history. When you grew up in a household as traditional as that of the famous Hayato family or a city as old as Violet City, there was no way a person wouldn''t. He''d been trying his best to live up to his father''s expectations, but the second part was proving difficult.

    He was so far behind in experience and battle prowess compared to the other Gym Leaders. His first year as Gym Leader had not been a perfectly smooth ride, and Falkner was aware some trainers had complained about the way he ran things. He would iron everything out by the next League Circuit and display a more flawless performance in his second year of duty.

    That''s what he sincerely hoped at least.

    Everything Arin had said to Falkner earlier made sense, but¡­ it was unnecessary. He was capable of handling everything by himself. He was the son of Walker Hayato and a proud Gym Leader of Johto.

    Falkner looked at the unfamiliar phone number one last time before putting his phone away.

    He was never going to use it.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The days passed peacefully.

    My gym trainers settled into their daily routines of showing up each day to feed and get accustomed to the gym Pokemon, and they took turns patrolling the town and surrounding routes. Souta and especially Haru were always accompanied by at least one senior trainer due to their inexperience.

    By the end of the first week, I deemed them ready to begin commanding the gym Pokemon in actual spars and training sessions.

    "But!" I said to the excited group in front of me, and I held a finger up with a vicious smile. "You need to pass the written test I''ll hand out in two days."

    Everybody''s faces morphed into different states of emotion. Murata looked amused, Haru looked nervous, Souta and Hazel seemed confident, and Yurie¡­

    She wore a comically horrified expression, and I barely refrained from snickering out loud.

    "Hey, you all did great whenever I pop quizzed you this week," I said reassuringly. "Anyway, tomorrow''s Memorial Day, so enjoy the day off. I''ll see you all in two days. Be prepared for that test!"

    I got a chorus of yeses in return before everyone left for their respective lodgings. I was about to head into the house myself when Oak came up to me with an unusually serious expression.

    "I thought I should give you a heads-up. Daisy and I will be absent tomorrow," Oak said with a sad smile. He tried to hide it, but I could see the pain clouding his normally bright eyes and features. "We''ll be back in two days."

    I understood immediately.

    There wasn''t anybody in all of Indigo who did not know what had happened to Oak and his family during the Rocket War. It had made national headlines at the time.

    "We''ll see you later then, Professor," I said softly. Oak only offered a small nod before walking away.

    His retreating back looked so terribly sad and frail.

    When I went back into the house, I found dad in a similar state of melancholy. He was sitting at the kitchen table by himself. He didn''t turn when I entered, but he did speak.

    "Would you like to come with me tomorrow to the Indigo Plateau?" Dad asked. His eyes stared out the window at something unknown while his fist clenched on the kitchen table.

    I put a hand over his comfortingly.

    "Of course."

    We sat in silence for a long time.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The morning came, and the world seemed quieter than normal.

    April 24th. Memorial Day.

    Businesses, schools, and gyms alike were closed everywhere. All of my gym trainers had the day off. I woke up, put on some appropriate dark clothing, and went downstairs to find dad. He was already waiting for me in the living room. We went out and fed the gym Pokemon in silence before returning to the house.

    Breakfast was a somber affair. We watched Lance make a serious speech on TV about the significance of today, and when the clock struck ten o''clock¡­

    Dad and I both paused in what we were doing to close our eyes and pray. Around the country, all other citizens were doing the same. The Moment of Remembrance was only a minute long, but it was a heavy one where we honored those who had fallen in years past.

    This day held more meaning for dad than it did for me. He had participated in the Rocket War and suffered losses.

    I was five years old when Team Rocket waged war on Indigo. I was young at the time, but that week had been frightening enough that I remembered the memories more clearly than other ones from my childhood.

    I had been in the front yard playing with Vel when dad slammed the front door open and ran out with a panicked expression. He''d yelled for us to come inside right away.

    The urgency in his voice and the fear in his eyes had scared me immensely.

    As soon as I was in the house, dad had locked the door and shut all the windows and blinds properly. Under no condition was I to leave the house until he came back, he told me. When I asked where he was going, he had just given a small, shaky smile.

    Just a quick trip to town, he said.

    Dad had further scared me by giving me bags full of the gym Pokemon''s Pokeballs ''in case I needed them for protection'' and left me with two of his Elite tier Pokemon. Then he''d Teleported away with his Exeggutor, and that''s when I really knew something was wrong.

    He always walked to town. He hated Teleporting.

    I learned why when I turned on the TV. Child me wasn''t able to fully comprehend what the emergency broadcast warnings said at the time, but when I saw the letter ''R'' flash across the screen I knew the bad guys had done something. Every kid in Kanto-Johto back then had grown up with warnings from their parents about ''bad guys with uniforms that had the letter R'' and to run away and call the police if they ever saw them.

    I had been so scared that I turned off the TV and waited in tense silence for dad to come back. When I heard distant explosions coming from the town, that''s when I couldn''t take it anymore and cried into Vel''s fur.

    Dad didn''t come back until that evening, and he came back with bruises and small cuts. Neil, his wife, and their baby son were all with him. They wore very serious expressions.

    Dad told me about a dozen times that everything was okay, but he''d be back after a short trip. Neil and his family would be staying with me. I didn''t even get a chance to say goodbye before dad Teleported away again.

    I didn''t sleep very well while dad was gone. I''d been so afraid for him that I even had nightmares.

    It was only later that I found out dad had been called up to the frontlines at the Mt. Silver Range. They''d been losing ground and needed all the help they could get, so they called in Gym Leaders from their respective cities and towns once they''d gotten rid of any invading Rockets.

    Dad came back alive a week later, but¡­ he''d seen friends of his die. Not all of his Pokemon had survived either.

    He''d lost two team members who''d been with him since he was a kid.

    I was going with dad today to pay tribute to them.

    We were Teleporting to the Indigo Plateau today since we were bringing lots of stuff with us. In our bags and arms were incense sticks, some food offerings, and stunning bouquets of lilies, chrysanthemums, and hydrangeas. Each flower had been personally grown and selected by dad for the occasion.

    "You ready?" I asked quietly. Silque stood tall near us. Next to me, dad gripped his bouquets just a bit tighter. His reply came as a barely audible whisper.

    "Yeah."

    I only had to nod at Silque before the world around us shifted. One moment we were in our living room and the next, we were at the familiar grounds of the Indigo Plateau. I hadn''t even had time to blink. Dad looked a bit pale, but he still thanked Silque with a smile before I recalled her.

    The Indigo Plateau was crowded today. Steady streams of people walked in the distance, all heading for the same destination we were.

    Amaranth National Cemetery.

    Many distinguished League officials, war veterans, and their Pokemon were buried there. Dad had chosen the National Cemetery over the ones in Cherrygrove for his own Pokemon due to how extensively well-maintained it was. The League had a dedicated team of groundskeepers who worked twenty-four seven to care for the site.

    Together, we moved onto a trail that led northwest and followed the people. It curved far away from the League Headquarters and the Pokemon League Village in the opposite direction. Eventually, we made it past the trees and out into a vast clearing dotted with trees. Hundreds of rows of gravestones lay before us. There were people gathered in front of several large obsidian monuments near the front, war memorials engraved with the names of the fallen. Other visitors were spread out across the cemetery.

    Dad and I headed further in.

    We passed by many other people visiting graves. There was a an old man holding flowers, a woman with two teary-eyed teenagers, a man with a distinct black suit¡ª

    I cast a brief glance over my shoulder as I kept following dad. I hadn''t seen wrong.

    That was Giovanni Sakaki back there.

    He had been the Viridian Gym Leader for almost twenty-five years now, and he was one of Indigo''s most well-known and beloved public figures. Giovanni was not just a powerful trainer but one of the wealthiest individuals out there thanks to his many investments in companies like Silph Co. or ventures in the stock market.

    What had truly endeared him to the public was his endless generosity. Every year, he donated a good portion of his money to charities, orphanages, and nonprofit organizations without fail. He had also donated almost all his excess wealth following the Rocket War to help rebuild the country.

    That wasn''t all. He was the son of Orsino Sakaki, a hero who had greatly contributed to both the War of Ashes and the Rocket War. Orsino had ultimately perished in the latter. As for Giovanni himself, he had participated in the Rocket War and earned a medal of recognition for his feats. He''d been invited to join the Elite Four twice, once by Pryce and another time by Lance, but he''d politely declined both times saying that the Gym was where he needed to be.

    "My dream is simply to guide trainers onto the right paths," he''d said in an interview that went viral.

    Truly an exemplary Gym Leader.

    I assumed he was here to visit and honor his late father. I would have liked to speak with such a respected figure, but this was definitely not the time or place for that. I faced forward again and followed dad further into the cemetery. Eventually, we stopped in front of the grave we were looking for.

    Dad''s Victreebel and Vileplume were buried here.

    I took dad''s stuff for him while he went off to rent a bucket of water and ladle from the nearest groundskeeper. When he came back, we began the visitation rite. We carefully poured water over the gravestone to clean it. I placed and lit incense sticks while dad meticulously arranged the bouquets and food offerings we''d brought.

    When we finished, we stood back with somber faces and prayed. I didn''t miss dad''s awful expression before I closed my eyes.

    I couldn''t even begin to understand the pain he still felt years later. I had not experienced what it was like to lose a Pokemon in a tragic, untimely way, and I hoped I never, ever would.

    Dad''s hoarse voice broke the silence.

    "Sorry¡­ could you give me some time alone? I''ll meet you back at the entrance when I''m done."

    I nodded solemnly even before he finished speaking.

    "Take your time, dad."

    Quietly, with small and careful steps, I walked away.

    I did not look back even when I heard the first sound of grief tear itself from dad''s throat.

    Heading back to the cemetery''s entrance took a lot longer than heading in had. There were more visitors now. I actually caught sight of Oak, Daisy, and a male teenager I assumed to be Blue in one corner. In another row of gravestones, I unexpectedly saw Kari and Yulian. I did not go and say something to any of them of course.

    They were mourning, the same as everybody else around us.

    Eventually, I made it back to the entrance. Even now there were throngs of people heading in this direction, so I moved far off to the sides to get out of their way. I picked a spot under an oak tree''s shade to stand in and pulled my phone out to keep myself busy.

    I had just flipped it open when someone called out to me.

    "Leader Arin."

    That was an unfamiliar voice. I snapped my phone shut and looked up. Right away, my eyes widened a miniscule amount.

    Giovanni Sakaki stood in front of me. From up close, he was a lot taller than I realized. A dignified and formidable aura emanated from him.

    "Leader Giovanni," I greeted with no small amount of surprise. I''d wanted to talk to him earlier, but I hadn''t expected him to still be around or find me. "Um, it''s nice to meet you, sir."

    He smiled, shaking his head. "Please, no need to call me sir. We''re both Gym Leaders of Indigo," he chuckled, and he held out a hand to me which I quickly took. His grip was strong. "I thought I saw you earlier in the cemetery, and it seems I was right."

    "Ah, yes. I came with my father today," I quietly explained. I wasn''t sure what else to say, so I just settled for a very hesitant, "I hope your Memorial Day is meaningful."

    Giovanni smiled sadly as he stepped back to join me next to the tree.

    "It was," he said softly. He looked back at the cemetery with a pained expression, one hand clenched into a fist at his side. "I''d like to think it gets a little easier every year when I visit my late parents here, but it never does."

    I had known about his father but not about his mother. Had she served in the army, too? What I did know is that I had inadvertently stepped on a sensitive topic.

    "My condolences," I murmured immediately.

    The man next to me did not say anything for several long seconds. Eventually, he turned back and smiled reassuringly at me.

    "I appreciate it," Giovanni said. He wore an apologetic expression as he dipped his head at me. "I should get going. I''ve got a lot of work to do before the Circuit ends, but I truly enjoyed meeting you today. Many people are talking about you these days. I personally sense a bright future ahead of you, Leader Arin."

    "I¡­ Thank you," I finally said with a mixture of emotions.

    Giovanni smiled one last time. I watched as he reached into his pocket for something and took his hand back out. A business card with contact information was offered to me. "I''d love to stay in touch. Perhaps I could invite you to a charity gala or a similar event in the future if you''re interested."

    I barely got to accept the thin paper or thank him before Giovanni disappeared into the crowd. Then it was just me under the oak tree.

    I was left to stare at the card in my hands with a look of wonder. Today''s meeting had been a very unexpected one, but¡­

    Another connection had been obtained.

 Chapter 28 â€” Dear Indigo

    CHAPTER 28 ¡ª Dear Indigo

    We mourned and honored, and when the new day dawned¡­

    We smiled with hopes for the future and slipped back into our ordinary lives.

    Dad was a little quieter than usual, but he continued about his day like normal. Today he was outside pruning trees and the gardens around the house. Oak and Daisy had returned as well and thrown themselves back into research. Apparently, the Professors were almost done with their research paper. They needed to spend time finalizing and combing through it for typos or other errors, but they told me it would probably be ready for publication in a week or so. I was pretty excited for that as we planned to do a joint press conference for it.

    As for me¡­ I''d tucked Giovanni''s business card safely away in a drawer. For the time being, I concentrated on the present.

    Exam proctoring.

    Just like I''d promised my gym trainers, there was a written test waiting for them the instant they showed up at my house for work. Included in the exam were fill in the blanks, multiple choice questions, and even a few short essay questions. It covered everything from identifying species of Fairy Pokemon to their type matchups to how to handle and care for so-and-so Pokemon.

    They''d been at it for almost an hour now. Souta and Hazel had actually finished and handed in their tests at the same time almost twenty minutes ago. That was something both Hazel and I had given Souta impressed looks for. Hazel was a former student of the prestigious Celadon University after all, yet Souta had been able to keep up with him.

    I''d already graded their tests while waiting. Two perfect scores stared back at me.

    The other trainers were still chugging along. Nope, I had to amend my statement when I saw Murata and Haru flipping through their test packets and scanning them thoroughly. It looked like they were done and using the remainder of the time I''d allotted to double check their answers. Yurie¡­ seemed to be on the last page and struggling a bit with the tougher questions I''d placed near the end, but I knew she had it in her to finish on time.

    "Five minutes left," I called out as a warning. My lips quirked into a smile when I saw everyone move faster. Yurie in particular started writing answers down at the speed of light.

    Heh, I felt like I was back at a classroom teaching kids in Paldea. I was just missing miserable groans from students.

    The clock in the living room ticked by, but my eyes were peeled to the screen of the phone in my hands. Eventually, a loud ringing sound filled the air as my alarm went off.

    "Annnnd stop," I said with a grin. "Turn in your tests. You''re welcome to grab stuff from our fridge to eat while I grade them."

    Yurie''s expression was torn between pain and relief when she handed her test to me. As soon as the paper left her hands, she quickly scurried off to the kitchen to take me up on my offer. Murata and Haru followed her. Souta and Hazel were still in the kitchen finishing up their own lunches.

    Grading the rest of the tests did not take long. My time at Naranja-Uva Academy had turned me into a test-hardened veteran who could mark hundreds of papers in a day or two if necessary. Much to my immense pleasure, the other three gym trainers passed with near flying colors.

    I had a huge smile on my face when everybody returned from the kitchen.

    "You all did great," I praised as I handed back graded papers. It was a leftover habit from my former teaching days, but I''d added little stickers and individual handwritten notes to each one. Murata actually barked out a laugh when he saw the goofy Wigglytuff sticker I''d slapped onto the front page of his test. The younger gym trainers didn''t even bother hiding how happy they were when they went through the compliments I''d written for them.

    It was shown all over their faces.

    "Everybody passed. So¡­" I clapped my hands together loudly. Tests were immediately set down as multiple pairs of eyes focused on me. "You can help train the gym Pokemon from now on. Can everybody take out their phones for a second and navigate to their Zoogle Drive?"

    While everybody did what I asked, I pulled my own phone out and tapped on the screen a couple times. "I''ve just shared with you a spreadsheet containing information about the gym Pokemon and what moves they currently know. You can also find personal notes I''ve written down regarding their growth, fighting styles, and current training plans. It may look overwhelming, but I''m not expecting you to memorize all these pages. Just use them as a guide from now on as you learn to work together with the gym Pokemon in mock battles. Everyone understand?"

    As soon as I got a sea of nods in return, I picked up a remote from the table and turned the TV on. A presentation appeared on the screen with the words Gym Life 101 in bold. This got a few laughs out of my employees as they pulled out their notebooks and pens for what was obviously another lecture at hand.

    I smiled, glad that I didn''t have to tell them to get ready.

    "As you might have already guessed from the title slide, today''s lecture is going to be about the Cherrygrove Gym. I''m going to explain how it will operate during the League Circuit season as well as other things you''ll need to know as a gym trainer going forward," I said as a preamble.

    Everyone paid close attention as I clicked to the next slide. I kept talking as bullet points with information popped up one after another.

    "I will be offering several challenge formats at my Gym, but I''ll only be talking about two today," I began, and I paused meaningfully. "The standard challenge and the gauntlet."

    The room was filled with quiet scribbling as I started holding up fingers with my free hand.

    "The standard challenge is fairly simple. A challenger only has to fight me, the Gym Leader. The gauntlet is different. The challenger has to face and win consecutive matches against gym trainers before they can face me. In either format, the challenger needs to defeat me at the end to receive the badge," I explained.

    Excitement coursed through my veins from the last word I spoke. Earlier this morning, I''d placed an order with the League for TMs and gym badges.

    I couldn''t wait to see them when they were finally finished and shipped out.

    Giddy with thoughts of the future, I continued on. "The standard challenge is the norm across the whole Kinjoh Area nowadays. That being said, while the gauntlet has fallen out of popularity, there are still quite a few trainers in Kanto-Johto who choose this format for their gym challenges. The gauntlet has a lot more history in our country compared to others. So, what does this mean for you guys?" I smiled, pointing at my audience. "You won''t be bored during the next Circuit, that''s for sure. There''ll be plenty of chances for each of you to battle."

    Everyone''s faces lit up. Souta and Haru looked especially motivated, and I chuckled a bit.

    "It''s exciting, I know, but there''s going to be a lot you need to learn to get to that point. Depending on what badge a trainer is aiming for, you''ll need to field Pokemon of the appropriate strength. You can''t go too easy or too hard on them either. We''re here to test people, so we need to make sure we give them an appropriate challenge. You''ll be allowed to use your own Pokemon for any gym matches so long as they are a Fairy and abide by the battle''s difficulty level. It''ll be great experience for them."

    Murata, Souta, and Haru were all pleased by this since they qualified. Yurie and Hazel were both out of luck since they didn''t own any Fairy types, but I saw them don thoughtful expressions.

    Perhaps that would change in the near future.

    I clicked my remote again and moved to the next slide. Two pictures showed up on screen with different groups of Pokemon.

    "I haven''t introduced them to you guys yet, but you''ve probably noticed these Pokemon hanging out in the backyard by now. Chansey and Comfey are our gym''s medical team. My own Elite, Audi, will sometimes help if she has time," I said as I circled the first picture with a laser pointer. I then gestured to the second image. "These are Pokemon loaned to us by the League. If you''ve ever participated in or watched a gym battle before, you''ve seen how there''s always a barrier up around the field, right? That''s to contain attacks from harming spectators or the surrounding areas. We have Kadabra and one Hypno on standby for that. We also have Geodude, Graveler, and Dugtrio to aid with resetting the field in between matches."

    I paused in my explanation to point out three small Pokemon in the corner of the photo. They had pink spikes protruding from their backs and had been traded from Mina in return for some Snubbull on my end. "These are called Pyukumuku. They''re not from the League but Pokemon under my own possession. We''ll be using them to purify the field of any poison, which I am expecting quite a bit of since Poison type species are common in Kanto-Johto. In fact¡­"

    The next slide appeared, this time showing images of native Poison type Pokemon. There were so many that they filled the whole screen from top to bottom. Everybody''s eyes widened.

    I nodded sagely. "Yes, quite common in our country. We''ve got everything from Zubat to Nidoran to Bellsprout and more. Expect these Pokemon to show up frequently in gym matches. Many trainers will probably own or may try to add at least one of these Pokemon to their teams for the type advantage against Fairies."

    Type advantages and disadvantages became less important in higher-level matches where skilled trainers knew how to fight around them. For low-level challenges, though, they held more significance and were something we tested younger trainers on.

    Coughing quietly, I waved my remote a bit. "But going back to our medical and cleanup crews of Pokemon: they''ll be around to assist with the gym, so get to know them. One of your other duties as gym trainers will be refereeing challenges. Has anyone here ever done so before?"

    Only one hand was raised, and it belonged to Yurie.

    I nodded to myself. Such a result had been expected. "I''ll be teaching you how to do so, then," I assured the crowd.

    The lecture went on a little longer as I talked about various aspects of gym trainer life. At one point, Hazel actually inquired about a dress code. As far as uniforms went, I wasn''t enforcing a strict dress code for the League Circuit season. Gym trainers would be required to wear either a shirt or jacket with the symbols of the gym badge and Indigo League printed on them, which would be handed out later. They could wear whatever else they wanted as long as they had those logos clearly displayed.

    Right as people were starting to lose focus forty minutes in, I transitioned to something more exciting. Everybody stared with renewed and rapt attention as a slide full of move names appeared on the screen.

    "Before I end today''s lecture, I''m going to go over some Fairy type moves that you should know going forward," I explained. "The Fairy type has been officially verified and known for about a year now in the Kinjoh Area, but Fairy type energy itself is still being heavily researched. Before, people mistook it for Psychic or Normal type energy. There are only a few moves that people know as being Fairy type¡­ like Disarming Voice and Sweet Kiss for example."

    All of this was true. When I''d looked on Zoogle to see what trainers in the Kinjoh Area currently knew about the Fairy type, the results had appalled me. People knew information regarding Fairies like type matchups and the most basic moves like Charm or Disarming Voice, but beyond that?

    It was all unknown territory for them. They didn''t know any higher-level abilities or moves because there had never been any trainers or their Pokemon who actively explored such techniques before or understood the type energy they were working with.

    Not until me at least. I was now the one and only leading Fairy Specialist of the Kinjoh Area, and by Arceus, I needed to spread word about Fairies. The soon-to-be published research study would help immensely with that and broaden the technical knowledge trainers had.

    Notes were frantically jotted down as I began speaking once more. "Disarming Voice and Fairy Wind are the two most basic Fairy attacks out there, and most of the gym Pokemon know at least one if not both of these moves," I said. "Another move a lot of them know but that you probably have never seen before is Baby-Doll Eyes. This move has a similar effect to Charm, but it can be activated a lot faster¡­"

    I focused on the most basic Fairy type moves and what they looked like, but I did explain moves up the ladder like Draining Kiss or Dazzling Gleam. I also spent quite a bit of time talking about Misty Terrain, as this was one of the best support moves a Fairy could learn, and briefly touched on Moonblast, what was essentially the most iconic Fairy type move and the hardest to master.

    None of my gym trainers would be worrying about such a powerful attack for a while, though.

    "That''s the end of today''s lecture. You can head home for now and come back in the evening to partake in your first training session with the gym Pokemon," I said. "I also finally have some free time right now, so if anyone wants advice from me regarding their Pokemon, I can¡ª"

    I broke off as everybody''s hands immediately shot up high into the air. Eager faces stared back at me. One of the best benefits of being a gym trainer was the opportunity to receive private instruction, and everyone was intent on taking advantage of today''s chance.

    I smiled, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "Then let''s head out back."

    We stood together in a loose circle in the backyard. There was only one of me and five new gym trainers wanting to be taught, so I went one-by-one. My gaze fell upon Yurie first.

    "Like I''ve mentioned multiple times before, I''d love any help you can give regarding my starter Pokemon," Yurie said excitedly, and she gestured to the Altaria she had already released. Nimbus chirped a greeting to me and bowed his head respectfully. "His singing needs¡­ improvement."

    With one whistle from me, Arya came flying over and landed next to my figure.

    "This is Arya," I introduced, but Yurie and Nimbus were only half-listening. They stared at the bird with admiring looks. After I explained the dilemma at hand to Arya, she tilted her head curiously and studied the other Altaria.

    I took this moment to prompt Yurie and her Pokemon.

    "Let''s hear his singing first before anything else," I suggested.

    In my peripheral vision, I saw Hazel visibly wince and adopt a fearful expression. If I recalled correctly, he''d mentioned at the staff party that he''d heard Nimbus sing in the past.

    He¡­ wasn''t that bad, was he?

    A few seconds later, when Nimbus opened his beak and began to sing, I had an answer to that dreaded inquiry.

    Awful, terrible sounds filled the air that made me want to clamp my hands over my ears immediately. This was not singing but shrieking. Whatever Nimbus was trying to produce sounded vaguely like some sort of ballad, but in all honesty, it was hard to tell. It resembled the wailing of a Ghost if anything.

    I barely managed to make myself listen to more than a few notes before I threw a hand forward.

    "You can stop there!" I said almost frantically. Nimbus immediately snapped his beak shut, and peace returned to the world once more. Everybody around us breathed a sigh of relief. Hazel in particular looked like he was about to cry tears of joy.

    As for Nimbus and Yurie, they both stared at me with sheepish expressions. They were obviously used to such reactions.

    "So¡­" Yurie trailed off. "Thoughts?"

    I didn''t say anything and shot a passing side glance at Arya first. My Altaria looked remarkably composed, but I saw the slight twitching of her eye and¡­

    Yeah, there was a long road to be walked, or in this case, flown and sang.

    "Nimbus has a powerful voice," I complimented first and foremost. "But¡­ yes, his singing does need a lot of work." Yurie''s Altaria drooped his head a bit at this. "Fairy type energy can help enhance his singing and make it sound more beautiful, but he needs the foundation to build off of. He needs to learn actual singing techniques first. I can''t help with that last bit, but Arya here can. She''s a professional."

    She really was. If I was to say so myself, my Altaria was the best damn Altaria in the world. I couldn''t think of another Pokemon who could sing more beautifully than her or had produced as many original songs as she had. If anyone could help Yurie and her Altaria out, it was her.

    Arya was up for the challenge if the glint in her eye was anything to go by. When she saw Nimbus''s sad expression, Arya hopped forward and let out a string of encouraging chirps. Whatever she said caused the other bird to brighten up considerably.

    I smiled, gesturing to a corner of our backyard. "You can go practice over there and, uh¡­ bring one of the Kadabra with you to make a sound barrier. I''ll drop by later to check in on how you''re doing," I said.

    In my head, I apologized in advance to whichever unfortunate League Kadabra was chosen. Their eardrums would not have a fun time.

    Yurie happily walked away with both Altaria following her. I turned to the next individual.

    "Oh, no Pokemon advice for me today. I actually wanted to discuss more about type energies with you," Hazel timidly admitted. He couldn''t hide a dorky smile as he adjusted his round glasses. "The lecture from last time was really fascinating. I felt like I was listening to an esteemed professor at Celadon University again!"

    I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. I didn''t think my lecture was that great, but if Hazel had enjoyed it to that extent¡­ then I was happy. We would chat after I helped the others first.

    Murata, of course, wanted help with his Wigglytuff.

    "Wiggly has been excited for another meeting," he said with a grin. The Wigglytuff next to him puffed up his chest. I quickly noted the healthy sheen of fur and powerful-looking legs.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    "You''ve definitely raised him well," was the first thing I said, and Murata wore a very pleased expression.

    Taffy was beyond elated to see the other Wigglytuff again and shook hands with him energetically. He still remembered fighting him during the interview.

    "So what exactly do you want help with?" I asked curiously.

    "Wiggly is interested in how your Pokemon is able to inflate so quickly," Murata explained. His Wigglytuff nodded vigorously in the background. "We''ve focused on his kicking abilities ever since I first caught him, but I think if we could mix in the ability to inflate and bounce, we could rise to a new level of close combat."

    "Taffy?" I turned to my Pokemon. He just grinned back at me and held up a thumbs-up. Not a problem, he said. I had a smile of my own as I turned back to Murata. "There you have it, Taffy''s more than willing to help Wiggly with that."

    While Taffy began telling the other Wigglytuff about lung strengthening exercises, I focused my attention on the last two gym trainers.

    Souta and Haru both looked at me with nervous but excited expressions.

    "I''m guessing you want to help your Snubbull and Azurill grow stronger respectively?" I asked with a knowing smile, and both boys nodded.

    "I took your advice from last time. Snubbull''s been running more lately," Souta began. "But we''re having some trouble with learning a long-range move¡­ I can''t afford a TM right now either."

    "Mud-Slap," I said immediately, and Souta looked at me with renewed interest. "It''s a move I''ve been teaching some of the gym Snubbull lately, and it''s not too hard to learn. Your Snubbull can probably get it down in less than a week."

    Souta was on board with that idea, so I turned now to Haru.

    "I''d like to teach my Azurill more moves in general," he explained. "Right now, Mimi only knows Water Gun, Tail Whip, and Charm."

    Another fast response came from me. I had a lot of experience with training the Azurill line. "I''ll show you some tail-strengthening exercises your Azurill can practice so you can get Splash as another option for movement. Then, Mimi can try learning Bubble so she can transition more easily to Bubble Beam later."

    "Y-Yes please!" Haru beamed. He looked absolutely thrilled with the suggestions I''d offered.

    Hazel waited patiently off to the side while I got the teenagers started. I introduced Souta to one of the senior gym Snubbull and Haru and his Azurill to Zuzu.

    Zuzu and I both had smiles on our faces when we saw Mimi staring up with undisguised awe. I was pretty sure she and I were remembering how she used to be that small, too.

    "Zuzu," I introduced with an extra dramatic flair of my hand. Mimi let out excited little squeaks and introduced herself to the older Pokemon. My Azumarill took one look at the young Azurill bouncing up and down happily and looked back at me.

    With a very serious expression and yet unrestrained smile, she pointed at the other Pokemon and told me she was taking Mimi on as her disciple.

    I snorted with laughter. It was hard not to fall for an Azurill''s cuteness. Meanwhile, Haru looked back and forth between us with confusion.

    "Er¡­ What happened?"

    "My Azumarill said she''ll personally teach Mimi from now on," I explained with a voice full of mirth.

    Haru''s eyes widened. "Really?" he all but exclaimed. He offered a hasty bow to the other Pokemon. "Er¡­ thank you so much, Zuzu."

    The Azumarill merely laughed as she waddled up to Mimi. While the Pokemon chatted, I turned to Haru.

    "She''s explaining how to channel energy into the tail for Splash," I explained. "It shouldn''t be too hard for Mimi to learn. An Azurill''s tail is naturally bouncy which will help a lot in the process."

    "Thank you so much," Haru said with a quick bow of his head. When he raised it, I saw confusion in his eyes. "But, um, how do you know what Zuzu''s saying? It feels like you actually understand her."

    "That''s because I can," I said casually with a shrug of my shoulders. "I''m an Ability Holder who can understand Fairies or related species."

    "HUH?"

    The following exclamation from Haru was loud enough that everyone else heard it and looked over.

    I scratched my cheek.

    "I guess I forgot to mention that after I hired you guys. Oops?"

    Needless to say, when the other gym trainers found out, they all collectively looked at me like I was an exotic new creature.

    Just another ordinary day around the Watanuki household.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

    With the gym trainers now being able to participate in training sessions, things got quite lively around the house. I had my staff members work with the lower-tier gym Pokemon for the time being while dad, Neil, and I trained the other Pokemon on more advanced techniques.

    Haru truly impressed me during this time.

    Out of all my new gym trainers, and despite never having gone on a journey of his own, he was the best at handling the gym Pokemon. He had the natural kind disposition for it and an excellent ability to read body language. No matter what any of the Pokemon did, Haru just took it in stride and smiled at them.

    He even stayed calm when Impidimp jumped all over him and playfully ¡ª or painfully ¡ª tugged on his hair.

    Most of the gym Pokemon were pretty happy with how attentive he was to their needs and more motivated to follow his orders during training sessions. Souta and Murata were the best at handling Pokemon after Haru, and they were followed by Yurie and Hazel. I was proud of all of them. They were respectful of the Pokemon and faithfully completed whatever tasks I gave them (though Yurie often complained about how many reports she had to write regarding what she did every day).

    I was very pleased overall with how things were progressing. My gym trainers were eager to learn, the Pokemon were happy¡­ If things continued like so, I''d even look into hiring a few more gym trainers over the summer.

    When the evening training session for the day eventually wrapped up, my mood was at an alltime high.

    "Great job everyone!" I called out. My tired gym trainers smiled back at me. "I doubt anyone here has forgotten, but tomorrow is Indigo National Day. No work tomorrow."

    People nodded in understanding. I was about to dismiss everyone when dad cleared his throat, and we all turned to him questioningly.

    "Neil and I were talking¡­" Dad began.

    "¡­And we thought a barbeque party would be fun! We can all celebrate Indigo National Day together!" Neil finished brightly. He held up two hands in a double thumbs-up motion. "Adriel said we could host it here at your family''s house. Just imagine it: sizzling beef, corn, sweet potatoes¡­"

    He rambled on, but he''d already had me at sizzling. Who could say no to grilled food?

    I tried not to drool as I looked back at my gym trainers. I only had one question for them.

    "So, who''s up for barbeque?"

    Enthusiastic cheers were my answers. Dad and I extended invitations to Oak and the rest of the researchers, and they all happily accepted. Neil and Murata were both going to bring their wives, and in Murata''s case, his twin daughters as well. Hazel messaged his sister, but apparently she was dead tired from working multiple shifts at the hospital and going to sleep the whole day. I didn''t forget to invite Kari and Yulian either. They both instantly texted back affirmatives.

    As it stood, this party was going to be a pleasantly crowded one. I had something to look forward to now after I came back tomorrow.

    All the Indigo Gym Leaders were expected to be at the Plateau tomorrow. Lance had kindly sent out reminders to everyone just a few hours ago. In his message were instructions on where to go and a rundown of how the festivities at the Plateau would proceed.

    I was honestly really excited. I''d watched the national celebrations live on television so many times as a kid, and I''d never gotten sick of the amazing displays. Now I was going to be able to see everything in person once the morning arrived.

    That night, I went to sleep dreaming of stunning fireworks and marching bands.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Rustle.

    Something soft plopped on my head and stirred me from my slumber.

    Groaning, I opened my eyes and saw nothing but white.

    "What the¡­?" I muttered sleepily. It took me a few seconds to realize the thing on my face was Arya''s wing. She had claimed a spot on the bed to cuddle with me and Vel. Must have snuck into my room from the balcony outside, I mused to myself.

    I gently pulled the sleeping Altaria''s wing off my head and ignored how incredibly fluffy it felt. A yawn escaped my mouth as I checked my phone on the bedside table. It was still 6:36 AM, so I could sleep a little longer.

    Then I remembered what today was, and my drowsiness disappeared in an instant. Excitement took its place.

    It was the morning of Indigo National Day, our country''s biggest holiday.

    I found myself faintly humming the national anthem as I got out of bed. Somehow, this was enough to awaken the sound asleep Arya. Her eyes flew wide open as she began harmonizing with the melody I was humming, and I stopped abruptly to chuckle.

    "How do you even know that tune?" I wondered out loud. I was pretty sure she''d never heard the Indigo anthem before in her life.

    The Altaria chirped proudly, which I assumed to be something along the likes of ''I am a genius so I just guessed.''

    Our short music making session and conversation ended up waking Vel. The Sylveon grumpily asked us why we were being so loud in the morning as he stumbled off the bed.

    I just smiled.

    "Because it''s Indigo National Day," I said simply.

    Vel just stared at me blankly. I''d already explained the significance of today''s holiday to all my Pokemon, but they still didn''t quite understand it.

    It didn''t matter. This was a day of celebration and good cheer.

    Vel ended up hopping onto Arya''s back and going out through the balcony to talk to the other Pokemon while I got ready. We weren''t expected to dress up today, but I threw on my usual formal wear anyway. When I was done, I took the stairs down two at a time with a huge smile on my face. There were delicious scents wafting my way from the kitchen ¡ª fruity and savory alike ¡ª and I eagerly popped in. Dad was seated at the table already with plates of waffles.

    I just knew breakfast was going to be something good.

    "Happy National Day," I greeted cheerfully, and I slid into my seat. "These look fantastic."

    Dad chuckled into his mug of coffee. "Happy National Day, son," he replied warmly. "Thought you could use something energizing for the day ahead."

    I thanked him for the food before proceeding to stuff my face in record time. I didn''t have to be at the Plateau so early, but I was too excited to sit around at home and wait. I helped clean up the plates and drag grills out back for the barbeque party later.

    While Dad went back inside to start rooting through the kitchen, I collected all my Pokemon. Silque then Teleported me north.

    For the second time in the same week, the Indigo Plateau was crowded. Today, it was for joyous reasons.

    Hordes of people had already gathered this early in the morning, and all of them were heading for the Pokemon League Village. The main event was going to be held at Indigo Stadium, the same one they used for the Indigo Conference that would be held in two weeks. The Kanto League Circuit was staggered so that it began and ended after Johto''s. That way, revenues for each region''s Conference would see maximum profits as people actually had the option to pick and choose which one they wanted to see. A lot of people typically bought tickets for both.

    I did not follow the moving sea of citizens. Instead, after recalling Silque, I was Teleported by a League Kadabra right to the Indigo Stadium itself.

    It was truly massive. The Indigo Stadium was tied with the Silver Stadium in Johto for being the largest ones in our country, both with a maximum seating capacity of 120,000 people. I''d been Teleported right into the luxury box seating area.

    I thought I was early, but quite a few other Gym Leaders had arrived before me.

    Erika and Janine from Kanto were there. Among the Johto Gym Leaders, I saw Falkner, Bugsy, and Clair. And of course, the Champion and Elite Four were present as well. Lance even strode up to greet me with a large smile.

    "Arin, good to see you again," he said sincerely.

    I smiled back. We''d kept in touch since his last visit, but we hadn''t talked too much. "You as well, Lance. Happy National Day."

    Across the room, Clair whipped her head back to look between the two of us with no small amount of confusion. She seemed like she didn''t know what to make of our interaction, but I just ignored her.

    I talked a little more with Lance before drifting away. My gaze was locked on the two Leaders from Kanto.

    They saw my approaching figure and spoke to me first.

    "Happy National Day, Leader Arin," Erika greeted in a soft voice. With perfect posture, the young woman clasped her hands in front of her and smiled at me. "It''s a pleasure meeting you. If you could please tell this to your father in person¡­ I would like to thank him again for the Grass type Pokemon. They have been a big help to me this Circuit season, and I make sure they receive only the utmost respect and care from me."

    I wasn''t surprised. Dad had mentioned as much to me back when I first returned to Johto, that he had given Erika some of his gym Pokemon after closing down the place. Apparently Erika even messaged dad occasionally asking for advice on Grass types. Though she was a Grass Specialist in her own right, she looked up to an experienced veteran like him.

    "You as well. Happy National Day," I echoed with a polite smile of my own. The Celadon Gym Leader seemed kind. "I''m glad the Pokemon are doing well under your care. My dad will be pleased to hear it."

    Erika dipped her head ever so slightly in a gesture of thanks. Next to her, Janine took advantage of the lull in conversation to speak up.

    "Greetings, Leader Arin of the Cherrygrove Gym," the young girl spoke in a formal tone. "May the light of Radiant Ho-Oh watch over you always¡­ as it is said in Johto, yes?"

    Her voice took on a hesitant lilt at the end, and I barely refrained from chuckling.

    "That''s right," I confirmed. Looking at her up close, she truly resembled her father, Koga. Janine''s lips twitched into an almost imperceptible smile before they fell flat once more. After taking a second to clear her throat, she inclined her head in acknowledgement.

    "I saw that Leader Whitney added you to our group chat," she remarked. "It is interesting to see yet another person join our ranks. We have had many new Gym Leaders take up office within the last year."

    Right, Whitney had added me to that chat at the meeting in Ecruteak. Both of these ladies were in it as well if I remembered correctly.

    I nodded slowly. "It''s certainly interesting¡­"

    Erika and Janine were both polite. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with them, I made my way to where the Johto Gym Leaders were sitting nearby. I raised my hand in a silent greeting.

    Clair gave me some sort of inscrutable look before glancing away, and Falkner didn''t even react. Only Bugsy gave me a small, shy wave in return.

    "Happy National Day, Arin!" Bugsy smiled nervously at me as I took the seat next to him. I quickly noticed how tense his shoulders were. "Um¡­ have you been well since the meeting?"

    "Couldn''t be better. I''ve been busy showing my gym trainers the ropes. How about you?"

    "S-Same," Bugsy admitted. "Busy, I mean. Lots of challengers have been dropping by to get one more badge before the Circuit ends. I''m so glad we get a day off today¡­ I, uh, wanted to see the fireworks so I came super early."

    He ducked his head in embarrassment. I was left to smile at him with much amusement. Now more than ever, he resembled an ordinary teenager rather than one of the eight pillars of Johto.

    "Me too," I whispered in a conspiratorial way. Bugsy raised his head and stared at me in shock. He blinked about ten times in rapid succession, but I merely grinned at him. "I was so excited for today that I had some trouble falling asleep last night."

    I heard the faintest sound of someone scoffing behind me ¡ª a decidedly male voice, and there was only one person it could have belonged to ¡ª but I paid no attention to it. Bugsy was actually wearing the biggest smile I''d seen from him yet. His previously tense shoulders dropped.

    "Really?" Bugsy beamed at me. "The fireworks are really cool every year! They always pick different Pokemon shapes¡­"

    Neither Clair nor Falkner made an attempt to join the conversation, and I did not extend an invitation to them either. I ended up talking to Bugsy on my own. He proved to be surprisingly talkative once his initial nerves wore off, and more so when I randomly inquired about his Bug types.

    He practically lit up like the sun and started spouting information left and right. It was obvious he was very passionate about his chosen specialty.

    About ten minutes into our chat, other Gym Leaders started popping into the room one after another. Blaine, the Waterflower sisters (they actually interrupted our conversation to come and say hi to me excitedly, each with a compliment about my Milotic), Sabrina (who Teleported into the room on her own), and Morty and Jasmine, much to my delight.

    Both of them joined me and Bugsy in our conversation, and our group only got larger as the rest of the Johto Gym Leaders slowly arrived. Whitney made a beeline towards us and was more than happy to talk about anything and everything. Chuck sat down with us after revealing he made his wife angry again by training too late the night before.

    Pryce did not join. Instead, he sat off to the side by himself with a cold yet dignified appearance.

    Our side of the room may have shown fractures, but the Kanto Gym Leader side was split up, too. Erika, Brock, Janine, the Waterflower sisters, Lt. Surge, and Giovanni, who offered me a greeting when he arrived, formed one giant group. The others, Sabrina and Blaine, sat by themselves.

    Not the best display of unity on a day like Indigo National Day.

    I don''t know how much time passed, but Lance finally clapped his hands together to get everyone''s attention. It was time for the opening speech. We formed two neat columns and walked behind Lance as he and the Elite Four led us to the outside balcony.

    The crowd''s cheers were deafening as we emerged into the sunlight.

    I hadn''t paid too much attention inside the luxury box, but the stadium was fully packed by now. No matter where I looked, people were energetically waving hands and mini flags around. Exuberant yells rang out and clamored over one another until they became an indistinguishable symphony. Just for this day, everybody came together to celebrate, and it was heartening.

    While the Elite Four took up positions on either side of Lance, I fell into line with the other Gym Leaders behind them. Lance walked up to the edge of the balcony where the microphone was.

    As if by magic, the whole stadium fell silent within seconds.

    I couldn''t see Lance''s expression from my position, but a quick glance at one of the huge stadium screens revealed it to me. He wore a large and genuine smile.

    "Welcome, citizens of Indigo," Lance began in a powerful voice. The crowd fell even more silent if that was possible. "Today is a special day for our nation. We celebrate the union of Kanto and Johto as one country under the proud flag of Indigo. We celebrate our harmony, our cooperation, and the prosperity we have achieved thus far and will continue to have."

    Hundreds of camera flashes went off in the audience, but Lance went on without pause. "Fifty years ago, we were not Indigo but two separate regions. Look at how far we have come since then. Today, Indigo is one of the greatest nations of the Kinjoh Area¡­"

    Our Champion went on about Indigo''s history. The crowd ate everything up, their attention hyperfocused on the charismatic man known as Lance Wataru.

    Eventually, the opening speech began to draw to a close. Lance broke into a wide smile as he held his arms out.

    "We are Indigo," he said proudly. "There is nothing we cannot achieve if we work together. So today, let us celebrate National Day. May our deities watch over us, and may the celebrations begin."

    As soon as he finished, the crowd roared their approval. Sound filled the stadium from furious clapping and the stomping of feet against ground. All the Gym Leaders next to me were smiling, even the normally ice-cold Pryce. I looked on with a smile on my own face as Indigo ¡ª our dear, glorious Indigo ¡ª cheered their hearts out.

    And the festivities truly began.

    We went back and sat inside the luxury box seating. The first part of the event, the military procession, had already started as I looked out the window. Police officers, Rangers, and League soldiers alike marched through the stadium and displayed their unity. Dozens of Growlithe led by a few Arcanine ran dizzying circles and blasted out flames in the pattern of the Indigo League''s symbol. Rangers from various squads rode Flying mounts and zipped through the air in impressive aerial maneuvers. These even elicited large oohs from the crowd when the birds dipped low to the ground and pulled up right before crashing. I was pretty sure I saw Falkner dip his head ever so slightly in approval.

    It didn''t end there. After the military procession came various Pokemon demonstrations. There were Rapidash and Ponyta who jumped as high as the stadium itself, Politoed and Starmie who worked together to create mesmerizing geysers and rainbows in the sky, a Rhydon that created a staggeringly large and detailed replica of the League Headquarters''s exterior from the earth, and more.

    All of it was incredible. I kind of wished my own Pokemon with artistic tendencies could go down and show off, too.

    Halfway into the event, Indigo''s best choir took the stage and sang the national anthem, something I knew Arya enjoyed by how her Pokeball shook on my belt. More Pokemon demonstrations followed the choir''s act along with a parade.

    The parade floats were all amazing.

    "Aww¡­" Jasmine cooed softly at one point. "Look at the Pikachu family!"

    She pointed at a group of balloons made up of two Pikachu and two Pichu lovingly hugging each other. It was definitely adorable.

    They''d even included floats of each Gym Leader''s starter Pokemon. Much to my immense surprise and joy, Vel was included in the bunch. Somehow they''d managed to get the details down perfectly for a new Pokemon they''d only recently seen on television. The look that Lance sneaked me made me wonder if he''d personally put in the suggestion to the event planning council. I knew it couldn''t have been easy to make considering the League usually prepared months in advance for today''s proceedings.

    It was a lot of fun. Whether it was watching the entertaining displays or sharing excited comments with Morty and Jasmine in between, I enjoyed myself and the event very much.

    Unfortunately, the festivities couldn''t go on forever. The last performers took their leave, and that was our cue to head back outside for the closing ceremony. Fireworks were launched into the sky, each with a dazzling, unique color and the shape of a different Pokemon. I stood there with my neck craned towards the heavens and a smile on my face. I felt like a kid again watching the national celebrations on TV, except this time, I was grown up and here to witness it all in person.

    I still had the barbeque at home to look forward to as well.

    When the fireworks faded, Lance stepped up to the microphone once more.

    "Those of us at the Indigo League wish to thank everyone who showed up at the Plateau today and everyone who watched the proceedings from home. We are always grateful for your support, and we hope to bring you another wonderful National Day celebration next year," Lance said. With a practiced flick of his cape, he held up a hand. "We will now raise the flag of Indigo. Please stand and join me in honoring everything we have achieved so far."

    The people in the stadium rose to their feet as one. All of us ¡ª me, the Gym Leaders and Elites, and the spectators both here and far away ¡ª began clapping and cheering as League officials hoisted a massive flag high into the air. The symbol of our nation fluttered proudly in the breeze.

    Indigo had truly come a long way since its beginnings, and so had I.

    I thought about the new friends I had made and my family and staff members waiting at home, and a huge smile overtook my features. So much had happened since returning to Johto. It hadn''t all been smooth sailing, and it never would be, but my determination did not waver. I had only just begun to etch my name in Indigo''s history. The future awaited me.

    And the flag burst into flames.

    Cheers and claps alike halted abruptly as screams rang out instead. The flag of Indigo was gone.

    Only ashes were yielded in their place, and they were quickly lost in the wind.

    I stared with shock. Lance had a similar look torn between utter surprise and confusion as he turned his earpiece on, presumably to ask subordinates what the hell was going on.

    But he froze. We all did. Despairing, heavy silence blanketed the whole arena and smothered us until we could not speak.

    In the air above the stadium, words made of dark, unknown energy had bloomed into existence.

    Remember Our Cause, Kill Every Traitor.

    My blood ran cold. So very, very cold.

    That was a motto that hadn''t been seen in fifteen years, one that had even been banned from some history books¡ª

    The words didn''t end there. Another phrase appeared.

    We rise again.

    A single, massive letter manifested just below those two phrases.

    R.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

 Chapter 29

    CHAPTER 29

    Everybody in that stadium knew whose motto that was and what R stood for. Years ago, they had instilled terror into the hearts of Indigo''s citizens.

    Team Rocket.

    Before I even finished that thought, the words quickly vanished into thin air.

    In the next row over, Sabrina had one hand outstretched. Her pink eyes glowed faintly. It didn''t take a genius to figure out the best psychic in all of Kanto-Johto had removed the ominous message with her powers, but it was too late.

    People had already seen and read it. The stunned silence that had befallen the stadium shifted and warped into a sea of low murmurs. Voices rose up around us and grew louder and yet louder.

    We exploded into action right as shouts and cries of fear filled the stadium.

    "Koga! Agatha!" Lance barked.

    They were gone before the second syllable even left his lips. Both Koga and his daughter had vanished in the blink of an eye, presumably off to scout the surroundings, and Agatha had been swallowed up by shadows that surged upwards from her own. Complicated movement via Shadow Sneak, but now was not the time to be amazed by Agatha''s famed mode of transport.

    All the Indigo Gym Leaders, including myself, had hands at the ready on our Pokeballs as Lance whipped around to look at us. His expression was one of utmost seriousness.

    "Comms!" he yelled, and Ace Trainers standing nearby came running over with bags full of backup earpieces. Lance jabbed a finger at them and then at us. "Keep them on and secure the premises! GO!"

    We ran forward even before he roared out the last word.

    There was no time to think or chat. As soon as I snatched up one of the earpieces and attached it to my person, I dashed to the side and released multiple Pokemon in rapid succession.

    All my fliers ¡ª Arya, Peri, Fizz, and Zuri ¡ª came out for obvious reasons. I also released my two Ghosts, Mem and Fia.

    They had all heard Lance''s words from inside their Pokeballs and stared at me with serious expressions. They may not have known what exactly was going on, but they understood this was a grave situation.

    "Mem, Fia, you two stay here and help comb the stadium for suspicious individuals or objects," I said hurriedly. Mem and Fia instantly sank into the ground and disappeared. In my peripheral vision, I saw Morty commanding his small army of Ghosts to do much the same. More orders flew out of my mouth as I climbed on Zuri''s back. "The rest of you, we''re going to search the skies and grounds around the stadium!"

    "Everyone, please remain calm¡­" Lance said into the microphone, but I didn''t hear the rest.

    My Pokemon all shot up into the sky. We weren''t the only ones. The other Gym Leaders with flying mounts had taken off as well while the rest stayed in the stadium to help Ace Trainers secure stadium exits. Other League Trainers had moved further into the stands to help placate the panicked crowds.

    We left behind the budding scene of chaos and flew through the air in a battle-ready formation. Zuri and I were in the middle with my other three fliers spread out evenly around us in a protective triangle. Each of them was ready to attack or defend at a moment''s notice.

    This was not our first rodeo. My team and I had encountered life-and-death situations throughout the years. Those included everything from Area Zero-related conflicts to small gangs and criminal organizations in other regions while we''d traveled through them, but this was a whole new danger level.

    Team Rocket, the most notorious criminal organization to have ever appeared in the Kinjoh Area and possibly the entire world.

    My earlier shock had faded. Now, I only had questions. Was Team Rocket actually back? Or was it an entirely new entity who was trying to shake up Indigo by pretending to be them? As horrifying as it was, I leaned towards the former. Nobody would recklessly try to imitate Team Rocket. It was just a surefire way to get the League on your ass faster than you could blink.

    There was also the matter of how this had even happened in the first place. Security measures for national events like today''s were supposed to be top of the line. The Indigo League pulled out all the stops. Human and Pokemon Psychics, roaming Dark, Ghost, and Fighting types, Ace Trainers patrolling the skies and grounds with their Pokemon¡­ they had it all.

    Yet somehow, someone had gotten the better of us.

    And everything had to happen today of all days, Indigo National Day. This was going to stay in the news for a long time, and Lance and the League were about to get extremely busy.

    I calmly detached myself from my fast-growing train of thoughts, lips pressed into a thin line. There would be time to think later.

    Right now, I had a job to do.

    My Pokemon all had eyes and ears peeled as we swooped through the skies and scanned our surroundings. There were League Trainers and their Pokemon spread out on the ground below like tiny Durants. So far, there didn''t seem to be anything out of the ordinary.

    We actually ran into Falkner and his birds during our sweep of the stadium''s perimeter. He was on the back of an absolutely massive Pidgeot, and his flight formation was much bigger and more elaborate than ours given that his entire team was made of Flying types. I made eye contact with him as we passed by each other. Not a word was spoken, but we both nodded ever so slightly. Then we continued on our respective ways. The whole time, I couldn''t stop feeling tense.

    Two minutes later, my comms crackled to life as a familiar voice filtered through it.

    "This is Lance. Have any of you found anyone or anything?"

    I answered with a negative, and so did all the other Gym Leaders on the line. Lance''s reply was swift.

    "Then report back to the stadium. We''re Teleporting to Headquarters for a meeting."

    When I returned, the spectators were in the process of being evacuated from the grounds. Koga, Janine, and Agatha had all come back, and so had my Ghosts. Everybody recalled their Pokemon. The instant the last Gym Leader met up with us, a group of League Kadabra on standby raised their spoons.

    We suddenly found ourselves in a wide meeting room. There was a circular table in the middle with just the right number of seats to accommodate everyone, but no one sat down.

    The tension in the room was nearly suffocating. Lance''s voice cut through the air before grim silence could form.

    "I have called another person to join us¡ª" Lance began, but he stopped mid-sentence as someone Teleported into the room.

    We all stiffened, but it was not an intruder.

    It was Samuel Oak.

    There was no trace of the kind and cheerful Professor who enjoyed spending time with Pokemon. From the tautness of his shoulders to the rigid way he carried himself, it was clear how deathly serious he was. His eyes, which were normally bright and full of enthusiasm, had darkened. They were brimming with a quiet and yet barely contained fury. His jaw was clenched so hard that his veins were clearly visible.

    We were not staring at Professor Oak today. No, we were looking at the Hero of Wars and Indigo''s Undefeated Champion.

    "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Champion Oak," Lance said with a respectful bow of his head. I followed his example as did the rest of the room''s occupants. I had not missed how Lance addressed Oak by his honorary title instead of Professor.

    He didn''t have to explain to us why he''d called in Oak. All of us already knew the history between the former Champion and Team Rocket. There was, quite simply, no one else in Indigo who could provide greater insight on the situation than the man who''d led the League to victory against Team Rocket years ago. It was reassuring to have the Hero of our nation in attendance.

    Instead of replying verbally, Oak only gave a terse nod in return and stood off to the side. Lance took that as his cue to begin the meeting. He straightened, turned towards us, and swept his gaze across the room.

    "Elite Four, reports?" he demanded. Now that he was no longer in front of cameras or spectators, Lance''s calm visage slipped into one of agitation. He stood facing all of us with fists that rapidly clenched and unclenched.

    Lorelei was the first to answer. "I reviewed the security footage and sensors. There was nothing amiss. No reports have come in about sudden attacks around the country, either."

    "And I double checked with the Ace Trainers guarding the entry points," Bruno added gruffly. He folded his arms over his chest. "They didn''t log any suspicious individuals."

    Lance turned to his last two Elites, but Koga and Agatha were already shaking their heads.

    "My subordinates and I did not find anything," Koga announced with a frown. Next to him, Agatha gripped her cane tightly. Her facial features were pinched into a severe scowl.

    "The majority of my Ghosts were watching the stadium in the week leading up to the event," she said. "From then up until now, they didn''t run into any issues."

    Lance''s brows furrowed. "So we have no leads?" he asked in an incredulous voice. He whipped around to face one of the Gym Leaders in our midst. "Sabrina, you were the one who took the message down. Thank you for taking such quick action. Were you able to glean anything from it?"

    I wasn''t sure if Sabrina was normally stoic or not, but she remained impassive even as everyone in the room turned to look at her.

    "I apologize for not acting sooner," she said calmly. Dark bangs fell in front of Sabrina''s eyes as she dipped her head. "I meant to remove it as soon as the first few words appeared, but I was caught off guard by what I sensed. The message was formed from some sort of condensed psychic energy, yet¡­ I cannot say that in full confidence. It felt strange. Foreign. Not quite like the psychic energy I am normally used to."

    Sabrina''s words deeply unsettled me. Glancing around, I saw that I was not alone in my worries. The expressions of my fellow Gym Leaders only grew worse.

    To think there was something that even a genius psychic like Sabrina Natsume was shaken by.

    "Let us assume it was psychic energy for the moment since we have no better leads," Lance declared. He began to pace back and forth across the room. "But if we do, that shouldn''t have been possible. We had a dedicated team of Dark types working in shifts to keep the stadium covered with a protective dome. No unauthorized psychics or Psychic Pokemon should have been able to breach it or Teleport inside."

    "It had to be a damn powerful psychic," Lt. Surge grunted out. He gestured wildly with one hand. "Since our search results here turned up nothing but shit, I''m inclined to believe a psychic somehow pulled this stunt from a great distance."

    "But could a psychic even pierce through such an extensive Dark type blockade from that far?" Chuck countered. "That''s unheard of. Even for Sabrina and her Pokemon ¡ª please do not take offense ¡ª that would be a difficult feat against dozens of Elite-tier Dark types."

    Lt. Surge clicked his tongue but nodded begrudgingly. Chuck had a point. Sabrina herself even closed her eyes and agreed with the slightest tilt of her head.

    "What about what Sabrina said about how strange the energy felt?" Erika asked. I saw a pale hand trembling beneath her kimono sleeve.

    "It could be the work of an artificial psychic," I suggested, finally contributing my own thoughts to the situation. Pairs of eyes came to rest on me, but I went on calmly and locked gazes with Oak across the room. "If¡­ this message was truly from Team Rocket¡­ there is a chance they succeeded in making an artificial psychic. They were known to kidnap innocent citizens for their experiments."

    I remembered such information with vivid clarity because I''d turned on the TV once as a kid and heard an incident being talked about live. Dad had shut the TV off once he noticed what I''d unintentionally begun watching. Unfortunately, he''d been far too late. My eyes and ears had already been subject to disturbing details.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Oak stared back at me with a somber expression, nodding.

    "They did abduct many citizens," he readily agreed in a low voice. "We never came across any artificial psychics before, during, or after the war. But¡­ what you suggested is still within the realm of possibilities. Perhaps they were in hiding."

    "Or," a new voice spoke up, "today was the work of people already on the inside."

    The room fell silent. All heads turned to the man who had spoken: Pryce Yanagi, our previous Champion of the Indigo League.

    His cold brown eyes scanned the room unflinchingly. "I believe the most likely scenario is that we have rats in the League," he continued. "How else would they have been able to accomplish a display like that right in front of our noses?"

    Pryce''s eyes kept sweeping across the room. Eventually, his gaze landed pointedly on me and stayed there.

    "In fact," Pryce said slowly, "I believe we may even have spies within the ranks of our Elites."

    I stilled, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Pryce did not look away from me, so everybody followed his gaze to where ¡ª or who ¡ª he was looking at. Understanding dawned on their faces.

    The room immediately exploded with outbursts of varying tempers and reactions.

    "Hold your tongue!" Morty hissed, throwing an arm forward. "That''s going too far, Pryce!"

    "You have no grounds for that," Jasmine added furiously. She had taken a step forward to stand next to Morty, and her normally cheerful features were marred with anger.

    Just a few feet away, Whitney blinked rapidly. "Are you seriously suggesting Arin is a member of Team Rocket?" she exclaimed in utter disbelief, slack-jawed.

    Even some of the Kanto Gym Leaders came to my defense and shouted their confusion and shock at Pryce. The whole time, I stood there with a neutral expression.

    "Pryce Yanagi!"

    Both Lance and Oak spoke at the same time. Lance snapped his head to the side with a considering look before he chose to remain silent.

    So, Oak spoke for him. His eyes were as hard as ice when he cast his judgmental stare upon Pryce, the successor he had chosen once upon a time.

    "I never expected you of all people to so blatantly turn on your allies," Oak said harshly. Everyone held their breath because of the pressure Oak emanated. "You speak dangerous words. Explain yourself, Pryce."

    The Mahogany Gym Leader at least had the conscience to lower his head from Oak''s admonishment, but he did not shy away from his gaze.

    "I did not speak those words lightly," Pryce began in a respectful tone. "And they were not spoken out of malice either. I apologize if I gave that impression. It was a thought I came to after considering many different factors, so please allow me to elaborate."

    He raised his head and looked back at me now. I held his gaze. "A year ago, sightings of supposed Rockets came in before vanishing. Last month, Leader Arin suddenly appeared out of nowhere to join our ranks as a Leader of a major gym, and today, we got a message indicating Team Rocket''s return," Pryce paused and let his words sink in. "No matter how I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that the timing of all these events is rather strange. What if Arin Watanuki became a Gym Leader on purpose to infiltrate the upper ranks of the League? If he was a member of Team Rocket, it would make more sense how they were able to bypass security. Either he gave information to the Rockets, or Arin himself was behind today''s message. Is it not at least a bit suspicious?"

    There were conflicted emotions across every person''s face when Pryce finished speaking. Some people actually wore considering looks, and others were still not convinced.

    "That''s¡­" Bugsy hesitated, hands balling into tight fists at his sides.

    Morty stepped forward and looked like he was about to say something to defend my honor again, but I interrupted.

    "Pryce''s words are reasonable," I calmly agreed. Jasmine, Morty, and the other Gym Leaders all turned to me with shocked expressions.

    I''d been angry at first about Pryce''s implication but kept silent to hear his reasoning first. I figured not even he would be so rash as to stir up needless discord at a time like this just because of some personal dislike. Now that I''d heard what he had to say¡­

    I was still somewhat irritated, but I understood the logical angle Pryce was coming from. It was something I agreed with and would have suggested myself if I was another person.

    "My recent return to Johto can be seen as rather suspicious given the timeline of events," I continued. "It is reasonable to think I could be linked to today''s message or that I am a member of Team Rocket who came out of hiding to spy on the League. But," I paused, eyes blazing as I held up a hand. "I swear by Radiant Ho-Oh that I am not affiliated with Team Rocket in any way. If it would put everyone''s minds at ease, particularly Pryce''s, then have a psychic verify my innocence."

    Jasmine raised her own hand as soon as I finished. "If Arin''s integrity must be proven, then I would like a psychic to verify my mind as well," she said firmly. "It is only right."

    "I do, too," Giovanni spoke up. He stepped forward with a frown. "If one person must be checked, then we should check everyone else just to be sure. We must be unified if we want to face Team Rocket or whatever threat this is."

    One by one, the other Gym Leaders voiced their agreement. We all turned to Lance, Oak, and the Elite Four.

    Lance took one look at all of our faces and nodded. "Very well," he said. "I can agree that doing so would alleviate some tension. With my authority as the Indigo League Champion, I hereby order a mandatory psychic check for everyone in this room."

    Oak no longer looked displeased after Pryce had explained himself, but his expression was a stony one as he gave a nod of his own. "Then, since Sabrina will need to be checked too, I''ll have my Alakazam do the honors."

    The Pokemon popped out even before Oak spoke his last word. They communicated silently, and then Alakazam walked forward. Every single person in the room focused their attention on me as Oak''s Pokemon stopped just a few feet away.

    A telepathic voice went out to everyone currently in the room. Then I will begin, Alakazam spoke.

    Without further ado, Oak''s Alakazam raised its spoons. Almost immediately, I felt a distinct prickling sensation in my mind but bore with it. The Pokemon in front of me was rooting through my head for any possible connection to Team Rocket. To further show my cooperation, I tapped Silque''s Pokeball on my belt in a rhythmic pattern.

    The mental shields I usually had up in place fell temporarily. I felt surprise wash over me from the entity currently connected to my mind, and I merely nodded.

    Take a further look. I''ll even give you access to memories I have, anything that''s remotely related to Team Rocket, I said silently.

    I didn''t wait for an answer. I let one such memory surge upwards unbidden.

    "Everything''s going to be okay, Arin, I promise," Dad whispered fervently. He crouched down and pulled me in for a brief yet tight hug. "I''ll be back in a bit. Just wait for me at home."

    I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as dad got up and turned away to speak with his Exeggutor. Neil and his wife said something to me, but I didn''t hear.

    "Dad!" I cried. "Wait¡ª"

    Without even a sound, dad disappeared. He''d Teleported away. My eyes watered with tears.

    Where are you going? That''s what I wanted to scream.

    "DAD!"

    It was my memory of dad going off to fight at the frontlines of the Rocket War. More memories were presented to Alakazam one after another. The Pokemon remained silent as he skillfully filtered through all the thoughts and emotions I had to offer.

    An eternity seemed to pass, but it was only thirty seconds later when Alakazam left my mind. Arin Watanuki is not a member of Team Rocket, and he has not aided them in any way, Alakazam confirmed.

    Including Jasmine and Morty, I saw Gym Leaders around the room sagging with relief.

    "Then I''ll go next," Jasmine quickly said. Alakazam plodded off in her direction.

    It didn''t take long for the Psychic type to go around the room and investigate everyone. Lance and the Elite Four were no exceptions, and though we protested, Oak also insisted on going through the same procedure. Sabrina was the one who checked Oak''s mind once she was cleared by Alakazam.

    In the end, we were all proven innocent. Neither Lance nor Oak could hide relieved looks.

    Pryce wore an inscrutable expression as he bent his head in apology to me. "I apologize for the trouble," he said.

    "It was a reasonable speculation," I replied simply. My identity had been proven. That was all that mattered. There were more important matters at hand, so I directed my next words at Lance. "Even though those of us here are innocent, I do believe Pryce''s earlier words still hold some weight. It will take time, but we should check the rest of the League''s forces for the possibility of spies."

    Lance offered me a curt nod. "Yes. I''ll put out an order to have that done," he declared. "Since we have no actual leads right now, let us move past the incident itself and talk about the danger we are facing as a whole."

    He paused, lips spread in a grim line.

    "We will be operating under the assumption that Team Rocket has revived."

    The tension in the room had dissipated slightly after the psychic check, but it returned now in full force with Lance''s ominous words.

    "It could be a new criminal organization, but until we get a lead to prove otherwise, we will assume Team Rocket has returned," Lance went on. "I invited Champion Oak here today so he could offer insight on the situation."

    He waved a hand respectfully at Oak, and the former Champion stepped forward. The elderly man swept his gaze across the room.

    "Many of you were too young at the time or not in office when the Rocket War occurred, so I will begin by talking about the war''s end," Oak began.

    Every single person in that room, including myself, focused on him. We were about to be privy to information only the League knew about.

    "You are all well aware that I fought the leader of Team Rocket and that he is known as Boss to the public, but there is more to the story," Oak continued in a grave voice. "We did not release information about him to the people because we simply couldn''t. Investigating his corpse yielded nothing. There were no birth records or other identification associated with him. He was essentially¡­ a living ghost."

    Chills ran down my spine. What?

    Oak merely nodded somberly in response to the sea of shocked faces before him. "Yes¡­ It''s incredible, but he grew up in the shadows of Indigo as an unknown and unrecorded figure," he said with a heavy sigh. "What circumstances he was born in or how he managed to avoid the League''s oversight for so long can only be speculated, but we did confirm his death and that he was the leader of Team Rocket from grunts we interrogated."

    "Then has a new leader risen?" Janine questioned politely.

    Oak''s eyes glazed over momentarily. "I believe so. We raided many bases," he murmured. "We thought we found them all and apprehended any remaining Rockets, but¡­ either the Rockets hid too well and we missed some, which would be a failure on my and the League''s part, or there is a new entity pretending to be Team Rocket. I am of the personal belief that remnants of Team Rocket survived with a new leader to guide them."

    "What¡­ What about their motto?" One of the Waterflower sisters asked timidly. "What is that supposed to mean? What does Team Rocket want?"

    Team Rocket''s motto had been a subject of intense debate for the last fifteen years. It had been banned from some history books and online forums, but people still talked about it. What was their cause, and who were the traitors? Everyone wanted to know that even now. They wanted to know what had driven such a notorious criminal organization into eventually declaring a whole war.

    I was no different, and I stared at Oak with much anticipation.

    "We interrogated many grunts, but they always repeated that motto. It was imprinted in their very beings and minds," Oak said bitterly. "They killed many innocent people of all backgrounds. How did that make them traitors? We can''t say for sure, but I will share the Rocket leader''s last words to me."

    He took a deep breath. With some difficulty, he recited a sentence. "''For a true and better future. We don''t need Indigo.''"

    Silence befell the room as we processed those words. Judging by the shocked look on Lance''s face, I don''t think he''d been privy to such information before either.

    "His words have since led me to believe that Team Rocket wished to destroy the government and rule over it on their own," Oak continued. "That they believed they could do better than Indigo, which is a ludicrous thought, but if we take that into consideration¡­ then perhaps the ''traitors'' they wished and still wish to kill encompass all of Indigo."

    He stared at us with a somber expression. "They''re dangerous criminals with no morals. They don''t see us as people but as things to be removed in their mad quest for domination. If they are willing to kill thousands of people just for the sake of establishing their rule over the country, they will be willing to do even more."

    We stewed in grim silence. Being told all of this straight from the legendary Samuel Oak was enough to let horror bleed into our hearts.

    Team Rocket was a bigger evil than any of us could have imagined.

    "¡­Thank you, Champion Oak," Lance finally said. Oak silently stepped back and allowed Lance to take over once again. He looked at us with his head held high. "There is not much we can do for the time being with no leads. The League will look into what happened today, so I will now give out orders."

    We stood at full attention as Lance threw a hand forward.

    "I''ll need you all to stay for a statement to the public, but after that, go back to your respective cities and towns and reassure your people. Stay on high alert over the next week. We don''t know if or when they''ll strike, but I don''t want any of us to be caught off guard. Understood?"

    Our answers came swiftly and in total unison.

    "Understood."

    "Good." That was all Lance said before marching out of the room. Oak Teleported away now that his job was done, but we stayed and followed Lance to a broadcasting room down the hall.

    There were people and equipment already fully set up in there as if they had expected us to arrive soon. As soon as Lance sat down at a desk and everyone stood behind him in a show of solidarity, the camera turned on.

    "People of Indigo," Lance proclaimed loudly. Everything he said was being relayed in an emergency broadcast across the nation. "Today''s National Day celebrations at the Plateau were interrupted by an outside force. A full investigation has been launched. We cannot confirm at this time if Team Rocket has truly returned, however¡­"

    Lance paused to stare at the camera with a serious expression. Behind him, our faces were mirrors of his own.

    "No matter what or who threatens the safety of Indigo, know this: the League WILL take action, and we WILL stop them," Lance said fiercely. "Dear citizens, please trust in us and do not be afraid. Go on with your daily lives knowing that we will protect you. The moment we give into fear is the moment when we truly lose against evil."

    The broadcast ended there. Lance had made his and the League''s stance clear, and now we all had respective work to do.

    I only exchanged fleeting farewells with my fellow Gym Leaders before departing. We were all anxious to get back home and safeguard our communities. I headed straight for Cherrygrove City Hall, and I didn''t have to wait to see Arthur. The receptionist let me through to the back right away.

    As soon as the mayor laid eyes on me stepping into his office, he rose from his desk and hurried towards me.

    "Arin, we all saw the proceedings, a-and then the emergency broadcast¡ª" Arthur stumbled over his words from stress, but I held up a hand with a grim expression.

    "Everything will be fine," I promised. "I have orders from the Champion. I need to make a quick message to the people of Cherrygrove."

    Arthur didn''t even hesitate. "I''ll get it ready for you."

    True to his word, they had everything set up for me within five minutes. I stood in front of a camera with a serious expression. The moment it turned on, I opened my mouth.

    "Citizens of Cherrygrove," I began. "As Champion Lance already stated, the League is conducting an extensive investigation into the events of today. I would like to reiterate his words: please trust in us and do not be afraid."

    Cold determination filled every ounce of my voice and body as I went on.

    "I made an oath at my swearing-in ceremony, and I will swear it once more: my strength will be for our nation''s protection," I said firmly. "And as the Gym Leader of Cherrygrove City, I will be the shield and spear for our city''s safety. I promise to protect everyone and the peaceful times we hold dear. Should someone threaten my community, I WILL stop them."

    I went on with words of reassurance. The whole time, I felt my insides curling further and further with everything from anger to anxiety to resolve.

    Arceus forbid that anything terrible happened, but even if something did¡­ I would be here to stop whatever or whoever tried to harm my people. They would have to get past me first.

    I was Arin Watanuki, Fairy Specialist and Cherrygrove Gym Leader.

    My enemies would learn an age-old lesson the hard way.

    Never mess with Fairies.

 Chapter 30 â€” United We Stand

    CHAPTER 30 ¡ª United We Stand

    There was no other way for Lance to put it.

    It was fucking chaos at the Indigo League Headquarters.

    Officials were running around everywhere and barking orders through phones to League Trainers spread out across the country. In the background, their phone lines had been ringing nonstop ever since the emergency broadcast. There were calls coming in from prominent Indigo politicians and businessmen demanding to know whether or not their country ¡ª and their assets ¡ª would be fine, retired war veterans yelling for them to get an army together already, and immoral reporters who wanted to add fuel to the fire.

    He couldn''t forget the calls from the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues either.

    Champions Steven Stone and Cynthia Shirona had both contacted him already to ask about the situation. He couldn''t tell them a lot (not that there was much information to give anyway), and they''d all left the joint call feeling unsatisfied.

    He understood their concerns. Ever since their four regions had officially linked up several years ago, they were considered ''allies'' in a sense. They stayed out of each other''s political business, but they willingly conducted trade with each other and allowed their trainers to go and compete in foreign League Circuits. In fact, every year, each region saw a grand mix of tourists and incoming trainers flooding in.

    It was no different this year. There were thousands of trainers from Hoenn and Sinnoh who had come to take on the Kanto and Johto Circuits, and many of them had qualified for the Silver Conference that would be taking place in three days. Steven and Cynthia were worried about their people getting caught up in the re-emergence of Team Rocket.

    The Silver Conference. If Lance had to pick one time that the Rockets would strike, it would be that day.

    All the strongest trainers in the region would be gathered there to compete, and the pillars of Johto would be there as well for the opening ceremony. It was the perfect time for the Rockets to strike at the rest of Indigo with half of its Gym Leaders gone, or if they were arrogant enough, to take out so many prominent figures at the stadium in one fell swoop.

    Either path would lead to doom and destruction, not to mention strains on international relations. Kanto-Johto would come under fire if innocent trainers from Hoenn and Sinnoh died as a result of their country''s new mess. Even if Lance thought the Silver Conference was the most likely day for an attack, he simply couldn''t cancel such a monumental event. It was part of their nation''s very history.

    Of course, he was operating under many different assumptions here. If it was even Team Rocket in the first place, how big or strong their forces were, their goals¡­ Lance had no true idea about any of it.

    It was frustrating, so damn frustrating.

    He rubbed his temples tiredly and hung his head low. Without even bothering to look up, he verbalized his thoughts out loud. "Why did they not attack today? What was the point of sending out that message?"

    "We went over this already," Lorelei said politely from whatever corner of his office she was in. Minus Koga who was out on reconnaissance with the rest of his clan, the Elite Four members were there with him. They''d met up to discuss in private. "We all agreed it was to instill terror in the public and incite widespread panic."

    "It''s the same thing they did twenty years ago," Agatha added gravely, and Lance heard a faint tapping sound. Probably Agatha''s cane against the floor. "For five years, they carried out terrible acts and slowly but surely plunged all of Indigo into fear. Then¡­ they declared war."

    Lance closed his eyes. He knew better than anyone the horrors of the Rocket War. It had taken people from him and his cousin.

    They''d both lost their parents.

    He took a moment to breathe out through his nose before speaking. "Whatever threat this is, we will take care of it. This will not escalate into another war," he said tersely.

    The room was quiet for several long seconds. Each of them was lost either in grim thoughts or memories of the past. A slight shuffling sound came somewhere from Lance''s left, and then Bruno''s voice filled the air.

    "There is some good news," the Elite Four said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. Lance opened his eyes and found himself staring at Bruno''s usual stern expression. To his astonishment, the man''s lips twitched upwards into the briefest of reassuring smiles. "You did well with your speech, Lance. People trust you and our League to handle this. There are hardly any reports about widespread panic. The Rockets or whoever they are failed in that aspect at least."

    Despite the situation, Lance found himself smiling for the briefest of moments, too.

    "¡­No. It wasn''t because of me," he said with a shake of his head. "It''s because we are strong. Indigo is strong." In a louder voice, he went on. "Things have changed in the last decade, and we''ve entered a new era of peace and prosperity. The Rocket War was a horrible ordeal, but it made us stronger."

    He looked all his Elites in the eye.

    "We will not yield."

    One by one, the others bowed their heads with respect and echoed the same.

    Indigo would not yield.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I didn''t go home straight away after my broadcast to the locals. I had to ensure the city''s defenses first.

    My first stop was the Cherrygrove City Police Department''s HQ. The League had issued warnings to all local law enforcement authorities already. Despite it being a national holiday, the urgency of the situation meant all officers had gathered back at their precincts to hash out security details. I personally met with the CCPD''s chief and left after he assured me they were guarding the city with full vigilance.

    Then I went a few streets over to the League Defense Force building, otherwise known as LDF. Every city or town had an LDF branch office with League Trainers assigned to that location by the government. Where the police dealt with ordinary crime and civil disputes, the LDF officers were there to deal with bigger and usually external threats that the police couldn''t handle. The strength of League Trainers varied, but they were always at the level of a fifth-badge trainer or higher. The best ones were known as Ace Trainers. These were people at the level of high-ranking Conference-goers. The Cherrygrove LDF branch had three of them, and they informed me their office would be coordinating more closely with the police henceforth.

    Next, I visited the local Ranger outpost by Cherrygrove''s northern exit. Due to how relatively safe the nearby routes were compared to others in the region, there weren''t a lot of Rangers stationed here. I spoke with the head Ranger about security measures going forward, and we agreed to increase the number of patrols on both our ends. I made sure to emphasize calling me or the officers in town if they ran into trouble.

    Compared to the police or LDF, Rangers were specialized in dealing with wild Pokemon. They preserved the tentative peace between human settlements and the creatures beyond their borders by acting as bridges between the two. They were required to have some combat experience due to occasional poachers and the like, but fighting people was not their specialty.

    All of us would cover for each other. What one group struggled with, the other forces would fill in the gaps for them. I finally went home once I was satisfied that the city was in good hands.

    I Teleported into a completely silent backyard.

    The barbeque party had halted in its tracks. There were picnic tables covered with plates of food that had gone cold ages ago and half-finished bottles of soda. People huddled in groups or sat stiffly in chairs, but everyone whipped their heads towards me when I appeared.

    Dad, Neil, and all my gym employees rose up from their seats as I walked toward them. Yulian had a trembling arm around his frightened sister''s shoulders, Yurie looked to be in complete shock, dad had a fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white¡­ Every single one of them was in a state of agitation.

    Neil spoke for the group.

    "What do we do from here on out?" he asked in a quiet voice. The others all leaned forward subconsciously, waiting for my reply.

    Slowly, I swept my gaze across their faces. "The League is still investigating what happened today. For the time being, everyone is to be on high alert. I''ve already spoken to the local authorities and warned them, too."

    "Any measures we''re taking?" Murata cautiously spoke up. I gave a brief nod in response.

    "There will be changes to the patrol schedule effective immediately," I replied. "You''ll be going in groups of three instead of two like before, and you''ll be required to have your GPS turned on at all times. Check in with me or Neil every ten minutes."

    Everyone nodded with serious expressions. My youngest gym trainers, Souta and Haru, looked the most shaken, and I didn''t blame them.

    No one could have expected that a vanquished criminal organization from fifteen years ago would suddenly show up again.

    In a louder voice, I addressed everyone at large.

    "What happened today was unsettling, but¡­ don''t be scared," I paused, clenching a fist. What I was about to say was for my own sake as much as everyone else''s. "Whether Team Rocket was behind today''s message or not, the point was to make people panic. That''s what they want to see. Stay vigilant, but like Champion Lance said¡­ the League will take care of everything. Trust in them, and trust in me to keep our city safe."

    I held each person''s gaze for the briefest of seconds, willing them to see how deadly serious I was about all this. Eventually, I received a chorus of quiet yeses in return.

    A few people were already looking better ¡ª especially Yurie, who seemed fired up ¡ª but most of them still looked anxious. I needed a moment to form a genuine smile, but when I did, I jerked my head in the direction of the lonely grills.

    "We''ve got officers patrolling the city and surrounding areas right now, so there''s nothing for us to do," I said. "We''ll start our own patrols tomorrow. For now¡­ let''s finish this barbeque."

    Even in the midst of such troubling times, we needed to keep our spirits up. The moment we let fear and worries about the future overtake everything else in our lives, that was the moment when evil would truly win.

    There was still a somber atmosphere, but it lightened up considerably as people shuffled off to get their food reheated. Neil went to man the grills as dad stayed behind to talk to me. His fist was no longer clenched, but the look in his eyes was one of utmost determination.

    "Arin, include me in the patrols from now on as well," he said firmly. "My Pokemon and I will help."

    Somehow, I was not surprised by this. I''d had a feeling dad would want a part of the action.

    "That''s¡­" I trailed off.

    Dad noticed my obvious hesitation and pressed onward. "I can''t, in good conscience, just sit around while the rest of you are working hard," he explained. "I''m a former Gym Leader, Arin. I care about Cherrygrove as much as you do, and¡­ I owe it to my Pokemon to do what I can."

    Even without the slight clenching of his jaw, I knew that dad was referring not just to his living team members but the ones who had passed away in the Rocket War. He had personal stakes in this.

    I had been hesitating because of dad''s health, but I couldn''t deny him the right he had as both a worried citizen and the former Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym. I couldn''t deny that the extra help would be invaluable either. Dad''s Pokemon were all Elites who had experience fighting Rockets.

    "Okay," I relented. That one word pleased dad greatly to the point where his eyes actually lit up. "But promise me you''ll be careful, dad."

    "I should be the one saying that to you," Dad replied, and he placed a warm hand on my shoulder. His voice was hoarse. "You''re a Gym Leader now, and that means you have duties you must fulfill. But please¡­"

    Dad paused, needing a moment to collect himself. "Stay safe."

    I only spoke two soft words.

    "I will."

    We stared at one another for a moment. Then, wordlessly, dad let go of my shoulder and drifted away to where Neil was. A long sigh escaped my mouth as I stared after him. We were each other''s last remaining family, and we both couldn''t help but worry.

    This time, though, I would be the one to protect dad instead of the other way around. I was no longer a child who could do nothing but wait at home.

    I just hoped we would never again reach the point where all of Indigo was engulfed by fighting.

    I shook my head. It would not do me any good to dwell so early on what was a worst-case scenario. Instead, I focused on the now. I went around the backyard individually checking up on people to make sure they were okay.

    In the process, I ended up meeting Murata''s wife and daughters. Apparently the kids had gotten sleepy right after the National Day parade aired on TV, so Murata''s wife had taken them to a corner of the backyard to nap for a bit. They missed seeing the ominous message as a result. Murata was grateful about that, and so was I. It would have scared his children greatly had they seen it.

    Murata himself was surprisingly pretty calm. He was worried about his family, but as a former Ranger once affiliated with the League, he said the following: "I trust our government to take care of the nation."

    A conversation with Kari and Yulian revealed they thought the same.

    "Our parents worked for the League and died in the Rocket War," Yulian explained to me with a somber expression, and I just barely managed to nod. I remembered seeing them at the national cemetery. "But we don''t blame the government. Our parents always said how fulfilling their jobs were. They were¡­ true heroes. I''ll trust the League like they did. At least I know for sure our city is safe with a strong trainer like you around."

    "Yeah," Kari agreed in a trembling voice, and she cleared her throat. It took a few tries for her to actually form a smile. "Everything''s going to be fine! I''m going to, um, rally the Cherrygrove community on social media. Make sure we''re all keeping our heads up, you know?"

    She no longer looked as scared as she had been earlier, but I had no way of knowing if she truly felt better or if she was merely putting on a brave facade. I did, however, appreciate that she was trying her best to stay optimistic and looking to contribute in her own way.

    "Thank you, Kari," I said genuinely, and the girl smiled a little wider.

    "No problem! I''ll be graduating next week, so I''ll have more time to help out. Yulian also finished the website, so you could post a reassuring announcement there¡­"

    I checked in with my other employees after speaking to the Chester siblings. Yurie looked fine now; in fact, she even asked me to slot her in for extra patrols with a blazing expression. Hazel asked a similar request of me, but he was a lot more timid about it. Apparently he wanted to help keep the city safe for his sister which I found admirable.

    Haru and Souta were still somewhat rattled, but like the others had, they displayed full confidence in me and the League.

    "The Indigo League is capable," Souta said out loud in a reasonably confident voice. It almost felt like he was reciting something he''d read before, but he seemed to believe it.

    "Souta''s right," Haru nervously agreed. He fiddled with his hands, but he didn''t shy away from my gaze. "I don''t know much about the government, but you and all our Gym Leaders are really strong."

    Even Neil remarked the same as he casually flipped a sausage on the grill.

    "The League''s been through plenty of bad situations," Neil said simply. He paused for a moment to look at me with an unusually serious expression. "Whoever pulled that stunt today doesn''t know what they''re messing with. We''ve beaten evil before, and we''ll do it again."

    Arceus.

    They were all a lot stronger than I gave them credit for. I was immensely reassured that everyone was handling this well, and I felt a bit better.

    Then I talked to the researchers and discovered some not ideal news.

    "We''ve been urged by our Leagues to immediately return to our respective regions," Rowan revealed, and he exchanged a glance with Birch. "They''re worried we may get caught up in or be targeted by this unknown force."

    I barely managed to avoid frowning. Of course today''s events would stir up the international community. Sinnoh had dealt with an organization called Team Galactic some time ago, but aside from that, no major criminal organizations had appeared in recent years. They had the right to be worried about citizens currently touring Kanto-Johto, more so prominent figures like their top Professors.

    "Are you taking a flight back tomorrow then?" I inquired. I wanted to ask about everything we''d planned, but Birch beat me to it.

    "No, no," Birch instantly shot down that idea with a firm shake of his head. "We''re staying a little longer, both to publish the research study together and hold the press conference we talked about before. We''ve already made our intents clear to the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues. We''re not going to be scared of an organization hiding in the shadows. In fact¡­"

    He trailed off, letting Rowan continue for him. "We hope to use this research study as a boost to the community''s spirits and show cooperation between our regions," Rowan explained. "That''s what we had planned in the beginning, but in these troubling circumstances, the impact should be even greater."

    Elm popped up at that moment with a nervous smile. "Indeed!" he chimed in after adjusting his glasses. "We may only be Professors, but we can help reassure the public in our own way."

    I stared at them with renewed appreciation. Birch and Rowan in particular impressed me. They were willing to stick around despite the danger to finish what they had initially come here to do.

    To show my respect, I bowed my head. "Thank you," I said sincerely, and I meant it.

    I couldn''t see it, but Rowan smiled and raised a hand. "No thanks is necessary. We''re researchers, and we''re grateful to you for giving us this opportunity in the first place. We owe you many favors," he replied amicably.

    Then his voice shifted to a more serious tone. "A suggestion for you though: I understand your current security is good considering your and your father''s Elite Pokemon are usually around, but I would advise strengthening it further. Arceus forbid, but poachers or¡­ other forces may aim for these Pokemon after the study is published."

    Included in that was Team Rocket, but the words went unspoken. The implication was enough.

    I''d already made plans in advance about strengthening security around the house, but it was time to accelerate the timeline. With a new danger afoot, it was simply necessary. The mention of favors had also given me new ideas not just for my own benefit, but for the hopeful future.

    With a small smile, I folded my hands behind my back and stared at the Professors meaningfully. "Then¡­ may I make use of some of those favors now?" I asked.

    Rowan, Birch, and Elm didn''t even hesitate. They all nodded in unison.

    That was my cue to continue. "I have two separate favors I''d like to request then. If you could get me some Pokemon, and if Professors Rowan and Birch could speak with your Leagues about¡­"

    Fifteen minutes of discussion later, I slipped away from the trio. I''d laid down the foundations for the future. Now, there was nothing to do but wait. I hadn''t felt hungry earlier because of the stress of the morning''s events, but I felt like I could actually stomach something now. I was about to head for the tables of reheated food when I stopped in place.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Samuel Oak stood in front of me. I assumed he''d Teleported right back to the party after Lance dismissed him.

    "Arin, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asked.

    From his expression alone, I knew this was going to be an important conversation. My mind raced with thoughts as I nodded stiffly.

    Quietly, I followed Oak out of the backyard. On our way to the front of my house, I saw Daisy sitting by herself in a corner. She was staring off into the distance with a stoic expression, but I didn''t have time to dwell on what I''d seen. Oak continued leading me away. He stopped once we had gotten far enough, and then he turned back to look at me.

    Even at the meeting at the League Headquarters, he hadn''t looked this serious.

    "First, I''d like to apologize for Pryce," Oak began stiffly. "I know you said at the meeting you did not mind it, and I myself can understand Pryce''s line of reasoning, but¡­ what happened still doesn''t sit right with me."

    I didn''t smile, but I did dip my head in acknowledgement. "He was merely going through possibilities," I replied. Internally, I was grateful for the Professor''s words.

    Oak''s expression softened, but only slightly. "¡­He was," Oak quietly agreed. "He loves the country. I would not have chosen Pryce as my successor otherwise. That''s the first thing I wanted to talk to you about but not my main point."

    I stood at full attention as Oak took a deep breath. His figure seemed to become ten times more imposing.

    "Perhaps this is unnecessary for me to say and even out of line considering I am no longer Champion, but¡­ I hope you''re prepared," Oak said. His voice was quiet, yet he studied me with a gaze so intense I almost flinched away. "I intend to speak with the other Gym Leaders as well when I have time. Whatever this threat is, if they are Rockets or otherwise, please do not underestimate what they''re capable of. I¡­ I wouldn''t want to see you or the other budding hopes of Indigo lose your futures."

    His voice broke a bit at the end. I saw the anguish in Oak''s eyes, and I just knew he was thinking of his own tragic experiences.

    My throat suddenly felt dry.

    This was a warning about true and real consequences. If I was younger, if I hadn''t traveled as much as I had and seen or experienced as much as I did, I might have faltered right here and been unable to meet Oak''s gaze.

    But I had, and I did. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and looked into Oak''s eyes with determination.

    "I understand," I said firmly. "I''ve been in dangerous situations before. Perhaps not on the same level as a threat like Team Rocket, but my Pokemon and I do have experience fighting outside of official matches."

    If Oak was surprised, he didn''t show it. He merely reached out with a hand and patted me so gently on the shoulder that it almost felt like he hadn''t made contact at all.

    "Good," was all he said in a barely audible whisper, and then he turned and left.

    I watched his retreating back with complicated emotions.

    The barbeque eventually ended, and everyone went home. The hours continued rolling by. All day, and even during a somber dinner, I couldn''t stop thinking about the morning''s incident or my conversation with Oak.

    It was no wonder then that I had trouble falling asleep that night. I gave up after an hour of shifting around restlessly in bed and walked out to the backyard for fresh air. Lo and behold, all my Pokemon were still up as if they''d been expecting me.

    I was hardly surprised. After how many years we''d been together, my Pokemon and I basically knew each other like the backs of our hands¡­ or wings, paws, and so forth.

    Everyone huddled around me as I sat down on the grass. They waited patiently for me to speak, so I did.

    I carefully explained to them about Team Rocket. I relayed the memories of my childhood, how it had impacted dad and the country going forward, and the atrocities they had committed in their heyday.

    I saw eyes narrowing for every crime I listed and every horrific action I described.

    "They may be back," I finished somberly. "And we might have to fight them."

    When I first came back to Johto, fighting a criminal organization hadn''t exactly been in the plans. Team Rocket had been talked about as mere whispers in the wind. Only faint rumors and speculations were thrown around.

    Now, that no longer looked to be the case. I would have been lying to myself if I said I was not a little scared. This was an organization I''d grown up hearing horrifying stories about. Like Oak had said, they were not to be underestimated.

    But¡­ if I was to become the Gym Leader I aspired to be, then I could not stop here. My fear would become the fuel for courage.

    I wanted to say more to my Pokemon. To stress how we had no idea what the future held exactly, that the stakes were in all likelihood higher than any before¡­ but I didn''t have to. I looked around at the sea of faces reflected before me and saw only determination.

    They understood without me needing to elaborate further.

    I stayed up for another hour surrounded by my Pokemon. Wordlessly, I watched them go through the comforting motion of Weaving their Beliefs in the skies above.

    This time, the tangible Beliefs glittered coldly with the embers of violence.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The next day arrived.

    I''d already adjusted the patrol schedule and sent it out to all my gym trainers. I did a brief sweep of the city''s perimeter with my fliers in the early morning. When I came back, I set off with Haru and Murata. In the afternoon and evening, two other groups of gym trainers went out to patrol the surrounding areas. After dinner, I did an additional sweep in my own time.

    There was nothing the whole day.

    No attacks or Team Rocket sightings in Cherrygrove, none in the rest of Johto, and none in Kanto. Lance kept us updated.

    Then another day passed, and another.

    Nothing happened on either of those days as well.

    The League''s upper ranks were full of tension by this point. All of us felt like this was the calm before the storm, and this was further compounded by the fact that Lance called everyone the night before the Silver Conference began.

    He wore a grim expression.

    "Since they have not struck yet, I''m inclined to believe they''ve been waiting for the best time to attack¡­ that would be tomorrow at the Silver Conference," he told us in the video call.

    No one said anything. I myself stayed silent, heart beating just a bit faster in my chest at the warning.

    Lance went on without pause. "There is the opening ceremony followed by the usual exhibition match. This year, it''s between me and Koga. If they do attack, it''ll probably be then. All Kanto Leaders should be on high alert at their Gyms. All Johto Leaders, I will see you tomorrow at the stadium. Be prepared for the worst."

    With that ominous warning in mind, the call ended.

    I had trouble sleeping again that night.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Less than twelve hours later, I found myself at the Silver Stadium in the town and mountain range it was named after.

    The stands were packed. Despite what had happened days prior at the National Day celebrations at the Plateau, people still came in full force to watch the Conference. Hardly anybody had given up precious tickets they''d bought a month in advance.

    It was one of the events of the year. Nobody was going to miss it, and it wasn''t just that either.

    The public wasn''t afraid. There had been some articles floating around of worried citizens across the country, but the general consensus was that people had an implicit trust in the League. Lance''s confident words had reassured everyone, and it helped that nothing had happened the last couple of days. Some people were even writing off the National Day incident as the action of a small-time gang trying to stir up trouble.

    Of course, the League did not think that.

    I was sitting in the designated stands for the Indigo Elite Four and Johto Gym Leaders. We couldn''t see them, but we knew there were twice as many guards as usual. There were plain clothes League Trainers hidden in the stands and others spread out in the stadium''s underground levels or around the perimeters. The skies were being monitored by near-invisible Psychic types and Flying mounts.

    Once again, we had Dark types enforcing a blockade around the stadium. This time, they were being led by an Ace Trainer who had been taught by Agatha herself, Karen Kiyoshi.

    I was incredibly anxious. So were the Gym Leaders sitting around me. We didn''t show it on our faces so as to not worry the public, but the tension in the air was so palpable it could have been cut with a knife.

    With heavy hearts, we watched the opening ceremony begin.

    A torch bearer eventually came running into the stadium. Clasped securely in his hand was a torch with the Flames of Virtue. Even from a great distance, I felt my eyes being drawn to their incandescent glow. With practiced ease, the runner sprinted all the way up the cascading stairs to the top of the stadium. He slowed down as he approached a giant brazier. People leaned forward in their seats when the runner carefully held the torch out in front of him.

    Almost immediately, the Flames leapt from the torch to their new resting place. They grew exponentially bigger as they rose up into the sky like outstretched wings.

    People roared and cheered loudly at the glorious sight. The Fire of the competition had been lit.

    The Conference was now officially underway.

    Far below on a podium, President Aoma cleared his throat and addressed the eager rows of trainers standing before him. His voice boomed through the stadium from a microphone. "Competitors, please join me in reciting the Conference Oath¡­"

    In unison, the trainers placed their hands over their hearts and followed the pledge. They swore to abide by the rules and to fight with honor in the spirit of sportsmanship. This scene would have brought up fond memories of me reciting my own Conference Oaths in other regions had I not been so preoccupied looking around the stadium for possible signs of disturbance. I was not the only one who was distracted. All other Gym Leaders were looking around with me.

    Nothing.

    The pledge concluded, and that''s when the tension hit a new high as a commentator announced the beginning of the exhibition match. The President and trainers cleared the field.

    In their places, Lance and Koga appeared on either end of the arena. Our Champion spoke discreetly into a separate comms link he was wearing, and we all heard his message through our own comms.

    "Stay sharp."

    Without further ado, the match began.

    Out popped Lance and Koga''s first contenders, a Charizard and Muk. Powerful flames began blasting through solidified walls of poison, but none of us paid much attention to the exhibition match.

    Our attention was elsewhere.

    This was the most likely time for an outside force to strike, when the Champion of our region was busy fighting an Elite Four member. Our hands crept closer to the Pokeballs on our belts. We waited for reports to filter in of attacks across the country or for an explosion to hit the stadium.

    Minutes passed, and Lance and Koga kept swapping through Pokemon. The exhibition match ultimately ended with a 6-3 victory from Lance. None of us were surprised by that.

    No, we were shocked that no attack had occurred.

    From the expressions on Lance and Koga''s faces when they finally rejoined us, they felt the same. Our Champion ushered everyone into a private viewing box as the group preliminaries began down on the field.

    As soon as the door swung shut behind us, Lance whipped around with an incredulous expression.

    "Nothing happened?" he demanded.

    We all shook our heads at him. Agatha even reported that her wandering Ghosts hadn''t caught anything. Lance looked like he was barely clinging to sanity as he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

    "I thought today would be the best time¡­" he muttered. In a louder voice, he looked back at us with a wary expression. "Let us stay on guard. Perhaps there might be an attack later in the day when we least expect it."

    There was nothing better to do, so we sat down and got comfortable in our seats. We watched on in stony silence as the Conference continued.

    Hours crawled by. Before we knew it, the first day of the Conference drew to a close. Spectators filtered out of the stands and headed home or to nearby hotels for the night, but we remained in our seats long after they left.

    Nothing had happened. Absolutely nothing.

    Our prediction had been completely off, and now we were stuck in a heated discussion.

    "What on earth is their objective?" Morty muttered.

    Next to him, Falkner''s eyes narrowed. "Perhaps they did not strike today on purpose to confuse or distract us. Are we sure no attacks happened elsewhere in the country?"

    Koga shook his head at Falkner''s inquiry. "None. No reports about any incidents whatsoever."

    A loud cracking sound suddenly filled the air, and more than a few people jumped as a result. The source was none other than Agatha stabbing the ground with her cane. "They''re taking the long route," she spat out in an icy tone. "They''re going to let us run around like headless chickens while they hide, and when we least expect it, that is when they will choose to attack."

    We were all silent as we ruminated on Agatha''s words. I hated to admit it, but I believed Agatha was right. Today would have been a valuable chance for criminals to strike at the country or at us, but they hadn''t. That seemed to imply they were willing to bide their time to take us off guard.

    From where he sat in the center of the room, Lance gave the shortest of nods.

    "¡­I''m afraid you may be right, Agatha," our Champion reluctantly agreed. "They''re trying to lull us into a false sense of security, but we will NOT let them strike first. We must show that the League is different from a decade ago, that we have improved and are better equipped to protect the citizens."

    He paused for a long moment, eyes narrowing into thin slits. "We must find these criminals first. Sitting around is not an option; instead, we need to reassure Indigo''s people. We need a decisive win to show that there''s truly nothing to fear. "

    After telling everyone to remain on high alert, Lance dismissed us. We went back to our Gyms with conflicting emotions. We all knew we were in it for the long haul now. This was not going to be resolved in just a few days.

    Yet just as we thought that¡­

    At one in the morning, I was awoken by insistent ringing from my phone. My half-asleep Sylveon nearly sliced the phone in half with a ribbon before I snatched it away in time.

    As soon as I saw the caller ID, I snapped out of my own drowsiness and accepted the call.

    Lance had phoned every single Indigo Gym Leader. His familiar voice cut through the silence of the early hours.

    "We''ve located a base."

    I tensed. If I wasn''t wide awake before, I was now. There was a brief pause, and then¡ª

    "It''s Team Rocket."

    Lance ordered everyone to come to the League HQ, but I was already moving.

    I threw on clothes in record time and ran out to the backyard with Vel racing after me. The Sylveon barked loud warnings to the rest of my team that instantly woke them up. The moment I had everyone in Pokeballs except for Silque, I Teleported away.

    I was the fifth Gym Leader to arrive, but that didn''t mean much. Everyone was arriving within seconds of each other due to the urgency of the situation.

    Nobody looked remotely tired. We all stared at Lance with full attention. Once everyone had gathered, he opened his mouth and began speaking quickly.

    "Route 16. Agatha''s Ghosts uncovered a camp cleverly hidden by Psychic energy there," he announced. I saw Erika''s eyes widen with horror a few feet down from where I stood.

    That was the route right next to Celadon City.

    Lance continued on in a rush. "Estimated enemy forces: two hundred grunts all wearing Team Rocket''s uniform. Expect to see a lot of Poison and Dark type Pokemon. League Trainers are already waiting nearby to move in. We leave now."

    He didn''t wait. Several League Kadabra came up toward us and raised their spoons, and then we were no longer in a stuffy meeting room. We found ourselves in the midst of a huge forest. There was a huge empty clearing past the treeline, and I was willing to bet this was way off-route.

    We''d been Teleported right next to some League forces on standby. Sabrina raised a hand and formed a nearly invisible dome over us.

    "Soundproof. Invisibility," Sabrina stated simply.

    Lance immediately threw a hand forward with blazing eyes.

    "League Trainers will set up a blockade with Flying, Dark, and Psychic types to prevent any forms of escape. When they do, the camp will become visible, and that''s when everyone moves in," Lance said hurriedly. "Step forward right now if you have proper experience fighting in unrestricted battles."

    I stepped forward as did a small number of other people like Chuck or Giovanni. It was mostly the much older Gym Leaders who were included, but there were a few like Jasmine or Morty who surprised me.

    Lance barely swept his gaze over us before nodding curtly.

    "Those who stepped forward will help lead the charge. Those who did not, please stay back and secure the perimeter. Don''t let anyone get past," he said firmly. "Our goal is to apprehend ALL Rockets. If possible, capture them alive for interrogation later, but do not hold back and put your lives at risk."

    His voice dropped to a low and cold tone.

    "Lethal force is authorized."

    We only had a minute to prepare ourselves. Everyone released Pokemon around them, and I rapidly did the same. I had to be mindful of how limited the clearing''s space was going to be and the people I would be fighting alongside, so I carefully selected my fighters.

    Yuno and Silque would stick close to me on guard duty. My fastest fliers, Zuri and Peri, would help assist us or cut off escaping Rockets from the sky. Vel, Willow, and Grima would be our attackers with my two Ghosts running interference, and my Audino would support everyone from afar.

    Tense seconds ticked by as everyone waited with bated breath. The moon was bright tonight which meant nobody would have to worry about vision.

    My Fairies were not smiling. Under the moon''s ethereal glow, their cold expressions were so far removed from their innocent and adorable appearances that they would have scared anyone but me into silence. Their eyes glimmered with promises of unspeakable pain.

    They were prepared, and so was I.

    Time seemed to slow down as Lance raised a hand. We waited. Without warning, a barrier mixed with various type energies appeared around the whole clearing. The space within rippled and shifted at once. Figures with dark uniforms and tents revealed themselves. Only a few dozen people were visible, so that meant the rest were probably sleeping.

    It really was Team Rocket. I had no time to dwell on this revelation, though.

    Everyone sprang into action the second the camp appeared.

    Lt. Surge was the fastest. A team of Electric types, everything from Pikachu to Raichu to Electrode, rose up from the ground with Magnet Rise and flew forward. They were nothing more than streaks of yellow as they crashed into the clearing and sent electricity flying everywhere. Screams rang out and then cut off abruptly as Rockets dropped one after another with spasming bodies from the Thunder Wave. Only a few Rockets managed to avoid getting hit by using Pokemon as meat shields, and one of them roared loudly.

    "AMBUSH!"

    League forces burst out from the forest as Rockets shot out of their tents. Some scrambled on the ground and clicked the Pokeballs of their fallen companions while others charged right at us with Pokemon of their own.

    We met them head on.

    A barely visible wave of pink mist spread across the whole clearing from my Pokemon. Our Misty Terrain would be a boon not just to ourselves, but to our many allies in the midst of so many Poison types.

    Lance hadn''t been kidding when he said there would be a lot of them. I saw practically every Poison species native to Kanto-Johto here.

    Two Arbok belched out waves of poison at my team, but Willow led the charge and allowed it to wash over him harmlessly. The rest of the acid splattered onto the ground and melted holes in the earth. Willow was not harmed, but he was definitely annoyed. Together, my Mawile and Grimmsnarl imbued their voices with Dark type energy and Taunted all nearby enemy Pokemon.

    Those enemies only got a moment of repose before hardened ribbons came flying at them like countless blades.

    Vel burst out from behind his teammates with fangs bared. His feelers lashed out and sliced at the Pokemon around him as nothing but colorful blurs in the air. He didn''t pause even when a swarm of Golbat tried spraying him with poison from behind.

    It was because the acid never reached him. Next to me, Silque''s eyes glowed as she grabbed the murky substance and dumped all of it on some Raticate nearby. A Marowak and Sandslash leaped at me from either side while Silque was doing so.

    The Hatterene didn''t even bat an eye as she swung the tentacle protruding from her hat. Darkness coiled around it and slammed into the Marowak so hard that it went spinning into several other Pokemon like toppling dominoes. On the other side, the Sandslash met a similar fate as a Hydro Pump took it out at point-blank range.

    My Milotic was coiled around my body in a defensive manner. Together, he and Silque were alternating between Protects to keep me constantly shielded. More grunts and their Pokemon targeted me, but it was all for naught. There was no way they were getting past two Champion-level Pokemon, and they fell like flies one after another.

    It wasn''t me that my enemies should have been worried about but my Pokemon.

    People so often forgot that Fairies were more than just their lovely exteriors, that they were capable of violence and reveling in it. Their kind operated on their own beliefs and rules. They could bestow kindness and favor, but that was only to the select few they loved.

    To the enemies that threatened their tranquil lives, they showed no mercy.

    Ekans were blasted through the air by miniature moons from Vel. Weezing were grabbed and launched into trees like speeding bullets by Grima before they could explode. Powerful jaws chomped down one after another on vulnerable flesh and elicited screams of pain. Willow merely tossed Pokemon into the air as if they were ragdolls once he was done with them.

    My two Ghosts, Fia and Mem, haunted the battlefield. They slipped in and out of reality and intercepted attacks for their allies. When they weren''t doing that, they materialized behind enemy lines and targeted the trainers.

    Rocket grunts never even got a chance to react before they collapsed from Confuse Rays and other debilitating effects.

    In the air above, my two fliers were flying loops and picking off Rockets who attempted to flee on their Pokemon. Zuri only had to swat with a single hand for a group of Fearow and their riders to come tumbling down. Nearby, Peri slammed into Pokemon one after another with Extreme Speed.

    Even as more screams and howls rang out around me, I walked forward and started picking up the Pokeballs of fallen Rockets to recall their Pokemon with. Less for everyone to deal with if we trapped them in their capsules.

    The air in my vicinity gradually became polluted by pink dust from Fairy type energy. I looked at the cruel expressions of my Pokemon as they covered for each other and removed every enemy in sight, and I felt nothing but calm.

    The operation ended not even five minutes later. In a way, it was anticlimactic.

    All Rockets had been easily taken down, and those that survived were immediately tied up. League Trainers went around recalling the Pokemon of the Rockets to contain them. The clearing we had all fought in reflected nothing but a scene of wanton destruction. There were craters in the land from attacks, overturned earth, uprooted trees¡­ Not a single part of it had been left untouched.

    Our Pokemon were still out as Lance faced us. He was not smiling, but he did seem noticeably less stressed than earlier.

    "A few League Trainers got minor injuries, but we had no deaths," Lance announced loudly. Everyone sagged with relief. "This was almost a perfect operation."

    He did not comment on the casualties on Team Rocket''s side, and no one asked.

    Lance went on in a clear voice. "Sabrina and a League Alakazam interrogated some grunts already. Through the statements and memories we rooted through, we have discovered that¡­"

    He paused to exhale deeply.

    "That they are indeed formed from the remnants of Team Rocket," he finished with a tired expression.

    I clenched a fist at my side.

    They had truly returned. This was not a new entity we were facing, but an old foe who had come back to torment Indigo once again.

    Lance gave us all some time for his words to sink in, and then he raised a hand. "We didn''t get any information about what happened on National Day, but we did find out that there are two dozen other bases hidden throughout Kanto and Johto. The grunts said there are about five thousand members in total. No executives and only one leader whose identity the grunts here aren''t privy to. Much, much lower numbers than we were expecting, which is good news. Finding the bases will take time, but at least we know what we''re dealing with here."

    That truly was good news. Team Rocket in its prime had had hundreds of thousands of members, and we''d been expecting similar numbers for an organization that had dared to reveal such a ludicrous message on National Day.

    But¡­ this was also¡­

    "Are we sure that''s right?" Brock''s brows furrowed. "I find it hard to believe that they announced their comeback with so few forces."

    "Y-Yes. There''s also the matter of how today''s operation went," Bugsy spoke up. He wilted under the gazes that suddenly fell on him, but he kept his head up. "Because¡­ excuse me for saying this, it felt like us Gym Leaders didn''t even need to be here. They were so weak the League Trainers could have handled them on their own."

    He hesitated before continuing. "It''s¡­ suspicious."

    I couldn''t have said it better. Both Brock and Bugsy had brought up the exact points I''d been thinking about in my head. Today''s operation had been completed with incredible ease. Even if today''s foes had been mere grunts, it was still odd how they didn''t possess any particularly powerful Pokemon or commanding officers to lead them.

    Was this really all they had to go up against the League?

    I only grew more uncomfortable when Lance did not respond for several seconds.

    "The Elite Four and I have already agreed that it''s suspicious," Lance finally admitted. He spoke every word slowly. "But we checked to see if the grunts were lying or not, and they weren''t. No signs of memory tampering either."

    That should have reassured me, but I only felt unsatisfied instead. Lance seemed to sense the discontent radiating from me and the other Gym Leaders because he swept a hand forward.

    "We will look further into it and interrogate the rest of the forces we captured today. It is¡­ not ideal that Team Rocket has returned, but we at least managed to make the first move on them this time and get rid of one base. We also know the identity of the organization we''re up against now. These are all positives," Lance stated in a powerful voice. "I thank everyone for showing up here today in a show of united force. Even if it was not necessary in the end for so many Elites to gather, it helped reaffirm that Indigo is strong when we work together."

    Our Champion''s lips actually curled upwards in the briefest of smiles. "Please, take pride in what we have accomplished today. There is still work to be done, but we have proven that Team Rocket is weaker than the League. What we did today will greatly reassure our citizens."

    He was obviously trying to raise our spirits, and he did. The Gym Leaders around me looked to be in visibly better moods. I still felt a bit skeptical, but Lance said the League would look into it. I would have to trust the experts to do their jobs.

    And Lance was right. We had done something good today.

    There were still Team Rocket bases to find, but we''d taken the first step towards eliminating their organization. This would go a long way towards reassuring the people now that we had solid actions to back up our confident words. The force of all of Indigo''s Elites was nothing to scoff at.

    Lance said he''d be broadcasting a statement tomorrow morning, and that was our cue to head back home and sleep. Tomorrow, Indigo''s people would learn of Team Rocket''s return, but they''d also be handed good news.

    I finally got some decent sleep after the last few stressful days.

 Chapter 31

    CHAPTER 31

    There were international laws that all regions abided by. Among them were strict regulations involving human and Pokemon psychics reading minds.

    The human psyche was fragile. Even the most skilled psychics could not prevent irreparable damage to a person''s mind if they went too far. In the area of law enforcement, ordinary criminals were given basic rights like any citizen. Depending on the nature of their offense, psychics could not delve too deeply into their minds or else it would be considered inhumane.

    For villains of the highest degree like Team Rocket who full-on threatened national security?

    Psychics had permission to extract whatever the hell they wanted from them.

    It was now three in the morning, and Lance watched coldly through the two-way mirror as Sabrina and a League Alakazam went about their business. They tore through the minds of tied-up Rocket grunts and forcefully ripped information from them. They were even investigating captured enemy Pokemon to make sure they didn''t miss anything.

    This was much faster than sitting around for hours asking questions or gently probing their minds, a luxury which the League could not afford.

    Screams of agony filled the air and abruptly cut off one after another as the two psychics went down the row. None of these Rockets or their Pokemon would be very¡­ functional after today, but no one would bat an eye at what the League was doing.

    It was to protect Indigo, and they had every right.

    Lance and the Elite Four waited patiently for the Saffron Gym Leader to finish up. When the woman did, she and Alakazam emerged from the door to the interrogation room with neutral expressions.

    "Anything new?" Lance asked hopefully, but his face fell at the sight of shaking heads.

    They''d been at this for two hours now. Sabrina had offered to help them sort through all the captured Rockets and their Pokemon right after the raid ended, and they had nothing to show for it.

    It was just the same information. That there were other Rockets hiding across the country in limited numbers, that they didn''t know their leader''s identity¡­

    Most disturbing of all was how much the Team Rocket motto was ingrained in these people. Before Sabrina stepped in, a few grunts had kept chanting it over and over with determined faces.

    "Remember Our Cause, Kill Every Traitor! ROCKET will prevail!"

    Fifteen years later, and the Indigo League wasn''t any closer to understanding what it meant.

    None of the Rockets they had in custody knew either which infuriated Lance.

    They didn''t know the deeper meaning. They just had it memorized like their recruiters wanted. These weren''t actual remnants of the old Team Rocket but fresh recruits. From the memories Sabrina had forcefully extracted, they''d all been taken in by older grunts about a year ago. The faces in their memories were masked, so they couldn''t identify them, but they could at least identify these people.

    Lance already had subordinates running all of their names and faces through databases. The grunts they''d captured today had previously committed felonies and evaded the system. They''d joined Team Rocket out of hatred and a need to hide from the government. They didn''t care or know what their organization''s true goal was; they just wanted to wreak havoc.

    Basically, all of them were useless.

    The League needed to apprehend and interrogate other Team Rocket members if they wanted to get to the bottom of things. If they could just get their hands on an actual remnant of Team Rocket, they might be able to figure out who their new leader was or the inner workings of their organization''s structure.

    The League''s first raid had been successful, but somehow they were left with more questions than they''d started with.

    Lance just barely refrained from sighing and offered a brief smile to Sabrina instead. "Thank you, Sabrina. We appreciate the help tonight," he told her.

    "I didn''t do much," Sabrina said simply, but she dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Let me know if you require my services again for interrogation."

    The moment Lance nodded, Sabrina disappeared. Only psychics registered with the League were able to directly Teleport in and out of HQ or other affiliated buildings. He would never get used to the fact that the Saffron Gym Leader was powerful enough to Teleport all the way from here to her Gym in one trip.

    "We''re done here, yes? Then I''ll be taking them now."

    Lance turned around at the sound of Agatha''s voice. The old woman looked back at him with a smile that didn''t quite reach her cold eyes. His gaze darted only briefly to the multiple pairs of eyes peeking out of Agatha''s shadow, and he flicked a hand forward with a neutral expression.

    "Do as you like," he said.

    Cackles filled the air ¡ª terrible, chill-inducing sounds from Agatha and the creatures who followed her command ¡ª but Lance didn''t feel unsettled in the slightest. He bade the rest of the Elite Four farewell, ignored how shadowy tendrils leaped out of Agatha''s shadow and swallowed up the remaining Rockets and their Pokemon, and marched away.

    The rest of the captured Rockets had been taken by Agatha, too. They''d already squeezed everything they could from their minds, and it wasn''t like they would be able to live normally anymore, so¡­

    Best to recycle the scraps and keep an Elite Four member satisfied.

    When you were the Champion of not one but two regions unified as a single country, you got used to such horrific things fairly quickly. Keeping the nation safe would never be a bloodless task. Lance had seen worse anyway. He had better things to think about now and Rocket bases to find, but¡­

    He would leave that to the rest of the League forces. Right now, he needed to catch a few hours of sleep.

    He had a broadcast to handle when he woke up.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Someone turned my alarm off in advance the next morning, and I was pretty sure one of my Pokemon did it.

    I was more tired from the tension of the last few days than I''d originally thought. Three hours past my usual wake-up time, my mind finally deemed it time to get up. Even then, I felt so sluggish that I practically crawled out of bed and rubbed my eyes.

    That was when I checked my phone and saw the time. My eyes widened. How the heck had I slept in so late, and what happened to my alarm? I dashed over to the nearest window in my room, threw it open, and stuck my head out.

    The backyard was peaceful. Clearly, the morning feeding and training sessions had gone well without me. My gym trainers and Pokemon were milling around in the backyard. Yurie, Neil, and Hazel were out on a patrol it seemed¡ª nope, they came back right as I thought that. Down below on the porch, I saw Vel had noticed me. He barked out a good morning but told me to sleep more with a bright smile. His cheerful appearance was a sharp contrast to the Pokemon that had been brutally slicing enemies left and right during the raid on Route 16. It was like the events of the early hours had never happened.

    At least now I knew who had shut my alarm.

    I couldn''t help but shake my head fondly before pulling back from the window. Today especially, I appreciated having reliable Pokemon and gym trainers around. I didn''t have to constantly be at the helm for everything anymore.

    As I got dressed, I couldn''t help but wonder if the broadcast aired already while I was sleeping. And if it had¡­ how had people reacted?

    I got my answer when I trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen.

    Dad was hunched over with terrible posture at the kitchen table. There was a newspaper laid flat on the surface that he was furiously marking up with a pen¡­ probably the daily crossword puzzle if I had to guess. One of the Chansey we owned had hopped onto a stool to brew some sort of tea for dad. I sniffed the air.

    A pleasant, minty aroma filled my nostrils. Definitely peppermint.

    "Morning," I greeted on my way to the fridge. I pulled the door open and began rooting through the fridge for breakfast ideas. I assumed dad had eaten already.

    "Good morning!" Dad all but sang back cheerfully, and I immediately paused in place. He sounded¡­ extraordinarily happy. That wasn''t a bad thing, but it was certainly unusual. He''d been as tense as I was the last couple of days.

    My brows gradually rose upwards with confusion as I peered over the fridge door. Dad scribbled one last thing down on the newspaper before finally twisting in his seat to look at me. There was a huge smile on his face.

    "I watched the League''s broadcast earlier with everyone else," he explained. The corners of his lips only rose higher with every word he spoke. "I hate that Team Rocket is back, but it seems like they''re just embers. No match for the League at least. I''m also very grateful to Ho-Oh that you came back safe and sound, Arin."

    I blinked. He knew about the raid?

    Dad froze momentarily, eyes carefully studying every inch of my face and figure. "You¡­ didn''t get hurt, right? Or your Pokemon?"

    I was still shocked by what was essentially a 180 degree attitude change, but I nodded my head slowly. "Don''t worry, we''re all fine," I promised him.

    Relief flooded every inch of dad''s face.

    Still wearing a huge smile, he rambled on about how he didn''t feel as worried anymore or how impressed he was with the League administration under Lance''s rule. I was only half-listening as I pulled out ingredients to make a quick sandwich for myself.

    So Lance had sent out a public message already. I couldn''t help but feel curious about it. Just what had the Champion said to reassure dad to such an extent? Dad had been so serious over the last couple of days and essentially stalked around the edges of town with a bit of bloodthirst during patrols. Now he seemed mighty pleased.

    I was intent on finding out.

    I sat down at the kitchen table with a completed sandwich. Chansey came up and carefully placed two cups of steaming tea on the table, one for dad and one for me. Apparently she''d brewed an extra cup as soon as she noticed me enter the kitchen. I uttered a soft thank you as I pulled my phone out.

    While dad went back to working on his crossword puzzle in silence, I navigated to the League website and popped in a single earbud with my free hand. I didn''t have to look very hard for the video I was looking for; it was plastered right on their homepage as an important announcement.

    I clicked play, and Lance''s face filled the screen.

    "Citizens of Indigo, thank you for your courage and patience these last few days," Lance immediately said in a clear voice. "As previously promised, those of us here at the Indigo League Headquarters have been working hard to keep the nation safe. Our investigation is still ongoing, but I am here with an update today."

    Lance paused. Even though this was just a video, it felt as if his eyes were drilling a hole right through the screen into mine.

    "Earlier this morning, League forces discovered and successfully took down a base of criminals. All members were apprehended and taken into custody," he said, and his gaze sharpened. "We have identified said criminals as remnants of Team Rocket."

    "However!" Lance raised a finger as if to quell any panic that may have started after he spoke. "This is no cause for concern. With the additional help of all Indigo Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and myself, our League forces were able to neutralize Team Rocket members within mere minutes."

    His eyes glimmered with triumph as he jutted his chin. Lance Wataru was the very image of confidence as he went on in a steady, powerful voice. "Team Rocket may be back, but they are NOT to be feared. They are no match for the might of the entire Indigo League, and we proved that today with a decisive success. I promise you that this is only the first victory of what will be many. The League will work tirelessly to track down any remaining criminals and bring them all to justice."

    Lance spread his arms wide. Even though he still wore a serious expression, his lips were curled in the faintest of reassuring smiles. I found it hard to take my gaze off the screen, and I''m sure many viewers who had watched it live had felt the same. Our Champion was truly charismatic. What was more, he believed everything he was saying.

    "Indigo and her people are strong. No matter what evil forces try to break us, we will not ever yield. The League will do everything in its power to protect the country, so please continue to place your trust in us. Stay vigilant and carry on with your daily lives. As long as we are united¡­ there is nothing Indigo cannot achieve."

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Lance looked directly at the camera.

    "Thank you."

    With those final words, the video ended. I had to hand it to Lance, he was a great speaker and well-suited to lead our nation. He knew how to simultaneously reassure and fire up the public. I understood dad''s good mood now. Lance had made it seem like they had everything under control, and we did at the moment.

    Hopefully it stayed that way.

    My concerns from last night still hadn''t disappeared, but¡­ what I had to do hadn''t changed. The League had to track down the rest of the Rockets and bring them into custody, and I would offer my assistance wherever and whenever it was necessary. Until then, I needed to keep moving on with my own life.

    First of all, I needed to reiterate one thing to dad and the others.

    "We''re not letting our guard down," I said firmly out loud. Dad paused in his writing to look up at me with furrowed brows.

    "Yes," he said with confusion. "I thought that was obvious?"

    I merely smiled to myself as I began demolishing my sandwich. It was good dad was aware of that. Just because we''d taken down one Rocket base didn''t mean we should slack on security. I had to make sure the other gym trainers knew, too.

    As soon as I was done with my tea and food, I headed out back. My gym trainers automatically gathered up when they saw me coming down the porch stairs. Judging by the bright smiles on their faces, I assumed they were in good moods because of Lance''s broadcast, too.

    I let myself smile a bit as I clapped my hands together. "I was told everyone saw the message from the Champion?" I asked just to be sure. They all nodded at me. "Okay. It''s true that the League has done well and will continue to do their jobs, but we need to do the same. The updated patrol schedule will continue as planned. I can''t stress this enough, but continue exercising caution when you''re outside. Understood?"

    I made sure to look every gym trainer in the eye and got a wave of unified yeses in return. Satisfied, I dismissed the group.

    I raised a brow when everybody except Neil stayed in place.

    "What''s¡ª" I started to say, but Yurie cut me off by holding a Pokeball high up in the air. The remarkably shiny and unblemished surface indicated that it was a brand new purchase.

    "I got a new team member while I was in Hoenn!" she said proudly. I blinked a few times. I vaguely remembered Yurie saying she was going to visit her home region over the weekend because there was something she wanted to do. Had it been to catch one of Hoenn''s native Pokemon?

    Before I could even inquire further, Yurie waved the Pokeball around with a flourish. "I already showed everyone else, but here!"

    She clicked the release mechanism. Scarlet light shot out and formed a short figure on the ground. The newly materialized Mawile growled out a polite greeting, but she eyed her surroundings cautiously. With just one glance, I could tell this Pokemon was still relatively young.

    Yurie beamed at me. "Freaking cool, right? I spent ages wandering in Granite Cave to find her. I thought about catching one last year, but I had to hold myself back because of, er, the Blackthorn Clan''s policy about no Fairy types," Yurie rambled. She flashed a peace sign at me. "Now I have a Fairy on my team! For the gym battles later, you know?"

    Aha. That feeling I''d gotten during my lecture the other day turned out to be right. Yurie had actually gone and gotten herself a Fairy type Pokemon of her own. I turned now to Hazel with an expectant gaze.

    He smiled, and I knew I was about to be proven right for the second time.

    "I''m really interested in Fairies now after everything you''ve taught us, so¡­ I went and got a Pokemon too," he admitted with a shy expression. "I found him in Kanto." He reached down and pressed a Pokeball on his belt, and out popped a pink and blue Pokemon.

    The Mime Jr. spun in place with a musical cry.

    "Not a lot of people bother training Mime Jr. or Mr. Mime, but I wanted to try. He''s very expressive¡­" Hazel spoke excitedly. He kept talking and even waved his hands around, but my attention was more focused on his new Pokemon. Everyone watched with delight as Mime Jr. began imitating Hazel''s every facial expression and movement.

    The Pokemon''s impression was clumsy and terrible, but it was adorable seeing him try so hard.

    "Very cute," I commented out loud with a smile. Internally, I felt quite pleased that they''d taken such an interest in Fairy types. It was enough to make any Specialist proud. "I''m happy for you two. Make sure to treat them well."

    While Yurie and Hazel discussed their new catches with each other ¡ª which inevitably turned into squabbling regarding whose Pokemon was cuter ¡ª I turned to the other three. Souta raised his hand.

    "I was talking with Haru the other day, and he mentioned he really wanted to catch a Jigglypuff," he explained with a grin. Haru ducked his head in embarrassment, but Souta just put a hand on his shoulder encouragingly and went on. "Um, so we were wondering¡­ can you come with us to Route 30? You said before that most of the local Fairies stay off the main road but that it''s dangerous to go too off-route. And we didn''t want to go by ourselves because of Team Rocket."

    "It''s okay if you don''t have time!" Haru tacked on hastily. He raised his head and peeked at me between his bangs. "I do want another Pokemon, but um, I could wait until things get safer."

    I didn''t know what I was more pleased by: the evidently budding friendship between Haru and Souta or the fact that they were being conscious of the warnings I''d given everyone.

    If only all young trainers could follow their example.

    "Sure. We can even head out now," I said with a smile.

    I was more than willing to help out. A trainer''s first caught Pokemon was special, and I wanted to make sure Haru could do so without having to worry about his own safety. Lance hadn''t given out further instructions to the Gym Leaders, so that meant the League was fine on its own for the time being.

    Haru practically lit up at my answer.

    "Thank you!" he said, and he exchanged excited expressions with Souta. I couldn''t help but smile to myself as I watched the boys talk to each other and even fist bump. It was nice to see them getting along.

    With that taken care of, I now turned to Murata. The former Ranger offered an embarrassed smile.

    "Er¡­ so my daughters have been begging me to get a family Pokemon for them to play with," he began. He scratched his cheek. "More specifically, they want, and I quote, ''the cutest Jigglypuff ever'' to put on musicals with."

    I snorted with laughter. Murata''s smile of embarrassment only grew larger.

    "Yeah, so that about sums it up," he admitted with a chuckle. "Would you mind if I tagged along? I''d be fine on my own, but I figured I should probably go in a group just in case."

    "Not at all. Playing things safe is never bad," I replied.

    Haru and Souta were fine with it, too. In fact, they seemed even more reassured with another strong trainer joining us.

    And, of course, when Hazel and Yurie found out we were all heading out to Route 30, they didn''t want to be left out and asked to join as well.

    That was how I found myself leading all my new gym trainers up north to one of the city''s exits. I''d left behind the majority of my Pokemon with dad and Neil to cover the gym during our short absence. Marching confidently alongside me was Mr. Puff. When he heard we were all going to the forest, he decided to tag along just to revisit his old habitat.

    It didn''t take us long to reach Route 30. By now, my gym trainers were used to patrolling this area. Once the main road came into sight, I led everyone off the path and into the forest instead.

    I didn''t miss how many trainers and Rangers there were in the distance before we slipped away. The Rangers were a given considering they were more actively patrolling the routes nowadays, but I hadn''t expected to see so many young trainers. The Circuit was over.

    "Huh, I wonder what all those trainers were here for¡­" I muttered to myself, but Yurie still heard me.

    "Oh," she spoke up. She needed a moment to cackle before she answered. "That''s probably because of the Arin Watanuki Effect."

    I nearly froze in my tracks, but I kept walking. My expression was anything but neutral.

    "Excuse me?" I said in disbelief, and I threw a glance over my shoulder. "The what now?"

    "The Arin Watanuki Effect," Yurie repeated with a straight face, but I saw how her lips twitched as she tried ¡ª and failed ¡ª to hold in her laughter. "You''ve probably been too busy to check lately, but it''s trending on Chatter and every other social media. People are jumping on the Fairy bandwagon. They saw how strong you are, so now everybody wants a Fairy type of their own."

    "And¡­" she paused, waggling her eyebrows. "Legend states that having a Fairy type will boost your chances of completing the League Circuit by more than fifty percent. Some people caught Fairy types and earned gym badges just in time before this Circuit ended, and they went all over Chatter proclaiming how by following in your footsteps, they became stronger. Thus, the Arin Watanuki Effect."

    She couldn''t hold back peals of laughter once she finished, and neither could the others. None of them could see my face as I had turned back forward, but my mouth was agape.

    Mr. Puff definitely saw me, though, and he snickered quietly to himself.

    What the actual flip?

    That was the craziest, and admittedly most amusing, thing I''d heard all year. It was¡­ nice that I had inspired people, but I just hoped these trainers wouldn''t put all their eggs in one basket. Having a Fairy type wasn''t going to be the solution for everything.

    Shoot, now I felt bad for the Rangers. They hadn''t mentioned anything to me about the influx of trainers around Cherrygrove, so I supposed they had things handled. I wondered how the wild Pokemon were faring. Seeing as we hadn''t had any reports come in of agitated Pokemon, things were probably fine on that front, too.

    I resolved to keep a closer eye on the routes going forward. I didn''t have to just worry about Rockets now but trainers gathering in large numbers to catch wild Pokemon.

    For now, I ignored the embarrassing subject of the Arin Watanuki Effect and pressed onwards. We had Pokemon to catch.

    Fifteen minutes into our excursion, Mr. Puff tugged on my pants and told me he remembered there were some Jigglypuff who lived nearby. Haru and Murata both got excited when I relayed the information, and we followed Mr. Puff deeper into the forest.

    He led us to a small meadow with a stream and called out loudly. One, two, three Jigglypuff eventually revealed themselves from bushes and tottered up to us cautiously.

    "Hello," I greeted immediately, and I donned a reassuring smile. The others behind me quickly followed in my example. The wild Jigglypuff looked at them suspiciously, but they at least looked at me with something more akin to curiosity.

    While Mr. Puff chatted with them, Haru cautiously tapped me on the back. I turned around and saw how incredibly nervous he looked.

    "D-Do I just fight one of them now?" he asked. In his hand was Mimi''s Pokeball. "I just have to weaken one enough to catch it, right?"

    I hummed to myself. "You could," I eventually said. That was the way most trainers got their Pokemon and the way kids were taught in school. I didn''t use that method myself, but to each their own.

    That didn''t mean I couldn''t mention a different method for my own gym trainers.

    "I''ve never caught a single one of my own Pokemon that way," I said out loud casually, and everyone looked at me with shock. "Forcibly, I mean. I always asked them if they wanted to join my team. If they wanted to battle and see my strength first, I showed them."

    I held my hands behind me with a smile as I met Haru''s gaze. He looked like he was latching onto every single one of my words, and I would have believed him if he said he was mentally logging all of this for the future.

    "It''s unusual, but that''s just how I did things," I said with a smile. "Every trainer does things differently. I''m not suggesting that you all follow in my footsteps. I''m just giving you some food for thought."

    Everyone wore thoughtful expressions as they mulled over my words. I simply stayed silent as I watched from the side. It wasn''t my intention to mold their ideologies into that of mine. So long as they could even consider different methods and viewpoints, my job was accomplished.

    A Gym Leader was someone who taught.

    Haru moved first. With his Pokeball still gripped tightly in his hand, he wore a determined expression as he took a few wobbly steps forward.

    The Jigglypuff all looked at him with renewed caution.

    "U-Um, hi," Haru began, and he took a deep breath. "I''m looking for someone who would like to become part of my team. We would train and fight in battles together to become stronger, but¡­" Haru paused.

    "It wouldn''t just be that," he declared confidently. "We can eat delicious food together and have fun outside of battles, too. I would treat you like a friend. So¡­"

    He tried not to show it, but I could practically sense the anxiety radiating from him. "Would one of you like to come with me?"

    I smiled to myself. That wasn''t too bad for a first-time pitch, and I was glad to see Haru was willing to try something against the norm of trainer culture.

    We were all quiet as we watched the Jigglypuff talk to each other. I knew what they were saying, but the others didn''t. Haru in particular looked like he was about to melt into a puddle from how faint he looked. Eventually, the Jigglypuff stopped talking. Haru gulped as they all stared at him for several long moments. Wordlessly, one of the pink balls of fluff marched up to him. She didn''t smile, but she let out a demand and pointed between Haru and herself.

    "Uh¡­" Haru trailed off and glanced furtively back at me. He was good at reading body language, but that didn''t mean he understood Pokemon one hundred percent.

    I decided to help him out. "She''s interested by the fights you mentioned, but she''ll only consider joining you after she sees your strength," I explained.

    Haru gulped again and stared down at the determined looking Jigglypuff. Clutching his Pokeball to his chest like a lifeline, he barely managed to nod.

    "¡­Okay. Let''s battle," he said slowly.

    We all went off to the sides to give them room. Amusingly enough, Souta looked just as anxious as Haru did. I was rooting for Haru, too, but I felt pretty calm inside. I estimated this Jigglypuff as being around half a year old. Not quite a child anymore, but still a young Pokemon. She didn''t look like she''d been in a lot of fights either.

    Haru couldn''t have had a more perfect opponent.

    Mimi was released onto the field. Today, the Azurill wore a serious expression as she bounced up and down lightly on her tail. Haru must have informed her in advance she''d be battling today.

    This was a match in the wild, so there was no referee. The battle began as soon as Jigglypuff opened her mouth.

    Musical notes given tangible form poured out. The song was so pleasant that Hazel started drifting off to sleep next to me. In fact, he fell asleep unusually quickly. Yurie pinched him in the arm, and he jolted awake with a loud ow.

    "Sis?!" he mumbled out loud, and Yurie rolled her eyes at him.

    I would have laughed, but I was too busy focusing on the match. Haru had already recognized what move Jigglypuff used and threw a hand forward. His previous nerves had completely disappeared.

    "Jump!" he yelled.

    There was an audible thump as Mimi smashed her tail against the ground. The small Pokemon flew up into the air in a wide arc over the incoming Sing, and I smiled to myself. Their training with my Azumarill was paying off. This was already a huge improvement from the interview battle.

    "Water Gun!"

    Jigglypuff had abruptly stopped singing out of surprise, but she still couldn''t react in time. Water hit her in the face and sent her rolling backwards. Meanwhile, Mimi landed on the ground from her earlier Splash. The instant she hit the floor, Haru yelled out another order.

    "Now Bubble!"

    There weren''t a lot of them, but bubbles came flying out of Mimi''s mouth towards the downed Jigglypuff. The wild Pokemon hastily picked herself up and veered to the left. She opened her mouth again, and this time she screamed.

    Sound waves blasted outwards. These traveled much faster than the Sing had, and Mimi took the brunt of the attack. She was so light that she got thrown back directly into a tree. Squeaks of pain filled the air.

    Haru did not panic.

    "Mimi, use Charm!" he shouted.

    Even as the Azurill slid down from the tree bark, her round eyes glowed brightly. She cast her gaze upon Jigglypuff. The doe-like stare from Mimi would have been considered cute by any spectator, but none more so than their intended target.

    Jigglypuff physically paused in place. Her bright eyes glazed over with adoration.

    I grinned at the same time Haru did.

    "Water Gun!" he ordered.

    Another rapid-fire burst of water came out and doused Jigglypuff. She fell on her back and floundered a bit, spluttering. When she finally got up with shaking arms, Haru eyed her warily. Jigglypuff did not take a step forward.

    "Is this enough?" he asked her.

    Jigglypuff was soaking wet. She didn''t respond right away and took a moment to adjust her tuft of hair instead. When she was done, she looked like she was torn between annoyance and respect as she nodded.

    Haru could have cared less. His whole face lit up as he ran forward.

    "So do you want to come with me?" he asked just to make sure.

    Jigglypuff nodded. The instant she did, Haru let out a whoop of excitement and crouched down. "I promise to treat you well," he told her earnestly.

    He didn''t even wait for a response. He scrounged around for a towel in his bag and pulled it out, hurriedly wiping all the water and dirt off of Jigglypuff. The Pokemon was surprised at first, but she quickly relaxed. Haru even did the same for Mimi, too.

    We all watched this scene with warm chests. I was pretty sure we were all thinking what a nice kid Haru was.

    I had to remind him that he actually needed to catch Jigglypuff once he was done, and the startled look he gave me was hilarious. He tapped a spare Pokeball he''d bought with his first paycheck against Jigglypuff''s head.

    Needless to say, she was caught without any resistance.

    Everyone went up to congratulate him ¡ª Souta in particular was absolutely elated ¡ª and I couldn''t help but look on with a fond expression of my own. Haru looked like the happiest teenager on earth. I hoped he would remember this day for a long time to come and look back on it as a treasured memory.

    This was the day he''d caught his first Pokemon. A true milestone in any trainer''s journey.

    Murata decided to follow Haru''s example and make a pitch of his own to the other Jigglypuff, but they weren''t interested. The rejections didn''t bother him. We were in high spirits as we trekked through the forest to find him a Jigglypuff. Everyone couldn''t stop chatting with each other and smiling.

    Even if there was a criminal organization out there, it couldn''t stop us from living our lives or enjoying such moments of happiness.

 Chapter 32

    CHAPTER 32

    Murata blanched. "No, no."

    "You have to," I said gravely.

    "But I¡ª"

    "Do it for your daughters," Yurie chimed in with a straight face. Next to her, Hazel nodded seriously. Behind all of us, Haru and Souta had their backs turned and were shaking like leaves.

    It had taken longer than expected, but we''d finally found a Jigglypuff willing to entertain Murata''s request about coming to live with his family.

    There was just one catch.

    She wanted to hear him sing first. Murata had gotten desperate enough after countless rejections from various wild Jigglypuff that he had exaggerated his latest offer a bit. He''d told this particular Jigglypuff that she could sing with his wife, his daughters, or him whenever she wanted. The Jigglypuff was very taken with that idea and interested in hearing the singing voice of a future buddy.

    The problem was that while his wife and daughters were musically inclined, Murata himself was not.

    Haru and Souta excused themselves to go chuckle into their hands farther away. I stood there fighting my own urge to laugh as Murata stared down at the pink menace standing below him. Jigglypuff batted her eyes innocently.

    The thirty-year-old man, a former Ranger who was usually the epitome of calm, broke out in a cold sweat.

    "Well¡­" I spoke up with the intent of reassurance. "We could keep looking if you''d like. We''ve got time."

    Murata''s hands twitched.

    "I¡­" he trailed off. His face morphed rapidly between various states of emotion, everything from reluctance to horror to ultimately¡­ resignation.

    He sighed, dipping his head in the weariest of nods. "Ah, screw it. Let''s just try this," Murata muttered. He cleared his throat. In a louder voice, he addressed the Jigglypuff. "Alright, uh¡­ here''s my song."

    Haru and Souta came back with that announcement, and we all stood together as we watched Murata straighten his posture. A few people leaned forward as he took a breath.

    And then¡­ he sang.

    I meant no offense to Murata, but he was a terrible singer. His naturally deep voice cracked in some parts as he tried to sing particularly high or low notes, and he was so off-tune that it would have been hard to tell what he was singing if not for the lyrics.

    What really got us was his face. Murata looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole as he continued singing.

    The rest of us just about died of muffled laughter, but we kept it down for the sake of our Jigglypuff spectator. I couldn''t see her expression from where I stood.

    Meanwhile, Yurie inched closer to me.

    "Isn''t this the song that''s popular right now on the PokeMusic program? The one that Goldenrod Radio Tower airs?" Yurie whispered out the side of her mouth.

    "I¡­ think so?" I whispered back.

    "Let It Seel," Hazel helpfully supplied in a hiss. "It''s from an animated kids movie, the one about the queen who''s an Ice type Ability Holder."

    We both stared at him blankly while Haru and Souta nodded in understanding. Hazel looked absolutely offended as he adjusted his glasses. "It''s a good movie! Maybe we should do a staff movie night sometime. But anyway¡­ at least he''s better at singing than Nimbus?"

    Yurie glared sharply at him.

    "HEY!"

    Hazel raised his hands in mock surrender and pointedly looked away with a smirk.

    About half a minute later, Murata decided to end his serenade and snapped his mouth shut. He wore a nervous smile as he looked down. We edged a little closer to the left to see the Jigglypuff''s face. This time, I let out a snort of laughter. Jigglypuff was looking at Murata with an expression like she''d stepped on Tauros dung, and Murata''s face fell.

    To all our surprises, Jigglypuff did not immediately leave. She clicked her tongue instead. She raised a stubby arm, waved it at him while speaking fiercely, and then plopped onto the ground with a satisfied smile.

    Murata turned to me with a bewildered expression.

    "Jigglypuff said your song was uh¡­ a nice try. She''ll come live with your family," I translated. Murata smiled widely at the exact same time I held a finger up. "But¡­ you''ll need to sit through singing lessons with her. She wants to make a true singer out of you."

    "Singing lessons?!" Murata''s eyes nearly bulged right out of his head, and he whipped his head back to look at Jigglypuff. She nodded her head seriously and clapped her hands together in delight.

    Murata slapped a hand to his forehead.

    "Even Wiggly didn''t mind my singing when he was a Jigglypuff¡­ what has the world come to," he bemoaned. "Do it for your daughters, Murata¡­"

    In the end, Murata agreed to the deal. One eager Jigglypuff was put away in a Pokeball to be shown to his kids later. Now Murata was the one who looked like he''d stepped in Tauros shit, and we laughed at him as we headed back.

    "It''s not that bad, Murata¡­ Think about how surprised your wife will be when your singing improves!"

    "Legendaries¡­ Wiggly''s going to make fun of me later when he hears about all this¡­"

    Dad and Neil were both in the backyard when we came back, and Yurie ran up to them with a mischievous expression before Murata could stop her.

    "Did you know Murata¡­" she began, and she finished retelling the story before we caught up.

    Dad and Neil howled with laughter and walked over to clap Murata on the back.

    "Done in by a Jigglypuff," Neil guffawed. He threw his head back and laughed some more.

    Murata merely let out a long sigh. "I need to tell myself again that it was for my daughters¡­"

    While everyone chatted and laughed with each other, Haru walked over to one of the gym Chansey to get his Pokemon looked at. I was going to join him, but the Professors intercepted me first. Apparently they''d dropped by while we were out.

    "Arin! It''s good to see that you''re unharmed. I know they said there were almost no injuries among League forces on the news, but I''m glad to see as much with my own eyes," Oak greeted me first. The relief dripping from his voice was hard to miss, and the other Professors echoed similar sentiments.

    "It''s terrible that Team Rocket is back, but I''m glad the Indigo League is taking full action against them," Rowan added. Next to him, Oak clenched one of his fists tightly. "I will pray to Arceus for the safety of your people."

    "Thank you," I said with a dip of my head.

    We were quiet for a moment. This would have been a sensitive topic for citizens of Kanto-Johto, but it was even more so with prominent figures visiting from abroad. Oak looked like he wanted to say something from the way he opened and closed his mouth a few times, but he never did.

    "Well¡­" Birch spoke up hesitantly, and all heads turned to him. He offered a tentative smile. "We can at least add onto the good news today. Not just for Indigo but for the whole Kinjoh Area."

    "That''s right," Elm agreed. He nodded so enthusiastically that his glasses almost flew right off, and he hurriedly slapped them back onto his nose. "Are you ready for the press conference later?"

    Now here was a welcome change in topics. I grinned. "Of course."

    Yes, after weeks of hard work, the Professors had finally finished their research paper. My name was obviously included on there due to the Pokemon I had provided and further knowledge I had shared with the Professors. The paper would go live at 6 PM today in Kinjoh Research Monthly, the foremost research journal for the Kinjoh Area. We were going to hold a short press conference one hour before then to announce its impending release.

    I looked at the equally proud and excited expressions of the Professors standing around me, and I knew I probably looked the same.

    We were going to shock the living daylights out of people today with the information we had to offer.

    As I was fantasizing about Fairy types further taking this side of the world by storm, Oak cleared his throat.

    "Just to make sure¡­ do you have increased security measures in place?" he inquired.

    "Yes," I instantly replied. A huge smile overtook my face. "Everything''s set now. Thank you again for helping me with that."

    Previously, I''d cashed in on favors and asked the Professors for some Pokemon I was interested in. They''d each pulled strings to get me well-trained guards.

    From Birch, I''d received a pack of Mightyena and Ninjask. From Rowan, I''d requested some Luxray for their x-ray vision. Elm had contributed a variety of species like Noctowl, Crobat, and Houndoom, and Oak was the most generous of all. He had given me some Arcanine and even one Machamp who previously worked at his lab. Neither of those were easy to raise, and I thanked him profusely at the time. He merely waved my thanks away with a kind smile.

    They gave me some other Pokemon as well, but those were ones who would simply be living in and around the gym as part of the attraction. The Professors had truly been generous.

    That wasn''t the end of my new and improved security force either. I had Trevenant roaming the massive forest around our house now thanks to Valerie (dad and Neil couldn''t stop gushing over them), some Mr. Mime I''d acquired on my own, and guards I''d hired with powerful teams of Pokemon. They were all affiliated with the League and came with recommendations straight from Lance, so I knew they were trustworthy. The security force would expand to cover the Gym, too, once construction finished soon.

    With all of these new additions ¡ª not to mention the personal teams of both a Champion-level trainer and former Gym Leader ¡ª in place, our property was essentially an impenetrable stronghold.

    I''d already shown how powerful some of my team was on national television. That was probably enough to deter most people from trying to steal from me, but I could not get complacent with security.

    "OH!" Elm exclaimed suddenly, and I jumped right out of my thoughts. The Professor clapped his hands together in delight. "We almost forgot our last gifts to you! Um, Lizzie, Wen, can you bring them over please?"

    His two assistants appeared within seconds of his call. They were pushing along carts with protective incubators full of¡­

    "Pokemon Eggs?!" I asked with wide eyes.

    "Yes!" Elm replied. He threw his hands up and nearly hit Rowan in the process. The disgruntled Professor shuffled out of the way as Elm continued. "The four of us were trying to think of what else we could give you in return for all the help, and we decided on these! They''re all Fairy types from across the Kinjoh Area. We thought you could raise them for your Gym once the next Johto League Circuit opens."

    I''d thought as much. Even without looking at the tags attached to them, I recognized some of the Eggs as being ones for Azurill or Togepi.

    "Thank you so much!" I said excitedly, and I hunched over to look over the rest of the Eggs. "Er, how did you get so many of them on short notice?"

    "Elm''s the leading expert on Pokemon breeding," Birch explained. Beside him, Elm straightened with a proud smile. "He''s got a lot of sway and connections among the international community. It wasn''t hard to rustle up only a dozen or so Eggs."

    "Let me know if you want more! In fact, I could keep supplying you during the League Circuit season," Elm boasted. His smile took on a bashful tinge as he clasped his hands behind his back. "I would, um, love to come back and study the baby Pokemon if you''d let me. Just to see how they''d interact in the presence of a Fairy Ability Holder¡­"

    Oak and the other Professors rolled their eyes while I laughed. So there had been a secondary motive for the Eggs after all.

    "Sure, sure," I promised in between chuckles. An idea occurred to me, and I sprang back up. "Professors, actually, would you mind if I gave some of these Eggs away?"

    A knowing smile found its way onto Oak''s face. He and the other Professors gave their assent, and I immediately called for my gym trainers. They gathered around us with confusion and interest. Their eyes slowly shifted between me, the Eggs on display, and the Professors.

    "So the Professors have kindly gifted me Pokemon Eggs of Fairy type Pokemon native to our four regions," I began, and I gestured grandly to the carts. "And I''d like to offer you guys a chance to take and raise one of them if you''re interested. You guys have been working hard, so¡ª"

    "REALLY?!" Yurie exploded. She and the other gym trainers all looked at me with awe.

    That meant they were all interested then.

    I grinned, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "Yeah. Go ahead and pick one each."

    Yurie didn''t have to be told twice. She ran forward with a gleeful expression and began twisting and turning her body while peering at every glass container. She didn''t bother to read any of the name tags.

    The others quickly followed. Murata and Hazel were the only ones who actually read the tags to see what they were dealing with. Souta and Haru pointedly avoided looking at the IDs and studied each Egg''s appearance instead. I wondered if they wanted to pick an Egg they got a special feeling about first before finding out what Pokemon it actually was.

    After several minutes, they made their selections. Yurie and Hazel chose a Mime Jr. and Snubbull Egg respectively (Hazel complained that Yurie was copying him, a claim which the other girl vehemently denied), and Murata went with a Ralts. Our youngest gym trainers, Souta and Haru, chose Azurill and Togepi Eggs.

    The backyard was full of cheer and excitement. I looked at the group of people carefully cradling Egg incubators to their chests, and I felt happy.

    Today was shaping up to be an excellent day.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Luca Hirafuji''s new life in Cherrygrove had been going splendidly so far.

    The locals were nice, the food was good, and Luca even caught occasional glimpses of Gym Leader Arin whenever he was in town for patrols or other business (sadly, he never saw Taffy with him). He was nowhere close to running out of things to make content on either. He''d spent a week just documenting the different kinds of trees and flowers around town.

    Cherrygrove City was the trending city nowadays despite its Gym still being under construction. There were rumors among the locals, though, that it was nearly finished. Luca couldn''t wait until the Gym was open to the public. He was going to make a whole video about it and do his civic duty as a new resident of Cherrygrove: advertising their holy Gym to the rest of the world. Until then, he was going to continue making videos about other things.

    Today was special. He was doing a livestream for the first time in a while. To celebrate the occasion, he was decked out in limited edition Wigglytuff-themed gear.

    "Helloooo, Tuffers! It''s me, Tuff Tuff King, in the flesh!" he said exuberantly to his phone attached on a selfie stick, and he flashed a peace sign. Tons of messages including donations flew by in the livestream chat.

    Jigglypuff Powahhh: TUFF TUFF KING! TUFF TUFF KING!

    Meowza: first livestream in forever! yesssss

    BARON5: What''s today''s stream about? I can''t guess anything from the title T_ T

    With practiced ease, Luca read off a few of them and thanked his viewers. "User mareepforthewin, thank you for the six-month subscription! User paripari, thank you for the fifteen dollar donation!"

    Arceus, he really loved his online community. His decision to quit college two years ago had been scary, but he''d found something he loved doing ¡ª being a social media influencer and content creator ¡ª and he was making a name for himself.

    He really couldn''t have been happier.

    Grinning, Luca angled his selfie stick up high so he could capture both his face and what was behind him.

    "Everyone, I made today''s stream title vague on purpose," Luca explained slyly. "This makes things more interesting! Can you guys guess where I am and what we''ll be doing today?"

    Oblivion Fire: ? uhhh¡­ interviewing people?

    KingKrabby: I can''t tell where that is. Wait a sec, are you on a route? You sure about this?

    Meowza: you don''t have any pokemon¡­ will you be okay?

    Jigglypuff Powahhh: I''m going out on a limb here. IS THAT ROUTE 30?

    Some of his viewers were worried about him, but it was fine. Everything was just fine.

    He didn''t usually go on routes. Even back in Cianwood, he''d stuck strictly to the city limits his whole life and only gone outside a few times on junior and high school field trips. Why?

    Like any normal citizen, he was scared of the wilderness. He didn''t have the guts to step foot out there like trainers did. Hell, Johto was even tied with Sinnoh for some of the most dangerous places and routes in the Kinjoh Area.

    It didn''t help that Luca didn''t have a Pokemon of his own, and there was a reason for that, too. He didn''t have the confidence to properly care for one. He already had trouble taking care of himself sometimes, so how was he supposed to take care of another living being? It was no wonder then that his viewers were confused, but Route 30 was as safe as routes went in Johto.

    Everything was going to be just fine.

    He forced a smile on his face and shot a thumbs up to his viewers with his free hand.

    "Ding ding ding, we have some winners!" he chuckled. "That''s right, I''m here outside of Cherrygrove today on Route 30! For anyone out there who doesn''t know, Routes 29 and 30 are widely considered the safest routes in all of Johto. Plenty of inexperienced trainers come here to train or catch low-level Pokemon, and I''ll be interviewing some of them. Why?"

    Luca paused for dramatic effect. "Because of the Arin Watanuki Effect!" he said a moment later, and his lips curled into an excited grin. "This phenomenon has taken over the entire Pokenet! The popularity of Fairy type Pokemon among young trainers has exploded after Arin Watanuki''s public matches. Everyone wants to get their hands on a Fairy type Pokemon now. For Fairy wanters in Johto, Route 30 is basically a haven for them. All of the most common Fairy types can be found right here, and there have been reports of people visiting in droves to try their luck. So, today, we''ll be interviewing some of these people."

    He jabbed a thumb enthusiastically at his chest. "Let''s go!"

    And off he went. He ignored how unsettled he felt walking along a route and focused on his mission instead. There really were a lot of trainers out in full force. He could see individuals and groups of people wading through tall grass or checking small clusters of bushes and trees for Pokemon. A few were even using fishing rods at small ponds and lakes.

    When one of those trainers pulled his fishing rod back with a scowl, Luca made a beeline for him. He made sure to keep his phone down first to avoid privacy issues.

    "Hi! I''m Tuff Tuff King, a social media influencer and content creator. I''m not sure if you''ve heard of me¡ª" he began, but the trainer cut him off with wide eyes.

    "Oh! Yeah, I''ve heard of you. One of my friends is a fan," the other person said. Luca forewent a sigh of relief. That made things easier.

    He smiled amicably. "That''s cool! I was wondering if I could interview you real quick? I''m doing a livestream right now."

    The other trainer''s eyes widened further. "Uh¡­ sure thing."

    Now that he had obtained permission, Luca swung his phone back up and angled it so that he and the other trainer were both in the frame.

    "Let''s start things off with an easy question. What''s your name?" Luca asked.

    "William Rowes," the trainer responded in a clear voice. His eyes darted only briefly to the camera recording them.

    "Nice to meet you, William. I''ll cut straight to the point: are you here looking for Fairy type Pokemon?"

    "Huh," William made a small sound of surprise. "Yeah, I am. How''d you know?"

    "Well, you see, there''s something called the Arin Watanuki Effect¡­" Luca trailed off. He summarized the trend in less than ten seconds for his interviewee.

    "Right, right," William mumbled as he snapped his fingers. "Think I heard about that, too. I''m not sure about other people, but I came here because I wanted a strong Pokemon to round out my team. I''ve been having trouble beating the Blackthorn Gym for two years now, so I thought maybe a Fairy type would help in the next League Circuit."

    He held up his fishing rod with a sigh. "I''ve been trying to get a Marill this whole time. They all got scared off because of how many people there are. I''ve resorted to luring them out with bait, but¡­"

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    He shrugged. It was obvious he had not found his desired Pokemon yet.

    Luca offered him a look of sympathy. "Well, thank you for the interview. Good luck!"

    With that said, Luca left William behind and headed further into the route. He interviewed almost two dozen other trainers, and all of them were here for Fairy types.

    The Arin Watanuki Effect truly was incredible.

    With every minute that passed, Luca relaxed further. He may not have had a Pokemon, but he didn''t need one on this route. There were so many trainers around that the wild Pokemon stayed away, and Rangers frequently passed by to keep a watchful eye on the surroundings.

    He stayed out for another hour. By the time he was somewhere about a fourth into the route, the crowd of people had thinned out. In fact¡­ now he didn''t see anyone else around. No Rangers, no wandering trainers.

    Yep. It was time to head home.

    "Alright guys, I think this may be a good stopping point. Tuff Tuff King, signing out like¡­" Luca trailed off as he turned around.

    Two people darted off the main road and into the forest. It happened so quickly, but Luca was pretty sure two guys had gone in. That wasn''t the important bit.

    One of the two had been dressed in a black outfit.

    Granted, he hadn''t gotten a good look or seen the front of the shirt, but Luca froze in place with one thought running through his head.

    Team Rocket. Had he just seen Team fucking Rocket?

    No, no, he couldn''t jump to conclusions here. Maybe it was just two trainers picking up something they dropped, or they were off to look for Fairy types deeper in the forest¡­

    Or maybe it was just Team Rocket.

    Luca stood there and drilled holes into the trees with his eyes, desperately hoping the two figures would reappear. Tense seconds passed and became a full minute.

    They didn''t come back.

    Luca didn''t stop to think. He clumsily wrenched his phone out of the selfie stick, minimized his livestream, ignored how frenzied the chat was, and Zoogled the Cherrygrove Ranger Outpost''s phone number. They were the closest authority to where he was.

    He only had to wait for two ringing tones before someone picked up.

    "Hi, this is the Cherrygrove¡ª"

    "This is not a joke, please listen. About a minute ago I saw two trainers run into the forest on Route 30 and they haven''t come back out yet and one of them was wearing all black clothing so maybe it was Team Rocket but I don''t know so anyway please come check it out," Luca blabbered out all in a single breath.

    The friendly operator on the other end immediately began asking him questions, and he did his best to answer. One of the first things she asked for was his current location. Luca hammered his fingers against the phone screen and copy pasted his GPS coordinates from his compass app to the Ranger''s tip line.

    "You should¡ª" the operator began to say, but he hung up without hearing the rest. Luca raised his free hand and bit his nails out of anxiety. Rangers had been dispatched and were on their way. That should have taken a load off his mind. Instead, he was more stressed than ever.

    Were those actually Team Rocket grunts in there? If so, what were they doing? What if the Rangers didn''t arrive on time and they got away? Only one of them had been wearing a dark outfit. What if that one was a Team Rocket member and the other one was a trainer running away from them? What if they needed help?

    He had absolutely no clue. His mind raced with a million different possibilities, and every single one of them terrified him.

    All he knew for sure was that the Rangers still weren''t here and the Rockets were slipping away.

    Their government was trying to track them down. They were doing their best to keep the country safe, and this was a possible lead. They would be able to get information out of the Rockets but only if they were caught first. Then everyone would be happier knowing more criminals were behind bars.

    He was a citizen of Indigo. Could he really just stand here doing nothing to help?

    An idea flashed through Luca''s mind as he thought that. It was a very stupid and reckless idea, but¡­ he swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. His legs were trembling like crazy.

    Okay. Okay. He could do this. He would go after them, hopefully figure out where they went, and alert the Rangers with an updated location. He would run away at the first sign of danger.

    "Fuck," Luca cursed to himself.

    This was probably the worst decision he''d ever make in his life. It was also probably the last one he''d ever get to make as well, but¡­ Luca squeezed his phone, cursed out loud to himself again, and ran into the forest.

    He didn''t see any of the messages zooming past on his livestream.

    Ace of Staryu: STOP! DON''T GO AFTER THEM!

    Jan_918: OMA im worried about tuff tuff king

    KingKrabby: RANGERS PLEASE APPEAR NOW AND STOP HIM

    Luca''s feet pounded against the forest floor. Deeper and deeper he went, and any sight of the main road disappeared within seconds. Startled Ledyba and Sentret scurried away from him as he flew past. He ignored the hammering of his heart and focused on running.

    For the love of Ho-Oh, how far in had these people gone?

    Luca wasn''t the best runner, but he managed to run full speed for about five minutes. Then he had to stop in his tracks to catch his breath. He gulped for air as he looked around. He hadn''t noticed it while running, but the trees here were densely packed together. The overall vegetation was much thicker, too. He was way off-route now.

    This was a terrible idea, Luca told himself again for the nth time. It was too late to back out now though. He was already this far in.

    Cautiously, Luca began wandering through the forest. He walked over fallen branches and uneven dips in the ground. He gave wild Pokemon large berths even if they were as harmless as Caterpie. The whole time, he strained his eyes and ears for sights of anything.

    A minute later, Luca heard faint voices drifting from further ahead.

    "Fuck, I think¡­ my phone¡­"

    "¡­don''t see any¡­"

    His heart rate sped up, and the shaking of his legs got worse. Luca bit his lips and forced himself to walk further. He had to make sure these were the Rockets. He didn''t forget to pull his phone out to make an emergency call if necessary.

    Two figures eventually became visible between the trees. They kept walking, so Luca followed them from a distance. He could only see their backs, and it took a few moments for him to parse through his blurry memories, but these were the two people he''d seen earlier.

    Rustle. Luca didn''t know what that sound he heard was, but the person with the dark outfit suddenly stopped in place.

    "Ugh, I can''t stop thinking about my phone. Let''s go back and look for it," he said with a groan.

    His companion clicked his tongue. "Are you crazy? We''re lucky we haven''t come across any Rangers yet. We can look for it after we finish. It''s your fault for dropping it anyway."

    "Fine," the other person grumbled. "Anyway, how come we haven''t found them yet?"

    Okay, yes sir, these people were suspicious. Luca had no clue if they were talking about a Team Rocket rendezvous or not, but he started backing away. It was time to go.

    As he was opening his compass app to grab coordinates, he stepped on something. A twig snapped loudly under his foot.

    Luca stiffened at the same time that the figures whirled around. They spotted him almost immediately behind the tree.

    Oh Arceus, he was going to die here. Chopped up or boiled alive without ever getting to see his beloved Taffy again¡ª

    That thought stopped abruptly in its tracks. Luca blinked.

    He was looking at two teenagers, probably not a day over fifteen if he had to guess, and their equally surprised faces. The one in the dark outfit wasn''t wearing a Team Rocket uniform. He was just wearing black jeans with a graphic T-shirt that read Cough Koffing. That was a popular heavy metal band, but that wasn''t the point!

    His jaw dropped.

    "You''re¡­ you''re not Team Rocket," he said in disbelief.

    The teenagers both looked back at him with shock.

    "W-What? Team Rocket?" the one on the right spluttered indignantly. "Are you a Ranger? Were you following us?!"

    "Idiot, he''s not a Ranger. Look at his outfit!" his friend hissed. In a louder voice, the boy in the dark clothes pointed at him. "Look, I don''t know how you thought we were Team Rocket, but we''re just new trainers. We wanted to catch some Fairy types so we thought we''d go deeper into the route to find ''em. Are you here for the same reason as us?"

    All the tension left Luca in one big whoosh. He wanted to bash his head into the nearest tree. For the love of Arceus, he couldn''t believe he''d mistaken these people for Team Rocket.

    He''d gotten into a frenzy and involved the Rangers over a pair of fucking stupid teenagers.

    Rustle.

    Something rustled again, but Luca was too busy trying to recover from his initial shock to care. Once he recovered, Luca glared at the boys.

    "First of all, this is off-route," he said with full annoyance. "If you''re new trainers, you shouldn''t be out here without a strong team of Pokemon! Second of all, who the heck wears all dark clothing like that with the news about Team Rocket lately? That''s like asking people to report you!"

    A brief look of shame crossed the other boy''s face. "Okay fine, I can see how my outfit could confuse people," he admitted, but he raised his voice as he jabbed a finger at his chest. "But this is a free country! We''re allowed to wear whatever we want! This is just the style of clothing I like. Heck, look at you! You''re wearing all Wigglytuff¡­ stuff."

    Luca refrained from grumbling out loud. He had a point. Even if a Wigglytuff criminal organization appeared one day, he wouldn''t change the clothes he wore either.

    Annnd¡­ it was partially his fault for jumping too quickly to conclusions. Still, it was based on reasonable suspicion! That''s how he tried to justify it to himself anyway.

    Luca sighed. Arceus, what a day this had turned out to be. At least he was just facing kids and not actual Rocket members.

    "Whatever," he sighed. "Look, like I said before, you guys shouldn''t be out there. I actually called the Rangers a couple minutes ago because I saw you guys go into the forest and thought you were Rockets."

    "WHAT?" the boy with dark clothes exclaimed loudly. "I¡ª You¡ª We didn''t even get to look for real yet! I want a Marill!"

    "Yes, yes," Luca just waved a hand through the air and brought his phone up to his face. His fingers were already flying across the screen and dialing the Cherrygrove Ranger Outpost''s number again. "So does everyone else who believes in the Arin Watanuki Effect. Anyway, I need to explain to the Rangers that¡ª"

    "Wait, stop. Does anyone else hear that?" the other teenager interrupted with wide eyes. Luca and the boy across from him paused in place.

    "Hello? This is the Cherrygrove Ranger Outpost¡­" a faint voice came from Luca''s phone, but he''d already lowered the device.

    Luca was about to ask what the hell the kid was talking about when he heard it.

    Rustle.

    It was that same sound he''d heard before, except now¡­ it was a lot louder when they weren''t speaking. There were other noises layered beneath it. Something¡­ like the quiet sound of chomping. The sound people would make when they were engrossed in a tasty meal so to speak. There wasn''t anything around them when they swung their heads back and forth, so¡­

    In unison, Luca and the two boys looked up.

    Pineco. So many fucking Pineco high up in the trees. There had to be at least three dozen of them. The Pineco all looked down at them with terrifying red eyes. Each of them was hanging precariously from a tree branch, and they were all wriggling. Luca didn''t understand why until he looked closer.

    They were eating. He couldn''t quite make out their mouths behind their protective shells, but they were definitely eating something from the crunching sounds they made. Luca didn''t want to know what, and he certainly didn''t want to ask.

    All he knew was that the sounds and sights were eliciting truly visceral responses of fear from him, and he felt his legs grow wobbly with fear. His palms were sweating like crazy.

    If you grew up in Johto, you were quickly taught in school what the most dangerous native Pokemon were. That included a long list of Poison types, but Pineco was also there. Johto had a lot of forested areas which Pineco resided in. They were known for their innate ability to explode, and they didn''t even have to channel type energy to use the actual move. Their species was simply capable of exploding whenever they wanted or if they fell to the ground.

    Thankfully, they usually resided deeper in forests away from civilization. Off-route.

    And¡­ Luca and the boys were off-route¡­ together with a colony of displeased Pineco that looked like they may or may not explode at a moment''s notice. They had been talking too loudly.

    Once again, Luca realized he was definitely not meant to be a trainer. His situational awareness was simply awful. Just how had he not noticed all these Pineco until now?

    "Oh my Arceus¡­" one of the boys next to him whimpered.

    "H-H-Holy shit," his friend stammered in a faint voice. "That''s a lot of Pineco."

    "Yeah no shit," Luca somehow managed to snap back with more bravado than he actually felt, but he made sure to keep his voice down. "Okay, uh, let''s just get out of here and let them eat in peace¡­ No sudden movements."

    He and the boys kept their eyes on the watchful Pineco. Slowly, they began inching away from them in the opposite direction.

    Unfortunately, their previous loud conversation had disturbed more than just a colony of Pineco.

    The three of them jumped when angry buzzing filled the air. Not a moment later, a gigantic Heracross burst out from the other end of the clearing. The scars across its carapace and its noticeably thick forearms indicated it had seen and won many fights.

    The Heracross only looked around for a moment before it caught sight of the boys. Angrily, it began stomping forward. Luca didn''t know what he was more terrified by: getting killed by the Heracross, or if it would accidentally brush up against a tree and cause a Pineco to fall, thus killing them by explosion instead. They couldn''t even run for fear of setting off the Pineco themselves. Luca wanted to strangle himself and the two idiots for creating this situation.

    Route 30 was one of the safest routes in Johto, yes.

    But only when you weren''t off-route.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    We''d wrapped up a nice lunch. I''d finished up a patrol in the city, and now I was leisurely cruising across the ocean on Brie''s back for some much needed downtime.

    It wasn''t entirely a break, though. I was in the middle of a discussion with Lance.

    "Hmm¡­ Our forces are already spread thin, so I don''t know if I can reallocate more Rangers to your city''s outpost¡­" Lance trailed off regretfully.

    I frowned even though he couldn''t see me. Now that I was aware of the Arin Watanuki Effect thanks to Yurie, I was trying to stay ahead of it.

    "I would really appreciate it if you could, Lance. I think our Rangers might get overworked at this rate. There''s been an influx of trainers on Route 30 lately, and I want to make sure we''re able to supervise them properly. Please assign more Rangers to Cherrygrove," I politely insisted.

    I heard a sound like Lance scratching his head. "I''ll have to see what I can do. It''s not just you, Arin, all the other Gym Leaders have been asking for more Rangers and officers, too. At this rate we might have to dig into trainee reserves," Lance sighed. "But I''m curious, why are there so many trainers over there nowadays? I mean no offense, but I didn''t think Route 30 was a popular spot for trainers."

    "That''s¡­" I hesitated. No way in hell I was telling Lance about the Arin Watanuki Effect. I would perish from embarrassment first. Just as I was about to tell him everything about the phenomenon but its name, my phone rang with a call from the local Rangers.

    That couldn''t be good.

    "I''ll call you back, Lance," I said hurriedly, and I ended the call before he could get a syllable out. The other call was accepted.

    "We got a tip about a potential Team Rocket sighting," the voice of the head Ranger informed. I was already moving even as he explained the rest of the situation to me.

    Silque was let out and lifted us both above the waves with psychic powers. The moment I returned Brie, we both Teleported to the coordinates the Ranger had given me.

    "This is where the informant was? And where the Rockets were seen?" I demanded. The closest Rangers hurried up to me and nodded. They''d already dispatched Rangers into and above the forest to search, but I wanted to expedite the process.

    "Silque," I said simply.

    My Hatterene''s eyes glowed, and I knew she was using her abilities to search the surroundings. A few moments passed, and then she relayed what she''d found to me. She''d felt three human figures further into the forest. All of them radiated fear. They were right by a known colony of Pineco that the Rangers and I had long been aware of.

    What was more, the people were definitely off-route.

    "I''m heading in first. Wait here as backup," I said firmly. I couldn''t bring the Rangers in with me for what was possibly going to be a combat situation of high intensity.

    We disappeared before the Rangers even nodded. One of them had actually tried to say something to me ¡ª something about Pineco? ¡ª but we were already gone. I was more glad than ever I''d taken the time to have Silque go around Cherrygrove and memorize its surrounding areas in weeks prior. It made Teleportation so much easier and infinitely more useful when no place was inaccessible to you.

    I''d half expected some sort of Dark type barrier to be in place to prevent us from getting close, but there was none. Silque and I popped into existence inside the forest. I took in the situation in a second. The clearing we''d come into, the Pineco up above, the incoming Heracross, and the trembling guys in front of me¡ª was that Tuff Tuff King?!

    I didn''t know what had happened, but this was not a Team Rocket situation after all. There''d be time to talk later. I barked out my Pokemon''s name.

    "SILQUE!"

    The Hatterene had already moved. She easily restrained the Heracross with Psychic and held it in place. I then eyed the Pineco above us. I''d heard plenty of horror stories about them growing up but thankfully never had an incident of my own yet.

    I planned on keeping it that way.

    "Aromatic Mist," I ordered.

    A faint haze of pink filled the air. Just the feeling of it brushing against my skin was cool and soothing, and it rose up higher to envelop the trees and the Pineco above. Their wriggling halted as states of relaxation washed over each of them. They were too busy reveling in the pleasant aroma to think of anything else, and Heracross was much the same. It wore a dazed expression. I couldn''t see it, but the boys behind me had stopped trembling. The mist was offering them similar comfort.

    I pointed off into the distance.

    "Drop it somewhere further away and come back to get us please."

    Silque was fast. I barely had time to blink before she did as I asked and brought us all back to the main road. The Rangers didn''t seem too surprised to see us and quickly formed a perimeter.

    Together, we all looked at the boys with questioning expressions. Tuff Tuff King just looked relieved, but the other two boys cowered under our gazes.

    "Thank you for saving us!" All three of them echoed hastily. I would have smiled, but I kept a stern expression.

    "Is everyone okay?" I asked first. When they all nodded, the head Ranger marched up to stand next to me and crossed his arms over his chest.

    "Did one of you make the report about Team Rocket?" he asked.

    Tuff Tuff King raised a shaky hand.

    "U-Um, that was me," he answered. "I''m sorry, I went in after these two and¡­"

    It took a few minutes of nervous rambling complete with interjections from the other two boys, but we got the full story from them. Basically, the other two hadn''t had any luck finding a Fairy type on the main road, so they decided to go somewhere the Rangers weren''t and dove in when no one was looking. Tuff Tuff King, or Luca Hirafuji as I learned, had followed them because he wanted to keep us updated on the supposed Rockets. Then they''d gotten into the mess with the Pineco and the Heracross before I came across them.

    I stared at them with an unamused expression.

    I addressed the two teenagers first. "I understand you two wanted a Fairy type Pokemon, but you shouldn''t have gone far off-route as new trainers. There''s a reason why the League always tells trainers to stay on the main road. It''s because the area beyond it is full of strong wild Pokemon. That Heracross you saw today wasn''t even the worst thing we could have come across. You both could have gotten hurt today."

    They blanched at that and hung their heads. I turned now to Luca. He drummed his fingers against his phone nervously.

    "Luca, I think I speak for all the Rangers when I say your tip was gladly appreciated," I began, and the Rangers around me all nodded. "But¡­ please do not put yourself in danger like that again. Leave investigations to proper authorities."

    Luca bit his lip and nodded sadly.

    "Yes, sir¡­"

    I looked at how downcast he was, and I let myself smile only briefly.

    "It was dangerous, and I would not encourage a repeat incident, but it was admirable that you thought about helping the Rangers find the Rockets. You may have been wrong with your guess, but you did help us find two trainers who were off the main road. Thank you."

    He snapped his head back up. He didn''t say anything, but he blinked furiously.

    One of the other boys raised their heads hesitantly.

    "Um¡­ so we are in trouble?" he asked.

    I shared a look with the head Ranger.

    "You''re not going to get fined or anything for this one time," I said slowly, and I held up a finger before the two boys could smile. "But, yes, you are in trouble. I''ll hand you off to the Rangers to retake wilderness safety classes with them."

    It was something all trainers had to do before they were allowed on a route for the first time, but clearly these two had not heeded the warnings enough and needed re-education.

    They glumly nodded and allowed themselves to be led away. I heard one of them ask a Ranger about their missing phone, but I turned my attention to Luca. He still seemed embarrassed from his earlier mistakes and barely refrained from averting his gaze.

    "So¡­" I stared at him. "I was surprised you didn''t have a Pokemon out to defend yourself against the¡­ supposed Rockets. It was already dangerous enough chasing after those two boys, but you did it without any extra protection."

    Luca wilted a bit. "Er¡­ that''s because I don''t have one, sir. A Pokemon," he said in the quietest voice I''d heard from him. It was a sharp contrast to the loud and optimistic fan I''d seen in the grocery store weeks ago. I ignored how he called me ''sir'' and moved on.

    "None?" I raised a brow. It wasn''t uncommon for people to not have a Pokemon ¡ª there were plenty of civilians who didn''t even have one as a pet because of issues like money ¡ª but I was surprised to hear Luca did not have one.

    I''d expected him to have a Wigglytuff or something like his social media handle suggested. Well, a Wigglytuff may have been stretching it. Depending on how much he made from his career, buying a Moon Stone could have been out of reach.

    Luca just nodded stiffly. "None, sir," he repeated. "I, uh¡­ I like Pokemon, but I don''t know if I''d be able to take care of one well. I wouldn''t want to raise a Pokemon and make it unhappy somehow."

    He looked even more embarrassed saying that out loud, but I felt nothing but respect for that. He was more considerate than he looked.

    "Would you ever want one?" I asked curiously. Luca hesitated, but he eventually dipped his head in the smallest of nods. I was about to say something else, but Luca suddenly gasped. His eyes were locked onto the phone in his hands.

    "Oh shit, I had my livestream on this whole time," he cried out in shock, and he hurriedly jabbed fingers at the screen.

    Both my brows flew up.

    "Livestream?" I asked, and Luca looked at me with an absolutely mortified expression.

    "I-I''m so sorry, I was interviewing trainers on the route earlier and I¡­ forgot to actually turn it off before this whole thing started¡­" Luca trailed off. He froze as I walked over to stand next to him. I peered down at his phone.

    True to his word, there was a livestream on there, and boy, were the viewers out in full force. I saw about three hundred thousand viewers, and the number was quickly climbing.

    Huh. I could use this. Maybe it''d even make Luca''s day if I made an appearance.

    I looked at the still frozen Luca, and I smiled reassuringly. This wasn''t really an issue considering we hadn''t spoken about any confidential information while the stream was ongoing.

    "Don''t worry about it. Do you mind if I say something to your viewers real quick?"

    Luca''s mouth dropped open.

    "Uh¡­" he didn''t say anything useful for about three seconds. "Uh, no! Go ahead!"

    Still with a smile on my face, I turned back to stare at Luca''s phone. He hurriedly held it up to capture my face.

    "I just have one thing to say: please tune in for a press conference at five today. I''ll be hosting one with Professors Oak, Elm, Birch, and Rowan regarding new species of Fairy type Pokemon and the Fairy type at large," I announced in a chipper tone, and then I walked right out of the frame.

    "Thank you," I said to Luca as I passed by, and I gave him one last pat on the shoulder before I left.

    I grinned to myself as I Teleported back home. The last thing I heard was a Ranger tell Luca he needed to come to their station for a statement.

    Today''s scare had reinforced my thought that the routes needed more supervision going forward. Plus, I couldn''t stop thinking about what Luca had said about not having a Pokemon.

    An idea wormed itself into my mind. I found myself looking around for papers and a pen in the backyard even as I called Lance again.

    "Lance? Sorry about the hold up. Let''s continue our previous conversation. Yeah, we''re definitely going to need more Rangers around Cherrygrove. We just had¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    This had to be one of the worst days ever.

    Luca had made a fool of himself in front of Gym Leader Arin and accidentally broadcasted everything live. Thankfully, aside from a few trolls, his viewers were just glad he was okay.

    He could not say the same for himself. His legs still felt shaky after the brush with danger.

    With a heavy sigh, Luca exited the Cherrygrove Ranger Outpost''s front doors. He''d given his statement, and now he was free to finally go home. He was so depressed today that he was going to gorge on junk food for a late lunch.

    He jumped when he saw who was waiting for him outside.

    "L-Leader Arin!" Luca stammered, and he couldn''t help but stand with a ramrod straight posture as the Gym Leader approached him. There was that strange Pokemon from before at his side, but Luca''s eyes were drawn to the conspicuous bag Arin held. It was incredibly bulky, and there was something big in there ¡ª a glass container of some sort? ¡ª along with what looked like papers and some other colorful items Luca couldn''t make out.

    "Hello again," Arin greeted with a smile, and Luca hurriedly dipped his head a few times in greeting. Arin just laughed and held a hand up. "None of that please. I''m just here to ask you something."

    "Uh¡­" Luca trailed off and stared at him with no small amount of anxiety.

    Arin was still smiling when he went on. "Well, I was thinking about our conversation earlier and what you told me the last time we met," he said, and Luca continued to stare at him with confusion.

    He froze when he heard Arin''s next words.

    "Would you like an Igglybuff Egg?"

    He stood there frozen for so long that Arin had to snap his fingers in front of his face.

    "Hello? Luca?"

    Luca''s soul finally re-entered his body, and he gaped at Arin.

    "Wiggly¡ª I mean, Jiggly¡ª I mean, what? An Igglybuff Egg?" Luca finally got out in a tongue-tied mess.

    Arin simply looked amused.

    "Yes, an Igglybuff Egg," he repeated calmly. "I thought you could use a friend. I know you said you weren''t confident about raising a Pokemon, so I''ve included a manual I wrote up about how to take care of it. I wrote everything you need to know to take care of it as an Egg and then a newborn, and I included some other stuff, too. Towels, blankets¡­ oh, and my personal phone number''s on a paper in here somewhere. You can call or text me anytime you have questions."

    Arin paused to raise a brow at him. "Of course, this all hinges on whether or not you want this Pokemon Egg. Do you?"

    Luca stared at him.

    Holy fuck. Was this actually happening? Gym Leader Arin was offering him an Igglybuff Egg of all things, complete with a written manual and his phone number?

    No! No. He had to calm down and think about this logically. Even with help, could he even take care of an Igglybuff? He even forgot his own meals sometimes, and he wouldn''t even be starting with a Pokemon. He''d be starting with an Egg¡ª

    His lips moved before he even realized it.

    "Yeah!" he nearly shouted out.

    Screw it. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He would take extra care of this Pokemon and raise it like it was his own child.

    Arin passed the bag to him, and Luca peeked inside. The glass container he''d seen before was an Egg Incubator. An adorable pink Egg lay within it on a cushion.

    That was his now. His very own Igglybuff Egg.

    Luca felt so overcome with emotion. He barely managed to choke out a sincere thank you to the Cherrygrove Gym Leader.

    This day was pretty awesome after all.

    "Oh, um¡­ may I see Taffy, by the way?"

    Hopefully Arin wouldn''t get annoyed.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Lance agreed to assign more Rangers to Cherrygrove much to my immense relief. I didn''t want any more issues of idiotic trainers running around unsupervised.

    What was more, I''d given Tuff Tuff King one of the Pokemon Eggs in my possession. I felt Luca deserved it for his brave, albeit reckless, act today.

    I hoped he felt a bit better after the scare he''d gone through. He definitely should have considering I even let him play with Taffy for a bit.

    Now, though, I sat in front of flashing cameras inside of City Hall. All the Professors were seated with me at a long table.

    It was five o''clock. The previous incident had been dealt with, and now the press conference was on.

    "Good afternoon, people of the Kinjoh Area," I spoke into my microphone, and all reporters in the audience focused their attention on me. "I''m here today with some esteemed guests."

    I went down the row and introduced the Professors, but it wasn''t necessary. Everyone in the Kinjoh Area knew who they were.

    "For the past month, the Professors and I have been collaborating on a research paper," I explained, and I turned my head. "I invited them to come and study my Fairy type Pokemon."

    "Yes," Oak confirmed, taking over temporarily. "Thanks to Leader Arin''s generosity, my colleagues and I have had a chance to study Fairy type Pokemon of all species¡­ most of which are found outside of the Kinjoh Area."

    This caused a massive stir in the audience, but Oak went on unhindered. "We hope to share the gift of knowledge today with the rest of the Kinjoh Area in light of these troubling times."

    "At six o''clock today, our research paper will go live in Kinjoh Research Monthly. Please do have a look later," Birch added with an eager smile.

    He and the other Professors went on and explained some bits of what the research paper would talk about. They didn''t reveal everything of course, but just enough to get people interested in reading it. We wrapped up within twenty minutes.

    The Professors went back to their lodgings, and I went back home. Each of us couldn''t contain our excitement, and when six o''clock rolled around¡­

    Kinjoh Research Monthly''s website experienced a brief crash from how many visitors swarmed there.

    The world was changing.

 Interlude â€” Pokenet III

    INTERLUDE ¡ª Pokenet III

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    DUNCORD

    POKENERDS (Community Server)

    ? 20,009 Online ? 39,871 Members

    A server for aspiring Pokemon Researchers, students, or just nerds who love discussing Pokemon. Our proud members come from all corners of the Kinjoh Area. We only have three rules.

    1. Please follow Duncord''s TOS.

    2. Try to keep discourse respectful and on topic.

    3. No fuckery, only nerdery. You may, however, use the word fuck and other swear words when no other words can properly convey your thoughts. (?? ? ??)

    Current Events ¡ú #kinjoh-research-monthly

    A channel dedicated to discussing the latest papers and news published in Kinjoh Research Monthly, the foremost research journal of the Kinjoh Area. No bot commands are allowed in here. EDIT: Apparently you all just want to talk about the Pokevengers Research Paper for the next 10,000 years, so have at it.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 3:11 AM

    IM SCREAMING

    smol brain of a metagross ? Today at 3:11 AM

    THERES AN EEVEELUTION WE DIDNT KNOW ABOUT

    Sir Poliwag ? Today at 3:11 AM

    jigglypuff variant?! misdreavus variant?! AM I DREAMING? IS THIS A FEVER DREAM? actually no one answer that, i don''t want to wake up from this

    kamkam ? Today at 3:11 AM

    Y''all must not be done reading the paper yet. Keep going. Your brains are gonna explode from all the new Pokemon and information in a bit.

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 3:11 AM

    I stayed up late to read it like a hundred times over and I have zero regrets. I will happily fail my exams tomorrow.

    kamkam ? Today at 3:11 AM

    Ha, I graduated the other day so¡­ no penalty for me!

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 3:11 AM

    Lucky bastard.

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 3:11 AM

    LOL look at all of us. We''re staying up late to discuss the "Pokevengers Research Paper" and cursing left and right. Surprised a mod hasn''t yelled at us yet.

    kamkam ? Today at 3:11 AM

    There are no better words to use, my good fellow. We''re all in similar states of shock here.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 3:12 AM

    Excuse my language, but HOLY FUCK I WAS RIGHT ALL THOSE WEEKS AGO! My guesses about Alolan Ninetales and Grimmsnarl''s typings turned out to be true. Boy, did that message age well! Exams Have Mercy can you please pin this message way back when that I linked?

    ¡ú Exams Have Mercy pinned a message to this channel. See all pinned messages.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 3:12 AM

    Bless your soul. :pray:

    Exams Have Mercy (Mod) ? Today at 3:12 AM

    No problem, I gotchu. Gives me a chance to pop into this convo and say REGIONAL VARIANTS! REGIONAL VARIANTS! at the top of my lungs.

    Bulba Bulba ? Today at 3:12 AM

    I hope there''s a regional variant of Bulbasaur somewhere out there¡­ I would just faint on the spot¡­

    hushbubble ? Today at 3:12 AM

    OMA the new Pokemon are so cute I want to cry! I keep replaying the attached videos over and over again.

    Bulba Bulba ? Today at 3:12 AM

    Which one are you talking about? Cuz I''m gonna be real with you, they''re ALL CUTE.

    hushbubble ? Today at 3:12 AM

    Galarian Ponyta!

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 3:12 AM

    NO! ALOLAN VULPIX IS CUTER!

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 3:12 AM

    You''re both wrong! Swirlix is the best!

    Exams Have Mercy (Mod) ? Today at 3:12 AM

    ¡­Do you think it''s edible? :drool:

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 3:12 AM

    ¡­You monster. Get another mod in here, this one is eyeing Swirlix like it''s actual Arceus damned food.

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 3:13 AM

    Ahhhhh, I''m late to the party. I literally slept the whole day because I was dead tired from pulling all nighters for a week, and OF COURSE I missed my alarm. Still reading the paper but¡­ are these Pokemon ALL from outside the Kinjoh Area?

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 3:13 AM

    Yep.

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 3:13 AM

    Yep.

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 3:13 AM

    What the hell! How come we''re not racing out to discover the regions they came from then?

    Serperior Academic ? Today at 3:13 AM

    Because it''s hard to find feasible sea and air routes, duh? Think about it, you got wild Pokemon who''ve claimed the vast seas and skies as their territories, and a lot of them are old and very strong.

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 3:13 AM

    Yeah, it''s why even airplane travel between regions is risky sometimes. You never know when a powerful wild bird is gonna get annoyed from sharing air space and decide to fuck you over.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 3:13 AM

    Can''t we just send the Blackthorns out on exploration duty then? With their flock of Dragonite or something? They could circle the globe real quick and find all these new regions and Pokemon.

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 3:14 AM

    I mean this politely, but you must not be from Johto. At the risk of getting a warning from mods for straying off topic into political matters¡­ allow me to explain.

    1. The Blackthorns care about consolidating power WITHIN Indigo''s boundaries the most. They''re the oldest family here, and they revel in that.

    2. Hate to break it to you, but not every Dragonite can go whoosh! at the speed of sound as soon as they evolve. Neither can any other Pokemon species that''s capable of traveling that fast. You gotta actually train them like crazy, so it''s limited only to Elite trainers.

    3. We have better things to worry about here in Kanto-Johto right now (aka Team Rocket).

    4. They would still need to find feasible air routes like we previously mentioned. Fearsome Dragonite or not, there are Pokemon out there who could rival them¡­ like Guardians or Rulers of territories. You know Route 132 in Hoenn? The one with currents next to Pacifidlog Town? Yeah, that''s ruled by one such Guardian Pokemon: a Wailord they''ve nicknamed King. It''s so old and powerful that it can control that ENTIRE route''s worth of water.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 3:14 AM

    ¡­How the hell did you type that much so fast?! But more importantly, WTF? Are you serious? I''m from Sinnoh, but I''ve visited that town before with my family for vacation. Are you telling me we were right next to such a beast?

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 3:14 AM

    Yeeeep. I''m surprised you didn''t know about that one. It''s one of the few Guardians the public actually has knowledge about. Luckily King is a very peaceful Pokemon, so it''s not a matter of concern for the Hoenn League. Who knows what else the Kinjoh governments have covered up from us¡­ but I digress. My point is, traveling the world is not as easy as you think it could be.

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 3:15 AM

    *insert surprised Pikachu face here* Then how did Arin live to tell the tale? He obviously got all these Pokemon from other regions mentioned in the paper. Alola, Unova, Kalos, Galar, Paldea¡­ all of those.

    Serperior Academic ? Today at 3:15 AM

    *shrug* Because it''s Arin Watanuki? I''m starting to believe this guy can do almost anything. What did he say before in a press conference¡­ ah yes, Fairies can do whatever the flip they want (just to be clear, that ain''t a quote).

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 3:15 AM

    LOL. I wish I could pester him about his journey across the world. It must have been dangerous but also exciting.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 3:15 AM

    Alright, let''s get back on topic: the new Fairy Pokemon. I''m surprised nobody''s started gushing about how cool their abilities are yet.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 3:15 AM

    Like the Klefki? Arceus knows I need one of those¡­ I''m constantly losing my apartment key and needing to replace it. Do you think we could see some of these in the wild someday?

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 3:15 AM

    Perhaps, but definitely NOT anytime soon and without extensive research being done first. Even then, it''s always dangerous introducing foreign species to new environments. Scientists can''t truly predict how things will unfold because there are too many factors involved.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 3:15 AM

    Darn¡­ Well, I''ll be happy just reading about them for the time being then.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 3:16 AM

    These are literally Pokemon you can''t find anywhere else in the Kinjoh Area. I can''t imagine how valuable they are. It feels awful to say it, but I think there are going to be people who will try to steal them.

    hushbubble ? Today at 3:16 AM

    Don''t say that out loud, what if you jinx it?!

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 3:16 AM

    Oops. My bad. But I mean, who''s gonna be crazy enough to steal from a Champion-level trainer and his team? That''s like asking for a beating.

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 3:16 AM

    I can think of one¡­ ahem, team¡­ that might try, Ho-Oh forbid.

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 3:16 AM

    Just have Arin sic his personal Pokemon on them. Instant KO hahaha.

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 3:16 AM

    Stop talking about that and start talking about cute stuff instead!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CHIMEGRAM

    tufftuffking (Verified) ? Cherrygrove City

    [PHOTO: Pink Pokemon Egg inside an incubator on a nice-looking coffee table.]

    tufftuffking (Verified) GUYS! GUYS! GUYS! I got an Igglybuff Egg as a gift from Gym Leader Arin! (Also, I apologize again for the livestream mayhem earlier today. I''m safe and sound, don''t worry.) #bestdayever

    197,672 Likes

    Posted 3 hours ago

    coffeebluelover YOOOOO that''s awesome! Is it the child of Arin''s Wigglytuff? (P.S. Glad you''re safe, I was in the livestream when everything went down.)

    1 hr ? 804 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (65)

    ¡ª tufftuffking (Verified) coffeebluelover Nah. Believe me, that was one of the first things I asked him. But it doesn''t matter! I already love this lil guy or girl! (P.S. Thanks a bunch! Really grateful to Leader Arin for lots of things.)

    36 min ? 1,227 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª coffeebluelover tufftuffking Still neat! Hope you can keep us updated about the Egg.

    36 min ? 533 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª tufftuffking (Verified) coffeebluelover Trust me, I plan on it. You''ll all be getting daily Chats from me on Chatter about how the Egg is doing.

    35 min ? 3,610 likes ? Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    FARBOOK

    CHERRYGROVE FOLKS

    About

    ? Cherrygrove Folks is a community page for the locals of our fair city.

    ? Make friends, share interesting things happening in the neighborhood, and take pride in being a Cherrygrove local here.

    ? Treat each other kindly!

    Discussion / Newest Activity ¡ú

    Kuina Ichioji Everyone¡­ Team Rocket''s back. Cherrygrove''s usually peaceful, but I say we strengthen our neighborhood watches.

    12h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (134)

    ¡ª Maru Howles Kuina Ichioji One step ahead of you. Our neighborhood''s made a new and improved patrol system already.

    12h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Toma Young Kuina Ichioji Spring Street is good to go. I already rallied the fishermen association and local farmers'' markets. We''ve got our eyes and ears peeled for any trouble. Can''t have Arin or the police doing all the work.

    12h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Perry Wu Toma Young That''s right! It''s scary, but we have to do our part, too!

    11h / Like / Reply

    Alexander Takai Did anyone hear about the research paper Arin worked on with the Professors? I didn''t read it, but my daughter told me something interesting. There are some Fairy type Pokemon that can help with baking.

    9h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Keiji Bourke Alexander Takai I didn''t either, but my son mentioned the same. I''m the owner of Bourke''s Bakery by the way.

    9h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Alexander Takai Keiji Bourke Oh! It''s nice to meet you! I recently quit my job as a teacher to run a bakery (the one that''s a few streets over from you in fact). We specialize in cakes. I was thinking about asking if I could borrow those Pokemon sometimes¡­ do you think it''s okay to reach out to Arin?

    9h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Keiji Bourke Alexander Takai I don''t think he''d get mad at you for asking. I had a similar idea in fact. Why don''t we write up a proposal together and send it to the Cherrygrove Gym''s email another day?

    9h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Alexander Takai Keiji Bourke Sounds good! I''ll DM you so we can discuss this further.

    9h / Like / Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CATERPEDIA

    Welcome to Caterpedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

    Main Page ¡ú Article

    ARIN WATANUKI

    Page / Talk

    [PHOTO: Picture of Arin Watanuki from swearing-in ceremony on April 1, 2023.]

    Arin Watanuki (born November 28, 2002) is the Cherrygrove City Gym Leader and a notable Fairy Specialist in the Kinjoh Area. He is also an Ability Holder.

    Personal Details

    Age (20) / Height (5''11'''') / Hair Color (Pink) / Eye Color (Blue)

    Travels

    In 2012, Watanuki left Johto and embarked on a journey that took him across the world. He first began his journey in Hoenn. The following year, he visited Sinnoh. After that, Watanuki left the Kinjoh Area''s known sphere of influence and toured regions such as Alola, Unova, Kalos, Galar, and Paldea.

    Personal Life

    It has been stated on the Cherrygrove Gym''s official website that Watanuki is fond of foods from all cultures and enjoys trying new restaurants.

    Trainerpedia

    Watanuki is a Champion-level trainer who specializes in Fairy type Pokemon.

    Watanuki''s personal team consists of nineteen different members. Each of them has a nickname, and all of them are Champion-level barring one member (Cally the Cutiefly).

    His starter Pokemon is Vel.

    Click here for detailed information regarding his team such as known moves, abilities, etc.

    Match History

    March 30, 2023: Arin Watanuki v. Pryce Yanagi (6-4) [Match details: Elite tier, six-on-six, no switches]

    April 1, 2023: Arin Watanuki v. Clair Ibuki (6-0) [Match details: Elite tier, standard six-on-six with three switch-ins, Mega Evolution allowed]

    Accomplishments

    On March 30, 2023, Watanuki took and passed a gym promotion test conducted by the Indigo League, becoming the first ever Gym Leader to do so in the history of both Kanto and Johto. He succeeded in turning the Cherrygrove Gym into a major gym, also another first in the history of the two regions. He is also the first Leader of a Fairy Gym in the Kinjoh Area.

    Watanuki has competed in regional League Circuits and Conferences. On the Cherrygrove Gym''s official website, numerous accolades of Watanuki are listed. See the following:

    [8 Badges]

    Hoenn, Sinnoh, Alola, Unova, Kalos, Galar, Paldea

    [Conference Placements]

    Ever Grande Conference: Top 64

    Lily of the Valley Conference: Top 8

    Alola Final Trial: Failed, defeated 2 Elite Four

    Vertress Conference: Conference Winner ¡ú Defeated all Elite Four ¡ú Challenged and lost to Champion Alder 5-6

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Lumiose Conference: Conference Winner ¡ú Defeated all Elite Four and Champion Diantha

    Galar Championship Match: (Endorsed by Gym Leader Opal) Defeated Champion Leon

    Paldea Champion Assessment: Defeated all Elite Four and Top Champion Geeta

    Depiction In Media

    In 2023, a new trend on social media and the Pokenet, the Arin Watanuki Effect, was attributed to Watanuki. The popularity of Fairy type Pokemon among young trainers saw an explosive growth as a result.

    Edit History ¡ú Most Recent

    ¡­

    Added to References section ¡ú 36) Cherrygrove Gym official website, About Gym Leader section. 37) Cherrygrove Gym official Chatter account. 38) Oak, Elm, Birch, Rowan & Watanuki. "An Analysis and Inquiry of Fairies." Kinjoh Research Monthly, vol. 34, no. 3. 39) International Ability Holder Association website. 40) Hoenn League official website, Records and Archives section. 41) Sinnoh League official website, Records and Archives section.

    Page / Talk

    StarDust OH MY ARCEUS, FINALLY! We''ve done it! Forget bread crumbs, we''re eating a whole slice. I don''t know if it was Arin himself or his social media managers, but I thank whoever the heck updated the Cherrygrove Gym accounts with so much information. T_T The page isn''t so empty anymore¡­

    SnailMaster5 Yessss, now we know his whole team!

    StarDust Not just that either, I''m still freaking out about how Arin''s an ABILITY HOLDER. Being able to communicate with Fairies sounds neat. I can''t believe the Professors just casually mentioned that in their research paper. Here in Sinnoh, we only have two Ability Holders.

    Praise the Sun It''s pretty crazy alright. Arceus, I wonder what being able to talk to Pokemon is like. Do you think it''s similar to talking to a Psychic type but without the pain from telepathy?

    SnailMaster5 Probably?

    candy dune Y''all, we need to talk about Arin''s accolades. This man has apparently defeated Champions of other regions before like what?/

    StarDust I tried looking for videos of his fights in the Ever Grande and Lily of the Valley Conferences but couldn''t find any. They don''t have any videos of fights from a decade ago, only written records of top placements if you look hard enough through their archives.

    yayay linoone 85 Damn. Would have been interesting to see those.

    SnailMaster5 I want to know more about those other regions Arin visited¡­ wonder what their Pokemon and Leagues are like. You think our governments will try reaching out to them?

    StarDust I mean¡­ the Kinjoh Area tried to reach out to Unova before, but we got shut down real fast. I don''t want to dip too far into politics here in this chat, so I''ll just say the Unova League doesn''t exactly look favorably on the way we run things here on our side of the world. I have no idea if the other unknown Leagues think the same, so¡­

    yayay linoone 85 Ah¡­ rip. Guess we have to wait and see.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CHATTER

    TRENDING IN KANTO-JOHTO

    #PokevengersResearchPaper

    #FairyType

    #CherrygroveGym

    #ArinWatanuki

    #FatherOfFairies

    TRENDING CHATS

    Posts ¡ú Sort By Latest Activity

    Felix Leicester (Verified) felixleicester ? 5h ago

    Hey guys. Eevee said she wants to be a Sylveon, but I have absolutely no idea how to teach her about Fairy type energy so¡­ :D Should I go to Johto and beg the Fairy Specialist extraordinaire himself? Yay or nay?

    1K Comments / 2K ReChats / 5K Likes / 9K Views

    View Comments (1K+)

    ¡ª felixfanforever felixfanforever788 ? 4h ago

    YAY! DEFINITELY YAY! (But be extra polite about it in case Arin gets mad.)

    ¡ª peppery pizza pepperypizza ? 4h ago

    Damn, this is like the hundredth post I''ve seen already of someone wanting a Sylveon. Half of them are Coordinators by the way.

    ¡ª Amy Haiyu (Verified) amyhaiyu ? 3h ago

    Huh?! felixleicester But what about Contests? Didn''t you say you were going to stick around in Sinnoh?

    ¡ª Felix Leicester (Verified) felixleicester ? 3h ago

    amyhaiyu Nope, new dream. Think I''m gonna try and revolutionize Johto instead. Just had a long discussion with Fantina, and she recommended this route instead.

    ¡ª Amy Haiyu (Verified) amyhaiyu ? 3h ago

    felixleicester WTF?! Who am I gonna compete with next year now?

    ARIN IS THE BEST arinisthebest500 ? 8h ago

    ARIN! ARIN IS THE BEST! Repeat it after me, everyone! Father of Fairies! He''s enlightened this side of the world. #ArinWatanuki

    2K Comments / 2.5K ReChats / 5.1K Likes / 10K Views

    Mrs. Environmentally Friendly saveourenvironment4 ? 1h ago

    How is nobody talking about Galarian Weezing, like hello? Think about the impact it could have in the Kinjoh Area! We could enjoy more clean air if we had teams of those! #PokevengersResearchPaper

    467 Comments / 1.9K ReChats / 3K Likes / 6.1K Views

    Jayna of Yonder jaynaofyonder ? 3h ago

    LET ME IN, LET ME IN, LET ME INNNNN! (To the Cherrygrove Gym!) :( I wanna see these new Pokemon for myself!

    3.3K Comments / 5K ReChats / 2.9K Likes / 8.9K Views

    Mary Jane Shoes maryjaneshoes ? 1m ago

    Popplio is the next best thing on this planet after sliced bread. I don''t want to hear any objections.

    2 Comments / 0 ReChats / 3 Likes / 10 Views

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    TEXT MESSAGES

    Wallace Mikuri ¡ú May 2, 2023

    Wallace [8:01 PM]: Hello, Arin. I read the research paper and greatly appreciated how you added new information about native Fairy types in there¡­ particularly the bit about Milotic and the extent of its Fairy capabilities. I have so many new ideas for performances. Heh, perhaps now we''ve switched places. You as the teacher, and I as the student.

    Arin [8:01 PM]: Hey Wallace! Oh no, please don''t say that. It feels odd to hear that from you.

    Wallace [8:01 PM]: Ahaha, take pride in yourself. It was supposed to be a compliment. You''re a Specialist in your own right now.

    Arin [8:01 PM]: Thank you! :)

    Wallace [8:02 PM]: Is your Gym''s construction almost done by the way? I was interested in what you told me the last time I messaged you.

    Arin [8:02 PM]: Yeah! It''s going to be done in a few days actually. I''m going to hold a grand opening for it later and a performance of some sort, hmm. I''m still working on the details.

    Arin [8:02 PM]: Contests aren''t as popular in Indigo compared to Hoenn or Sinnoh, but they''re starting to pick up more traction over here. Thought I''d use this chance to show off my Gym as a possible venue for them.

    Wallace [8:02 PM]: A performance you say? Such as if you were in a Contest?

    Arin [8:02 PM]: Exactly. I was thinking about doing a short display with some of my Pokemon or inviting some famous performers.

    Wallace [8:02 PM]: :) Oh my, that sounds lovely. What about inviting me?

    Arin [8:03 PM]: ?! Uh, what?

    Wallace [8:03 PM]: :) Me. Wallace Mikuri, Top Coordinator. At your service.

    Arin [8:03 PM]: ? You want to perform at my Gym for the grand opening?

    Wallace [8:03 PM]: Indeed, if you''ll grant me the honor. The Hoenn League Circuit''s over which means I''m free.

    Arin [8:03 PM]: I¡­ wow, yeah, that''d be pretty awesome. The crowd would love it. How much do you charge for performance fees?

    Wallace [8:03 PM]: [Laughing Luvdisc sticker]

    Wallace [8:03 PM]: Oh Arin, my dear friend. No fee is necessary. I''ll already get to perform in a grand venue, that''s as much as I''ll need. I''m much rather looking forward to meeting up again in person.

    Arin [8:04 PM]: [Happy Milotic sticker]

    Arin [8:04 PM]: Me too! Thank you, Wallace, this grand opening is going to be wonderful.

    Wallace [8:04 PM]: Happy to help. Now, how about we discuss the specifics of this¡­

    ¡ª

    [NEW GYM LEADER CLUB] (6 People) ¡ú May 2, 2023

    Brock [11:40 AM]: Did everyone sleep well after the events¡­ earlier in the day?

    Janine [11:40 AM]: Yes. Thank you for inquiring, Brock, but do not worry. I am grateful everyone is safe and sound. Were you able to get a good morning''s rest as well?

    Brock [11:40 AM]: I did, but I''ll be honest. I had a bit of trouble falling asleep at first.

    Erika [11:40 AM]: Me too¡­ but everything will be okay. Lance said the League is handling matters right now, so we are free to rest up in the meantime.

    Whitney [6:39 PM]: ARINNNNN oh my gosh all your gym pokemon are so cute! can you send me more pictures and videos of them please?

    Janine [6:39 PM]: Good evening, Leader Arin. I agree with Whitney that they are truly remarkable. I will commit them to memory so as to expand my existing knowledge of Fairies.

    Erika [6:40 PM]: The Cottonee and Morelull lines are so fascinating!

    Brock [6:40 PM]: I''ve been rereading the section on Carbink.

    Bugsy [6:40 PM]: Cutiefly and Ribombee are adorable!1 I wonder how their ability to sense Aura came to be. Perhaps we can liken it to the abilities of human Aura users or that of the Lucario line? And what about their behavior and feeding habits? I wonder if they''re similar to Beautifly and Butterfree.

    Whitney [6:40 PM]: LOL the walking bug encyclopedia''s at it again

    Bugsy [6:40 PM]: Honestly I''m led to believe that they''d probably fight over food instead. No matter how I think about it, I''m pretty sure they wouldn''t get along.

    Arin [6:41 PM]: Hello everyone! Thank you for taking an interest in the research paper. And to answer your question, Bugsy¡­ yes, in other regions, Butterfree are known to get into skirmishes with Cutiefly and Ribombee over nectar and pollen.

    Bugsy [6:41 PM]: ! Wow! I knew it! I have so many other questions. How many other predators do they have? Do they¡­

    ¡ª

    [FAIRY GYM LEADERS] (4 People) ¡ú May 2, 2023

    Opal [11:28 PM]: That research paper you released is truly something, Arin. It is good that you are trying to increase the knowledge of the Kinjoh Area. An admirable feat.

    Valerie [11:28 PM]: Yes, I agree! I mean no offense, but Kanto-Johto is very¡­ backwards thinking at times. It''s marvelous that you''re trying to elevate the status of Fairy types there and offering knowledge in general.

    Mina [11:28 PM]: yeah yeah! ur doing great work arin. let everyone know how cool fairies are! :heart:

    Arin [11:28 PM]: Haha. This is just a small push that the Kinjoh Area always needed. The Professors would have uncovered more about the Fairy type eventually, I just helped expedite the process. It''s going to take us a long time to truly catch up to your side of the world, but I know we''ll get there eventually.

    Opal [11:29 PM]: Very good. I hope you stay safe, Arin. Even here, our governments have heard about Team Rocket''s return. Quite terrible, and I pray for the safety of your people.

    Arin [11:29 PM]: Thank you. The Indigo League and I will do our best to stop them.

    Valerie [11:29 PM]: ¡­I admit I''m a bit worried as a former citizen of Johto myself. Take care, Arin. Now onto a happier note¡­ How''s the Cherrygrove Gym coming along? Almost done?

    Arin [11:29 PM]: Yep! Two more days in fact!

    Valerie [11:29 PM]: Wonderful! And you''ll be hosting a grand opening I presume? May I ask what day and time if you are? :smiley-face:

    Arin [11:29 PM]: Right again. I''m thinking of May X at from X to X time for the occasion. I''m still working out details for it¡­

    Opal [11:30 PM]: I see¡­

    Mina [11:30 PM]: hmm, is that so¡­ very interesting¡­

    ¡ª

    [PALDEAN MUSKETEERS] (5 People) ¡ú May 2, 2023

    Hassel [9:26 PM]: Are you ABSOLUTELY fine, Arin?

    Arin [9:26 PM]: I am! Stop worrying so much, Hassel. I really, truly did not get injured. It''s just like how Lance and the Indigo League reported it on the news. I''m starting to think you guys watch Indigo broadcasts more than Paldea ones nowadays¡­

    Larry [9:26 PM]: We just like to stay informed¡­ same with the other Leagues over here. In any case, I''m glad to hear you''re alright.

    Rika [9:26 PM]: Fucking criminals. We haven''t dealt with any major criminal organizations over here on that large of a scale (at least not in recent decades), so I can''t imagine the shit load of stress and paperwork that your League''s going through to clean up this mess. Hope you guys figure everything out.

    Geeta [9:27 PM]: Stay safe, Arin. We may not truly know the horrors of Team Rocket compared to the people of Indigo, but what we have heard of its glory days from outside texts and sources has been disturbing. They are a great evil.

    Arin [9:27 PM]: Trust me, I will do my best to keep myself and my people safe. There''s not much I can do at the moment, though. I''m just a fighter, not a detective. It''s the League that''s taking care of tracking down Rockets right now. I hope they can locate them¡­

    Geeta [9:27 PM]: Hmm¡­

    Rika [9:27 PM]: Hmm¡­ enough gloomy stuff for now. When''s your Gym''s grand opening?! You got everything planned out yet?

    Arin [9:27 PM]: May X from X to X time. The public''s free to come and see the new building. Also¡­ sort of? I guess I can reveal it to you guys. An hour ago, Wallace Mikuri from Hoenn (he''s a friend of mine and a Gym Leader there) agreed to put on a Contest performance for the grand opening.

    Arin [9:27 PM]: I''m really excited for grand opening day guys. I''ll get to see the new look myself in two days, but I can''t wait to show off my Gym to Indigo later.

    Hassel [9:28 PM]: Oh! That''s the Top Coordinator from Hoenn, is it not? I admire him as a fellow artist. I''ve watched a few of his Contest performances before on TV, and I have to say¡­ stunning work.

    Larry [9:28 PM]: So a foreign Gym Leader is coming over?

    Arin [9:28 PM]: Well, I did try to dissuade him a bit considering the dilemma with Team Rocket nowadays, but he said he didn''t care and got permission from his League already. "Even Team Rocket wouldn''t dare to attack and cause a major international uproar" or so he said.

    Rika [9:28 PM]: Damn. Kudos to him, I can respect a person who doesn''t give two shits about criminals in the face of a friend''s special occasion.

    Arin [9:28 PM]: Yeah, he''s a nice guy. Although it does make me wonder what the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues think about Indigo''s situation right now¡­ I hope our diplomatic relations don''t get strained in the midst of all this.

    Geeta [9:29 PM]: Hmm¡­

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

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    Johto Gyms ¡ú Cherrygrove

    Thread Topic: Time to hit the books, new information on Fairies available

    Baram Jules (Verified) / May 2nd 2023 / 7:42 PM JST

    Tags: New Species, Kinjoh Research Monthly, Fairies, Fairy Type, Pokemon, Cherrygrove Gym, Arin Watanuki, Johto League Circuit

    The Silver Conference is well underway, and the next Johto League Circuit will open in August. What will be different is that we''ll have NINE different major gyms instead of eight. You could challenge all of them if you wanted to, but this doesn''t change the fact that you only need a minimum of eight gym badges to qualify for the Conference.

    That brings me to my main point: who''s challenging the Cherrygrove Gym in the fall?

    For anyone who''s considering it, you better brush up on your knowledge of Fairy types starting now. The new research paper written by the Professors has revealed a LOT of new and different species, many of which are stated to be gym Pokemon. It doesn''t delve too deeply into their specific battling capabilities so much as their biologies and characteristics, but it''s worth a look anyway. I recommend checking out Battle Central''s website if you can''t understand the research paper. They added a condensed summary on there that''s easier for trainers to comprehend.

    View Replies (2k+) ¡ú

    Manabu Jora (Verified)

    Ah shit, there are so many new Fairies¡­ thought I left behind my studying days at the Trainer Academy. Sigh.

    Liam Grayson (Verified)

    Real trainers never stop learning! Cheer up, at least we have a few months before the new season starts.

    Joseph Paul (Verified)

    I''m just memorizing names for now. Then I''ll move on to matching pictures and typings to different species. T _ T

    Chizumi Furuki (Verified)

    They''ve already been added to the Pokedex in a live update apparently, but obviously you need to scan them first to get information.

    Manabu Jora (Verified)

    RIP. So we still have to memorize everything the old-fashioned way then. Even though I''m annoyed, I''m still excited to challenge the Cherrygrove Gym in the fall.

    Gertrude Hichi (Verified)

    Yeah. I haven''t planned out the eight gyms I''m gonna challenge yet, but the Cherrygrove Gym is definitely there among them. Wonder what the gym badge will look like. Or the gym challenges¡­

    Chizumi Furuki (Verified)

    I''m gonna challenge all nine for the fun of it! I''m just happy that Leader Arin included information on existing Fairy type Pokemon in the research paper, too. There''s information in here about Marill and Jigglypuff''s Fairy capabilities that we never would have known otherwise.

    Baram Jules (Verified)

    Don''t forget the brief overview of Fairy moves! He even listed ways to teach Pokemon the lower-tier moves like Disarming Voice and Fairy Wind. You think Arin might hold classes later or something? I''d be down to learn more about Fairies from a battling and technical standpoint from him.

    Liam Grayson (Verified)

    Legendaries, if he held a lecture or something, I''d actually come flying. I mean¡­ there''s no other Fairy Specialist in the Kinjoh Area, plus it''s the chance to learn from a Champion-level trainer so¡­

    Chizumi Furuki (Verified)

    LOL. You''re right. It''d be the opportunity of a lifetime. Damn, the gym trainers he hired are so lucky.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    THE GOLDENROD POST

    [Indigo League takes a firm stance against Team Rocket.]

    By Wilfred Kemp / Published May 2, 2023 at 11:04 AM JST

    On Indigo National Day, celebrations at the Plateau were halted by a chilling message that appeared in the air above Indigo Stadium. Various speculations have been abound since then regarding whether or not this heralds the return of Team Rocket.

    Earlier this morning, Champion Lance Wataru confirmed that the criminal organization has indeed revived. He also revealed, however, that the League already made a decisive move against them and took down a base of operations. Team Rocket is not to be feared. Lance has sworn that the Indigo League will destroy the rest of the Rocket forces and keep the nation safe.

    Viewers may find videos and transcripts regarding statements from the League here.

    Those of us at the Goldenrod Post wish nothing but safety for all readers and citizens out there. Please contact your local LDF or PD offices if you have any information to report regarding Team Rocket.

    Comments (5,269) ¡ú

    Doubledip ? 44 minutes ago

    Oh Arceus¡­ they really are back. I just knew the sightings a year ago were real¡­ I''m scared.

    whispersofdoom ? 29 minutes ago

    Thank you, Indigo League, for your swift actions. Please continue to keep the country safe!

    Ambling Away ? 20 minutes ago

    SCREW YOU, TEAM ROCKET! We ain''t afraid!

    ¡ª View Replies (61)

    ¡ª Determined Flier ? 14 minutes ago

    Couldn''t have said it better. Curse those murderers. Is the League looking for extra help? I want to join and help wipe them out.

    ¡ª Million Volt Raichu ? 14 minutes ago

    Determined Flier It''s nice that you''re enthusiastic about helping the country, but don''t forget what Team Rocket is capable of. If you really, really want to help¡­ you can apply to join the League Forces. I saw on their website they''re accepting new recruits.

    ¡ª Determined Flier ? 13 minutes ago

    Million Volt Raichu I do. I know perfectly well what they''re capable of, and that''s why I want to enlist. My father was killed by them during the Rocket War.

    ¡ª Million Volt Raichu ? 13 minutes ago

    Determined Flier My deepest condolences.

    ¡ª Kantonian8 ? 12 minutes ago

    You took the words right out of my mouth. Screw Team Rocket. I might be retired, but I''m willing to come back and fight. I might have reservations about Indigo, but I won''t let them tear us down.

    ¡ª Johto Forever ? 11 minutes ago

    Kantonian8 Judging by your username, I am guessing you are from Kanto? I have reservations of my own about the country''s unification (I''m from Johto), but I am willing to put it aside to fight for the nation as well.

    ¡ª Kantonian8 ? 10 minutes ago

    Johto Forever A Johtonian, huh? Can''t say I''m fond of Johto, but¡­ let''s work together to stamp out these assholes.

    ¡ª Prayers for the fallen ? Just now

    NO! DON''T TRUST THEM! I''m still suspicious of Johto''s move with adding a ninth gym. We shouldn''t ever work together.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Thump.

    Luca plopped down on his couch and stared at the dozens of books he''d just dumped on his coffee table. They were brand new purchases from a bookstore two streets down from his apartment.

    Oh Crap! How To Raise A Pokemon, Your Guide to Pokemon Eggs 101, Positively Precious Parenting, The Huge Book of Healthy PokeFood¡­ He''d grabbed all the most popular and useful books that an employee recommended.

    He wasn''t the smartest guy out there, but if he combined all these books with the manual Arin gave him (who knew the Gym Leader had such nice handwriting)¡­ there was no way he would mess this up. He was determined to do his best.

    Luca squinted at the incubator sitting right next to his stacks of books. His chest felt fuzzy every time he even looked at the Igglybuff Egg sitting inside, but it also gave him an undeniable amount of stress. He wasn''t afraid to deplete all his savings to buy only the best food or whatever else Igglybuff needed, but he needed to actually make sure it hatched safely first.

    With a grim expression, Luca grabbed the manual Arin had written for him and flipped it open. He''d already read through it about a dozen times already, but it didn''t hurt to further imprint his mind with the information he needed to know going forward. He also vastly appreciated that the Cherrygrove Gym Leader had written everything in simple enough terms for him to understand.

    "''Pokemon Eggs are more likely to hatch faster in the presence of activity. A stimulating environment is the best kind for them. Even inside their shells, embryos are faintly aware of the world around them. What they learn and understand during their developmental stages will stay with them after they are born,''" Luca read out loud from the first page carefully. "''I would recommend taking the Igglybuff Egg with you on walks and regularly conversing with the yet unborn baby Pokemon.''"

    Luca set down the manual. Carefully, he picked up the incubator and held it in front of him. He stared at the Igglybuff Egg inside with a look of wonder.

    So this little Pokemon was already listening to the world around them¡­ What was he supposed to talk about?

    "Uh¡­ hi," Luca began. A moment was required to collect his thoughts before he continued. "I''m Luca. I¡­ suppose I''ll be your trainer from now on. Technically your parent, too, or a friend, but uh¡­ don''t worry about anything. I''ll make sure to raise you well."

    It was not the most inspiring introduction, but he was doing his best for a first-time Pokemon dad.

    Luca cleared his throat. He needed to sound more cheerful. "Anyway, I''m excited to meet you when you''re born! I guess I''ll talk more about myself first, I make videos online for other people to watch. My mission is to help bring smiles to other people''s faces¡­"

    He kept rambling on with the incubator cradled oh so preciously to his chest. Maybe later he could take an evening walk around town with the expensive baby carrier he''d bought. A smile crossed his face.

    Oh hell yeah, he was looking forward to strolling around with an Igglybuff Egg proudly strapped to his chest.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Arin never failed to surprise him. First the gym promotion ordeal, then the fight and deal with Clair, and now this.

    Lance carefully read through the research paper. He wasn''t anywhere close to finishing it, and admittedly he could not fully comprehend what it was talking about, but he focused on the parts related to species, moves, abilities, and typings.

    He was determined to improve himself as a trainer and a person, and that meant expanding his knowledge of Fairy types.

    It was certainly fascinating. So many new Fairy type Pokemon from all parts of the world¡­ Lance suddenly regretted not hanging out with Arin more to inquire about his travels. If he wasn''t the Champion of a region, Lance would have liked to go out and explore the world, too.

    It wasn''t just this that surprised Lance either. He constantly checked the news to keep up to date with the country''s trends, and there was always something about Arin mixed in. He''d even seen the Cherrygrove Gym''s new website. There were pictures of Arin''s personal team on there and information about Arin himself. (Lance had already begun memorizing Arin''s Pokemon with much focus.)

    He still couldn''t believe Arin was an Ability Holder. Now the Indigo League had one more added to their employ which was fantastic news. It was an Ability on par with Morty''s.

    If that wasn''t surprising enough, Arin''s accolades also shocked Lance greatly. He''d always known there were probably Leagues out there aside from Unova that they had not yet interacted with, but to think there were so many¡­ Perhaps when Team Rocket was cleaned up, he could try reaching out to them. Unova may have turned Indigo down, but perhaps the others would be willing to engage in trade or other endeavors.

    The League was still tracking down Rockets. Even in the midst of such troubling times, Lance found himself smiling with hopes of the future.

    Team Rocket could not hold Indigo at bay. With or without them, the country would continue moving forward.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Clair read the research paper. Every single member of the Blackthorn Clan had been ordered to do so by the Elders. Why?

    To better understand Fairies simply for the sake of taking them down.

    Her brows were furrowed as she scanned through the paper. She hated to admit it, but¡­ these Pokemon were certainly unique. It made her wonder what else lay beyond Johto''s borders.

    She quickly clamped down on that thought. There was too much going on as it was, Team Rocket being the primary issue nowadays. With a large frown, Clair continued reading the paper. Somewhere across Johto, two other Gym Leaders were reading the research study at the same time as her.

    The three of them didn''t want to, but they found themselves reading the paper with undeniable interest.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Steven had half a mind to just fly to Johto immediately.

    There was a Mega Evolution for Mawile! Plus, there were new Steel type Pokemon he''d never seen before!

    If there was ever a time Steven wanted to drop his role as a Champion so that he had more freedom, now was that time. He did love his people, though, and he was committed to his job.

    And right now, that meant dealing with international relations.

    "Final thoughts on the situation in Indigo?" Cynthia asked.

    They''d been in a phone call for over an hour already. Both of them had just gotten out of meetings with their respective Gym Leaders and Elite Fours. Every single one of them asked about Hoenn and Sinnoh''s relationships with Kanto-Johto going forward, but a few were more vocal than others. Professors Birch and Rowan had contacted Steven and Cynthia separately to give their own thoughts.

    The common denominator between some of these people?

    They all knew Arin in some way or form.

    "It''s¡­ tricky," Steven finally said after a moment of silence. "I know the Indigo League says they have it handled, but I almost want to order all my citizens currently touring Indigo to come back here immediately. I can''t help but feel worried."

    "¡­Yes," Cynthia agreed. "It''s natural to feel worried. But that''s not what I was looking for. I meant¡­ what are we going to do from now on? Do we pull away? Because I''ll tell you right now¡­"

    The Champion of Sinnoh paused meaningfully.

    "What if Team Rocket spills into our borders?"

    Steven''s eyes hardened into that of steel.

    "I will not let them," he instantly replied in a firm tone.

    "Neither will I. I feel terrible for Indigo, but¡­ like you said, this is a tricky situation. We have to look out for our own regions first and foremost. That being said¡­"

    Cynthia''s next words made Steven pause in place.

    "Our four regions officially established peaceful relations with each other a while back, and we''ve enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace and trade as a result. We''re technically allies. I don''t want to see this fade."

    Steven stared at the wall of his office. "So¡­" he trailed off. "What are you suggesting?"

    He practically heard Cynthia smile.

    "I think we should help."

    Steven felt a smile of his own slipping onto his face.

    "I thought you''d say that."

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Geeta tapped a foot against the ground. Her eyes stared at sheets of paper she''d printed out and laid carefully on her desk in a neat pile. The word PROPOSAL was printed on the top of each page.

    Now, how was she going to bring this up to them¡ª

    "Geeta!"

    The Top Champion looked up as the doors to her office slammed open. There were only a few people allowed to do so, and one of them strode in now. Rika marched in with Hassel and Larry following close behind. Judging by their determined expressions, Geeta had a feeling what they were here for. Her lips twitched upwards for a moment before she forced them back down.

    "So we were talking¡ª" Rika began, but Geeta held a hand up.

    "Yes," Geeta stated simply, and this time she smiled as her Elites stared at her in confusion. She merely pushed the pile of papers on her desk closer to them. "Take a look at these."

    The Elites didn''t waste time. They each walked up, grabbed a sheet, and began to read the walls of text on there.

    Rika read the fastest and pulled her face away from the paper only a few lines in.

    "This is exactly what we were going to come talk to you about," Rika said with wide eyes. "How did you¡­?"

    Geeta merely clasped her hands together and leaned back in her chair.

    "Please, I''ve known you all for years now. It''d be odd if we weren''t all thinking the same thoughts by this point," Geeta replied. There was supposed to be a humorous angle, but the others just looked at her blankly. She went on unbothered. "I assume this proposal sits well with all of you?"

    Rika, Hassel, and Larry all nodded in unison.

    Geeta dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Very well. Then let us call for an emergency meeting and bring this up with the Council. If we can come to an agreeable conclusion, then¡­"

    Her eyes glinted.

    "I''ll have to make a few phone calls to the others."

    Little did Geeta know that the ''others'' were already moving and holding intense meetings of their own.

    The world was moving.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    ???. ???, Kanto-Johto.

    "Did you read it?"

    "I did."

    "And?"

    Fingers drummed against a table.

    "It was interesting."

    "So what''s the verdict?"

    There was a brief pause.

    "You mean¡­ if we should go for it?"

    "Yeah."

    "It''s risky."

    "Yeah."

    "We don''t even have permission¡ª"

    "No, we do. I already obtained it. See? With thoughts and everything written here."

    "¡­Alright. I admit I see the merits of this now. Multiple merits if I might add."

    "Great, then let''s go¡ª"

    "Stop. We''re drafting a plan first."

    Lips curled upwards into a thoughtful smile.

    "This could be fun."

 Chapter 33

    CHAPTER 33

    That night, the Cherrygrove Gym was inundated with many different emails. It was to the point where I had the Porygon family either delete or politely reject almost all incoming messages due to their contents.

    Spam, spam, more spam¡­ there were also requests from wealthy collectors to buy the gym Pokemon off of me which was definitely not happening. I''d explicitly stated in the research paper''s intro and outro that none of these Pokemon were up for trade or sale, but people weren''t dissuaded by the numerous warnings and contacted the Gym''s official email anyway.

    They could try all they wanted. I would just ignore or block them in return.

    Overall, I was quite happy with the amount of attention the research paper was getting. Academic circles and the general mass alike were going crazy over the new information. There were various articles about it within an hour of its release, and the paper was trending on every single social media platform. The Professors even video called me to express how happy they were over its reception.

    "They''re calling it the paper of the century!" Elm gleefully proclaimed. I refrained from chuckling when I heard him say that.

    If the Professors thought these new Fairy types were mind-boggling, they would probably faint when and if they ever got the chance to personally study the rest of the new Pokemon from other regions. There were hundreds of species they had not yet laid eyes on and phenomenons they could only dream of.

    Hopefully someday in the near future, both sides of the world could officially link up and establish diplomatic relations with each other. It would be difficult, but it would truly usher in a new age of knowledge and mutual cooperation.

    After my brief conversation with the Professors, my own phone was bombarded with messages from friends and acquaintances both in and out of the Kinjoh sphere of influence. I received everything from congratulatory remarks to questions about the paper to inquiries about how I was doing.

    I also unexpectedly got Wallace as a performer for my Gym''s grand opening! I couldn''t wait to see him again.

    The details for the special occasion were still being worked on. I already had a general plan, day, and time in mind, but I wanted to wait until the Gym''s construction was actually done to start advertising. There was so much to do. Invitations to send to the other Indigo Gym Leaders and Elites, merchandise to get ready and sell¡­

    My heart practically threatened to burst out of my chest from excitement.

    After dinner, I waited patiently in the living room. It wasn''t long before I received my usual call from the president of Blossom Hall.

    "Good evening, Arin!" Eric''s cheerful voice filtered through the phone. "Let me update you on what we accomplished today¡­"

    Like he had every day for the last two months, Eric walked me through the daily construction progress of the Cherrygrove Gym. He messaged pictures of what the Gym currently looked like to my phone and rambled on. Over the course of the project, we''d run into a few hiccups like delayed shipments of necessary building materials or additional costs incurred during the process, but everything had ultimately worked itself out.

    "It''s almost done," Eric finished. It was hard to miss the pride in his voice. "We''ll finish ahead of our projected schedule¡­ we just need two more days to make sure everything is perfect."

    Two days. That was all that remained before the Cherrygrove Gym was finally done.

    I thanked Eric for the status update and ended the call with a huge smile. The gym badges and TMs I''d ordered from the League were due to arrive in two days as well. I almost wished I could fast forward to that time already.

    I stayed up a little longer chatting with friends in various group chats. Before I went to sleep for the night, I made sure to tell the security guards to stay alert. I doubted anyone was going to be reckless enough to try stealing the gym Pokemon so soon, but it didn''t hurt to be careful.

    I was out like a light in seconds.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    It was a pleasant night.

    Distant cries from Hoothoot and Murkrow rang out intermittently, but they were more comforting than they were frightening. He didn''t have any complaints about the weather either. There was nothing but clear skies and stars that shone like beacons. Compared to the humid, tropical conditions of Hoenn or the cold, blustery weather of Sinnoh, Johto''s climate was quite mild. May was a month that spoke of the beginnings of summer, of trees swaying in warm breezes, cicadas chirping in quiet symphonies¡­

    Or potential jackpots.

    Taki idly ran a hand up and down his arm as he waited. There was a huge bubble around them that prevented sound from leaking out, courtesy of Taki''s Grumpig. Kenta had taken a few other subordinates with him to run a sweep of the perimeter one last time. Earlier in the day, they''d discreetly mapped out the forest from afar using a variety of hidden Pokemon. They knew exactly how many guards they were up against and what kind of roaming Pokemon to expect. All standard Pokemon one would expect for security purposes: Luxray, Arcanine, other canines and nocturnal types¡­

    It wasn''t going to be easy getting past them, and there were still a lot of unknowns like what kind of Pokemon the guards themselves had, but Taki had faith in his gang.

    They''d tried a lot of crap over the years: attempting to poach Dratini from the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City, rare Pokemon from Safari Zones in other countries, Eevee and starter Pokemon from certified breeding ranches across the Kinjoh Area, endangered Lapras from hidden research centers and coves¡­ the list went on and on. They hadn''t all been successes, of course, but they had a decent ratio of triumphs to failures.

    This was the third year their gang of poachers had been in business. They''d been lying low after their last gig in Sinnoh, but the research paper that came out today had changed everything.

    Pokemon never before seen in the Kinjoh area. Rare, exotic species that literally could not be found anywhere else on the continent.

    That meant cash. So much fucking cash that if they pulled this off, they and their descendents wouldn''t have to work a day in their lives again. He himself was going to retire to the countryside somewhere with a new identity after today.

    It was risky of them to try stealing the Pokemon so soon ¡ª heck, they''d only had about four hours to scope out the premises and two to actually strategize ¡ª but they needed to make a move before other poachers did. Taki didn''t want other people to nab these incredibly valuable Pokemon first.

    Was it crazy trying to steal from a Champion-level trainer? Definitely, but Taki had taken that into account already before coming here. They would never be able to defeat such a strong trainer or his Pokemon in a straight-up fight, but they weren''t here to battle. They were here to infiltrate, steal, and then get right back out. This was going to be a quick in, quick out mission with an emphasis on staying undetected. Plus, by striking so soon, they had the advantage of surprise. No one would expect thieves to act not even twelve hours after the paper came out.

    At least, that''s what Taki tried to convince himself. His men showed up a moment later and entered the soundless bubble before he could wallow in self-doubt.

    "Report," Taki said immediately. He''d already slipped back into his role of leader.

    "The guards are maintaining the set movements we saw earlier," Kenta replied. He jerked a thumb in the direction of the forest. "There''s a Dark type barrier up further inside, so no Teleportation I''m afraid. Tio''s Rhyhorn found movement underground, too. Probably some guard Pokemon. The rest of the gang is waiting at points two and three. We''re ready to go whenever, boss."

    Taki pressed a few buttons on his watch without looking. "We stick to the original plan then. Everybody goes in at 2:50. From the information we gathered online, our objective is the Watanuki house located further in the forest. Stay on guard. If you catch even a whiff of danger, abort the mission immediately and get the hell out. Money is nice, but it ain''t worth getting locked away in jail over."

    He barely heard the wave of verbal responses that followed. Everybody released Pokemon they needed for the mission, but Taki''s attention was focused on the forest ahead of them. They were really about to do this.

    The instant his watch hit the designated time, they ran into the forest. Taki''s Grumpig wasn''t much of a fighter, but his specialty lay in barriers. He kept the soundless bubble up around the group as they moved further inside. They''d already rubbed their clothes and skin with natural scents to throw off the noses of canine Pokemon, so that was one less thing to worry about. They didn''t have to concern themselves over Psychics detecting them either thanks to Kenta''s Shiftry. There was a faint layer of darkness covering them.

    Even with all these protections in place, they still had to physically evade the guards and roaming Pokemon. They zigzagged left and right past areas Kenta warned them about. One of his men sent out their Kecleon up ahead as a scout which further helped them evade prying eyes.

    They took a break by some boulders part of the way in. It felt like an eternity had passed, but in reality, only one minute went by since they entered the forest. They were now well within the Dark type blockade Kenta had mentioned, yet they were nowhere close to the house.

    Talk about a stressful operation.

    "The others seem to be doing okay," Kenta remarked out loud. "We haven''t heard any commotion or gotten an alert from them yet."

    Taki nodded absentmindedly to himself. That was one bit of good news at least. They were invading the forest from several different entry points since it was too dangerous to move around as one big group.

    Zz.

    Taki looked up so fast that it felt like his neck would pop right off. He could have sworn he heard something like faint buzzing, but he didn''t see anything in the skies. Maybe it was just a wild bug like Weedle. Was his paranoia about the job messing with his head?

    Regardless, they couldn''t loiter around any longer.

    "Let''s keep moving," Taki declared firmly.

    Everyone followed him without question. The forest was a lot thicker than their initial reports had stated. The trees here grew so close together that there were hardly any gaps between them. In fact, Taki couldn''t see which direction they''d come from. That was strange considering he''d been keeping a close on their surroundings the whole time¡ª

    Something shot out, and Taki moved purely by instinct. He shoved Kenta out of the way, but some of the others with them weren''t as lucky. Taki snapped his head up in time to see Arceus damned branches descending on two of his men like elongated claws. The branches wrapped around them in tight embraces and slammed them to the ground.

    He felt the back of his neck prickle with an uncomfortable sensation and swung his head to the left.

    Red.

    Sinister red eyes lit up the darkness between the trees¡ª no¡­ the trees themselves were moving. Taki''s face paled as freakishly tall trees lurched towards them. Shadows spilled out from large cracks in their weathered bodies. They''d blended in perfectly with the vegetation around them to the point that none of them had noticed, but these had to be Pokemon.

    There wasn''t any time to wonder what the hell these abominations of nature were. More branches zoomed towards them, and Taki screamed out just one word.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "RUN!"

    Forget poaching Pokemon, this operation was clearly screwed already. It was now every man for himself.

    Everybody bolted in different directions. Even though he was panicking, Taki still had enough sense left that his mind scrambled together some coherent thoughts. He let out his Houndoom and barked out an order.

    "Flamethrower!"

    He had no idea what kind of Pokemon these were, but they were trees. That meant they were probably Grass types, right? And weak to fire?

    Taki almost laughed out loud when he saw the tree-like Pokemon flinch away from the intense wave of fire that Houndoom exhaled. He''d been right!

    "Keep them off our backs!" Taki shouted as he began running. Houndoom and Grumpig followed while shooting off attacks behind them. Harrowing, furious screams pierced the night air. Taki didn''t stop to look.

    Trees everywhere were lit ablaze. Definitely a safety hazard, but the whole damn forest could burn for all he cared. Nothing was more important right now than getting out. He would have liked to just Teleport and call it a day, but they were still within the Dark type energy screen.

    "Grumpig, how far until we make it back to a Teleport-friendly zone?"

    Taki''s heart flew up into his mouth when his Pokemon did not answer him.

    He spun around with a sense of foreboding and only got a split second to take in the scene. Houndoom and Grumpig were both lying on the ground. A Mawile and one of the newly unveiled Pokemon, a Dachsbun, stood on top of them. How did he not hear them attacking¡ª?

    More important than any of that was the thing standing in front of Taki. The last thing he saw was a green-skinned demon staring down at him with a malicious smile. Then a fist decked him in the jaw, and the world went dark.

    Never should have tried our luck¡­

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Grima wore a look of utter disdain as he looked at the human sprawled out near his feet. He''d held back, but the intruder was out cold anyway.

    Tsk, tsk, the Grimmsnarl said as he wagged a finger disapprovingly. Not even a third-rate opponent. He had no idea we were closing in on him.

    He''d wreathed himself and the other two in shadows before pouncing. Willow had easily dispatched the Grumpig with a Crunch, and Choux had all but slammed into the Houndoom with a devastating Play Rough. Their opponents were obviously not trained for battle but for utility and stealth instead.

    The soundless barrier that Grumpig had put up was interesting, yet it didn''t mean much when they had scouts who could see Aura. Grima looked up when he heard a distinct buzzing sound.

    Cally flew loops in the air above. She and the other Cutiefly had been the first ones to spot the intruders thanks to their ability to detect Aura. They were small and fast enough that they''d remained undetected when they flew back to inform everyone else. Silque had set them all up with a telepathic link before they split ways.

    Thus began a quick yet merciless hunt.

    Two teams of human guards had gone to take care of the other intruders wandering around, so that was one matter dealt with. Grima now eyed the trees around them that were still on fire. The smoke was starting to irritate his lungs. Luckily, it didn''t seem like the intruder''s Houndoom was skilled enough to use the never-dying flames its species was known for.

    We''ve got a situation over here¡ª Grima began to say through his telepathic link, but he cut that thought short when gallons of water suddenly dropped down from the skies. The blazing trees were extinguished immediately. It came from none other than Yuno. The Milotic flew through the air above Grima''s head with a weary expression.

    I could practically see the flames from a mile away, Yuno said with a sigh. The Trevenant are highly displeased. I had to stop them from beating up the intruders they captured. Any further, and we''d have corpses on our hands instead of prisoners.

    Grima barked out a laugh. He would have paid to see that. Well, this forest is their home now. It''s good that they''re protective. Did we get the rest of the intruders?

    We did, Yuno confirmed, and he hovered mid-air to smile. One of the human guards Arin hired interrogated a few with his Pokemon. They''re just ordinary poachers.

    Great, Choux piped up, and he yawned loudly. The Dachsbun jumped off the Grumpig''s back and wobbled side to side dramatically. Does this mean we can sleep now?

    As soon as Yuno nodded, Choux dashed back towards the house with renewed vigor. The Milotic followed him after rolling his eyes fondly.

    That only left Grima and Willow in the clearing.

    You think we should wake up Arin? Willow asked him.

    For these morons? Grima scoffed. No, let him sleep. We''ll let the human guards deal with the aftermath and tell Arin what happened in the morning.

    Got it, Willow said with a shrug, and he carelessly prodded the unconscious Houndoom with his jaws. They didn''t even put up a good fight, ugh.

    Honestly, their participation in this had been overkill. The human guards and security Pokemon would have found the intruders without their help long before anyone got close to the house. They all had useful Pokemon of their own like Lucario or Haunter that were specialized in this line of duty.

    Oh well, it wasn''t like he minded staying up. Grima had always been more of a night owl. He shooed Willow away and told his teammate to rest. Eventually, human guards came to pick up the captured enemies Grima was looking over. Meguri was with them.

    I was told my services were required, the Meganium commented out loud. His gaze was fixed on the ruined trees. A snort of amusement left the hulking Grass type. I can see why now.

    Grima stepped aside respectfully as the older Pokemon trudged forward. He and the rest of the team were well acquainted with the Pokemon of Arin''s father by this point. Meguri stopped in front of a tree and leaned forward, breathing softly onto the charred bark. His antennae glowed brightly as Grass type energy was channeled into the air.

    Life returned to the tree Meguri breathed on. Leaves grew exponentially from its branches once more, and its trunk regained earthy hues. The whole process only took a few seconds. Grima had no doubt that if this was done during the day under the light of the sun, it would have been instantaneous instead. He smiled to himself as he wandered off, leaving the Meganium to repeat the process with the other trees.

    Captured intruders, check. Healed environment, check. And they hadn''t dealt with so-called Rockets either.

    Grima wondered what kind of reaction Arin would have when he woke up.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The following morning, I learned exactly how reckless some people could be.

    "Thank you for handling the situation," I said with a dip of my head, and I waved goodbye to my team of security guards. I couldn''t hide an absolutely bewildered expression.

    They along with my Pokemon had filled me in on the events that occurred around three AM. Some ambitious poachers had actually tried their luck last night, but they hadn''t been able to get past the security measures in place. They''d already been transferred to a League holding facility a few hours ago. Since they were guilty of stealing valuable foreign Pokemon from other regions, their offenses were fairly serious. The Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues had already been notified of the criminals being held in custody, and they would play a part in deciding punishments.

    Lance had actually sent me a thank you note for the nice, yet unintentional, gift. I just awkwardly texted back a smiley face emote since I was fast asleep when the whole thing went down.

    At least now our security measures had been tested and proven.

    Today, I was heading into town for some business. I''d received an interesting email from local bakers, and I wanted to meet with them in person. What they had proposed had the potential to further boost Cherrygrove City''s economy.

    I hadn''t been blind to the recent uptick in visitors. Over the last month, we''d gotten thousands of tourists from every part of the country and beyond its borders. Most of them came to try and see the Gym, but since that wasn''t possible, they stuck around to enjoy the rest of what the city had to offer. I''d visited the mayor on a couple occasions. Every single time, Arthur gleefully told me about how business was booming. The townspeople were just as happy as he was.

    When the Gym finally opened to the public, I imagined our visitor count would skyrocket further.

    Fifteen minutes later, I found myself strolling through the streets of Cherrygrove. Vel and Choux walked with me. More than a few times, excited kids pointed at them as they walked past with their parents.

    "Mom, Dad! Look! The new Pokemon from TV!" I heard one kid''s voice fade in the distance. My lips curled into a smile. When I looked down, I saw Choux skipping along with a chipper expression. Vel tried to hide it, but there was a smile tugging at his own lips.

    Yes, slowly but surely, the Kinjoh Area would come to know and love Fairies.

    We walked along for a few minutes in silence. There were a few reporters who tried to talk to me, but I politely brushed off requests for interviews and walked along. When we crossed over to the next street, I made eye contact with a familiar person on the sidewalk.

    "Oh! Good morning, Arin," Hazel exclaimed in surprise.

    "Morning, Haze," I greeted back. Hazel and Yurie both had the day off today, but who would have thought I''d run into one of them in town. My eyes flickered to the person standing next to my gym trainer. It was a short older woman with blue hair tucked into a messy bun. Just from seeing the two of them stand side-by-side, I already had a guess as to who this was. "Is this¡­?"

    "My sister," Hazel confirmed, and I nodded in understanding. I''d thought as much. Hazel had mentioned her a few times already.

    "Beryl McMillon," his sister helpfully supplied, and her eyes crinkled with joy as she held a hand out. We shook hands. "I''m a doctor with the Department of Internal Medicine at Solaris Hospital. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Leader Arin. I hope my younger brother hasn''t been causing any trouble."

    "Sis!" Hazel complained loudly, and Beryl and I both laughed.

    "He hasn''t," I assured his sister. A relieved expression overtook her features.

    "Good, good. I worry about him sometimes. He hasn''t figured out what he wants to do in life yet."

    "Not everyone can figure out what they want to do at the age of ten like you did, sis. But thanks for encouraging me to apply for the Cherrygrove Gym," Hazel grumbled. He smiled fondly as he turned to me. "Beryl''s wanted to be a doctor since forever. She''s even done a lot of volunteer work over in Kanto."

    His sister smiled in embarrassment. "It''s nothing worth bragging over, Haze. I just like helping people. Oh, yes, Leader Arin, I''m sorry I couldn''t come to your family''s National Day barbeque party by the way. Hazel mentioned it already, but I worked too many shifts and¡­"

    I chatted with the McMillon siblings for a little longer before parting ways. It was nice to finally be able to put a face to a name after how many times I''d heard Hazel bring up his sister in passing. She''d even given me her business card before they left. Having a doctor as a connection was never a bad thing.

    Smiling, I tucked it away safely into my pocket as we continued walking. We made it to our destination before long.

    Bourke''s Bakery, one of the city''s oldest stores that sold a variety of breads. I''d actually gotten melon and red bean buns from here as a kid, but that was before the current owner took over.

    A pleasant sound rang out from the door chime when we entered.

    "Welcome!" a teenager at the front called out. When he saw me, his face quickly morphed into one of shock. "Oh, Gym Leader Arin! Wait here a second please."

    I looked around while the teenager darted to a side door and threw it open.

    "DAD! MR. TAKAI!" he hollered, but my attention was focused on the breads displayed in the store.

    They looked good. Judging from the hungry expressions on Vel and Choux''s faces, I think they wanted to eat some, too. I resolved to buy a few after the meeting.

    Just as I thought that, the people I was supposed to meet with finally appeared.

    "Leader Arin! Thank you for coming," a man with tousled black hair greeted. He was accompanied by a much taller man with freckles. "I''m Keiji Bourke, and this is Alexander Takai."

    After exchanging pleasantries, I followed them into a small meeting room. I cut straight to the chase after we sat down.

    "I''m interested in the business proposal you sent," I began, and I drummed my fingers against my leg with a thoughtful expression. "It''ll be something unique to our city."

    The nervous bakers sitting in front of me had sent an email asking if they could borrow the gym Fidough, Slurpuff, and Alcremie for their stores. They were interested in producing unique breads with the help of the Pokemon, and these would be sold as local specialties exclusive to Cherrygrove City.

    It didn''t take a genius to understand that this would be an incredibly lucrative venture and do wonders for the city''s prestige.

    "I''d like to see ideas for the menu items you have in mind first," I told them. The two men were happy to oblige and pulled out sheets of papers, and they laid them out on the table for me to see.

    The bread and cake designs they''d come up with looked delicious. Lemon champagne, marshmallow filling¡­ the flavors got more and more creative the farther down the list I went. Two of the sketches caught my eye in particular.

    "Blossom Bread and Cake?" I read out loud.

    Alexander beamed at me. "Yes! We''ve modeled them in the designs of actual flowers, and we intend to incorporate the scents of local petals as part of their appeal. They''re supposed to be a tribute to the city," he explained.

    "What do you think?" Keiji asked after a moment''s hesitation. Both looked at me with hopeful expressions.

    I didn''t even have to think.

    "I''d love to collaborate with you two," I said with a smile, and I held up a finger before the other men could talk. "I need to make some things clear though. First, whenever you borrow the gym Pokemon, one or two of my own Pokemon will accompany them as supervisors. I just want to make sure they''re safe at all times considering these are species that people may want to steal."

    The bakers both nodded seriously, so I went on.

    "Second, the time you have to borrow them will decrease vastly during the Johto League Circuit season. They''ll be needed for gym challenges. Lastly, and this goes without saying, please treat them with respect. I already spoke with them before coming here. They''re interested in helping, but don''t overwork them."

    I got more vigorous nods in return. Smiling, I clasped my hands together.

    "Then let''s discuss more specific details and negotiate a contract. Also, if you could please bake a large quantity of these Blossom Breads and Cakes for an event later this week¡­"

    An hour later, I walked out with bags of bread and a new contract under my belt. Choux couldn''t stop jumping up and down in excitement.

    I snorted with laughter.

    "Alright, let''s go home and eat."

    The rest of the day was peaceful. I half expected more poachers to visit in the middle of the night again, but nothing happened. The League was making progress with the Rocket investigation, too. They''d taken down a small base on their own apparently.

    It seemed like everything was going smoothly.

    That was why, when Lance unexpectedly called me in the morning, I clutched my phone with more than a little wariness.

    "Arin, can you please come to the League HQ right now? It''s urgent. I''ll send a Kadabra to fetch you."

    Lance hung up after that, and it didn''t help that he''d sounded rather¡­ anxious, something that was unusual for the normally calm Champion. Dozens of troubling thoughts spun around in my head as I ran out to the front yard. A League Kadabra was waiting there for me.

    Had an issue cropped up with Team Rocket? Were all the Indigo Gym Leaders being gathered again for a major raid?

    All thoughts careened to a halt when I was Teleported into a spacious meeting room.

    There were no other Gym Leaders in sight. Not even the Elite Four was around. I only saw Lance seated at a circular table and¡­

    "Hello, Arin," Geeta greeted, and she leaned back in her chair with a small smile.

    Around her sat a beautiful woman in a stylish coat and dress, a man with a cocky grin and cape, another man with fiery red-orange hair, and a tanned male with a white coat. I didn''t miss how the Champions of Hoenn and Sinnoh were seated at the table, too.

    My jaw dropped open.

 Chapter 34

    CHAPTER 34

    Twelve hours ago¡­

    Geeta arched a delicate brow. Her ultramarine eyes glinted with expectation.

    "All in favor?" she asked.

    The rest of the room nervously stared back at the woman. Geeta wasn''t purposely intimidating the Paldean Council, but they cowered under her steady gaze regardless. It wasn''t like they were against the proposal¡­ in fact, it sat rather well with them. They had nothing but good feelings towards a certain Johtonian after all the help he''d given their League over the years.

    It was simply difficult being around La Primera. She was probably the most imposing leader they''d had in almost a century.

    Eventually, the Council members answered with affirmatives. Geeta''s lips twitched upwards into a smile. The sight of that somehow terrified the Council more than her usual neutral expression.

    The instant she raised a hand in dismissal, every official quickly shuffled or ran out the door. Rika barely kept herself together as she finished typing up a transcript of the meeting. When she finished, she threw her head back and laughed uproariously.

    "You scared them so badly," she snorted out.

    The other Elite Four members sitting nearby were holding back chuckles of their own. Poppy was the only one who was confused, and she tilted her head while swinging her legs back and forth from her chair.

    "I don''t know what you mean," Geeta calmly replied. She gathered up the papers in front of her and straightened them. "I only asked a simple question. Anyway, the proposal was approved by the Council. I''ll be off now to make necessary arrangements."

    She felt multiple gazes on her back as she walked to her office at a brisk pace. The moment she was seated at her desk, she video called a familiar group chat. She waited patiently as the line rang. The Champion of Kalos was the first to pop up on her phone screen. They exchanged pleasantries as one by one, the other leaders of the Galovea Continent dropped into the call.

    The Chairwoman of the Paldea League opened her mouth once everyone had gathered.

    "Good afternoon. There''s a matter I''d like to speak about¡ª" Geeta began, but Diantha interrupted her politely.

    "Does it involve the Kinjoh Area?"

    Geeta blinked.

    "Yes," she said without missing a beat.

    "Aha. I thought as much. I actually wanted to talk to everyone about that as well."

    "Huh." Kukui made a sound of surprise. "You too?"

    "Me three," Leon piped up with a grin.

    Everyone figuratively turned to Alder. The middle-aged man merely shrugged and held his hands up.

    "I have some thoughts of my own, but I''d like to hear what the rest of you have to say first," he said.

    Geeta swiftly connected the dots in her head. She was fairly certain now they all had the same idea in mind, but she had to check first.

    "I see. Then please allow me to speak first," Geeta finally said, and she proceeded to explain the idea she had in mind.

    She did not miss how the others did not seem surprised by her suggestion. Geeta''s only visible reaction was raising one of her brows ever so slightly.

    She had hardly finished speaking when Leon guffawed.

    "That''s exactly what I brought up with the Galarian Parliament!" he said cheerfully.

    "Indeed," Diantha chimed in. The actress looked remarkably amused as she propped her chin in the palm of her hand. "I brought up the same topic with our National Assembly. The proposal was approved."

    "Fascinating! We all seem to have thought of the same thing," Kukui beamed. "So we''re all on board with this then?"

    He received numerous nods in return, but Geeta''s gaze was locked onto the one person who had not spoken yet.

    "Alder?" she prompted.

    The call went silent as everyone focused their attention on the Champion of Unova. Alder wore an unusually serious expression as he crossed his arms over his chest.

    "¡­I had a similar idea, yes," he said slowly. "Our House and Senate approved the proposal earlier. I just have to sign off on it now."

    "Then why haven''t you?" Diantha asked with genuine curiosity. Geeta''s eyes narrowed as she waited for Alder''s response. She had a feeling what the older man would say.

    Lo and behold, Alder did not disappoint.

    "Everyone here already knows how Unova feels about the Kinjoh Area. It''s never been a big secret," Alder began. He rubbed the back of his neck as he continued. "Our League has always despised how undemocratic they are and their fixation on the old ways¡­ especially Kanto-Johto. I just barely managed to get this proposal approved by our government. I''m all for helping our mutual friend, but this is going to make quite a few officials over here unhappy. I''m still deliberating whether or not this is even the right direction to take Unova in."

    It wasn''t like Alder was wrong.

    There was a reason why each of their respective countries and Leagues had not reached out to the Kinjoh Area before. While they didn''t hate that continent to the same extent that Unova did, they held reservations of their own regarding those other governments and their lack of progress. But¡ª

    "A valid concern," Geeta assented, yet her eyes glimmered with unidentifiable emotion as she clasped her hands together on the desk. "We''ve never once seriously thought about interacting with the Kinjoh Area. But Alder¡­"

    She paused, and the corners of her lips curled upwards. Alder blinked rapidly as if he''d seen a ghost.

    "Thanks to our mutual friend, the political and cultural landscapes over in Kanto-Johto are beginning to shift. Wouldn''t you also like to see how their country changes further from here and possibly play a hand in it all?"

    Her question hung in the air long after she spoke. Wordlessly, Alder met her challenging gaze with a contemplative expression. Several seconds trickled by of the two simply staring at each other, and then Alder finally moved.

    He barked out a short laugh.

    "Ha! Alright, you''ve convinced me," he said, and he slapped his hand against his knee. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "So be it. I''ll give them a chance. I can''t miss front row tickets to how the Kinjoh Area develops after all."

    "Very good," Geeta replied. The satisfaction in her voice was hard to miss. The rest of the leaders relaxed now that they''d come to an agreement. Of course, if Alder hadn''t agreed¡­

    Geeta would have strongarmed him into saying yes one way or another.

    Diantha cleared her throat. "Seeing as Alder is the only one here whose country has had previous contact with the Kinjoh Area¡­ Alder, would you be a dear and bring it up with Champion Lance for us? And arrange a meeting?" she asked with a smile.

    "Preferably as soon as possible," Kukui added. "This weekend even, considering this plan is best implemented sooner rather than later."

    Alder blinked slowly. "Er¡­ I don''t mind," he answered, "but you all do realize that Unova''s given Indigo the cold shoulder before? This is going to be awkward."

    "You''ll figure it out," Geeta said simply, and she moved on even as Alder gaped in the background. "Let us assume that there will be a meeting, and let us discuss travel arrangements instead. One of my Elite Four''s Pokemon has been to Johto before, so they can show us a safe route through the skies there."

    "Oh, magnifique! I''ll borrow Drasna''s Noivern then," Diantha beamed.

    "Hmm, Charizard could carry me, but if we''re trying to travel ultra fast¡­ I guess I''ll ask Raihan to lend me Flygon."

    "I should probably borrow a Pidgeot from Kahili."

    "Oi, oi¡­ I''m the one who actually needs to talk to Lance first¡­" Alder grumbled.

    No one paid him any attention and kept chatting.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Lance was in a wonderful mood.

    Just two hours ago, Koga had discovered another Rocket base and brought some League forces with him to take it down. It had, unfortunately, been another miss. The grunts they''d captured didn''t have any useful information, but a win was still a win. Lance had already given orders to publish the news first thing in the morning. They needed to continuously reinforce the idea that Team Rocket was not to be feared and assuage any fears the public had.

    Lance didn''t want to jinx things, but he hoped the rest of the Rockets would be found and brought to justice before the next League Circuit began.

    He was still in his office at the Indigo Plateau. Nowadays, he basically lived there instead of his own residence in Blackthorn City. There were ever increasing loads of paperwork to handle. Plans of action regarding Team Rocket to sign off on, reports of newly hired League soldiers¡­ He had to prepare for tomorrow, too.

    Steven and Cynthia were coming to visit and discuss interregional relations between their countries.

    They wanted to offer assistance regarding Team Rocket apparently. It was unexpected, but Lance wasn''t about to turn down any help the other Champions could offer. Indigo''s national security and the safety of its people always came first. As he penned his signature with a flourish, he idly wondered what kind of foreign aid they would give. More manpower? Funding?

    He had just placed a paper onto a pile of completed documents when his phone rang. He used one hand to grab the device and the other to pull another report to him. Then he saw who had called him, and he paused in place.

    Lance''s brows flew up in complete and utter surprise.

    Champion Alder Adeku was calling him.

    Lance had reached out to the Unova League shortly after taking up office, but Alder had merely politely congratulated him and refused to entertain any ideas of diplomatic relations. Lance knew that years ago, Pryce had made an attempt of his own to enter talks with Unova, but those had broken down before they ever truly began.

    They dressed it up with flowery language, but the fact of the matter was that the Unovan government simply did not like how they ran things in Kanto-Johto. Behind on the times. Not enough checks and balances. It boiled down to differences in political structures and traditions or ways of life.

    The Unova League had made it clear they didn''t feel the want or need to interact with Indigo and had never once reached out to them first. Why, then, were they calling now?

    Lance had no idea, but he accepted the call without delay. He would find out.

    "Good evening, Champion Alder," Lance greeted in a clear, polite voice. "It''s been some time since our last chat. May I ask the reason for this unexpected call?"

    "Hello, Champion Lance," Alder''s unmistakable voice came through from the other end. "It truly has been a long time since last we spoke. Forgive me for the sudden call without any prior warning, but¡ª ah, forget it, I hate speaking so formally. I''m just gonna cut straight to the chase."

    Lance hardly had time to feel surprised by Alder''s shift into a more casual manner of speaking when the older man dropped a bomb on him.

    "I''d like to request a meeting with you, Steven, and Cynthia to discuss potential diplomatic relations going forward. Oh, and Champions of other countries want to join this discussion as well. We''ve got a joint proposal for the Indigo League."

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    "¡­"

    Lance blinked once, twice, thrice¡­ then he blinked all over again.

    What?

    For the first time in a long time, Lance was rendered absolutely speechless. He even pulled the phone away from his ear briefly to check that it was Alder on the other end.

    It was.

    Lance brought the phone back to his ear with a stupefied expression. The righteous Unova League was reaching out to them? And¡­ there were Champions of foreign nations who wanted to speak with him? What joint proposal did they even have? He felt like he was on the verge of ripping his hair out from sudden anxiety.

    Lance''s mouth moved before he even fully digested the information.

    "Alright. How about tomorrow morning at 10 AM?"

    "Tomorrow?! That''s doable, but¡­ wait a few moments please."

    Alder muted himself. Lance wasn''t any closer to calming down when Alder returned.

    "Yes, tomorrow is fine. We''ll see you then."

    With that, the call ended. Lance slowly lowered his phone and set it back down on the table. He stared blankly at the piles of paperwork on his desk. He had a feeling he was not going to sleep well tonight.

    Now he had to prepare for unexpected foreign dignitaries and relay the news to Steven and Cynthia.

    Lance slumped back in his chair with a sigh. His previous good mood had evaporated and been replaced with stress instead.

    "Legendaries¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Lance was waiting outside the League HQ. Steven and Cynthia had already arrived and were waiting inside a meeting room. They''d taken the news with as much shock as he had, but at least they didn''t have to worry about playing the part of a good host. Lance would have been with them except¡­ he had to greet the other foreign dignitaries they were expecting. Outwardly, he showed a calm countenance, but inside was a different matter.

    Panic surged up within him every couple of seconds, and it grew like a tidal wave when he caught sight of figures descending from the sky. League Trainers accompanied them.

    His guests had arrived.

    Lance knew as much because he recognized Alder in the group of otherwise unknown individuals that landed on the grass with their Flying mounts. Lance did a mental double take when someone slid off the back of a Dragonite. He did so again when another person hopped off the back of a strange Pokemon he''d never seen before. Perhaps it was just the Dragon enthusiast in Lance fantasizing, but it resembled a dragon with incredibly long wings and teal-colored membranes.

    He focused on welcoming the Champions. Smiling politely, Lance strode up to the front of the group and dipped his head respectfully.

    "Welcome, esteemed guests, to the Indigo Plateau. It is an honor to have you here," he said.

    He received echoed greetings from the strangers in return. They all spoke in the common tongue, but their accents were quite unique. There was one person in particular that stood out to him. A woman dressed in a stylish white outfit ¡ª she was also incredibly tall, about five foot eleven even without the heels she wore ¡ª had a particularly notable accent.

    Lance didn''t miss how all of the Champions had Key Stones on display either. These were all evidently powerful figures from affluent regions.

    Lance carefully led everyone inside the League HQ and to the designated meeting room. He refrained from chuckling when he saw surprise flash through both Steven and Cynthia''s eyes upon their entrance.

    Yep, he was just as shocked as them.

    Everyone sat down around the circular table. To start with, they exchanged pleasantries and introductions. Something tugged at the back of Lance''s mind as the foreign Champions revealed what regions they were from.

    Alola, he knew that one already from old records the Indigo League had. The others though¡­ Kalos, Galar, Paldea¡­ where had he heard these places before¡­

    Lance barely stopped his eyes from widening. Weren''t these all countries that had been mentioned in the latest research paper Arin worked on? The gears in Lance''s head were still spinning when the Champion of Paldea spoke up.

    "Before we get into the crux of today''s meeting, may we ask you to call one other person here?" Geeta inquired. "He''s crucial to the joint proposal we''d like to offer, and we''d like him to be privy to our discussion."

    Lance blinked. "May I ask who that is?"

    The name that fell casually from Geeta''s lips made Lance freeze.

    "It''s a mutual friend of ours. Arin Watanuki."

    The gears spinning in Lance''s mind fell apart completely and crashed into a tangled heap.

    Arin? Mutual friend?

    What?

    He slowly turned his head. Each of the foreign Champions looked back at him with remarkably composed expressions.

    Did Arin personally know every one of these people?

    Lance was aware Arin had traveled around the world, but apparently, he''d vastly underestimated the influence the Cherrygrove Gym held.

    "Would that be alright?" Diantha followed up with a polite smile. They all looked at him expectantly.

    That was how Lance quietly excused himself to an adjoining room and frantically pulled out his phone, all but smashing the screen with his fingers as he dialed Arin''s number.

    "Arin, can you please come to the League HQ right now? It''s urgent. I''ll send a Kadabra to fetch you."

    Lance''s blood pressure spiked a thousandfold when he returned to the meeting room. It only grew worse as he waited patiently for Arin to arrive. The foreign dignitaries all chatted with each other and casually commented out loud about Arin''s impending arrival.

    "I can''t wait to see Arin again¡­"

    "Yeah, it''s been a few years since I last saw him."

    "You think we should have brought souvenirs?"

    Arceus, he''d have to pester Arin later for answers.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Present day.

    "''Sup, Arin!" Leon flashed a two-fingered salute at me, and Diantha offered a dignified wave. Kukui grinned and waved with both hands, and Alder chuckled out loud. Even Steven and Cynthia offered me greetings.

    I still couldn''t believe it. Any sense of decorum was forgotten as I took a hesitant step forward.

    "What¡­ What are you guys all doing here?" I asked with a bewildered expression. "Shouldn''t you be, er, in your home regions?"

    I didn''t know what I was more shocked by: the fact that I was seeing all of these people in Kanto-Johto, or the fact that I was seeing all of these people in Kanto-Johto.

    They obviously weren''t here to sightsee considering they were in a meeting room at the Indigo Plateau. Champions didn''t typically leave their nations unless it was for important business anyway.

    I looked to Lance for answers, but he gave me a look that said he had no idea. I turned to Geeta instead.

    "Come have a seat first," she said simply, and she gestured to an empty chair at the table. I slid into the one between her and Leon without taking my gaze off her. The Chairwoman of Paldea folded her hands neatly in her lap. "Thank you for calling Arin here, Champion Lance. Now then¡­"

    Her entire demeanor shifted. Ultramarine eyes exuded complete and utter seriousness, and this in turn caused everyone else to straighten upon sensing the change in atmosphere. There would be time to chat with them later. Right now, I prepared myself for the meeting I''d found myself in.

    "We are Champions of regions from the other side of the world, or the Galovea Continent as it is called. I understand you may be confused as to why we suddenly requested a meeting, so we will address that first," Geeta said. "We are aware Indigo is currently dealing with an entity known as Team Rocket, and we came today with a proposal."

    Lance and I both stared at her, but she went on without pausing. My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when I heard her next words.

    "We would like to establish a temporary alliance with the Kinjoh Area and extend an invitation to join the International Police."

    Lance, Steven, and Cynthia listened with rapt attention as Geeta continued her explanation about the organization, but I knew what she was talking about.

    The International Police, or Interpol as it was more commonly referred to, was a global law enforcement agency active on the other side of the world. It had been created out of a desire to facilitate widespread cooperation and crack down on crime. Their headquarters was located in Kalos, but they had branches in other regions across the Galovea Continent. They''d been instrumental in solving many different cases over its long and illustrious history, a history that rivaled even some of the oldest Pokemon Leagues.

    "We are not looking down on the Indigo League or its ability to handle its own affairs," Diantha spoke up in a firm voice. "This is simply a suggestion from our end and a heartfelt invitation. We believe becoming a member could be beneficial to not just Indigo but to the Kinjoh Area as a whole. It could help stave off future crime or at least help discourage it."

    "They''re good at what they do," Kukui added. "All excellent officers and detectives, and it would be extra manpower for the Indigo League to locate and get rid of remaining Rockets. They''re also a politically neutral organization, so you can trust them. Our regions would offer additional support to Indigo through them."

    When I''d been imagining future interregional relations, I don''t think I''d expected an opportunity to come so soon or in this form at that. Interpol was widely known abroad. They had members from every country in their ranks.

    This was a great idea in my opinion. I wanted to shout in excitement and tell them to build Interpol offices here. The short-term effect would certainly be immediate. With extra manpower at our side, we''d be able to find and take down Team Rocket sooner.

    I was not, however, the leading authority for Indigo. I cast a surreptitious glance to my left.

    Lance wore a calm expression, but I thought I saw his brows furrow ever so slightly. I couldn''t tell what he was thinking. It seemed we shared the same questions, though.

    "I thank you for the invitation to join this Interpol," Lance said slowly, "but¡­ I''d like to ask one thing first. Forgive me for my frankness, but why come to us now with such a proposal? Why offer help to Indigo when we''ve never interacted before? I don''t see the benefits. I''m even confused by Champion Alder''s presence today. As far as I''m aware of, Unova has never once pushed for diplomatic relations with us."

    "I appreciate the honesty. To answer your inquiries¡­ it''s true," Alder said almost before Lance finished speaking. All eyes were on the middle-aged man as he ran a weathered thumb across the back of his hand. "Unova has rejected such requests from the Kinjoh Area before, but we''ve changed our minds."

    I jolted a bit when Alder looked at me. Smiling, he swept his gaze over to Lance.

    "The reason why Unova was hesitant to deal with the Kinjoh Area before was because of¡­ differing political structures and traditions. Everyone in this room knows that. So why have I come today to offer foreign aid?" Alder paused meaningfully. "I and my League are interested in the recent string of changes in Kanto-Johto. To be frank, we view them as positive steps your government is taking in the right direction. Unova in particular has always advocated for progress and change. I believe the other Champions feel the same."

    The others nodded. Meanwhile, I was putting two and two together. Recent string of changes¡­ Alder was probably referring to how I''d come back and upended Johto''s gym hierarchy as well as spread knowledge of Fairy types.

    I wasn''t an idiot. I knew what I was doing was causing ripples to spread throughout Indigo''s traditional society, but to think it was causing ripples outside of the country, too.

    "It''s not simply just that, either," Leon spoke up. It was odd seeing the normally jovial male adopt such a serious expression. "We may be from different countries, but we''re all humans who live in the same world. I believe it is only right to offer help to fellow nations who may need it."

    "Indeed," Diantha nodded wisely. "Of course, beyond just a simple desire to help, we''re also interested in eventual trade."

    "The world is vast," Geeta added. Her voice was quiet, but her eyes burned brightly with ambition. She tapped a finger against the table. "For too long, we''ve kept to our separate sides of the world. I strongly believe there are many opportunities we have lost in the process. The facilitation and sharing of knowledge, trade, culture, and more¡­ Were we to join hands, we might reach a new level of global prosperity. The beginning of a new era so to speak."

    "That is why we wish to create a temporary alliance between our regions," Kukui said.

    "And what would this¡­ temporary alliance entail?" Lance inquired.

    Kukui leaned forward in his seat. "Like I mentioned previously, we would offer support through Interpol. I''m sure you''re wary of foreign Leagues becoming entangled with your League''s affairs, so we would just offer manpower, funding, and other resources through a politically neutral organization."

    He paused to hold up a finger.

    "In return¡­ you would give us some products and natural resources."

    I listened intently as Kukui went on. Of course there had to be a give-and-take in this to make the exchange equal.

    "Like we mentioned before, we''re interested in future trade on a global scale. The products and natural resources available in the Kinjoh Area greatly appeal to us. For example, we''re interested in the evolutionary stone industry in Hoenn or the unique silks produced here in Johto. I must stress that we are not opening up our borders or anything like that, though. This would be more of a temporary military alliance."

    "It would be for the purpose of taking down Team Rocket," Geeta specified, and she folded her hands together. "As that is the most pressing matter that Indigo currently faces, that is what this alliance would be centered around. We use the word ''temporary'' because as much as we are interested in forging diplomatic relations with Indigo, that is something we can only consider during more peaceful times. After you get rid of Team Rocket¡­"

    She smiled.

    "Perhaps we can forge more permanent interregional relations."

    I was all for that, but¡­

    "What is my role in this?" I finally spoke up, and all heads turned to me. I stared back with a calm expression, but I couldn''t hide the pounding of my heart. "Surely I was called here for a reason?"

    "Yes," Alder answered for the delegation. He pointed right at me with a grin. "Provided we go through with this alliance, and if Indigo joins Interpol, we''d like you to be the representative for the Kinjoh Area. A link between your Leagues and all of ours¡­ a diplomat, essentially. You''re the perfect fit for this role since you''ve frequently traveled through the Galovea Continent in the past and have gathered many accomplishments here. We can trust you based on your history and experience."

    I refrained from hanging my mouth open, but I did blink several times in rapid succession as I processed Alder''s proclamation.

    Me¡­ as a diplomat?

    I understood where they were coming from. I had accomplished a lot both in and out of foreign League Circuits, and I had traveled on that side of the world for many years. Aside from Lance, they didn''t really know anyone else who was affiliated with the Indigo League. I was well-suited to this role like Alder had said.

    I swung my head to the left again.

    Lance rested his chin on top of interlaced fingers. He wore a considering expression as his gaze darted first from the foreign dignitaries, to me, then to Steven and Cynthia.

    "What do you two think?" he asked, and he directed the question at the Hoenn and Sinnoh Champions.

    Steven crossed one leg over another and leaned back in his seat with a calm expression. Even then, I didn''t miss the calculating glint in his eye.

    "I propose that we accept their suggestions," Steven said simply with a smile. "I am always looking to reduce crime rates in Hoenn, so the idea of an Interpol has my approval. I''m especially interested in future trade between our regions. I hope this alliance can sow the seeds for favorable trading conditions once we establish more permanent relations later."

    "I concur," Cynthia said next, and she brushed some hair back behind her ear. A simple gesture, but she managed to make it look so dignified. "After experiencing and dealing with a criminal organization of our own, Sinnoh would greatly benefit from an additional law enforcement agency. This also aligns with what Steven and I came here today for anyway. We were planning to offer help regarding Team Rocket in a similar vein."

    Lance hummed to himself. He turned now to me with an unreadable expression.

    "And you, Arin? I value any input you could give."

    My answer was immediate.

    "I would be honored to serve as a diplomat," I said firmly. "An alliance and Interpol membership would benefit Indigo greatly. Speaking as someone who has traveled to the Galovea Continent before and interacted with their Leagues, I can vouch for their dependability."

    This got me small, fleeting smiles from the foreign dignitaries, and even Lance''s lips twitched upwards momentarily.

    "I see¡­" he murmured to himself.

    We waited in silence. After a few moments, Lance finally raised his head.

    "Alright. With my authority as the Indigo League Champion, I''d like to accept your invitation to join Interpol and establish a temporary alliance between our countries. Arin Watanuki will be our representative," he declared without hesitation.

    Steven and Cynthia quickly followed with similar statements of their own.

    The meeting ran for another hour as the Champions discussed logistics and more specific details regarding the foreign aid they''d be giving Indigo. This was out of my area of expertise, but Lance still asked me for my input regarding things seeing as I had viewpoints of both sides of the world to draw from.

    Eventually, a treaty was drawn up and signed. No one said anything, but we all rose from our seats with pleased expressions. One by one, the foreign dignitaries came up to shake hands with each other ¡ª and me ¡ª in turn.

    I watched the whole thing with adrenaline coursing through my veins.

    This moment was surely going to go down in history as the day the world began to work together as one.

 Side Chapter â€” Confidential I

    SIDE CHAPTER ¡ª Confidential I

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    * LOGIN PORTAL *

    USERNAME: [¡­]

    PASSWORD: [¡­]

    WELCOME, INTERPOL AGENT LOOKER.

    [See (REDACTED)? ¡ú Yes]

    LOADING¡­

    [5* CLEARANCE REQUIRED ¡ú Verified]

    KANTO-JOHTO

    Notes ¡ú Criminal organization by the name of Team Rocket went to war with their government in the year of 20XX. No further major criminal organizations have appeared since then. High crime rate especially in Kanto.

    HOENN

    Notes ¡ú No major criminal organizations or incidents in recent decades. Relatively low crime rate, but it is steadily increasing. Reason unclear for recent uptick in crimes.

    SINNOH

    Notes ¡ú Swept up a criminal organization by the name of Team Galactic in the year of 20XX. Drained many resources from the Sinnoh League, but they did not suffer many casualties due to decisive action taken by Champion Cynthia.

    ALOLA

    Notes ¡ú Very peaceful due to the active presence of Legendaries. No major criminal organizations.

    UNOVA

    Notes ¡ú No major criminal organizations in recent decades. Sources indicate there is a movement for Pokemon rights that has begun blossoming among a small minority, but it appears to be just another wave of protests. High crime rate especially in Castelia City.

    KALOS

    Notes ¡ú No major criminal organizations in recent decades, but there is a long history of gangs, trafficking, and smuggling of drugs. High crime rate especially in Lumiose City. Last major incident was the murder of an individual with a noble title.

    GALAR

    Notes ¡ú No major criminal organizations in recent decades. Peaceful.

    PALDEA

    Notes ¡ú No major criminal organizations in recent decades; however, there have been numerous incidents of scientists attempting to steal and run away with valuable research and Pokemon. Paldea government has refused to share specific details regarding these events.

    [See (REDACTED)? ¡ú Yes]

    LOADING¡­

    PEOPLE OF INTEREST ¡ú [TOP SECRET]

    FILE NO. 246

    NAME: Arin Watanuki

    BIRTHPLACE: Johto (Kanto-Johto)

    ABILITY RANK: High

    DANGER LEVEL: Low

    First appeared in the Galovea Continent in the year of 20XX. A wandering trainer from the Kinjoh Area who toured major regions here and competed in multiple League Circuits, eventually acquiring fame for his exploits. Has also played a hand in helping deal with minor criminal organizations and gangs. Interpol members have made minimal contact with him before for such cases. He has also assisted with certain small incidents and received acknowledgement from foreign Leagues and their Champions. He currently works for the Paldea League. Subject does not appear to harbor any ill intents.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    INDIGO INNER ARCHIVES ¡ú [HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL]

    INCIDENT REPORT #00357

    AUTHORITY ¡ú [REDACTED / SIGNATURE]

    DATE ¡ú May 19th, Year 1XXX

    TIME OF REPORT ¡ú 14:15

    Private [REDACTED] was lost at sea one week ago during a mission that involved [¡­]. It is assumed that he has perished given the [¡­] [¡­] [¡­] and lack of contact thus far. Appropriate compensation has been given to the deceased''s family. Funeral expenses were also paid for on behalf of the government. New personnel have been hired to replace Private [REDACTED] and the other soldiers who perished during the mission.

    INCIDENT REPORT #00371

    AUTHORITY ¡ú [REDACTED / SIGNATURE]

    DATE ¡ú June 5th, Year 1XXX

    TIME OF REPORT ¡ú 07:38

    Private [REDACTED] returned to Kanto and is currently being treated by the medical officers on hand. He shows signs of malnutrition but not dehydration much to the [¡­] [¡­] of doctors. There is a fading puncture wound on his leg. His deceased status has been reverted in official records. When asked about the previous two weeks, the Private reported that he had been adrift at sea much like we had expected. His leg was later impaled by the spine of a particularly large Qwilfish, and he lost consciousness from the pain and poison thereafter.

    Much to the displeasure of General [REDACTED], the Private could not give [¡­] details about what happened to him after being attacked. The rest of the time before he came back to Johto was spent drifting in and out of consciousness. He claims he was brought ashore by a beautiful mermaid with blue hair, and she and some other humans healed him. That mermaid brought him all the way back to Johto.

    "I heard them say Alola," he murmured over and over as the sleeping medication began to take its effects. He claims Alola is the name for the place he was brought to.

    Conclusion: it is evident that Private [REDACTED] is suffering from severe hallucinations induced by his ordeal at sea. He will be given proper compensation, [¡­], [¡­], as well as a referral to esteemed doctors. He will be discharged from the army.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CYNTHIA SHIRONA''S LIBRARY ¡ú [PRIVATE]

    COLLECTION OF RECORDS, NO. 418

    The Original One created many beings to do work in His name. Three great deities [¡­] ruled over time, space, and [¡­]. Groudon formed the solid land, and Kyogre shaped the ever-flowing seas. The world was now enriched, and Regigigas strode forth to do its duty as the Craftsman. It molded the earth further in the image its Creator had granted it. Entire continents were formed and shifted from the power it expelled. Only when it was satisfied did the Craftsman enter a long slumber. These continents drifted further over an enormously long passage of time.

    Records indicate that the continents used to be one large landmass before they were split. The humans who lived there all spoke the same language, which is the common tongue all regions go by today. It was only after the continents were split and moved by the power of Regigigas that some regions [¡­] diverged and adopted [¡­] new words and writing systems that reflected their specific cultures.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    UNOVA INNER ARCHIVES ¡ú [TOP SECRET]

    ABILITY HOLDER REGISTRY, VISITATION RECORD NO. 610

    NAME OF VISITOR ¡ú Arin Watanuki

    POINT OF ORIGIN ¡ú Johto (Kanto-Johto)

    ABILITY TYPE ¡ú Type specialization and communication

    NOTES

    Foreigner entered Unova''s borders on [¡­] [¡­] taken into custody by League forces. Ability and identity were verified by psychics and Ability measuring tools. Visitor was promptly added to national and international Ability Holder registries. No hostile intents were detected over several days of detainment and questioning. Champion Alder and the Unova government eventually approved temporary visitation and League Circuit permits for the visitor. They expire in one year.

    His Ability is similar to several others in the Unova League forces who specialize in Type communication. Visitor does not seem to pose a threat to national security, but caution is advised.

    VISITATION STATUS: Approved

    PLAN OF ACTION: Discreet supervision

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    GEETA OMODAKA''S OFFICE ¡ú [PRIVATE]

    JOINT PROPOSAL NOTES

    ? Kanto-Johto ¡ú Very focused on maintaining traditions at the cost of growth. Making strides towards a more progressive society. Remains to be seen if they will continue to adapt or resist change, but it is worth keeping an eye on. Unique culture. Products that Paldea and the Galovea Continent at large would be interested in importing.

    ? Hoenn ¡ú Relatively peaceful region. Extensive mining industry. Many unique products from the Devon Corporation which is said to rival Kanto''s Silph Co. Technology could be worth looking into. Government structure similar to Indigo''s. The last two Champions implemented questionable policies for their people and ruled with iron fists. Current Champion seems better.

    ? Sinnoh ¡ú Took care of a major criminal organization in recent years. Country has many devout ¡ª almost too devout ¡ª followers of The Original One. Some issues regarding religious fanaticism over the decades, which raises concerns about interactions with them. Government structure similar to Indigo''s. Current Champion has implemented good policies for her people. Interesting technology like the Poketch.

    ? Potential proposal: exchange excess funding and manpower for unique products and natural resources from the Kinjoh Area. (Extend goodwill first so that they will be indebted to us later.)

    ? Conclusion: offer long-distance support, help a mutual friend and benefactor at the same time, and create an advantageous position for future trade agreements.

 Chapter 35

    CHAPTER 35

    Some confused League officials were called in to take pictures of everyone standing together. This momentous occasion would be recorded down in history and printed the following day in the news. The reason for this was that Lance wanted to space out the good news Indigo was getting and create a bigger impact. While the officials scurried off to get started on article drafts, Lance turned to our guests.

    "How long will you be staying for?" he politely inquired.

    The foreign dignitaries from the Galovea Continent shared a look with each other. Once they''d finished communicating silently, Alder stepped forward.

    "Not for very long," the middle-aged man admitted for the group. "It makes us uneasy to leave our regions for too long even with our Elites around. We also need to hold meetings with our governments and Interpol HQ about today''s proceedings."

    "We''ll probably leave in a few hours after we''ve rested a bit," Kukui followed up smoothly.

    Lance turned silently to Steven and Cynthia. The other Champions of the Kinjoh Area nodded.

    "So will we," Steven said. His eyes flickered briefly to me as he adjusted his tie. "Cynthia and I are escorting our Professors back home via airplane later."

    I''d known Professors Birch and Rowan would be leaving today now that the research study had been published, but I hadn''t expected their regional Champions to personally escort them. It made sense, however, given the uncertain times Indigo currently lived in. Best not to leave anything to chance and risk the safety of important people.

    It was honestly going to be odd not seeing the Professors around the house in the future. After a month, I''d gotten used to their antics and the long, yet often lively, Pokemon-related conversations they would pull me into. Oak, and especially Elm, would still be dropping by occasionally since they were located nearby (something that filled Birch and Rowan with much envy).

    Their aides had to forcefully lead the tearful Professors away from our backyard the other day. Birch and Rowan both wanted to stay longer, but they''d already been away from their labs for an extended period of time. They had a massive backlog of work waiting for them at home.

    Lance''s face instantly morphed into a more thoughtful expression. "Then¡­ would you all like to stay here for lunch perhaps?" he suggested, and he clasped his hands behind his back. "The dining facility here at the Indigo League''s HQ can accommodate any requests you might have. We can dine there, or I can have food brought here for privacy''s sake if you''d prefer."

    "Hmm¡­" Diantha''s eyes gleamed. I knew what she was going to say even before she continued. "Thank you for your kind offer, Champion Lance. I would like to take you up on it."

    I wasn''t surprised. Diantha was as much of a food enthusiast as I remembered, and she''d been the one to influence my own hobbies. The rest of the Champions echoed similar sentiments. One by one, they placed their orders with one of Lance''s subordinates through a phone call. Most of the guests simply requested to be surprised with Kanto-Johto cuisine barring specific allergies they had. I supposed they were curious about our culture. I ordered some chicken cutlet curry for myself.

    Some comfort food was desperately needed after the surprises that had been dumped on me one after the other this morning.

    By the time the last person gave their order, the atmosphere had lightened considerably. All the formal matters were out of the way. Now we just waited for lunch to be brought up to our room.

    A few people quietly stretched while we were still out of our seats, but there was no chance for silence to reign. The sound of heavy footsteps filled the room as Alder crossed the distance between me and him in just a few strides. I barely had any time to focus on his scruffy beard ¡ª evidently he still forgot to regularly shave ¡ª before Alder slapped me on the back. I stumbled a bit from the sheer enthusiasm and force behind it.

    "Long time no see!" Alder guffawed. "About five or six years now, right? Look at you! You''re as tall as me now. How come you never came back to visit Unova?"

    I offered the man a genuine smile once I''d righted myself. "It''s good to see you, Alder," I said. My smile took on a sheepish tinge as I fought the urge to rub my neck. "About that¡­ I did think about visiting a couple times, but I was worried how the public was going to react¡­"

    "Ah."

    Now it was Alder''s turn to look embarrassed.

    Years ago, after I''d¡­ undergone an interesting experience where I was detained at a Unova League holding facility for a few days, I was granted a year-long permit to tour the country.

    Unova had a very particular history when it came to Ability Holders. There were countless instances of Ability Holders being the roots of several major conflicts throughout its history. They''d abused their powers and waged devastating wars with the Pokemon they had tamed. As a result, the notoriety of those terrible individuals had carried on across the generations to the point where much of Unova was still wary of Ability Holders in general. Their League was at least trying to remedy the issue by hiring and working with Ability Holders to show cooperation, but¡­

    There was still a lot of distrust among the general public and government officials alike.

    Being an Ability Holder myself, I had not been well-received in Unova. Cautious gazes and jeers had followed me throughout much of my journey in that region, everywhere from simple walks through towns and cities to public gym battles and more.

    It was certainly uncomfortable at the time, but I''d persevered. I''d still ended up making friends in Unova in spite of it all. Alder was one of them. Numerous mandatory check-ins with the Unova League meant that we saw each other fairly often, and Alder had gradually warmed up to me over a period of time.

    I blinked back to attention when Alder shifted from one foot to the other.

    "Well¡­ the atmosphere is a bit better in Unova nowadays," he explained hurriedly. "I''ll admit it''s not the best it could be, but we''re making incremental progress regarding the perception of Ability Holders. I''d have given you another permit to come visit anyway!"

    That was nice to hear at least.

    "Maybe next time then," I said with a small smile. I quickly changed the subject. "How''s Vesta doing?"

    Vesta was the name of Alder''s beloved starter, his Volcarona. There was no way I would ever forget that one hundred something year old moth. Most Bug type Pokemon had short lifespans, but like species of all types, they could live longer if they acquired enough power and influence. There were stories of wild, reclusive Volcarona that had lived close to half a millennium or longer, but Vesta was the oldest living Volcarona owned by a trainer ¡ª at least in Unova''s recorded history ¡ª and an absolute behemoth.

    "She''s doing good!" Alder grinned, but it looked strained to me. "Vesta''s getting on in her years, though. I''ve been trying to convince her to battle less, but she refuses to retire."

    I hoped she would stay healthy for as long as possible. Vesta had been with Alder ever since he was a dumb kid who tried to explore ruins, so they shared an incredibly strong bond that spanned several decades.

    I had just verbalized my well wishes when Diantha walked over with all the grace of a model on the runway.

    "Salut!" Diantha greeted cheerfully, and I grasped her slender hand in a handshake. There was a Kalosian greeting called la bise, but I''d always felt more comfortable just shaking hands. "I don''t think I''ve seen you since that time Valerie invited you to the international charity gala¡­ three years ago, was it?"

    I had to root around in my head a bit for said memory. Eventually, I nodded. "The one Viola organized, I think, to spread awareness of Bug type Pokemon trafficking. Siebold and his employees did the catering for that, didn''t they?"

    "They did," Diantha confirmed with a pleased smile.

    I had wonderful memories of Kalos if I was going to be honest. Beautiful sights, delicious food, and a unique culture¡­ not to mention the fact that Fairy types were held in high regard. Aside from the startlingly high crime rates in Kalos, especially in Lumiose City, I''d had a magnificent journey there.

    There was also the short time I met a deity and thought I was going to die, but¡ª

    "HEYA, ARIN!" Leon waved enthusiastically as he came barreling toward us. I only got a second to brace myself before he tackled me in a brief but powerful hug. "Come and visit Galar sometime, you hear? Everyone''s always nagging me about the next time you''ll show up, and Charizard and I need someone to get our blood pumping in a fight."

    I tried not to wheeze for breath as I adjusted my tie. "I''ve got a lot more on my plate nowadays, but I''ll try to visit."

    Leon was as much of a breath of fresh air as always. It was easy to see how the Champion of Galar had endeared himself to his people with his exuberant personality. I''d initially gotten to know him through Opal. At the time, the Leader of the Ballonlea Gym had been the one to sponsor me for that year''s Circuit.

    Aside from a few incidents, Galar had been pretty fun. Camping there was taken to a whole new level, and their Circuit was rather unique compared to other regions. If only they didn''t force people to wear sports uniforms for gym challenges¡­ bleh.

    I''d already forcibly archived any memories I had of wearing such a uniform from my mind. I would have burned the outfit, too, had my Pokemon not convinced me to keep it around as a keepsake. I was pretty sure I had it securely tucked away in a box somewhere never to see the light of day again.

    "It''s too bad you went to work for Geeta later. If I''d known you were going to settle down somewhere, I would have offered you a job with the Galar League first," Leon prattled on.

    We both jumped when Geeta suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind him. She was as tall as Leon, so it was a bit frightening.

    "Hello, Arin, it''s good to see you," she greeted me first, and then she turned to Leon. "And¡­ what was this I just heard?" Her face was the very definition of calm, but something in her voice made Leon back up a few steps.

    "Well, I mean¡ª"

    "Kalos would have hired him, too," Diantha interrupted with a sly smile.

    Geeta raised a brow. "Oh?"

    The two women roped Leon into a conversation, one that I wisely stayed out of. Alder said something in the background, but he went ignored. While watching the Champions talk, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and came face to face with Kukui.

    "Kukui!" I greeted excitedly, and he offered a lopsided grin in return.

    "If it isn''t a wild Arin," Kukui joked. We shook hands heartily. "I''ve been keeping up with your exploits ever since you left Alola. You''ve accomplished a lot!"

    After departing Hoenn and Sinnoh, Alola was the first region I''d come across outside of the Kinjoh Area''s sphere of influence. It was where I had found my calling as a Fairy Specialist and learned the truth about my Ability and the Fairy type. I had nothing but gratitude towards the islanders for the kindness they had shown me during my stay there.

    Truly a utopia on earth, and one that was zealously guarded by active Legendaries.

    "Is everyone doing well? I speak with Mina occasionally, but we don''t usually talk about the islands," I asked as the other Champions chatted in the background.

    "Yeah, no troubles whatsoever. Woo!" Kukui beamed. "Hau and I have been talking about implementing a more official Pokemon League of our own actually, complete with a huge Conference and all. We first thought about it way before you ever arrived, but after you came and left, we started seriously tinkering with the idea. It''s going to be an uphill battle getting our guardian deities to approve of it, but hopefully they''ll come around to the idea soon."

    "Good luck," I told him with as much sincerity as I could muster.

    Trying to get a bigger and more cohesive League established in Alola was going to be a monumental task. The Tapus that the islanders worshiped were the ones who held all the power. They protected the region, but they were also capable of great destruction when displeased. As both Fairies and gods, they operated on completely different beliefs compared to humans.

    I wanted to chat more with Kukui, but the three Champions of the Kinjoh Area took their chance to come up to us.

    "Hello Arin, I believe it''s been a decade since we last met," Steven greeted politely, and he offered a hand to me. I shook it with a small smile.

    What he said was definitely not an exaggeration. I had hazy memories of meeting Steven once before.

    I used to advertise Pokeballs for the Devon Corporation at Joseph''s behest. That was only after I''d established a burgeoning name for myself in Hoenn as a promising first-year trainer. Later, I''d even been sponsored by Devon once I''d proven my worth. Steven''s father, Mr. Joseph Stone, had introduced me to his son ten years ago. Back then, Steven was the newly crowned winner of the latest Ever Grande Conference and had been training to challenge the Hoenn Elite Four.

    We''d never kept in contact, but obviously a lot had changed since then. He''d ultimately defeated the Hoenn Elite Four and previous Champion to become Hoenn''s new leader.

    Cynthia stuck a hand out as soon as Steven was done.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Arin. I''ve heard a lot about you from Fantina and Volkner," the woman said. "I recall watching your matches at the Conference nine years ago."

    I shook her hand with no small amount of nervousness. I''d never had the pleasure of meeting Cynthia unfortunately, but I''d always wanted to fight against her. She was widely regarded as one of the world''s best Generalists, if not the best Generalist, and her battle prowess was something to be feared.

    And to think Cynthia actually remembered seeing my fights in the Lily of the Valley Conference so long ago¡­ I must have made a certain impression on her.

    "I learned a lot from my journey through Sinnoh," was what I ended up saying as a modest response. I wasn''t ashamed of the early years of my journey where I floundered through learning to be a trainer, but who I had been then was certainly a far cry from the person I was today. "I did better than I could have expected at the Conference honestly."

    "Humility is an excellent virtue," Cynthia chuckled. "By the way, you should expect a message from Fantina soon. I believe there was something she wanted to discuss with you."

    Mystified, I barely stopped myself from fishing my phone out and messaging the Hearthome Gym Leader in advance. I hadn''t talked to Fantina in some time. I wondered what she wanted to talk about with me¡­

    I was startled right out of my thoughts when Lance cleared his throat.

    "I wasn''t aware you knew almost all these people," he said, and I didn''t miss the way he eyed me with newfound interest. "It seems I should have asked you about your travels earlier."

    I laughed nervously and scratched my cheek. "Well¡­ a lot happened over a decade. I''d be happy to talk about some of it over lunch."

    If the smile on Lance''s face was anything to go by, he very much liked that idea.

    "Champion Kukui, might I ask if anyone from Kanto¡ª"

    "Arin, may I inquire about your Mega Stones¡ª"

    Lance and Steven both paused and looked at each other. Steven was the first to move, and he gestured politely with one ringed hand.

    "You first," he graciously said.

    Lance smiled only briefly at him before turning to Kukui. "Champion Kukui," he repeated, "might I ask if anyone from Kanto has ever reached Alola before? We have records of people who have gone out to travel the world, and I''m curious if any of them ever made it."

    I wondered briefly if he was referring to those same records he''d brought up with me during my swearing-in ceremony.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Kukui wore an interested expression as he stroked his chin with one hand. "Before I answer your question, I''m technically not a Champion but a Professor," he explained. He received three very confused looks from the Kinjoh Area Champions in return. "Our ''League'' is an unofficial one at the moment and still in development. We''re making plans to adapt our structure to those of official Leagues in other regions and¡­"

    Kukui rambled on for a bit as he explained the intricacies of the Alolan government and budding League. When he was finally done, he raised a hand excitedly. "But yes, going back to your inquiry¡­ we''ve had visitors from Kanto before."

    Both my and Lance''s brows flew up in surprise.

    "Really?" I asked.

    Kukui nodded. "I''d have to check the records we have on hand for the exact date, but many generations ago, there was a man from Kanto who washed up on our shores. One of the Totem Pokemon at the time, a Primarina, rescued him. Once he was healed, that same Pokemon brought him back across the seas to his hometown. One of his descendants actually came and permanently settled in Alola, and he started a family. He and his wife passed away many years ago, but their child is still alive."

    If it was even possible, Lance''s brows flew up even further.

    "Incredible. So our records were true then¡­" he muttered to himself. In a louder voice, he addressed Kukui. "May I ask about this living descendant?"

    For some reason, Kukui gave me a wink before answering. I quickly learned why.

    "Their name is Samson Oak, cousin to Samuel Oak."

    My jaw dropped.

    "PROFESSOR SAMSON?" I all but spluttered. Lance looked like he was having trouble comprehending this information, too. "Why did no one ever tell me this years ago? I always thought there was a bit of a resemblance, but¡­"

    Kukui laughed loudly. "Well, you never asked! His father wanted to follow the fantastical stories left behind by his ancestor."

    I blinked rapidly. This startling revelation made me wonder how Samson and Oak would react when they learned of each other''s existence.

    It also made me wonder who else had traveled between both sides of the world and lived to tell the tale. Perhaps there were more hidden connections out there.

    With Lance''s curiosity abated for the time being, Steven stepped up.

    "May I see your Mega Stones, Arin?" he asked, and I had to blink a few times. For some reason, I thought I saw the corners of his lips twitch erratically. "I forget if I told you as much ten years ago or if you''re aware of it from public knowledge, but I''m an avid collector of rare stones. I''d love to see your collection if you''re willing to show it."

    He definitely took after his father in that regard.

    "I don''t mind," I said easily, and I walked over to the meeting table. The others followed close behind me, but none more so than Steven. I took a quick peek behind my shoulder while he was thanking me, and I saw light blue eyes shining with absolute curiosity.

    The meeting room was spacious, so I had plenty of room to send out my Pokemon one by one and temporarily retrieve their Mega Stones. I dug out a Hassel-designated handkerchief from my pocket ¡ª a leftover habit from my Paldea days ¡ª and carefully set the Stones on there so that they didn''t roll away on the table.

    Appreciative oohs came from the Kinjoh Area Champions as they laid eyes on the precious items. In the blink of an eye, Steven had somehow slapped on soft protective gloves and whipped out a loupe. He carefully held up my Mawilite and used the tool with his other hand to observe it in greater detail.

    "Marvelous¡­!" he breathed out loud. "Such clear patterning! These ebony and pale yellow hues blend together so harmoniously¡­"

    Out came a steady stream of compliments and rock terminology I was not familiar with, and the commotion brought over the other Champions.

    "Oh, are we looking at each other''s Mega Stones?" Leon asked, grinning. "I can show mine, too, if you''re interested."

    "I am willing as well, but may I see your Aggronite in exchange?" Geeta offered. "I''ve heard the Hoenn region managed to find some. Aron are quite rare in the Galovea Continent, and we haven''t managed to find Mega Stones for their family yet."

    Steven was more than happy to comply. Our little show-and-tell ended up turning into a full-blown exchange of information and Stones as everyone pulled them out. The foreign Champions were very appreciative of Steven''s Aggronite and the other Mega Stones he had in his possession which couldn''t be found in the Galovea Continent. Likewise, the Kinjoh Area Champions were amazed by the sheer variety found outside of their area of influence.

    Watching them interact and discuss with each other brought a small smile to my face. I never would have thought in a million years I''d be seeing people around the world interacting with each other so casually like this.

    It made me hopeful for the future and our future relations.

    We had to pack everything back up when lunch was finally brought to us.

    Kanto-Johto cuisine was well-received by our guests. Each had different words of praise for it, and I knew them well enough to know they weren''t just saying so to appear polite. Diantha gave the most glowing reviews of all. Contrary to one might expect, she wasn''t a picky eater. She was a self-made woman and had gone from rags to riches, so she knew to appreciate meals. She was currently watching her weight for a Kalosian drama she was set to appear in, but she still enjoyed the food and ate as much as she could.

    As promised, I briefly explained to Lance how I''d come to meet everyone and some of the accomplishments I''d made during my travels. By the end of it, I felt like Lance was drilling holes into my head from the way he so blatantly stared.

    I wondered what exactly he was thinking about.

    Overall, lunch was a nice affair. Everyone dropped formalities to enjoy a casual conversation over food. It was nice catching up with friends I hadn''t seen in years, and it was helpful getting to know the Kinjoh Champions as well.

    "What''s the latest movie you''ve starred in, Diantha?" I asked curiously at one point. I tried to keep up with the news and my friends when I could, but I''d been so busy lately that I was out of the loop at this point.

    Right as Diantha opened her mouth to speak¡ª

    "Kfrgh!"

    We all turned to look at Lance. He''d nearly choked on his drink.

    "I apologize for the undignified display," he quickly got out after regaining his composure. His brows furrowed together. "Did you say a movie?"

    Thus, we had to explain that Diantha was a prominent actress and one of the Galovea Continent''s most beloved celebrities. Lance looked like he was one step away from fainting when he heard that.

    I couldn''t blame him. Nobody expected a Champion to be able to juggle not just one but two very different and time-consuming jobs.

    Lunch continued on. There was a moment where Steven inquired about the different kinds of Pokeballs on my belt or the phone on my wrist, all of which led to an extended discussion about technology. The Kinjoh Champions brought up influential companies like the Poketch Company, Devon Corporation, or Silph Co. which greatly interested our foreign guests. The Galovea Continent couldn''t just reveal all their cards, but they dropped enough tidbits that Steven went from looking like the calm scion of a wealthy family to an engaged, ambitious businessman.

    I could practically see the gears turning in his head about future trade and business opportunities.

    Lance couldn''t hold himself back long enough and eventually peppered our guests with questions about new Dragon type species. When the others informed him of a barrage of Dragons he''d never heard of before, Lance gripped his fork so tightly that I was afraid he was going to somehow rip it right in half.

    The expression on his face resembled a Poke Maniac about to embark on a long pilgrimage.

    It was honestly interesting to see everyone interact with each other, especially the ladies. Cynthia, Diantha, and Geeta hit it off with each other not even ten minutes into lunch. I wasn''t surprised by this development. They were all highly intelligent women and powerful trainers. I would have been more surprised if they hadn''t gotten along with each other.

    I would admit it was a bit terrifying, though, to think that the three most powerful women I knew of had tentatively become friends.

    What a monstrous trio.

    Surprisingly, Lance sought out advice from Alder regarding the role of Champion. More surprising than that was how Alder was actually willing to indulge him. Considering the history between Indigo and Unova, I''d expected Alder to brush him off. Then again, Unova had been willing to come all the way here for the sake of a treaty.

    Perhaps Lance had made a better impression on Alder during this meeting than I''d thought. While the two conversed about that, I turned to Geeta who was sitting next to me. I hadn''t gotten a chance to talk to her privately yet.

    "So," I said slowly.

    "So," Geeta echoed.

    We stared at each other. Eventually, I couldn''t stop a smile from tugging at my lips.

    "Fancy seeing you in Kanto-Johto," I finally settled on. Still with a playful tone, I gestured to the rest of the table locked in lively conversation. "I''m pretty sure this was the biggest shock I''ve gotten in my life so far. It''s weird seeing you all here."

    "Is it truly?" she quipped back, and a faint smile played at the corners of her own lips. She turned her head to stare at the scene around us.

    "We only put into motion something that probably should have happened a long time ago, or something that would have happened eventually. I wasn''t lying when I said we''ve lost opportunities over the years. Whether it was due to hesitation in reaching out or concerns regarding previous leaders and governments of the Kinjoh Area¡­ we waited. I believe there''s greater merit in coming together rather than staying separate. For too long, all of our regions have looked inwards and not outwards."

    She paused to look back at me. "Besides, this was technically started by you."

    "Me?"

    "Yes," Geeta confirmed with a raised brow. "Isn''t what you''re doing right now in Kanto-Johto and the Kinjoh Area as a whole signaling a new era of change? We''re merely fanning the embers that you''ve started."

    "¡­"

    I had no answer for her because I couldn''t refute it. Part of my ambitions had been to bring this part of the world closer to the other half, and I''d indeed dreamed of globalization on a grand scale. Everything I was doing were steps towards a new and even more prosperous Indigo. We couldn''t stay in the past. We had to walk towards the future.

    I just couldn''t have imagined that other countries would be willing to reach out to us first.

    "¡­Thanks," I finally said. "I imagine it couldn''t have been easy for all of you to get here or even pass your proposals through your respective governments. I''m not Lance, but I truly hope this treaty works out well."

    "No thanks is needed," Geeta immediately replied, and she waved a hand through the air in dismissal. "We''re all giving and receiving from each other through this treaty."

    I smiled wryly. I was a trainer first and foremost and not a politician, but I knew this treaty was going to influence any future agreements. It was going to be up to our Champion, Lance, and the League to navigate those tricky waters when the time came.

    "Alright," Geeta announced suddenly, and I blinked out of my thoughts. "Enough political talk. Let us chat about happier things while I''m still here. The others were very determined to come with me, but I had to force them to stay behind for security. Hassel erupted in tears¡­"

    I laughed so hard at that. Classic Hassel.

    I had fun talking to Geeta and the others. So much fun, in fact, that when lunch finally drew to a close and we walked outside of the League HQ, I felt a bit sad they were leaving so soon. Around me, everyone prepared to return home to their respective regions and let out their Flying mounts.

    While Lance discreetly salivated over a Noivern from afar, I turned to Geeta and the others. One by one, we exchanged farewells with each other as they mounted their fliers.

    "See you next time, Arin!"

    "Take care of yourself, Mr. Diplomat."

    And so on and so forth.

    "Thank you for hosting us today here at the Indigo Plateau," Alder formally spoke for the group, and he dipped his head in a friendly nod to Lance and the other Kinjoh Champions. "It was a pleasure getting to meet and talk to you all in person. The future of the Kinjoh Area seems bright. As for Interpol¡­ they''ll probably dispatch agents here as soon as possible now that the treaty''s been approved. I''d say to expect them in one to three days provided they''re able to navigate here well."

    "Got it," Lance said with a firm nod of his own head. He waved goodbye to our guests, and I did the same.

    Alder and Geeta both offered me final waves.

    "See you!" Geeta got out, and then the group disappeared into the skies as one.

    I watched them long after they became mere specks and disappeared fully into the clouds.

    What a hectic day it had been so far.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I ignored the slack-jawed stares from pedestrians and frantic clicking of phone cameras as I waited in front of an inn with Steven and Cynthia. It wasn''t everyday they saw foreign Champions out and about. I''d accompanied them to pick up the Professors since I wanted to thank them one last time for everything.

    I hadn''t needed to stay further at the League. Lance was busy sorting through a new load of paperwork as the result of the latest treaty (I felt sorry for him), and I wouldn''t be needed unless it was for Rocket or Interpol-related business which was fine with me.

    Now, I just had to wait. Rowan and Birch were already out of the inn, but their aides had gone back in to grab the last of their luggage. I shook their hands while we waited.

    "Take care, Professors. I''m truly grateful for the work you put in this last month," I said sincerely.

    Rowan''s normally fierce eyes grew warm as he inclined his head. "We''ve been through this song and dance already. We''re thankful to you for the opportunity."

    "Yes, it was quite fun!" Birch chimed in with a huge smile, and he shook my hand vigorously. "Ah, if only I could stay longer¡­ perhaps next time I visit, I''ll bring my son with me. He''s interested in following my footsteps!"

    We only got to chat a little longer before the aides returned with the last of the luggage. Cynthia released her Gallade in preparation for the upcoming Teleport, and I exchanged final pleasantries with her and Steven along the lines of how nice it was to meet them.

    "Oh, I''m looking forward to the show by the way. Wallace told me about it," Steven commented as I took a few steps back. I stared at him with confusion as he smiled in amusement. "My father and I will be dropping by."

    I only deciphered what Steven was talking about after Cynthia''s Gallade Teleported the group away to the airport. I stared at the empty space in front of me with shock.

    "The Stones are gonna be at the grand opening?"

    ¡­I suddenly felt more nervous than I had in a long time.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I came back home to see all my gym trainers in the backyard with luggage.

    Since the Gym was set to be done tomorrow, Yurie had excitedly asked earlier in the day if they could stay over for the night and do a group camping experience. I''d easily given permission for that since it presented an excellent bonding experience for the employees.

    Of course, I would also be camping out in the backyard with them. So would dad, Neil, and the Chester siblings who were interested in hanging out with everyone.

    Those of my employees who wanted to use the staff lodgings had brought additional luggage with them aside from sleeping bags and equipment. This group included Haru, Souta, Hazel, and Yurie. Up until now, they''d been living at inns or hotels in the city, but now they would finally have a more permanent residence to live at and store their things in.

    Their excitement was honestly more palpable than the rest of the group, but that didn''t mean much. Everyone was antsy as the hours bled by and we finished up patrols around town.

    All of us were counting down until tomorrow.

    Once the sky darkened with soft hues of fading orange and purple, we all started setting up sleeping bags and tents in the backyard. I felt like I was fifteen again and out and camping in the wilds of Galar or Paldea.

    For a more authentic experience, I chose a safe spot for a campfire, dug a pit, laid down tinder and kindling over it, and started the fire. Pretty soon we had a nice flame going, and dinner preparations were hastened.

    I decided to make some Galarian-style curry using an old recipe I had on hand, so I got started on that with help from my eager employees. I decided to go with Plenty-of-Potato Curry since I had ingredients on hand for that already, plus it was bound to not step on anyone''s toes.

    I mean, who could hate potatoes, right? They went well with just about everything.

    I had to make a quick grocery run once my Pokemon sniffed the air and figured out what I was making. They shared fond memories of Galar with me, and they wanted to re-experience the magic of Galarian-style camping with curry again.

    ¡­That meant I suddenly had to make a LOT more portions than I was expecting, but I didn''t mind. I ended up making extra portions for the other Pokemon, too.

    We ended up eating dinner much later than we''d originally scheduled, but nobody minded. The curry was a hit with everyone, and the pot was emptied after additional servings were doled out.

    After dinner came the fun stuff: storytelling and idle chatter as we laid on our sleeping bags under the gentle gaze of shining stars.

    I had no idea who suggested it first, but we ended up telling scary stories at one point.

    "¡­the young girl looked around. She couldn''t see where her brother had gone," Hazel said somberly. "The shadows were everywhere. Her flashlight was broken, so she could only wander around aimlessly."

    Everyone was quiet as they stared at him with anticipation. More than a few people audibly gulped, including Yurie, Haru, and Souta. I was pretty sure I even saw beads of sweat rolling down dad and Murata''s foreheads.

    "And then?" Kari prompted in a barely audible whisper. "What happened next?"

    "She kept walking," Hazel continued without missing a beat. "Deeper and deeper into the forest she went. She wanted to turn around at one point, but then she saw a light."

    Souta sucked in his breath. "Did she find her brother?"

    Hazel merely smiled and went on. "She was excited. Her brother''s flashlight must have still been working, she realized, and she ran forward with a smile. She called out to him and darted past the tree," he said. "And she was right. Her brother was there with his back to her. He greeted her and turned around, but something wasn''t right. She stopped and tried to look at him. It was only when he lowered the light he held that she saw it."

    Hazel paused meaningfully. I stayed where I was, but everyone else shifted forward in their sleeping bags.

    His next words came out as a mere whisper in the wind.

    "His eyes were gone. There was only red."

    BAM!

    High-pitched screams rang out from several different people as a short figure suddenly emerged from the darkness and landed with an audible thump on the ground. Glowing red eyes whipped their gaze one way after another as deranged hissing sounds came from it, and Yurie and Kari both jumped to their feet with wide eyes.

    "OH MY ARCEUS¡ª"

    "MONSTER!"

    I let the hysterical screaming and finger-pointing go on for a few moments before I turned on my flashlight.

    The ''monster'' was actually just a Morgrem it seemed, and judging by the way Hazel was rolling back and forth on the ground with a shaking frame, he''d somehow bribed the gym Pokemon to be his accomplice for this prank.

    I couldn''t help but snicker to myself as I saw the scared looks on everyone''s faces quickly morph into relief. Dad had grabbed Iris out of fear and held his Bellossom to his chest like some sort of safety charm.

    Yurie was the fastest at putting two and two together, and her temper quickly flared as she bent down to grab something.

    "Ugh, Haze, YOU ASSHOLE!" Yurie screamed, half in frustration and half in anger.

    She threw the closest object she had on hand ¡ª which happened to be an extra bottle of water ¡ª at the still-dying-of-laughter Hazel. He barely managed to dodge it even as chuckles continued to pour out of him.

    "Arceus, you should have seen the look on your faces! So funny," Hazel cackled, and Yurie chucked another harmless object at him.

    Laughter escaped my throat, too, as I watched them.

    We decided to put a pin into the horror stories after that and talk about ourselves instead. Kari shared funny stories about her brother, and Yulian retaliated by sharing embarrassing stories of his sister.

    "Man, must be nice to have siblings," Yurie complained as she hugged a pillow to her chest. I couldn''t see her because I was too busy looking up at the night sky, but I thought I detected some melancholy in her voice. "I grew up in a really nice orphanage, but I always wished I had a little brother or sister."

    "Aww, Yurie¡­" I heard Kari trail off. "I can be your sister if you want!"

    Yurie giggled. "Kariiiii," she sang. "You''re so nice!"

    "Hey, don''t take my sister!" Yulian warned in a playful voice, and everyone burst into laughter.

    "You could have mine," Hazel suggested in a teasing voice. "I love Beryl, but she nags me so much sometimes that it''s enough to drive me insane."

    "I haven''t even met her yet!" Yurie shot back. "You keep bringing her up, but she''s like a ghost. Does she even exist?"

    "She does," I piped up. "I met her and Haze in town the other day."

    "Huh, so she does exist. What does she do?"

    "I feel like I''ve said this a million times already, Yurie. She works as a doctor at a hospital here in Cherrygrove. Sis''s Hypno helps her when patients can''t sleep at night."

    "Oh, that''s cool."

    "Heh, you think that''s cool? Sis has also done a lot of volunteer work in Kanto since she was a teenager. She''s the nicest person and doctor ever, period¡­"

    That set off a whole discussion of interesting things people had done over the years that didn''t involve Pokemon training. Apparently, Murata had worked as a fisherman for a week, Yurie had assisted with a traveling circus, and Haru had picked up some skills from an electrician he previously ran errands for.

    We could have chatted longer, but everyone got tuckered out fairly quickly. Hazel fell asleep the fastest after making several large yawns. That in turn caused a chain reaction where everyone else felt sleepy, and we all got ready for bed.

    I ended up being dogpiled by my Pokemon as I went to sleep. Peri and Arya acted as a fluffy pillow and blanket respectively. My smaller Pokemon like Vel, Choux, or Mem piled up on my sleeping bag like stuffed animals, and my other Pokemon cuddled up around me like a fortress of fluff and fur. I''d chosen to unpack my sleeping bag near one of the ponds connected to the nearby river in our backyard. This way, my Water type Pokemon like Brie could be close to me, too.

    Just like that, I drifted off to sleep with pleasant dreams of ships and planes traveling around the world in the distant future.

    I don''t know what time it was the next morning, but it was well ahead of my alarm. I was confident that I woke up the earliest out of everyone. Even with all the Pokemon dogpiled on my sleeping bag that made it a struggle to get out, I still wore a giddy expression.

    Construction work on the Cherrygrove Gym had finally completed.

 Chapter 36 â€” Through the Ages

    CHAPTER 36 ¡ª Through the Ages

    I got a mouthful of winged fluff and tracks of drool over my exposed skin, but I eventually managed to sit upright. Then I had to gently pry various Pokemon off of my sleeping bag. It got easier once they realized what day it was, and suddenly all my Pokemon jumped to the side with excited expressions. I was pretty sure my own face mirrored theirs.

    Dad and the others were still sound asleep, so I quietly gathered all my things and crept back into the house for a quick shower. I grabbed certain objects from my room before heading out.

    When I returned to the backyard, I was surprised to see dad up already. He was hunched over a messenger bag on the ground. We didn''t have to feed the gym Pokemon or conduct morning training for another hour.

    Dad hadn''t noticed me yet, so I carefully toed around various sleeping figures and approached him.

    "Couldn''t sleep¡ª?" I began to ask, but I stopped abruptly when dad turned around.

    His face was pale. Incredibly pale, yet what my eyes focused on was his right arm. It shook intensely. Dad''s arm tremors up until now had been mild enough that they didn''t affect his everyday life too much.

    I unfroze when an amber pill bottle slipped out of his hand. Quickly, I crouched down and snatched it up as it rolled away. A glance at the label revealed that it held very specific medication for managing his illness.

    I uncapped the bottle for dad and held it out to him wordlessly.

    "Thanks," he murmured. His voice was noticeably hoarse. "Chansey''s sleeping, so I was trying to do everything myself."

    He held out his good hand, and I carefully tilted the bottle to let one pill slide into his palm. While he popped it into his mouth, I unscrewed dad''s thermos for him. I was still quiet as I watched dad throw his head back and swallow the medicine with the water I''d offered.

    Sometimes, it was easy to forget that dad was sick. He was always smiling and acting like everything was fine¡­

    "¡­It''s getting worse," I commented out loud cautiously. It was part statement and part question.

    Dad didn''t look at me as he put away his medication.

    "Just a bit," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. The action seemed almost too careless to me. "It''s manageable, though. Nothing to worry about."

    Even as dad said that, his arm continued to tremble violently. He used his free hand to wipe away a light sheen of perspiration from his forehead.

    An uncomfortable and almost ugly feeling settled in my stomach as I stared at him. Seeing my only remaining family ¡ª the parent I''d reconnected with and was learning to love again ¡ª like this was upsetting, and it once again made me remember how dad''s life was on a timer.

    I''d shoved that fact deep inside my mind long ago and tried not to think too hard about it. It was something neither of us could control; instead, we''d both focused on enjoying time with each other since my return.

    That didn''t mean I couldn''t worry. There was a lot I wanted to ask him: if he was truly alright, how painful it was¡­

    "We should visit the hospital today ahead of your next check-up," was what I settled on instead in a firm voice. I''d accompanied dad on previous trips to the hospital before, and I would keep doing so. "I want to make sure everything''s okay."

    To my displeasure, dad shook his head.

    "Not today," Dad replied. "Today''s about you and the gym, and it''s not a medical emergency anyway."

    "But¡ª"

    I''d raised my voice a little too much, and dad quickly brought a finger up to his lips in a shushing gesture. We both glanced around us. Thankfully, everyone slumbered on.

    "I''ll call up Dr. Monzen later and set things up for tomorrow instead, how about that?" Dad said, and he offered a gentle smile. "I''ve got the necessary medication already. I just want to celebrate today instead."

    I wanted to make further objections, but the adamance in dad''s eyes made any words of protest die in my mouth. He knew his body best, and I knew he wasn''t actively trying to throw away his health. If he wanted to go tomorrow, then that was that.

    So, I reluctantly nodded.

    "¡­Okay."

    That was the end of that particular conversation for the time being. I ended up taking a seat next to dad on his sleeping bag. Together, we talked quietly among ourselves and watched the sunrise.

    About ten minutes into our discussion, dad started looking better as the effects of the medicine kicked in. His arm tremors stopped. It was obvious how much dad didn''t want to talk about his illness given the way he steered the conversation toward more cheerful topics, and I let him.

    He mostly talked about how excited he was to see the Gym. I knew what it looked like already given that I''d been given daily construction reports, but I also knew seeing it in person was going to be a whole different experience compared to looking at digital photos.

    The whole time we talked, I couldn''t help but dwell on dad''s health in the back of my head. He had his prescribed medication, but I wanted to look into more ways to help him prolong his life as long as possible. One of the gym Cutiefly had recently showed signs of an impending evolution. Perhaps I could harvest Pollen Puffs from them once they evolved into a Ribombee. Then I could turn the Puffs into nutritional supplements like how they did it in Alola¡­

    More ideas filtered through my head as the minutes drew by.

    One by one, the others eventually woke up and rolled out of bed. I thought I had terrible bedhead in the morning, but Hazel and Souta took the cake in that regard. Their heads resembled Pidgey nests. Yurie was so amused that she doubled over and clutched her sides from how hard she laughed. Hazel just scowled grumpily in response while Souta hurriedly fixed his hair in embarrassment.

    Everyone was so restless that it was a wonder we were able to get through the morning feeding and training sessions, but soon we were making breakfast. Simple but heartwarming egg over rice dishes were cooked and handed out.

    Then we inhaled our meals, packed up our things, and got ready to walk to the Gym. Our determined, shining faces resembled adventurers who were about to traverse the world and seek treasure.

    It was a hectic five-minute walk. My Pokemon tagged along with us, so our small group became a massive one that hiked up the short trail. I had a grin on my face as my employees followed along, and it only grew larger the closer we got to the Gym. Dad and Neil were on either side of me, and they chatted away happily in my ears.

    The cheerful mood was simply infectious.

    I took the long, circular way out of the forest so we could arrive at the front of the Gym rather than the back. We eventually broke through the forest and entered the maze of sprawling, Johtonese-themed gardens that surrounded the Gym. Sounds of appreciation came from behind me as we passed through. Next to me, dad grinned proudly.

    Much of the original design had been left intact, but there were numerous additions that dad and his Pokemon had helped with.

    The gardens were split into sections with different styles. In one of them, we''d added a huge pond full of water lilies. Lotad and Goldeen lived there under the gym''s possession, and there were lacquered bridges that arched from one side to the next. We had another section dedicated to a wisteria tunnel where beautiful purple blooms cascaded down from wooden trellises.

    There was also a Zen garden where dad had spent hours upon hours arranging rocks and gravel to form a ripple-like surface on the ground. Other sections were dedicated to pine trees, weeping cherry trees that would light up and glow at night, gorgeous arrays of flowers native to Johto that dad had painstakingly grown¡­

    There was a lot more than what we were currently seeing. Kari had a camera out the whole time and snapped picture after picture of our surroundings.

    I might have been a bit biased, but at this point, dad''s prized gardens were amazing enough to be nominated as national treasures.

    The closer one got to the Gym, the more the gardens changed into a more ''wild'' look. Giant mossy boulders and colorful, bioluminescent mushrooms eventually popped up on the sides of the path we were on. Beds of flowers were interwoven between them. I would have liked to add some mushroom varieties like the ones found in the Glimwood Tangle, but those were foreign species and couldn''t be introduced to a new environment so carelessly.

    Yulian whistled at one point. "These are neat," he commented with a dreamy sigh. Maybe it was the designer part of him speaking.

    I smiled when I followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at. There were benches set up on the sides of the path that looked just like open books, complete with actual words of text on their shiny surfaces. There were more of these spread out throughout the gardens, and they were related to my Gym''s theme.

    We had to stop walking for a couple minutes because everyone wanted to try sitting on them. Kari happily took group selfies and squealed about how cute we all looked.

    We kept going after that. Eventually, we reached the outermost edge of the gardens. The Blossom Hall workers were already there waiting for us. They''d changed out of their work uniforms, and every single one of them had a satisfied smile on his or her face.

    Eric waved at me.

    "What do you think?" he yelled out excitedly, and he gestured wildly to the scene that lay behind him.

    Everyone around me had stopped in their tracks. Mouths hung open like Magikarp as people stared with open astonishment.

    My own heart swelled with emotion as I stood there and took in the sight of the Cherrygrove Gym, my Gym.

    We stood at the edge of a moat. In my peripheral vision, I saw ripples in the water as Finneon and even one Lumineon swam along. They had been imported from Sinnoh. There were a few others under my possession who would be used in gym challenges, but the ones living in the moat were not a part of that bunch.

    They weren''t the only Pokemon I''d imported from another region either. We also had Volbeat and Illumise from Hoenn that would be living around the gym and its gardens from now on. At night, they and the Finneon family would make for a spectacular sight as they lit up the darkness with their natural abilities to glow.

    My eyes were drawn to the massive structure on an island in the middle of the moat, the Cherrygrove Gym.

    An ivory castle stood there in all its glory. Gigantic columns and towers had been built with alternating heights on the roof. Their edges were accented with cherry pink. I''d wanted to pay tribute to the Gym''s previous history as well as my city, so¡­ instead of the towers being topped by spires, they had various kinds of cherry blossom trees growing from them.

    Dad''s Elite team of Grass types had been a huge help regarding this part of construction. We''d had to wait until the towers were properly built before we could plant the trees, so there hadn''t been much time.

    That wasn''t a problem for decades-old Grass types who''d been honing their craft for many years. Accelerating the growth of trees was as easy as breathing for them.

    As a result, we now had fully-grown cherry trees swaying in the breeze from high atop the castle. Soft petals rained down without end and fluttered through the air. We''d planted different seasonal breeds, so no matter what time of year it was, there would always be some trees in bloom.

    We''d let the cherry trees grow a bit wild as well.

    Gigantic tree roots curled around the columns and towers attached to the castle. They lovingly wrapped themselves around the building''s exterior on all sides and created a more natural, fantastical look. In addition, sections of luminous moss grew across the castle walls. They were joined by flowering vines and waves of ivy.

    Past rows of arched windows and a symbol of the gym badge, watchtowers rose up from the ground. Like the rest of the castle, these had cherry trees and roots attached to them. Light blue staircases with glass railings spiraled outwards from small entrances high up on those watchtowers to the castle''s upper levels. We could only fully make out two from the front view of the gym, but there were six watchtowers in total that were evenly spread out around the castle''s whole perimeter.

    Placed in between them were an equal number of entrances for the gym. Petal-like roofs arched outwards from the walls with flowering vines hanging from their tops. Underneath their embrace were glass walls and doors. The gym would be accessible from different sides and entry points for visitors, but the middle back entrance would always be staff-only. From these gym entrances, large stone bridges full of moss spanned the length of the moat and connected the castle to the rest of the world. Book benches and greenery, both potted and wild, further decorated the bridges.

    A love letter to the past and an ode to the future. This castle of nature represented that and so much more.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The Blossom Hall workers were still looking at me with expectant gazes. I took in the Gym for another minute before turning to face them. I didn''t need a mirror to know I had what was probably the biggest smile of my life.

    "Perfect," I said with as much sincerity as I could imbue my voice with.

    That was the only word they needed to hear. As one, the Blossom Hall workers broke out in cheers and celebrated the end of a successful project. The rest of my employees unfroze as I went up and down shaking hands with every construction worker in turn.

    I was fairly certain Eric and his crew would become famous after this.

    "Pictures! We need to take pictures to commemorate today!" Kari hollered above all the noise, and she excitedly waved her camera around in the air.

    Thus began a photography session. With the gym as our distant backdrop, everyone left their luggage and belongings way off to the side and gathered at the foot of the bridge for pictures. We took one of me and the Blossom Hall workers, one of just me and dad, one of me and my Pokemon team, one of me and all the gym trainers and employees, one with everyone smushed into the frame, and many more.

    We snapped countless pictures, and my heart swelled further with each one we took. I would look back on these photos someday and forever recall this moment in time.

    I thanked Eric and the workers for what felt like a hundred more times before they finally departed for home and some much needed rest. They deserved it after all the work they''d put in over the last few months.

    The gym''s exterior was already stunning, but I was excited to see the inside now. First, though, my gym trainers needed to drop off their luggage.

    I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the castle and trudged off in the direction of the staff lodgings. Everyone followed, but none with more excitement than my gym trainers who would actually be living on gym grounds. Yurie practically skipped along as she hummed some sort of song to herself.

    I was also partly distracted by dad gushing praise and comments about the gym''s final look in my ear. He looked so enthusiastic that it was hard to believe he''d been feeling sick earlier in the morning.

    Luckily, the staff lodgings weren''t too far away. We soon came upon two connected buildings in a similar architectural style to the gym. The instant I pointed a finger at the castle-like apartment complex, Yurie and the others sprinted off to explore and lay claim to a room they liked. We followed them in and briefly looked around the ground level while we waited. Every apartment had its own small kitchen, shower, and bathroom, but there was a cozy common room for people to lounge around in and a communal kitchen.

    Yurie and Hazel ended up claiming rooms on the third and fourth floor respectively, and Souta and Haru chose rooms on the second floor. As soon as they dumped their luggage in their new living spaces, my gym trainers barrelled right back out and looked at me excitedly.

    I took that as my cue to lead everyone back to the Gym. This time, we actually crossed one of the bridges. I couldn''t help but feel excited as the building loomed ever closer with every step I took.

    Minus the staff-only entrance, the other five entrances all had automatic doors. They opened for us as we approached.

    I took my first step into the Gym I could truly call my own.

    Cold air instantly settled over my skin from air conditioning, but my attention was elsewhere. We''d stepped right into an enormous entrance hall that looked like it came out of a fairy tale.

    Much like the castle''s exterior, the interior followed a similar color scheme with ivory walls accented with cherry pink and gold. Rays of sunlight poured in from arched windows and cast their dappled light on expensive marble flooring. There was not a lot of furniture ¡ª only a few book benches here and there and some paintings hung on the walls ¡ª but that did not mean the gym''s lobby was empty. Flowering vines snaked across the walls and looped around columns, all of them adding vibrant color and life to the already majestic hall.

    At one end of the entrance hall was a closed-off reception area. I''d hired additional employees for gym maintenance through the Indigo League''s network already, and receptionists were among them. They''d come in starting tomorrow to get used to their work and take calls for the Gym. Behind the reception counter were several different screens. The one in the middle explained different challenge formats the Cherrygrove Gym offered, and the others surrounding it would display the names of challengers and their match appointments once the next League Circuit started.

    Different sets of staircases were placed on either end of the room and could be taken up to a balcony level that overlooked the entrance hall. There were elevators up there that led to other parts of the castle, but a lot of those couldn''t be accessed by the public. The only upper level visitors could access was the rooftop full of cherry blossom trees and other plants. Dad had kept a rooftop garden of his own, and I''d wanted to keep another reminder of the old Cherrygrove Gym. There were battlefields up there for special events along with some stands.

    My favorite part of the gym lobby was not the immediate surroundings, but what you saw when you looked up. I grinned to myself as I tilted my head back.

    The entrance hall had a remarkably high ceiling, and the only word to describe it was beautiful.

    A vision of the night sky and moon twinkled back at me. It was not a mural but a gigantic animated screen. Stars, constellations, and other celestial bodies glowed and crawled across the ceiling slowly. Eventually, they winked out of existence and were replaced by new constellations. I even stared long enough that I saw the moon beginning to shift phases.

    It felt like I''d been transported to outer space, and I loved it.

    Kari looked like she was having a field day as she frantically took pictures to upload on the Gym''s website later. I gave her and the others enough time to drink their fill of the lobby''s scenery, and then I led them to adjacent rooms.

    Attached to the gym lobby was a gift shop full of gym merchandise, an empty exhibition space that could be used for events, and four different doors. One door led to the waiting room for challengers, another was staff-only and led all the way to a waiting room of our own, and the other two led to the stands in the battle hall.

    The battle hall was more like the inner sanctuary of a forgotten temple.

    Scattered across the corners of the room were columns that rose up high into the air, each covered with moss and vines that draped across their ivory surfaces. There were also fountains and statues of figures from mythology carefully placed in intervals around the room. Glowing lights were embedded in the walls and shone like stars in the half-darkness. I''d wanted to decorate the ceiling here as well, but I hadn''t wanted to distract gym challengers too much.

    In the middle of the room stood a standard battlefield for gym matches. Rows of ivory stands surrounded it on all sides, and famous quotes had been inked into their surfaces. There were separate private viewing boxes that important guests could reserve. At the very back of the battle hall was a medical bay and a waiting room for me and the other gym trainers.

    We''d seen everything there was to see on the first floor, so we headed up to the second level that was staff-only. The second floor mostly consisted of meeting rooms and offices for me and the gym employees. There was also a break room with a warp tile that led to our waiting room in the battle hall. When we dropped by the security room full of monitors and other equipment, I briefly took out my laptop and transferred some of the Porygon family over.

    While the others went to explore the second floor on their own, I made a pit stop to my personal office. I''d brought with me the Fairy-themed office supplies Rika had gifted me long ago, and I gleefully decorated my desk with them now.

    It already looked a lot more inviting. I only hoped the fun decorations would be able to get me through loads of paperwork later on in the year.

    I went back out and couldn''t find anyone at first. That was quickly rectified when muffled, jubilant exclamations rang out. I went through a door to an outdoor balcony and found everyone admiring the view.

    "Freaking fresh air!" Yurie grinned as she threw her arms out, and Hazel had to duck to avoid getting a smack to the face.

    I looked around with brows that gradually furrowed. "Wait, we''re missing someone. Where''s Neil?"

    "Oh, he''s¡ª"

    "YAHOO! THIS IS A GREAT VIEW!"

    We all turned around at the sound of a distant booming voice. Neil seemed to have found the entrance to one of the watchtowers and ascended the staircase that spiraled upwards. He waved at us now from the middle of the stairs out in open air.

    At least now I knew he wasn''t afraid of heights.

    Everyone had fun running up and down the upper levels and outdoor staircases, peeking into rooms, and simply exploring every inch of the Gym. I received many questions about certain rooms that were set aside for future gym challenges.

    "We''ll talk about those over the summer while we''re preparing for the Circuit," I told them with a mysterious smile.

    Oh, I was definitely looking forward to the next League Circuit. I didn''t think my challengers were going to be quite prepared for what was going to be a¡­ unique experience here at the Cherrygrove Gym.

    I still needed to hash out specific details over the summer and train the gym Pokemon up for their roles, but I already had most of it planned out already.

    About an hour of exploration later, I put a halt to everything and called for our first ever meeting at the Gym.

    As soon as everyone filed into the meeting room I''d designated and sat down, I pointed at several different boxes on the table.

    "They finally arrived," I said to start things off.

    They all looked first at the grin on my face and then at the objects I was pointing to. Dad was the first to figure it out.

    "The gym badges and TMs?" he asked with wide eyes, and I nodded.

    Most of the TMs were pretty standard stuff. Simple moves like Disarming Voice or Charm would be handed out to challengers who won the lowest tiers of gym challenges, and more advanced moves like Draining Kiss would be given to trainers who won gym badges at higher levels.

    What I was more excited by were the gym badges. Physical copies, each with their own code number that was logged in the system, would be handed out to challengers for their first successful win at any gym. After that, digital gym badges were granted for repeat victories in the years that followed.

    Everyone leaned forward as I opened one of the boxes and pushed it closer to them. Inside, rows of gym badges attached to velvety cushions gleamed under the lights.

    Not just any gym badges, but the Cherrygrove Gym Badges.

    Dad carefully pulled one of them out and held the small metallic object up to his face. The badge was in the shape of a closed book. The cover was a rich emerald green, and the book was accented by gold pages and a crescent moon on its front. I saw dad''s gaze soften the longer he stared at it.

    He recognized the specific shade of green I''d chosen. It was the color that had once represented the former Cherrygrove Gym, a rich and lustrous green that represented nature and the beauty of life.

    A tribute to our family''s history and the Grass type.

    "What''s the name of this badge?" he asked quietly in a voice full of wonder.

    Everyone else had picked up badges of their own to admire them more closely, but they paused and waited for my answer. My voice cut through the calm of the air.

    "The Fable Badge."

    Nobody spoke as I swept my gaze across the room and looked at each person in turn. My heart pounded just a bit faster in my chest as I began to explain the meaning behind this badge and the gym¡­

    The meaning of the work I would be undertaking from now on.

    "Fables are stories," I began, "ones that are passed down through the ages from generation to generation. They impart truths to those who recognize their value, and they teach people life lessons or morals. Through them, we can appreciate time-old traditions and the past. At the same time, they also teach us new ways of appreciating the world around us and convey knowledge we can use for the future."

    Without realizing it, I began to slowly pace from one end of the room to the other.

    "Fables used to primarily be for adults," I remarked. More than a few people reacted with surprise to that, but I continued on without pause. "Nowadays, they target a much younger audience. I personally believe that no matter how old you are, there is always something you can learn from stories and records of the past."

    I kept walking, but I held up a hand and clenched it.

    "Let me repeat what I first said about fables because it''s important. They are stories passed down through the ages. That means they have endured. They have cemented for themselves a place in history because of what they can offer¡­ the things they can teach the generations that come after," I said.

    I paused where I was to look at the fully attentive group.

    "We, the Cherrygrove Gym, will be much the same," I declared firmly. I raised the gym badge I still held. "I''ve taught you all a decent amount about Fairies by this point. Their elusive and whimsical natures, the way they believe so strongly that they can influence reality¡­ and the way they make a place for themselves in this world."

    A single and almost shuddering breath left me.

    "I chose this badge because I want the Gym and the Fairy type to be remembered for eternity. I want people to remember us for the wisdom we can impart, and the magic they will find within our castle''s walls."

    My lips tugged upwards in a faint smile.

    "We''ll show them Fairies."

    I''d never been more sure of myself.

    I had agonized for hours, days even, about the direction I wanted to take the Gym in and what I ¡ª Arin Watanuki ¡ª could specifically offer the people who challenged me. And after a long deliberation, I''d finally decided on this badge''s meaning.

    To look to and learn from the past.

    To enrich one''s imagination and open their eyes to the world.

    To seek out new truths and improve oneself as a person.

    What I could offer them was a fun and stimulating experience here at the Cherrygrove Gym, one that would convey to them lessons that would hopefully stay with them long into their journeys and beyond.

    Judging by the sea of emotional, moved expressions I saw before me, I believed I had gotten the point across to my gym trainers at the very least. Dad''s eyes were particularly shiny. I didn''t comment on it as I walked back to the front of the table and slipped the gym badge I held back into the box.

    "Well¡­ that''s the gist of it. The meaning behind the badge. It''s why the gym looks like it does, and our gym challenges later will be tied into this as well. I''ll discuss them as we prepare this summer. Does everyone understand?" I asked.

    No one responded verbally, but I did get firm nods in return.

    Smiling, I clapped my hands together. "Okay. Then let''s move on to some important business. I''ve brought it up in conversations before, but there will be an official grand opening for the Cherrygrove Gym this weekend. Saturday from 9 AM to 7 PM. Mark it down if you haven''t already."

    I was pleased to see that nobody pulled out their phones or notepads, and I continued.

    "How''re the ads looking?" I asked. The question was directed at my two social media managers, Kari and Yulian.

    "Good! I can start posting them later today on social media," Kari instantly answered with a confident smile. Her brother nodded from beside her.

    "I''m ready to get posters printed and put up around town, too," Yulian replied.

    I''d had to apologize to them already for making them revise all the posters when they were done. That was when I''d found out Wallace wanted to come perform at the Gym.

    I still remembered how shocked my gym trainers looked when I told them who I''d hired as a performer.

    "Great. What about merchandise and free samples?"

    "I ordered additional stocks for the grand opening!" Kari chirped an affirmative.

    We were giving out free stickers of Fairy Pokemon on the day of since those were easy to mass produce in a short period of time. We were also planning on actively selling gym merchandise while we had a larger than normal visitor count.

    T-shirts, bracelets, and flags for fans to use during the next League Circuit season; plushies of my Pokemon that were catered mostly to young children; sports caps and more conical, witch-like hats modeled after those of the Hatenna line¡­ there were more fun options, too.

    Once Kari found out some of my Pokemon had artistic talents, she made huge prints of Silque''s art or CDs of songs sung by Arya and Fizz. She''d even put them online on music platforms for people to buy. I don''t know how she managed to work out the intricacies of copyrights regarding Pokemon-made art, but I gave her serious props for figuring everything out.

    With some¡­ reluctant approval on my part, she also ordered some CDs featuring screaming duets by Lico and Mr. Puff. Was it considered heavy metal? I had no idea, but whatever genre of music that was¡­ it scared me.

    Kari was certainly creative, I would give her that.

    The bakers I''d formed a contract with previously would also be coming by on that day to sell limited quantities of new breads and cakes that would be Cherrygrove specialties, and we''d be splitting the proceeds.

    There was a lot more to prepare, and I was looking forward to the grand opening.

    The meeting went on as we discussed logistics and things we needed to do. Right as we were about to wrap up our discussion, I felt a vibration from my pocket as a notification came in.

    I pulled my phone out and read through the new text message I''d gotten.

    Huh, it was from Fantina. Was this the message Cynthia had told me to look out for?

    Fantina [11:14 AM]: Hello hello, Arin! Long time no talk. Dear Wallace mentioned you were looking for performers for your Gym. I know it''s a bit late, but I had to work out details regarding travel and work first. May I join?

    First Wallace, and now Fantina?! I hadn''t seen her in years. I''d gotten to know her through a few Contests I had participated in during my run of Sinnoh. She was a Top Coordinator and one of Sinnoh''s most beloved celebrities. She was friends with Wallace, though¡­ they also shared a friendly rivalry as fellow Coordinators.

    I definitely wasn''t going to say no to major advertisements and entertainment for the Cherrygrove Gym.

    I was in the middle of typing back a reply when I remembered to look up and give Kari and Yulian an embarrassed look.

    "Er¡­ sorry, can you change the posters and ads one last time?" I asked with a sheepish smile.

    Yulian raised a brow. "Sure, it''s not hard. What do you need?"

    "¡­Can you add that Fantina''s going to come perform as well?"

    "Oh."

    Cue the shocked silence. I finished sending my text message and figured I''d drop another bomb I''d forgotten, too.

    "I forgot to mention it the other day, but we also need to expect and receive important guests. The Stones will be visiting."

    "Oh."

    ¡­This event was growing possibly, possibly just a bit larger than I''d originally anticipated.

 Chapter 37

    CHAPTER 37

    "Got it. See you in two days."

    After exchanging final pleasantries, I ended my joint phone call with Wallace and Fantina. I stared at the screen of my phone with a contemplative expression.

    Wallace was supposed to put on a solo performance after short opening acts from me and some other hired performers. That was the original plan. Since we''d gotten Fantina on board¡­ plans had been significantly altered.

    Now, we were going to have the equivalent of a duel between two Top Coordinators.

    Wallace, Fantina, and the other performers I''d hired would arrive in two days for rehearsals. I couldn''t wait to see them. Until then, there was a lot to prepare and do. I had to practice for my own opening and closing acts, work out additional security details for the gym''s grand opening day (Arceus forbid Team Rocket or poachers launched attacks), make sure we had enough merchandise, and much more.

    For now, I could focus on sending invitations.

    Yulian had already edited all the posters and sent me revised versions, so I dug through my camera roll for some to use in the digital invites. Embarrassingly enough, I had to scroll past a few prints and posters featuring me before I found what I needed.

    My fingers flew across the screen as I began typing and sending out invites to friends and acquaintances alike.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The last twenty-four hours had been some of the most stressful yet happiest working hours in Lance''s admittedly short life.

    As expected, the Kanto-Johto government officials had mixed reactions to the new international treaty. There were those who were strongly against it and believed they didn''t need outside help, but there were others who were intrigued by the other continent and trading ventures that could arise in the future.

    Surprise, surprise. The reactions were essentially split along the line between the conservatives and progressives.

    Lance mostly ignored the critics. He would do whatever he needed to do to keep Indigo safe. He had sworn as much when he had taken up his post as Champion, and he would uphold that oath until his dying breath. Allying themselves with the Galovea Continent was the best play at the moment. He would take all the extra help he could get to remove the damned Rockets from Indigo sooner rather than later.

    They were slowly rooting out Rocket bases one after the other. Things were going smoothly, but Lance couldn''t stop feeling a prickling sensation at the back of his neck whenever he thought about the situation. He tried to trust his instincts whenever possible, and this was one of those times.

    They were missing something. Exactly what, he had no idea, but something was afoot.

    No matter.

    Even if the Rockets attempted to hide, the Indigo League and its newfound allies would find them. Admittedly, he found himself looking forward to the arrival of the Interpol agents much more than he would have thought possible.

    News about the treaty with the Galovea Continent had finally hit the public as well. Lance was grateful to the Media Affairs team for providing such excellent articles and photos. People were focusing on the unprecedented treaty with new and foreign governments, and they were successfully distracted from Team Rocket with some semblance of other good news.

    Lance smiled to himself. In spite of everything ¡ª all the complaints, concerns, and additional work ¡ª he felt hopeful for the future.

    Everything he''d heard from the foreign dignitaries during their luncheon had been wonderful. To think such places and Pokemon existed elsewhere in the world¡­ it was certainly eye-opening. Just recently Lance had resolved to grow as a person and keep expanding his horizons, and now he was being slammed with new waves of information.

    He was looking forward to when the Rocket ordeal was over. (Perhaps he''d take a small vacation of his own to personally go and see new Dragon types, ahem.) He''d have to talk to Arin and see if the man would indulge his requests to hear more about the other side of the world.

    Arin Watanuki.

    He had already changed his opinion of Arin once before, but he was beginning to shift his evaluation once again. The political worth the Cherrygrove Gym Leader held was by no means small. He knew people high up on the ladder in numerous places. It was honestly astounding, and Lance couldn''t have been more grateful to have Arin as an ally within Indigo''s borders.

    Whether or not Arin leveraged those political connections against him or Indigo was an entirely different matter, but Lance didn''t think he would do so. They''d come to an understanding the last time they had a serious discussion. Lance would gladly take Arin as an ally over any of the conniving snakes at the Indigo Plateau.

    Bzz.

    Lance''s personal phone vibrated from its place in his pocket. He was more than happy to set his pen down and finally take a break from all the paperwork. One hand massaged his stiff neck while the other fished out his phone.

    Ah, speak of the devil.

    There was a text message from Arin. Curious, Lance leaned back in his chair and viewed the message in detail. Arin had sent him a poster and personal invite to the Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening. Was construction finally done?

    Then he actually saw what was written on the poster, and Lance did a double take.

    Wallace and Fantina had been invited as performers? Foreign Gym Leaders from Hoenn and Sinnoh?

    That was certainly one way to bring attention to the Cherrygrove Gym.

    Day by day, Arin continued to lob surprises at him one after the other. Lance checked his calendar and schedule just to make sure, but he was free on the day of the grand opening. He studiously ignored how he had piles of paperwork to work through and texted back an affirmative. He couldn''t stay cooped up in the office forever, and it would be good publicity for both him and Arin if he showed up to the event.

    There was also the concern of an attack by Team Rocket. Judging by an additional note from Arin asking if the League could spare any security guards, he probably had similar concerns.

    He was in the middle of figuring out what forces he could temporarily allocate to the Cherrygrove Gym when his office phone buzzed. He reached out across the table and pressed a button near the bottom of the phone.

    "Champion Lance, you have a visitor," his head secretary informed him through the speaker.

    Lance''s brows furrowed. He''d explicitly told his secretaries that he wasn''t accepting any visitors that day, much less people without appointments. His brows only knitted further together when his employee hesitated.

    "It''s Hiromasa Naobu from the Blackthorn Clan."

    Lance almost crumpled the document he held. He hadn''t spoken to the Eldest in quite some time.

    Not since he''d essentially walked out of a Clan meeting and away from the Blackthorn Clan.

    Given recent events and the timing of the Eldest''s unannounced visit, Lance had a very good feeling about what he was here for. He briefly entertained the idea of turning the man away, but that would likely cause more trouble than it was worth.

    Lance took a moment to sigh and rub his temples.

    "Let him in," he finally said.

    He pushed aside all documents and waited for the Eldest''s arrival. As Lance''s eyes wandered across his desk, he experienced a moment of clarity and started putting away any heavy objects like mugs and paperweights.

    He cleared his desk of any objects that could be picked up and thrown just in case.

    Hiromasa had a habit of throwing things when he got truly angry. Lance doubted he would do so in the Champion''s office of all places and risk getting arrested for assault, but it never hurt to be on the safe side.

    Lance had just closed a drawer when the doors opened. His secretary bowed to him as the Eldest walked in with a cane in hand. Lance already didn''t like the sour expression on the other man''s face.

    The Eldest didn''t take a seat.

    As soon as the secretary shut the doors behind them for privacy, the Eldest marched up to Lance''s desk and stared down at him with absolute fury.

    "How dare you," he ground out in a gravelly voice. "Are you out of your mind? You''re letting foreign entities in on Indigo affairs! What''s more, you''re giving Arin Watanuki a role far too grand for someone of his position!"

    Just as he''d expected, the Eldest was here to complain about the newest treaty and Arin''s role in all of it.

    And by all the Legends above and below, that made Lance incredibly frustrated.

    Lance eyed the Eldest''s twitching hand. Perhaps it was a good thing he''d removed all hazardous objects in advance after all. He calmly clasped his own hands together on his lap and leaned back in his seat.

    Once upon a time, he would not have dared to talk back to the Eldest, but that time had long gone and passed.

    "How dare I?" Lance scoffed. The Eldest bristled, but he went on without a care. "I''m the Champion of Indigo, and I''ve decided that this is a necessary course the country needs to take. Any help that is offered to us, I will welcome it with open arms."

    "Johto does not need help, we are capable of handling things on our own¡ª"

    "Team Rocket is not to be taken lightly," Lance interrupted in a biting tone. He and the Eldest glared at each other. "We will get rid of them, and we will do so thoroughly. There can be no room for error, not when Indigo''s already suffered so much in the past."

    "There''s still no reason for us to rely on outsiders," Hiromasa hissed. "The Clans will get together once again to repel them. We''ll¡­"

    On and on the Eldest ranted about how the nation was perfectly equipped to deal with the threat of Team Rocket, but Lance was only half-listening. He was disappointed with the Eldest. Was he so blinded by power and the illusion of strength that he was willing to put Indigo''s security at risk? Could he not see the merits of having allies to rely on in troubling times and the other boons it could bring Indigo in the near future?

    Ah. Realization dawned on Lance the more he stared at the Eldest''s livid expression. The real reason why he was so agitated¡­

    "You''re scared," he mused out loud.

    It became deathly silent in his office as the Eldest halted in his rant.

    "Excuse me?" the man all but spat out.

    Lance nodded more to himself than to his unwelcome guest. He''d hit the so-called nail on the head.

    "You''re scared," he repeated with a serious expression, "of foreign powers taking away the influence of the Blackthorn Clan, aren''t you? You don''t know how our Clan will fare on the world stage."

    Because, Lance thought to himself, the Elders had always been that way. They clung to power within Kanto-Johto and constantly sought to establish themselves as an untouchable Clan. They were happy if they could rule from the safety of their City.

    But when new powers emerged from beyond their borders? When they posed a threat to the absolute authority and admiration the venerable Blackthorns enjoyed?

    It rattled them.

    They were scared of change, and they had enjoyed their power without challenge for far too long.

    Just like with the Fairy type, just like with Arin¡ª again, they were trying to blindly push away the threats rather than simply trying to better themselves and overcome them.

    That was not the true way of the Blackthorns.

    A dull but loud thud rang out as the Eldest slammed his cane against the rug.

    "Watch your mouth," Hiromasa growled. "It seems you''ve lost all respect for your elders. You do not understand the dangers these outsiders present¡ª"

    "I assure you, just because I agreed to a treaty does not mean I am not exercising caution around these foreign powers. But we cannot stay separated forever. Better to begin some form of interaction now then¡ª"

    "We do not need to change. Johto is fine the way it is."

    "Perhaps, but I will not settle for fine," Lance countered sharply. "I wish to see Indigo become the best it could be. And in my vision, we eventually connect with the rest of the world."

    The Eldest''s hand flew up. Lance thought he was going to get slapped, but the Eldest merely adjusted his robes instead. His whole frame shook with fury.

    "Why are you so set on this?" the Eldest asked instead of the scathing insults Lance expected. "Have you forgotten your roots? How the Clan has supported you until now?"

    "I''ll always be grateful," Lance replied, and he dipped his head in the smallest of nods. "But you cannot hold those above my head and force me to do your bidding. I became Champion not for our clan but for the country. I look out for Indigo first and foremost."

    This answer greatly dissatisfied the Eldest. His lips curled back in the beginnings of a snarl.

    "You''re treading a thin line, Lance. I could remove you from the Blackthorn Clan," the Eldest warned.

    Instead of inspiring fear or anxiety, those words made him angrier.

    "So are you," Lance said coldly in response. "I''ve tolerated your disrespect until now, but I am the Champion of this country. Your threat means nothing to me. Remove or banish me if you want, I don''t care."

    It felt liberating to say this, all of this. He''d kept his head down like the rest of the Blackthorn Clan and followed the will of the Elders, but he should have stopped that sooner. He was his own person, and the Elders were not always right. His and their ideals were growing further and further apart. Their priority was the Clan and its prosperity rather than the country they lived in.

    Tension reached an all-time high in the room as Lance and the Eldest glared at each other. Without a word, the Blackthorn Elder eventually turned around and stalked away.

    Lance slumped forward as soon as the man left and slammed the doors behind him.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Seeing as how the Eldest hadn''t screamed anything to his face, he supposed he was still a part of the Clan. For fuck''s sake¡­ there were more important things to worry about, but the Eldest was more preoccupied about maintaining power rather than cleaning out filth from Indigo''s borders. It was mind-boggling.

    He couldn''t help but click his tongue with annoyance when he checked the clock. He''d wasted time on a ridiculous argument that hadn''t even yielded useful results.

    The Elders were starting to grate on his nerves. As he thought about the Clan, though, he couldn''t help but think about his cousin.

    He hadn''t personally talked to Clair since that last Clan meeting. Every time he tried, she brushed him off and walked away. He would keep trying, though. He cared for his cousin, and he didn''t want her to stagnate like the rest of the Clan. Hopefully she brought herself back to her own senses without his help, but that was a wishful thought.

    Lance didn''t want their relationship to deteriorate like Lorelei and Pryce''s had.

    Now, though, he really needed to get back to work. If he wanted to attend that grand opening on the weekend, then it was best to finish as much work as possible ahead of time¡ª

    His office phone buzzed again, this time with an incoming call. Lance groaned.

    "What now?" he muttered.

    He checked his office phone and snapped wide awake in a second. Champion Diantha of Kalos was calling him. Was there some sort of problem?

    He picked up instantly and held the phone to his ear. A melodious voice with a unique accent spoke.

    "Hello, Champion Lance. This is Diantha Carne speaking. I''d like to ask if you could allow¡­"

    A few minutes later, Lance set his phone back onto its rightful place.

    Well, that conversation had gone much differently than he thought it would. He had more reason than ever to finish his work now. He was going to be spending more time at the Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening than he originally planned¡ª

    The phone rang again.

    Lance looked at the caller ID. This time, Kukui was calling him. He picked up the phone and held it to his ear once more.

    A conversation similar to the one he''d just held with Diantha took place, and Lance set down the phone with raised brows once he was done talking with Kukui. The weekend was looking to be a very¡­ chaotic time.

    Somehow, Lance was not surprised when the phone rang three more times. Champions Alder, Leon, and Geeta requested similar permissions from him. By the end of it all, Lance drilled holes into his office phone from his intense gaze alone.

    Had they all timed it on purpose? They had to have, right?

    All Lance knew for sure was that he was going to be spending the whole day at the grand opening now. There were people to meet, greet, and become acquainted with. He rolled his shoulders and picked up his pen again, returning to his paperwork with renewed vigor.

    There was a little voice inside of his head that told him to warn Arin in advance, but he waved it away with a mischievous smile.

    Arin was always surprising him. Wasn''t he allowed a chance to surprise the Gym Leader instead?

    A chuckle escaped Lance as he scribbled away at a document.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Everyone I personally invited to the Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening responded before the day was over.

    I''d sent out invitations to Mayor Sotheby, Morty, Jasmine, and the other Indigo Gym Leaders and Elite Four. Even though I hadn''t interacted with a lot of them before, especially the Kanto Gym Leaders, I extended invites anyway out of courtesy.

    Most of them gave positive replies, but there were a handful who couldn''t make it. For example, Brock was going on a family trip with his siblings, and Chuck was on a rare vacation with his wife. Much to no surprise on my part, three of the Johto Gym Leaders ¡ª Falkner, Clair, and Pryce ¡ª politely declined my invitation as well.

    It would have been a lie to say I would miss them, but I did regret the lost opportunity to at least attempt interacting with them. That, and I had wanted to show off the skill of the Blossom Hall construction company.

    There was some ruckus at one point as the news about the treaty ¡ª and by extension, me ¡ª finally hit the Pokenet. I''d talked briefly about my travels across the world before, but the gym trainers all had questions for me about what the various leaders were like.

    "Wait," Neil froze in place as he and the others were pestering me. "That display case in your house''s living room. Don''t tell me those are all badges from the other regions?"

    "Yes? Did I not mention it before?"

    "No?!"

    Things were lively after that for a long time. Dad was missing at one point which made me concerned, but he came back with a newspaper in hand. Apparently he''d rushed out to get a copy of the news.

    I didn''t comment when I saw him sit in a corner and cut out some text and a picture of me from the featured article, but I wondered if he was still keeping up his scrapbook hobby. Ever since I was a kid, he''d kept family scrapbooks.

    On the preparation side of things, that front was steadily progressing. For now, I was having my gym trainers and the rest of the new employees memorize the layout of the Gym and its surroundings. They would need to know this going forward for security reasons.

    Before sleeping that night, I made sure to remind dad about our hospital visit tomorrow.

    I didn''t see the complicated, far-off look he directed at my back as I headed to my room.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    First thing in the morning, I accompanied dad to Cherrygrove''s largest health institution: Solaris Hospital.

    The city had a number of smaller clinics that practiced acupuncture, herbalism, and other forms of traditional medicine, but Solaris was the best and most modern health center Cherrygrove had to offer. Today, dad had an appointment there with Dr. Monzen. Our old family doctor had retired and passed away sometime during the decade I''d been gone.

    Like every other time we''d gone to visit the hospital, dad disguised his face with a dark cap, shades, and a face mask. He was adamant about not letting the townspeople find out about his illness, but he stood out like a sore thumb with his incredibly conspicuous appearance. Plus, with me at his side, people were bound to figure it out eventually.

    Still, that didn''t stop dad from trying to keep his secret. He even scheduled the earliest appointment he could and made us go through one of the hospital''s side entrances just to avoid being seen by anyone.

    Quickly, we swept through long corridors bustling with staff members. Lights bounced off the polished linoleum floors as we walked past rows of doors that led to hospital wards or separate branches.

    By the time we finally reached Dr. Monzen''s office, the smell of disinfectants had long breached my nose and clung to my clothing.

    "Welcome. Please have a seat," the doctor greeted with a smile as the doors closed behind us.

    Dr. Monzen was a heavyset man with eyes as dark as coal, but he had a surprisingly higher-pitched voice than one would expect from someone of his build. He stood up from his desk and gestured to the chairs in front of him. Dad took the one directly in front of him, and I sat to his left.

    We didn''t waste any time. Dr. Monzen ran a few beginning tests like measuring dad''s blood pressure. Once that was over, dad went right into explaining what had happened the day before while Dr. Monzen listened with a serious expression. My hands tightly gripped my knees.

    Contrary to my expectations, Dr. Monzen didn''t have any ''bad'' news for us.

    "It''s nothing to worry about," he assured us once dad had finished recounting his experience. I let out a breath I hadn''t known I''d been holding. "I know it''s unpleasant to think about, and forgive me for the reminder, but¡­ like I mentioned in our previous meeting, there will be a gradual increase in tremors and headaches over the course of¡­"

    One thorough discussion later, I took away several major points from what he said.

    What dad had experienced was normal¡­ or at least within expectations of what he would experience as his illness got to later and later stages. Dad''s symptoms would grow worse over time to reflect his deteriorating state of health. Dr. Monzen made sure to describe what these symptoms would look like and reminded us of which medications to take. On top of that, he prescribed new medicines that dad would need now that the illness was steadily progressing.

    He even had a long talk with dad in private about how he was faring emotionally. I left the room for that since dad requested it of me and came back in when they were done.

    Dad''s eyes weren''t moist nor were they red-rimmed, but the rigid way his jaw was set clued me in on his distress.

    We left Dr. Monzen''s office shortly after. Neither of us said anything as we trudged down the hall to the in-house pharmacy. It was only when we went down a flight of stairs that I finally spoke.

    "Dad¡­ be honest with me. How do you feel about all of¡­ this?" I hesitantly asked.

    Arceus. It was so difficult broaching this sensitive topic with dad.

    These last few months had been full of work regarding the Cherrygrove Gym or just spending time with each other. We''d been tiptoeing around or otherwise ignoring the subject of his illness until now, but it was high time we actually talked about it in more detail.

    I stopped in place, but dad kept walking. His steady stride didn''t falter.

    "It can''t be helped," he said calmly in response. "I''ve got to make use of the time I have left."

    What?

    Something about his calm tone infuriated me. Before I knew it, I''d marched forward and stopped directly in front of dad, blocking his path. I stared at him with an incredulous expression.

    "That''s it?" I asked in disbelief. "Why are you being so nonchalant about all of this? This is your life we''re talking about here."

    Dad didn''t give a verbal response and hung his head.

    He took a diagonal step forward, but I blocked him off with a frown. I did so again when he tried taking a step the other way. Realizing I wasn''t going to move any time soon, dad finally gave a long sigh. His shoulders visibly sagged with exhaustion.

    "What do you want me to say, Arin?" he asked quietly. He finally looked up from the ground, and it was now I saw the look of sheer defeat in his eyes. "What is there to even do? I''ve made my peace with it."

    A lump formed in my throat. I barely managed to swallow it and speak my next words.

    "But have you really?"

    Dad stared at me. I couldn''t see my own face, but I was sure a mixture of desperation and frustration was reflected there.

    "Yesterday, earlier today, and even now¡­ to me, it feels like you keep sidestepping this issue," I said, and I pressed on. "That you''re just pretending to be okay. Stop bottling up your emotions."

    I clenched a fist at my side.

    "You being so calm about all of this makes me angry. Really angry," I admitted. "I¡­ I don''t want you to die."

    That admission from me lingered in the air. Dad''s hands twitched at his sides as if he didn''t know what to do with them. Across his face, conflicted emotions flowed and morphed between a grimace and some expression that I couldn''t quite place.

    I didn''t want dad to die. Of course I didn''t. Not when he was the only blood relative I had left. Not when we had a whole decade to make up for and the rest of our lives to live out.

    Putting aside the issue of a cure, it bothered me to see dad bottling up his emotions. Even if he was trying to put on a brave front for both our sakes, it wasn''t healthy. Rather than keeping everything to himself, I wanted to hear how he truly felt.

    "Just tell me one thing," I said quietly.

    I looked dad in the eye.

    "You want to live, right?"

    He didn''t say anything for a long time. I waited patiently.

    After what felt like an eternity, dad finally took a deep, tremulous breath. He whispered just two words.

    "I do."

    I heard the distant sounds of clattering carts or the thumping of shoes as people walked back and forth on the floor above us, but I paid them no attention. I simply walked forward and pulled dad in for a wordless, one-armed hug. He placed a single hand on my back.

    The weight of that hand felt incredibly small and frail.

    "Sorry," I mumbled. "I didn''t mean to sound so pushy. It''s just¡­"

    "I know, son," Dad replied in the faintest murmur. "You care about me, and I appreciate it." He was quiet for a moment, and then a long sigh drew itself from his throat. "After finally admitting it out loud, I should be more honest now, shouldn''t I? I wish I had more time."

    Something in my chest tightened.

    "I''ll look into cures," I said out loud. I let go of dad and took a step back, looking at him with determination. "There might not be one in the Kinjoh Area, but maybe elsewhere in the world other countries will have potential treatments."

    I''d make use of all the connections I had to dig up leads. Medical technology varied widely by region. I didn''t want to get dad''s or my own hopes up, but it was worth looking into.

    At the very least, I didn''t want to give up without doing anything.

    Dad tried not to look too interested, but I saw hope flicker for the briefest of seconds in his eyes. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. I wondered if he was going to tell me to temper my expectations, but eventually he gave a single nod.

    "Okay," he said in a hoarse voice.

    That was all I needed to hear.

    Dad had told me he wanted to live, and by Arceus, I was going to help him achieve that.

    Finding a cure to an incurable illness was not going to magically happen at the snap of a finger, and it didn''t help that we didn''t have a lot of time on our side either. Following what dad had told me long ago, he had about¡­ a year and some months left now, provided no major complications arose in the process.

    That was all the time we had. Our time limit.

    If medical technology wasn''t the answer, I''d have to look into more unconventional methods. For now, I''d go through potential solutions one by one.

    We started heading down the stairs again, this time with chests that were simultaneously lighter and heavier at the same time. I rambled on about various herbal medicines dad could take in the meantime to supplement his health. There were quite a few Fairy type Pokemon who could contribute to healthcare. Among those were Flabebe and Comfey for the healing oils and flowers they could produce. I was drawing off of treatments used primarily in Alola, and I would have to inquire with traditional clinics and herbalists later, but everything at my arsenal would be used to help dad extend his life as long as possible while we looked into something more permanent.

    I would make sure of it.

    The pharmacy we were heading to was on the first floor. When we got there, there was a noticeable increase in the number of visitors compared to when we''d first arrived at the hospital. Dad split up from me to grab his prescriptions while I waited near one of the exits.

    I had just finished texting various medical inquiries to acquaintances in other regions when someone approached me.

    "Oh, Leader Arin? I didn''t expect to see you here," a female voice spoke.

    I didn''t recognize that voice, but I did recognize the person when I looked up. A familiar blue-haired woman stood in front of me with a gentle smile. There was a Hypno standing next to her side. This was my second time meeting this woman.

    Beryl, Hazel''s sister.

    "Pleasure meeting you again, Dr. McMillon," I said. I decided to address her by her formal title seeing as I was at her workplace, and we briefly shook hands.

    "I was passing by on my break and thought I recognized you. What brings you here today if I might ask?" Beryl asked curiously. Her eyes widened a fraction. "Is everything okay?"

    It wasn''t my place to talk about dad''s illness when he was trying so hard to keep it to relevant parties only. I gave a small shrug of my shoulders instead.

    "Everything''s fine," I said smoothly. I racked my brain for ideas of where to steer this conversation and stumbled upon a decent idea. "Would you happen to know any reputable herbalists or traditional clinics? I''d like to discuss traditional medicine with them."

    "Oh." Beryl blinked a few times. "Hmm¡­ Hypno, dear? Do you recall any?"

    She turned to her Pokemon. A few moments passed of them communicating telepathically before Beryl turned back to me. She offered an embarrassed smile.

    "I''m sorry, I don''t personally have any close friends in those fields, but there are a few clinics I could recommend that Hypno''s heard good things about," she replied. "Shall I list them for you?"

    I appreciated that she wasn''t asking about why and nodded.

    "That would be great, thank you."

    A minute later, I had a new note on my phone with names of clinics worth reaching out to. There weren''t a lot, but it was better than nothing from this unexpected conversation. Beryl had to say goodbye when a nurse came by and asked for her Hypno''s assistance. She said she would ask some coworkers and pass word about other clinics through her brother later, something I greatly appreciated. She was as nice as Hazel had said.

    I waved at their retreating backs as dad came up to me with bags of medicine in hand.

    "Hmm? Did you meet someone?" Dad asked.

    "Haze''s sister," I supplied. The two of us started heading out of the hospital. We were both more than ready to go home. "She''s a doctor here¡­"

    As soon as we got back to the Gym, I made sure dad took his medication since it was around that time and stuck one of our Chansey to his side like glue. I had half a mind to assign a second Chansey to him from now on but decided against it after dad gave me a certain look.

    Up the stairs I went to the second floor. Preparations were in full swing for the grand opening. I saw my gym trainers carrying boxes back and forth of newly-ordered merchandise and others holding freshly-printed pamphlets. Some of my Pokemon like Vel, Grima, or Silque were helping them.

    "Arin, have you seen Haru and Haze?" Yurie called out on her way past. She threw a glance over her shoulder as she held a bag full of miscellaneous items. "Haru is hardworking, so maybe he got lost. Haze on the other hand¡­ I told him to grab some boxes for me, but he hasn''t come back yet. Lazy bum!"

    I shook my head with a chuckle. "No, but let me find them."

    Haru was easy to find. Sure enough, he''d gotten lost in the maze of stairs and rooms connected to the watchtowers outside. He apologized profusely even though I told him it was fine.

    I looked in a few different rooms after that, but Hazel wasn''t on the second floor. He wasn''t on the first floor either. So, I sidestepped people moving things around and went all the way up to the third floor.

    I found Hazel fast asleep on a couch in the middle of the hallway. There were two boxes at his side, and his head had rolled back onto the couch as he peacefully slumbered. The soothing tick-tock of a grandfather clock was the only sound on this quiet floor. The pendulum swung back and forth as I went over and gently shook Hazel awake.

    "Rise and shine, Haze. We''ve got work left to do," I said with muffled laughter.

    Hazel''s glasses nearly slipped off his nose as he jerked awake. He blinked furiously a few times, first at his surroundings, then the boxes laying at his side, then the huge clock in his face, and finally at me.

    He blanched.

    "S-SORRY!" he blurted out, and he scrambled to his feet. One hand hurriedly pushed his glasses further up his nose as he picked up the boxes. "I didn''t mean to doze off! Ah, shit, Yurie told me to move some boxes from here to the second floor¡­ I was just going to take a quick rest. I must have been more tired than I thought."

    He looked so genuinely apologetic that it was difficult to admonish him. I couldn''t really blame him anyway, the couches up on the higher levels were all made of high-quality material and quite comfortable.

    I''d admittedly been close to dozing off a few times before myself when resting on them.

    "It''s fine," I said, and I laughed a bit as I patted Hazel''s shoulder. My smiling expression seemed to put him at ease because his shoulders immediately dropped. "Try not to do this during the League Circuit season though, yeah?"

    Hazel nodded vigorously, but another laugh escaped me when he gave a big yawn halfway. His face flushed bright red with embarrassment as he followed me back down the stairs.

    "Sorry. I''ve been so tired lately," he apologized again. "Oh! Not because of being overworked or anything, I promise¡ª"

    A loud voice interrupted him.

    "HAZE! THERE YOU ARE!"

    Yurie dashed over to meet us at the foot of the stairs. She grabbed one of the boxes Hazel was carrying and jerked her head in the opposite direction.

    "We''ve been waiting for you to bring these boxes since forever! We have to count the inventory!" Yurie said a huff. She didn''t sound nearly as mad as she looked, and she playfully kicked Hazel''s foot. "Come on, let''s go. Sorry about this, Arin."

    Hazel whispered another apology to me as he followed after her.

    "So where were you anyway? Slacking off?"

    "Um¡­"

    "¡­"

    I shook my head fondly as I watched them. It was nice to see them getting along. As I went back down to the battle hall to practice with my Pokemon, I couldn''t help but think that perhaps we needed a map of the Gym to prevent anyone else from getting lost in the future.

    So many things to do.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Time pressed onwards as we busied ourselves with preparations. Before we knew it, the next day was upon us.

    I waited with much anticipation by the Cherrygrove Gym''s moat.

    It was the day before our grand opening, and we had rehearsals to get to. Most of the performers had already arrived and were waiting inside the Gym''s battle hall. Any minute now, the last two guests were due to arrive¡ª

    "Hello!"

    "Good morning!"

    Two very familiar voices rang out in unison as flashes of mint and violet temporarily flooded my vision. I wore a huge smile as I strode forward to greet the figures that had appeared via Teleport. Behind them, a Kadabra wearing a bandana with the words Goldenrod''s Finest Teleport Service disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Wallace and Fantina were here at last.

 Chapter 38 â€” Once Upon a Moon

    Both looked much more youthful than their real ages suggested.

    Wallace¡¯s face looked a little sharper and angular than I remembered, but he pretty much resembled his twenty-year-old self in my memories. He was pushing along two suitcases, one in each hand, and wore some casual but expensive-looking clothing.

    Fantina walked next to him with a suitcase of her own. I didn¡¯t know exactly how old she was as that was a secret she would never divulge, but she looked as young as a woman in her twenties. Like Wallace, she wasn¡¯t wearing her typical Gym Leader outfit. She¡¯d donned a simple sundress instead.

    A smile split my face. Ten years had gone by, but these were more than welcome faces.

    ¡°Long time no see!¡± I greeted enthusiastically.

    Both of my guests echoed similar sentiments as we exchanged brief handshakes or hugs. A wave of nostalgia washed over me in the process. Memories drifted through my mind of fighting these two in intense gym battles or being under their scrutinizing gazes during contests.

    Now, we were no longer the challenger and the challenged but equals.

    Friends.

    ¡°Je suis l¨¤, Arin! It¡¯s been far too long,¡± Fantina beamed. Her heels clacked along the ground as she drew back from the hug she¡¯d initiated. ¡°Your gym is absolutely stunning if I might add.¡±

    Fantina had always sprinkled her speech with Kalosian words and phrases, but eleven-year-old me had had no idea what she was saying. All I¡¯d realized at the time was that it wasn¡¯t the common tongue. It was widely known that Fantina had immigrated to Sinnoh from a far-off country when she was a young child with her grandparents, but the specifics weren¡¯t known to the public.

    Now that I had traveled to the Galovea Continent and back, I recognized the language the Hearthome Gym Leader used. I wondered where Fantina was truly from. My best guesses included the culturally rich and diverse Unova or Kalos regions. I was leaning towards Kalos because depending on what year Fantina and her family had left Kalos, the timing of her departure would line up with what had transpired in that region several decades ago: the Kalosian Revolution.

    I almost wanted to outright ask her, but I decided on a different lead-in.

    ¡°Merci beaucoup,¡± I replied with a smile. It only grew bigger when Fantina¡¯s brows flew up to her hairline.

    ¡°De rien. Goodness, I don¡¯t think I ever expected you to respond in Kalosian,¡± the woman admitted.

    I shrugged my shoulders playfully. ¡°I picked up some conversational phrases during my travels in Kalos.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just Kalosian either. I¡¯d learned a handful of useful phrases and words in other languages as well during my journey. If I had more time, it would have been fun to learn even more vocabulary, but I was satisfied with what I already knew.

    It wasn¡¯t like I was actively traveling across the world anymore, either.

    ¡°Ohoho, how admirable!¡± Fantina hummed in appreciation. Her eyes misted over with a wistful sheen as she turned her gaze to the sky. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I last returned to my home region. I wonder how the country has changed¡­¡±

    Well, now I knew Fantina was a Kalos native.

    This made me even more curious about the circumstances that had led her family to leave the country, but that wasn¡¯t what we were here for today. There was also the issue of potentially digging up old wounds if I made a careless inquiry.

    I snapped out of my contemplation when Wallace stepped forward.

    ¡°Good to see you, Arin. I trust you¡¯ve been doing well?¡± Wallace asked, and he flashed his pearly whites in a trademark smile.

    He wasn¡¯t considered one of the most popular public figures in Hoenn for no reason.

    ¡°More than well,¡± I said in response, grinning. ¡°How about you?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t heard anything from him, but I glanced at his left hand to be sure. More specifically, I looked at his empty ring finger and raised a brow. Wallace followed my gaze. Before I could so much as blink, he answered my unspoken question.

    ¡°Winona and I had a long discussion a couple months ago. Now that we¡¯ve enjoyed time focusing on our careers, we feel ready for the next step,¡± Wallace explained with a soft smile. He patted his pocket and winked. ¡°If you both could keep a secret¡­ I¡¯m going to propose in a few days actually.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sweet love. How romantic,¡± Fantina marveled out loud with a gentle sigh.

    I nodded silently in agreement. Internally, I felt elated for Winona and Wallace¡¯s shared future. I was genuinely fond of them as individuals and couldn¡¯t think of a more perfect couple.

    They hadn¡¯t been dating at the time ten years ago, but it had been obvious to all of Hoenn¡¯s populace that they had a thing with each other. A few months after I left Hoenn, they entered an official relationship and made it public.

    I heard social media platforms temporarily crashed that day from how much fanfare their new statuses got. I imagined they would become overloaded again once Hoenn¡¯s most famous celebrity couple announced their engagement. It had been a long time coming.

    Right now, my eyes focused on the suitcases whose handles Wallace was gripping. I tilted my head.

    ¡°By the way,¡± I began, ¡°are those all for the performance? I didn¡¯t realize you were bringing so much luggage.¡±

    ¡°Oh no.¡± Wallace instantly shook his head with a laugh. ¡°Since the Hoenn Circuit ended, Winona and I decided to go on vacation at the Resort Area in Sinnoh for a week. You should think about taking a vacation before the summer¡¯s up, too. Rayquaza knows the League Circuit season can be tiring.¡±

    I nodded fervently, filing away Wallace¡¯s advice in a corner of my mind. A vacation did sound nice. Maybe I could take dad somewhere in the Galovea Continent¡­

    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, and I blinked right out of my thoughts. My brows furrowed. ¡°Does that mean Winona came with you then?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­? Where is she?¡±

    Wallace chuckled. ¡°She split up from us to¡ª¡±

    Fantina and I both jumped when a gigantic thing dropped down on the ground some yards away.

    Once I¡¯d calmed down, I realized the thing was a massive Swellow with immaculate plumage. I only knew one person in the world who owned what was probably the biggest Swellow known to man, so I wasn¡¯t surprised when a familiar woman threw herself over the bird¡¯s back and onto the ground. She flipped up the goggles she wore and smiled brightly at me.

    ¡°Hi Arin!¡± Winona called out with a casual wave of her hand. Her Swellow let out a greeting of its own before Winona recalled it. By then, she had already walked halfway to where we were.

    I crossed my arms with an amused smile.

    ¡°Hey. Let me guess: you wanted to gauge the Johto winds?¡± I said, barely holding back a laugh.

    Winona smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Ah, was it that obvious? I couldn¡¯t resist¡­¡±

    I refrained from rolling my eyes.

    Everyone both in and out of Hoenn knew Winona was fond of flying. When she wasn¡¯t fighting gym challengers, she was flying and training. She and her team were also a big part of why the airspace around Hoenn was much safer compared to the rest of the Kinjoh Area. Thanks to Winona¡¯s efforts, she¡¯d either subdued or negotiated with enough wild birds that Hoenn¡¯s aviation industry had plenty of room to breathe compared to ours.

    I could hardly begin to count the number of times I¡¯d heard her quote something or other about which times were best for soaring through the skies and feeling the wind caress your skin. She¡¯d dragged me on plenty of flights before while I was in Hoenn.

    ¡°Well, how was the flight?¡± I prompted instead.

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Winona beamed, and she took her place next to Wallace. I didn¡¯t miss the way the two leaned into each other, shoulders brushing together ever so slightly. ¡°The winds in this part of Johto are so calm and pleasant. I¡¯m thinking about taking a longer flight later with all my Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t leave me with all the luggage again,¡± Wallace joked. He raised the two suitcases he held a few inches above the ground to emphasize his point.

    Winona rolled her eyes, but that didn¡¯t stop her from smiling. ¡°I got antsy after being on the plane for so long, alright? But thanks for carrying our stuff.¡±

    The two chattered on a bit ¡ª apparently Winona had taken off the second they got out of the airport ¡ª and ended up lost in each other¡¯s gazes at some point. Meanwhile, Fantina and I watched them with warm expressions.

    It was cute that they were as in love with each other as they¡¯d been ten years ago, but¡­

    I cleared my throat, catching everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I want to stay and chat more, but we¡¯ve got a full day of rehearsals ahead of us. Let¡¯s drop off your luggage first.¡±

    I waved off apologies from Winona and Wallace and led everyone to the staff lodgings. They got their pick out of the finest guest rooms we had to offer. Winona and I waited patiently for Wallace and Fantina outside. When they emerged, they had smaller bags with them containing their performance costumes. I¡¯d hired a group of makeup artists and stylists ahead of time, so they hadn¡¯t needed to fly in dedicated teams of their own.

    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t need those costumes until the dress rehearsal later. We had plenty of rehearsing to do before then.

    Many compliments were given regarding the gardens surrounding the Cherrygrove Gym as we drew closer to the building itself. I¡¯d just promised to give everyone a proper tour later when we finally entered the air-conditioned lobby. I led everyone to the battle hall where the rest of the performers were waiting.

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡± Fantina breathed out loud once the arena came within sight. ¡°Have we stepped into the ruins of a forgotten era?¡±

    ¡°It looks even better than you described it to me over the phone,¡± Wallace remarked in a hushed whisper.

    Winona pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures. Next to her, Fantina and Wallace had both paused in place to admire the venue they would be performing in. Judging by the more than satisfied smiles on their faces, they were quite pleased.

    Tomorrow¡¯s evening show was as followed: after an opening act from me, performers from various troupes and backgrounds would follow up with acts of their own until it was time for the main performance. Wallace and Fantina would then make their highly anticipated appearances, and I would close the evening show with one last display.

    My Pokemon were fairly excited, some more so than others. It wasn¡¯t often we did Contest-like performances after all. I almost wished we had more time to practice, but it was fine.

    I was going to treat tomorrow¡¯s show as a trial run for future gym matches and how I wanted to present myself to challengers.

    Once Fantina and Wallace had their fill of taking in the hall, we took the stairs down to the battlefield and joined the small crowd of people there. Winona went off to sit in the stands with my gym trainers. They were going to watch the rehearsals and offer feedback for us from the viewpoint of spectators. The rest of the hall was abuzz with excited murmurs at the sight of two famous Top Coordinators.

    I clapped my hands together loudly. That was all it took for everyone to quiet down within an instant.

    I only offered my hired performers a grin in return.

    ¡°Thank you for coming, everyone. Let¡¯s get right into rehearsals.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Alas, if only you were a Coordinator¡­¡± Fantina mused out loud, staring at me with wonder. ¡°The current Contest scene would become more interesting.¡±

    It was already dinnertime.

    I¡¯d ordered delivery for all the performers, and we were enjoying our meals in the comfort of the gym¡¯s dining hall now. The rest of the day had been spent rehearsing. There¡¯d been a few hiccups regarding the timing of spotlights and such, but we¡¯d enjoyed successful run-throughs for the most part. The performers and hired technicians alike were all confident about tomorrow, and I felt the same.

    Fantina and Wallace only had compliments for my opening and closing acts, but I was more amazed by their own displays. Top Coordinators were truly a different breed altogether.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stick to being a Gym Leader,¡± I replied with a cheeky smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have the brains nor patience to come up with an endless batch of new routines like you two can.¡±

    ¡°Why, thank you,¡± Wallace said with a wink as he raised his glass of water. Fantina and I broke into laughter while Winona just rolled her eyes.

    ¡°You all were wonderful,¡± the Fortree Gym Leader complimented sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the actual show.¡±

    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± Neil chimed in from a nearby table. It seemed he¡¯d heard what Winona had said. All eyes turned to my Head Gym Trainer as he stood up with a cup in hand. ¡°Let¡¯s raise a toast to a successful grand opening and performance tomorrow!¡±

    He looked at me with an expectant gaze. I stood up even before he finished speaking and raised my own glass, a smile on my lips.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make tomorrow a smashing success,¡± I declared with a grin.

    A wave of disjointed but jubilant cheers rose up in response. No matter how nervous people were, it couldn¡¯t be denied there was a lot of excitement about the grand opening.

    Conversations resumed across the room as I sat back down. Wallace cast his eyes upon me. ¡°Tomorrow aside, how confident are you about your first year as Gym Leader? The next Johto League Circuit starts in two months right?¡±

    ¡°It does,¡± I happily confirmed. Butterfree seemed to flutter in my stomach as I said that. ¡°I¡¯m not too worried. I¡¯ve got the summer to iron out my gym challenges and teach my gym trainers.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, your gym trainers,¡± Winona spoke up, head turning slightly in the direction of said people. She wore a thoughtful expression. ¡°I was going to mention it earlier when I sat next to them in the stands, but I recognize two of them. They challenged my Gym before.¡±

    ¡°Yurie and Haze?¡±

    Winona snapped her fingers. ¡°Yes! Those two. They were fun challengers. I remember them all the more because they qualified for the Ever Grande Conference at the end of the year.¡±

    ¡°They left an impression on me as well,¡± Wallace agreed with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve got some good gym trainers, Arin.¡±

    I smiled proudly. What employer wouldn¡¯t be pleased by people complimenting their staff?

    ¡°Will you be hiring more?¡± Winona politely inquired. ¡°The first year on the job is usually pretty hectic. You can delegate more tasks when you have more people on board.¡±

    ¡°Maybe two or three more,¡± I admitted. It was something I¡¯d actually been thinking about over the last few weeks. ¡°I don¡¯t want to teach too many new people at once.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Fantina smiled mischievously. ¡°Well, if you end up needing more gym trainers, there¡¯s someone I can recommend.¡±

    I stared at her with raised brows. It wasn¡¯t every day someone got the recommendation of a Gym Leader, much less a renowned Specialist like Fantina.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s someone I took under my wing about a year ago. Very promising Coordinator who also has experience as a trainer, I think they¡¯d be a great fit at your gym¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t get many details out of Fantina as she didn¡¯t want to blatantly show too much favoritism to this person, but she did mention they would probably approach me in the future in the hopes of securing a job.

    I was definitely intrigued. Maybe I would send out new hiring ads sooner rather than later.

    I ended up getting a lot of advice from my senior Gym Leader friends about things to do and prepare for the upcoming Circuit season. Considering they¡¯d had their posts far longer than I had, I studiously took everything they said to heart.

    More importantly, it was fun hanging out with them and reminiscing about old memories. (I wanted to bash my head against a wall whenever Winona brought up embarrassing moments of ten-year-old me, though.)

    After we finished dinner, all the performers including Fantina and Wallace retreated back to the Gym to practice more on their own. I didn¡¯t get the chance to follow them because Winona wanted to have a flying contest.

    I didn¡¯t refuse. It was a chance to blow off steam and anxiety.

    One race turned into two, then three, then a dozen more. I lost track at one point, but I definitely lost more than ninety percent of them. I only had two fliers capable of breaking the sound barrier, Zuri and Peri, while almost all of Winona¡¯s team was capable of doing so after years of intense training.

    ¡°I wonder who would be faster between you and Falkner,¡± I mused out loud. We¡¯d given up on racing to sit on the front steps of the Gym.

    ¡°He¡¯s the Flying type Gym Leader here in Johto, right?¡± Winona tilted her head curiously.

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s hailed as the Second Master of Flying Pokemon around here.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­ not to brag, but I don¡¯t think my birds would lose to his in speed or grace. Will he be coming to the grand opening tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. I would have liked to race him.¡±

    (Somewhere in Violet City, a certain male dressed in traditional clothing sneezed.)

    I said goodbye to Winona shortly after and walked back to the house. I was up until midnight double-checking patrol schedules and notes I¡¯d made for the following day.

    Right before I went to sleep, I received a good luck message from Lance along with a sticker of a laughing Dragonite. It seemed a bit out of character from him, but I sent back a thank you and sticker of my own.

    I fell asleep while mentally reviewing my performance routine.

    <hr>

    Saturday, May 13th. 6:18 AM. Living Room. Apartment 508, Defleura Apartment Complex. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    Today was the day the holy Cherrygrove Gym would be unveiled to the public.

    There had been image and video teasers posted on the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s website over the course of the last few days, but those barely scratched the itch. As a new resident of Cherrygrove City and a diehard fan of its Gym, Luca had the civic duty of advertising it to the rest of the world.

    And advertise it he would.

    Shoelaces were deftly tied, multiple portable chargers and a backup phone were stuffed into his foldable-space bag¡­ he even went as far as to dump extra blankets, cases, and other Egg-related gear in there.

    For wherever he went, the Igglybuff Egg would go with him.

    He could not, in good conscience, leave the unborn Pokemon at home even though it would be safer. What if the Egg got lonely without him around? It wasn¡¯t like he had any other Pokemon around to keep it company, and he didn¡¯t trust a babysitter. He was taking the instructions in Arin¡¯s manual very seriously about keeping the Egg company.

    Therefore, the Egg was coming with him.

    Luca knew there was going to be a crowd of people. This was not a guess but a fact. Considering how much hype the grand opening had gotten from all the ads, posters, and discussion on online forums, it was obvious this was going to be the event of the decade. There was going to be a performance from Wallace and Fantina to boot. Regular citizens and trainers alike were sure to come and check out the ninth major gym of Johto.

    Not all of them were going to be there for good intentions ¡ª in fact, he¡¯d lost sleep the previous night battling trolls online who were shit talking Arin and the grand opening ¡ª but it didn¡¯t matter. Luca and his loyal community of followers would just shut them up by livestreaming the Gym¡¯s glory.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Luca couldn¡¯t help but cackle out loud to himself as he stood in front of a mirror, posing proudly. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Egg. You¡¯ll be perfectly safe with me!¡±

    For today¡¯s special occasion, he was dressed up in a mixture of Wigglytuff-themed and Cherrygrove Gym clothing. He¡¯d managed to nab a pink T-shirt with a quote from Arin before it sold out on the gym¡¯s website. He proudly wore it now along with Wigglytuff-patterned shorts and a comfortable pair of running sneakers. New stickers and pins featuring Arin¡¯s team had been plastered all over his bag straps and phone case, but he wasn¡¯t focused on those.

    He was looking at his phone and Egg carrier setup.

    His phone was held up to his face by an adjustable smartphone chest mount. In addition to that, Luca¡¯s Igglybuff Egg was strapped to his front inside a sturdy baby carrier. He¡¯d been so afraid of someone bumping into him and somehow breaking the glass case (a needless worry considering it was an incubator made from the almighty Silph Co.) that he¡¯d placed the incubator inside a transparent case of its own for double the protection. Then, he¡¯d wrapped blankets around the outermost case to soften impacts from anyone who dared bump into him. It was a little awkward, hopeless even, to try bending forward to grab something, yet that didn¡¯t matter in the grand scheme of things.

    He might have gone a tad overboard with the Egg¡¯s protection, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

    Luca grinned to himself as he headed out. There was no more time to waste; he didn¡¯t want to dawdle too long and risk getting a terrible waiting spot in line. He wanted to be one of the first people to catch a glimpse of the new Cherrygrove Gym¡ª

    Those hopes were immediately dashed when he left his apartment building and saw townspeople coming out of their own houses by the dozens. It wasn¡¯t just them either. There were tourists distinguishable by cheesy T-shirts and people leaving the hotel down the block.

    All of them were heading in the same direction: the main road that led out of the city and towards the Cherrygrove Gym.

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Luca murmured to himself. A sense of dread settled in his chest as he hurried down the street and followed the stream of people. He felt like a Slowpoke following its herd from how slow and packed the streets were already.

    These weren¡¯t¡­ all people heading for the grand opening, right? This early?

    Five minutes later, Luca¡¯s suspicions were woefully proven true when his feet finally carried him off cobbled streets and onto a dirt road.

    There were people as far as the eye could see.

    Luca wasn¡¯t the tallest person around, so he struggled to see over the top of the crowd as he stood on tiptoe. The barricades were still in place further down the road. He even saw security guards standing in place to make sure people didn¡¯t try scaling the walls to get on the other side.

    Blast it all! What a failure of a fan and content creator he was! He should have camped out the night before to secure a better spot in line. He hadn¡¯t expected so many people to be willing to wait hours in advance for the roads to open.

    It was too late for regrets. All Luca could do now was wait.

    At least the atmosphere was nice. Everyone around him was abuzz with excitement. He could make out snippets of individual conversation amidst all the noise.

    ¡°What do you think the Gym will look like? Ooh, I hope it¡¯s pink all over.¡±

    ¡°No way, it¡¯s gotta be something sleek and modern¡­¡±

    ¡°I want an autograph with Arin so bad. You think he¡¯ll be out there greeting visitors?¡±

    And so on and so forth. Luca found himself smiling with every word that drifted to his ears. Yes, this was nice. People of all ages and backgrounds had come together to celebrate Johto¡¯s ninth major gym.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Even when Team Rocket was out there, the people of Indigo weren¡¯t afraid to live out their lives.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    He almost wanted to start his livestream early, but he wanted to conserve his phone¡¯s battery for the tour of the Gym¡ª

    ¡°Hey, Tuff Tuff King!¡±

    Luca blinked. He turned slowly and found a group of people staring at him. They had headbands or hachimaki wrapped around their foreheads, each with varying messages like WE (HEART) ARIN or GO FAIRIES. There were teenagers and older people alike mixed into their group, and Luca didn¡¯t recognize any of them at first glance.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi?¡± he ventured to say. He wondered if he should switch to his livestreamer persona.

    One of the girls with a particularly bright headband walked up to him with a grin.

    ¡°I knew it was you! Hey, it¡¯s us, the Arin Fan Club founders!¡± the girl chirped. ¡°I¡¯m MakaMaka. Cool seeing you here!¡±

    Luca was wide-awake in a second. His eyes sparkled as he appraised the group of strangers with renewed appreciation. He¡¯d talked to all of these people online before! He¡¯d been one of the first people to follow their fan club on Chatter. Heck, he¡¯d even helped them edit clips of Arin¡¯s fights to post on their page one time.

    ¡°WOW!¡± he exclaimed loudly, hurrying forward to shake hands with them one by one. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re meeting here! It¡¯s great getting to see you all in person. You all came so early!¡±

    ¡°Duh!¡± The girl known as MakaMaka playfully rolled her eyes. ¡°We have to show our support to Arin as locals of Cherrygrove! Right, guys?¡±

    Loud cheers rang out and startled people standing nearby.

    ¡°YEAH!¡±

    Luca beamed. He wasn¡¯t going to be bored while waiting for the grand opening now at least.

    ¡°By the way, is that the Igglybuff Egg you¡¯ve been posting about on social media?¡±

    ¡°It is! Cute, right?¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Just a short way down the road from Luca and the Arin Fan Club, two dozen figures stood around in a loose circle and stared at each other in silence. To any random stranger, they would have looked like ordinary students or citizens if not for the way their hands and facial features twitched every few moments. People around them gave a wide berth because of their strange expressions.

    ¡°So¡­¡± one of them began.

    ¡°So,¡± another followed up.

    Silence followed again as everyone stared at each other.

    ¡°Argh, what¡¯s wrong with all you guys?¡± a guy with freckles finally cried out. He threw his hands up into the air with a frustrated expression. ¡°Are you all nervous or something? Come on, we finally met up for the first time in forever¡­ not since the Wailmer Pop Con in Lilycove, right?¡±

    The man standing next to him cleared his throat. ¡°We can¡¯t help it, Abrakadabra. I think we¡¯re too excited right now to function as proper human beings. I mean, look at Wooper Blooper and Sleep Deprived Student G! They¡¯re in shock!¡±

    He who was known as Serperior Academic turned and jabbed a finger at said boys. The two individuals in question looked like they were one step away from hyperventilating.

    ¡°Fairies¡­ New Pokemon¡­ Fairies¡­¡± they chanted over and over like some sort of spell. Both wore grins that stretched from one end of their face to the other.

    Abrakadabra slapped a hand to his forehead. ¡°Oh Arceus. Someone snap them out of it, the Gym isn¡¯t even open yet.¡±

    The people standing closest to the spellbound boys began poking them gently in the shoulders while others shook their heads.

    They were the one and only Pokenerds, and today¡­

    They had assembled for an IRL meetup.

    Yes, they were members of the Pokenerds community server on Duncord. Their purpose in gathering today was to celebrate the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s opening and catch a glimpse of new Pokemon species in person.

    They¡¯d gotten into a frenzy when they saw the ads online and saw a line about ¡®being able to interact with gym Pokemon.¡¯ Each of them had immediately bought plane or bus tickets to Cherrygrove to satisfy their curiosities.

    There was nothing Pokenerds could not do to quench their thirst for knowledge.

    ¡°You think we could nibble on Swirlix a bit?¡±

    ¡°For the love of Articuno, you¡¯re still obsessed with Swirlix?!¡±

    ¡°¡­Someone watch over her please, I don¡¯t want to get arrested today for unlawful behavior.¡±

    <hr>

    Saturday, May 13th. 8:50 AM. Lobby. Cherrygrove Gym. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    It was organized chaos at the Cherrygrove Gym.

    The doors were set to open in ten minutes, but we¡¯d all gotten up hours in advance. I¡¯d already sent hired staff out to the main roads to clear the barricades that had been sitting there for the last two months. Meanwhile, here at the Gym, people were busy running to and fro making sure everything was ready.

    I was doing much the same except that I was stuck in place barking out orders.

    ¡°Everyone have their uniforms? Pamphlets? Free goods?¡± I rattled off.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Yurie called out, and she raised a hand high in the air.

    I swung my head to the left. ¡°Warnings? Signage¡ª?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve put them up outside in the gardens!¡± Souta reassured, and he bobbed his head up and down emphatically.

    ¡°Make sure the tapestries are up as well! Someone ask the security guards back at my house if they¡¯re in position¡­¡±

    My mind was whirling with thoughts as I continued spewing out instructions to the people around me.

    I¡¯d hired a lot of new staff for the Gym through the Indigo League¡¯s network. Most of them would be permanent helpers going forward with roles such as janitors, receptionists, security guards, and technicians; however, there were also temporary workers I¡¯d specifically hired to help with today¡¯s proceedings.

    With an event this large, I wanted to make sure we had enough staff on hand to handle any possible contingencies.

    There was extra security manning my house and the gym grounds courtesy of Lance and the Indigo League, people who would be walking around the gardens to assist lost visitors, others who would be stationed at checkpoints outside to pass out pamphlets, and more.

    I didn¡¯t want to overlook anything. I wanted this grand opening to go off without a hitch, I wanted people to be impressed with the Cherrygrove Gym and increase both my and the city¡¯s fame, and I definitely did not want a repeat of the National Day incident.

    Thankfully, Lance had been more than willing to help in that regard.

    In addition to the regular security forces he¡¯d sent me, he¡¯d also dispatched a small group of Ace Trainers who specialized in Dark type blockades. They were led by the same individual who¡¯d previously helped the League: Agatha¡¯s apprentice, Karen.

    We¡¯d briefly introduced ourselves to each other earlier. She seemed polite enough, but there was something unsettling about the calculating way she looked at me when she thought I wasn¡¯t watching. It reminded me of how Agatha had looked when we¡¯d talked at my swearing-in ceremony¡­ as if I was someone to pry secrets out of.

    Luckily, I wouldn¡¯t be seeing her or Agatha very often.

    The minutes crawled by. Before I knew it, the fated hour was practically upon us. Dad and all my employees gathered in front of me in the gym¡¯s lobby.

    I faced them with what I hoped was a reassuring expression and spread my arms wide.

    ¡°Alright. Showtime, people.¡±

    At precisely nine o¡¯clock, the doors to the Cherrygrove Gym were unlocked.

    <hr>

    Saturday, May 13th. 9:00 AM. Western Main Road. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    ¡°PATH¡¯S OPEN!¡±

    Luca snapped his mouth shut. He¡¯d been in the middle of a conversation with some members of the Arin Fan Club, but everyone fell silent as people further up the line yelled out similar things.

    The roadblocks had just been removed.

    Luca only managed to exchange a curt nod with the Arin Fan Club founders before he got swept away by the surging crowd. He braced himself and hurried forward on his own two feet. It was every man or woman for themselves at this point.

    Follow the crowd, follow the crowd, he impatiently chanted to himself like a protective charm.

    He kept a watchful eye on the people around him in case they bumped into his Igglybuff Egg, but thankfully the crowd wasn¡¯t that rowdy. Luca¡¯s livestream had been on for the last fifteen minutes already, and his followers who couldn¡¯t make it to the grand opening were sending messages one after another.

    KingKrabby: LOLOL look at everyone go! It¡¯s like watching a stampede of Tauros!

    Ace of Staryu: Ugh, wish I could have gone. I¡¯m watching this right now during cram school¡­

    Meowza: yes yes yes i¡¯m so excited! where¡¯s the gym?!

    He was just as excited as them. The last few hours had passed by sooner than he could have thought possible. Now, Luca just wanted to finally lay eyes on the glorious Cherrygrove Gym.

    Minutes later, Luca¡¯s eyes lit up when the scenery around them changed. Rough dirt roads were eventually replaced with manicured paths and the beginnings of massive gardens. Something smelled good in the air. Heavenly floral notes filled his nose when he took a few sniffs. Damn, what kind of flowers were they growing here¡ª

    Luca abruptly stopped in place. The people in front of them weren¡¯t moving. They had their necks craned up towards the skies. He could have crashed into them and harmed his darling Igglybuff Egg! He was about to tell them off when he raised his own head and followed their gazes.

    ¡°Whoa¡­¡±

    That was the only thing he could say when he caught sight of the Cherrygrove Gym in the distance.

    It was an Arceus damned castle. No, wait, was it more accurate to call it some sort of forgotten ruins? A hidden sanctuary? Whatever the case, Luca was literally stunned in place by the building looming far-off. He¡¯d seen pictures of Gyms from all over the Kinjoh Area, but he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever seen a Gym quite like this one before. The only other ones that stood out to him were foreign Gyms in Hoenn or Sinnoh that followed less traditional architecture.

    Luca could confidently say that in Kanto-Johto at least, the Cherrygrove Gym was the most unique.

    It was only when the crowd in front of him finally started moving again that Luca did the same. He still felt mesmerized as he plopped one foot after the other in front of him without thinking. His chat had nothing but compliments for the Gym. When he heard the familiar ding of incoming donations, Luca snapped back to his senses and started talking out loud.

    He needed to get his act together. He was hosting a livestream.

    ¡°You see that, guys? That¡¯s the new Cherrygrove Gym,¡± Luca said proudly as he kept his eyes on the structure. He directed his next words to his Igglybuff Egg. ¡°Looks pretty, right?¡±

    Cherry blossom petals rained down from above and swirled through the air as he spoke. Some settled on his head, and he absentmindedly brushed them away.

    While continuing to head to the Gym, he was handed a pamphlet and free Dachsbun sticker from staff members waiting by the sides of the path. They were wearing stylish pink or emerald green shirts. Each had the logo of the Indigo League on them along with another symbol that Luca didn¡¯t recognize ¡ª some sort of book? ¡ª and the word STAFF in large letters.

    He flipped the pamphlet open and read it while he walked.

    Oh, so the book logo he¡¯d seen earlier was the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s symbol. The Fable Badge¡­ that had a nice ring to it. Even its design was cool when viewed up close. Luca almost wished he was a trainer so that he could get the badge for himself. Maybe he could commission a replica from a skilled craftsman online.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Luca muttered to himself as he continued reading and flipping through the pamphlet. ¡°So the public is free to look around from nine to seven, already knew that¡­ An evening show will start at five o¡¯clock in the battle hall¡­ Oh, chat, there¡¯s going to be a panel with the construction workers who made the Gym!¡±

    Aside from a Q&A, there was also going to be an interactive exhibit in the battle hall from eleven to twelve where people could play with some of the gym Pokemon. There was even some sort of stamp rally when Luca flipped to the back of the pamphlet. If you collected enough stamps from checkpoints across the gym grounds, you could pick up a small prize from the front desk in the gym lobby. That definitely sounded fun. The pamphlet even included a simplified map of the Gym¡¯s interior and its surrounding gardens.

    Said gardens were as massive as they looked. Apparently they were split into different themed sections, each with their own variety of flowers and trees. In fact, Luca passed right by a bridge that led further into a zone known as the Lilypad Gardens. He saw a wooden sign that said ¡®please do not touch or feed the Pokemon.¡¯

    When he craned his neck to try and see beyond the trimmed hedges, a splash of orange and white filled his vision. A Goldeen had jumped high into the air and dropped back into the water.

    He was honestly thinking about taking a detour through the gardens now. Then he got to a certain section of the pamphlet, and Luca changed his mind. He nearly crumpled the paper in half from how tightly he gripped it.

    ¡°¡®Limited quantities of breads and cakes baked by gym Pokemon will be sold along with special editions of gym merchandise. Please buy them while supplies last¡­¡¯¡± Luca read out loud in the faintest whisper.

    The gears in Luca¡¯s head spun faster than they ever had before. He would have roared a battle cry out loud if he didn¡¯t have his Igglybuff Egg with him.

    ¡°TO THE GYM!¡± he whisper-yelled instead.

    The gardens would have to be viewed later. Luca only had eyes for the castle in the distance as he quickened his pace and pushed further ahead into the crowd.

    The words limited and special editions repeated themselves in his head.

    It was difficult struggling through the crowd. Luca mentally apologized to Arin and his viewers for not taking the time to enjoy the sights, but he needed to grab the goods first.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± he called out a hasty apology to a purple-haired man he bumped into ¡ª he was wearing a mask and fancy costume, so maybe a cosplayer ¡ª and continued speed-walking towards the gym. He stepped onto a bridge¡ª wait, there was a bridge?

    He paused only briefly to take in the moat surrounding the Gym before shaking his head.

    Nope, no time for this.

    Luca weaseled his way through throngs of people. It was only when he got past the doors and into the air conditioned gym lobby that he breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes homed in on the gift shop attached to the lobby and then to the sign next to it. Apparently they were selling food in the room next door.

    Worse, there were already two huge lines of people for both of them.

    Fuck. They weren¡¯t being sold at the same location. Luca wanted to tear his hair out from anxiety. He didn¡¯t have a Pokemon capable of making a purchase for him, nor did he have a human buddy here who could stand in one of the two lines while he waited in the other. Could he call someone from the Arin Fan Club? He¡¯d forgotten to get their numbers, though.

    Ugh, whatever. He would grab a random stranger and make a heartfelt plea.

    Luca swung his head left and right for a willing victim.

    ¡°Merde¡­ where did Valerie go¡­¡±

    Some muttering reached his ears. Luca¡¯s eyes landed on a tall blonde man standing close to him dressed entirely in white. Luca didn¡¯t even stop to think, he strode forward and tapped the man¡¯s arm.

    The stranger turned around to look at him. Luca briefly realized the man was wearing some sort of chef uniform but didn¡¯t question it.

    ¡°Hi, sorry for the random question, but can you please help me out?¡± Luca asked as politely as possible. Hopefully the other person wouldn¡¯t think he was weird. ¡°There are two lines over there that sell gym merchandise or baked goods. I really, really want to buy both, but I can only stand in one line, and I¡¯m afraid they might sell out while I¡¯m waiting. Can you stand in the other line for me and buy stuff? I¡¯ll pay you back.¡±

    The man stared at him with raised brows. Luca almost wanted to bury his face in his hands, but the man eventually nodded slowly.

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. Huh, this guy had a thick accent. Was he from Hoenn or Sinnoh? ¡°I don¡¯t mind assisting you in your endeavor, young man. So¡­ where should I go again?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Thank you so much! If you could stand over in that line there¡­ yes, that one¡­ and buy at least one each of these limited breads and cakes mentioned in this pamphlet, that would be awesome. Please buy some for yourself, too! I¡¯ll cover the cost.¡±

    That was how Luca found himself happily standing in the line for the gift shop while the stranger went off to stand in the line for the pop-up bakery.

    Asking a stranger for help had gone much more smoothly than he thought it would, heh.

    BanishedBanette: That guy¡¯s visuals were no joke.

    Meowza: Yeah, he gave off prince vibes LOL.

    bearlycute: WHERE IS ARINNNNN

    His chat seemed pretty happy, too.

    As soon as he was allowed to step foot into the gift shop, Luca grabbed a shopping basket and flew from one end to the other. There was a limit on how many special edition items each customer could purchase, but Luca didn¡¯t mind. He would be visiting the Cherrygrove Gym a lot from now on after all.

    He almost fainted when he saw the array of special edition items in question. Signed posters of Arin and his Pokemon! Signed hoodies and Pokeballs! Signed everything!

    Everything was going well until he went to grab a poster he was eyeing and met resistance.

    ¡°?!¡±

    His and another person¡¯s hand were gripping the same scroll. Luca looked up and found himself staring at a girl with blonde hair and gray eyes¡­ as well as what looked like splotches of paint on her cheeks. She looked a few years younger than him, but that wasn¡¯t the point.

    ¡°I grabbed it first,¡± he said politely, and he gave an experimental tug.

    The girl did not budge and only tightened her hold on the poster scroll. She smiled innocently.

    ¡°No, I think I did,¡± she replied in a civil tone.

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Luca smiled, but the smile didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. The unknown girl mirrored his expression.

    For the next few minutes, they argued politely over the poster and who had the rightful claim to it. Neither was willing to budge an inch. It was only when a distant voice called out to the girl that she suddenly looked alarmed and let go of the poster.

    ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t let Valerie catch me purchasing this!¡± she blurted out loud more to herself than to him.

    Luca didn¡¯t even get a chance to react. The girl scampered away, paid for the items she currently had in her shopping basket, then stuffed everything into her tote bag and raced back out.

    He was left to stare after her with a triumphant expression. He had no idea what that was about, but the signed poster was his!

    Ten minutes later, he¡¯d completed his mini shopping spree and walked out of the gift shop a happy man. He stood off, leaned against the wall, and finally took the time to appreciate the gym lobby.

    The animated ceiling was beautiful. Luca didn¡¯t know a thing about constellations, but it was calming seeing the stars twinkle in and out of existence. He was in the middle of Zoogling which constellations were which when the stranger from before showed up with two bags in hand.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± the man said, and he handed the bigger bag out of the two to Luca.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Luca said sincerely. He eagerly opened the bag and peeked inside. He¡¯d never seen breads and cakes like these before. They were shaped like delicate flowers. Without warning, a distinct aroma wafted up and filled his nostrils. He almost started drooling on the spot before he snapped himself out of it.

    ¡°How much was everything? I¡¯ll send the money over now¡ª¡± Luca began, but he stopped after raising his head.

    The man was nowhere to be seen. He¡¯d silently departed while Luca was busy examining the baked goods.

    Nomzy: Tuff Tuff King, we were trying to tell you he was leaving but you weren¡¯t looking at the chat

    Green_Gales: Random act of kindness from a stranger?!

    Luca blinked rapidly a few times. He wore a very lost expression.

    <hr>

    If it was possible to go back in time, I would have told myself to hire even more temporary staff for the grand opening.

    We had been expecting a lot of visitors, but none of us had been truly prepared for the utter swarm of people that mobbed the Cherrygrove Gym. They came in endless waves and flooded every inch of the gardens outside. The gym lobby was similarly packed to the brim with people already. It made me tremendously happy to know there were so many people who wanted to see the Gym, but it also filled me with a sense of anxiety.

    I was stationed in my personal office and listening to people talk over the comms link in my ear.

    While I listened to reports from security guards and League trainers stationed at different checkpoints, I checked monitors attached to my laptop. They were synched to the feeds in the monitor room. The Porygon family was supposed to notify me if they flagged any suspicious individuals, but I felt more at ease when I checked the security cameras myself.

    So far, so good.

    Each of my gym trainers was off doing different things. Haru and Souta were helping other staffers hand out pamphlets near the entrances, and dad and Neil were out there somewhere in the gardens happily leading tours. The rest of my gym trainers were spread out around the gym lobby or on the rooftop garden. Even though it was outside the scope of their jobs, the Chester siblings were helping out by manning the gift shop and pop-up bakery.

    Speaking of which, the goods we had for sale were selling out like hotcakes. The bakers I¡¯d contracted with had told me they would bake more in time for a second round of sales in the afternoon. Kari had also notified me that she was going to pull more merchandise out of the warehouse later.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    I couldn¡¯t have heard sweeter news. Maintaining a gym and all of its Pokemon took a lot more money than most people realized. I had enough personal funds to cover gym upkeep and salaries, but I couldn¡¯t rely on my own money forever. The gym needed to be able to sustain itself in the years to come.

    We just needed to keep up this momentum for the rest of the day¡ª

    ¡°Um, Arin?¡±

    Haru¡¯s hesitant voice filtered through from my comms link. So much for no issues.

    I was fully alert before he finished saying my name. My expression was one of concern as I brought a hand up to my ear. Aside from the higher than expected visitor count, I hadn¡¯t thought anyone would be directly contacting me over the comms so soon.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked urgently. My heart started beating a little faster in my chest as I conjured up dozens of bad scenarios, everything from unwelcome intruders to medical emergencies and more.

    ¡°Nothing serious,¡± Haru quickly reassured. I relaxed a bit, but I was still tense as I turned up the volume on my earpiece.

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯m still at my position by the north entrance. There are three ladies with me ¡ª well, one of them is an elderly woman, and another is a teenager ¡ª and they claim to know you? They were asking if you could meet them. I tried telling them you¡¯re busy at the moment, but they¡¯re very insistent. Uh¡­ politely insistent.¡±

    My brows flew up. Three ladies¡­ elderly woman¡­ As I ruminated quietly to myself, Haru went on.

    ¡°They said something about being fellow Fairy Specialists, I don¡¯t know if¡ª¡±

    A lightbulb went off in my head.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± I practically yelled into my comms link.

    My head shot up so fast that I almost snapped my neck in half. In two long strides, I marched over to the closest window and tried peering down.

    It took some effort to spot Haru out of the crowd, but I managed to find him. My jaw dropped when I also caught sight of three individuals standing around my gym trainer, all wearing distinct and eye-catching clothing.

    Holy Moltres. That was Opal, Valerie, and Mina down there.

    I had a million and more questions running through my mind like what the heck they were doing here and not on the other side of the world, but I picked up my jaw and tapped my ear piece rapidly.

    ¡°They¡¯re not suspicious, but stay there! I¡¯m coming out now!¡± I told Haru.

    I barely heard him reply with a nervous affirmative before I sprinted out of my office and down the stairs. If I had more time, I would have checked a mirror, but I settled for hastily readjusting my already perfect tie and hair as I ran.

    They¡¯d truly caught me off-guard, especially Opal. Wasn¡¯t she too old to be taking trips halfway across the world?!

    If they¡¯d told me in advance, I could have prepared a better reception for them!

    Shouts of recognition filled the air as people spotted me descending the first floor staircase. I only offered the excited visitors a brief wave and smile before hurrying the rest of the way. I practically jumped down the last few steps and out the doors.

    I didn¡¯t need to announce myself. Haru saw my emerging figure right away, and his conflicted expression melted into one of relief. He was clutching the pile of pamphlets he held like lifelines.

    ¡°Arin, over here¡­¡± Haru trailed off, and he glanced nervously at the ladies next to him.

    Mina spotted me first and waved energetically. Her entire face lit up.

    ¡°Arin!¡± she all but sang. ¡°Heyyyy! Alola, alola!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t wearing paint-covered overalls or a tunic like she normally did; instead, she was wearing some clean clothing for once ¡ª a shocker! ¡ª and a tote bag with a Ribombee face printed on it. Mina had evidently forgotten to scrub off paint from her face, though, judging by the colorful streaks of pink and blue smeared across her cheeks that weren¡¯t hidden by her hair. Typical Mina.

    Haru¡¯s brows shot up at the Alolan greeting, but I took it in stride and waved back. Since it seemed like I had the situation under control, Haru took the chance to escape and hand out more pamphlets to visitors.

    ¡°Hey! What are you guys doing here?¡± I asked. I stopped in front of them with eyes as wide as saucers much to Valerie¡¯s amusement. Soft chuckles poured out of her like chimes as she brought a kimono sleeve to her mouth.

    She was wearing an alternate version of her usual kimono getup today, a more casual dress with softer hues of pink. Her contact lenses were in place. I used to be frightened of them like most people were when they saw her for the first time, but I¡¯d quickly gotten used to the ¡®fae¡¯ look she was trying to emulate.

    ¡°Oh my, your look of surprise was worth it,¡± she said out loud in response. The mirth in her voice was practically visible. ¡°We came to visit and support your grand opening, of course!¡±

    That meant a lot to me, especially when I knew Valerie wasn¡¯t particularly fond of Johto. She had plenty of bad memories from her childhood in Ecruteak. I didn¡¯t know the specifics, but I knew she¡¯d left home and the stifling environment she¡¯d been a part of. She¡¯d settled down in Kalos and ultimately pursued her dreams there.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Mina piped up. ¡°Fairy Specialists are few and far in between. We gotta stick together!¡±

    ¡°Yes, and we wanted to see how you were doing, child,¡± Opal tacked on. She idly stroked the shawl draped over her shoulders. ¡°Have you been taking proper care of yourself? You look a little thin.¡±

    The concern in her brittle voice was enough to warm my chest. I¡¯d never known my own grandmother as she¡¯d died before I was even born, but I considered Opal to be like one to me. She¡¯d looked out for me during my time in Galar.

    ¡°I am, I am,¡± I quickly reassured, and now it was my turn to voice my concerns. ¡°Are you alright? Flying all the way here from Galar isn¡¯t easy.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Opal sniffed. She waved a thin hand through the air in a dismissive manner. ¡°I may be getting older, but I still have energy left in me. The trip left something to be desired, but it wasn¡¯t terrible. Also¡­¡±

    Opal trailed off, staring at me with a contemplative expression.

    I stood completely still under her assessing gaze. Why did it feel like I¡¯d been transported back to my Galar Gym Challenge days?

    Eventually, Opal nodded her head with a small smile. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. It¡¯s not as flashy as I would have expected, but your outfit has enough pink. Pass.¡±

    I knew her judgment was made half in jest, but I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t known I was holding. Opal may have been an elderly woman on the verge of retirement, but she was still a figure I highly respected and had gratitude towards.

    She could also be incredibly scary.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and I ignored how there was a questioning lilt at the end. ¡°Uhh¡­ sorry, I guess I¡¯m still kind of shocked you¡¯re all here. Why don¡¯t we go inside and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Finally found you! Valerie, please don¡¯t run off like that next time. Diantha said we were supposed to stick together,¡± a familiar voice called out in a mildly annoyed tone.

    My brows flew up as a tall blonde man stalked towards us with a bag in hand.

    ¡°What the¡ª Siebold?¡± I blinked rapidly.

    Putting aside my fellow Fairy Specialists, I never would have expected to see a Kalos Elite Four member here. I hadn¡¯t seen him in years.

    The chef¡¯s annoyed expression smoothed itself out a bit when he saw me. ¡°Ah, Arin, it¡¯s good to see you again. I see Valerie found you first.¡±

    I swung my head to look at Valerie with questionable eyes. She brushed nonexistent lint off her clothes.

    ¡°Well, when I mentioned to Diantha I wanted to visit, she said it wouldn¡¯t be proper or safe to go by myself,¡± Valerie explained. She looked like she was on the verge of pouting. ¡°So Siebold decided to come with me since he was interested in seeing you again and talking about Johto cuisine¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting!¡± Siebold¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of food, and he held up the bag he had. ¡°I helped this young man buy food earlier since he seemed so desperate, but that¡¯s not the point. What are these breads and cakes, Arin? I wanted to talk to the bakers inside, but I didn¡¯t want to hold the line up. The way they¡¯ve infused floral scents into these is simply marvelous!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Mina whined, and she glared at Siebold. ¡°No talking about food! You¡¯re going to end up talking to Arin for hours because of it, and I wanna hang out with him when it¡¯s been so long.¡±

    ¡°Non, non. I must talk to Arin about his design choices. Arin, I took a peek inside the Gym already and it looks beautiful¡ª¡± Valerie tried to interject, but Mina and Siebold clamored over her with their own voices. A fight unraveled in front of my eyes about what everyone wanted to do.

    ¡°Children, please, no fighting¡­¡± Opal sighed with a roll of her eyes.

    I stood there awkwardly trying to process what the hell was going on. My brain was about a few stops away from short-circuiting completely as I tried to process the fact that I had many visiting friends from afar¡­ or foreign dignitaries as they were.

    ¡°MINA!¡± another familiar voice yelled, and I stared at the newcomer approaching us.

    It was Kukui. The normally cheerful Professor had a look of disapproval as he stared at the girl standing next to me. Mina audibly gulped.

    ¡°I-I-I was buying stuff at the gift shop!¡± she stammered. ¡°They had cool art prints and posters in there!¡±

    ¡°Still, how could you run off and leave me behind?¡± Kukui scolded as he stomped up to us. ¡°I promised your parents I¡¯d supervise you on this trip, I don¡¯t want to get in trouble with them¡ª oh, hi Arin!¡±

    Kukui finally realized I was there and offered a belated, awkward smile. I stared at him with a deadpan expression.

    ¡°I¡­ Kukui?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me,¡± Kukui answered my dazed question. He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Sorry, I was going to give you word in advance that I¡¯d be visiting, but the others told me not to. I swear they have a malicious streak for surprising people¡­¡±

    ¡°¡®Others?¡¯¡± I echoed with suspicion.

    Kukui¡¯s eyes widened. He shrunk back a bit.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just here to learn more about Kanto-Johto culture before I go back home. Wanted to learn about the League structure and bring back ideas, you know¡­¡± Kukui blabbered on with wide eyes. I felt like smacking my forehead with my hand.

    Arceus, this wasn¡¯t the last surprise, was it¡ª

    Someone whistled, and it wasn¡¯t any of us.

    ¡°Wow, you guys all gathered pretty fast,¡± another voice called, and I almost dreaded turning my head. I recognized that voice, too.

    Annnnd I was right. It was Raihan. The lanky Gym Leader crossed the distance in just a few steps and slung an arm over my shoulder in a friendly gesture. His Rotom Phone was spinning through the air around him. I almost wanted to tell him to put it away so he¡¯d be less conspicuous.

    ¡°Hey, congrats on your grand opening!¡± Raihan cheered, and he made a peace sign with his free hand. ¡°Say ¡®Snom!¡¯¡±

    That was all the warning I got before his phone flew in front of our faces and started snapping pictures. I swiveled my head to look at him.

    I wore an absolutely bewildered expression at this point.

    ¡°You came to visit, too?!¡± I wanted to screech, but I kept it down to a strangled whisper instead.

    Raihan just smirked at me.

    ¡°Your surprised face is hilarious,¡± the man snorted with laughter. ¡°Hey, it was either me or Leon. Someone needed to go with dear Opal and keep her safe, and I volunteered before Leon could. Any vacation is a nice vacation.¡±

    That¡­ made a little more sense. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted Opal to be alone in a foreign country by herself either.

    She seemed to think otherwise.

    ¡°Oh please,¡± the elderly woman sniffed. ¡°I keep telling you all that I¡¯m not that old yet. Stop treating me like I can¡¯t do anything.¡±

    Raihan finally let go of me and threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender.

    ¡°Orders from the top,¡± Raihan whistled. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job.¡±

    Everyone chatted with each other about how they¡¯d been and small things like that. Meanwhile, I stood there and rapidly clenched and unclenched a fist.

    ¡°Wait, so you all came just for the grand opening?¡± I asked to be sure.

    ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± Raihan replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but it¡¯s break season for the Galar League right now.¡±

    ¡°And your Champions gave permission for this¡­ joint outing?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Where are you guys staying? Do you need to crash at my place? Is this all of you?¡±

    ¡°I mean, we dumped our stuff at the League HQ in Indigo Plateau for now¡ª¡±

    I held up a hand to stop him.

    ¡°Excuse me? Did you just say the League HQ?¡± I repeated. That had a lot of implications.

    Lance¡¯s random laughing sticker last night¡­ couldn¡¯t have been¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s the Champion!¡± someone yelled out nearby, and suddenly people everywhere were screaming and yelling out words of adoration. It took about twenty seconds, but the crowd gradually parted to reveal Lance and his¡­ crew of companions.

    Yeah, my brain was temporarily fried when I saw who he was accompanied by.

    A familiar father and son duo was with him, Steven and Joseph Stone. Steven was waving back to the crowd and smiling with practiced ease. The Stones were the wealthiest people in Hoenn and probably one of the top three richest families in the Kinjoh Area, period. I already knew about those two visiting, but I was not prepared for who else I saw.

    On the other side of the Stones was a familiar hulking figure: Drake, the Dragon Master of Hoenn. I had somehow endeared myself to him after a certain meeting where I told him and his Dragon types to kindly fuck off. Apparently, that had been enough to get myself in his good books as a kid who had guts.

    Alder was there with his hands shoved casually into his pockets. He hadn¡¯t bothered combing his messy hair, but he¡¯d actually shaved this time. Next to him was Volkner from Sinnoh. He was still wearing his iconic blue jacket. We¡¯d become friends after I gave him a thrilling enough gym challenge during my run of the Sinnoh League Circuit. He was a chill guy, if not a bit lazy in the eyes of others.

    The people I was most surprised by were¡­

    The Paldea Elite Four.

    Larry, Hassel, Rika, and even Poppy. They were all here, and the adults in the group sauntered towards us. Every single one of them had gloves on like they were expecting a battle to go down any second.

    And of course, in the middle of this whole entourage was Lance, our beloved Indigo Champion. The carmine-haired male caught my gaze and smiled innocently, raising a hand in a wave.

    ¡°Hello, Arin, I hope your grand opening has been off to a good start so far,¡± he greeted with thinly-veiled humor. He looked like a Meowth that had gotten the cream, and that¡¯s when I knew this all traced back to Lance.

    He had to have known all these people were coming. There was no way so many foreign dignitaries would be allowed into another country without prior notice being given, and apparently Lance hadn¡¯t wanted to spoil the surprise for me. I seriously considered smacking him in the face for a moment.

    Ah, but then I would get arrested for assaulting the leader of the country. Shame.

    I had to school my face into some degree of composure as I stared at Lance.

    ¡°It has,¡± I readily agreed, and one of my eyes twitched in place. ¡°Glad to see you could make it. Though¡­ I would have liked advance notice seeing as we have very important guests in attendance.¡±

    Lance coughed into his fist. ¡°Yes, well¡­ forgive me. I thought it¡¯d be fun to not be on the end of surprises this time around. I found myself surprised anyway,¡± he replied, and his eyes darted momentarily to Poppy.

    He looked back at me with raised brows, and I immediately understood that I was going to have to explain why the hell a young child was an Elite Four later.

    A reasonable inquiry in all aspects. Even the new Mossdeep Gym Leaders in Hoenn, Tate and Liza, weren¡¯t as young as Poppy was.

    ¡°Anyway, peace offering?¡± Lance joked, and he raised what looked like a gift bag in front of his face. ¡°Consider this a gym-warming gift so to speak.¡±

    I felt my previous frustrations and shock melting away as I feigned annoyance. It wasn¡¯t like Lance had had ill intentions at heart.

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to get you off the hook¡ª¡±

    I had to stop when Poppy launched herself at me like a speeding bullet. For such a small girl, she could give surprisingly heavy hugs, and I felt tiny hands latching onto my legs with the death grip of a Komala.

    ¡°Arin, Arin, are you surprised? I begged Mommy until she said I could come visit!¡± Poppy babbled in an adorable voice, one that I had missed dearly.

    I leaned down and patted her head, not bothering to pry her off my limbs.

    ¡°Yeah, you got me,¡± I admitted, and Poppy giggled. I was still patting her head when the other newcomers crowded around me.

    ¡°What, no greeting for us?¡± Rika joked, and she slapped me on the back. I let out an oomph from the hit.

    ¡°Give me a moment to process things,¡± I complained, but I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread across my face. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you guys. Really. All of you.¡±

    ¡°Heh. That¡¯s more like it,¡± Rika smirked. Before she got a chance to say anything else, a second human being attached themselves to me. Hassel threw his arms around me in a dramatic hug.

    ¡°ARIN, MY BOY! YOU LOOK SO THIN!¡± he wailed, and I refrained from rolling my eyes. Opal had said something earlier, but I was pretty sure I still looked the same.

    So overprotective.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I kept repeating the same thing over and over, but Hassel wouldn¡¯t let go. I was forced to deal with two human Komalas as Drake stepped up to me with a raised brow.

    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re more popular than I thought,¡± Drake said with an amused huff, and he stuck a hand out. I had to awkwardly maneuver a hand around Hassel¡¯s body, and I tried not to wince when Drake and I shook hands. The man¡¯s grip was as strong as ever.

    ¡°Good to see you, Drake. Why did¡ª¡±

    He jerked a thumb at Steven before I even finished. ¡°If the Champion can fucking slack off and find time to play, so can I,¡± he said proudly. ¡°Figured I¡¯d pester him about finding me an Altarianite while we¡¯re both here, plus I can say hi to you. So many Pidgey taken down with one stone, eh?¡±

    Steven looked mildly disturbed at that. He coughed as he stepped up and adjusted his tie.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t ask further,¡± he kindly requested with a smile torn between amusement and pain. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking as hard as possible, Drake, but I haven¡¯t found one yet. Anyway,¡± he paused and turned to me with a friendly smile, ¡°as promised, here I am with my father. We¡¯ve brought gifts as a show of our appreciation. Dad?¡±

    Mr. Stone stepped up with a welcoming smile. I felt my eyes soften at the sight of him. My first year as a trainer had been rough, but I¡¯d been lucky enough to get the Devon Corporation as a sponsor after I showed that I was worth the investment. Mr. Stone had done a lot for me.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, my dear boy. I always knew you¡¯d go places, but to think you became a Gym Leader,¡± Mr. Stone mused out loud, and we shook hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll always be grateful for your help back then,¡± I said sincerely, and we smiled at each other.

    Then Mr. Stone handed me a decidedly suspicious looking suitcase with a bright smile.

    ¡°Some gym-warming gifts like my son mentioned,¡± he explained. ¡°Extra Pokeballs for new gym Pokemon, medicine, some Moon Stones¡ª¡±

    ¡°Moon Stones?¡± I stared at him. It wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t afford those, but that was still a pricey gift to hand over.

    Mr. Stone smoothly continued talking as if I hadn¡¯t interrupted. ¡°Also some TMs we had lying around, Egg incubators, and various other trainer goods. Hopefully they come in handy.¡±

    When I continued staring at him with disbelief, he shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Consider it an investment into your future once again,¡± Mr. Stone said simply, and his eyes gained a hopeful gleam. ¡°Perhaps we could talk later about advertisements?¡±

    Aha. I knew there had to be something he wanted. As nice as Mr. Stone was, he was still a businessman. By advertisements, he was probably talking about ads for the next League Circuit season. Gyms usually recorded and broadcasted gym matches to the public, and lots of companies fought to have their logos displayed in the arena¡¯s background.

    I didn¡¯t mind humoring him. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Mr. Stone beamed, and even Steven seemed pleased. Like father, like son.

    This somehow led to a fight between everyone else as argued over who had the nicest gym-warming gifts. Apparently they¡¯d all brought something for me. While people squabbled, I finally pried Hassel and Poppy off my body.

    ¡°Who would have thought we¡¯d be seeing so many familiar faces here?¡± Alder guffawed, and I looked up at him after setting Poppy to the side.

    ¡°You sure you can be here, oh Champion sir?¡± I asked with a skeptical smile.

    ¡°I mean, everyone else sent someone from their country,¡± Alder defended himself. ¡°Unova can¡¯t be left out! I brought a gym-warming gift, too, you know!¡±

    I was in the middle of consoling Alder when a snort of laughter to my right caught my attention. Volkner waved a hand through the air in embarrassment.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry,¡± he drawled in a soft voice. ¡°I just thought it was funny how chaotic this ended up being.¡± He paused for a moment to shake my hand, smiling. ¡°Been a long time, huh? Every year, I keep hoping for challengers that¡¯ll bring a good fight like you did.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t slip back into your indifferent ways,¡± I warned him with a playful grin.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Volkner promised, and he looked scared for a moment. ¡°Cynthia might have my head if I do. Anyway, I¡¯m here to increase the Sinnoh headcount I guess. Cynthia heard there were a bunch of Hoenn officials coming, so she wanted to play catch-up.¡±

    I nodded slowly to myself. It was starting to seem like everyone was trying to compete with each other and show off their prowess.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ What should we do¡­¡± I mused out loud.

    Everyone quieted down and turned to me with expectant expressions.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to hang out, right?¡± Mina asked with Teddiursa eyes.

    ¡°No! Big brother¡¯s mine!¡± Poppy cried out defiantly, and then the peace broke as fighting broke out again.

    The commotion was beginning to draw people¡¯s attention at this point. When you had known public figures like me or Lance together with others like Steven or Volkner, it definitely attracted curious gazes. I supposed it was a good thing people didn¡¯t know who the rest of the group was yet. This was the equivalent of a star-studded celebrity cast.

    As I listened to everyone squabble like children, though, I felt like I was going to get a headache much like a Psyduck.

    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± I hurriedly called out, and I clapped my hands together. Our chaotic group fell silent. ¡°Um, I need to wait for and greet some guests that I¡¯m expecting soon, but why don¡¯t I give you guys a tour after that? We can do the stamp rally I guess.¡±

    ¡°Stamp rally?¡± Lance raised a brow in amusement, and I tried not to laugh out loud.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said with as serious of an expression as I could muster. ¡°You¡¯ll get free stuff if you collect enough stamps.¡±

    This amused almost everyone except for the youngest members of the group, Poppy and Mina, but none more so than the wealthy Stones.

    Since our plans were settled, I called for a staff member and had them direct everyone to a private guest room on the second floor. Hopefully they got along with each other while I was gone. Without realizing it, a sigh of relief left me when the colorful and chaotic group finally left my sight.

    How the hell were we going to walk around later undisturbed¡­ I didn¡¯t think it was happening.

    With a resolute expression, I turned back around and faced the gardens. I¡¯d think about that later. Now that I was outside, I figured I¡¯d wait for other VIPs to show up.

    Those included the Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders I¡¯d invited.

    The first ones to arrive were, surprisingly enough, the Waterflower sisters.

    ¡°Hi Arin, so good to see you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your gym is so CUTE!¡±

    ¡°Can we kidnap your gym¡¯s Goldeen? I¡¯m just joking of course¡ª¡±

    I¡¯d only interacted with them briefly before on National Day, but they were as outgoing as they¡¯d been back then. It was difficult keeping up with their high-paced chatter, but I appreciated how friendly they were.

    This time, they¡¯d brought their youngest sister, Misty, with them. Apparently she was going to take over the Cerulean Gym in a year. They wished me good luck on the evening show, dumped gym-warming gifts in my hands, and then they dragged Misty with them to explore the gardens.

    They¡¯d come and gone like tornados or forces of nature.

    I looked at the stuff in my hands and got a sense of foreboding. I spoke into my mind and called my Hatterene over to me. I was going to need someone to Teleport gifts back to my office.

    Somehow, I got the sense there were going to be a lot more gifts coming if the morning¡¯s events so far were anything to go by.

    I was not proven wrong.

    Janine was the next to drop by, and she brought with her some items wrapped in traditional Johtonese silk.

    ¡°Greetings, Arin. May this day find you well,¡± the teenager greeted politely. I felt obligated to do the same. When she raised her head, Janine passed the items off to me with the faintest smile. ¡°My father has asked me to pass along his congratulations as well. I can¡¯t stay for the time being, but I¡¯ll return in the afternoon for this evening show. Goodbye.¡±

    She disappeared before I could even blink. That was¡­ sudden.

    Two more Kanto Gym Leaders dropped by in rapid succession. Lt. Surge was as quick as lightning, merely stuffing my arms with a gift and heartily slapping my shoulder before vanishing. He also left a warning about keeping up security which I obviously heeded. The Lieutenant¡¯s visit was followed by Blaine, the leader of the Cinnabar Gym.

    To be honest, I hadn¡¯t expected him to show up to the grand opening. He was said to be a reclusive man. He used to be more outgoing, but two different wars had taken their emotional tolls on him, and he spent most of his days now holed up in his laboratory. Still, nobody did not know of Blaine Katsura. He was a genius scientist who had helped with the development of Ditto cells (now used widely in Pokemon healthcare) and a renowned war veteran.

    ¡°Congratulations, young man,¡± was all he said. He gave me his gift and an inscrutable look to go with it, and then he departed.

    Strange, but at least he was more polite than rumors suggested.

    The streak of Kanto Gym Leader visits was broken by Whitney, and she did not show up by herself.

    ¡°Hi Arin! These are my parents and grandparents,¡± Whitney beamed as she gestured to the people around her. She brought some fun office decorations for me.

    Her family and I exchanged respectful greetings. I thought it was sweet that Whitney liked spending time with her family, and I watched her skip away to the gardens with a smile.

    Two other ladies stopped by. One of them was Haru¡¯s mom. I¡¯d kept it a secret from Haru, but since he sometimes wondered out loud about how his mom was doing in Olivine, I thought I would invite her to come spend the day with her son once his shift was over. I¡¯d paid for her plane ticket of course. She was a nice lady, and I could see how Haru had taken after her.

    The second person was Hazel¡¯s sister. She came today dressed in casual wear instead of her usual lab coat, and she handed me a thank-you gift for taking care of her younger brother all this time¡­ famous herbal cookies from Violet City I¡¯d seen advertised on TV a few times. I planned on sharing them with dad later.

    ¡°W-What? Sis?¡± Hazel gaped at his sister. I¡¯d called him outside to take his break early, and he seemed surprised to see her.

    ¡°Jeez, you really thought I wouldn¡¯t come check out our city¡¯s Gym?¡± Beryl teased, and she ruffled her brother¡¯s hair. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s my day off and I want to hang out with you.¡±

    They departed in the direction of the gardens, but not before Hazel yawned a few times and got his head playfully smacked by his sister in the process.

    While waiting for other Gym Leaders, I ended up greeting Mayor Sotheby and a horde of Cherrygrove locals who¡¯d come to support me. I felt embarrassed when I saw they¡¯d brought flags with my faces on them, and I playfully shooed them away to another part of the Gym.

    Amusingly enough, Old Man Finn had been a part of their group. He hurriedly hid a Cherrygrove Gym banner from me, but I saw it anyway.

    My next visitor was Sabrina Natsume.

    The twenty-six-year-old woman was Indigo¡¯s best psychic, and she was honestly a little intimidating. I hadn¡¯t expected her to show up either, but she had, and she brought gifts of her own.

    Some¡­ strange-looking kokeshi dolls and traditional amulets used for good luck and protection, but I was still appreciative.

    Perhaps she was friendlier than she seemed?

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll decorate my office with these,¡± I promised.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I imagined things or not, but I felt like Sabrina¡¯s lips twitched upwards in the briefest of smiles.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m glad you find them pleasing¡ª¡± Sabrina began, but she stopped talking mid-sentence.

    Slowly, she turned her head and looked somewhere in the distance. I tried following her gaze, but I had no idea what she was looking at. The moat? The gardens beyond?

    ¡°Sabrina?¡± I prompted with an uneasy expression.

    The Saffron Gym Leader did not respond for several seconds. Eventually, she shifted her gaze back to me and dipped her head.

    ¡°My apologies,¡± the woman murmured. ¡°I thought I¡­ never mind. I¡¯m not good with crowds. I¡¯d best be going now. Congratulations again on your grand opening.¡±

    I barely managed to smile at her before the woman walked away, probably off to find a safe spot in the Dark type blockade where she could Teleport back to her Gym.

    I was pleased when Professor Oak came and found me. I still saw him and Daisy around the house sometimes, but the visits were less frequent.

    ¡°Wonderful gym, Arin,¡± Oak praised, and he grasped my shoulder with a warm hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to your matches next League Circuit.¡±

    Daisy echoed the same and handed me some gifts from their family. I peeked to the side and noticed their usual group of two was a little larger today. Someone else was with them, a teenage boy with spiky brown hair and cold-looking eyes. A pendant hung around his neck.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce you sooner,¡± Oak apologized once he noticed me staring. He smiled brightly and nudged the boy forward with a hand. ¡°This is my grandson, Blue. He just finished the Hoenn League Circuit and came back home. Did you know he got top two? I¡¯m so proud of him¡­¡±

    Oak rambled on while I exchanged handshakes with his grandson. So this was Blue¡­ I definitely saw the family resemblance.

    ¡°Thanks for taking care of Gramps,¡± Blue said politely with a stiff nod of his head. I thought he was going to say more, but he left it at that and retracted his hand. Not the most talkative guy it seemed.

    ¡°Blue¡¯s taking the next year off to spend time with us,¡± Oak explained. He exchanged some sort of worried look with Daisy before continuing. ¡°Would it be alright if I bring him by the backyard sometimes? He might be a trainer at heart, but he¡¯s interested in research as well.¡±

    I wondered if there was family drama going on that I wasn¡¯t aware of, but it wasn¡¯t my place to pry. I nodded my head and gave my assent instead.

    After the Oaks left, Erika came by with dozens of gifts carried by her gym trainers.

    ¡°The gardens are wonderful, Arin!¡± she gushed, and she clapped her hands together in delight. Her usual reserved self seemed to have flown out the window. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to wander through them yet, but they¡¯re so delightful from what I¡¯ve seen already. Oh, please enjoy these gifts. I brought vitamins for Pokemon and gardening-related goods¡­¡±

    I¡¯d almost forgotten Erika was the daughter of an old and wealthy family in Kanto.

    The last Kanto Gym Leader to show up was Giovanni.

    ¡°Congratulations, Arin. The Cherrygrove Gym looks splendid,¡± the older Gym Leader complimented in earnest. He handed me a gift of his own, some rare flowers from Floaroma over in Sinnoh that he¡¯d imported. ¡°I¡¯ve heard these are gifted for good fortune. I hope your first year as a Gym Leader is a good one.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said sincerely, and I clutched the flowerpot with a tight grip. Dad would probably be pleased when he saw these later. ¡°Will you be staying for the evening show?¡±

    A look of regret crossed Giovanni¡¯s face. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to, I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve slotted in extra challengers this weekend since the Kanto League Circuit is almost over. Everyone wants to challenge my Gym for their last badge. Let¡¯s talk again next time.¡±

    With a wave and another apology, Giovanni returned to Viridian City.

    After he left, the rest of the Johto Gym Leaders ¡ª Morty, Jasmine, and Bugsy ¡ª arrived in a group.

    ¡°Congratulations on your grand opening, Arin,¡± Morty and Jasmine both told me.

    ¡°C-Congrats!¡± Bugsy echoed in a fainter voice. He smiled shyly.

    I chatted excitedly with them after taking their gifts. All three of them were going to stay the whole day to explore. Compared to the Kanto Gym Leaders, us Johto Gym Leaders had way more free time since our League Circuit had ended.

    We planned to take advantage of the fact that we were all in the same place for once and hang out.

    ¡°Would you like to meet some of my other friends?¡± I asked, and I scratched my cheek. ¡°I promised to hang out with them as well. It might be fun to go around as a large group.¡±

    I¡¯d already given up on the idea of walking around without disturbance. Even if we threw on disguises, people would see through them instantly. Thus, I decided it would be nice if we could focus on fostering international bonds.

    Morty, Jasmine, and even Bugsy agreed, so I brought them back to the room where everyone was waiting.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re back!¡± Kukui called out with a cheerful grin, and all eyes turned to me and the Johto Gym Leaders next to me. My fellow Gym Leaders seemed shocked to see Lance in the room, and their faces paled further when they saw Steven, Volkner, and other foreign leaders they recognized.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good to see you three,¡± Lance greeted amicably with a dip of his head, and Morty¡¯s brows flew up to his hairline.

    ¡°Did we miss something, Lance?¡± he questioned out loud.

    Lance tried not to squirm in his seat. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be too shocked, but¡­¡±

    I think we ended up wasting at least ten minutes on introductions and greetings. By the end of it, Bugsy looked ready to faint, and Morty and Jasmine gave me side looks along the lines of what the hell have you brought us into.

    I shrugged my shoulders helplessly.

    Apparently everyone else had¡­ sort of¡­ introduced themselves at the Indigo League¡¯s HQ when the foreign dignitaries arrived and dropped off their luggage, but there was one thing that still shocked them greatly.

    Poppy.

    The look on Steven and Jasmine¡¯s faces was priceless when I told them she was a Steel Specialist and Elite Four member.

    ¡°Paldea lets such young children hold significant posts?¡± Steven asked in a bewildered voice, something that was entirely out of character for him. He looked like someone had told him Beldum didn¡¯t evolve.

    There were times when trainers could get and own a Pokemon before the age of fifteen, something called a Youngster License, but it still came with restrictions and wasn¡¯t given out willy-nilly. Other exceptions were made for talented individuals like Maylene of Sinnoh or Tate and Liza of Hoenn who came from reputable families that succeeded their posts from generation to generation, but it was still rare to find a literal child as an Elite Four member.

    Steven and Jasmine both peered down at that child now. Poppy stared back up at them with big, unblinking eyes that reminded me of a young Deerling.

    ¡°Hi?¡± she asked, and she tilted her head cutely.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Steven¡¯s brows furrowed, but Jasmine was a lost cause already. I could practically hear her chest skipping a beat as she leaned down and patted Poppy¡¯s head gently.

    ¡°What an adorable child¡­¡± she whispered.

    Poppy gave a huge, toothy smile that practically blinded everyone in the room.

    ¡°I like you!¡± she told Jasmine with all the sincerity of a kid, and Jasmine¡¯s heart melted further. She ended up scooping Poppy up into her arms, and I knew then and there Poppy had a new big sister.

    Poppy pointed eagerly at the door.

    ¡°STAMP RALLY!¡± she said excitedly.

    I gave an exaggerated bow.

    ¡°Off we go.¡±

    <hr>

    If someone had told me ten years ago that I¡¯d be walking around with a menagerie of Champions, Gym Leaders, Elite Fours, and a Professor, I would have rolled over and fainted on the spot.

    I still couldn¡¯t believe it now.

    I did my best to ignore the stares and excited whispers that followed us wherever we went. It felt unreal walking around with all these people I¡¯d met over the years and seeing them interact with each other.

    ¡°What kind of phone is that?¡± Steven inquired. He and his father were walking next to Raihan and couldn¡¯t stop staring at his Rotom Phone that kept flying around.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Rotom Phone,¡± Raihan explained with a smirk. Steven and his father both stared at him.

    ¡°As in¡­ a Rotom in a phone?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s pretty common in the Galovea Continent.¡±

    Steven and his father stared at said phone with renewed fascination. Our phones weren¡¯t nearly as advanced as the other side of the world, and Rotom were quite scarce over here on top of that. There was no way the Devon Corporation was going to be able to mass produce anything like the Rotom Phones, but I wasn¡¯t going to be surprised if I saw something similar in the market sooner or later.

    I had my own attention split between multiple conversations while my brain tried to keep up. Poppy somehow found the energy to poke my arm every couple of seconds while chatting happily with her new favorite sister, Jasmine, and Valerie and Mina couldn¡¯t stop pestering me about what I¡¯d been up to. I also had Siebold asking me questions about Johto cuisine that I couldn¡¯t answer. When I told him I¡¯d teach him some simple recipes over lunch, he got twice as excited.

    Lance and Kukui were busy discussing boring stuff like the structure of the Indigo League and gyms, and Opal and Morty were in an animated conversation about old folktales. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever seen Opal so pleased with another individual before. I was sure that if Morty wasn¡¯t a Ghost Specialist, she would have kidnapped him on the spot to become her successor to the Ballonlea Gym.

    It was odd, but I saw Volkner and Jasmine sneaking glances at each other when they thought the other wasn¡¯t looking. Did they know each other already? Or was it the case of love at first sight?

    I had no idea, but the latter thought made me smile.

    Bugsy was getting along surprisingly well with Alder. This was in no small part due to the fact that Alder was in the possession of an incredibly strong Bug type.

    ¡°And this Volcarona was worshiped in ancient times?¡± Bugsy asked excitedly.

    ¡°They still are in some parts of Unova,¡± Alder replied with a sage nod of his head.

    ¡°How big is your Volcarona?¡±

    ¡°Nine feet tall.¡±

    ¡°WOW! Do you have any pictures?!¡±

    The Paldea gang was chattering in my ears about how sullen Geeta was. Apparently she¡¯d wanted to come, but it was obviously a bad idea for the entire upper echelons of a single country to be out at the same time. Someone needed to stick around in case of an Area Zero incident, so with much regret, Geeta let herself have that role.

    ¡°She pretended she didn¡¯t mind, but it was obvious,¡± Rika muttered. She tapped her chin twice with a gloved finger. ¡°We¡¯ll just take lots of pictures to send back to her.¡±

    Larry was more focused on the stamp rally. Diligent as he was, he had his pamphlet in hand and a ballpoint pen out that he used to trace routes on the gym map. ¡°Hmm, we should take a turn here through the gardens, then exit through the side over here to collect the next one¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the prize anyway?¡± Rika asked curiously, and I gave her a scandalized look.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that!¡± I said, pretending to be horrified. Clearing my throat, I resumed a more normal attitude. ¡°Don¡¯t expect anything too grand. It¡¯s a small prize like I mentioned earlier.¡±

    Rika grinned. ¡°Hmm¡­ Quite intriguing.¡±

    We left it at that. Through the gardens we went collecting stamps from staff members on duty ¡ª dad did a double take when he saw all the notable people I was with ¡ª and then we looped back around to the other side to collect the rest of the outdoor ones.

    Then we went inside the gym and took the elevator to the rooftop where the last remaining stamp was.

    I smiled when I saw how busy the rooftop garden was, or more specifically, the battlefields.

    We had a few battlefields up here that we were letting the public use today, and I saw they were completely filled up with young and eager trainers already. Hoothoot against Zigzagoon, Slowbro against Nuzleaf¡­ Huh, there were a lot more foreign species of Pokemon than I expected to see. I wondered if we had a lot of guests visiting from abroad.

    I was hoping we¡¯d remain undetected, but that was a hopeless wish. The spectators around the battlefields only grew more rowdy once they saw me, Lance, and everyone else I was with. We even accidentally distracted two trainers in the middle of their match and caused them to draw with each other.

    Oops.

    I herded everyone over to the staffers giving away stamps here.

    ¡°After this, we can go pick up the prizes,¡± I hummed thoughtfully to myself. While everyone was pulling out their pamphlets to have them stamped, I realized Poppy had disappeared. My face paled.

    We didn¡¯t just lose a child, did we?

    Thankfully, when I turned my head, I spotted Poppy right away. She was watching two kids her age battle on a field nearby. It wasn¡¯t illegal for young kids to fight with their Pokemon, but they couldn¡¯t hold very intense battles for obvious reasons.

    I wondered if Poppy was lonely. She had the Paldea Elites to keep her company, but I don¡¯t think she had a lot of friends her actual age.

    ¡°Hey, Poppy¡ª¡±

    ¡°I challenge you to a fight!¡±

    I stopped in my tracks when a little boy marched up to Poppy and held out a scuffed Pokeball. It was probably a young Pokemon not under his ownership, but his parent¡¯s.

    I winced. He had no idea who he was challenging.

    ¡°Come on! It¡¯ll be fun!¡± The other boy encouraged Poppy with a kind smile, so I at least knew he wasn¡¯t being malicious. I moved to steer Poppy away, but her next words sealed the boy¡¯s fate.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Poppy grinned.

    There were aww sounds from the audience when Poppy and the boy stood on opposite sides of a newly emptied battlefield. Little kids wanting to fight a Pokemon battle with each other was cute no matter where in the world you went. I just stood off to the side desperately trying to make eye contact with Poppy.

    She did not see me.

    The youngster fumbled with his Pokeball before throwing it, and out popped a cute Skitty. I only needed one look to appraise it as definitely a household Pokemon.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Poppy stared at the Pokemon curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that Pokemon before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Skitty,¡± the other boy helpfully supplied. ¡°She¡¯s cute, right? Mom gave her to me for my birthday.¡±

    ¡°Oh, me too!¡± Poppy brightened up. She rummaged around in her little purse with her tongue sticking out of her mouth. ¡°I¡­ got one¡­ from Daddy for my birthday, too. Here!¡±

    She finally fished out the Pokeball she was looking for and smiled brightly.

    ¡°This one!¡± she announced proudly, and the crowd made aww sounds again. ¡°Go, Bell!¡±

    Everyone leaned forward in anticipation to see what kind of cute Pokemon the little girl had. I¡¯m sure they were probably thinking of something cute like Teddiursa or Jigglypuff, but alas, they had no idea of Poppy¡¯s true identity.

    Deafening silence filled the rooftop when a six-foot-tall Pokemon with four legs landed with a boom on the field. It weighed over a thousand pounds, and it looked at the Skitty with a very confused expression. The Metagross turned around and gave Poppy a bewildered look, or as close to one that a Metagross could physically imitate.

    The boy took one look at Poppy¡¯s Metagross and blanched. I almost felt sorry for him.

    ¡°I forfeit! I forfeit!¡±

    Poppy recalled her hulking Pokemon and bounced back towards us with a pleased expression.

    ¡°Arin! Arin! I won!¡± she cried out when she saw me watching. I glanced briefly behind my shoulder and saw the rest of the group watching with blank faces.

    Well, except for the Paldea crew. Rika had doubled over with laughter and looked like she was going to pass out from laughing so hard.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go back to the lobby.¡±

    I resolved not to speak of this incident again as we headed down. Everyone showed their collected stamps to the receptionists and got approved for a free gift, which turned out to be their choice of a tiny plushie keychain. The selection included versions of me and my personal Pokemon.

    I tried not to die of embarrassment when everyone unanimously picked up a miniature Arin to take home. Why couldn¡¯t they take one of my Sylveon or something?!

    Arceus dammit.

    After that, I had to split up from the group temporarily to resume work. I checked in on the panel with the Blossom Hall construction workers briefly, and it was going well.

    ¡°We used timber from local varieties of cherry trees that our city is known for¡­¡± I heard Eric say as I passed by the door, and I smiled to myself.

    I hoped they got more projects after today.

    My main work was the interactive exhibit in the battle hall. Some of the more sociable Pokemon who liked playing were going to be out on the field for people to interact with. These included the gym Fidough, Swirlix, and Popplio among a few other species. This was a trial run for playtime days I planned to incorporate at the gym going forward.

    It was a smashing success.

    Tons of people came in and lined up to play with the Pokemon. It was most popular with young kids and families, but I saw plenty of students and older adults enjoying themselves, too.

    ¡°C-Can I really play with this Swirlix?!¡± a girl asked at one point, and I gestured for her to go ahead.

    She squealed and leaned down to pat the little gremlin. The fur of a Swirlix was as sticky as cotton candy, so there were clean towels nearby for people to wipe their hands when they were done. It seemed the girl had come with a massive group of friends, but for some reason, they kept an eye on the girl while they played with the other Pokemon.

    Strange.

    ¡°Are you on a field trip?¡± I asked politely.

    One of the boys closest to me jerked his head up in surprise. ¡°O-Oh, no,¡± he stammered. ¡°We¡¯re just here to see the new Pokemon. We want to be Pokemon researchers someday.¡±

    ¡°Good luck!¡± I told him sincerely. It was an admirable career to want to follow. ¡°Did you read the research paper then?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± another boy piped up a few feet away. His eyes sparkled as he stared at me. ¡°We talked about the Pokevengers paper all week after it came out and have everything memorized by now! Like how Swirlix weighs as much as how much sugar it eats, and¡­¡±

    On and on he ranted with interjections from his friends, and I smiled in amusement to myself. Internally, I felt proud that I had managed to rouse so much interest in Fairy Pokemon already. It was nice to see my efforts bearing fruit.

    After the group of students left, Old Man Finn surprisingly came into the interactive exhibit.

    I raised my brow at him, and he looked away from me with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong!¡± he blurted out. ¡°I just, uh, wanted to see what Fairy type Pokemon were all about.¡±

    He didn¡¯t sound very convincing.

    I watched as Old Man Finn walked slowly with his cane from one gym Pokemon to another. He didn¡¯t interact with them at first, he just eyed them cautiously as if they would bite at his legs any second.

    Then Finn met the opponent known as Fidough.

    One of the dogs came up to him and plopped itself at his feet. The dog tilted its head and barked twice with a happy expression. Its little tail wagged back and forth.

    Finn stared at the dog without moving. Fidough stared back at him.

    Old Man Finn had no chance. His stony exterior cracked in seconds.

    I had to bring over a chair so he could sit down comfortably and play with the Fidough as it licked his face all over. By the end of his visitation time limit, Old Man Finn had a sad face as he slowly exited the hall. He turned back every two seconds to cast fleeting glances at the Fidough before he finally disappeared.

    I wore a satisfied smile on my face.

    Yes, it was true that Fairies needed to be feared.

    Their cuteness knew no limits.

    The rest of my day was spent dividing it between breaks and working. I had a nice lunch with friends (I taught Siebold how to make some dishes with the ingredients we had on hand, and he returned the gesture by treating us all to his masterful cooking), walked around, and chatted happily.

    Every time I got too comfortable, I had to remind myself to keep my guard up.

    But¡­ nothing happened. No security issues came into existence.

    And before I knew it, it was almost 5 PM.

    <hr>

    A quick glance at my watch revealed that the evening show was due to start in five minutes.

    Lance and the other important guests were off in the luxury box seating I¡¯d set aside for them. The other Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders who had stayed for this event ¡ª Janine and Whitney among them ¡ª had been integrated with the rest of the group, but not after much shock.

    Everyone was getting along well, and that was all I was concerned with.

    Neil was in charge of directing the stage technicians. I knew that right now, they were running around like headless chickens backstage trying to get everything ready. Fantina was probably double-checking her makeup, and Wallace was probably meditating. If not for the opening act, I would have been there with them.

    Instead, I was standing atop an invisible ledge made of Fairy energy by the ceiling. I was positioned high above the field below.

    Nobody could see me. Vel was stationed somewhere on the ground, and he¡¯d wrapped me inside a small sphere of influence that rendered me temporarily invisible. So long as I didn¡¯t move away from this spot, I would remain unseen until the show began.

    My usual formalwear had been swapped for tonight with an outfit befitting nobility. A half-cape decorated with golden threads covered one shoulder as I fiddled with my sleeves. I wore a similarly designed suit jacket underneath with amethyst brooches carefully pinned to it. Small golden chains looped from my belt to my pockets, and my hands were covered with pristine white gloves. My hair had been styled into a more formal look, and I had to resist the urge to run my hand through it. Just for tonight, I told myself.

    Somewhere out there in the audience were people I knew. Cherrygrove citizens, my friends both from and out of Indigo, people I worked with¡­ Across the country, many others likely had their TVs or computers turned on to see the evening show broadcast.

    They were all watching tonight, all waiting to see what the Cherrygrove Gym was about.

    I closed my eyes and let the murmurs from the crowd fade into the distance.

    I should have felt nervous. That would have been the normal reaction in this situation, but I felt calm instead. This wasn¡¯t a high-stakes match or something to stress about.

    I just needed to have fun like my Pokemon and I always did. We¡¯d already showed the strength of Fairies on national television.

    Now, we were going to show yet another side to them: their beauty and grace.

    I pushed away all other thoughts from my mind as the seconds ticked by. There was simply no room for them. Everyone else would handle security while the show went on. I had to believe nothing was going to happen.

    Eventually, murmurs gave way to silence. I knew the lights had been dimmed like we¡¯d planned. Without a word, I opened my eyes and took a step forward.

    I let myself fall.

    A spotlight was trained on my falling figure. Shocked gasps rang out when people realized I was plummeting through the air. They transformed into awed whispers when they realized I wasn¡¯t plummeting but floating down.

    Large and delicate wings had sprouted from my back. They had been woven from light as ethereal as the moon, and they fluttered in the air. Every gentle flap they gave sent sparkles flowing outwards into the air.

    I wasn¡¯t the one controlling them. My Alolan Ninetales and Hatterene were hidden in the back of the hall and crafting this illusion for me.

    People leaned forward with bated breaths as I continued floating down. Slowly, and with an exaggerated movement, I raised a hand and snapped my fingers. Yelps filled the hall as rain began to fall.

    It started as a drizzle. Droplets of shining water fell down like fleeting comets. People flinched away from the rain, but they didn¡¯t have to. It didn¡¯t seep into their clothes or skin. This was not actual rain.

    Whatever the droplets touched, ripples visibly formed in the air just like those one might see on the surface of a lake. Every impact created a floating flower bud. As the rain fell more and more quickly, the empty space around the hall and spectators filled up with mysterious buds. People reached out to them in wonder and poked them.

    They reeled back with surprise when the buds opened.

    Petals furled outwards and blossomed into beautiful flowers made of light, and from within their closed embraces¡­ shining orbs of light poured out. Each contained a different choral note courtesy of my Altaria. Musical notes mixed together and created a divine symphony. These orbs lifted higher and higher into the air until they stopped at various elevations. Then, lines of light shot out in between their scattered forms. Through them, the distinct forms of three-dimensional constellations were created.

    Below, people watched with entranced expressions as flowers were pulled away from them and into the center of the hall towards me. I became the thing they orbited around like a swirling tornado, but I was only temporarily obscured. The flowers flew rapidly in one direction as I neared the ground. Each fused together and became a gigantic throne made of petals that I ended up landing on, and my wings disappeared once I was seated. Spotlights were trained on me from above. Around the hall, constellations shifted and transformed mid-air into new ones.

    Perhaps I resembled the king of fairies, one about to address his people.

    ¡°Welcome, one and all, to the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s grand opening. I¡¯m Gym Leader Arin Watanuki, and I thank you for coming tonight to celebrate the unveiling of Johto¡¯s ninth major gym,¡± I spoke out loud into an attached mic piece. My words were clear and firm. ¡°It is an honor to represent Indigo as one of its pillars.¡±

    All eyes were on me, but I merely swept my gaze across the audience with a composed expression.

    ¡°The theme for tonight¡¯s show is magic,¡¯¡± I said. My lips curled into a smirk as I gripped the armrest of my illusionary throne. ¡°Let go of your troubles, and see with your heart.¡±

    ¡°Now¡­ enjoy the show!¡±

    I threw up a hand, and the last thing I saw was the audience clapping furiously. There were people holding up banners that said things like Arin Fan Club, but I didn¡¯t get to check properly. A storm of snowy petals engulfed my vision. I found myself backstage a moment later. When I peeked at the screen in the waiting room, I saw that new performers had pirouetted onto the stage.

    Good. Freya and Silque had worked together to Teleport me out on time.

    The opening act had gone perfectly. It wasn¡¯t too shabby for my first actual performance in a while, though it reaffirmed that I never wanted to pursue the life of a Coordinator. Anyone who could constantly come up with new routines had my sincere respect.

    My Pokemon were already backstage waiting for me, and I made sure to praise them for helping out. The performers hanging out by the doors gave similar compliments before they went out one-by-one for their own acts. I¡¯d hired famous troupes in Kanto-Johto that were known for mind-boggling displays. Each of them were seasoned performers, and judging by the cheers from the audience outside, they were a hit.

    Wallace and Fantina were deep in concentration already. Both were wearing their trademark Gym Leader outfits that doubled as Coordinator costumes. I didn¡¯t speak to them since it seemed like they were busy channeling their inner spirits. Acts trickled by, and when it was finally Wallace¡¯s turn, he smoothed his face into a smiling countenance and stepped out.

    The crowd went wild at the sight of the beloved Top Coordinator.

    His infamous Milotic was released from her Pokeball in one smooth, fluid motion, and the serpent emerged with a musical cry. I smiled to myself and crossed my arms. No matter how many times I saw Wallace perform, I would never get tired of it.

    ¡°Let us begin,¡± Wallace said out loud with a bow.

    That was his Milotic¡¯s cue to raise her head towards the heavens. From her mouth, she summoned a Whirlpool that gradually wrapped around her and her trainer. Compared to a regular Whirlpool one might see in a Pokemon battle, this swirling mass of liquid was calm and slow-moving.

    Without warning, it suddenly burst outwards. Gasps rang out as people thought they would get splashed, but the ¡®water¡¯ washed over them harmlessly. People blinked rapidly as they swung their heads left and right.

    The whole hall looked like it had been submerged underwater. Those who hadn¡¯t taken their eyes off Wallace¡¯s Milotic saw the serpent open her mouth.

    An affectionate song poured forth, one that spoke of family and bonds. As the Milotic sang, she flicked her colorful tail in different directions. For every direction she pointed at, glowing droplets appeared.

    These droplets eventually coalesced into three different figures, magical apparitions that resembled Milotic and glimmered with an indescribable pink. They swam around Wallace¡¯s Milotic and opened their own mouths to sing, and the notes traveled quickly in the faux underwater arena.

    I suddenly wanted to see dad and hug him. In the audience, I saw more than a few people turn to each other with teary faces.

    Still singing, Wallace¡¯s Milotic began to swim though the air with her conjured apparitions following alongside her. For thirty seconds, they twirled through the air in a dizzying and almost passionate dance. My own interpretation was that it told the story of a lost person finding their family after years of separation.

    That tugged at my heartstrings for obvious reasons.

    Wallace¡¯s Milotic reached the peak of her singing. With an especially loud and high-pitched note, she coiled up as the apparitions flew into her body. A shining orb left her mouth and hovered near the ceiling. It radiated warmth and love. As its light intensified, the submerged hall seemed to shift in place.

    Water rumbled. Slowly, it swirled back into the middle like a whirlpool of its own making, except it formed the shape of a rose. Wallace held up a fist at the ready. With a bright smile, he flicked his fingers forward.

    The orb of light dropped down into the flower below, and rings of sparkles flew everywhere as the flower evaporated.

    Rainbows appeared in the air and moved according to Milotic¡¯s will. They wrapped themselves in a double helix structure and created a staircase that she glided down on to meet her trainer. For the finishing pose, Pokemon and trainer stood side by side and bowed.

    The crowd roared their approval.

    Wallace thanked everyone before heading backstage. At the same time, Fantina confidently marched out and took his place.

    She didn¡¯t have to release her Pokemon. Mismagius appeared out of thin air next to her.

    ¡°Come! See the ability of Ghosts!¡± Fantina declared.

    Her Pokemon sprang into action.

    Countless gems exploded outwards from Mismagius, each shining with the radiance of a thousand lights. They embedded themselves in the ground with heavy thuds and formed what looked like a summoning circle. Below Mismagius, shadows whispered and began to form. They gradually took on the shape of a faceless man and woman. Mismagius went one way, and the pair danced the other.

    With every jerk and twist of Mismagius¡¯s body, the faceless ghosts bent to the Pokemon¡¯s will like beautiful marionettes and danced a waltz. A story was being told. Mismagius danced with them as elemental forces began to spin around her wispy body.

    Vines of frost, crackles of lightning, and vestiges of fire¡ª these were all at Mismagius¡¯s command as she gathered up the elements and weaved their energies into the faceless ghosts.

    Like a gradient, they were dyed with the colors of the elemental forces and began to take on lifelike, human qualities. Appreciative gasps arose when the two apparitions resembled actual human beings from their tender facial expressions to their delicate footwork.

    They did not live long.

    As the two apparitions leaned in for a kiss, they were swallowed up by a raging inferno.

    Mismagius had summoned flames. Gone was the love, and here was the jealousy and despair that overtook it. Fantina¡¯s Pokemon seemed to transform into an entirely different one. Her purple robes were replaced with scarlet flames that billowed outwards like an elaborate ball gown, and she let out a harrowing cry as she sank to the floor. She was the woman that had been scorned, and now she showed it.

    Flames howled and licked at the air. Their vibrant, fiery ends mixed together until they formed the shape of a sweltering rose. Unlike what Wallace and his Milotic had done, this rose expanded. It multiplied outwards and absorbed the lingering shadows in the air. As a result, the flames took on a darker and darker hue until they turned completely black. Fantina and her Mismagius were completely engulfed by the flames at this point.

    Then the massive rose unraveled itself petal by petal in increasingly fast movements, and each flaming petal transformed into smaller ones that formed a ghostly staircase at Fantina¡¯s feet. She walked down the stairs as petals rained down around her. Every petal that made contact with her dress burned it much to the shock of the spectators, but cheers rang out when they realized the dress was transforming.

    Fantina¡¯s regular dress had been replaced with a crimson ball gown that resembled the one her Mismagius had donned. Laughing, Fantina smiled almost viciously and beckoned with a gloved hand to the backdoors.

    It was a direct challenge to Wallace.

    The doors flew open as Wallace revealed himself with a determined smile. His Milotic was already out of her Pokeball, and she sang a battle cry to Mismagius.

    This was all a part of the script, a challenge and a duel between the two rivals.

    I struggled to keep myself from shuddering as I watched Fantina and Wallace begin to duke it out Contest-style. Mismagius and Milotic were creating dazzling displays of their respective specialties while trying to thwart the other¡¯s techniques. I could hold my own with short performances, but in a high-paced, elegant match like that?

    I stood no chance.

    Wallace and Fantina were truly incredible. It wasn¡¯t often you saw two Top Coordinators and Gym Leaders fight like this for free, and the audience was eating it up. I wondered how many viewers this show was getting online.

    This part of the show was at least unscripted.

    Wallace and Fantina were truly fighting their best out there, and it ended up being a draw much to everyone¡¯s surprise. While both of them bowed to the audience, I made sure I had all my Pokemon on hand in their capsules. Once the two came back in, I took their place outside one last time.

    I held my arms out in a grand gesture.

    ¡°What a stunning match from Wallace and Fantina. I hope everyone has enjoyed themselves. The Gym will be open to visitors for another hour following the conclusion of tonight¡¯s show. But first¡­ one last parting gift.¡±

    I smiled to myself as my entire team came out of their Pokeballs. For the closing act, I¡¯d chosen something that each of them could participate in.

    As soon as the last figure materialized, each of my Pokemon weaved their Beliefs above their heads. Normally we spent our time purposely drawing out the process and consciously thinking, but we opted for speed this time. Within seconds, my Pokemon had crafted their unique Beliefs. I didn¡¯t have to give them a signal.

    They let the Beliefs fly up and coalesce into a single giant orb below the ceiling.

    An irresistible beauty that all eyes turned to.

    The hall had fallen silent in the face of the floating sphere. Every other light had been turned off. The orb was so bright that it illuminated every inch of the hall. It was a beacon of light in the darkness and a symbol of hope, but it was not perfect. Blemishes ran across its surface, worn and loved grooves that spoke of countless hard experiences my Pokemon and I had gone through. They only made it look more real and beautiful.

    It was not a miniature moon but perhaps the moon itself. That was how strongly the Beliefs were tied and fused together. For if we did not share the same Beliefs, it would have never connected into one structure at all.

    Shimmering fairy dust trickled downwards from the moon like precious sand slipping through an hourglass. I stood almost directly underneath it and held a hand out. Once I¡¯d collected some of the dust, I brought my cupped palm to my lips and blew.

    That single breath seemed to echo in the vast hall.

    The dust I blew grew bigger as it headed towards the stands. Sparkles rained down on the spectators. Before their eyes, the specks of dust transformed into small humanoid figures with tunics and wings on their backs.

    Fairies. Sprites. Pixies.

    People cried out in amazement as the newly born creatures started flying through the arena. They patted the heads of excited children and threw out flowers and confetti from nowhere.

    I repeated the same process several more times for the other stands.

    Soon the hall was full of laughter and excited chatter. People were playing with and trying to catch the beings that zipped past their hands. Ah, but Fairies were elusive.

    How was any of this possible? Most of the heavy lifting was being done by Freya and her ability to give illusions life. With the rest of my Pokemon manifesting their Beliefs, my Alolan Ninetales was drawing from their energy reserves and using them to maintain so many precise illusions over a massive area of effect.

    There was a huge smile on my face as I watched the spectators and their faces full of wonder. Slowly, my Pokemon and I bowed to the audience as one.

    ¡°This concludes tonight¡¯s performance,¡± I spoke gently into my mic. ¡°Feel free to admire the gardens outside until closing time. The nighttime view is spectacular. Please be careful making your way out of the hall¡­¡±

    It had been a wonderful show from start to finish, and I couldn¡¯t have been more pleased with myself.

    As visitors started spilling out of the stands and back out into the gym lobby or gardens, I recalled all my smiling Pokemon and walked backstage with a heart brimming with happiness.

    From humble beginnings as a wandering trainer to a new life as a Gym Leader, I don¡¯t think I could have ever imagined my life taking the turn it had now.

    This was just the beginning. I still had the summer ahead of me, my first ever Johto League Circuit to look forward to, the people and friends I still had yet to meet and memories to make¡­

    I wondered if someday, years from now in the distant future, people would talk avidly about me and the Cherrygrove Gym. What would they say?

    Once upon a moon, there was a Fairy Specialist in Johto¡­

 Chapter 39

    CHAPTER 39

    "CHEERS!"

    Different voices filled the evening air. While not perfectly in unison, they were all as energetic as the next. Everyone was at my house for a celebratory dinner.

    The Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening had been as successful as I could have hoped for.

    On the sales side of things, we were sold out. Gym merch, CDs, baked goods¡ª everything. It was all gone. Kari had already put in an order with the manufacturers for more, and the bakers had successfully advertised our city''s new local specialty. Hopefully we got a permanent uptick in tourists going forward.

    I''d briefly surfed the Pokenet on my phone to see what people had to say about the grand opening online. For the most part, there was nothing but glowing reviews about the experience. Everyone had fun. There were valid complaints about lines being too long for the in-house stores (I made a note to do a numbered ticket queuing system next time) and some other concerns.

    There were also unpleasant posts made about the Gym, but I disregarded those and focused on the positives for the time being.

    After the show ended, there was just under an hour left for people to tour the facility and gardens. I''d gone out to take a peek from one of the watchtowers and hadn''t been disappointed. Dozens of glowing lights in the skies and castle moat ¡ª courtesy of Volbeat, Illumise, and Finneon ¡ª had illuminated the gardens and made it a sight to see.

    I had to go down at one point and pose for pictures with Fantina and Wallace in front of ecstatic reporters, but that had been doable.

    What I was not prepared for was the mini surge of visitors that came up to us and asked for pictures or autographs. Fantina and Wallace handled themselves well because they were used to it, but I found myself mentally fatigued after constantly smiling for cameras.

    That was why I was glad when the grand opening finally came to an end. All the visitors were carefully escorted off the gym grounds, and everyone retreated back to my house.

    I''d had to go out and fetch groceries due to our larger than expected guest list, but I had the easy job. Siebold was the one who had to cook up a storm. Judging by the look of satisfaction on his face as he took over our kitchen, though, I don''t think he minded in the slightest.

    Out came a variety of dishes cooked in Johtonese and Kalosian styles. Sometime during the day, it seemed Siebold had done more research on Kanto-Johto cuisine, and he happily showed off the fruits of his labors.

    Everything was arranged outside on picnic tables in a glistening buffet of food. Now here we were ready to dig in.

    All of my gym trainers aside from Yurie had left to spend quality time with their families in the city. The Chester siblings were also here, but it was mostly because Kari wanted to take pictures of everyone, and Yulian wanted to supervise her.

    Whitney had reluctantly torn herself away from us and gone back to Goldenrod with her family, and Janine had been called home by Koga for a regular clan meeting. The Waterflower sisters had stayed long enough to fawn over Siebold and how prince-like he was. As soon as Misty exhibited signs of drowsiness, though, they whisked her home for a good night''s rest. That was after they left me with thoughts for the future.

    "Maybe our Gyms could collaborate sometime," the oldest sister, Daisy, suggested with a gleam in her eyes. Behind her, Lily carried their youngest sister on her back in preparation for a Teleport. "We run shows and Contests at the Cerulean Gym year-long, you know!"

    Indeed, the Sensational Sisters were popular for their dazzling aquatic shows to the point where everyone in Kanto-Johto knew their names. They were also staunch supporters of Pokemon Contests and had been working hard to raise the popularity of those in our country. A collaboration sounded fun, so I resolved to keep that in mind as I waved them goodbye.

    As for the other Johto Gym Leaders¡­ they stayed behind to talk more with our guests visiting from afar. Lance stayed to ''supervise and ensure everyone''s safety'' or so he said, but I was pretty sure he just wanted to talk more with our visiting Dragon Specialists.

    And so, our celebratory dinner began in full-swing.

    "This is some excellent wine you brought," Alder remarked. His look was one of utter glee as he brought his cup to his lips for yet another swig of alcohol. Others standing near him with their own glasses in hand echoed similar praises.

    The recipient of the compliments, Siebold, gave a pleased smile in return.

    "I''m happy it''s so well-received."

    The wine in question was what Siebold had brought for his gym-warming gift. I''d gone ahead and distributed it for dinner seeing as how this was the perfect occasion for it, and it was a hit with the wine lovers in our company.

    I was of legal drinking age according to Indigo laws, but I''d already consumed alcohol for the first time years ago in Kalos. The legal drinking age over there was much lower because of how ingrained wine was into their very culture and way of life.

    I wasn''t the biggest fan of alcohol all things considered and preferred healthier alternatives, but that didn''t mean I couldn''t handle it. My curiosity and obligation to appear polite won out as I wandered over to the buffet table, intent to try some of this wine Siebold had brought. I hadn''t had a chance to take a good look at it earlier, so my eyes wandered over the label now as I grasped a bottle in my hand.

    My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the information scrawled there in looping cursive.

    Chateau Volara, red wine from the 1900s produced in the Pomace region.

    Holy mother of Clamperl, had Siebold taken this from his personal wine collection or restaurant''s storage?

    I wasn''t a sommelier, but even I knew how precious this drink was given how much time I''d spent in Kalos. This was one of the region''s most famous brands and a truly vintage wine. There were probably only a handful of bottles left out there from the year this particular batch was made.

    In my hand was the equivalent of a diamond mine.

    I held the bottle more securely in my hand as I poured a small amount for myself, careful to not even let a single drop splash onto the table.

    Talk about an extravagant gift.

    Behind me, people sang praises about the wine''s especially pronounced flavor. Dad was among them. He''d been shocked at first when I introduced him to everyone, but he''d quickly recomposed himself. He was cleared by his doctor to have alcohol since none of his medications had negative interactions associated with it. Despite the clearance, I was going to keep an eye on him and his alcohol intake.

    Everyone from the Galovea Continent knew the worth of the wine and were drinking it with nonchalant expressions. I decided to let dad and the other Kinjoh Area folks continue drinking without knowing how expensive it was.

    They''d probably faint from the shock.

    We had more than a few underage guests in attendance like Bugsy or Mina, so they were drinking soda or juice instead. That didn''t stop them from casting curious looks at the adults enjoying their wine.

    I brought my own cup to my lips to taste this so-called vintage wine. The moment the liquid hit my tongue, I was blown away by the flavor. It was so incredibly complex that I couldn''t even begin to describe what exactly I was tasting. Perhaps the best way to put it was that I was tasting dozens of unique flavors all at once yet somehow mixed together in a harmonious blend.

    Burnt caramel, roasted figs, a honey-like tang¡ª yeah, I gave up. There was no way I was identifying all these flavors. All I knew was this was surprisingly damn good wine, and I smiled into my cup as I took another sip. Internally, I was freaking out.

    Fuck. I had to give Siebold something nice back in return now, otherwise this gift was going to weigh on my conscience.

    "What''s the man of the hour doing here by himself?" Rika sang as she appeared out of nowhere next to me. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Thankfully, I didn''t spill any of my drink.

    "Jeez, talk about nearly giving someone a heart attack¡­" I muttered. My heart was still pounding as I raised my glass. "Just wanted to try the wine Siebold brought. It''s tasty."

    Rika barked out a laugh as she slung an arm around my shoulder. In her other hand, she carelessly held her own cup of wine. I eyed the sloshing liquid with an almost frantic expression.

    "Yeah, it''s pretty good," she admitted, but her eyes took on a sharp glint as she jerked her head behind her shoulder. I followed her gaze to the table full of gym-warming gifts sitting in the corner. I hadn''t gotten around to organizing them yet because of how hectic today had been. "Can''t beat mine, though."

    My eyes widened in realization.

    "Did you bring wine, too?"

    "No, but I brought the best coffee beans. Can''t believe Siebold and I had the same idea, tch."

    I almost drooled right then and there on the spot.

    "El Zafiro coffee beans?" I asked to be sure.

    The moment Rika nodded, I shrugged off her arm and power-walked to the table of gifts. I had to see this for myself. I took another sip of wine before setting the cup off to the side, and then I began sorting through the items for Rika''s present.

    There was a lot of stuff.

    I had received lacquered bento boxes from Janine, thermos bottles decorated with pearls and Dive Balls from the Waterflower sisters, famous Azalea Town herbal potions from Bugsy, neck pillows and heated blankets from Morty, nutritional vitamins for me and my Pokemon from the Oaks, scented candles from Jasmine, a set of weights from Lt. Surge that I could probably put in the gym''s training room, some expensive silk tapestries with the symbol of the Fable Badge from Lance¡­

    My most unusual gifts were probably the odd dolls and amulets I''d gotten from Sabrina and¡­ some sort of stone from Blaine that came in a wooden box. It resembled a Fire Stone, but it didn''t have a large flame trapped inside it. There was only a tiny ember instead, and when I raised the stone to the light, the ember inside looked more golden than red.

    Vaguely, I wondered if this stone was from Blaine''s personal collection. I never would have taken the man to have such a keen eye for aesthetics. Most likely, I''d put the stone up for display in my bedroom or office somewhere. Or I could use it as a decorative paperweight, maybe? It was surprisingly heavy enough to be one.

    After some more searching, I finally located the coffee beans I was looking for.

    It was El Zafiro after all. It was a luxury brand you usually had to order years in advance to get due to how difficult the beans were to grow¡­ Apparently, they''d named it after a previous ruler in Paldea''s history who was fond of sapphires. I''d only gotten to try their coffee just once before in my life.

    It had been delicious, and I just knew dad was going to become addicted to this drink later.

    "I need to have some of this tomorrow," I promised out loud to myself, and Rika smiled into her drink.

    "Glad you like it¡ª"

    "NOOO! Look at my present, too!" a child''s voice cried out.

    I turned as someone dashed over. It was Poppy, and the young child tugged on my pant legs with a pouting expression.

    "I also got a present," she whined.

    "Don''t forget about ours!" Hassel piped up in a cheerful voice. He strode over with Larry next to his side, and suddenly it felt like the Paldea Musketeers were all together again. We were just missing Geeta.

    Coughing, Hassel tried not to look too proud as he gestured to the rows of gifts I still hadn''t looked at. "I think you''ll be very pleased with my gift¡­ or gifts, I suppose. Plural in this case."

    "Take a look at mine as well," Larry said softly.

    So, I began sorting through the gifts again, this time looking at the ones from people outside of Indigo.

    A tea set and hand-knitted scarves for me and my Pokemon from Opal, embroidered handkerchiefs and jeweled tie clips from Valerie, expensive spices from Kukui¡­ I even realized there were gifts from each region''s Champion that they''d evidently had their Elites deliver.

    While my eyes wandered across the table looking for the gifts from my friends, I caught sight of Mina''s and curiously pulled it out of the bag¡ª

    "Oh!" Hassel let out a startled sound of surprise.

    Mina had given me a huge and colorful abstract painting. I would admit I wasn''t too familiar with this particular genre of art, but as I studied it, I thought I could make out faint figures in the central part of the canvas. Maybe me and my Pokemon? Regardless, the painting was very eye-catching to the point where I almost couldn''t look away. It would look stunning in the gym''s lobby.

    Hassel looked absolutely ecstatic. "Remarkable! Such bold and precise strokes. Did that young girl from Alola draw this? I''ll have to pay my compliments later."

    He babbled on about the painting even after I put it back in its bag and moved on.

    Eventually, I located the gifts from the Paldea Elites. Poppy and her mom had picked out some expensive vases for me to ''put super duper pretty flowers in'' according to the young girl. Larry had gifted me a set of trainer gloves and cuff links because I''d ''have to worry about my appearance as a Gym Leader from now on'' as he so wisely put it.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Then I saw Hassel''s gifts, and I finally realized why he''d been so eager to have me look at them. He''d brought me paintings as well. Not one, not two, but five of them that formed a series.

    Much to my delight, I saw Hassel had drawn one of me and dad. I''d almost forgotten that I made a request months ago about that. Another painting had me by myself with a Pokeball in hand, and the other three depicted me with different team members gathered around my side.

    "I''m hanging these up in my house and Gym," I said immediately, and I shot Hassel a wide grin. "I''ll treasure them, Hassel. Thank you!"

    He almost cried tears of joy in response.

    Now that I was done looking through gifts, I followed everyone back to the center of the backyard where people were walking around and mingling with each other in groups.

    Fantina was talking to Siebold and Valerie. Even from where I was standing, I could hear snippets of rapidfire Kalosian coming out of their mouths as they conversed with one another. Siebold and Valerie had surprised expressions on their faces, so I wondered if Fantina had revealed to them the truth about her upbringing. Whatever the case, the woman looked like she was having fun speaking to people from her home country.

    Jasmine and Volkner sat off to the side at a small table. I was pleasantly surprised to see them having what looked like a loud and engaging conversation. Both were fairly quiet individuals, but they were smiling and laughing at each other.

    My inner senses tingled. Those two had definitely either met each other before this and were already acquainted, or they were just hitting it off extremely well. I smiled to myself as I thought about teasing one or both of them later.

    Winona and Wallace were talking to Kukui with wistful expressions when we passed by.

    "Alola sounds beautiful¡­"

    "It is! Perhaps on your next vacation, you could come visit our islands. I''d have to get permission from the Tapus first, but I''m sure they''d accept kind souls like you two¡­"

    "Tapus? Your country''s leaders?"

    "Er¡­ yes¡­"

    I started refilling my plate with food at the buffet while the Paldea Elites minus Poppy stocked up on more wine. In the process, I overheard Bugsy and Alder talking somewhere behind me.

    "May I see her now?" Bugsy asked excitedly.

    He got boisterous laughter from Alder in return. "Sure, sure! Come on out, Vesta."

    I heard the unmistakable sound of a Pokeball''s release mechanism, and I turned in time to see a bright flash of crimson light. From within the light''s folds, a giant figure gradually emerged.

    A familiar moth Pokemon with six leaf-like wings buzzed loudly as she took in her surroundings. With every gentle flap of her wings, the air around her almost seemed to distort. There was more than a few meters of distance between us, but I could still feel the heat radiating off the Pokemon.

    Bugsy was immediately enamored with Alder''s Volcarona. I could practically see hearts in place of his eyes as he carefully walked around her and took in the moth''s features.

    "Oh my gosh, look at the size of her wings! There are six of them, too! Oh, I wonder how strong her horns are¡­" Bugsy rambled on, and he squealed after he got permission from Alder and his Pokemon for petting. He gently stroked Vesta''s wings.

    I imagined the teenager would start frothing at the mouth soon. Meanwhile, Alder noticed me staring and raised his cup of wine into the air.

    "Hey, Vesta!" he called out to his old partner, and he pointed at me with his free hand. "Look who it is."

    His Volcarona remained in place but swiveled her head to look at me. It took a few seconds, but the Pokemon eventually flapped her wings excitedly.

    "She still remembers me?" I called out questioningly from afar.

    Alder guffawed loudly. "''Course she does!" he hollered back. "Not many people make it to her, you know."

    That was factually true. Everyone had trouble getting through the Unova Elites to Alder, and it was even harder breaking through the rest of Alder''s veteran team. When you finally got to Vesta, well¡­ the Volcarona was basically the last impenetrable stronghold. A Pokemon whose species was once worshiped like gods with the strength to back up such piety.

    I''d made it to Alder''s last Pokemon, but nothing could have prepared me for that monstrous Volcarona. Years later, I now wondered how a rematch would go. I had a feeling things would be very different.

    Alder watched me with a knowing expression. He downed another mouthful of wine, and then the corners of his lips curled upwards in a smirk.

    "I wouldn''t be opposed to a quick battle," he said loud enough for me to hear. "What about you, girl?"

    His Volcarona buzzed loudly as she floated closer to her trainer''s side. Ah man, that was a really tempting challenge¡­

    "Maybe after I eat," I finally replied. As much as I was down for an unexpected rematch, I was mentally fatigued and hungry as hell after running around all day for the grand opening. I needed a chance to recharge first. "Don''t forget what you said."

    "Unless I''m going senile, I won''t," Alder shot back with a loud laugh. "Come find me later. I''ll try not to get drunk before then."

    ¡­Arceus dammit, he better not! If he did, well, I was going to hold that over his head and get him to owe me two matches. Alder went back to talking to Bugsy about the Volcarona species, and I went back to eating with renewed vigor.

    The sooner I ate, the less time Alder had to drink and the faster I got to fight a gigantic moth.

    "You want to fight that bad?" Rika laughed from where she was sitting. "If we had more time, I''d challenge you to a quick match, too."

    "I mean, it''s Alder''s Volcarona," I defended myself. "His starter. His ace. You''d get as excited if it was Geeta''s Glimmora or Kingambit you were fighting."

    "Fine. You''ve got a point."

    I swallowed a bite of steamed shrimp. Tasty. Hassel had wandered off to go talk to Mina at another table, and the two were stuck in a lively discussion about painting. I kept eating with a thoughtful expression.

    Now that I was thinking about it¡­ "How long are you guys staying for anyway?"

    "Not too long, sadly," Larry spoke up, and he tugged tiredly at his tie. He''d slumped down into a chair of his own. "We''ll all be leaving in the morning. As much as we''d like to stay longer, our Champions decided it wouldn''t be proper given the temporary treaty and the¡­ situation in Indigo."

    As sad as the answer made me, it made sense. We hadn''t formed permanent diplomatic relations with the Galovea Continent yet. Lance might have been fine having guests visit in order to strengthen bonds, but the rest of our government was probably much more cautious and didn''t want them to stay for too long in the country.

    As for the situation in Indigo¡­ I was relieved nothing had happened during the grand opening. That relief only grew once I realized we had important guests in attendance. It would have been an international catastrophe if anything happened while they were here. Any chances of future relations probably would have been set back by decades.

    Damn Rockets. The sooner we got them out of Indigo, the better. There were so many things we couldn''t put in place otherwise.

    Rika saw my distorted expression and slapped my arm playfully.

    "Cheer up. We can come visit again in the future, or you could come to Paldea," she said.

    I nodded absentmindedly. "Right¡­"

    This was supposed to be a joyful occasion and not a glum one, so I snapped myself out of any dark thoughts concerning the Team Rocket situation and talked about happier things instead. Poppy hopped up onto a chair to cuddle next to me at one point, and she fell asleep within minutes.

    I left to get a blanket for her and paused briefly on my way to the house. Morty and Valerie were standing behind some trimmed hedges and trees with neutral expressions. It seemed a bit tense between them for some reason. I didn''t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard their conversation as I kept walking. Neither of them noticed me walking in the distance.

    "Thank you for agreeing to talk in private. I wanted to ask¡­ are you from the Hachiura Clan?" Morty asked, and he hesitated before continuing. "You resemble someone who used to live in Ecruteak."

    There was a moment of silence and then¡ª

    "I don''t feel comfortable answering that," Valerie responded in a polite tone. "I have a question for you, though. Are the Kimono Girls doing well?"

    "They are. Some praise them as the most skilled dancers in generations."

    " ¡­I see."

    I squinted my eyes. It was hard to see from a distance, but it looked like Valerie was smiling.

    "Perhaps I''ll¡­ Ecruteak¡­ someday. I''d¡­ to see a performance¡­"

    The rest of the conversation faded away as I got out of range. The Hachiura Clan¡­ That was the name of the Clan the Kimono Girls were from. While the Clan was not on the same level as the Sacred Eight, it was still a widely respected group known for their achievements in the cultural arts. Many of their members had been recorded in history as great singers or dancers.

    I had a better inkling of Valerie''s origins now, but I resolved to erase this conversation I''d accidentally overheard from my memories. This was a private matter, and Valerie''s background honestly didn''t matter to me.

    She was just Valerie, plain and simple.

    I finally retrieved a fluffy blanket from the house for Poppy. When I came back out to the party, things were a little more lively. Alcohol had loosened tongues, and people were acting less stiff in general after getting some food in their bellies.

    I walked over to the table with my stuff and draped a blanket around Poppy''s sleeping form. She had Larry and Rika to watch over her, so I wandered off to get more food from a different table and see what other people were up to.

    The Dragon Specialists had gathered together in a corner.

    "Haven''t seen you since¡­ last year''s summit? The year before? Can''t remember anymore," Drake said, lips curling into a crooked smile. He eyed Lance with a challenging gaze. No normal person would dare look at the Champion of a foreign nation like that, but like always, Drake couldn''t have given two shits. "How is your Salamence doing?"

    Lance lifted his head and met Drake''s gaze with a regal one of his own. "He''s doing well. I''d like to extend my thanks again for your generosity."

    "Ha! It was a fair fucking trade, so no thanks necessary," Drake snorted. He jerked a thumb at his chest. "My team had fun breaking in the Dratini you sent over. Reckon my Dragonite could give yours a run for its money now."

    One of Lance''s brows arched delicately. "Really now?" he drawled. He sounded decidedly unamused. "I hope you''re not talking about my starter."

    Drake''s previous smile took on a vicious edge.

    "And if I am?"

    He and Lance stared at each other with battle-hungry expressions. I wondered if an impromptu battle was going to break out in our backyard, but Raihan stepped in to defuse the situation.

    At least, I thought that was his intention, but the asshole just grinned and egged them on.

    "Oh, this''ll be good!" he whooped out loud. He flashed sharp, almost fanged teeth at his spinning Rotom Phone and sauntered toward Lance and Drake with the gait of a predator. His hands were stuffed into his pockets. "I don''t suppose I could get an invite to this showdown? My Dragons are raring for some exercise."

    "Oh?"

    "You wanna say that again, you cocky brat?"

    Both Lance and Drake swiveled their heads towards him. Drake even downed the rest of his wine in one go and set it down on the table. I thought I could almost see electricity crackling in the air between the three of them.

    Thankfully, there existed a man named Hassel.

    "Gentlemen, gentlemen," Hassel said soothingly, and he cleared his throat as he stepped in the middle of the group. "Tonight''s for celebration, let''s not get too carried away¡­"

    After some more careful talking on his part, the other three settled down to the point where Raihan and Drake actually struck up a conversation about their respective Flygons. Hassel shot me a wink as I passed by, and I offered him a relieved smile in return. I heard a conversation start up between Lance and Hassel as I plopped fried dumplings onto my plate.

    "Ah, you''re¡­ Hassel Hassaku, yes? The Dragon Master and Elite Four of Paldea?"

    Even without looking, I could hear how interested Lance was.

    "Yes, that''s me. It''s a pleasure to talk to you as a fellow Dragon Specialist. I hear you''re from a notable Clan of Dragon Tamers here in the Kinjoh Area?"

    "¡­That''s right. The Blackthorn Clan. We have a long history as a family of Dragon Tamers, a history that spans hundreds of years in fact," Lance replied. It was hard to miss the pride in his voice.

    "That''s wonderful. You must be close with your clan members."

    Lance didn''t respond for several seconds. When he finally spoke, his voice had taken on a more subdued tone.

    "I am, though¡­ sometimes with such a large Clan, it''s difficult to see eye-to-eye," he said after carefully choosing his words.

    "Forgive me if I''m stepping out of line, but would you like to talk about it?" Hassel asked. Oh, here it was. He was using the soothing Hassel voice he saved for important conversations with pupils or friends who needed to get something off their chests. I think he and I both realized Lance had been carrying a lot of burdens lately. "Although the circumstances may be different, I can relate. I come from a Clan of Dragon Tamers as well, and we didn''t always see eye-to-eye either. In fact, I eventually left home."

    Lance hesitated. "Well¡­"

    With a plate full of food in hand, I walked away. Lance was in good hands with Hassel. I didn''t know what exactly Lance was going through, but Hassel was the best person to talk to when it came to venting emotions or needing advice.

    I did cast a wayward glance over my shoulder, though, when I heard loud sobbing. Hassel had broken down in tears and was patting Lance''s shoulder vigorously. The Indigo Champion looked at him with an absolutely bewildered expression, and I snickered to myself as I turned back around.

    I don''t think Lance had ever met a Dragon Specialist like Hassel before, someone who felt whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. He was a man who let his emotions run wild because he had the authority to, but that''s what made Hassel so respectable.

    He knew himself, and he wasn''t afraid to show it.

    On my way back to my table, I passed by Steven and his father. Surprisingly enough, they were sitting at a table with Opal. I had just said hello and walked up to them when a sudden motion made me blink twice.

    Steven nearly dropped his fork. "Excuse me?"

    His father was in a state of similar shock as he peered at the phone on the table, or more precisely, the video that was reflected on the screen.

    A gigantic cake as tall as a skyscraper waved its arms around happily as an elderly woman posed next to it.

    Opal merely smiled as she leaned back in her chair.

    "That is a Pokemon, yes."

    Steven calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin, but his eyes darted back and forth between Opal''s phone and the woman herself.

    "How fascinating," he finally said when he was finished. Even as he said that, it looked like he was struggling to keep himself together. "And you said this was because of a certain phenomenon? What kind, if I might ask?"

    "Perhaps if we forge more permanent diplomatic relations in the future, our region could share more information at that time," Opal said cordially in the response, and she clasped her hands together with a polite smile. "We have many interesting stories and Pokemon in Galar."

    Steven smiled back politely, but he couldn''t hide the curiosity burning in his eyes as he clasped his own hands. "My, I hope that time comes to pass sooner rather than later. There are so many intriguing things I wish to inquire about. I''d be happy to talk more about Hoenn culture as well."

    They stared at each other with smiling expressions, but for some reason, it looked scary to me¡­ like two leaders pushing for an unseen advantage. Then again, they were masters of Steel and Fairy respectively.

    While Steven and Opal went back and forth trading small tidbits of harmless information, Mr. Stone waved me over with an excited expression. I knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

    "The advertisements?" he asked with a childlike gleam in his eyes. Ever the businessman. "My apologies. I know this is a dinner party, but I''m too excited. Your gym''s battle hall is stunning! I''d love to have our business logo featured somewhere during matches in the fall."

    In a way, I found it funny. A decade later, and I''d gone from the person being sponsored to the one who was giving away spots for company sponsorship.

    "I can offer you the central spot in the battle hall to display the Devon Corporation''s logo," I conceded, and Mr. Stone smiled. I tried not to smile as I laced my fingers together. "If you want to air ads on our Gym''s channel in between breaks, we can discuss that too¡­ for the right price."

    Mr. Stone nodded approvingly. His smile sharpened as he leaned back in his chair, all at once transitioning from an excited man to a cool businessman.

    "Then how about this?" he asked.

    Fifteen minutes later, I walked away with a huge smile on my face and an extremely lucrative deal. The money would keep pouring in from here on out. Bless Mr. Stone''s generous soul and his eye for opportunity.

    Alright. I was no longer hungry, and I was in the right headspace again for a Pokemon match. It was time to take Alder up on his previous offer¡ª

    My good mood disappeared when I spotted said Unova Champion.

    His flushed face and the way he swayed slightly in his chair said everything. Just how much did he drink?

    More importantly, what about our rematch?!

    I stomped up to him asking as much, and Alder hurriedly raised his hands in surrender.

    "My bad, I ended up having more than I thought," he apologized with a laugh, but his words slurred a bit. "Can we take a rain check on that match?"

    I wanted to hold him up by the collar and shake him back into a more sober state of mind, but I sighed instead and nodded glumly.

    "Fine, but you owe me two matches now¡ª"

    "ARIN! COME OVER HERE!" Raihan hollered excitedly in the distance. I snapped my mouth shut and turned to look at him. He and the other Dragon Specialists, including Hassel, all had Pokeballs in hand. They waved me over with impatient expressions, and I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

    It turned out that yes, they hadn''t given up on the idea of fighting each other. Even Hassel was fired up after succumbing to the battle fervor the other Dragon Specialists emitted. We ended up doing an abridged Battle Royal style match in a team format that was fun.

    (It was also full of friendly trash talk from all sides, and Drake impressed me once again with the number of expletives in his vocabulary bank.)

    So, while I was disappointed about Alder, I at least got my fill of Pokemon battling that night. Even after the impromptu Battle Royal ended, everyone was still fired up enough that we raced with our Pokemon in the skies (anyone who was slightly drunk was forced to sit out).

    Winona joined in for that and kicked our asses.

    Overall, it was a pleasant party. I got to see people from different regions interact with each other and develop tentative friendships, and it made me hopeful for the future in spite of everything else going on in Indigo.

    Eventually, the night of festivities drew to a close. I waved goodbye to everyone, patted the sleeping Poppy''s head one last time, and then watched the guests Teleport back to the League HQ or their respective Gyms.

    I wasn''t too sad watching them go. I knew there would always be chances to meet up again in the future.

    Once they were gone, I walked back to the house with dad and all my gym-warming gifts in tow. Both of us were too tired to clean up the picnic tables tonight, so we resolved to do that tomorrow instead.

    I don''t know how I managed to get through showering and brushing my teeth without falling asleep, but I did. My last thought before I collapsed on my bed and passed out was of the League Circuit in the fall. There was not that much time to prepare yet so many things to do.

    Summer, sweet summer was upon us.

 Interlude â€” Pokenet IV

    INTERLUDE ¡ª Pokenet IV

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    [Play Video at 0:57? ¡ú Yes]

    [Experts Masato and Cai are seated at a metallic table with a large monitor on the wall behind them. Said screen is replaying the viral video of two kids and their Pokemon facing each other.]

    "¡ªgrove Gym''s grand opening ended up being shocking in more ways than one. Up on the Gym''s rooftop level, battlefields were open for public use, and as you can see on the screen behind us¡­" Expert Masato pauses meaningfully, hands flying up into the air with exaggerated surprise. "Visitors at the time caught footage of a young girl sending out a Metagross!"

    "We will be discussing this video from the perspective that the girl is the owner of the Metagross," his co-host, Expert Cai, smoothly follows up. "Who is this mystery girl? At the time of this video''s recording, we have not obtained any information regarding their identity¡ª"

    [Skip to 2:39]

    "Before we get into the meat of things, let''s clarify something first. Metagross is classified as a pseudo-legendary Pokemon. For confused viewers out there, the term ''pseudo-legendary'' was coined by Battle Expert Naoto Suzuki less than two decades ago. Pokemon under this category are typically very rare species not commonly found in the wild. These include the highly sought-after Dragonite, Tyranitar, Salamence, and Garchomp lines. They are also difficult to raise and slow to evolve compared to other species of Pokemon due to a variety of reasons such as temperament and necessary discipline. However¡­"

    Expert Masato smiles and raises a finger.

    "Should a trainer be patient enough and invest proper care and training with a pseudo-legendary Pokemon, they will not be disappointed. The main reason they are called pseudo-legendaries is because of how powerful these Pokemon can become once they are finally able to reach their final forms."

    "Their upper thresholds for strength, type energy reserves, and overall aptitude essentially shoot upwards after having to spend so much time in their first and second-stage forms. They can unlock more of their potential faster with an almost ferocious learning speed. Comparatively, Pokemon of other species can typically reach their final forms much sooner, but the transformations aren''t as dramatic. They get to tap into their potential much sooner and more evenly over a period of time, but they don''t experience as big of an initial boost so to speak."

    "It becomes a question of what trade-off a trainer wants: an easy to raise Pokemon with a steady and constant rate of growth, or a much harder to raise Pokemon that experiences explosive growth after a long period of time."

    "Those of us at Battle Central would like to emphasize that ANY Pokemon of ANY species can become top-tier battlers with the proper care, love, and training," Expert Cai adds on. "Pseudo-legendaries are able to unlock more of their potential faster once they hit their stride, but other species are capable of doing the same given the right training mindset and due diligence."

    His co-host nods vigorously.

    "Couldn''t have said it better," he agrees. "Now that we''ve cleared up what a pseudo-legendary is, let''s go back to our discussion. Like we previously mentioned, pseudo-legendaries are rare Pokemon that are difficult to acquire. There are only a few trainers out there with one in their possession, and most of them are household names. You have Champion Lance Wataru of Indigo and his Dragonite or Champion Cynthia Shirona of Sinnoh and her Garchomp for example."

    "Part of why this video has gone viral is because this girl owns a Metagross but isn''t a known figure in the Kinjoh Area," Expert Cai explains. "There are other notable trainers with a Metagross such as Gym Leader Jasmine Mikan or Champion Steven Stone, but we''ve never seen this child before. If she''s able to train and command a Metagross, she might be the prodigy of the century given her young age. Perhaps she may even be leaning into a Steel or Psychic type specialty¡ª"

    [Skip to 8:47]

    "¡ªclearly a well-raised and cared for Metagross if you look at its metallic armor. The shine indicates an excellent diet, and¡ª"

    [Skip to 19:02]

    "Whoever this girl is, she''s sure to become a star in the world of Pokemon battling. We at Battle Central will keep an eye out for future appearances."

    [Pause Video]

    560k+ Comments

    Sort By ¡ú Top Comments

    Pinned by BattleCentral

    BattleCentral (Verified) ? 16 hours ago

    Please, we''d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!

    120k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (213k+)

    dicedicebaby ? 10 hours ago

    LMFAO! The thumbnail for this video is killing me! The Skitty looks like it wants the ground to swallow it up whole.

    4k+ likes / Reply

    TinyLotad ? 16 hours ago

    Too bad we never got to see them fight, it obviously would have been a victory for Skitty. XD

    7k+ likes / Reply

    March Woes ? 5 hours ago

    MUST PROTECT! That child is absolutely adorable. How can anyone be so cute?

    1k+ likes / Reply

    Pikatwo ? 2 hours ago

    No way it''s an Elite-tier Metagross, right?

    848 likes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (43)

    ¡ª Sweeter than tropius ? 19 minutes ago

    Pikatwo Sorry, I''m not big on the battling scene. What does Elite-tier mean?

    12 likes / Reply

    ¡ª AspiringTrainerACE ? 19 minutes ago

    Sweeter than tropius /salutes/ As a person looking to eventually become a League Ace Trainer someday, I can happily answer this.

    Elite-tier is a VERY broad term used to refer to any trainers and their Pokemon beyond the eighth-badge level. That means they''re above the ordinary masses in terms of prowess, hence being an ''elite.'' These can include regular high-placement Conference goers and ordinary veteran trainers, but in recent years, people have been debating the term. Some argue it should mean nearing or being on the level of a region''s Gym Leader at the very minimum.

    You can break down the Elite-tier into more specific categories like Champion-level if they meet said criteria. There are also distinctions like low, middle, or upper-rank Elites¡­ Anyway, if you ever see the term Elite-tier pop up again in daily conversation, maybe you''ll remember this convo! Hope you found it helpful.

    71 likes / Reply

    ¡ª Sweeter than tropius ? 17 minutes ago

    AspiringTrainerACE Oh wow, thanks a bunch for the explanation. o.o Much appreciated, man!

    20 likes / Reply

    I Need Flaaffy ? 21 minutes ago

    *squints* I have no idea who this kid is, but that is one badass looking Metagross. I was going to say she''s the secret daughter of Steven or something, but the facial features don''t match up at all.

    126 likes / 389 dislikes / Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (91)

    ¡ª AspiringTrainerACE ? 7 minutes ago

    I Need Flaaffy Okay whoaaaa, let''s not make hasty guesses here. Something like that could land you in hot water with MULTIPLE different camps out there. (£þ £þ|||)

    80 likes / Reply

    ¡ª STEVEN FAN 900 ? 6 minutes ago

    [This comment has been removed because it violated Poketube''s rules and guidelines.]

    0 likes / Reply

    ¡ª STEVEN FAN 902 ? 6 minutes ago

    [This comment has been removed because it was flagged as a bot account.]

    0 likes / Reply

    ¡ª cutie luvdisc forevah ? 6 minutes ago

    I Need Flaaffy HEY! Don''t go spreading misinformation about Steven! Us fans will protect his privacy!

    56 likes / Reply

    ¡ª Wannabe Disciple 2 ? 6 minutes ago

    I Need Flaaffy SHUT YER MOUTH! Or we''ll tattle on you to the Stone family lawyers!

    56 likes / Reply

    ¡ª I Need Flaaffy ? 4 minutes ago

    Mom, I''m scared¡­ these Steven fangirls and boys are out of their minds¡­

    60 likes / Reply

    ¡ª AspiringTrainerACE ? 4 minutes ago

    I Need Flaaffy Yeaaaahh¡­ you see what I mean, buddy?

    28 likes / Reply

    cakeornocake ? 2 hours ago

    BREAKING NEWS! THAT GIRL''S A FREAKING ELITE FOUR FROM ANOTHER REGION! Check out the announcement on the Indigo League''s website!

    5k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª Give Me 100 Meowths ? 2 hours ago

    cakeornocake WTF are you serious?!

    3k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª Silly Billy ? 2 hours ago

    cakeornocake Do they have Youngster licenses over there, too? Wait no, more important question is: how tf is a little girl an Elite Four?

    2k+ likes / Reply

    ¡ª Sad_Spheal ? Just now

    Damn¡­ Here I am, busting my ass off year after year just to make it to the Conference, and then you have a little girl less than thrice my age who''s strong enough to be one of the top trainers of her country¡­ Q _ Q Sob. Give me back my youth! My youth, I say!

    0 likes / Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    WEBSITE

    THE INDIGO LEAGUE [.GOV]

    Home / News / Administration / Archives / Contact

    Foreign Dignitaries Visit Indigo

    May 14, 2023 ? NEWS ¡ú ANNOUNCEMENTS

    It was an honor to briefly host and welcome to our country esteemed guests from the Galovea Continent. These included the following guests: Professor Kukui and Gym Leader Mina Matsurika from Alola; Champion Alder Adeku from Unova; Elite Four Siebold Zumi and Gym Leader Valerie Mache from Kalos; Gym Leaders Opal Poplar and Raihan Kibana from Galar; and Elite Four members Hassel Hassaku, Poppy Blunora, Rika Chirez, and Larry Aoki from Paldea.

    We hope that¡­

    [¡­]

    [PHOTO: Champion Lance shaking hands with the foreign dignitaries in turn.]

    ¡ª

    Kinjoh Area and Galovea Continent Treaty

    March 14, 2023 ? NEWS ¡ú ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Champion Lance agreed to a temporary military alliance with Champions of the Galovea Continent today in an unprecedented treaty. The aim of the alliance will be to remove the presence of Team Rocket from Indigo''s borders. Gym Leader Arin Watanuki was designated as a representative for the Kinjoh Area¡­

    [¡­]

    [PHOTO: All regional Champions and Arin Watanuki sitting around a table together.]

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    DUNCORD

    POKENERDS (Community Server)

    ? 28,610 Online ? 41,077 Members

    A server for aspiring Pokemon Researchers, students, or just nerds who love discussing Pokemon. Our proud members come from all corners of the Kinjoh Area. We only have three rules.

    1. Please follow Duncord''s TOS.

    2. Try to keep discourse respectful and on topic.

    3. No fuckery, only nerdery. You may, however, use the word fuck and other swear words when no other words can properly convey your thoughts. (?? ? ??)

    Hot Topics ¡ú #cherrygrove-gym-grand-opening

    A channel dedicated to discussing the grand opening of the Cherrygrove Gym. Please (respectfully) brag if you got the chance to be in attendance. No bot commands are allowed in here.

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 2:49 AM

    Praise the Lord of Fairies

    Gotta Ketchup All ? Today at 2:49 AM

    Praise the Lord of Fairies

    FREE FROM EXAMS (Mod) ? Today at 2:49 AM

    PRAISE THE LORD OF FAIRIES :pray:

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 2:49 AM

    Y''all¡­ I was intimidated at first, but Leader Arin was so much nicer in person than I expected¡­

    Kakunamatata ? Today at 2:49 AM

    I know right?! He''s so friendly compared to other Leaders like uh¡­ Sabrina or *cough* Pryce *cough*

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 2:49 AM

    The meetup was fun! I''d almost forgotten what some of you looked like LOL. We gotta do another one again sometime soon.

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 2:49 AM

    Haha, it WAS fun, wasn''t it?! Well, aside from walking on pins and needles because of FREE FROM EXAMS ¡­

    FREE FROM EXAMS (Mod) ? Today at 2:50 AM

    In my defense, I didn''t try eating any Swirlix. Sooooo¡­ Ha! (I was very tempted to nibble on one, though.)

    kamkam ? Today at 2:50 AM

    (Yeah, I think we would have had a problem if you DID¡­ like not being able to leave the premises and getting thrown into jail.)

    How Very Onixceptable! ? Today at 2:50 AM

    Dammit! I wanted to join the meetup, too! T _ T Why did I have to come down with a fever sob¡­

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 2:50 AM

    RIP. Next time, man, next time¡­

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 2:50 AM

    Can a mod please pin this group picture for posterity''s sake? Everyone gave permission for me to send it here already. [Pokenerds Gym Meetup img]

    ¡ú FREE FROM EXAMS pinned a message to this channel. See all pinned messages.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 2:50 AM

    Nice! Thank you.

    How Very Onixceptable! ? Today at 2:50 AM

    I feel more jealous than ever, ugh. Look at all of your happy, smiling faces¡­ T _ T Oh wait, wow, Bulba Bulba dyed his hair?

    Bulba Bulba ? Today at 2:51 AM

    Was waiting for someone to bring that up! I did. I wanted my hair to match the gradient of a Morelull''s mushroom caps in honor of the grand opening.

    How Very Onixceptable! ? Today at 2:51 AM

    Nice! Yeah, I could tell. It looks good.

    Bulba Bulba ? Today at 2:51 AM

    :thumbs-up:

    smol brain of a metagross ? Today at 2:51 AM

    Speaking of dyeing hair, I think Leader Arin said he was going to dye his hair blue in an interview.

    hushbubble ? Today at 2:51 AM

    NOOO WHAT?! Really? Give me the link to this interview! :c He looks great with his natural hair color.

    smol brain of a metagross ? Today at 2:51 AM

    Sure, here you go. [Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Ghastly mov]

    hushbubble ? Today at 2:51 AM

    ¡­You''re officially dead to me. I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK!

    smol brain of a metagross ? Today at 2:51 AM

    *cackle* My bad.

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 2:52 AM

    :rolling-eyes: So uncivilized, tsk tsk. Anyway, I concur that the meetup was fun! What were our favorite parts from the grand opening? You''re not allowed to answer with the petting exhibit by the way since it''s obvious we all loved that.

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 2:52 AM

    The petting exhibit¡ª oh. Never mind. Probably the gym lobby then? Think I stood there for like fifteen minutes just looking at the ceiling. Almost got a stiff neck, oops.

    Serperior Academic ? Today at 2:52 AM

    You have good taste. I liked the animated ceiling a lot, too. Kind of reminded me of my university''s planetarium.

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 2:52 AM

    I think I liked the panel with the Blossom Hall construction company the best actually. It was really interesting and almost made me regret not majoring in architecture. The Cherrygrove Gym''s new look is quite literally a homage to its city. Basically all of its timber and stone came from the city''s famous cherry tree forests and nearby quarries.

    Sleep Deprived Student G ? Today at 2:52 AM

    I think they got annoyed because I asked too many questions¡­ Ehehe¡­ :sweat:

    Kakunamatata ? Today at 2:52 AM

    The stamp rally! The stamp rally! That was the best part.

    Gimme more research funding ? Today at 2:53 AM

    Oh right, THAT. Excuse my language, but who the FUCK thought it was a good idea to calculate so-called optimal paths using mathematics and physics again? We wasted so much time when we could have just started walking around the gardens instead. Plus, we got so many strange looks for the heated argument we ended up in.

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 2:53 AM

    (£þ £þ|||) *sneaks away*

    Wooper Blooper ? Today at 2:53 AM

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    There he is! Get him! Burn him at the stakes as an evil scientist!

    Scholar of the Ages ? Today at 2:53 AM

    I was trying to contribute! Q _ Q

    kamkam ? Today at 2:53 AM

    You know¡­ I wonder if Arin would ever hold lectures or something¡­ The research paper was great, but I''m sure people still want to know more about Fairies. I know I do.

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 2:53 AM

    Oh, he will.

    kamkam ? Today at 2:53 AM

    Huh?! How do you know that?

    Extroverted Introvert ? Today at 2:53 AM

    Because I asked him while we were petting the gym Pokemon? I made sure to be polite about it, and he actually gave me an answer. Apparently he''s thinking about holding lectures and classes in the future like how Morty does it over at the Ecruteak Gym.

    Abrakadabra ? Today at 2:53 AM

    HOLY MOLTRES! Sign me up for those! It''s summer break, so I have all the time in the world.

    How To Write Essays 101 ? Today at 2:54 AM

    So I guess we need to start calling him Professor Arin soon? Professor Watanuki?

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CHIMEGRAM

    tufftuffking (Verified) ? Cherrygrove City

    [PHOTO: Cherrygrove Gym merchandise and other goodies have been carefully arranged around a small room dedicated entirely to them.]

    tufftuffking (Verified) FEAST YOUR EYES! I managed to pick up a bunch of stuff from the Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening! Hope the livestream was fun to watch.

    290,146 Likes

    Posted 10 hours ago

    pomegranatefever Ugh, I''m so jealous. The limited edition merchandise sold out while I was in line.

    3 hrs ? 14 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (5)

    ¡ª NatuMe pomegranatefever At least you got the chance to stand in line, I didn''t even make it past the doors before they were gone. T _ T

    5 min ? 1 like ? Reply

    coffeebluelover Damn, look at all the signed goods¡­ Anyway, thanks for the livestream! I wanted to go, but I had to drop off my sister at her summer camp.

    9 hrs ? 587 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª View Replies (39)

    ¡ª tufftuffking (Verified) coffeebluelover I knowww, I''m so happy. And you''re welcome! I hope you get the chance to visit the Cherrygrove Gym later at least.

    9 hrs ? 690 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª Julialami tufftuffking LOL TUFF TUFF KING, did you see the Indigo League''s announcement? How do you feel about having a foreign Elite Four member buy you pastries?

    8 hrs ? 442 likes ? Reply

    ¡ª tufftuffking (Verified) Julialami ¡­We don''t talk about that¡­ :awkward-smile: :sweatdrop:

    Just now ? 1 like ? Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    FARBOOK

    CHERRYGROVE FOLKS

    About

    ? Cherrygrove Folks is a community page for the locals of our fair city.

    ? Make friends, share interesting things happening in the neighborhood, and take pride in being a Cherrygrove local here.

    ? Treat each other kindly!

    Discussion / Newest Activity ¡ú

    Miya Suchie (Admin) ? 12h

    Hi everyone! I''m one of the administrators for this Farbook Community Page. We''ve been getting a lot of post approval requests from people wanting to talk about the Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening, so please use this as a megapost instead. Chat in the comments below.

    891 reactions / 2,883 comments

    Top Comments ¡ú

    Arthur Sotheby Those Blossom Breads and Cakes were tasty! I don''t suppose I could get more?

    11h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Keiji Bourke Arthur Sotheby It was nice seeing you there, Mayor! Alex and I are glad you liked them. We''re planning on selling those in our respective bakeries from now on as local specialties.

    11h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Arthur Sotheby Keiji Bourke Local specialties? Now THAT''s something I like to hear. Come on, everyone, let''s make Cherrygrove even better! :)

    11h / Like / Reply

    ¡ª Alexander Takai To add onto this conversation, Keiji and I are looking for new part-timers to assist with what will probably be massive loads of traffic. Please contact Takai Sweets or Bourke''s Bakery at the following business contact details¡­

    11h / Like / Reply

    Kuina Ichioji The Cherrygrove Gym''s new look is breathtaking. I''ll admit I miss its old look, but I have a feeling this will become the symbol of our city.

    8h / Like / Reply

    Jake Narino My wife and kids had fun strolling through the gardens! I think we''ll make it a point to come back on weekends for more family walks.

    2h / Like / Reply

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CATERPEDIA

    Welcome to Caterpedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

    Main Page ¡ú Article

    ARIN WATANUKI

    Page / Talk

    [PHOTO: Picture of Arin Watanuki from Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening on May 13, 2023.]

    Arin Watanuki (born November 28, 2002) is the Cherrygrove City Gym Leader and a notable Fairy Specialist in the Kinjoh Area. He is also an Ability Holder.

    Personal Details

    Age (20) / Height (5''11'''') / Hair Color (Pink) / Eye Color (Blue)

    Gym Leader Career

    Using his own funds, Watanuki hired the Blossom Hall construction company to completely remodel the Cherrygrove Gym. On May 13, 2023, the Gym was unveiled to the public.

    Personal Life

    Watanuki has indicated that he is friends with many top-ranking officials from other regions.

    Accomplishments

    Watanuki was chosen as the representative of the Kinjoh Area for a treaty and temporary military alliance between the Kinjoh Area and the Galovea Continent.

    Edit History ¡ú Most Recent

    ¡­

    Added to References section ¡ú 59) Cherrygrove Gym official website, News section. 60) Arin Watanuki, Chimegram post XXX. 61) Cherrygrove Gym official Chatter account, post XXX. 62) Indigo League''s website, News section.

    Page / Talk

    StarDust Dang it all! I wanted to go to the Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening so bad! You Kanto-Johto folks are so lucky.

    SnailMaster5 Not to rub salt in your wound, but it was fun. The building looked wicked in person.

    StarDust T _ T I''ll see it someday in person for myself hopefully¡­ I''ve started setting aside money from my part-time job to take a trip to Johto. Maybe I''ll make it in time before the Johto League Circuit starts. I want to see the first day.

    SnailMaster5 Good luck!

    MMY Are we not going to talk about all the bigshots who showed up to the grand opening? Because Chatter''s been blowing up, and it''s kind of insane.

    Praise the Sun No, you''re completely right. It IS insane. Most of the Indigo Gym Leaders dropped by, and even our Champion HIMSELF showed up.

    yayay linoone 85 Don''t forget all the foreign officials. Still crazy how the Indigo League held back on the news long enough for them to get out of the country without being mobbed by reporters. Guess they wanted the guests to enjoy their time as unknown visitors.

    StarDust From the pictures people managed to snap and post online, plus the ones Arin posted himself on his Chimegram, they all look close. Man, wish I had friends who were willing to cross the world just to say hi¡­

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    CHATTER

    TRENDING IN KANTO-JOHTO

    #CherrygroveGymGrandOpening

    #UltimateShowdown

    #ArinWatanuki

    #LordofFairies

    #CherrygroveGym

    TRENDING CHATS

    Posts ¡ú Sort By Latest Activity

    Will Itsuki (Verified) willitsuki ? 9h ago

    What a splendid grand opening. I thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the Cherrygrove Gym''s gardens, and the building itself was marvelous. The evening show was easily my favorite part. Espeon wanted to stay longer¡­ alas, the gym''s closing hours came too soon. Next time, I hope to share exciting news with all of you!

    2K Comments / 4K ReChats / 5K Likes / 11K Views

    View Comments (2K+)

    ¡ª Mimisoul mimisoul ? 9h ago

    Whoa, it''s Will''s first post in a long time. Wonder how his training''s been going.

    ¡ª Matthias Wistbell mwistbell ? 8h ago

    willitsuki Ooh, what kind of exciting news are we talking about? Are you challenging the Indigo Elite Four again?

    ¡ª christina christina111 ? 8h ago

    mwistbell Hey, let''s not pressure him! I want his second try to be a victory.

    ARIN IS THE BEST arinisthebest500 ? 12h ago

    Father of Fairies? Lord of Fairies? Sir Arin? Our beloved Cherrygrove Gym Leader is in need of an excellent moniker or two. Comment below if you have anything good to share. #ArinWatanuki

    6K Comments / 7.9K ReChats / 8.3K Likes / 15K Views

    fanofcontests22 fanofcontests22 ? 4h ago

    The grand opening was amazing! Wallace and Fantina were amazing! Arin was amazing! I literally could not take my eyes off the screen throughout the whole show. Still can''t believe they all performed such breathtaking routines for free. #UltimateShowdown

    712 Comments / 1.2K ReChats / 2K Likes / 4.7K Views

    FAIRY HATE fairyhate1886 ? 1m

    [This reply has been deleted by Chatter administrators for highly offensive and inappropriate content. The user has been banned.]

    0 Comments / 0 ReChats / 0 Likes / 3 Views

    CHATTER ¡ú REGION-LOCKED

    Raihan Kibana (Verified)

    raihankibana

    Tamer of Dragons, Bringer of Storms, and King of Social Medias. :peace-sign:

    216 Following 2M+ Followers

    [Followed by arinwatanuki, leondande, iononanjyamo, and more]

    Posts ¡ú Sort By Latest

    Raihan Kibana (Verified) raihankibana ? 12h ago

    Look what the storms dragged in! :smirk:

    [PHOTOS: Gallery full of various pictures of Raihan with Arin and the others at the Cherrygrove Gym''s afterparty. They''re all laughing and smiling while eating and talking to one another. Last image is of Raihan and the others right before the Battle Royal. Each person is holding a Pokeball in their hand.]

    100K Comments / 265K ReChats / 300K Likes / 597K Views

    View Comments (100K+)

    dragontamerwannabe dragontamerwannabe ? Just now

    Holy fuck, there are so many known celebrities together in one place. Who are those other people though?

    0 Comments / 0 ReChats / 0 Likes / 0 Views

    Iono Nanjyamo (Verified) iononanjyamo ? 12h ago

    arinwatanuki Hey, hey, heyyy!1! No fair! I want to post eye-catching content like this, too. Hmph. Maybe I should go visit Johto in the future, too. :(

    10K Comments / 13K ReChats / 39K Likes / 99K Views

    Leon Dande (Verified) leondande ? 4h ago

    raihankibana THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME THERE! ME! T _ T next time, i get to go. p.s. wait did you guys fight or something? who won?

    4K Comments / 5K ReChats / 19K Likes / 34K Views

    ¡ª Raihan Kibana (Verified) raihankibana ? 4h ago

    Ya snooze, ya lose, Leon! Kahaha! But to answer your question: yeah, we did fight. As for who won¡­ I''ll text ya the details.

    ¡ª Leon Dande (Verified) leondande ? 4h ago

    raihankibana ¡­you didn''t win, did you¡­ :rofl:

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    TEXT MESSAGES

    [johto trio ? ??? ?] (3 People) ¡ú May 13, 2023

    Arin [11:54 PM]: So¡­ Jas¡­ :angel:

    Morty [11:54 PM]: :halo-smile:

    Jasmine [11:54 PM]: ? what''s up guys?

    Arin [11:54 PM]: We noticed something tonight¡­

    Morty [11:54 PM]: You seemed to be getting along well with Volkner.

    Jasmine [11:55 PM]: oh! i met him two years ago in sunyshore when i visited sinnoh to catch more steel types. we didn''t know each other''s identities at first so it was funny haha. he frequently patrols the beaches there and that''s how we met. we''ve kept in touch since then, but volkner forgets to respond a lot of the time¡­ it was nice seeing him show up for the cherrygrove gym''s grand opening. i admire him as a fellow gym leader.

    Arin [11:55 PM]: :smirk:

    Morty [11:55 PM]: :smirk:

    Jasmine [11:56 PM]: w-what is it¡­

    Arin [11:56 PM]: Weeeeell¡­ it''s a liiiittle suspicious how you typed up a whole essay for background info¡­

    Jasmine [11:56 PM]: i-i was only answering your observations! Q _Q

    Morty [11:56 PM]: I am under the strong opinion that you view Volkner with more than just admiration¡­ am I right?! ;)

    Jasmine [11:56 PM]: ?! !

    Jasmine [11:56 PM]: wHAT NO

    Jasmine [11:57 PM]: i don''t like him that way if that''s what you''re implying

    Jasmine [11:57 PM]: asfdjka;fsldfa

    Arin [11:58 PM]: Suspicious! Incredibly suspicious! This strong denial leads us to believe otherwise, right Morty?

    Morty [11:58 PM]: /sage nodding/ Indeed. Don''t worry, Jas. We think it''s cute and are in full support.

    Jasmine [11:58 PM]: I HAVE NO IDEA whaT YOURE TALKING ABOUT ?(? ???-??? ?)?

    Arin [11:58 PM]: Ahaha, sorry Jas, we just wanted to tease you a bit.

    Morty [11:58 PM]: I can offer relationship advice if you need it. I may not have been in one before, but I''ve helped plenty of Ecruteak citizens before.

    Arin [11:58 PM]: Same here, uh, barring the helping citizens bit. You and Volkner would genuinely make a wonderful couple.

    Arin [12:01 AM]: Jas?

    Morty [12:01 AM]: Hmm. It appears Jasmine might have run away in embarrassment.

    Morty [12:01 AM]: [Laughing Gengar sticker]

    Arin [12:01 AM]: [Laughing Sylveon sticker]

    Arin [12:01 AM]: I think so too. LOL! Have a nice rest, Morty (and Jas)!

    Morty [12:01 AM]: You as well! :)

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    FORUMS

    Indigo Forums

    The Indigo Forums is a site where people can discuss news related to the Kanto and Johto League Circuits. Come join fellow trainers attempting the Circuit(s) and battle enthusiasts!

    Home / Forums / Official News / Archives / Support

    Events ¡ú Trending

    Thread Topic: Strategizing for the Cherrygrove Gym in advance

    Ulysses Kan (Verified) / May 13th 2023 / 8:58 PM JST

    Tags: Cherrygrove Gym, Arin Watanuki, Johto League Circuit, Grand Opening, Fairies, Fairy Type, Pokemon, Silver Conference, Gym Challenge

    The Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening just ended a little earlier, and tomorrow, the Silver Conference will come to a close after the final match and closing ceremony. But I''m not here to talk about who the winner will be. For those of us who are looking to take on the Johto League Circuit in the fall, I''m here to tell you that we need to use this summer wisely and train up. I don''t know about you all, but I''m looking to challenge the Cherrygrove Gym when the season starts. The unveiled Fable Badge looks cool, and I want it. Let''s strategize about the Cherrygrove Gym in advance even though we don''t know what the gym challenge will be like.

    View Replies (9k+) ¡ú

    BudewRising

    I want the Fable Badge, too, darn it! I was going to challenge the Kanto League Circuit this year for my first ever Circuit run, but I think I''m gonna sign up for the Johto one instead.

    Seth Briggs (Verified)

    This is my last chance to qualify for the Silver Conference before I make myself take a year off. Since I''m going all in, I figure I''ll challenge the Cherrygrove Gym too as one last hoorah.

    Ulysses Kan (Verified)

    Hear me out. Judging by the size of the gym, I think the gym challenge could be a gigantic maze we have to get through. Or an underground basement maybe?

    Ayaka Morn (Verified)

    Hmm¡­ maybe? It''s a castle, though, which makes me think of royalty and stuff, you know? Maybe we have to rescue the lost princess stuck in a tower or something¡­ haha.

    Chie Manami (Verified)

    The commenter above me might be onto something. Usually a gym''s challenge is linked somehow to their appearance and chosen type. For example, the Ecruteak Gym Challenge is set up so that you have to make it through several different floors of a dark maze without getting scared or ejected by wandering Ghosts. A test of mentality so to speak. In the Azalea Gym Challenge, you have to escape a forest filled with Bugs or ''survive'' for a set period of time without losing too many points. You''re graded on your wilderness skills. I''m not going to go through all of the different gyms and the tests or lessons they offer, but my point is, we should expect something related to Fairies.

    Daichi Gouto (Verified)

    T _ T I''m not smart enough to even guess¡­ sigh. I should at least catch one Poison or Steel type Pokemon for the Cherrygrove Gym, hmm.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD: ONLINE CHATROOMS

    GENERAL CHAT 1 (PUBLIC)

    Nom Nom Snom and 146 others have entered the chatroom.

    Nom Nom Snom [10:15 PM]: Still can''t believe the news¡­ our governments finally made official contact with the Kinjoh Area. And Arin''s the freaking representative over there for this new treaty. We were all wondering where he went, and the guy apparently went back home to become a Gym Leader there.

    Which Witch is Which [10:15 PM]: I thought they would do it sooner to be honest, people kicked up a ton of fuss when Arin showed up years ago and they announced he was from the other side of the world.

    Pidoves are just sky rats [10:15 PM]: I miss that guy¡­ he really livened up the battle scene around here¡­

    Nom Nom Snom [10:15 PM]: /snort/ More like took it by storm when he ran through the Circuits LOL. XD No one else has won successive Conferences or beaten Champions since then. He was our wonder boy, sigh.

    Bewear of Danger [10:16 PM]: And he never became Champion of any country, too. He settled for jobs lower on the ladder in Paldea. That''s the craziest bit.

    Flababy [10:16 PM]: Speaking of Arin, did you guys see Raihan''s Chatter?!

    Which Witch is Which [10:16 PM]: What? What''d we miss?

    Flababy [10:16 PM]: Look for yourself! [Link to Raihan''s Chatter page]

    Nom Nom Snom [10:16 PM]: ! IT''S OUR WONDER BOY ARIN! ARIN WATANUKI!

    Pidoves are just sky rats [10:16 PM]: Wait, I recognize that person from the pictures the Unovan government posted. Ain''t that Champion Lance or something from Indigo?

    Bewear of Danger [10:16 PM]: Wow, wonder boy''s been up to a lot of stuff since he left the Galovea Continent. At least the guy looks like he''s been doing well.

    Flababy [10:17 PM]: Still can''t believe he''s a Gym Leader. *dreamy sigh* I''d love to challenge him for a badge, but uh¡­ the distance is way too far.

    Which Witch is Which [10:17 PM]: :c Why couldn''t he be a Gym Leader over here? Whyyy?

    Nom Nom Snom [10:17 PM]: You think they''ll open the borders someday and map viable routes from here to there? I''m interested in this Kinjoh Area more than ever now. Imagine what kind of cultures and histories they must have¡­

    Pidoves are just sky rats [10:17 PM]: I''m sure they will¡­ someday at least. Let''s keep our fingers crossed until then.

    Bewear of Danger [10:17 PM]: Yeah, and give us some more Arin updates, dammit!

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    THE GOLDENROD POST

    [Cherrygrove Gym is finally unveiled to the public.]

    By Wilfred Kemp / Published May 14, 2023 at 9:09 AM JST

    Yesterday, Johto''s ninth major gym was finally unveiled to the public after months of construction. Said construction was handled by a company based in Cherrygrove City known as Blossom Hall, and the results were stunning. Many visitors swarmed to the Gym and waited in line hours before the doors were even opened. Once visitation hours officially began, people poured in endlessly. Among them were famous public figures such as the Indigo Gym Leaders and Champion Lance himself.

    Gym Leader Arin was also spotted walking around with a number of people he appeared to be close to. It was confirmed this morning by the Indigo League that there were important guests in attendance from foreign countries, all of whom were officials who occupied top positions in their respective governments such as Gym Leaders or Elite Four members. This seems to suggest that Gym Leader Arin has powerful connections and friends outside of the country.

    We at the Goldenrod Post wish nothing but future success for the Cherrygrove Gym, and we will continue to keep readers updated with news.

    Comments (7,034) ¡ú

    Meowther ? 58 minutes ago

    The grand opening was great! I took my siblings there with me after they kept begging. My only complaint was that the lines for the gift stores were incredibly long. We didn''t manage to get any limited edition merchandise, but we got plenty of other stuff at least.

    smileCURE ? 41 minutes ago

    The Cherrygrove Gym''s new look is so unique! Very different from traditional Johtonese architecture.

    Academygoer7 ? 18 minutes ago

    My friends and I had fun fighting each other on the rooftop battlefields! They were much cooler than the public battle arenas you can use in town. I did sneeze a lot because of falling flower petals though, hahahaha.

    Slowpoking All Day ? 1 hour ago

    Damn, I saw those pictures of Arin and the foreign leaders on Chatter. That''s nuts. Also¡­ wonder what happened to Clair and the other Indigo Gym Leaders who weren''t spotted on grand opening day? I thought for sure they''d come to support the new Gym Leader in their ranks¡­ I guess maybe they couldn''t make it?

    Baji Soyura ? 1 hour ago

    I wanted to come support the Gym with my wife since we''re locals, but¡­ my father passed away this morning from a heart attack. I''m still in shock.

    ¡ª View Replies (10)

    ¡ª Allen Hestfall ? 1 hour ago

    Baji Soyura Resident of Cerulean City here. I''m so sorry for your loss. My mother passed away last week from a heart attack as well.

    ¡ª Carina Nyugen ? 1 hour ago

    Baji Soyura My condolences from Fuchsia. We recently had a loss in our family, too, a couple days ago. My grandmother passed away in her sleep. May Legends guide her and all our departed loved ones to everlasting happiness in the heavens above¡­

    whispersofdoom ? 2 hours ago

    I''ve been saying it since before, but the power balance is leaning Johto''s way with nine major gyms to Kanto''s eight. They''re gaining an edge in military power and people in high positions over us. Not good. Not good at all.

    ¡ª View Replies (92)

    ¡ª Ambling Away ? 2 hours ago

    whispersofdoom Uhh, you guys also have more minor gyms than us. Like three? Plus, three of the current Indigo Elite Four members are from Kanto (Lorelei is from the Sevii islands). You really think the overall power is THAT imbalanced? I think it''s fine. Doesn''t even matter anyway. We''re one country.

    ¡ª whispersofdoom ? 2 hours ago

    Ambling Away ''One country'' for now. Never know when things''ll go to shit.

    ¡ª Ambling Away ? 2 hours ago

    whispersofdoom Yeah, let''s not say foreboding things like that, okay?

    ¡ª Mulberry Gym Fan ? 2 hours ago

    whispersofdoom You''re absolutely right. I vote we boycott the Cherrygrove Gym. I''m a resident of Mulberry City and a fan of the minor gym we have here, and I feel bad for our Gym Leader. How come Leader Arin got to take a different test than him and the other Kanto minor gyms? It''s unfair! Our gyms should get upgraded, too!

    ¡ª Ambling Away ? 2 hours ago

    Mulberry Gym Fan For fuck''s sake, people are still going on about that? Listen, bud, it''s been months now. That''s over and done with. The test was fair, Arin did what the League asked of him, your Gym Leaders couldn''t make the cut, and the Cherrygrove Gym is official. End of story.

    ¡ª Mulberry Gym Fan ? 2 hours ago

    Ambling Away No. We''ll make our voices heard.

    ¡ª Ambling Away ? 2 hours ago

    Mulberry Gym Fan ''We?''

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    THE VERMILION GAZETTE

    BREAKING NEWS

    [Kinjoh governments enter treaty and temporary military alliance with Galovea Continent.]

    By Tristan Tsunayoshi / Published May 10, 2023 at 1:48 PM KST

    In an unprecedented move, Champions Lance, Steven, and Cynthia signed a treaty and entered a temporary military alliance with major nations of the Galovea Continent located on the other side of the world. These include the countries of Alola, Unova, Kalos, Galar, and Paldea. Gym Leader Arin Watanuki was elected as the Kinjoh Area''s representative with the approval of all Champions present.

    The Indigo League has stated that the goal of this temporary alliance is to work together and remove the presence of Team Rocket from Indigo before the organization can hope to expand. The Kinjoh Area has also been invited to become part of Interpol, a neutral organization said to combat crime on a global scale. Interpol agents will be dispatched to assist with the removal of Team Rocket.

    The news of this treaty has caused a wave of mixed reactions throughout Kanto-Johto and the Kinjoh Area as a whole. Never before has the Kinjoh Area interacted with foreign nations to such an extent. There have been prior attempts to connect with Unova, but this treaty marks a step forward in the age of international relations.

    The Vermilion Gazette would like to thank its readers for their continued support. We hope to keep you updated with the latest news in Indigo.

    Comments (4,911) ¡ú

    Optimistic Pokefan ? 2 hours ago

    Holy crap. We''re actually moving up in the world? This is honestly exciting. Maybe in the future, each country will be willing to open up its borders and allow an exchange of people and information¡­ Think about all the Pokemon and cultures waiting out there!

    flippity pancake ? 3 hours ago

    I don''t know if I trust these foreign governments¡­ what if they have hidden agendas? Still, since Champion Lance approved it, I guess it''s worth trusting them for now. Just please¡­ please¡­ get rid of Team Rocket¡­

    Jack of Trades ? 50 minutes ago

    Huh, they all approved Leader Arin as the representative? That''s interesting. Didn''t they say before that he traveled the world for a decade and across the Galovea Continent? Wonder what he accomplished over there¡­ They clearly trust him to be the representative for our region.

    Rather Be A Gloom ? 23 minutes ago

    I beseech Ho-Oh''s guidance¡­ first the initiation of a ninth major gym in Johto, and now tentative relations with outside governments. We do not need all of this change. Johto is fine the way it is.

    ¡ª View Replies (42)

    ¡ª green as the grass ? 23 minutes ago

    Rather Be A Gloom Are you kidding? I think it''s great the Indigo government is doing all it can to root out the damn Rockets. Don''t you want to live in peace?

    ¡ª Rather Be A Gloom ? 22 minutes ago

    green as a grass We''re fine on our own. We don''t need the help of this so-called¡­ Interpol.

    ¡ª green as the grass ? 22 minutes ago

    Rather Be A Gloom I''d rather be safe than sorry.

    ¡ª Optimistic Pokefan ? 5 minutes ago

    (Ha! It''s my turn to argue in the comments instead of being the one whose comment is argued over.) Not to step on anyone''s toes, but I feel hopeful for the future. The Indigo League''s taken down a few Rocket bases already with little difficulty, and I hope it stays that way. We shouldn''t fear Team Rocket. Try to stay optimistic!

    ¡ª green as the grass ? 3 minutes ago

    Optimistic Pokefan ¡­You''re right. Maybe I AM worrying too much.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Clair''s eyes traced the images reflected on her phone.

    She wasn''t an avid user of social media. Occasionally, she posted things on the Blackthorn Gym''s official account just to keep the locals happy and stay steady with the times, but the rest of the time was dedicated to training.

    Right now, she couldn''t help but look at trending pictures and posts on Chatter.

    Many people had gone to the Cherrygrove Gym''s grand opening, Lance included. Clair still found it unbelievable how friendly Lance and Arin acted towards each other. Since when had her cousin decided to be so cordial to the Cherrygrove Gym Leader? Were they friends now or something?

    Then again, she''d never felt more distant with Lance than she did at the moment. This was the longest they''d gone without ever talking to each other. She hadn''t spoken to her cousin since that last Clan meeting he stormed out of. He''d tried to reach out to her, but she''d brushed him off repeatedly.

    She didn''t want to talk to him, not while she was struggling to find her footing. The Elders were breathing down her neck more than ever and demanding she step up in place of Lance''s absence as a role model for the Clan.

    They couldn''t rely on Lance anymore, they said. He''d gone soft. Clair needed to uphold the Clan''s ideals of absolute strength.

    So she did. She held her head high, and she did her best to look unshakeable.

    That didn''t stop her from feeling tired. There had been so much going on lately. More Clan meetings with the Elders where they verbally disparaged Arin, the Cherrygrove Gym, and now the new treaty with foreign governments. If she combined that with all the training she was squeezing in, then she practically had no time for rest.

    It didn''t help that her training wasn''t going well. There weren''t a lot of notable Fairy Specialists in the Kinjoh Area ¡ª any, even, besides Arin ¡ª or people who bothered training local Fairy types to a high-enough level for Clair to fight against.

    She and her Dragons never wanted to lose against Fairies again. Her facial features twisted with shame every time she so much as briefly thought about that humiliating loss. She could not let the Elders down any more than she already had.

    Her break had already run too long. Clair grabbed her phone and gave one last look at the smiling faces of Lance, Arin, and other Indigo Gym Leaders there as they handed him gym-warming gifts.

    Lance looked genuinely happy and more relaxed than she''d ever seen him in years. Something twisted in her chest. She almost felt jealous¡ª

    Clair halted that thought in its tracks. Pursing her lips, she threw her phone into her pocket, exhaled deeply, and then walked off with an impassive expression.

    Do not acknowledge weakness.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Pryce still hadn''t gotten over news of the recent military alliance with the Galovea Continent.

    It was another change in a string of changes, and Pryce didn''t like it. He was always cautious, but nowadays, his sense of caution was at an all-time high. He felt like he was constantly walking on pins and needles waiting to see what Ho-Oh forsaken change would come next out of the woodworks.

    He had no idea what Lance was thinking about, but he wanted to grab the man by his collar and shake him fiercely while demanding answers.

    Did he not trust in the strength of Indigo''s pillars? Did he know what he was getting not just himself but all of Indigo into?

    How could he so easily trust other nations?

    Pryce had come this far in life by putting his trust in himself rather than others. There was no chance of misplacing it if he didn''t give it away, after all, and he''d solved most problems just by keeping a cold and objective eye on the situation.

    He thought Lance was like that, too, but apparently not. The younger man relied too much on the people around him.

    He didn''t see the merit in trust. Trust made people weak, made them falter, made them fall when it was inevitably broken and shattered.

    Pryce tiredly brought a hand up to his temple and rubbed it, sighing. Even though he''d been dragged down from his seat as Champion, he was still as stressed as ever. He was constantly worrying about the country. He hadn''t dedicated so many years of his life to it for things to suddenly fall to shit.

    Putting aside any concerns regarding dubious international relations, one major problem still remained.

    Team Rocket.

    Pryce had been at the forefront of two different devastating conflicts already, and his instincts as a war veteran told him this¡­ revived Team Rocket was not going to go quietly into the night as they had thus far.

    He only hoped his instincts were wrong.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    "I wonder why Falkner didn''t go to the grand opening¡­ Didn''t most of the Indigo Gym Leaders go?"

    "Yeah. I think Clair and Pryce weren''t spotted, but aside from them¡­ almost everyone else showed up at one point."

    "It looked fun. Maybe we should have gone, too¡­"

    Snippets of conversation from Falkner''s gym trainers faded in the distance. Their words had slipped in through the training hall door which had been left ajar.

    Falkner was inside that training hall, and he''d heard everything.

    He got up from his meditation pose and tried not to frown as he took a sip of water. Yes, he hadn''t gone to the grand opening. He hadn''t cared too much at first, but it was starting to weigh on him now that he''d overheard his own gym trainers comment on his absence from the event. Falkner had at least seen images of the unveiled Cherrygrove Gym earlier on TV.

    It was pretty. He could admit that much at least.

    It was also a¡­ decidedly not traditional design, which lowered Falkner''s opinion of the Gym further. Weren''t they, as Gym Leaders, supposed to respect the history and tradition of Johto? That was what Falkner had been taught from a young age. When he looked at the Cherrygrove Gym and the Fairy type it represented, it seemed worlds away from the other Gyms in Johto.

    Falkner quickly shook himself out of his thoughts. No matter. Falkner needed to focus more on himself. He had the summer ahead of him to focus on improving his own Gym, and he wanted to do a better job this year. He wanted to be acknowledged as a true and proper Gym Leader, one who fulfilled their job perfectly.

    He returned to his meditation wordlessly.

 Chapter 40

    CHAPTER 40

    As much as I wanted to sleep in after a night of festivities, I couldn¡¯t.

    Today was the Silver Conference¡¯s championship match. All the Johto Gym Leaders were expected to be there for the final day and to take part in the closing ceremony, so with great regret, I pulled myself away from the comfort of my bed.

    I wasn¡¯t drowsy, though. There were underlying concerns from the League about a possible attack on the stadium. Nothing had happened the last two weeks of the Conference, but we couldn¡¯t be too sure. Not even the expensive coffee beans Rika had gifted me could quell my anxiety.

    At least dad enjoyed them.

    In an attempt to get my mind off things, I joined dad in reading the daily newspaper. My eyes rapidly scanned the pages of printed information for anything noteworthy. They flew past the daily crossword puzzle (which dad was ninety percent done with already), the obituary section that detailed the death of a local elderly citizen from a sudden heart attack, and upcoming events like graduation ceremonies.

    Eventually, my spirits soared when I saw glowing reviews about the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s grand opening. At least with the locals, the gym¡¯s new look was a hit. I had been worried about backlash considering how I¡¯d basically remodeled the whole thing, but they seemed more than fine with it. A pleased expression graced my features as I folded the newspaper shut. As soon as my gym trainers showed up on time for morning training, I left everything in their hands and Teleported to the stadium.

    If I¡¯d thought the first day of the Silver Conference was jam packed, today¡¯s crowds were absolutely insane.

    There were still hours to go before the finals started, but there were hardly any unoccupied seats in the stands. Excited voices clamored over one another and became an indistinguishable cacophony of sound. Everybody was either wearing or holding some sort of fan merchandise to show their support for one of the two trainers fighting today. If this was any other time, I might have found myself caught up a little more in the general atmosphere of excitement.

    Not today.

    As it was, I steeled myself for the tense day ahead and walked to the designated stands for the Indigo Elite Four and Johto Gym Leaders. Half of our group had already arrived. Falkner and Clair were among the ones currently present, but they were sitting around with stiff expressions and rigid postures.

    Whitney was the first one to notice me and offer an exuberant greeting.

    ¡°Heya, Arin!¡± Whitney chirped. The pink-haired girl was as energetic as ever as she swung her legs back and forth from her seat. ¡°Did you try the milk yet?¡±

    Milk, milk¡­ It was only when I settled myself into the empty seat next to Morty that I gained any inkling of what Whitney was talking about. Her family had gifted me a set of highly-nutritious Moomoo Milk from their ranch.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but my Pokemon did. Thanks again for the gift,¡± I admitted with a sheepish smile. I¡¯d been too busy moping over coffee and the newspaper to think about enjoying breakfast, so I¡¯d gone ahead and distributed the milk to my team instead because it was so fresh.

    Whitney wasn¡¯t exactly displeased with my honest answer, but she still pouted a bit as she wagged a finger at me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you passed up on our ranch¡¯s Moomoo Milk,¡± she grumbled lightly to herself. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, you know? I guess I¡¯ll have to give you some more another time.¡±

    The Goldenrod Gym Leader rambled on about the benefits of Moomoo Milk while I blinked slowly in the background. It almost felt like I was on the receiving end of a door-to-door salesman¡¯s pitch. Somehow¡­ this was not what I imagined the atmosphere to be like when I arrived for work. I wondered if Whitney was doing it on purpose to perhaps lighten the mood.

    After spying fidgety hands on her lap, that hunch further cemented itself. Looked like she was worried about a potential attack on the stadium, too.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    A glance to my right revealed Morty attempting ¡ª and failing ¡ª to hide a smile of amusement from me.

    ¡°She won¡¯t stop until you try their ranch¡¯s products sometime,¡± Morty warned me in a voice full of mirth. ¡°Proud of the family business, that one.¡±

    ¡°I could kind of tell,¡± I quipped back in a whisper. It was nice to see how much Whitney cared about her family.

    ¡°Anyway, allow me to extend my thanks again for the party last night. It was great getting to talk to people from other regions. I heard so many interesting stories from them.¡±

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m glad you had fun. Now where¡¯s Jas? She never responded in the group chat last night¡­¡±

    I chatted idly with Morty while waiting for the rest of the Gym Leaders to arrive. It seemed like everyone, not just Whitney, was trying to keep themselves optimistic for the day ahead of us. Lance came over at one point to let me know he¡¯d safely seen off all the foreign dignitaries. He also thanked me for last night¡¯s wine with an expression like he wanted more, and I made a mental note to bribe him with good alcohol someday should I need a favor from him.

    Minutes passed, and the rest of the missing Gym Leaders eventually trickled into our part of the stands. It was honestly interesting seeing how everyone carried themselves.

    Pryce walked over with brisk strides and sat down without sparing a glance to anyone. The only reaction he gave was the slight twitching of one of his brows as we chatted loudly around him. Bugsy glided across the ground much more softly and greeted us with shy smiles, and he rambled on about last night¡¯s party with stars in his eyes. I was starting to grow fond of this kid as a sort of younger sibling.

    In comparison to both of them, Chuck¡¯s arrival was much louder.

    ¡°WAHAHA! Morning, everyone!¡± the man guffawed as he stomped towards us. I only got a moment¡¯s warning before he heartily clapped me on both shoulders, grinning widely. ¡°Sorry again I couldn¡¯t make it to the grand opening, Arin. Wife and I had a great vacation, though. Here¡¯s our gift to you.¡±

    I expected something akin to Lt. Surge¡¯s gift, but Chuck handed me a nice-looking pouch instead. When I peeked inside, I saw it was brimming with herbal medicines. All of them were Cianwood specialties.

    ¡°Good for fatigue and training injuries, stuff like that,¡± Chuck supplied helpfully, and he offered me a thumbs-up. ¡°You¡¯re still up for training with me this summer, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I instantly replied, nodding vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ll come visit sometimes. Maybe we could even arrange group training sessions with some of the other Gym Leaders? I was already planning to train with Morty and Jas this summer as well.¡±

    I glanced at Morty while I said that, but he didn¡¯t look put-off by the idea. In fact, he was nodding his head with a contemplative smile.

    Chuck, on the other hand, loved it.

    ¡°EXCELLENT!¡± he boomed, and I struggled not to fall forward as he shook my hand energetically. ¡°The more, the merrier!¡±

    Chuck was still laughing as he took a seat in the row behind me. Meanwhile, Lance had leaned over from his own seat to peer at me with interest.

    ¡°Did I hear that right? You¡¯re all thinking about group training sessions?¡± he asked with raised brows.

    I nodded.

    ¡°You want to join?¡± I asked casually, and Morty almost coughed reflexively into his fist. I didn¡¯t see what the big deal was to be honest. Training was training, and I¡¯d long been thinking about sparring with Lance anyway. Who cared if he was the Champion of Indigo and our boss? My team needed good workouts to stay in shape.

    If the pleased expression on Lance¡¯s face was anything to go by, the idea was quite agreeable with him as well.

    ¡°I would be honored to,¡± he said simply, but the ferocious edge to his newfound smile led me to believe that he was more than a little interested in fighting. I thought the conversation was going to end there, but Bruno piped up from his seat next to Lance.

    ¡°Sounds interesting. Could I get an invitation as well?¡± the man asked in a low yet polite voice.

    At this point, Morty looked like he wanted to be anywhere but the stadium, yet I couldn¡¯t have been more pleased in comparison. I didn¡¯t know much about Bruno as a person, but I did know that he and his Pokemon were strong.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I said with a playful shrug of my shoulders.

    None of us saw a certain male with blue hair or a woman with turquoise hair cast the briefest of surreptitious glances in our direction.

    Lance stroked his chin with a hand. He looked lost in thought. ¡°It could be worth hosting training sessions at the League HQ between the Indigo elites this summer. Hmm¡­¡±

    I turned away from his mutterings when Jasmine finally Teleported into existence nearby. She was the last person to show up, and she looked awfully tired. Any notions Morty and I might have had about teasing her further about Volkner died away instantly.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked. Jasmine nodded wearily as she plopped into the empty seat next to me.

    ¡°Just some issues this morning at the docks, but nothing to worry about,¡± Jasmine replied. A heavy sigh escaped her as she patted down the wrinkled hem of her dress. ¡°There were people trying to smuggle drugs. The police are tracking them down right now.¡±

    Morty and I both looked at her with sympathy. Olivine was a huge port city to take care of and one of the most densely-populated cities in Johto, period. They typically got a lot of traders and tourists coming through their gates with high crime rates to match all the traffic.

    We could only give props to Jasmine for handling all the stress that came with managing such a city.

    ¡°Cheer up,¡± Morty said soothingly. ¡°We¡¯ll get to train with Lance this summer. And Bruno.¡±

    ¡°That sounds great¡ª wait, what?¡± Jasmine halted mid-sentence. Almost robotically, she turned her head to look at us with a stupefied expression.

    Morty held his hands up in mock surrender as he glanced over at me.

    ¡°Not me. It was him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s just sparring¡­¡±

    We kept conversing to pass the time. I was glad to see that neither Morty or Jasmine (or Lance, now that I thought about it) appeared to have drunk too much wine the night before. None of them were outwardly showing any visible symptoms of a hangover, but I had no idea if they were putting on fronts or not.

    What I did know was that Alder had definitely been drunk last night, and Siebold had promised to safely drop off the inebriated man given that he¡¯d hardly touched any of the wine. Alder was probably going to wake up with a nasty hangover back home in Unova, but I had no sympathy for him.

    He deserved it for bailing out of a good fight.

    The crowds somehow got even rowdier while we were waiting. People waved their flags around and cheered when a blimp with a monitor attached to it passed over the stadium. I caught glimpses of random spectators on the screen as it switched between different viewpoints. Several different logos had been emblazoned on the blimp¡¯s side, including ones for Silph Co. and a few other technology companies based in the Kanto-Johto region.

    The last day of the Silver Conference was going to start soon. Sure enough, Lance got everyone¡¯s attention at one point by clapping his hands together.

    We fell silent immediately as he stood in front of us with a serious gaze.

    ¡°The last two weeks of the Silver Conference were peaceful, but we don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll choose to do anything on the last day,¡± Lance told us. One of his hands clenched into a fist at his side. ¡°Ho-Oh forbid that anything happens, but be ready at a moment¡¯s notice to take action.¡±

    He sat back down with a flick of his cape. Any conversation after that was more subdued as we waited for the proceedings to begin. We all shared Lance¡¯s hope that nothing would happen.

    Eventually, it came time for a short speech from President Aoma to kick off the last day of the Conference. In it, he espoused the ideals of sportsmanship, respect, and passion for following one¡¯s dreams. It was an eloquent speech in all honesty, but while the crowds listened to it, they remained restless.

    They weren¡¯t here for the speech. The moment President Aoma finished talking and an emcee dressed in a fancy costume took his place, the crowds went wild with loud cheers.

    Yes, they were here for the main event: the finals.

    The emcee¡¯s voice boomed throughout the stadium from his microphone as he introduced the trainers fighting today. Around the dome, gigantic screens lit up with pictures and names to match what he was saying.

    Today, one of these trainers was going to walk away as the winner of this year¡¯s Conference and be awarded with all the privileges that came with it. One of those was the opportunity to challenge the Indigo Elite Four within a year. There were other ways the Indigo Elite Four could be challenged, but they were either harder to pass or the Elite Four had the option of declining a challenge request.

    At least with the privilege granted to the annual Conference winner, it ensured a guaranteed match against the top trainers of our country and was highly sought-after as a result.

    I briefly glanced at the stadium screens and committed their names to memory. Nori Higuchi and Hana Eldbeth. I didn¡¯t know much if at all anything about either of them aside from what the emcee was spouting (they had been trainers for five and four years respectively), but the fact that they¡¯d made it here to the finals was a testament to their skill.

    I wondered vaguely if I¡¯d see either of them challenge my Gym in the fall.

    The stands practically reverberated from roars and stamping feet as the trainers emerged from their waiting rooms onto the field below. I ran a hand over one of my Pokeballs, trying to calm myself with the touch of the cool metal.

    Without further ado, the trainers released their first contenders, and the championship began.

    It was a good match from start to end. It had to be considering these two had toppled every other trainer in the country to make it this far. Even though I was ready to spring into action at the first sign of trouble like Lance wanted, I found myself picking a favorite before the match was over.

    My favorite of the two, Hana Eldbeth, won like I thought she would, and the crowd screamed their approval.

    The rest of the day passed by in a blur. There were congratulatory remarks from President Aoma, a small intermission (Lance privately excused himself to go talk about rewards with the top three finalists), then a banquet dedicated to all of the Conference goers, and then finally, finally, the closing ceremony.

    A stage with spotlights had been set up on the stadium¡¯s base level, and I stood there now with the other Johto Gym Leaders in a neat line. Lance was busy speaking into a microphone and congratulating everyone for their hard work. Even though the top-ranking finalists got trophies and bigger rewards, all Conference-goers at least received a small medal for managing to make it this far.

    ¡°This is not the end,¡± Lance stated powerfully into his microphone. ¡°Raise your heads. Come challenge the Silver Conference again. The Gym Leaders await you, and so do I and the Indigo Elite Four. I thank everyone for their valiant efforts in this year¡¯s Conference, and may the embers of glory burn ever brighter in the next one!¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    I couldn¡¯t help but ruminate on that one line of Lance¡¯s even as I clapped alongside the crowds and teary-eyed competitors.

    The Gym Leaders await you.

    In just two months, I¡¯d be one of the obstacles these people would have to get through if they wanted to qualify for the Silver Conference. I couldn¡¯t help but feel fired up at that thought.

    I would give them suitable challenges to meet their expectations.

    In better news, nothing had happened even during the Silver Conference¡¯s final moments. Lance had us stick around to keep an eye on the stadium and surrounding areas as people left for home. Needless to say, it took a long time given the scale of the event. We had stragglers who bought last-minute things at stalls on their way out, missing kids who had to be reunited with their parents¡­

    We also had some reckless Conference-goers who actually had the guts to come up to Lance and ask for permission to enter Mt. Silver right away now that they had the qualifications. Lance¡¯s eye twitched, but he managed to calmly tell them to prepare supplies first and ask again another day.

    I pitied him.

    Eventually, Silver Town became little more than a ghost town. It would come back to life the following summer, but until then, it would be home only to a few permanent residents. With this, the Silver Conference was officially over, and the Johto League Circuit had truly ended. Lance dismissed us, and I couldn¡¯t have been happier to go home.

    I was tired from basically sitting all day, but I was glad nothing bad happened. I also felt more excited than ever to get my Gym ready in time for the next Johto League Circuit. I hummed as I Teleported into my private office and notified everyone of my arrival through the gym¡¯s group chat. It was too late today, but I could get work started tomorrow¡ª

    I jumped when heavy knocks pounded against the office entrance. I barely got out a come in before the door flew wide open. Neil strode in with a frown, and he announced words I realized I would really come to dislike during my tenure as a Gym Leader.

    ¡°Arin, we¡¯ve got a problem.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I instantly asked. I was already following Neil out the door and through the halls to the first floor.

    ¡°Protestors,¡± Neil grunted out, and my brows flew up to my hairline. ¡°We got them to leave earlier, but I think they realized you¡¯d be back from the Silver Conference by now, so they came back in full force.¡±

    ¡°¡®Protestors?¡¯¡± I echoed incredulously. Disbelief bubbled up within me, but I kept a lid on it as we went down the stairs. We were coming up on the front doors now. ¡°What is this about?¡±

    Neil gave me the briefest rundown he could in just a few short sentences. Apparently, the protestors had come all the way from Mulberry City over in Kanto as well as two other small towns. I had no idea where any of those were on the map, but I recognized them as being the locations of Kanto¡¯s minor gyms¡­ which led into the meat of the situation.

    According to Neil, they were furious over the fact the Cherrygrove Gym had successfully entered the ranks of the major gyms through a revised test and found it unfair to the other minor gyms. They also felt threatened by the existence of a ninth major gym in Johto and were spouting shit about power imbalances between Kanto and Johto now.

    My mind was still whirling with all this information when we got within distance of the automatic doors.

    ¡°Brace yourself,¡± Neil said. He said that, but I still wasn¡¯t prepared for the sheer volume of angry voices when the doors opened and we stepped out.

    ¡°THERE HE IS!¡±

    ¡°BOYCOTT THE CHERRYGROVE GYM!¡±

    ¡°Fuck Johto! Stop taking all the power for yourselves!¡±

    And so on and so forth. There was a massive crowd of protestors ¡ª mostly older people ¡ª being held back by our team of security guards, and a lot of them were holding signs with not-so-nice messages in their hands. They jabbed fingers at me and made snarling expressions while I did my best to process the situation.

    I had been born in a time when Kanto and Johto had already unified as Indigo, so I¡¯d never thought much about it growing up¡­ but it seemed like lingering resentment and distrust were still far-rooted in the minds of the older generation. I was obviously fully aware of the strained history between Kanto and Johto before we became one country, but it had never hit me before that this was something people still dwelled on.

    Still, to protest my Gym over it? This was a peaceful era. Gyms weren¡¯t so much symbols of military strength anymore so much as they were symbols of peace and education. They were institutions for trainers to come to and learn from.

    It wasn¡¯t like I was the one who had changed the promotion test proctor, and it wasn¡¯t like it was my fault I had met the League¡¯s admittedly vague requirements for becoming a major gym. I couldn¡¯t believe I had to deal with this right after coming back from playing babysitter at the Silver Conference all day. As if I didn¡¯t already have enough things to do and work on this summer¡­

    Arceus. I felt like a Psyduck with a headache coming on.

    I couldn¡¯t hope to engage them in a logical discussion. These people looked furious enough that I doubted they would listen to anything I said, and it would probably incite them further if I tried making any points of mine heard. Honestly, it might have been a mistake for me to even show up before them, too, but that was a moot point by now.

    I tried not to let my shoulders slump with weariness as I turned to Neil.

    ¡°Have the security team peacefully escort them off the grounds,¡± I said, and I made sure to emphasize the peaceful part. I didn¡¯t want the protestors to have more¡­ ammo¡­ to come at us with. ¡°And kindly tell them to go to the League HQ if they have complaints. Sorry you had to deal with this while I was gone, Neil.¡±

    I was the wrong person to go to with their anger. If those protestors wanted to get something done, they needed to go to the source of it all. I simultaneously thanked and apologized to Neil as I went back inside to take a warp tile back to my house.

    I was already typing up a message to Lance letting him know about this newfound protestor development as I walked through the backyard. A sigh slipped out of my mouth.

    So much for having a nice start to the summer.

    <hr>

    The following morning, I shuffled around in my office decorating it.

    This was technically my first day on the job inside of my official workplace ¡ª my Gym ¡ª and it felt great. Now that the Silver Conference had ended, the Indigo Conference had begun. Lance and the Kanto Gym Leaders were over at the Plateau watching over the opening ceremony. Us Johto Gym Leaders had orders to be on standby at our Gyms in case anything happened.

    I was more than happy to follow that order, and I took the time to spruce up my office.

    I¡¯d hung Mina¡¯s painting and two of Hassel¡¯s down below in the gym lobby, but I kept one of Hassel¡¯s in my office. The one of me and dad was hanging at home. Sometimes I caught dad staring at it for minutes at a time with a sad smile, and my heart ached for some reason.

    I carefully decorated the rest of the office with various gym-warming gifts I¡¯d gotten. Evolution stones were pulled out and put on display on a shelf in neat rows. It probably would have been a bad idea anywhere else, but my personal office was as secure as they came. I doubted anyone was going to try or even make it through here.

    After some thought, I left the odd Fire Stone look-alike I¡¯d gotten from Blaine on top of my desk as a paperweight. I would have put it with the other evolution stones, but it didn¡¯t quite fit in with its tiny ember that looked on the verge of being snuffed out completely.

    Sabrina¡¯s gift was utilized as well. As strange as the dolls and amulets looked, I would have felt bad if I left them around to collect dust considering the Saffron Gym Leader had gone out of her way to visit and drop something off.

    I did have Silque check them, though, just to see if there was anything weird. They came out clean, but Silque noted there actually appeared to be some form of good luck or positive energy at the very least imbued into them. I wondered not for the first time what kind of powers Indigo¡¯s best human psychic had exactly.

    I placed the amulets at even intervals in my room but placed them in hard-to-see places like under my desk or behind bookshelves. I wasn¡¯t ashamed of them, but I wondered if people would feel startled if they saw strange-looking talismans when they entered my office. The kokeshi dolls were placed one-for-one on my desk and a nearby bookshelf.

    ¡­The longer I looked at the one on my desk, the more I thought it seemed kind of cute. Oh no.

    I was just wrapping up decorating my office when Neil came in and told me we had a problem. Again.

    The protestors had come back.

    I resisted dragging a hand down my face and sighed instead. ¡°Tell them to take it up with the League. They¡¯re not going to accomplish anything here¡ª¡±

    Both Neil and I jumped when an alarm blared out from my phone. I¡¯d strapped it to my wrist, and I looked down at it now with wide eyes. That was a ringtone I¡¯d designated for when Lance sent out emergency alerts to the Gym Leaders. An incoming group call was reflected on the screen.

    I didn¡¯t have to shoo out Neil since he hurriedly left the office of his own accord to give me privacy. I immediately entered the call.

    ¡°League forces near Route 27 found Rockets,¡± Lance informed us in a rush. That was the route near Tohjo Falls if I remembered correctly, the very one that bled into Kanto territory. ¡°They¡¯ve already run outside checks, and this is the biggest base they¡¯ve found yet. The Kanto Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and I can¡¯t leave the stadium in case something happens here. Assuming these grunts are as weak as the ones we¡¯ve fought before, I don¡¯t think there will be much of an issue, but¡­ I¡¯m going to need all Johto Gym Leaders to back up the League forces stationed there in case anything happens.¡±

    Protestors and now this. It really seemed like this summer was not going to be as peaceful as I hoped. I had to warp back to my house briefly to gather all my Pokemon, but when I came back to my office, there was a League Kadabra waiting to fetch me already.

    I blinked, and suddenly I was in a thick, forested area with other Gym Leaders and League Trainers standing around me. A large river flowed downstream where I assumed it eventually connected with the southern seas.

    This was the first Rocket operation I¡¯d personally taken part in since that first night. Any operations since then had mostly been handled by the League Trainers themselves since the combat levels of the Rockets were on the lower end, and we hadn¡¯t needed to come in for assistance. That didn¡¯t mean I was any less tense, though. The other Gym Leaders around me looked the same.

    We were still on a joint call with Lance and the Leaders back at the Indigo Stadium. According to Lance, there was a building deeper in the forest that appeared to have been built a few months ago. Estimated forces were around five hundred. He wanted us to secure the perimeter for now, but we had the ability to move in if needed. The operation had already started moments before we arrived.

    This was a forested area very close to the Mt. Silver Range¡¯s outskirts, so Lance¡¯s only warning was to try and capture the Rockets before they got too far into the mountain range. None of us wanted to stir up the wild Pokemon and add more problems onto the pile.

    I released a few Pokemon around me as well as Brie and Zuzu into the nearby river. Those two would be following some other League Pokemon downstream, just in case Rockets somehow got past us and tried escaping by sea. A League Trainer came by and handed me a communications device when I was done.

    I had just finished putting on the comms link when the line crackled to life.

    ¡°Squad Two Captain speaking. We¡¯ve engaged Team Rocket grunts by the northern checkpoints.¡±

    ¡°Squad Three. We¡¯ve successfully infiltrated through the roof.¡±

    It seemed like the League Trainers had it handled, but us Gym Leaders stayed at the ready on the perimeter anyway. In front of us was a makeshift table with a cluster of monitors atop it. We could see in real time what each squad captain was seeing through small cameras attached to their helmets. Back at the stadium, Lance and the Kanto Gym Leaders had a similar setup going on to help them keep tabs on the situation.

    ¡°Squad One Captain here. Some Rockets are fleeing through the forest. We¡¯re already in pursuit. Squad Four, get ready to intercept them¡ª¡±

    The League Trainer suddenly paused.

    ¡°They stopped. Rockets have bunkered down behind stone barricades near a field of red and white mushrooms. We¡¯re moving in.¡±

    So they¡¯d chosen to stay and make a last stand instead. I watched the monitor¡¯s scene shake back and forth from running movement. It was hard, but I could make out ugly gray walls of stone in the far back and the mushrooms the League Trainer had pointed out. The forests near Mt. Silver were usually home to a variety of unusual plants, and these appeared to be no exception.

    Unlike the vibrantly red mushrooms one could often find growing on the backs of Paras, these were dull and almost sickly looking. The sight was certainly a sharp contrast with the leafy fronds and colorful wildflowers nestled between them. They were also incredibly large mushroom caps with¡­ I almost couldn¡¯t see them through all the shaking¡­ wart-like protrusions across their surfaces¡ª

    My eyes widened in horrific realization. I yelled out a warning into my mic just as someone else did. Lt. Surge¡¯s urgent roar, I belatedly realized.

    ¡°STOP! GET OUT OF THERE¡ª¡±

    ¡°IT¡¯S A TRAP! THOSE ARE¡ª¡±

    Instead of coherent words, all we got were pained screams and then silence.

    The line and cameras for Squad One went dead. Blinding smoke had filled the monitors before they shut off, but I had already taken off with the other Gym Leaders hot on my heels.

    If I was right, if those were the Pokemon I thought they were¡ª

    I couldn¡¯t finish that thought. First, we needed to back up the League Trainers.

    Following verbal instructions from League Trainers on standby, we ran through the forest to where Squad One had last been spotted.

    My stomach twisted uncomfortably when I saw people crawling on the ground with half-melted skin. The ground had been dissolved in sections from bubbling acid.

    And the perpetrators? The mushrooms had pulled themselves out of the ground by the dozen and stared at us with bloodshot eyes. They looked more sickly and¡­ deformed than I was used to, but I knew these Pokemon.

    Fuck. I¡¯d guessed right after all. These were Amoonguss. It begged the question of how Team Rocket had gotten their hands on Unova Pokemon considering how tight their country¡¯s security was, but we had to focus on the matter at hand.

    The Rockets who had been bunkering down behind the stone barricades were gone.

    Had they been smart enough to lead the League Trainers into a trap? I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°They¡¯re Grass and Poison type Pokemon!¡± I yelled out. There¡¯d be time after the operation to explain in more detail, but this would have to do.

    The Amoonguss had already reared back their heads and arms in preparation for another wave of poison perhaps, but Grima beat them to the punch. My Grimmsnarl bellowed twice in a one-two combo and sent a wave of Dark type energy spinning through the vicinity. Taunt and Torment went into play simultaneously, and the Amoonguss stuttered in place as their limbs locked up from momentary confusion.

    That was all the time Pryce needed to follow up. Howling winds of ice and snow came sweeping forward from his Delibird, and I had to dig my heels into the ground to avoid being blown away. When I looked back up, the rows of Amoonguss had transformed into frozen statues.

    ¡°Find the Rockets!¡± Pryce snapped without delay.

    Falkner, Chuck, and Morty decided to take on that role and split up from us to head deeper into the forest. Meanwhile, the rest of us stayed behind to help the League Trainers as best we could. Closer inspection revealed that they¡¯d gotten hit with everything from Sludge Bomb to Toxic to what looked like lingering spores from Rage Powder.

    Whitney and I were doing the bulk of the work here with our respective healer Pokemon. Audi and Whitney¡¯s Blissey and Chansey were doing their best to alleviate pain. They were able to treat injured League Pokemon well, but there was only so much they could do for human beings. I couldn¡¯t have felt more thankful when the combat medics finally showed up with medicine and antidotes in hand.

    Now that there was finally some breathing space, Pryce turned to me with an expression that bordered on cold.

    ¡°Explain. You said they were Grass and Poison type Pokemon?¡± he said tersely.

    I didn¡¯t bother nitpicking with his tone due to the urgency of the situation. I was still on the line with the rest of the League forces on standby as well as Lance and the others at the stadium, so I addressed all of them as I answered.

    ¡°Amoonguss. It¡¯s a Pokemon species native to Unova,¡± I explained. I heard sharp intakes of breath from¡­ Lance, maybe, but I couldn¡¯t be too sure. I tried not to grimace as I clenched one of my hands into a fist. ¡°If only I¡¯d recognized them earlier¡­ We wouldn¡¯t have had casualties.¡±

    ¡°Not your fault. I should be the one feeling guilty if anything,¡± Lt. Surge said gruffly through the line. He sounded quite pissed. ¡°Fucking hell. I should have been able to recognize those overgrown mushrooms considering they¡¯re from my hometown. Worst slipup I¡¯ve had in awhile.¡±

    Lt. Surge was from Unova? I vaguely recalled hearing somewhere he was from a foreign country, but now I knew for sure. My attention went back to the matter at hand as more people talked around me and assessed the wounded.

    Two people had¡­ died on the spot from lethal doses of poison and blood loss. The situation didn¡¯t look great for the other wounded soldiers because the poison from Amoonguss wasn¡¯t exactly something medical professionals saw on a day-to-day basis, but they still cobbled together remedies for the time being. The soldiers were stable for now but not completely cured. Later, they¡¯d be transported to the League HQ. The Kyou Clan of ninjas was also going to be called in to help given their wide knowledge on poisons and antidotes.

    The Gym Leaders who¡¯d split up from us still hadn¡¯t returned, and the youngest Gym Leaders in our group ¡ª Bugsy and Whitney ¡ª looked a bit faint as they stared at the fallen soldiers on the ground. I wanted to reach out and comfort them, but Jasmine beat me to the punch.

    Even if this was part of our duties as Gym Leaders, it wasn¡¯t easy seeing innocent people get hurt like this.

    I rubbed my temple with my hand. We were going to have to hold a meeting at the League HQ after this probably¡ª

    The sound of something shattering made all thoughts fly out of my mind.

    I whipped my head around in time to see an Amoonguss somehow break free of its icy prison and fire a volley of filthy sludge point-blank at a League Trainer. It would have certainly melted the person¡¯s face off, too, if Clair¡¯s Dragonair hadn¡¯t thrown up a glimmering shield in time. Protect.

    The attack was somehow so powerful that it actually rattled the Protect a bit and produced a crack. Clair¡¯s eyes widened, and so did mine.

    It was that strong? How the hell did it even break free? Pryce¡¯s Pokemon weren¡¯t slouches when it came to freezing their opponents. It was now that I studied the Amoonguss more closely. Was it just me, or was it breathing unevenly?

    Something wasn¡¯t right here, but there was no time to talk. I heard more ominous cracking sounds, and my Pokemon situated themselves around me before I even gave out orders.

    All at once, the rest of the Amoonguss burst out their frozen confinement and attacked indiscriminately. Their eyes looked more bloodshot than ever, and I thought I even saw veins close to bursting. Everyone on our side threw up barriers and Protects to keep us shielded as globs of poison and suspicious looking powders filled the air and obscured it completely.

    Out of all of us, Pryce was decidedly the most annoyed with this turn of events.

    ¡°Freeze them again!¡± he yelled at his Pokemon.

    That was the only warning we got before the world was enveloped in white. Wind howled so loudly in my ears that I couldn¡¯t hear anything else.

    When at last I could see again, the Amoonguss were definitely down for the count this time. The ground around them had been gouged by trails of fading crystals, and it looked like they¡¯d been imprisoned in gigantic tubes of icy amber. Sheer Cold, if I had to guess.

    My heart was still pounding from the sudden scare when new reports came in over the comms link.

    Another squad down by the river had come into contact with an unknown Pokemon, bass-like fish with red or blue stripes. They weren¡¯t the only ones. One more squad found themselves fighting gigantic, trash-like Pokemon. I recognized both descriptions.

    Lt. Surge was already yelling out information about these Pokemon over the comms link ¡ª Basculin and Garbodor, he said ¡ª but I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of dread settling over me as I rushed to the next location with the other Gym Leaders.

    Unova Pokemon in Kanto. What did this mean?

    The Team Rocket situation had just gotten a little more complicated.

 Chapter 41 â€” Divided We Fall

    CHAPTER 41 ¡ª Divided We Fall

    We split up into teams.

    Bugsy stayed behind with the injured League Trainers and combat medics to ensure their safety while Jasmine, Whitney, and Clair headed north to fight the Garbodor. Meanwhile, I went with Pryce to the river. When we burst out of the forest and laid eyes on the riverbank, we saw League Trainers on either side locked in smaller battles with Rocket grunts.

    The river itself was a free-for-all zone.

    All sorts of Water type Pokemon were duking it out in there without any sort of guidance from trainers. I¡¯d imagined something like a massive school of fish to contend with, but it turned out to be a dozen or so Basculin giving our side trouble.

    The jaws of their species were said to be strong enough to even indent iron sheets. One of them sank its teeth into a Slowbro¡¯s tender flesh and pulled it under completely. I only saw quick flashes of the Basculin as they propelled themselves in and out of the water with Aqua Jets, yet I could still tell something was off. Their scales had lost their vibrant hues.

    Brie and Zuzu were in the thick of it already. My Lapras had completely cut off the southern end of the river. Behind her, the water was frozen solid in waves of sloping ice, and she was stationed in front of it like the last sentry in a frigid tundra. Any hostile Pokemon that got remotely close to her became a frozen statue in return. Meanwhile, my Azumarill was chasing Basculin.

    Even though she was moving around with her own Aqua Jet, Zuzu was having trouble keeping up with the fish. She wasn¡¯t a particularly fast Pokemon in general, but I was still surprised to see how quick these Basculin were. The more sickly-looking Basculin managed to stay ahead of her as they cut across the water, and they were continuously speeding up. I didn¡¯t see the visible use of an Agility in effect.

    Some of their dull scales even peeled off and floated atop the water. A type of powder leaked out from them and dyed the river an ominous, murky hue. I would think about that later.

    Right now, we had a situation to settle.

    ¡°All League Trainers, get your Pokemon out of the water,¡± I spoke into my comms link, deciding to take charge of this operation.

    It was better to round up all of the Basculin in one go.

    The League forces were quick to comply and issue orders to their own Pokemon. While everything from Poliwrath to Seaking and more returned to their trainers, Pryce and I kept ourselves busy taking out Rockets. A few had decided to sic their Pokemon on us. It wasn¡¯t the smartest move, but the grunts were surrounded on all sides and didn¡¯t have any other option but to fight.

    ¡°Keep up shields,¡± I told the Pokemon closest to me, but any Protects turned out to be unnecessary in the end.

    These grunts were weak.

    Pryce¡¯s Abomasnow only had to scream out a single Blizzard for everything to freeze over, but a few grunts and their Pokemon were able to duck for cover in time. Lico slammed them to the ground with waves of psychic energy. For good measure, Choux knocked them out with Play Roughs.

    By this point in time, it was just the Basculin left in the river and my own Pokemon. Zuzu and Brie were the last ones to crawl onto the riverbank. Now with free reign, I pointed at the river and said one word.

    ¡°Gravity.¡±

    Perhaps it was a little overkill, but Taffy and Audi both focused glowing eyes on the water and reversed it. Basculin and water alike were raised high above into the air. The fish flopped and struggled this way and that, but they couldn¡¯t do anything in mid-air suspension.

    It was now that I finally got a clear view of them.

    I¡¯d already noted their flaking scales and sickly skin earlier, but I could see one other odd trait: their eyes. Like the Amoonguss from before, these Basculin had extremely bloodshot eyes to the point where it looked like they would just pop out of their heads completely. I eyed their throbbing veins and the yellowish mucus they spat out, and I could definitely conclude one thing.

    Something was wrong with these Basculin.

    I was going to give an order to my Ice types, but Pryce was one step ahead of me. His own team threw out blindingly fast rays of Ice Beam, and suddenly my Pokemon were holding up ice cubes. I had them lower the frozen blocks onto the riverbank instead, but I kept an eye on them.

    I still remembered what had happened earlier with the Amoonguss and wondered if the same thing would happen here¡ª

    Case in point, the frozen Basculin actually thumped in place. The sound of cracking ice alerted us that they were attempting to break out. This time, Pryce and I gave out the same command simultaneously.

    ¡°Freeze them over!¡±

    Through our combined efforts, we had our Ice types renew their icy prisons and apply multiple layers. We waited a few seconds after we were done, but nothing happened. With the Basculin taken care of, the rest of the League forces were able to fall back into a more organized formation and concentrate on apprehending the Rockets.

    Pryce couldn¡¯t do much since his team was more suited for widespread attacks that covered large areas, so while he watched the perimeter, my Pokemon jumped in to assist the League Trainers.

    ¡°Knock them out for interrogation later!¡± I barked, but my team already knew.

    Cackles filled the air as my Ghosts popped in and out of shadows to strike at the enemy¡¯s backsides. My fliers gave them cover fire from the skies, and the rest of my land-based Pokemon simply charged at their opponents without a care in the world. With how weak these Rocket grunts were, we didn¡¯t actually have to help too much. The League forces were already taking them down methodically.

    We were done in minutes.

    I had my Audino and Hatterene help heal some of the injured League Pokemon while I listened to the communications line. Everyone was giving status updates.

    ¡°Arin, how are things over there?¡± Lance¡¯s voice crackled over the line.

    ¡°We¡¯re done here. Some injured Pokemon, but nothing serious. These Basculin though? Something¡¯s wrong with them. I think they might have been drugged¡ª¡±

    BOOM!

    Everyone¡¯s heads, including mine, snapped up at the sound of a nearby explosion. I saw plumes of smoke billowing through the sky above the trees, and my eyes widened.

    Wasn¡¯t that the direction Jasmine and the other Gym Leaders had gone off in?

    I locked gazes with Pryce for the briefest of seconds. He gave a curt nod, and that was my cue to take off sprinting while he stayed behind. Multiple voices overlapped each other in my ear as I ran.

    ¡°Explosion at point five¡ª¡±

    ¡°Squad Four, report! Come in!¡±

    I smelled the aftermath before I even saw or came across it.

    Rancid scents ¡ª a combination of metal, burning flesh, and everything rotten under the sun ¡ª were thick in the air. My eyes watered a bit as I ran, and Silque helpfully put up an additional barrier around me just to filter out the smell. My heart threatened to burst out of my chest when I finally careened to a halt.

    The clearing I was in looked like it had gone through hell.

    Earth everywhere had been churned up and spat back out as if through a grinder. Trees had been blown right out of the ground and lay scattered in splintered pieces. A few had spilled into large, smoking craters in the ground that still sizzled with fading embers. My eyes latched onto the things wriggling down at their bases, small clumps of¡­ plastic and miscellaneous garbage that looked like they were clinging to life.

    I paid more attention to the people in the clearing, the ones I¡¯d been searching for.

    ¡°Jas! Whitney! Clair! Are you all okay?!¡± I called out with no small amount of urgency, and I bounded toward them with Pokemon in tow.

    The three ladies were crouched behind a collection of their Pokemon. They all turned at the sound of my voice, and I was relieved to see that none of them had visible injuries. Jasmine¡¯s Metagross and Clair¡¯s two Dragonair let down their Protect shields as I stopped in front of them, but not before I saw the small cracks running across their glowing surfaces. Just a few feet away, Jasmine¡¯s Steelix had curled its body protectively around a group of League Trainers and their Pokemon. The behemoth¡¯s steel plates hissed with rising steam as the giant withdrew its tail. All the League Trainers appeared to be fine barring some injuries on their outer limbs¡ª

    No¡­ I saw one person lying still on the ground. My chest tightened.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± I heard Jasmine say, and I wrenched my gaze back to her.

    Jasmine had a hand on Whitney¡¯s shoulder. The teenager looked the most shaken out of the group, but she still managed to look me in the eye and reaffirm Jasmine¡¯s statement. Clair did the same with a quick nod of her head.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. I was sure everyone else on the communications line was probably waiting to hear about the exact same thing.

    ¡°We¡ª We were fighting off the unknown species, the¡­ Garbodor,¡± Whitney spoke up. She stumbled over her words at first, but she quickly calmed down after taking a breath. ¡°They had red eyes, Arin, and they kept fighting without stopping. We thought we knocked them out, but they got back up and grew bigger. Then they exploded¡ª¡±

    So the Garbodor had all used Explosion¡­ That explained the gooey messes back in the craters.

    Whitney cut off suddenly to audibly swallow. When she didn¡¯t resume her explanation, Clair took over in a brisk, clipped tone. Her nose wrinkled a bit from the lingering putrid smell in the air.

    ¡°They seemed to get stronger with every second that passed,¡± Clair said, and her eyes bored into mine. I couldn¡¯t tell what I saw there, unease or frustration, but Clair wore a hard frown as she continued. ¡°And their physical appearances eroded to match. I¡¯ve never seen this species before so I don¡¯t have a point of reference to draw from, but I¡¯m under the belief these Pokemon have been drugged.¡±

    Her last words were directed more into her comms link than to me. Heavy silence followed in the wake of her words, but it was fleeting due to the fact that we were still in the middle of an operation.

    ¡° ¡­We¡¯ll discuss this later,¡± Lance finally said, and I agreed quietly in my head.

    I shared the same opinion as Clair, and speaking as someone who¡¯d actually seen these types of Pokemon before, what they had looked like today was definitely out of the norm. The red eyes, their altered appearances, the unnatural physical abilities they showed¡­ all of these pointed to something having been done to these Pokemon, most likely a performance-enhancing drug of some sort.

    Was it sickening? Definitely, but it should have been within range of our expectations. I clenched a fist in frustration. Team Rocket had been known to widely experiment on Pokemon in the past. Clearly, that had not changed fifteen years later.

    I pulled myself out of my thoughts to walk over to the craters. I heard Jasmine updating Lance on the situation here ¡ª one death and a few injuries among the League forces ¡ª but I was focused on the splattered remains of Garbodor.

    They¡¯d been wriggling earlier, but they¡¯d since stopped. A few had even crumbled to dust. I didn¡¯t want to receive a nasty surprise if they reassembled later, so I had my Pokemon watch over the craters. We¡¯d need to bring the pieces back to League HQ for analysis.

    I heard them say over the line that the other squads had finished capturing enemy forces. Falkner and the others had successfully returned from pursuing fleeing Rockets as well. Since it appeared like we were done here, Lance ordered everyone to meet up at the Indigo Plateau.

    ¡°The opening ceremony is almost finished, so those of us here at the stadium will join you soon,¡± Lance said with great reluctance. He seemed torn about the idea of leaving the stadium undefended, but the urgency of the situation demanded a meeting sooner rather than later.

    We decided to reconvene with Bugsy at the makeshift medical station first. We were already hurrying, but when we heard the distant sounds of fighting, we picked up our pace.

    We were greeted by the scene of Bugsy¡¯s Pokemon standing over unconscious Amoonguss bodies. The ground around them was wet with crushed pieces of ice, and the Amoonguss themselves were littered with a variety of fresh cuts and wounds. They also oozed a great deal of pus and other foul scents, and my group turned our noses away until our Psychic types reapplied barriers around us.

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re back,¡± Bugsy said, shoulders melting with relief. He was clutching one of his Pokeballs while his Scizor stood next to him protectively. He gestured with a trembling hand to the Amoonguss around him as we walked over. ¡°Um, I¡¯m not exactly sure what happened, but they managed to break out of the ice. I-It looked like they grew stronger? They only fought for a few seconds before they fell over on their own though, I¡­ I didn¡¯t really do much¡­¡±

    By the time he got out his last word, the rest of the Gym Leaders had rejoined us in the clearing. We formed a loose circle while the League Trainers moved injured soldiers and Pokemon around us. Pryce¡¯s expression was the coldest I¡¯d ever seen.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going by the assumption that these Pokemon have been drugged, then the ice only seems to slow down whatever¡¯s in their system,¡± he nearly spat out. ¡°The¡­ Basculin¡­ I was watching over broke free and grew to twice their size. They flopped around pathetically before fainting.¡±

    ¡°Definitely some sort of drug,¡± Morty agreed in a quiet voice. ¡°The Rockets we were chasing had some Arbok that looked like they¡¯d been experimented on, too.¡±

    No one responded. Each of us grimaced and stewed over bad thoughts. This was a conversation best left for when everyone was around, so without further ado, we got ready to leave.

    The trip back to League HQ was a quiet one.

    Silence rife with tension and questions begging to be unleashed filled the atmosphere as we Teleported into a private meeting room. I was reminded of the last time I was in a room like this for a Team Rocket situation. Then and now, no one sat down. We all remained standing with stiff or troubled expressions.

    We held ourselves together until Lance, the Indigo Elite Four, and the Kanto Gym Leaders Teleported in from the Indigo Stadium.

    Then the floodgates opened.

    ¡°Unova Pokemon in Kanto¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re experimenting on Pokemon!¡±

    ¡°People died today, Lance! What is the public going to think?¡±

    Over a dozen different voices rose up and clamored over one another in a mixture of everything from anger to shock to grief. We¡¯d been expecting a normal operation today, not¡­ the mess we found ourselves in instead. I remained silent with a few others and waited.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Lance did not disappoint.

    ¡°STOP!¡±

    The emphatic shout was loud and demanded silence. The room did not quiet instantly, but everyone eventually settled down to the point where Lance was actually able to lead the conversation. He half-glared at us as he held up a hand.

    ¡°There is a lot to discuss. I know you¡¯re agitated,¡± he said tersely, ¡°but please, let us go about it in a more organized manner. First, casualties. From the reports I got, three people died. Twenty more were injured.¡±

    The silence in that room almost became stifling. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, perhaps it might have been viewed as a good scenario that so few perished, but¡­ anything above zero was too many. In an ideal world, there shouldn¡¯t have been any deaths at all.

    But this was reality.

    We¡¯d been lucky so far that we hadn¡¯t lost anyone. There was a bitter feeling in my throat as Lance talked about honorable discharges and sending condolences to bereaved families. Some League Pokemon had suffered grievous injuries and would be given the finest treatment at the Plateau¡¯s medical facilities. Ditto cells would be used to regrow any missing limbs they had.

    The same could not be said for the human soldiers. For all their wondrous properties, Ditto cells were only compatible with Pokemon. Soldiers who had fallen prey to Basculin bites or Garbodor explosions would not be able to regrow lost limbs but have to use prosthetic ones instead.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about how to release this information and handle the media later,¡± Lance finished, suddenly looking weary.

    I didn¡¯t blame him. The media was going to jump all over today¡¯s news, especially after how clean the League¡¯s previous Rocket operations had been. We could only hope they would go easy on us considering the work we¡¯d been putting in thus far.

    Lance¡¯s eyes hardened as he swept his gaze over us. ¡°Moving onto the next topic of discussion¡­ whether or not the hostile Pokemon today were drugged. We¡¯ve got teams looking over the Pokemon we sent them, but they¡¯re not going to get anything back for awhile¡ª¡±

    ¡°They were definitely experimented on,¡± a voice full of grim conviction spoke up.

    All eyes turned to Chuck. The normally jovial man¡¯s face was one of utmost seriousness as he looked at Lance, arms crossed over his chest.

    ¡°What I saw today reminded me of similar sights from the Rocket War,¡± Chuck explained, and his jaw tightened. ¡°Red eyes. Sunken skin. Erratic behavior. I think it¡¯s pretty obvious they were given drugs that enhanced their physical abilities at the cost of their wellbeing.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± a new voice spoke up. Much to my surprise, it was the reclusive Blaine. The old man didn¡¯t look at any of us, but his fingers tightened around the loose tie he wore. ¡°What was it that you all said over the communications line¡­ ah yes, they seemed to grow in strength over time? And exhibited one last hoorah of strength before bowing out? Seems to me like this drug gives them a sudden push in power, but their bodies can¡¯t take it. It¡¯s similar to a drug they used in the Rocket War, yet this one seems a little more potent.¡±

    It was at this point Blaine raised his head to look around at everyone. It felt like his gaze swept over me at some point, but I couldn¡¯t tell because of his dark shades.

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s mere speculation on my part. I wasn¡¯t even there to see any of it in person,¡± Blaine gruffed out. ¡°If the League needs it, I suppose I could lend a hand to the forensics team. Just give me some more samples to work with.¡±

    He snapped his mouth shut after that and returned to pointedly looking at the floor. He¡¯d said his piece. Lance seemed just as surprised as me that Blaine had bothered contributing to the discussion at all, and I wondered not for the first time what kind of person the Cinnabar Gym Leader was.

    ¡°Thank you, that would be appreciated, Blaine,¡± Lance finally said after he¡¯d gathered his thoughts.

    I was still stuck on what Blaine had brought up, the fact that it was similar to a drug the Rockets had used in the past. That held some scary implications. First, this lent further credence to the idea that these were true Rockets revived from remnants. Second, if this drug seemed to be more potent than its last version, didn¡¯t that mean the drug was improving?

    And that it still had room to improve¡­?

    I thought back to how the drugged Pokemon today had been able to smash their way out of ice and put a few cracks in Protects, all of which had been created by Elite-tier Pokemon. The drug had been enough for some run-of-the-mill Pokemon to try and cross the power difference between them and Pokemon under the command of Indigo¡¯s best trainers. Of course, they¡¯d ultimately failed in the end due to a combination of factors, but it was still unsettling.

    Arceus forbid, but if the Rockets managed to further refine this drug and mass produce it¡ª

    I stopped my morbid thoughts there. I didn¡¯t want to somehow will that terrible future into coming true.

    Lance opened up the discussion to the floor at that moment, and everyone pitched in with their own observations and thoughts regarding the Pokemon we¡¯d faced today. We all agreed that they were stronger than regular run-of-the-mill Pokemon, that they seemed to receive surges of increased power at irregular intervals, and that they kept fighting mindlessly until either the drug wore off or they received a colossal amount of damage that they couldn¡¯t get back up from.

    In other words, they were like damn zombies from horror movies, or at least weaker versions of them.

    There wasn¡¯t too much we could say regarding the Pokemon experimentation, not until we got more concrete results from the lab at least. So, Lance held up a hand once the conversation started dwindling to a halt.

    ¡°These drugged Pokemon are concerning. From now on, we¡¯ll operate under the assumption there are more of them and assign more Ace Trainers or Gym Leaders to future Rocket operations,¡± Lance announced.

    We all gave our instant approval. With more hands on deck, hopefully future casualties remained low, very low.

    A look of unease crossed Lance¡¯s face at that moment, and it made me anxious in turn. He opened his mouth and looked like he was choosing his words very carefully when next he spoke.

    ¡°Today¡¯s incident brings up the fact that Team Rocket has more up their sleeves than we thought,¡± Lance began in a troubled voice. His voice sounded a little strained. ¡°The average combat level of their members appears to be low, but these drugged Pokemon introduce a new danger factor as well as¡­ other concerns.¡±

    He looked at me and Lt. Surge, and I had a feeling I knew where this conversation was going. There was an item on the agenda we hadn¡¯t gotten to yet.

    ¡°Arin and Surge were able to identify the unknown species today as Pokemon originating from Unova,¡± Lance continued in as neutral of a tone as he could manage. ¡°This begs the question of how the Rockets were able to acquire these Pokemon in the first place¡ª¡±

    ¡°Unova. They¡¯re colluding with the Unovan government.¡±

    The bitter declaration came from none other than Pryce. We all looked at the Mahogany Gym Leader. His lips had curled back in the beginnings of a snarl.

    ¡°Right after we sign a damned treaty with other regions, we encounter foreign Pokemon on Indigo soil?¡± Pryce spat out. He lurched forward with an angry expression, hands tightly grasping the cane in his hands. ¡°If that isn¡¯t a sign of treacherous cooperation, I don¡¯t know what is. The Unovan government is clearly working with Team Rocket in hopes of taking over Indigo once our forces have collapsed. They¡¯re simply pretending to be on our side and treating us like fools.¡±

    Pryce¡¯s confident ¡ª and resentful ¡ª words stirred up the Beedrill¡¯s nest. People were looking around with conflicted expressions.

    ¡°No,¡± I spoke up, trying my hardest not to grit my teeth with frustration. Why was Pryce always so quick to distrust? My eyes narrowed as I waved a hand through the air. ¡°That¡¯s jumping a bit too far, isn¡¯t it? Team Rocket could have traveled to Unova or somehow acquired these Pokemon on their own¡ª¡±

    ¡°So many of them?¡± Pryce scoffed out loud. ¡°And how did the Unovan government not notice Pokemon being swiped from within their borders, hmm? I stand by my previous statement. The Unovan government is supplying Team Rocket with Pokemon. In fact, Team Rocket might even be an organization they made to pull Indigo down. We just never realized it.¡±

    I had no proof to support mine or Pryce¡¯s arguments. Worse, as much as I didn¡¯t agree with the other man¡¯s words, I couldn¡¯t completely refute it either. Alder, I knew, would never stoop to something like endangering a whole region and her people just to take over the country later. He didn¡¯t have those kinds of evil ambitions, and he would certainly never support anyone who did.

    I couldn¡¯t say the same about the rest of the Unovan government, though. Maybe there were corrupt officials with their own agendas, and they were working outside of Alder¡¯s watchful eye and colluding with Team Rocket¡ª

    Dammit, no, I couldn¡¯t let Pryce¡¯s words get to me like this.

    ¡°¡®We don¡¯t need Indigo.¡¯¡±

    I whipped my head around. That voice had been Janine¡¯s. The purple-haired girl stared back at me and the others with a nervous expression.

    ¡°That is what¡­ the former Team Rocket leader said before he died, yes? According to Champion Oak at our last meeting,¡± Janine hastily tacked on. She took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°And¡­ the Unovan government has always rejected correspondence and diplomatic relations with our country until now. They have never seen us as equals. Perhaps more like¡­ a nation to take over.¡±

    Janine and her sharp mind. Of course she would bring up something like that into this discussion. I hated to admit it, but the quote actually made more sense that way.

    Still, my heart sank. No. No, no¡­ This was not going in a direction I liked. Too late, some of the other Gym Leaders had already begun nodding their heads.

    ¡°It¡­ It does make more sense when you put it like that,¡± Erika hesitantly agreed.

    Falkner closed his eyes. ¡°Certainly suspicious. And with an outside force to back them up, it would make more sense why Team Rocket was so strong in the past. They had support from a whole country.¡±

    ¡°Just because Unova wasn¡¯t willing to open their borders to us back then doesn¡¯t mean they were waiting for a chance to strike us down!¡± I said in a half-exasperated tone. We were barking up the wrong tree here. ¡°It was due to a difference in political ideals and structures!¡±

    ¡°Well, the context of what the Team Rocket leader said becomes a lot clearer when framed with Unova in mind¡ª¡± Falkner started, but Morty cut him off.

    ¡°Forget about what the Team Rocket leader said for a moment, everyone,¡± he said, and he inclined his head. ¡°Let¡¯s focus purely on the ¡®now¡¯ rather than what was said fifteen years ago. I can¡¯t say much about the Unovan government as I know next to nothing about them and how they work, but I¡¯ll say this as a counterargument to Pryce¡¯s speculation: who can say this isn¡¯t the work of Team Rocket? That they¡¯re the ones playing us for fools by using Unova Pokemon?¡±

    Thank fucking Arceus.

    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± I said firmly. I was never more grateful than I was at that moment for Morty¡¯s intelligence and rational side. ¡°I can only agree with one thing Pryce said: that it¡¯s suspicious how we encountered Pokemon from other regions after signing a treaty not too long ago. To me, it feels like they¡¯re trying to misdirect any hostility onto Unova rather than them.¡±

    I saw people wavering again at my and Morty¡¯s words, even physically pausing in place as they took them in consideration. At the very least, my instincts told me that this was not the work of Unova. There was no one at fault here but Team Rocket, and I was beginning to be sure of one thing.

    That they were definitely, certainly, hiding more than we thought.

    ¡°That would be clever,¡± Sabrina admitted with a dip of her head. ¡°Despicable, but clever.¡±

    ¡°Or,¡± Pryce followed up with a hint of annoyance peeking through his voice, ¡°that¡¯s exactly what they want us to think, and we¡¯ll end up attacked by supposed allies by the end of it.¡±

    The old man turned to Lance. Without blinking, he said just three words.

    ¡°Cancel the treaty.¡±

    There were more than a few splutters and outbursts from people, and even Lance looked like he was on the verge of yelling something from the way he stared incredulously at Pryce.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± he said.

    Pryce jutted his chin. ¡°Cancel the treaty, the Interpol invitation, whatever damned else there is. I don¡¯t trust those foreign governments. Who¡¯s to say they will not take advantage of us while we¡¯re preoccupied with Team Rocket and come invade?¡±

    ¡°Pryce Yanagi, you¡¯re speaking to the Champion of the Indigo League,¡± Lance ground out in a strained voice. ¡°I will not move because you wanted me to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I was the one who led this country for years before you,¡± Pryce snapped back. ¡°Stop thinking with your heart and think with your head! We can¡¯t afford trust in this situation. We need to operate on our own and not give away information¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to risk the safety of Indigo¡¯s people!¡± Lance countered, voice finally rising above room level. The Elite Four looked like they wanted to step in, but they held themselves back. ¡°Forgive me for saying this, but even when Champion Oak was in office, the League had trouble rooting out Team Rocket. This time, I¡¯d like to be thorough, and if that means calling in outside help, so be it!¡±

    ¡°You fool!¡± Pryce spat. Without turning, he raised his cane and pointed it at¡­

    Lt. Surge.

    ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic of whether or not to trust Unova,¡± Pryce hissed, ¡°let us not forget we have someone here from said region, and they conveniently did not recall the so-called Amoonguss species we fought today until our forces were down. That excuse you gave, Surge? Ridiculous. Worst lie I¡¯ve heard in years. It was almost like you were waiting for the League Trainers to get close.¡±

    ¡°Now wait a damn minute,¡± Surge growled. The hulking man took a heavy step forward, eyes narrowing into thin slits. ¡°Please do not tell me you¡¯re fucking insinuating I¡¯m colluding with the Rockets, too?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Pryce said frostily.

    That was all Surge needed to hear before he snapped. Bruno tensed as if expecting Surge to charge at Pryce, but the Vermilion Gym Leader stayed in place and raised a fist threateningly.

    ¡°Listen here, you piece of shit!¡± Surge thundered. Veins bulged in his neck from anger. ¡°Fine, so I committed a mistake and couldn¡¯t recognize the mushrooms sooner. That does NOT fucking mean I¡¯m a Rocket! I was working off those damn fuzzy monitors and what I could see from afar! I assure you, if I had been there with that squad, I would have stopped those men before they even got a whiff of danger.¡±

    Pryce went on as if Surge hadn¡¯t even spoken. ¡°Not to mention, we had one other person who conveniently did not warn the League Trainers in time.¡±

    And, surprise surprise, he pointed his cane at me now.

    For fuck¡¯s sake. Not this again. I felt my blood pressure rising to possibly be on par with Surge¡¯s. Out of everything we were dealing with, this had to be the most trivial thing.

    I had no idea what kind of life experiences had turned Pryce into someone who apparently could not place even a meager amount of trust in people, but it frustrated me.

    Greatly.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this already!¡± I snapped, and I threw my hands up into the air. ¡°Remember the psychic check we even did last time?¡±

    Pryce just glared at me.

    ¡°I have said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again. It¡¯s suspicious that everything that¡¯s happening now is occurring after you joined our ranks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s not enough that you¡¯re painting me as the villain. You just have to go after our newest addition again?¡± Surge scoffed, and he slammed a fist against his chest. ¡°Fucking ridiculous. I¡¯ve had enough of you and your distrust, you¡ª¡±

    More expletives poured out of him, but they were covered up by increasingly loud voices coming from both camps of the Unova argument.

    ¡°Okay, this conversation is getting derailed¡ª¡± one of the Waterflower sisters tried to say in a cheerful voice, but she went unheard.

    ¡°Pryce, leave Surge and Arin out of this,¡± Giovanni tried to say over all the noise. He stepped up with cold eyes. ¡°We entertained your theory before. Now we need to focus on the crux of the matter¡ª¡±

    ¡°I might have to agree with Pryce. On the treaty thing, I mean! It might be best if we stick to ourselves¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? If anything, I think today¡¯s incident has revealed we could use more heads to unravel this mess!¡±

    ¡°Unova has to be the one behind Team Rocket!¡±

    Pretty soon the entire room had devolved into full-on arguing. There were people defending me, defending Surge, others yelling about how suspicious the other regions were¡­ I personally traded verbal blows with Pryce for a few moments before I took a step back, breathing in through my nose to calm myself. More yelling ensued around me.

    It was a mess.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Lance roared.

    He had to yell it two more times before people started shutting up, and he had to yell it a third time before all arguing stopped completely. Lance¡¯s face was red as he strode up to the front of the room and slammed his hands down on the empty meeting table.

    The bang was loud enough that a few of the younger Gym Leaders jumped.

    Lance did not speak at first. He breathed in and out a few times, and then he finally opened his mouth.

    ¡°I did not call everyone here so that we could point fingers at each other and argue like children,¡± he bit out, and I had to give him props for the way he was trying to control his tone. His facial expression suggested he was anything but calm. ¡°We are the pillars of Indigo. We must trust each other and work together to keep our country safe. If we can¡¯t work together, then who will? Who will protect our people?¡±

    He paused to sweep his gaze over us. We remained silent.

    ¡°Indigo is strong, but only when we work together,¡± Lance went on. There almost seemed to be a pleading undertone to his voice, but perhaps I was imagining it. ¡°I¡¯m not going to cancel the treaty. I will, however, be talking to Alder about today¡¯s incident and our Council, and I¡¯m ending this meeting here for today. We¡¯re clearly all too worked up to hope for any fruitful discussion, so go back to your Gyms and cool your heads. Expect another meeting soon¡­ probably.¡±

    And that was that.

    The meeting ended on the most sour note it could have. I tried to catch Lance¡¯s eye as he walked out of the room with the Elite Four at his heels. He met my gaze, but he only offered a small, tight smile before disappearing through the door.

    I¡¯d have to talk to him another time. He was going through much stress of his own as the person who had to hold everyone and everything together.

    Except for me and the Gym Leaders I was close to, nobody else bothered saying goodbye before they Teleported away. Everyone¡¯s faces looked worse than they had before coming into the meeting room, and it was depressing.

    My own face looked so terrible that when I got back to the Gym, everybody asked me what was wrong. I only waved away their concerns and shut myself in my office to brood. They would hear about today¡¯s operation later when the Indigo League finally published its dreaded news.

    I was equal parts fuming and contemplating as I busied myself with answering business emails about advertisements, sponsorships, and other inquiries regarding the Cherrygrove Gym. I even opened up applications again for gym trainers while I was stuck at my desk.

    So much had happened today, but the world kept moving. So did I. We had to.

    I didn¡¯t know what to make of the operation nor the botched meeting even after I crawled into bed that night. Vel asked me if I was okay, and I silently rubbed the top of his head in response.

    Was I okay? Was Indigo okay? I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was there was a rift growing between the Indigo upper ranks, and hopefully, it wasn¡¯t a permanent one. We needed to be unified if we wanted to face whatever Team Rocket threw at us. I fell asleep running through things I needed to do for the rest of the week around the Gym.

    The next day, in the midst of brewing tension, guests showed up at the Indigo Plateau.

    Interpol agents had finally arrived.

 Chapter 42

    CHAPTER 42

    Twelve hours ago¡­

    If Lance thought listening to the Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders argue was bad, then hearing the Indigo Council locked in an intense argument for hours and hours on end was going to be the death of him.

    It was almost worse than hearing the Blackthorn Elders scream at each other. Almost.

    To put it simply, the officials were not happy about the situation. They weren¡¯t trainers, but the sudden appearance of foreign Pokemon in Team Rocket¡¯s possession still scared them.

    And when people were frightened, they tended to make extreme decisions.

    Much like the Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders had been, they were split along two camps: one that wanted to do away with the treaty this instant, and another that didn¡¯t want to let go of newfound connections. Some people were even going so far as to advocate closing up their borders completely until Team Rocket was eradicated. Did he agree?

    Not in the slightest.

    Lance was so tired of it that he even slipped in and out of the meeting undetected a few times to speak with other departments. The forensics team ¡ª now with the addition of Blaine, who¡¯d essentially taken over their office ¡ª was still studying the drugged Pokemon they¡¯d brought back. The PR team was swamped with frantic employees figuring out how they were going to handle the public later, the medical department was still treating injured soldiers and Pokemon, and the intelligence gathering department was working around the clock as always to find more hints of Team Rocket¡¯s presence.

    By the time Lance returned to the Indigo Council meeting for good, they still hadn¡¯t made any visible progress. So, Lance put an end to their fierce discussion for them by rapping the table sharply with his knuckles.

    ¡°The treaty stays in place. End of discussion,¡± he said simply, and that was that.

    There were dissatisfied looks all around as government officials filtered out of the room, but Lance couldn''t have cared less. What had he even expected from them anyway?

    What a worthless meeting.

    The truly important thing on Lance¡¯s to-do list was talking to Alder. One of the worst parts of that day was how long Lance had to wait to actually speak with the man. The foreign dignitaries had left for the Galovea Continent early that very morning and were still traveling, so it was unfortunate timing on their part.

    The sky was fast darkening when Lance finally received word that everyone made it back home safely. He wasted no time in video calling Alder.

    Luckily, the other man picked up within three ringtones.

    ¡°Lance?¡±

    Alder¡¯s haggard face appeared on the phone screen. Lance immediately noticed how puffy his skin was and the dark circles under the man¡¯s eyes. Definitely hangover symptoms if the raspy voice wasn¡¯t already a dead giveaway.

    Alder blinked tiredly at him. ¡°This is my work phone, not my¡ª¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a mistake,¡± Lance cut in urgently. ¡°Listen, Team Rocket has Unova Pokemon in their possession.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    In an instant, Alder had snapped to attention. Gone was the weary traveler still suffering from self-induced fatigue, and in its place was a very serious ruler staring at him with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Please explain,¡± Alder all but demanded.

    Step-by-step, Lance guided Alder through the day¡¯s events and the sights the Indigo forces had seen. With every word he spoke, Alder¡¯s face only grew worse and worse. Now done explaining, Lance tried his hardest to keep a neutral expression as he stared at the other Champion.

    ¡°The appearance of these Pokemon have riled up our forces,¡± Lance admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you. Some of my subordinates think that Unova is colluding with Team Rocket.¡±

    To Alder¡¯s credit, the man did not flinch or break out into an emotional outburst. He did, however, visibly frown.

    ¡°Do you believe that?¡± Alder asked him quietly. He¡¯d hardly finished speaking when Lance gave his reply.

    ¡°No.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t saying it out of any personal friendships he might have forged with Alder and the other foreign dignitaries recently, either. His gut instinct told him Unova was being framed. Lance could only agree with Pryce on one thing: that someone was trying to play them for fools, and that someone happened to be Team Rocket.

    The timing was suspicious, and Lance was on the side of the fence that believed it to be Team Rocket¡¯s doing.

    Alder breathed an almost inaudible sigh of relief.

    ¡°I know it might not mean much to you, but I will swear on our local deities ¡ª the Twin Dragons ¡ª that I, Alder Adeku, am not involved with Team Rocket,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°I cannot say the same for the people working under me, but I swear I will launch a full investigation into this.¡±

    Lance dipped his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lance wasn¡¯t a terribly religious person himself, but he could respect Alder¡¯s willingness to stake his honor and name on Unova¡¯s own sacred deities. He just hoped the Unova government really had nothing to do with all of this.

    ¡°How did the Rockets get our Pokemon though?¡± Alder mumbled. He swiped a hand across his face tiredly. ¡°The ones you mentioned are common species, but still¡­ our border patrols are extremely thorough. I would have gotten a report if unidentified individuals passed through.¡±

    ¡°The black market? Inside job?¡± Lance rattled off. ¡°Or your forces simply missed people sneaking into the country.¡±

    Alder didn¡¯t take any offense.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°I really don¡¯t know, but this is quite concerning. A little infuriating, too, to be honest. The audacity of these Rockets to not just take Pokemon from our borders but FRAME my country is¡­¡±

    Alder fell silent. Only the sound of harsh breathing filled the line as the man took a moment to recompose himself. They talked a little more about the situation, and Lance took the opportunity to inquire about Amoonguss poison. He dutifully jotted down information Alder rattled off. The notes would be passed off to the medical team later.

    Eventually, their conversation dwindled to a halt.

    ¡° ¡­Right. I need to go and call an emergency meeting. I don¡¯t know if there are rats hiding here or not, but I want to sniff them out sooner rather than later,¡± Alder finally said. He wore an apologetic look as he bowed his head. ¡°Thanks for letting me know about this development, and I¡¯m sorry for any distress this has caused. I never thought our new partnership would see trouble so early.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lance replied. It¡­ kind of wasn¡¯t, but Lance was determined to keep the alliance afloat. If the Rockets wanted to destroy it, well, they had another thing coming. ¡°Please keep me updated on what you find out.¡±

    ¡°You as well. And one last thing before I go: Interpol agents should be getting there soon. They were a bit delayed, but it was for good reason. They¡¯re sending the best they got.¡±

    And with that bit of good news, Alder left the call.

    Lance found himself staring into empty space as he reflected on their conversation. Alder claimed he had no idea what was going on which was a concerning matter in itself. If he was innocent, if Unova was innocent¡­ then had Rockets infiltrated that far out into the world?

    He quashed any such thoughts for the time being. A headache was starting to come on with all the thinking he¡¯d been doing, and he was nowhere close to finishing tasks for the day.

    The Indigo Elite Four were promptly called into his office for a private meeting of their own. Interestingly enough, Bruno actually contributed a lot to the conversation for once. He suggested something Lance had already been thinking about earlier: training sessions at the League HQ over the summer for both ordinary League Trainers and their upper ranks alike.

    With the appearance of drugged Pokemon, it was looking to be a rather fine suggestion. There was no harm in making sure their forces were kept on their toes. Koga and Bruno left at one point to go train or patrol, and then it was only Lance and the ladies left in the room.

    He still had paperwork left to file, funeral wreaths to send out, and¡­

    ¡°I should go talk to Pryce,¡± he murmured. His voice hadn¡¯t been that loud, but the others heard him anyway.

    ¡°You?¡± Agatha cackled, and she waved a wrinkled hand through the air. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work.¡±

    Lance¡¯s shoulders slumped further as he sank into his seat.

    ¡°Right,¡± he said in a resigned tone.

    Lance knew tensions were running high and that people were stressed out, and why wouldn¡¯t they be? Good soldiers had died, Pokemon were experimented on and pitted against them¡­ He, the Indigo Elite Four, and the Gym Leaders were all human beings. They couldn¡¯t be perfect or hold themselves together all the time, but now more than ever, they needed to quell any unease they felt.

    To that end, Pryce was not helping.

    He could intimidate Pryce all he wanted with the reversal in statuses between them, but it wasn¡¯t going to do anything. Pryce had never held a modicum of respect for him even during Lance¡¯s Elite Four days.

    ¡°Still, I should at least try,¡± Lance spoke up, and he raised his head with a determined gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit around and let our upper ranks fall apart like this just because of baseless speculations on Pryce¡¯s part.¡±

    ¡°He also acted like he was still Champion,¡± Lorelei added dryly.

    That too. Lance still found it odd how Lorelei could so easily disparage her grandfather, but last he¡¯d heard, they were still on frigid terms with one another.

    Back to the matter at hand¡­ The way Pryce still seemed to believe he was the person in charge was frustrating, but it was his thoughtless remarks that infuriated Lance more. He wanted to grab the man by his collar and shake him. They had to hold themselves together in the face of a national threat.

    Lance drummed his fingers against his desk with a thoughtful expression. ¡°What to do¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re thinking so hard,¡± Agatha said with a shake of her head. She looked almost annoyed as she slammed her cane against the rug. ¡°There¡¯s only one person who might actually get into that head of his a bit.¡±

    ¡°There is?¡± Lance¡¯s brows furrowed.

    Agatha stared at him like he was an idiot.

    ¡°For the love of Articuno¡­ I can¡¯t believe I have to spell it out for you, boy. Samuel Oak, who else?¡±

    ¡­Maybe he was an idiot.

    ¡°Call him please.¡±

    Agatha went off to do just that, and Lance tried not to sigh as he rubbed his temples. The League was set to publish news about today¡¯s operation sometime before midnight.

    He only hoped they wouldn¡¯t come under fire too much the following morning.

    <hr>

    [Incoming Call: Agatha Kikuko]

    Oak blinked down at his phone screen.

    He was getting a call from Agatha of all people. She hardly ever contacted him. He picked up the phone without thinking and continued typing away on his keyboard. There was a regular update for the Pokedex due in another week.

    ¡°Good evening¡ª¡±

    ¡°No time for pleasantries,¡± Agatha cut him off, and Oak zipped his mouth shut.

    She sounded unusually serious.

    Ten minutes later, Oak was half beside himself with indignation and horror after Agatha explained the day¡¯s events, everything from the botched operation to the meeting and beyond. She didn¡¯t leave anything out.

    ¡°And that leads me to my main point: go and talk to him, Samuel. We don¡¯t need a paranoid old man who spews nonsense. We need the Prodigy from Mahogany Town. Smack some sense into him if you have to.¡±

    ¡°I will not be doing any smacking, Agatha. Now, please tell me why Lance can¡¯t do this¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, he could,¡± Agatha interrupted. Oak blinked twice, but his confusion didn¡¯t fade. ¡°He even offered to, but I told him it wouldn¡¯t be that effective. We both know Pryce doesn¡¯t give a Raticate¡¯s ass about him.¡±

    ¡°Then why me?¡°

    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re supposed to be smart. The boy wonder of our generation tied with Blaine. It¡¯s because Pryce actually respects you, you oaf. So go and talk to him before I decide to pay a visit with Gengar.¡±

    Oh, that certainly wasn¡¯t going to end well if he let it happen.

    ¡°What is that term brats use nowadays¡­ ah yes. I¡¯m pissed at Pryce. Tell him that verbatim for me, will you?¡±

    She hung up without another word.

    Oak sighed. Why was it that years after retiring, he still found himself cleaning up after people¡¯s messes? Still, this was serious business indeed.

    He quietly got up and called for Alakazam.

    <hr>

    Pryce¡¯s feet hurt.

    He¡¯d been pacing around in his living room for hours now trying to make sense of everything the League knew thus far about Team Rocket (admittedly very little) as well as his own knowledge from the past. It was absolutely baffling how little progress they¡¯d seem to have made since fifteen years ago. They were nowhere close to unraveling the truth yet or the perpetrators.

    Or, if his new theory held out right, maybe they were. Maybe the real villains were half a world away, looking for the best time to take down Indigo.

    Ding.

    He stiffened when the doorbell rang. He wasn¡¯t expecting anyone. Seeing as how none of his Pokemon had bothered coming to fetch him, though, it didn¡¯t appear to be anyone hostile. Slowly, laboriously, Pryce dragged his feet to the front entrance and opened it.

    Pryce took one look at who was outside his door and almost closed it in their face. His eye twitched from annoyance.

    ¡°Samuel,¡± he intoned dryly.

    Somehow, he was not surprised to see his former mentor here. Pryce had kicked up a fuss at the meeting after all. He¡¯d half-expected someone to tear him a new one, but he¡¯d left so quickly that he supposed no one got the chance to.

    ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure for this sudden visit? Let me guess: Lance sent you here.¡±

    Oak shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He didn¡¯t smile, but his gaze softened.

    ¡°Perhaps, or perhaps not. Would you believe me if I said Agatha did?¡± Oak asked with a near helpless shrug of his shoulders.

    Pryce gave him an unamused look. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for games. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°To talk,¡± Oak replied honestly. He stared past Pryce into the room beyond. ¡°May I come in for a bit?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Pryce even waited a few seconds, but when it became apparent that Oak wasn¡¯t budging, he made a hissing sound through his teeth and opened the door wider. He¡¯d forgotten how stubborn the man could be.

    ¡°Fine. You get five minutes. That¡¯s it.¡±

    He turned before he could see Oak¡¯s face, but he imagined the man was probably beaming as he stepped inside Pryce¡¯s home and closed the door behind him. Pryce walked off to the kitchen, grabbed a cup and filled it with water, and shuffled back into the living room. Oak had already made himself comfortable in one of the chairs. Pryce said nothing as he planted the cup unceremoniously on the table in front of Oak. Some of the water jostled around and nearly spilled over the cup¡¯s edge.

    Perhaps on any other day, he might have shown a tad more hospitality, but this was not one of those days.

    Pryce situated himself in the chair across from Oak and rested his cane against the table.

    ¡°Well?¡± he prompted in a biting tone. ¡°Go on.¡±

    Normally Oak was one for pleasantries and carefully maneuvering himself into more serious conversations, but today, he went right into it.

    ¡°Agatha told me that one habit of yours has reared its ugly head. Again,¡± Oak added emphatically.

    Pryce scoffed out loud and turned his head away. Evidently Oak hadn¡¯t been kidding when he said the old bat sent him Pryce¡¯s way.

    ¡°Do enlighten me on what this so-called habit is,¡± he muttered.

    Oak was the one to look at him with an unamused expression this time. ¡°I thought you said no games, Pryce,¡± he said in all seriousness. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about. Your tendency to distrust everyone around you if I¡¯m to be frank.¡±

    ¡°And what of it?¡± Pryce looked back at him with an equally serious gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t have to trust people to do my job as one of Indigo¡¯s pillars.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Oak said, and it looked like he was struggling not to sigh. ¡°It¡¯s also not doing you any favors, I¡¯m afraid. Agatha is, and I quote, ¡®pissed.¡¯ You went too far today.¡±

    Pryce almost wanted to laugh.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize if that¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to get at,¡± he instantly replied. ¡°We both know Team Rocket is not to be taken lightly, so forgive me for trying to be thorough and making any guesses within the realm of possibilities.¡±

    ¡°Even if they¡¯re a bit far-fetched? And wrong?¡± Oak questioned.

    ¡°Any,¡± Pryce repeated, this time more strongly. He and Oak were locked in a staredown for several tense moments. Pryce thought he heard an almost inaudible sigh as Oak eventually looked away and took a sip of water.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try trusting people for once,¡± he murmured once he¡¯d set the cup down.

    ¡°That was always your way of doing things,¡± Pryce interjected, but he wasn¡¯t looking at Oak anymore. He was looking out the window instead with a rigid jaw. ¡°Trusting people. Bestowing kindness. Finding common ground. I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    They¡¯d been through this same conversation at least a hundred different times before. Trust your allies, yada yada, and they¡¯ll trust you in return. You could do anything if you worked together. The same old spiel.

    Tauros bullshit, that¡¯s what it was. Trusting people got you killed.

    People could change at the drop of a dime. They could hide their true colors and then suddenly reveal they were completely different people. They could pretend they had your back and then go fleeing into the night to save their own skin. He¡¯d seen it happen before during major conflicts. He¡¯d seen both the good and the bad in people, but mostly the bad. He¡¯d learned to trust himself, not his so-called allies.

    He and Oak had come out of wars two very different people. How was it that Oak managed to retain the kindness he was known for despite all the bloodshed, and why was it that Pryce was left with only bitterness and resentment?

    ¡°This isn¡¯t wartime,¡± Oak interrupted his thoughts. It was almost like he knew what Pryce was thinking, and he probably did.

    ¡°Yet.¡±

    ¡°Stop. Listen to me,¡± Oak admonished, but his voice wasn¡¯t harsh. ¡°Even if this was wartime, I would still advise you to trust people. Like you said, Team Rocket is not to be taken lightly. You can¡¯t take them on by yourself.¡±

    Pryce¡¯s lips curved downwards with displeasure. He couldn¡¯t refute that at least. One man was not going to handle a whole organization by himself.

    ¡°Especially your fellow Gym Leaders. If you have trouble trusting, at least trust them¡ª¡±

    Pryce sliced a hand through the air, effectively shutting Oak up.

    ¡°Someone has to ask the hard questions. Someone has to be the cold and rational one who will look at situations from every angle and leave no stone unturned, even if it upsets people in the process,¡± Pryce told him firmly.

    If he had seen himself reflected in Oak¡¯s eyes, he might have seen how almost desperate he looked, but no. Pryce kept his gaze out the window instead and refused to look at the man in his living room.

    ¡°If no one else will do it, then that someone will be me. I will not be a yes-man, Samuel. That¡¯s how we grow complacent and eventually make mistakes. I didn¡¯t reach where I am today without questioning and scrutinizing everything around me. You know that. Isn¡¯t that why you chose me as your successor all those years ago?¡±

    Oak was silent for several long seconds.

    ¡°I chose you as the next Champion because you love Indigo,¡± he finally said.

    They both knew Johto was the more correct word, but neither made a move to rectify the statement. Pryce had no idea what kind of face Oak was making. One filled with regret? Nostalgia?

    Regardless, Oak went on. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to argue with you, Pryce. Just¡­¡± He paused, sighing. ¡°These are troubling times. Be careful with your words. Don¡¯t make things worse by casting wild suspicions and sowing discord.¡±

    Oak might have been afraid to say it, but Pryce was not.

    ¡°That there might be a traitor in our ranks? That we might have a whole country colluding with Indigo¡¯s nemesis?¡± he said, and his lips pressed together into a thin line. ¡°They¡¯re real possibilities, frighteningly so, and I want everyone to be aware of them.¡±

    ¡°Did you have to say it so damningly, then, as if they were truths? And call out two of your fellow Gym Leaders?¡±

    It was at this point that Pryce wondered how much information Agatha had fed Oak. Practically the entire meeting¡¯s worth of conversation, if he had to guess.

    ¡°Like I said¡­¡± Pryce was the one to trail off this time, and he had to breathe in through his nose before continuing. Annoying as Oak could be sometimes, he was still someone he didn¡¯t want to blow up at. ¡°Someone has to keep thinking and consider all the possibilities. I simply made people aware of them.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you should be making enemies out of allies, Pryce,¡± Oak said softly.

    There was a sense of urgency in his voice that hadn¡¯t been there before.

    ¡°Listen, I will vouch for Surge and Arin. Surge did a lot to help us in the Rocket War. He might be a bit rough around the edges, but he¡¯s a good soul. Arin hasn¡¯t been around for long, but you know I have an eye for people. He¡¯s a bright young man with a promising future ahead of him. I think he¡¯s also proven himself already ¡ª multiple times if I might add ¡ª that he¡¯s with Indigo. You fought alongside him today, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± came Pryce¡¯s clipped reply. Holy Ho-Oh, Agatha really did tell him everything.

    ¡°So didn¡¯t you see for yourself he¡¯s fighting for the country?¡±

    ¡°What if he¡¯s just pretending?¡±

    ¡°Really now? He also seems to have a credible reputation with the Galovea governments.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t even know if those countries are trustworthy!¡±

    ¡°And the most damning evidence of all, let¡¯s not forget the psychic check. My Alakazam handled that himself even. Can you refute that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Oak¡¯s eyes gleamed, almost as if he knew he had Pryce cornered.

    ¡°What merit is there in pointing fingers at the innocent a second time¡ª¡±

    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW!¡±

    The sudden bellow from Pryce made his guest falter. So much for not yelling at his former mentor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Samuel! We don¡¯t know anything!¡± he shouted. He finally swung his head around to glare at Oak. ¡°Everything and everyone is suspicious! Every time it seems like we¡¯re a step closer to ending this all, something else crops up! Can you blame me if I think there¡¯s something wrong? For grasping at whatever I can and trying to make sense of this all?!¡±

    He was panting by the end of his tirade. Infuriatingly enough, Oak just stared back at him calmly.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡¯s bad to consider any and all possibilities,¡± Oak began in a patient voice, ¡°but there¡¯s a difference between thinking and overthinking. Take a step back. Clear your head. I know how frustrating the situation is, but that doesn¡¯t mean you should be grasping at straws. If you keep this up, you¡¯re practically allowing Team Rocket to make a fool out of you for free.¡±

    That stung Pryce more than he cared to admit, but he didn¡¯t show it.

    ¡°Just¡­ think about it, Pryce. Think about everything I said. I know I¡¯ve overstepped way over my bounds with this whole conversation seeing as I¡¯m no longer at the forefront of things, but I care about Indigo as much as you do. I¡¯d rather see our country¡¯s leadership unified instead of fractured.¡±

    Oak paused. A single shaky breath filled the air.

    ¡°Agatha and I are worried about you. You¡¯ve got to stop being your own worst enemy.¡±

    Pryce closed his eyes. He was silent for a long, long time. The next words that finally left his lips were quiet and yet so immensely loud.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to say it twice.

    Oak wordlessly got up and left the house. What did he say again? That he hadn¡¯t come here to argue? Well, he¡¯d certainly had his fill of lecturing disguised as concern at least. He¡¯d always been disgustingly good at that.

    Pryce was still stewing in his thoughts long after Oak left.

    The psychic check. No, of course he hadn¡¯t forgotten that. He didn¡¯t doubt Oak. By extension, he didn¡¯t doubt the man¡¯s Pokemon either. Oak¡¯s Alakazam had greatly aged, but its psychic skills had not rusted in the slightest. There was no way it would have missed any mental tricks from other psychics like hiding memories or emotions.

    But what if it had?

    What if there was a human or Pokemon psychic out there whose skills exceeded Oak¡¯s Alakazam? Pryce had been satisfied at the first meeting, but it was a possibility he¡¯d started to entertain as of today and why he¡¯d gone ahead and accused people.

    The discovery of drugged Pokemon was the leading reason. Maybe there was a Psychic type out there whose abilities had been enhanced, and they had allowed Arin, Surge, or any other Gym Leader to pass the test¡ª

    There¡¯s a difference between thinking and overthinking.

    Pryce clenched his jaw. Oak¡¯s words were getting to him. Was he overthinking? Filling his own head with senseless scenarios?

    He went over his conversation with Oak, replayed the memories of today and the Rocket War all over again, and then re-evaluated what he knew of Surge and Arin from firsthand interactions. Surge was as devoted and as military as they got, and Arin¡­ well, begrudgingly, Pryce had to admit the young man had done good work today. Pryce hadn¡¯t had to yell at him for doing something stupid on the battlefield.

    And¡­ Arin had Oak¡¯s vote of confidence. Lance¡¯s, too, if the previous meeting was anything to go by. Pryce tapped a finger against his arm in a rhythmic motion.

    Seconds rolled by. He continued thinking.

    It was then Pryce idly realized that well over five minutes had passed, but he didn¡¯t even have the energy to scoff out loud.

    More of Oak¡¯s words echoed in his head.

    Team Rocket is not to be taken lightly. You can¡¯t take them on by yourself.

    Damn Oak, always trying to get in his head and infect him with his ideals¡­

    <hr>

    Oak was back home in Pallet Town, but his mind was still miles away with Pryce.

    There was so much more he¡¯d wanted to say to his old friend and former pupil, but he¡¯d held it in. If he¡¯d pushed too far, more harm than good would have been accomplished. Pryce would never admit it, but Oak knew. Some of his true feelings had leaked out during their conversation.

    Pryce was as terrified as the rest of them.

    He could pretend to be bitter and foul-tempered, but it didn¡¯t fool Oak. It was that carefully hidden fear that was further diluting any common sense the man might have had. He cared too much about the country and keeping it safe that he was letting it blind his vision and very being.

    Oak could only sigh to himself. Since when had Pryce changed so greatly?

    There was only so much he could do to try and nudge Pryce back in the right direction¡­ to maybe see a glimpse of his former self someday. It certainly wasn¡¯t going to happen overnight. Maybe it would never happen. Maybe Pryce was too far gone, but Oak had always been a hopeful person.

    ¡°Get it together, Pryce,¡± Oak muttered to himself as he rubbed his temples. ¡°Agatha was right. We need the Prodigy from Mahogany Town, not a cynic who never fails to see the bad in people.¡±

    The new developments with Team Rocket were troubling him as well. Oak was half-considering whether or not to ask Lance if he could be accepted as an advisor, but he ultimately shook his head.

    They¡¯d come to him if they really needed help. And with old veterans like Agatha and Blaine around, they¡¯d be fine.

    He hoped so.

    <hr>

    Present day.

    I woke up the next day surprisingly not feeling like shit.

    Part of it was because I¡¯d had enough time to dwell on and then get rid of bad thoughts before falling asleep, but the rest of it was thanks to my Pokemon. Sometime during the night, a collection of them had sneaked in through the balcony and squeezed themselves onto my bed.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    That was how I woke up under a mountain of fluff and dog fur. It was obvious they were worried about me, and I clumsily patted their heads as I tried ¡ª and failed ¡ª rolling out of bed.

    They asked who they should beat up, and I snorted.

    ¡°No beating up anyone.¡±

    A collection of groans rang out as I finally extracted myself from their cuddly clutches. I heard cheerful talk of violence and bashing in the head of a certain old codger as I left my room, and I shook my head fondly.

    Typical Fairies.

    Once I¡¯d gotten changed, I crept downstairs. The TV was playing loudly in the living room.

    ¡°¡ªresulted in three deaths. The Indigo League advises utmost caution. If you come across any Pokemon in the wild exhibiting red eyes or unnatural symptoms, please get to safety and contact your local authorities immediately,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said. Her voice grew louder with every step I took. ¡°Now, onto protests at the Indigo Plateau. There are rising concerns about Team Rocket as well as people clamoring for justice for the minor¡ª¡±

    It appeared the League had finally broken the news to the public.

    I¡¯d barely made it around the corner when dad intercepted me. He appeared so suddenly in front of my face that I almost flinched from the surprise. We stared at each other without saying anything as the news droned on in the background.

    ¡°Tea?¡± Dad eventually asked.

    He obviously wanted to talk about something. The instant I nodded, dad headed towards the kitchen. I followed him without a word. I could tell he wanted to chat right away, but he sat me down in a seat and got started on making drinks instead. Our family Chansey helped him.

    Minutes later, he sat down with me at the kitchen table. Two cups of steaming tea went untouched for the time being. A soothing scent drifted upwards from them. Lavender.

    I spoke first with the intention of reassuring dad. ¡°Sorry if I was a bit¡­ off yesterday. I just needed some time alone.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Dad was quick to say, and he waved a hand through the air. ¡°I understand now it was because of a Rocket operation. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re looking better today.¡±

    He got it half-right. The meeting had played a part as well. Regardless, my lips curved upwards into the faintest smile. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Dad reached up with a hand and idly traced the rim of his teacup, eyes wandering across the porcelain surface.

    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Anything. The¡­ deaths of those soldiers for example.¡±

    I was silent as I picked up my cup of tea and blew on it.

    Yesterday was not my first time coming across death. During my travels across the world, I¡¯d seen people and Pokemon alike pass away. I¡¯d seen wild Pokemon die from wounds sustained from territorial fights. I¡¯d seen people die of old age like Poppy¡¯s predecessor, a former Paldea Elite Four. I¡¯d even seen people die from conflicts, some of which I¡¯d had a hand in quelling.

    Death was a natural part of life. It was not something that could be avoided, and it was not always easy to bear witness to or talk about. Dad understood that. He was concerned about my mental health. We were still learning about each other and the people we had become after ten years apart, so he didn¡¯t fully know the kinds of life experiences I¡¯d had yet.

    I still vastly appreciated that he was looking out for me.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I told him, and I made sure to look him in the eyes when I said that. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me falling apart because of that. I didn¡¯t take up the mantle of being Gym Leader without understanding there wasn¡¯t always going to be peaceful times. But if it ever becomes too much¡­ if I ever need to get something off my chest¡­ I¡¯ll come to you. I promise.¡±

    Something shifted in dad¡¯s demeanor. His shoulders drooped a bit with relief, and he wrapped both hands around his cup to warm them.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said softly. He repeated it once more. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be here if you ever want to talk about anything, anything at all. I mean it.¡±

    We left that particular conversation there and smiled into our teacups.

    I couldn¡¯t talk to dad about the details of the operation or the meeting since he wasn¡¯t a Gym Leader anymore. We talked about other things, though, like how the gym Pokemon were doing or any plans I had in mind for the summer. I felt myself relaxing the more we talked.

    Even in the midst of such troubling times, simple moments like these gave comfort and grounded me.

    The rest of the morning passed peacefully. I was in a significantly better mood when I went out to the backyard to exercise and conduct morning training. My gym trainers gradually dropped by. Even Kari and Yulian showed up, and they all asked me how I was doing.

    First dad, now my gym staff. I was touched by everyone¡¯s concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I promised them, making sure to keep my tone lighthearted. ¡°Just had a lot to think about.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to worry them too much, so I left it at that. I was their employer, the Gym Leader of the Cherrygrove Gym, and also the person the locals looked up to keep our city safe.

    There was no room for weakness, only unwavering determination.

    I also told everyone to gather for a weekly meeting on the Gym¡¯s second floor once we were done with morning training. I couldn¡¯t sit around doing nothing while I waited for Lance to call everyone back for round two of discussion. I¡¯d installed a warp tile in our backyard that connected with the staff break room, so it was a smooth trip to the Gym. Dad came with us. He was practically official gym staff at this point.

    Everyone took their seats and eyed me with careful, almost nervous gazes. I remained standing at the front of the room with a serious expression.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all heard the news by now,¡± I said, delving right into the meeting. My gaze hardened as I replayed the events of yesterday. ¡°Team Rocket has drugged Pokemon in their possession.¡±

    More than a few people tensed at that, but I kept going in a calm voice.

    ¡°We might not know how many they have, but they exist, and they¡¯re stronger than you¡¯d expect. There haven¡¯t been any Rocket sightings around Cherrygrove so far, but I need you all to be aware of these drugged Pokemon from now on. If you think you¡¯re outmatched¡­¡±

    I trailed off to sweep my gaze over everyone. In particular, my eyes rested briefly on my most inexperienced gym trainers, Souta and Haru. The others were at a level where they could handle or at the very least hold off said Pokemon until backup arrived, but it was out of the question for those two.

    ¡°Then retreat immediately,¡± I finished. ¡°Get me, my dad, or any other backup like the LDF in town. Everyone understand?¡±

    I got a wave of uneasy looks and nods in return.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m thinking of doing weekly group training sessions on top of any private lessons from now on,¡± I told them, and I almost smiled when I saw people perk up. ¡°I want everyone to not just be at their best but continuously grow. Sound good?¡±

    A more enthusiastic round of nods came this time, and I finally dropped my serious expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s the end of serious talk. Let¡¯s talk about something happier. How are your Pokemon Eggs doing?¡±

    Much to my amusement, everyone fished out their Egg incubators from bags they¡¯d been carrying around and carefully placed them on the table. Any nervous expressions morphed into more joyous ones with the shift in topics.

    ¡°I swear I saw mine moving the other day!¡± Yurie declared in a giddy voice. She rubbed one hand against the glass surface of her incubator while Hazel shot her a disbelieving look.

    ¡°You sure about that?¡± he asked with a raised brow. ¡°I looked up how long it takes for a Mime Jr. Egg to hatch last time. Should be another week and a half for you.¡±

    Yurie rolled her eyes, huffing. ¡°Please. I know what I saw, Haze. I¡¯m not gonna listen to research about average egg hatching cycles.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that¡­ hraaa¡­¡±

    Hazel broke off mid-sentence to yawn widely.

    ¡°Are you staying up to look after your Egg or something?¡± Yurie laughed.

    ¡°No, I go to sleep early every night unlike a certain someone.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª ugh, I¡¯m not gonna get into this. Stop yawning then. This is like the fifth time today already.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it! No idea why I¡¯m so tired.¡±

    We all watched them squabble with amused expressions. I turned to the others. Souta and Haru were more than happy to update me with their progress.

    ¡°I clean the incubator every day,¡± Souta informed me. He looked like a proud student trying to get praise from their professor.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Haru chimed in, and he was nearly bouncing up and down in his seat from excitement. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen mine move yet, but I keep talking to the Egg¡ª¡±

    ¡°Same! I¡¯ve been talking to my Egg like you said, Arin¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªand it makes me wonder how much the Pokemon is consciously hearing¡ª¡±

    Their overlapping voices ended up asking the same question at the same time.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll hatch soon?¡±

    I refrained from chuckling as I looked at their shining eyes and balled fists. Raising Pokemon Eggs and seeing them hatch was always a memorable experience, especially for young trainers.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will,¡± I replied. ¡°Keep talking to the Eggs. Who knows, your excitement might rub off on them.¡±

    The boys both beamed at my answer and resumed chatting with each other excitedly. I liked seeing them like this rather than how gloomy they¡¯d been moments ago. I turned now to Murata with an expectant gaze. Even the older man looked as excited as everyone else.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who¡¯s more excited for this Egg to hatch: me, my Pokemon, or my daughters,¡± Murata confessed with a laugh. ¡°All I know is that I¡¯m looking forward to hatching day.¡±

    I joined him in his carefree laughter. For a few minutes, I was content to simply watch and let everyone chat happily with each other about their Eggs. Eventually, I clapped my hands together to get their attention again.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad everyone is doing well with their Eggs,¡± I said with a smile. I knew Luca was doing well with his, too. He never failed to send me updates and pictures every day, and he asked basically every question under the sun regarding Egg care. I cleared my throat. ¡°We¡¯ll hopefully be getting a few new gym trainers soon. I¡¯ve opened up applications again and am going to start interviewing people.¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­¡±

    Murmurs of appreciation arose in the audience. New staff was always exciting, and it would help lessen the workload around the Gym in the future.

    I turned now to Kari and Yulian with a questioning gaze. ¡°Right now it¡¯s just you two managing public relations. Do you need any help? I was thinking about hiring another member.¡±

    Kari and her brother shared a glance. Then Kari¡¯s hand shot energetically into the air.

    ¡°Yulian and I were actually talking about that the other day,¡± she mentioned with a smile. ¡°But, um, instead of opening up applications¡­ we¡¯d like to recommend someone instead.¡±

    My brows rose a bit.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    Kari whipped out her smartphone and tapped rapidly a few times. Eventually, she held the device out to me and showed what was on the screen. Now my brows flew up to my hairline.

    I¡¯d literally just been thinking about this person.

    ¡°We¡¯d like to recommend Tuff Tuff King as a candidate. I¡¯m not sure if you know him, but he¡¯s a popular social media influencer. He¡¯s also a major fan of the Cherrygrove Gym and a new resident here. He¡¯s posted a lot ¡ª and I mean a lot ¡ª of videos about us and the city. He even came to the grand opening and advertised it on a livestream. We got so many new followers because of that¡­¡± Kari rambled on cheerfully, but I was only half-listening.

    My eyes were glued to Kari¡¯s phone. She was scrolling through a gallery of videos, photos, and notes she¡¯d put together. She hadn¡¯t been kidding when she said Luca had been busy making Cherrygrove-related content. I almost whistled out loud when I saw how many views his videos were getting.

    I snapped back to attention as Kari wrapped up her long-winded talk.

    ¡°Anyway, we thought he¡¯d fit really well on our team. Between me and Yulian managing our online platforms and Tuff Tuff King handling the marketing side of things, we¡¯d be unstoppable,¡± she paused, smiling bashfully. ¡°Of course, you have the final say. And we don¡¯t even know if he¡¯d be interested in the job when he¡¯s working full-time as a content creator already¡­¡±

    Somehow, I had the feeling he would probably jump for joy if I offered him a job at the Gym. I still remembered how excited he was at our initial meeting in that grocery store. It wasn¡¯t like I was against hiring him either. He was friendly and clearly appreciated the Gym.

    Kari and Yulian had also put a lot of thought into this proposal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to him,¡± I promised. ¡°I actually met him before. He¡¯d be a good fit with our crew.¡±

    Kari¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Wait, really?! Awesome!¡±

    I could tell she wanted to ask more about the circumstances regarding my acquaintanceship with Tuff Tuff King, but that would have to be for another time. We were still in the middle of a meeting. My eyes flickered over to Neil.

    ¡°The protestors?¡± I asked.

    It wasn¡¯t just Neil. He and everyone else in the room cringed at the mention of the protestors who¡¯d been lingering around the Gym the last few days.

    ¡°I think they finally switched targets. Didn¡¯t see any of ¡®em today,¡± Neil said with no small amount of relief. ¡°I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re probably at the Plateau to lobby for change.¡±

    Now that I thought about it¡­ I¡¯d heard something about that on the TV in the living room, the tail end of it at least. I wondered how Lance and the League were holding up. They had to deal with not just public opinion regarding Team Rocket extermination efforts but complaints from supporters of minor gyms now.

    I wasn¡¯t necessarily unsympathetic to their plight. It was tough seeing an institution you supported not get the love or justice it deserved, and I was speaking from experience. The Cherrygrove Gym used to be a minor gym, too, after all. It had always frustrated me how little support we got from the League compared to the major gyms. Johto was the worst place for a minor gym on top of everything. So much emphasis was placed on history and tradition here.

    At least compared to ten years ago, things had changed a bit with the flow of time. There was a new generation of young trainers who didn¡¯t care as much about said traditions, a rise in technology and the way we communicated with each other and the world¡­ Johto was changing.

    I didn¡¯t know too much about Kanto, but I did know tradition mattered much less there. There were always a few different minor gyms depending on the generation. Right now, Kanto had three if I remembered correctly. The problem over there wasn¡¯t so much tradition as it was with their minor gyms themselves.

    To put it simply, they were not as skilled as the major gyms.

    After the protestors came by for the first time the other day, I¡¯d looked up information online about the Kanto minor gyms. I came across hundreds of complaints from trainers all agreeing that their experiences at said gyms weren¡¯t very challenging. Sure, people wanted to win and get badges for the yearly Conference, but the best and most serious trainers also wanted to get something else out of their visits: growth.

    And sadly, the Kanto minor gyms were currently not doing a good job of giving trainers what they wanted.

    Therefore, I could only sympathize with the protestors to a certain extent. Perhaps the promotion exam the League administered was more than a little difficult and unclear, but it was also on the minor gyms and leaders themselves to prove they had the strength.

    Admittedly, I was a little interested in meeting said minor gym leaders. It was not because of any political reasons like the protestors had spoken of, but because I simply believed having more major gyms in Indigo would be beneficial both for safety and for educating future generations of trainers. I was already kicking up a storm of change in Johto with Fairies. Why not kick the Beedrill¡¯s nest a second time and help usher about more changes?

    That was something I was going to have to address when I had more downtime. At any rate, the protestors were seemingly gone. One issue was taken care of. As for the next one¡­

    My smile took on a playfully evil edge as I looked around the room.

    ¡°Right. Hopefully they don¡¯t come back,¡± I said, and I drummed my fingers against my leg. ¡°By the way¡­ have you all been making steady progress with the notes, reference packets, and books I handed out?¡±

    I received a mixed bag of reactions, everything from energetic yeses from the more studious fellows like Souta or Hazel to terrified expressions from the less academically inclined like Yurie.

    I almost snorted out loud with laughter.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The summer¡¯s just begun. We¡¯ve still got time before we need to really buckle down on preparations for the next League Circuit,¡± I told them. More than a few sighs of relief echoed in the room because of my words.

    The reading materials I¡¯d mentioned all had information about my gym challenge. Everyone needed a sufficient understanding of the gym challenge and how it would work first. Then, we could actually start practicing said gym challenge over the summer and finesse it during trial runs.

    I was looking forward to it.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all I wanted to talk about for now. Let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    Everyone dutifully shuffled out of the room. Ever since the Cherrygrove Gym became fully operational, we¡¯d settled ourselves into proper working routines. Dad, Murata, and Souta left to go patrol the town since it was their turn. The others either patrolled the building itself or went to go do the homework I¡¯d assigned.

    I headed straight for my office, plopped myself down at my desk, and started another day of work. Lance still hadn¡¯t messaged me or the other Gym Leaders yet.

    The annual gym audit was coming up. I¡¯d already set aside neat piles of documents for said inspection which included everything from financial records to health records and more. Speaking of which, I needed to add updated papers to the collection soon. Some of the gym Pokemon had recently evolved, so a trip to the local Pokemon Center was due. There, they would update existing health records and make sure there weren¡¯t any problems with the Pokemon post-evolution.

    The Cherrygrove Gym had a few in-house medical staff I¡¯d hired to help look over all our Pokemon, but their credentials wouldn¡¯t cut it for the audit. They needed official documentation specifically from a League-affiliated medical institution¡­ in other words, a Pokemon Center. Most cities or towns had anywhere from one to three depending on their size. Cherrygrove had two.

    I made a note to visit the Center before the day was up. Next, I pored through the applications portal on the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s website. Maybe it was because people actually knew what the Gym looked like now, or the fact that I was able to advertise staff lodgings this time around with pictures, but there were a ton of interested applicants. Ideally, I¡¯d be hiring at least two new gym trainers soon.

    For the next hour, I went through resumes. My speed this time was a lot faster than the first round of hiring I¡¯d done. Most forms went straight into the rejected pile, but there were a few I was interested in and sent out interview requests for.

    One of them was a person I¡¯d already been expecting to get an application from: Fantina¡¯s mystery former apprentice. Sure enough, he had a letter of recommendation from said Gym Leader and an impressive number of accomplishments to boot. It wasn¡¯t often you saw people who were capable of pursuing careers as both Trainers and Coordinators, so I was looking forward to meeting him in person.

    There was one other person that caught¡ª no¡­ demanded my attention the moment I looked at their resume. Out of everyone who¡¯d ever applied to be a gym trainer for me, both in the last hiring round and the current one, this individual was the strongest.

    In fact, it was to the point where I wondered why they¡¯d even applied for this position. Their time was probably better spent elsewhere. Were they being genuine? Did they just want to grab my attention somehow and ensure a meeting to talk about some other purpose? I didn¡¯t know. I could only hazard guesses.

    Still, I was intrigued enough that I sent them an interview request. I even stopped looking through applications to further research this person online. Eventually, I found myself studying recordings of their past battles. They weren¡¯t half bad.

    I was in the middle of watching an intense battle when my phone rang. I immediately paused the video and held my wrist up. Lo and behold, it was Lance. He was calling for another meeting at the League HQ, and this time, he had more news.

    Interpol officers had arrived.

    I breathed in and out first before moving. I was not going to walk in or out of that meeting without a clear head. When I was ready, I collected my Pokemon first before Teleporting to the Plateau. Whether it was intentional or not, we were using the meeting room from the day before.

    About half of us were gathered at this point, and that included the Indigo Elite Four. Lance wasn¡¯t in the room yet. My eyes spotted Bugsy and Whitney hanging around together in the corner, and I moved towards them almost without thinking.

    Dad had checked up on my mental health this morning. I felt like I needed to do the same for the younger Gym Leaders. I had seen Jasmine talking to them in a quiet voice yesterday, but I still wanted to make sure they were okay.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I called softly. Both teenagers raised their heads at the sound. They didn¡¯t look distressed, but they weren¡¯t smiling either. ¡°How are you guys doing?¡±

    Whitney caught onto my intentions right away if the way her eyes lit up meant anything. She gave a small reassuring smile, and I was glad to see it didn¡¯t look forced.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said honestly. ¡°Better than bad at least. I spent time with my family yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, too,¡± Bugsy followed up in a soft voice. He scuffed one foot against the ground as he took a deep breath. ¡°I-I won¡¯t be scared.¡±

    His voice trembled, but his eyes were resolute. I stuffed my hands into my pockets with a small smile of my own. It looked like I didn¡¯t need to worry about these two after all. Bugsy and Whitney were strong. Hopefully the other young Gym Leaders from Kanto were doing okay as well.

    We chatted in quiet voices while we waited. The other Johto Gym Leaders joined our group as they arrived. I would have kept talking with them, too, if someone didn¡¯t suddenly clap me on the shoulder and pull me aside in a single movement.

    ¡°Surge,¡± I uttered. I stared up at the absolute giant of a man and tried not to feel confused. We¡¯d hardly talked to each other before.

    ¡°¡®Morning,¡± he grunted, and he fixed narrowed eyes on me. ¡°Just wanted to see how you¡¯re holding up. You¡¯re not letting that asshole¡¯s senile ramblings get to you, right?¡±

    I understood right away he was talking about Pryce, but I was more surprised that he actually felt worried about me. I must have shown it on my face because Surge barked out a laugh.

    ¡°Wipe that surprise off your face,¡± he chortled out. ¡°We¡¯re all allies here. Ain¡¯t nothing wrong with checking up on a fellow Gym Leader, much less someone who was unfairly blamed like I was.¡±

    Huh. Surge was¡­ a lot friendlier than his appearance or manner of speaking suggested.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I finally said, hoping I didn¡¯t sound too awkward. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Slept off most of the anger.¡±

    Surge nodded approvingly. ¡°Good. I¡¯m still mad as hell myself if I¡¯m gonna be honest, but we have to focus on wiping out the Rockets. No time for stupid drama.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°You using those weights I gifted you, by the way? Gotta keep yourself in shape.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ve been too busy to get in the training room lately. I do morning exercise at least?¡±

    ¡°Not good enough. You don¡¯t want to get screwed over by Rockets if you find yourself in an up and personal fight¡­¡±

    That was how I ended up talking to Surge of all people for a bit. I felt less intimidated by him the more we talked. He certainly tended to scowl a lot, and he was blunt, but he was a genuinely nice person.

    Almost everyone was in the room now. We were just missing Lance, Blaine, and¡­

    ¡°Where is that asshole anyway? He¡¯s usually one of the earliest ones¡ª ah, speak of the devil¡­¡± Surge broke off, and his eyes went to the other side of the room.

    I followed his gaze. Sure enough, Pryce had popped into this plane of existence. He looked as cold and arrogant as ever, walking with brisk and decisive strides¡­

    ¡­straight towards me and Surge.

    In my peripheral vision, I saw Surge tense in place next to me. I also remotely registered that the room had fallen completely silent. Everyone had noticed Pryce¡¯s appearance, and everyone definitely noticed his destination. We were all waiting for this impending disaster.

    I tightened my jaw as I stared at the incoming menace. He wasn¡¯t seriously about to start up the nonsense from yesterday again, right?

    Pryce eventually stopped in front of us. Even though Surge was so much taller than him, he kept his head raised with an almost regal gaze. He opened his mouth, and I prepared myself for scathing insults¡ª

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    Instead, an Arceus damned apology fell from his lips. Torn, really, if the almost iron-tight grip on his cane was anything to go by. I stared at him with a neutral expression, but internally, I was so very confused by this turn of events. So was everyone else. The already quiet room felt like it¡¯d been smothered by an additional blanket of heavy silence.

    Pryce Yanagi of all people apologizing? The world must have been on the verge of collapse.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, could you say that again?¡± Surge asked in a low voice, and he leaned forward with lips drawn back in the beginnings of a snarl. ¡°Don¡¯t think I heard you right.¡±

    ¡°I apologize,¡± Pryce repeated. Each word was drawn out and enunciated slowly even though he was clearly aware of what Surge was up to. Dark eyes cast their frigid gaze on us as Pryce continued. ¡°I was out of line last night by making wild accusations.¡±

    And that was it. He didn¡¯t say anything else and snapped his mouth shut. He¡¯d said everything in an icy tone, but he hadn¡¯t looked away from us while apologizing. I couldn¡¯t tell if the apology was truly genuine or not. What had precipitated this¡­ apology¡­ that, I had no idea about.

    The fact remained that he¡¯d actually said it, though, and straight to our faces in public with everyone watching. That seemed to indicate some degree of sincerity.

    Did that mean I was going to smile, say thank you, and pretend like I wasn¡¯t still pissed at him?

    Hell no.

    I settled for a curt nod as my answer. Surge, meanwhile, scoffed out loud and crossed his arms over his chest.

    Pryce didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d apologized, we¡¯d shown that we heard him and acknowledged his apology in albeit less than friendly manners, and that was apparently enough for him. The sound of his cane clacking against the floor filled the room as he walked over to the still empty meeting table and took a seat.

    Sound returned back to the room as people conversed again in low voices, eyes darting between me, Surge, and Pryce. I shared a look with Surge before heading for the meeting table. I took a seat far away from Pryce, nearly opposite, and the rest of the Gym Leaders followed suit.

    As I swept my gaze across the room and wondered where Lance was, I caught sight of Agatha standing by the wall with the Indigo Elite Four. She was staring at Pryce with a certain expression. It was hard to place what that emotion was. Triumph? Smugness? Whatever the case, she was smiling, and it was scary.

    We didn¡¯t have to wait long. Lance swept into the room moments after everyone took their seats, and he was not alone.

    Blaine and three other individuals were with him. They were all dressed in the same dark uniform, and they had small shiny pins attached to their shirts. I recognized them.

    Interpol.

    Lance swept his gaze over us as he stopped in front of the meeting table. He did not sit down but remained standing. Blaine and the others stood dutifully at his sides.

    ¡°I know many of you probably weren¡¯t expecting another meeting quite so soon, but we¡¯ve got things to talk about,¡± Lance began. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ¡°I trust we¡¯ve all had enough time to rest and think? And that we¡¯re ready for a more calm discussion today?¡±

    There were some uneasy looks thrown around, but everyone nodded. I, for one, was in a better headspace today, and I planned on keeping it that way.

    Lance inclined his head. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll begin immediately. Like I mentioned in the call, Interpol forces have finally arrived from the Galovea Continent. They will be assisting in any Rocket-related operations from now on. They¡¯ve sent over thirty agents belonging to their upper ranks, but more will be dispatched as needed. These are their commanding officers who will be joining us in meetings from now on.¡±

    With a swift extension of his arm, Lance gestured to the people in uniforms. One of them, a man with sharp eyebrows and dark hair, stepped up.

    ¡°Thank you, Champion Lance. It¡¯s an honor to be here. I¡¯m Agent Looker, a senior officer with Interpol,¡± the man politely introduced himself. I barely stopped my brows from raising.

    I¡¯d heard that name ¡ª or codename, really ¡ª before in the past. I¡¯d only interacted with a few Interpol officers before while traveling, but they¡¯d mostly been rank-and-file members in charge of minor cases. Most agents affiliated with Interpol usually stayed out of the public eye, but those who handled particularly high-profile cases typically became famous whether or not they wanted to.

    Agent Looker was one of them. Geeta had even brought him up before a few times. Looker had tried sniffing around in Paldea before because of ¡®suspicious¡¯ incidents, basically Area Zero related incidents disguised as simpler cases of scientists trying to steal research. Geeta had immediately shut down any questioning from Interpol and shooed Looker away.

    He definitely had a keen mind. I felt a little more reassured knowing Interpol had sent what was probably one of their best members to help.

    ¡°These are my associates, Echo and Mint,¡± Looker continued, and he gestured to a woman and man standing next to him.

    The woman named Echo was short with a smattering of freckles across her cheeks, and the man named Mint was much bulkier and intimidating than his moniker implied.

    ¡°Both of them are Ability Holders. The three of us swear that we and the rest of our forces will do our best to help Indigo and resolve the crisis here.¡±

    That statement caught a lot of attention. Everyone looked at the Interpol members with renewed interest. We only had four Ability Holders in Indigo including myself, and we¡¯d suddenly increased our numbers by half.

    No matter what their Abilities were, they would probably be useful going forward. I found it hard to believe Interpol would have dispatched useless agents to Indigo otherwise.

    Done with introductions for the time being, Looker stepped back and folded his hands behind his back. Lance nodded his head at Blaine now.

    ¡°Next, we have an update from Blaine,¡± he said.

    The Cinnabar Gym Leader stepped forward with a remote in hand. He clicked it, and suddenly all eyes were drawn to the images that had popped up on the back wall¡¯s projector. There were two columns of them. One was full of grainy-ish images of Pokemon, and the other held crisper and more defined ones. They both showed the same thing: Pokemon that looked like they¡¯d been experimented on.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been working with the forensics team to uncover more about the drugged Pokemon,¡± Blaine began in a clinical tone, ¡°and we¡¯ve determined a few things. First, this is indeed an improved version of a drug they used in the Rocket War. I even compared it to an old vial to be sure.¡±

    We all stared at him with incredulous looks, even Lance. I assumed Blaine hadn¡¯t run that by him. He looked back at us with an indifferent expression as if he hadn¡¯t just told us he had been holding onto a deadly drug from over a decade ago. Shouldn¡¯t he have destroyed it after the scientists at that time studied everything about it¡­?

    Only Agatha didn¡¯t seem surprised. In fact, she looked bored as if this was something Blaine regularly did.

    Said Cinnabar Gym Leader went on and ignored our stunned faces. ¡°The last drug was called Red. Not very creative, but we had other things to worry about at the time than picking a name. For simplicity¡¯s sake, let us refer to the new version as R2. I¡¯d need more samples to conduct testing with to be sure, but this one seems to be twice as powerful.¡±

    While I committed the coined name of the drug to memory, Blaine used his laser pointer to direct our attention back to the photos on the wall.

    ¡°Left side is fifteen years ago. Right side is yesterday and up until this very morning,¡± Blaine said brusquely. ¡°Very similar physical symptoms, yes? In the Rocket War, the drug was highly unstable and caused Pokemon to explode after the drug finished running its course.¡±

    My stomach churned a bit at that. In my peripheral vision, I saw the older Gym Leaders like Chuck or Giovanni grimace. They were probably dwelling on said memories from the war.

    ¡°Luckily or unluckily, the Rockets have managed to stabilize it somewhat. R2 stays in the system longer than its predecessor did. Pokemon injected with R2 also don¡¯t explode, but they become useless afterwards,¡± Blaine went on. He shrugged his shoulders carelessly. ¡°They don¡¯t move or talk. They lose their will.¡±

    One of the Waterflower sisters spoke up in a trembling voice. They voiced a question I¡¯d just begun to form. ¡°Can¡­ can they be cured?¡±

    Blaine was silent for several long seconds. I thought he was going to give the worst possible answer for a second, but¡­

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he finally said. For some reason, he sounded a bit¡­ emotional. ¡°I would need more samples before I can say anything conclusive.¡±

    That was better than nothing. Pokemon drugs weren¡¯t anything new in the world, but it was despicable seeing the level the Rockets had reached with R2.

    Blaine clicked his pointer again. All at once, the projector shut off, and the images disappeared. He turned to us with crossed arms and resumed his talk. His voice went back to its previous indifferent tone.

    ¡°Ice or cold temperatures slow down the drug, but it won¡¯t stop these Pokemon,¡± he warned. ¡°R2 forcibly increases their type energy reserves and muscles past their normal safe limits, and it¡¯ll keep doing so until the Pokemon truly can¡¯t take it anymore. We¡¯re in the middle of a crisis, so don¡¯t spare them if it takes too much time. Put them out of their misery if you have to. Like I said¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can make a cure for this drug.¡±

    With those ominous words, Blaine finally walked over to the meeting table and sat down in one of the remaining empty seats. He put the laser pointer on the table with a heavy bang and then fell silent.

    Lance cleared his throat. ¡°Thank you, Blaine. We truly appreciate the help you¡¯ve given the League. Onto the next matter¡­ Unova. I¡¯ll ask again: are we ready to have a more calm conversation today?¡±

    As he said that, he eyed one person in particular: Pryce. The old man didn¡¯t react, and neither did anyone else in the room. Satisfied, Lance continued.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to Champion Alder,¡± he revealed. ¡°According to him, Unova is innocent. They have not noticed anyone sneaking past their borders or taking native Pokemon without authorization. I have chosen to believe him for the time being until we can find evidence ¡ª hard evidence, mind you ¡ª to suggest otherwise. The treaty will stay in place, and our alliance will go on.¡±

    ¡°Is that wise?¡± Falkner asked in about the most polite voice I¡¯d ever heard from him.

    Lance didn¡¯t blink. ¡°Before I open the floor to discussion, I will tell you what I think. While we do not know how Team Rocket acquired these Unova Pokemon, I am under the belief they acquired them for the sole purpose of misdirecting us. It is suspicious that we found out about these Pokemon right after the treaty was made, and I believe it¡¯s to throw us off their scent and go after Unova instead.¡±

    He held out his hands to us in a gesture that said he was done and that we were free to chime in. Erika spoke up first in a questioning voice.

    ¡°I can see the logic in that,¡± she admitted in a quiet voice, and she was careful to keep her tone respectful, ¡°but I also find it hard to believe the Unova government didn¡¯t catch wind of people getting past their borders. Shouldn¡¯t they have noticed if someone was taking their Pokemon?¡±

    I kind of agreed and kind of didn¡¯t. Unova border security was absolutely no joke. Speaking as someone who had gone through a¡­ interesting experience with their border patrol in the past, they took their jobs very seriously over there. They¡¯d be on you faster than you could blink. I would even say they were tied with Paldea for how zealously they guarded their borders and local Pokemon populations. But¡­

    ¡°About that¡­¡± I began. All eyes turned to me as I continued talking.

    Today, I was going to nip this Unova theory in the bud, or at least offer more reasons against it while everyone else was still keeping calm.

    ¡°The Unova border patrol is airtight, yes. But Basculin, Amoonguss, and Garbodor. These three species are all incredibly common Pokemon in Unova. Basculin is the most common Water type in Unova and can be found in essentially every river. It¡¯s the equivalent of our Magikarp if that helps put things in perspective.¡±

    ¡°And Amoonguss propagate quickly. They¡¯re invasive fungi on the level of Paras here in Kanto,¡± Surge tacked on before I could continue. I refrained from smiling. He saw where I was going with this conversation. ¡°Garbodor are the filthy equivalent of Grimer. They form from excess amounts of garbage.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I nodded. ¡°The point Surge and I are getting at is that these are all incredibly common Pokemon. I don¡¯t know how, but maybe the Rockets sneaked past the border patrol and nabbed these Pokemon. The Unova government wouldn¡¯t have noticed them going missing because of their sheer numbers in local ecosystems. It¡¯s also possible Rockets could have easily swiped them farther out and away from Unova¡¯s search radius.¡±

    The comparisons between Unova and Kanto Pokemon helped more than I thought they would, or at least, that¡¯s what I hoped. I saw people nodding their heads or others mulling over our words with thoughtful expressions.

    Even better, Lance nodded his own head. ¡°Alder did mention these Pokemon are very common in Unova,¡± he agreed. ¡°I find your argument convincing.¡±

    I silently shifted my head to stare across the table. Pryce had his eyes trained on his cane as he tapped a finger against it. His expressionless face gave no hint as to what he was thinking. Around us, other Gym Leaders gave their thoughts.

    ¡°I think we can put aside the matter of how Rockets got Unova Pokemon for now. We can only make wild guesses about that,¡± Morty pointed out. ¡°This, at least, is something plausible backed up by known information.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Bugsy piped up timidly, eyes darting back and forth across the table. ¡°We can agree that the Rockets could have stolen Pokemon without Unova knowing, right¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    A round of agreement rang out at the table. Some of the Gym Leaders still didn¡¯t look convinced, but this was much better progress than yesterday. I opened my mouth to speak again, but someone beat me to it.

    ¡°If I might add my thoughts to the situation¡­¡± a male voice spoke up after clearing their throat. It was Looker. ¡°My team and I are still being caught up on the history of Team Rocket from Champion Lance and the Indigo League, but¡­ may I direct your attention to a certain point?¡±

    Lance didn¡¯t say anything. He merely nodded his head for Looker to go on.

    ¡°I understand there are suspicions about Unova being the backer of Team Rocket or colluding with them in some way,¡± Looker said, and he began pacing from one end of the room to the other. ¡°We don¡¯t have any hard evidence yet to deny or confirm these suspicions, but let¡¯s look at this from the perspective of Unova. If they were colluding with the criminals¡­¡±

    Looker paused in place.

    ¡°Then why would they out themselves by revealing Unovan Pokemon?¡±

    Silence fell over the room. Looker started pacing again.

    ¡°They could have supplied the Rockets with Pokemon snatched from Hoenn, Sinnoh, or any region that wasn¡¯t theirs. Instead, they gave the Rockets Pokemon native to their country. To put it simply, it doesn¡¯t check out. Why would they leave a trace of their involvement? Why not stay hidden?¡± Looker asked.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s right,¡± someone new said. It was the young Gym Leader of the Pewter Gym, Brock. ¡°I don¡¯t think an affluent region¡¯s government would be that stupid. It¡¯s more likely that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Unova is actually innocent, and the Rockets want us to suspect them,¡± Falkner finished for him. He¡¯d closed his eyes and crossed his arms. It looked like he was deep in thought, and so did the others in the room.

    I clenched a fist under the table. I was glad the tides seemed to be shifting in the favor of Unova, but that didn¡¯t mean I was happy about the implications.

    Looker wasn¡¯t afraid to say them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with the Indigo League,¡± he told us with a serious expression. ¡°This organization of criminals ¡ª Team Rocket ¡ª might be more deeply rooted than we initially thought. The fact that they came up with a ploy like this, even if it failed, suggests some level of intelligence among their ranks. There¡¯s also the fact that they obtained foreign Pokemon somehow.¡±

    Looker took a deep breath.

    ¡°I believe we should start fresh.¡±

    I looked at him with narrowed eyes while Lance raised a brow. He didn¡¯t need to prompt Looker for the man to elaborate.

    ¡°I know I talked earlier about needing hard evidence to deny or confirm suspicions, but¡­ I¡¯d like to reiterate again that this organization is probably smarter and bigger than they seem,¡± Looker explained. ¡°Up until now, you weren¡¯t having issues with Team Rocket. Then yesterday, you suddenly came across drugged Pokemon and foreign species you¡¯d never seen before.¡±

    Looked paused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say too much without further research into Team Rocket, but they¡¯re hiding things.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think they are, too,¡± Lance finally relented.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I think we should work from the ground up and erase any previous assumptions about the Rockets,¡± Looker said. ¡°Whatever threat level you assessed them at before, move it up several ranks.¡±

    He left it at that. Lance took over from there. It honestly looked like he was withholding a sigh as he swept his gaze over us.

    ¡°I think we should leave today¡¯s meeting there. Our new Interpol allies need time to look into Team Rocket, and we also need to finish interrogating the grunts we captured yesterday. Sabrina?¡± Lance spoke.

    Said woman nodded as she rose from her seat. She walked over to him as the rest of us got up.

    ¡°You as well, Arin. I¡¯d like to speak with you,¡± Lance added. ¡°Thank you for coming today, everyone. I¡¯ll send out news and ask people to come in as necessary for Rocket operations.¡±

    With that, the meeting was adjourned. It had ended on a much more positive note than the last had with a fruitful discussion. Everyone started Teleporting back home but not me. I wandered over to where Lance and the others were, and I followed them out the room into the hallway.

    I wondered if Lance needed my opinion for something.

    Sabrina and the Indigo Elite Four split up from us and made a turn at some point, but Lance beckoned me to follow him to his office. When we were finally inside said room, he closed the door and turned to face me with a tired yet serious expression. It was now I saw the dark circles under his eyes that had come from exhaustion.

    ¡°Arin,¡± he began, and I subconsciously straightened. His voice sounded grave. ¡°We might have helped smooth over tensions in our ranks today regarding Unova, but the public¡¯s still a bit agitated. You¡¯re the representative we chose for the Kinjoh Area. I¡¯m going to need you to go out and work with the Interpol in public sometimes to show the country we are unified and that this alliance is strong.¡±

    I nodded instantly. Lance was trusting me to share some of his burdens.

    ¡°You can count on me,¡± I promised.

    The man opposite me cracked a small smile.

    ¡°Thank you. Please keep an eye on Interpol, too, when I¡¯m not directly there to supervise them,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not that I distrust them, but this is our first time working with their organization. I just want to make sure they¡¯re truly as politically neutral as they claim to be.¡±

    I nodded again. ¡°Just call me whenever you need help. And¡­ no offense, Lance, but you look like you need sleep.¡±

    This time, he laughed.

    ¡°I do, don¡¯t I?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Should we have told them?¡± Echo asked.

    She, Mint, and Looker were all still in the meeting room discussing how to split up tasks for the day among their limited Interpol forces in Indigo. Already, they were thinking about calling Headquarters and requesting more help.

    This was looking to be an even bigger case than they could have imagined.

    Looker saw the uneasy look on his associate¡¯s face and tried not to grimace. He knew what she was talking about.

    ¡°No. It would only do more harm than good.¡±

    ¡°But I think we should still warn them¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let emotions get in the way of work,¡± Mint interrupted. Looker nodded.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. I know it¡¯s something hard to keep to ourselves, but we need to verify it first¡­ or attempt to at least. When¡¯s the next time you can check?¡±

    Echo hesitated.

    ¡°Anytime, but if we want the results to be as accurate as possible¡­ probably the summer solstice.¡±

    ¡°So a month from now?¡± Looker asked after mentally running through a calendar in his head.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Looker sighed to himself.

    ¡°Okay. Okay. I just hope we can finish this case before we even have to look again.¡±

    Because what they had seen was definitely ominous.

 Chapter 43

    CHAPTER 43

    Moments after Lance and I stepped out of his office, we found ourselves face-to-face with Looker and his two colleagues in the hallway. Apparently, they¡¯d been on their way to find the Champion.

    Looker greeted me first with a polite nod of his head, a gesture that I returned. He then glanced at the man standing next to me.

    ¡°Champion Lance, we were wondering if we could join you for the interrogation with the captured Rockets,¡± Looker asked. ¡°If not, we¡¯ll meet with the rest of our team to do research. Thank you again for the offices and temporary living spaces by the way.¡±

    Lance waved a hand through the air dismissively.

    ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do for guests. Think nothing of it. As for the interrogation¡­¡± Lance paused, eyes drifting between me and the agents behind Looker. ¡°Sabrina gets a bit sensitive when too many people are around for that. How about one of you joins me, and the other two can show Arin to your offices? He was interested in looking at the records, too.¡±

    I was?

    ¡°Very well,¡± Looker readily agreed.

    Meanwhile, I avoided showing any surprise on my face and resisted the urge to stare at Lance. I hadn¡¯t expected it to be so soon, but it seemed I was on supervision duty earlier than expected. I just wished Lance could have given me a little more warning.

    With one wordless nod of my head, Lance and Looker went down the hallway. Echo and Mint went down another. I followed them. The trip was far too silent for my liking, so I decided to strike up conversation as we made a few turns.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to be working with Interpol from now on. I¡¯m the Cherrygrove Gym Leader¡ª¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± Echo interrupted not unkindly. She had no distinguishable accent, so it was hard to tell what region she was from. ¡°We¡¯ve heard many things about you, Leader Arin¡ª¡±

    ¡°Arin¡¯s fine,¡± I said as the one to cut in this time. ¡°We¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on at meetings.¡±

    ¡°Arin, then,¡± Echo amended. ¡°Our team received a quick briefing of Indigo and its leaders from the rest of the alliance before coming here.¡±

    It was now that the broad-shouldered man walking next to her spoke up.

    ¡°You¡¯re also quite famous in the Galovea Continent,¡± Mint remarked. There was the briefest hint of an accent peeking through his voice¡­ Galarian, I believed. He had an oddly soothing voice for a man of his stature.

    I could only smile wryly in response. There was no way to refute that because it was the truth. Before I¡¯d settled down in Paldea, I¡¯d blown through regional League Circuits like a force of nature. People naturally recognized me on the streets at one point.

    ¡°What Abilities do you have?¡± I decided to ask, changing topics.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d like to keep that information secret for the time being. Rest assured, however, that we will reveal them in due time and use them as they are needed.¡±

    That cautious reply from Echo only made me more curious, but I didn¡¯t push for answers. I ended up immersing myself in conversation with the Interpol agents instead. They asked me questions about life in Johto or how I felt about the Team Rocket situation. By the time we finally got to the offices, I¡¯d talked much more than I thought I would.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Mint quietly announced as he pushed open the doors. ¡°Champion Lance has kindly given us access to a number of old and new reports regarding Team Rocket. ¡±

    There were Interpol officers already hard at work in the room we walked into. Some were poring over papers and binders at tables, a few were grabbing things from shelves and filing cabinets, and yet others could be seen bustling around in adjacent rooms. Nothing but the sounds of quiet footsteps and rustling of paper filled the air.

    Echo and Mint sat down at the largest table in the room and presumably picked up research from where they had left off. That meant I was left to my own devices. While this wasn¡¯t exactly how I imagined I¡¯d be spending my morning, I wasn¡¯t complaining. It was a good chance for me to learn more about Team Rocket.

    I took a seat at the same table as my escorts and reached for the collection of binders in the middle. There were records dating as far back as twenty years ago, around the time when Team Rocket initially surfaced, and plenty more that offered information on their activities right before, during, and after the Rocket War.

    I decided to start with the most recent reports first just to clarify what I already knew about the organization. My eyes scanned pages full of printed information.

    Ever since the National Day incident, the League had been making progress behind the scenes locating taking down Rocket bases on their own. Routes 12, 19, 35, and 41¡­ They¡¯d found bases scattered across both Kanto and Johto according to a map with circled locations. There didn¡¯t seem to be a common denominator between any of them or anything that suggested where the Rocket HQ could be.

    The back page had information regarding Rocket grunt interrogations. There was nothing useful there. The grunts didn¡¯t reveal any specific information like base locations. The only note regarding the fates of captured Rocket grunts was a fat X, so I could only assume one thing: they had been disposed of.

    I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if my guess was right. From my time working with the Paldea League, I¡¯d already gotten many glimpses into the darker things a government needed to do to keep their country and citizens safe.

    I flipped to the next page. This one detailed the kinds of Pokemon the League had taken from Rockets. Lots of Poison and Dark types as expected, and most of them were species native to and commonly found across Kanto-Johto. A number of these Pokemon were undergoing therapy barring the new drugged species we¡¯d found. Some of them appeared to have been forcefully captured from the wilds or bought from black markets, but there were other Pokemon that willingly followed the Rockets and relished in bloodshed.

    That was pretty much all the relevant information regarding recent Rocket operations. It was sad to see how little there was. Hopefully, now that we had Interpol on board, that would slowly change.

    I set aside the binder of recent reports now and dragged the ones full of older records towards me. I was about to read things that the public had no idea about.

    The first binder had a broad overview of Team Rocket at its prime. The hierarchy had consisted of one leader, a handful of executives who were each in charge of their own division, elite officers, and then a massive army of grunts. I ran my eyes over the list of known executive names and their pictures. I didn¡¯t recognize any of them. Even in the notes section, they were stated to have been ordinary people with families and no previous criminal backgrounds. All executives had died in battle during the war.

    There were testimonies from citizens who had been kidnapped and later rescued from attempted artificial psychic experiments, old photographs of Pokemon locked up in cages and ones suffering from the side effects of experimentation, faded newspaper clippings of crime scenes and public outrage at the time¡­

    I hadn¡¯t been born yet when Team Rocket initially emerged from the shadows, and I hadn¡¯t been fully aware of their wrongdoings either as I grew up in the years preceding the Rocket War. Getting a deeper glimpse into what the organization had been like back then was¡­ sobering.

    Still, this wasn¡¯t enough. I was invested by this point and wanted more information, so I continued flipping through pages. Eventually, I found records of old interrogations with Rockets. Some were as early as the first few months when the organization first sprang up. Much to my frustration, most of them didn¡¯t have useful information. The current League had problems getting any information out of Rockets because they didn¡¯t know anything.

    The League back then had a different sort of problem than us when it came to interrogating Rockets: either the Rockets offed themselves first, or they¡¯d had their memories tampered with long before getting caught.

    ROCKET ARREST / INTERROGATION NO. 082

    INCIDENT NO. 67500197

    Rocket grunt was captured today at 14:10 KST and brought to a secure League holding facility. Regular interrogation was conducted first before a psychic check due to long interrogation room queues and lack of available skilled psychics. The following statement was taken from alias Pin (real name: Naoto Miuji). The following statement was taken in Building Alpha at 14:30 KST in the presence of Officer Banu Yoruko.

    ¡ª

    Q: How many members does Team Rocket have?

    A: Going right to the point, are we? As if I¡¯d answer.

    Q: We could switch to the psychic check if you prefer. We¡¯re only holding this discussion right now because the higher-ups wanted to give you a final luxury. Tell us about your organization, and we can potentially lighten your sentence.

    A: Lies. What¡¯s the point? No matter if I talk or get my mind literally picked apart, I¡¯m a dead man either way.

    Q: Talk.

    A: I¡¯m glad my colleagues managed to get away at least. I know they¡¯ll remember me. I know Boss will remember me, too.

    Q: Now we¡¯re talking. Who is Boss? Is that the leader of your entire organization?

    A: I¡¯m not going to tell you.

    Q: You¡¯re just another grunt in an army of them. Your ¡°leader¡± won¡¯t care what happens to you. They¡¯re using you for their cause, whatever that may be.

    A: You can¡¯t sway me. We share the same goal as Boss. We always have, and we¡¯ll always believe in each other.

    Q: How many of you are there? What is your cause?

    A: Too bad I won¡¯t be around to see our glorious future happen.

    Q: What do you¡ª

    A: Remember us. Carve our names into your hearts. Everything we do, we do for the sake of ROCKET.

    A: ¡­

    ¡ª

    INCIDENT NOTES

    Interrogation was cut short due to Rocket having ingested poison. Captured operative died instantly. Officer in charge of the case was reprimanded for failing to properly check for hidden capsules. Incident to be brought up with higher-ups and discussed at the next meeting.

    As upsetting as the conclusion to that interrogation was, now that had been an interesting read. This grunt from fifteen years ago had talked more than any of the grunts we¡¯d captured nowadays.

    It wasn¡¯t unsurprising for an organization that grew as rapidly as Team Rocket did to have had incredibly loyal members who believed in their cause, but that brought up the question of what their cause was. If we knew that¡­ much more light would be shed on the situation.

    I kept reading through files. I was so engrossed in my research that I barely heard the office doors open at some point. It was only when someone cleared their throat that I looked up. That someone was Lance, and he was accompanied by everyone who¡¯d gone to the interrogation rooms with them. Sabrina wasn¡¯t with them. I wondered if she¡¯d gone back home to rest after using her powers so much.

    ¡°We¡¯re done with our business,¡± Lance stated almost unnecessarily. He motioned to one of the empty side rooms. ¡°We¡¯ll fill you three in. Come.¡±

    The binders were put aside. Echo, Mint, and I followed the others into another room, and Lance opened his mouth as soon as the doors closed. He did not look happy.

    ¡°More useless grunts. They didn¡¯t tell us anything new,¡± Lance told us with a bitter edge to his voice. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he gestured tiredly to Looker instead. Said agent turned to face all of us with a serious expression.

    ¡°Hope for the best, plan for the worst,¡± he said. When I stared at him with furrowed brows, he bowed his head apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s a motto I live by, but I digress. Remember what I said during the meeting? About Team Rocket not being what it seems and that we need to approach this from a fresh perspective?¡±

    He paused meaningfully for a few seconds.

    ¡°I find it hard to believe an organization like this seemingly has so few members and bases compared to their prime. No matter how you think about it, it¡¯s not enough to go against the might of the Indigo League,¡± Looker said. ¡°And after what I saw during today¡¯s interrogation¡­ I¡¯m now led to believe one of two things.¡±

    He held up fingers as he spoke.

    ¡°One, these grunts are telling the truth. Team Rocket only has so few forces. OR¡­¡± Looker trailed off, wearing a grim expression. ¡°This is the much more likely scenario: two, these grunts are telling the truth, but only what they themselves believe to be true.¡±

    My eyes widened. ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°They were deliberately told too little or false information by their recruiters, or both,¡± Echo mused out loud next to me.

    Looker snapped his fingers together.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± the man said with a nod of his head.

    Koga and Agatha shared looks.

    ¡°We did find it suspicious,¡± Koga admitted. His arms were folded over his chest. ¡°There were no signs of their minds being tampered with, but the information they had didn¡¯t line up with our expectations of a revived Team Rocket¡­ especially based on our previous experiences with them fifteen years ago.¡±

    ¡°I also found it strange how Koga¡¯s Clan and my Ghosts were only able to find Rocket bases now,¡± Agatha added with a sour expression. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ground to cover between two whole regions, but we haven¡¯t been slacking off ever since Team Rocket sightings first came in a year ago. The fact remains that we never found anything like bases up until recently. I hate to admit it, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re letting themselves be found,¡± Lorelei finished. Next to her, Lance¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking as well,¡± Looker agreed. He began pacing around the room while gesturing occasionally at empty air. ¡°It seems to me like these bases you¡¯ve uncovered are bait. Disposable forces. Pawns.¡±

    ¡°It would explain why we haven¡¯t had a lot of trouble so far¡­ why the grunts we¡¯ve found are mostly new recruits, and why they¡¯re so weak,¡± I added. Looker pointed a finger my way without looking, eyes glinting with appreciation.

    ¡°Yes. The purpose of these easy operations seems to be lowering the guard of the Indigo League¡­ making you underestimate their forces,¡± Looker continued. ¡°There are probably bases and trained soldiers that they¡¯re spending more effort concealing from us.¡±

    He took a deep breath and directed his next question to Lance.

    ¡°How many forces did Team Rocket have in its prime?¡±

    ¡°Hundreds of thousands,¡± Lance easily answered, but he did not do so without an uneasy look.

    It was a look that Looker mirrored. ¡°Plan for the worst. Let¡¯s operate under the belief that they¡¯ve gathered that many forces at their disposal. Or, if that¡¯s too much, let¡¯s assume at least half. The point is¡­ we¡¯re probably facing more than we could have realized.¡±

    I tensed at his words. It didn¡¯t help that a heavy silence befell the room, one that I could almost feel pushing down on my shoulders.

    I didn¡¯t want to be the one who asked, but we needed to continue this conversation.

    ¡°Would it be right to assume they¡¯re waiting for a moment to strike?¡± I ventured to ask. That seemed the most likely idea to me. If the Rockets had been feeding us false intel and sacrificial bases to give a sense of security, that seemed to imply they were getting ready for a big operation.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Looker said. He bit his lip before continuing. ¡°I can¡¯t say why or what they¡¯re waiting for, but if they¡¯re going to such efforts to hide their real forces¡­ there¡¯s certainly a reason for it.¡±

    ¡°Why did they not strike earlier? Or now even?¡± Bruno countered in a gruff voice. ¡°They could have caught us off guard.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to be asking those kinds of questions, then why did Team Rocket announce their comeback on National Day at all?¡± Agatha bit out. ¡°They could have waged war without a moment¡¯s notice, but they didn¡¯t. They made a statement instead. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve said before: they take pleasure in creating terror.¡±

    ¡°¡­They might be increasing their forces as much as possible before launching a war,¡± Lorelei said out loud after a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    Lance¡¯s face darkened. ¡°We¡¯ll stop them before it comes to that,¡± he said in a decisive tone that left no room for questioning.

    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to discuss Team Rocket¡¯s motives or why they bothered doing a flashy display on your country¡¯s holiday,¡± Looker said slowly, ¡°we can discuss those another time. I think it¡¯s probably best we focus on locating more of their bases first. We have to not only keep doing what we can to chip away at their numbers, but we need to find some of their real members to get answers from, not these disposable pawns they keep giving us.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Lance inclined his head. ¡°But how are we going to accomplish that? All our talk so far seems to indicate that the Rockets are better at hiding their forces than we thought. And like Agatha stated¡­ searching both Kanto and Johto will be difficult even with all of the forces at our disposal. There¡¯s simply so much land. Parsing through all of it will take too much time.¡±

    I was pretty sure we all raised eyebrows when Looker¡¯s lips twitched upwards into a grin.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to narrow it down first,¡± he announced. ¡°Echo, if you would¡­¡±

    The woman next to me silently unhooked a capsule from her belt and clicked it. A ray of crimson light shot out from the release mechanism and eventually formed an uncommon Pokemon, one that I had seen maybe once or twice before during my travels.

    ¡°What Pokemon is this?¡± Lance asked with no small amount of curiosity.

    He stared at the pink and purple Pokemon that nearly came up to his height. It wore a unique purple shell around its head¡­ or more accurately, the shell wore the body. Around its neck was a cape-like collar. I eyed the sinister eyes peeking out from the shell, but I wasn¡¯t unsettled. I felt more impressed with how disciplined the Pokemon was if anything. It stood at full attention. A Galarian Slowking.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°A regional variant of Slowking,¡± Echo supplied. There was no time for Lance or the Indigo Elite Four to inquire further. Looker dove right into an explanation.

    ¡°Does the Indigo League have a number of trained Psychic type Pokemon with specialties outside of Teleportation or mind reading?¡± he inquired.

    Lance¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Yes. Some of them directly work under our League Trainers, but others are affiliated with us and work with keepers at local shrines or temples. For example, we have Xatu who look into potential harvests and bad weather. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°It was merely to help draw a comparison,¡± Looker reassured him. ¡°Echo¡¯s team isn¡¯t combat-oriented, but each of them has a psychic specialty of their own. Slowking here is good at locating things.¡±

    ¡°How¡ª¡±

    ¡°The specifics can be discussed another time,¡± Echo gently interrupted Bruno. ¡°May I have a map of Kanto-Johto? And if you could all step back a bit please¡­¡±

    Koga disappeared in the blink of an eye and returned with the requested item. Echo unfurled the map and laid it out on a table nearby while the rest of us backed up. Now that Slowking had more breathing space, the stout Pokemon walked up to the map and stared at it. Echo remained close to her Pokemon. I could barely make out a few words of what she was whispering.

    ¡°Imagine it. Feel the¡­ land around us. Find¡­ Rockets¡­ look for¡­ large clusters¡­ negative energy and thoughts¡­¡±

    When she was done whispering, the woman took a step back of her own and reached up. One hand was placed against Slowking¡¯s back. An encouraging gesture perhaps?

    ¡°Start,¡± she ordered softly.

    Slowking stiffened. For several long seconds, nothing happened. Then¡ª

    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª, ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡­¡±

    The Shellder¡¯s eyes and gem glowed bright pink. Underneath its shell, Slowking¡¯s mouth moved as it chanted something in an unknown language and raised its arms. I saw the air visibly distort around it. Even its words seemed to twist and bend until I could no longer make sense of audible vowels or consonants. It almost sounded like white noise to me.

    I didn¡¯t know a lot about Galarian Slowking, but it was theorized they could commune with the universe. Researchers had documented them performing strange rituals or making concoctions from toxins, none of which they had the faintest clue as to their meanings. They were almost like sorcerers in a sense.

    And if that was the case, then the inhuman sounds I was hearing now could have been likened to incantations.

    More distorted words flowed from Slowking¡¯s mouth. The air around it continued to shift in place, but now there was a change. Something bubbled up from the ends of Shellder¡¯s tubes, a dark and murky substance with a foul odor. Poison.

    The poison exploded outwards and swept through the air around Slowking and its trainer like river currents. I eyed them with no small amount of trepidation and hoped this was part of the process. Before our gazes, the viscous liquid began to stop swirling and mold itself into shapes instead.

    What were they? My eyes narrowed as globs of poison continued to solidify and connect themselves to each other. Eventually, they formed¡­ figures. Not just figures, but a whole damn landscape. People made of dripping poison walked through a forest. They even had newsboy caps on their heads, a distinct trademark of the Rocket uniform.

    I understood right away that Slowking was showing us a glimpse of a possible Rocket location. I wondered how it was doing this. Future Sight? Or the move unique to their line, Eerie Spell? I had no idea, but it was fascinating.

    The little play made of poison was quite detailed right down to the textures, yet this wasn¡¯t very helpful considering how many forested areas we had in our country. I changed my tune when a mountain rose up in the distance beyond the trees. A very distinct mountain with a distinct shape.

    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± someone swore out loud in a whisper. I barely registered that it was Lance because I was too busy cursing in my own head. ¡°Please do not tell me the Rockets made a base in Mt. Moon of all places.¡±

    I wanted to quip back that it could have been worse if it was Mt. Silver instead, but this was still pretty bad. Mt. Moon was an enormous mountain and the largest one in Kanto. There were abundant amounts of minerals and other resources that could be found there, and it was home to elusive Clefairy protected by strict laws. It also happened to be an intricate maze of tunnels and winding pathways, so it was not going to be easy searching the inside for Rockets.

    Or maybe Lance and I were both thinking of the worst-case scenario, and maybe the Rockets had made a base outside Mt. Moon instead.

    Our only saving grace was that the period for trainers to collect Kanto Gym Badges was over. We wouldn¡¯t have to deal with or worry about as many passing trainers compared to an ongoing Circuit season.

    Discussion had to come later. The poisonous landscape shifted in place and transformed into a new one¡­ a vast stretch of ocean. No visible landmarks, so that was a shame. At least we knew now that some of their bases were out at sea somehow. Underwater maybe? Or could they have engineered something similar to Pacifidlog Town¡¯s layout?

    I couldn¡¯t stop to think. The poison shifted again, and again, and again in an increasing tempo of change. The landscapes started to blur before our eyes with how fast the scenes were transforming from one to another. I could barely make sense of what I was seeing. A forest with distinctly-shaped trees I didn¡¯t get a chance to quite make out, stretches of grass and small lakes overlooked by cliffs, something that looked like a cave¡­

    Slowking¡¯s chanting started to slow down. The images it was conjuring up from poison started to speed up until suddenly¡ª

    Pop!

    The poison evaporated with a loud hiss. Not a single droplet remained in the air. The Shellder on Slowking¡¯s head directed the body to look down at the map. I saw the Pokemon¡¯s legs tremble from exhaustion, but it had enough energy left to make rough circles on the map with psychic energy. Then it fell to its knees. Echo immediately whispered a thank-you to the spent Pokemon and returned it.

    Even after she¡¯d attached the Pokeball back to her belt, nobody spoke. We were all in a state of shock over what we¡¯d witnessed.

    ¡°Speaking as Slowking¡¯s trainer¡­ that was better than I could have ever expected considering he was covering two regions,¡± Echo murmured, breaking the silence. ¡°Criminals like these tend to cover their tracks with illusions and the like, so he could only glean potential insights regarding a few general locations. I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t get anything clearer.¡±

    Her words snapped us back to reality. Lance jerked his head from side to side.

    ¡°No, no. Do not apologize please. That was more than helpful,¡± he told her in a faint voice. Our Champion marched over to the table and peered down at the map. We followed him. There were markings on the map indicating what areas to search. There was still a lot of ground to cover, but¡­

    ¡°This is excellent. Thank you,¡± Lance finally said, and he tore his gaze away from the paper to look at Echo and the other Interpol members. ¡°We¡¯ll concentrate our efforts on these areas for now.¡±

    Lance didn¡¯t say it, but there was still the Copperajah in the room. I took the plunge for the group.

    ¡°The biggest worry is Mt. Moon,¡± I spoke up. Even when every pair of eyes turned to me, I kept my head up with a firm gaze. ¡°Whether or not they¡¯re hiding in or out of it, that¡¯s the one place we know for sure that seems to be associated with them.¡±

    Lance wore a pained expression as he sucked in a breath. ¡°¡­It is. I¡¯ll let the other Gym Leaders know what we discussed and saw today. I¡¯m also going to have to ask Brock to help with Mt. Moon searches going forward.¡±

    Looker stepped forward with a hand placed over his chest. ¡°May Interpol assist with search efforts? ¡±

    Lance hesitated for the briefest of moments before nodding. ¡°Alright,¡± he agreed. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to reallocate forces across the country. I¡¯ll have Rangers form specialized squads to help patrol the seas. The Waterflower sisters can help them. We should also¡­¡±

    Minutes crawled by as he and the others discussed logistics. I actually offered to assist with search efforts, but Lance declined my help and told me to focus on my city and its surrounding areas instead.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of League Trainers, Arin. Leave it to them for now,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll call you if we need help.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t argue with that. Even if I felt a strong urge to help, my team was made up of fighters, not investigators. I would have to trust our forces and leave it up to the professionals.

    The meeting ended soon enough. Lance patted me on the shoulder, thanked me for staying so long, and then walked away to talk to the Elite Four. The last thing I did was give my contact details to Looker and his colleagues. As the representative of the alliance, I¡¯d be seeing them frequently. I¡¯d have to give status updates to Lance and the other Kinjoh Champions, too, regarding how cooperative and useful Interpol was.

    So far, so good. They were competent.

    I Teleported back home with many thoughts swirling in my head.

    <hr>

    Arin and the Elite Four had all left.

    Only Lance remained to answer any questions that arose, and he was currently giving deployment orders over the phone to subordinates. Looker refrained from glancing over at him.

    Looker had been a trained agent of justice for two decades now, and he was able to pick up on subtle body language and other tells by this point. There were of course ways to hide emotions, lies, and memories through the help of Pokemon, but unless said Pokemon were very skilled and specialized in those fields, there were usually small signs that gave them away. Looker also doubted that was the case in this situation. Too excessive. The way Lance and Arin had behaved back in the hallway earlier made him wonder if they were keeping an eye on Interpol.

    He also happened to be very aware of the small security cameras on the ceilings that watched them every second.

    He dared not ask Lance if there was a problem, but he could only guess that the Indigo League was still a bit wary about collaborating with an organization they¡¯d previously known nothing about¡­ as well as giving them access to sensitive information. Reasonable worries in all aspects.

    No matter. They would just have to work hard and prove to the Indigo League that Interpol was trustworthy, and that it hadn¡¯t been a mistake to reach out to their organization. Truth be told, Looker¡¯s superiors had long been considering branching out into the Kinjoh Area to continue their dreams of global peace.

    It was truly terrible such an opportunity had come to them at the expense of a whole country¡¯s security, but that was what had happened. The only thing they could do now ¡ª their solemn duty ¡ª was to help resolve the crisis here.

    And like Looker had said before¡­ that meant working from the ground up.

    Looker was seated at a table with Echo and Mint. While flipping through a binder, he subtly caught Echo¡¯s eye. The woman didn¡¯t need to ask him what he wanted. She released her Delphox wordlessly. The fox-like Pokemon pretended to grab books from high up on a shelf for her trainer, but her eyes glowed ever faintly.

    There was a gentle sensation in Looker¡¯s mind as Echo¡¯s Delphox established a telepathic link between their group. He spoke as soon as the sensation passed.

    Mint, did you get anything from him? Looker asked in his mind.

    Nothing bad, Mint replied. The man wasn¡¯t looking at him but at papers in his hand. The three of them were carrying on like normal even as they held a private telepathic conversation. Leader Arin was friendly all things considered. I don¡¯t think he noticed anything was off during our initial conversation.

    Even though he had an intimidating appearance befitting a fighter, Mint and his Ability were more suited for investigative work. If he concentrated, he was able to spread feelings of tranquility through his voice. Very useful for irate Pokemon and slightly less effective on humans, but it lowered their guards all the same. It also dulled their judgment when responding to inquiries and made it much easier for Mint to detect discrepancies in their behavior.

    Mint¡¯s voice was like a drug in that sense, but Looker knew his colleague had never liked that comparison.

    And?

    No changes in body language, microexpressions, or verbal responses even when he relaxed into the conversation. Don¡¯t think he¡¯s hiding anything. I think we should remove him from the list and move on to other people, Mint said.

    Alright, Looker agreed.

    Yes, Lance or the Indigo League couldn¡¯t know about this silent conversation they were having. Why?

    It was because Looker and his colleagues were checking for spies.

    They may not have finished going through everything the Indigo League had on Team Rocket, which was admittedly not much, but there was one thing they¡¯d all agreed on beforehand: there were too many suspicious things going on and too little information to go off of. Something was afoot.

    Spies were always a possibility for every case and more so for a situation as complicated as this one. Looker didn¡¯t want to alarm the Indigo League, though, which is why he deemed it more appropriate to privately scope out the situation first with his team.

    He knew it wasn¡¯t very nice to snoop into their characters and backgrounds without them knowing considering they were allies now, but this was something necessary that needed to be done. They were going to painstakingly dismantle this case piece by piece, and that meant checking the people closest to them first.

    If nobody turned out to be suspicious, then that was great. If someone did turn out to be a traitor feeding information to the Rockets, well¡­ that was definitely not ideal. Either way, Looker would still explain and apologize at the end to Lance even if the Champion never caught on. That was the morally right thing to do.

    Looker was already aware Lance had ordered a psychic check for all of the Indigo elites. He understood this¡­ Samuel Oak was a very powerful trainer and a former Champion, but he wasn¡¯t quite sure he could trust the results. Nothing was ever truly foolproof in his honest opinion. Especially when it came to matters as complicated as the human psyche, that¡¯s where things got tricky. Sometimes, even the best psychics could not fully maneuver that playing field even if they had all the time and experience in the world.

    Mint¡¯s Ability wasn¡¯t one hundred percent accurate either, but it was an alternative to browsing someone¡¯s mind at least and offered a second perspective on things.

    One of the people Looker had been most hoping was not a spy was Arin Watanuki. He had long been a person of interest on Interpol¡¯s watchlist ever since he set foot on the Galovea Continent years ago. He was more than an excellent trainer, and he had an Ability of his own. Then when you combined the strength he wielded with the political connections he had¡­ frankly, you had a terrifying figure to be on the opposite side of.

    Luckily, he seemed to have passed Mint¡¯s check. They could proceed to the rest of the Gym Leaders. Lance and the Elite Four had already been cleared by Mint when Interpol first arrived at the League HQ. Out of the remaining people to check, there were a few in particular that caught his attention.

    From the Kanto side, there was Blaine Katsura, Sabrina Natsume, and Matisse Surge.

    Blaine was said to be a very reclusive man. What was it he did on his island? Research? What kind of research? Looker also wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if the Cinnabar Gym Leader secretly had a powerful Psychic type he was using to cover up any connections to Team Rocket. Considering Blaine¡¯s background as a veteran of two different wars, it wasn¡¯t too far-fetched of an idea. Psychic types were generally very useful Pokemon to have on hand, and never more so than during wartime. Blaine could have had one left over from his war days.

    Next, Sabrina. The woman was widely regarded as not just Indigo¡¯s but the entire Kinjoh Area¡¯s best human psychic. She knew the inner workings of her own mind the best¡­ maybe even better than people expected. There was the chance she had shielded her mind so discreetly that any connections to Team Rocket seemingly weren¡¯t there at all.

    Then there was Surge. The Vermilion Gym Leader had immigrated to Kanto from Unova over a decade ago. Coincidentally, the Rocket War occurred not long after, and Surge rose to prominence for his efforts in quelling it. The timing was a little suspicious.

    From the Johto side, there was Morty Matsuba and Pryce Yanagi to consider now that Arin Watanuki was out of the picture.

    Morty wasn¡¯t very suspicious all things considered, but Looker found him notable for his minor clairvoyance and the fact that he was an Ability Holder. He was also a Ghost Specialist, and Ghosts were able to mess with the abilities of Psychic types. Could they do it discreetly, though? That depended on the individual. At any rate, there was a chance he could have fooled the psychic check somehow.

    Finally, Pryce. He was on the list for similar reasons as Blaine. There was a chance he had hidden a powerful Psychic type away somewhere. This possibility went up considering Pryce was a former Champion. He knew how to train Pokemon. Pryce was also a war veteran who had survived two different conflicts, and people tended to view him in a negative light for his cold and distrustful attitude. Looker had seen as much for himself in the previous meeting.

    Hopefully they didn¡¯t have any traitors within the upper ranks. That would not spell a good start to this case.

    He turned his attention now to Echo. How are you and your Slowking doing?

    Tired, she replied honestly. I¡¯m still surprised we even got results despite how vague they were. Slowking¡¯s going to be out of commission for at least two weeks, though. Today took a lot out of him.

    You sure you¡¯re fine? Mint asked.

    Yes. Just a bit of a headache coming on¡ª

    Echo stopped abruptly. Both Looker and Mint nearly paused in what they were doing as a thin trail of blood trickled from Echo¡¯s nostrils. She calmly pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped away the evidence.

    Never mind. Trying to cover two regions was a bit of a stretch after all, Echo muttered. She stuffed the dirtied cloth back out of sight.

    Take it easy, Echo. We¡¯re gonna need you in good shape for the summer solstice, Looker said.

    If we need to. If we haven¡¯t finished this all by that point, Echo reminded him.

    There was a part of him that hesitated, but Looker agreed.

    If.

    They already had so much on their plates. As soon as they finished reading some more materials on Team Rocket, they were going to join Lance and the League forces out in the field for investigative work.

    Looker wanted to rub his temples. He had a feeling he was going to need a lot of coffee while they were stationed in Indigo.

    <hr>

    My trip at the League HQ had lasted longer than I thought.

    By the time I got back to the Cherrygrove Gym, it was way past lunchtime. I was too satisfied with the morning¡¯s events to care, though. Putting aside the idea that the Rockets were evidently much more dangerous than we¡¯d initially gauged them to be, I was glad about other things. We¡¯d cleared Unova¡¯s name and gotten new leads regarding Rocket bases.

    Progress, no matter how small, was still progress.

    At any rate, I was hungry. So were my Pokemon. I pulled my phone out from my pocket and texted the gym group chat, letting everyone know I was back. Then I opened the doors of my office intending to get food¡­ only to find myself face-to-face with Neil and a familiar purple-haired girl instead.

    ¡°Janine?¡± I blinked.

    ¡°I was just coming to get you,¡± Neil said with thinly-veiled amusement. ¡°Leader Janine has been waiting here since a few hours ago.¡±

    I stared at the Fuchsia Gym Leader while Neil walked away to give us privacy. Had she seriously been waiting for me to come back ever since the meeting ended?

    Janine merely bowed her head in acknowledgement.

    ¡°May I request a short chat?¡± the teenager asked in the quietest voice I¡¯d ever heard from her.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. Whatever she wanted to talk about, it seemed important. I gestured to a room down the hall. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to talk, but I need to feed my Pokemon first at least.¡±

    I got a nod of understanding from Janine, and then I was off to get lunch ready. Janine followed me for some reason. She truly lived up to her skills as a Kyou ninja. Her steps were so airy and light that I practically couldn¡¯t hear them at all.

    She stayed outside the dining hall while I grabbed specialized kibble for my team. Once I got everything set up and released my Pokemon, I rejoined Janine outside. We walked back to my office in silence. I offered her tea or another drink as she settled herself down in a seat, but she politely declined. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her curiously as I took a seat of my own. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. Her expression was the definition of a neutral mask.

    I cleared my throat. ¡°So what did you want to talk about?¡±

    Janine was still expressionless as she fiddled with her hands. A few moments of awkward silence passed.

    ¡°I¡­ felt like I should apologize,¡± she finally admitted.

    Oh. I had a feeling I already knew what this was about, but I asked anyway.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    It was now I saw her facade begin to crack, and hints of guilt appeared instead. Janine lifted her head and looked at me with an apologetic gaze.

    ¡°For yesterday. For¡­ leading the meeting at HQ down the wrong path,¡± she elaborated in a quiet voice. ¡°By bringing up what the Team Rocket leader said fifteen years ago, I ended up creating support for false accusations of Unova¡­ as well as you and Surge. I¡­ I truly didn¡¯t think Pryce would take the conversation that way. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    My hunch turned out to be right. There wasn¡¯t anything else that Janine might have felt the need to apologize about.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize,¡± I reassured her, and I meant it. That meeting had pissed me off, but most ¡ª if not all ¡ª of the blame fell on one person¡­ which wasn¡¯t her. ¡°I may not have agreed with the meaning of that quote, and I still don¡¯t, but it was a perspective no one else had considered before. It¡¯s not like you said it out of malicious intentions¡­ right?¡±

    Janine¡¯s hands flew through the air in front of her in hurried motions. ¡°Of course not, I swear. I¡­¡± she sighed, shoulders slumping. Her hands fell back onto her lap. ¡°I was trying to contribute something useful to the conversation. I failed.¡±

    I listened patiently as she went on in a weary voice. Her usual formal manner of speaking went forgotten.

    ¡°Most of the other Gym Leaders are much older and have experience with these kinds of meetings and crises. They¡¯ve lived through less peaceful times,¡± she explained, biting her lip. ¡°They¡¯re able to offer their own viewpoints on the situation and contribute to discussions. I wanted to do the same¡­¡±

    I looked at Janine, and what I saw was a very guilt-ridden teenager. She was clearly more hung up over this than she initially seemed to be.

    ¡°I get that,¡± I said gently. I had to carefully choose my next words while Janine stared at me. ¡°You wanted to be helpful. So does everyone else. There¡¯s a lot about the situation we don¡¯t know. It¡¯s inevitable that we¡¯re going to have clashing opinions as we put our heads together and try to figure everything out.¡±

    ¡°Even if those clashing opinions end up causing more trouble than good?¡± Janine asked, wincing.

    I couldn¡¯t answer entirely yes or no to that.

    ¡°We need as many viewpoints as we can get,¡± I said instead, still with a gentle tone. ¡°So long as we¡¯re able to have a civil discussion, even a wrong perspective could help propel us to new possibilities we hadn¡¯t thought of before. Look¡­ no real harm came out of the, er, avalanche you started. You saw Pryce apologize today, right?¡±

    I ignored how I still wasn¡¯t happy with him.

    ¡°Plus, we ended up revisiting the Unova topic and closing it in a more peaceful manner this morning. Think about it this way: you pushing the conversation in that direction ultimately helped us analyze it more thoroughly and eliminate a wrong possibility,¡± I finished.

    Janine didn¡¯t say anything at first. She sat there with a thoughtful expression, so I snatched my thermos off my office desk and took a sip of water while she mulled over my words. I had just set it back down when Janine finally moved. Her head bobbed up and down in the most hesitant of nods.

    ¡°I understand,¡± she told me. Janine finally met my gaze and offered a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to use what happened as a learning experience. Thank you, Arin. I appreciate you trying to cheer me up.¡±

    Ah, she knew.

    ¡°No problem. Like I said, it really wasn¡¯t anything to apologize for,¡± I said with a smile of my own. Janine got up from her seat, so I did the same.

    ¡°I¡¯m planning on visiting Surge, too. No matter if he minded it or not, I¡¯ll feel better if I can at least explain myself,¡± Janine declared.

    That¡­ was going to be an interesting meeting. ¡°He won¡¯t bite¡­ I think. Just think of him as a giant Teddiursa when you go.¡±

    Janine¡¯s face contorted into some strange, disturbing expression. It was only a few seconds later that I realized she was trying to hold back a laugh.

    ¡°What an odd comparison,¡± she choked out. ¡°You might be one of the few people in Indigo who could say that about Surge.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I shrugged, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s not like I said it to his face. Could you imagine his reaction?¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    On that cheerful note, I waved goodbye to Janine and saw her off from my office doors. I was smiling to myself as I headed down the hall. No burning daylight. I had work to do.

    But first¡­ lunch.

 Chapter 44

    CHAPTER 44

    Most of my Pokemon were already done eating by the time I finished cooking lunch for myself. Half of them went back to my house''s backyard to rest while the other half decided to stay at the Gym¡­ and apparently that meant lounging around in my office while I worked.

    I peered around the side of my monitor with an expression torn between amusement and fond exasperation. Fizz was busy admiring his reflection in a wall mirror, Audi appeared to be fussing over and cleaning my shelves cluttered with decorations, Peri and Choux had taken over my couches and were using them as napping spots, and Willow had sneaked a weight out from the training room to lift up and down with his jaws. In the corner of the room, a Hatterene stood with a pencil and paper floating in front of her. Silque seemed to be sketching everyone.

    On my desk, Mem had plopped himself down by my keyboard and was playing on my phone. A shadowy appendage peeked out from underneath his cloth and tapped rapidly at the screen. It looked like he was playing some sort of tile-matching game he''d downloaded from the app store. I couldn''t feel any noticeable weight, but I knew Cally was on top of my head. Every now and then the Cutiefly playfully tugged on my hair with her spindly legs. If she had more dexterity, I had no doubt she would have tried weaving the ends into tiny braids.

    Finally, Vel sat on my lap. I was careful not to get bits of food on him as I reached for my bowl of fried rice and shoveled some of it in my mouth. Vel complained anyway and told me to focus on either eating or working, not both.

    "Can''t," I said after swallowing my food. I set the bowl back down and reached for my mouse again. I was currently going through the rest of the gym trainer applications. "I have to get as much work done as I can while I''m on standby."

    Despite saying that, I felt restless.

    Being on standby was frustrating when I knew criminals were hiding out there somewhere, but I could not fight what I could not see. I had to trust our League and Interpol allies to do their share of the work and root out the Rockets first. They would call me when my services were needed.

    I couldn''t let Team Rocket consume every waking moment of my life either. I was in no way underestimating them, but they were one of many criminal organizations out there in the world. This was not going to be the last time people like them cropped up in my line of work, so I had to get used to it.

    Crime could be found anywhere and everywhere in the world. The world kept spinning, and people went on with their lives regardless of such evils.

    It was time to compartmentalize. Anything Rocket-related was officially given its own space in my head and kept separate from my usual work life. The Rockets would be dealt with. Until then, I sure as hell wasn''t pausing my own life because of them.

    All of this made me respect dad so much more. He''d had to juggle Gym Leader work with this kind of stuff for years before the Rocket War, and then he''d actually had to survive the war itself. On top of everything, he''d managed to maintain a calm image at home to the point where child me never realized what he was dealing with behind the scenes.

    Hopefully the apple didn''t fall far from the tree and I could emulate him.

    I was pulled out of my musings when something soft wrapped around my arm. Even before looking down, I knew it was Vel''s ribbon. Pale blue eyes full of unspoken worry blinked up at me.

    "We''ll be fine," I told the Sylveon. I took one hand off the keyboard to scratch his head. He tried not to smile, but I saw his lips tugging upwards as he leaned into my touch. "Worst case scenario, we just beat them up. You guys are good at that."

    I said it half in jest. In all honesty, that was what everything boiled down to in the end: taking down every last Rocket and their Pokemon. Vastly oversimplified, of course, but it helped take the edge off our combined stress. Vel barked out a resounding yes to my lighthearted answer.

    This in turn got the attention of every other Pokemon in the room. They joked about how they should compete to see who defeated the most enemy Pokemon in the future and keep a running headcount. I rolled my eyes at them. Meanwhile, Mem abandoned his phone game and floated up onto my head. He and Cally playfully pulled at my hair in tandem.

    I let them and the others be. I knew what they were all really doing here in my office. They were here to check up on me, and I loved them for that.

    (I did, however, wince when Mem tugged my hair a bit too hard with his shadowy claw.)

    Back to work.

    I alternated between eating huge spoonfuls of rice and typing away at my keyboard. Thankfully, this round''s worth of applications was disappearing much faster than the last had. Most of them weren''t any good. Near the end, I found one more application that seemed promising.

    It was another strong trainer I hadn''t expected.

    Over a dozen interview requests were sent out to hopeful applicants once I finished going through the forms. Much to my surprise, most of them responded very quickly. Apparently a lot of them were in town already because of the Gym''s recent grand opening. They''d extended their hotel stays to sightsee.

    I made space in my schedule tomorrow for morning interviews. This also helpfully reminded me I needed to contact one other person, and I pressed Tuff Tuff King''s name on my contacts list.

    No ringtone ever came. Luca instantly picked up.

    "Arin, sir! Hello!" Luca greeted energetically. "Is there something I can help you with?"

    I''d long since gotten used to his strange manner of speaking. Whether it was through texts or calls, he addressed me as sir even though he was only a year younger than me. Every time I gently reminded him not to be formal, he ended up reverting back by our next conversation.

    So, I''d given up on trying to correct him.

    "Actually, there is," I replied, and I tried my best not to smile as I imagined the incoming reaction¡­ one of utter elation, no doubt. "My Gym''s PR team has recommended you as a potential new hire. Is being a part of our gym staff something you''re interested in? If so, I''d like to hold an interview with you."

    "¡­"

    Contrary to my expectations, Luca didn''t say anything for a long time. My brows furrowed.

    "Luca?"

    "Oh. Sorry about that," Luca apologized. He sounded surprisingly calm. "I''m definitely interested. Could we hold the interview today by any chance?"

    I raised a brow. "Sure. I don''t mind. What time works for you?"

    "Would, uh, a meeting in another 30 minutes be okay?"

    "That''s fine. I''ll let the receptionists know to expect you."

    "Thank you, sir."

    That wasn''t exactly how I expected the conversation to go. Since it seemed like we were done, I was about to say goodbye when¡ª

    "YEAHHHHH! YES! OH MY ARCEUS, YES!"

    An excited yell ¡ª Luca''s ¡ª came from the other end complete with mysterious whooshing sounds. I liked to imagine that it was him fist pumping the air in rapid succession. His shout was so incredibly loud that I had to hurriedly jerk my phone away lest I go deaf.

    I awkwardly cleared my throat as I brought said device back to my ear.

    "Er¡­ I''ll see you later then," I said.

    "Wait, what?" came Luca''s strangled voice. It gradually rose in pitch as he continued. "Did you¡ª did I¡ª was¡­ was I not on mute?"

    "¡­No?"

    "Fu¡ª er, fudge! I meant fudge!" Luca hastily corrected himself. I was pretty sure he''d been about to swear, and it made me wonder if his Igglybuff Egg was within hearing distance. "Arceus, that''s embarrassing. Please forget that ever happened and I''ll, uh, see you soon!"

    He disconnected from the call without further ado. I felt my lips twitching as I lowered my phone. Right as I set it on my desk, laughter exploded outwards from me. My Pokemon shot me confused looks.

    Oh, Luca. He was a funny guy.

    I pressed a button on my desk''s landline phone to ring the lobby''s receptionists. After verbally relaying news to them regarding Luca and tomorrow''s interviews, I went back to sifting through emails on my computer. There were a lot of messages from companies across Kanto-Johto asking about sponsorship deals for the next League Circuit season. Everyone was eager to snatch up ad broadcasting rights and have their logos displayed in the arena.

    I was also pleased to see an inquiry about the Gym''s availability as a Contest venue. Much like I''d hoped, the grand opening had garnered a lot of attention from the Indigo Contest Committee. Pokemon Contests were not nearly as popular in Indigo compared to Hoenn or Sinnoh, but I hoped to slowly change that. Contests would be good business for both me and the city, and they would help enhance our country''s overall culture.

    It was like taking down three Pidgey with one stone so to speak.

    The Indigo Contest Committee was based in none other than the stunning Cerulean City. Once again, I was reminded of Daisy''s previous offer about collaborating with the Cerulean Gym. I would have to look into how the Contest season worked in Indigo before agreeing to anything.

    After shooting off a quick reply to the Committee, I browsed through more emails. There were some notifications in my inbox I wasn''t happy to see¡­ ones regarding dad''s health. Weeks ago, I''d reached out to my friends in other regions and given them copies of dad''s medical records. They had passed them onto trusted medical professionals.

    Much to my immense frustration, they didn''t have any known cures for dad''s illness either.

    I leaned back in my seat with a grimace. I couldn''t lie, there had been a part of me that hoped a solution would be easily found. If only human healthcare was nearly as advanced as it was for Pokemon¡­ Dad''s hopeful expression flashed through my mind as my grimace deepened.

    There was the possibility of funding medical research and trying to develop a cure within the year, but that was as unrealistic as it got. It wasn''t like dad was the first person in the world to have his specific illness. Scientists had long been researching known diseases throughout the years. If they hadn''t found a solution before, it was highly unlikely they suddenly would now.

    We also didn''t have enough time. Dad didn''t have enough time.

    If medical technology wasn''t going to save dad, then what would? We almost needed an outside intervention, a miracle wrought by gods¡ª

    Any thoughts I had abruptly stopped there. My mouth suddenly felt dry.

    That line of thinking had brought forth a new and incredibly dangerous idea in my head, one that hardly anyone in the world would entertain if they valued their sanity or life. I myself valued both, but I couldn''t stop the vague outlines of a tentative plan ¡ª not to mention backup plans ¡ª from forming in my mind.

    I suddenly felt like a very pious man. There was no harm in beseeching a god, right?

    I needed to visit the Galovea Continent this summer with dad. More specifically, we''d be visiting Kalos. It would be a crazy endeavor disguised as a nice family trip. Hopefully we wrapped up the business with the Rockets before then, but even if we didn''t, a vacation on the other side of the world was now forcibly and permanently etched into my schedule.

    Was my plan reckless? Infinitely so, yes. Was it going to get me killed? Maybe.

    Would I regret it?

    No.

    For the people we loved, we could do almost anything.

    Besides, the moment I returned home to Johto, I''d set into motion a series of events I could never take back. I''d embarked on a journey to become the greatest Gym Leader and Fairy Specialist the world had ever seen.

    I would simply consider my upcoming summer plans as an extension of that long and overarching quest.

    What a monstrous summer it was turning out to be, too. A criminal organization was looming over our heads, preparations for the next Johto League Circuit were underway, and I had to find a cure to dad''s illness¡­ I wasn''t even thinking about all the things that came in between either.

    One step at a time, I told myself with an inward sigh.

    Right now, that meant wrapping up mundane business.

    I started pulling out sheets full of notes about local traditional clinics from my desk drawers. After I got Luca''s interview out of the way, I planned on popping into town to visit said clinics and run a few other errands. Some of the Fairy type Pokemon in my possession had useful byproducts. I wanted to ask experts about incorporating them into herbal medicines that dad could consume.

    There was also the chance this could expand into another side business for the Gym, but that was only if said herbal medicines were approved by the national product safety bureau for widespread sale. I was so busy thinking that I nearly missed someone knocking on the door.

    "Come in," I called out without looking up.

    It wasn''t yet time for Luca''s interview, so I assumed it was one of my gym trainers. Sure enough, Hazel walked in with a folder in hand. He offered a dimpled smile in greeting as he approached my desk.

    "Just got back from patrol with the others. Nothing of note, but here are our reports," he said while handing off said papers. I had just uttered a thank you when Hazel blinked, leaning forward in curiosity. "These are the clinics my sister recommended, right?"

    I tore my gaze away from the reports he''d given me. Hazel''s eyes were wandering across the papers I''d strewn across my desk.

    "They are," I replied. "I was going to make a trip to town later and speak with their practitioners. I''m hoping to get some herbal medicines made."

    Hazel nodded slowly. "For¡­ your dad, right?"

    We never told them, but by this point, all of my gym trainers had an implicit understanding that dad wasn''t exactly healthy despite being at the prime of life. They were the ones who spent the most time with us, so there was more than one occasion where they glimpsed our family Chansey following dad around.

    I tried not to sigh. "Yeah."

    There was a moment of silence. In the corner of my eye, I saw Hazel struggling to come up with what to say.

    "I don''t know if you''d find it helpful or not, but I could try to connect you with professors from my old university," he eventually offered, fidgeting. "Some of them are still active physicians."

    Right. Hazel used to be a student at Celadon University before he dropped out to pursue the trainer life. Professors there were usually top of the line in their respective fields. It was an unexpected but thoughtful suggestion, so I bobbed my head up and down in a nod.

    "Sure. Thanks, Haze."

    Hazel took one look at the smile on my face and beamed. Then he turned away to make a phone call, and I went back to answering emails while waiting.

    Mem finally jumped down from my head and started investigating stuff on my desk: Fairy-themed coffee mugs, framed group photographs of what I called the Cherrygrove Gym Fam, and the Fire Stone look-alike I was using as a paperweight, the latter of which I brought with me sometimes as a hand warmer. I didn''t really need one because it was summertime, but the stone gave off such a faintly pleasant warmth that it almost felt like a massage.

    Mem liked it, too, if the way the Mimikyu had lovingly face-planted himself on it was any indication. He didn''t seem like he was going to move anytime soon.

    "Hey, long time no talk, Haji. Is Professor Grayson there?" I heard Hazel ask.

    I gave Vel a scratch on the head while using my other hand to click with my computer mouse. More snippets of Hazel''s conversation drifted my way.

    "¡­What? He passed away?" There was a brief pause. Hazel''s voice went down to a more hushed whisper. "A heart attack? Arceus. Did they hold a funeral already?"

    I almost wished I wasn''t overhearing this conversation, but it wasn''t like I could shut my ears off. All the Pokemon scattered throughout the room were being respectful of Hazel''s phone call, too, and remained silent.

    Thus, it was very quiet in the room.

    "What about Professor Nakani? Can you transfer me to him?" Hazel went on.

    I at least tried to ignore Hazel''s voice as I worked. Almost five emails later, my gym trainer finally came back with a bright yet subdued expression.

    "Good news, Arin," Hazel said as cheerfully as he could manage. I still sensed the underlying sadness in his voice. "I just spoke with one of my old professors. He said you''re welcome to pop by his clinic anytime this week for a chat. It''s, uh, over in Kanto, though. Hope you don''t mind."

    I immediately shook my head. "Not at all. Where''s his clinic?"

    "Mulberry City."

    A lightbulb went off in my head as soon as Hazel finished speaking.

    "One of the cities with a minor gym," I muttered to myself with interest. Since I was going to be in the city anyway for a meeting, maybe it wouldn''t hurt to check out the gym afterwards. In a louder voice, I simultaneously thanked Hazel and expressed my condolences for his professor''s passing.

    He smiled awkwardly.

    "I should have taken the call outside," he murmured. Slowly, Hazel removed his glasses from his face and idly wiped them with the hem of his shirt. His voice was quiet when next he spoke. "He was getting old. Almost eighty, I believe, so he was more at risk for a heart attack. I''m at least glad he managed to live a long life."

    The look I gave him was one of sympathy. "What kind of person was he?"

    "Brilliant man. Highly respected, too, even among all the staff. I heard a rumor he used to work for the League when he was younger¡­"

    Recounting fond memories about his old mentor seemed to make Hazel happier instead of worse, so I considered this a successful diversion on my part.

    We couldn''t chat for too long. I was expecting Luca''s arrival any minute now, so I eventually waved Hazel goodbye as he disappeared from my office. I made sure to remind him he had the rest of the day off, which meant he was probably going to visit his sister later and crash at her place for the night. He left me with an address and contact details for the professor he''d spoken with.

    I had just tucked it into my bag when a knocking sound echoed.

    "Mr. Luca Hirafuji is here for an interview," I heard a female voice say.

    Right on time.

    No sooner had I given permission to enter did the doors swing open. Luca was shown inside by one of our receptionists, and boy, did he look anxious. I smiled when I saw his Igglybuff Egg strapped to his chest with a baby carrier. Maybe others might have found it a bit ridiculous looking, but I thought it was sweet.

    Then I saw the shirt he was wearing when he turned to thank the receptionist, and the smile slipped from my face.

    By all the Legends above and below, was that a signed T-shirt? Me burning holes in the article of clothing didn''t help. It only confirmed that yes, Luca was indeed wearing a shirt with a Sylveon color gradient. There was a picture of me standing next to Vel and my signature penned on the T-shirt with a flourish.

    When I glanced down, I saw that Vel had shrunk down on himself with embarrassment and buried his face in his paws. My other Pokemon in the room snickered at the Sylveon''s poorly hidden agony.

    Vel''s reaction brought a smile back to my face. Ah yes, it was always better to suffer together rather than alone.

    Coughing back a chuckle, I raised a hand in greeting. "Good to see you, Luca. Don''t be too nervous, just think of this as a regular chat."

    Vel hopped off my lap to roughhouse with the other Pokemon who were laughing at him. Meanwhile, Luca slowly approached my desk as if he was a Mareep heading for the slaughterhouse.

    He threw all caution to the wind soon enough. His eyes glimmered with excitement as he took in all the Pokemon in the room with him.

    "Holy crap. That''s Silque, Willow, Choux¡­" Luca babbled out loud. He continued rattling off the names of my Pokemon even as he slid into the seat in front of my desk. I couldn''t help but be impressed. He got every single name right.

    "You know all their nicknames?" I couldn''t help but ask.

    Luca looked at me with a horrified expression.

    "Of course!" he said proudly, and he puffed his chest out. It was an awkward motion considering he had an Egg incubator strapped to his chest, but both of us ignored how silly his pose looked. "What kind of fan would I be if I didn''t?"

    I couldn''t help but laugh. Kari hadn''t been kidding when she said Luca was a diehard fan of the Cherrygrove Gym.

    Now that Luca appeared to be less nervous, I leaned back in my seat. Luca''s eyes darted between me, the Mimikyu that was still sprawled out over the maybe-not Fire Stone like he was at the spa, and the Cutiefly still pulling at my hair half an hour later.

    I probably looked a bit ridiculous myself, but since I planned on keeping this interview casual, I figured it was fine.

    "So¡­" I trailed off. Luca subconsciously leaned forward in his seat. "My PR team told me you''ve been making a lot of content centered around our city and gym recently. I''d like to thank you for the advertising."

    "I was just carrying out my civic duty," Luca boasted, and he waved his hands through the air energetically. He''d completely shaken off his nerves at this point and gone back to his usual upbeat personality. "Gotta strike while the iron''s still hot, you know? Everyone''s curious about the Cherrygrove Gym¡­"

    I let him ramble on about the work he''d been doing thus far for our fair city and gym. Every now and then, I slipped in interview-appropriate questions.

    "Which online and social media platforms are you familiar with?"

    "Oh, basically all of them. Poketube, Turtwitch, Chimegram, Chatter, Teddit¡­"

    "How would you go about promoting the Cherrygrove Gym from here on out?"

    "With the next League Circuit season coming up, we have to start building up the fanbase now. Ideally, I''d want to build a sense of community. We could shoot videos of daily life here at the Cherrygrove Gym or how you interact with locals in town¡­"

    Minutes ticked by. It was blindingly obvious how much Luca wanted the job, and he made his adoration for Fairy type Pokemon quite clear (I ignored his favoritism towards Wigglytuff). I was also impressed with how up to date with all the latest news and trends he seemed to be.

    Luca was in the middle of outlining a grand plan for the Cherrygrove Gym''s official Poketube channel when I held a hand up.

    "I think I''ve heard enough," I told him.

    Luca froze in place. He looked like a wide-eyed Magikarp with the way he stared back at me.

    "Uh¡­ Is that good? Bad?" he finally stammered out. He slowly wilted under my gaze as I stared at him with a stony expression.

    I decided to stop teasing him and smiled widely. "Welcome to the Cherrygrove Gym''s PR team."

    Luca blinked once. Twice. Finally, he unfroze.

    "YES! Thank you!" Luca exclaimed, hands flying up in the air from excitement. His enthusiasm was infectious. I found myself grinning as I stood up from my chair. Luca nearly fell right out of his trying to do the same.

    "Easy there. The Gym''s not going to run away," I joked, and Luca wore a bashful smile as he scratched his cheek. "I''ll send a contract later for you to review. Do you want to see the staff lodgings?"

    Luca''s head nearly fell off from how hard he nodded his head.

    So, off to the nearby staff lodgings we went. Luca already had an apartment in the city, but he wanted to do a half here, half there situation like what some of my other gym trainers did. I assured him we would cover the costs for his living situation. Not only that, but I made sure to emphasize he still had the freedom to make non-Cherrygrove related content. His main job was to increase brand visibility and give more exposure to the Cherrygrove Gym and Fairy Pokemon.

    Luca was all smiles when we finally reached the apartment building for gym trainers. I let him go inside and inspect an empty one bedroom apartment to see the general layout. Various oohs and aahs filled the air as the boy inspected every nook and cranny.

    "So it''s a 1LDK¡­ Living room, dining room, kitchen¡­" Luca muttered to himself. He popped his head around the corner to stare at me with wide eyes. "This is practically twice the size of my place back in town. Are all the other apartments like this?"

    "Yep," I said, and I popped the p with a smile.

    I didn''t spare any expenses where employee benefits were concerned. If someone was going to work for me, then I wanted to make sure they were happy. It was the least I could do.

    Luca disappeared from my view again. There was the sound of footsteps and then a door opening. Maybe he''d gone into the bedroom?

    "I''m so excited already," I heard him call out. "Uh, just a quick question. How soundproof are these apartments?"

    I caught on instantly.

    "Good enough that people won''t hear you yelling in a livestream late at night," I replied with a smirk.

    "¡­Never mind, I''m living here full-time."

    Luca Hirafuji. Ruler of Fluffy Kingdom, Tuffest Man of All, King of Tuffs¡­ or best known as Tuff Tuff King.

    The Cherrygrove Gym had acquired its very own social media influencer.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I walked Luca back to his apartment in the city.

    It was by no means a silent journey. Far from it, truly. Luca was still in high spirits after the successful interview, and he constantly spewed out words while we walked. I had no idea how he wasn''t getting tired from talking so much, but I let him chatter on.

    I think part of it was because Taffy was with us. The Wigglytuff practically bounced along the road next to me, and he was one of a few Pokemon accompanying me for errands.

    Vel, of course, was with me. Where I went, my closest friend was always sure to follow. Cally was snoozing in the front pocket of my dress shirt. One other Pokemon was with me but hidden in my shadow: Mem.

    The Mimikyu had taken an almost obsessive liking to the faux Fire Stone, so I decided to let him hold onto it rather than keeping it around as a mere paperweight. He was chilling at the moment. I tried not to shiver from the cool and otherworldly sensation that bore down on me from all angles.

    No matter how many years passed, I didn''t think I''d ever get used to the feeling of a Ghost dwelling in my shadow. And to think Agatha had dozens of Ghosts living within her own every second of the day¡­

    By the time we made it to Luca''s place, I''d heard everything from local gossip to gym livestream ideas. I told my newest employee to contact me if he needed help moving things over to the staff lodgings, but Luca waved me off. He was going to hire a Machoke moving company instead.

    "Bye, Arin! Bye, Taffy!" Luca called out with a tearful expression. He waved at us from the doorstep of his apartment building.

    Taffy played along. He dabbed at his eyes and wailed out a dramatic goodbye of his own. We got more than a few amused looks from passing pedestrians, and I fought to keep a straight face as I turned away.

    What was this? Some sort of soap opera?

    "Alright, enough with the theatrics," I said with a fond shake of my head. "We''ve got errands to run."

    Taffy mock saluted me, but not before he let out a giggle.

    Our first stop was the nearest Pokemon Center. I had to get some gym Pokemon looked at and their health records updated for the impending audit.

    Luca''s place happened to be near the central district which housed the biggest Pokemon Center in our city. The distinct red-and-white building glowed brightly even from afar. Together, my Pokemon and I stepped through the automatic doors into a massive lobby. Cold air blew across my cheeks.

    Even though it was the off-season for the Johto League Circuit, there was no shortage of trainers. Pokemon Centers offered a variety of amenities: free healthcare for one''s Pokemon, rentable rooms and training halls for people with trainer cards, food and drinks in a cafeteria, wifi and telephone services, and more.

    In the fall, the Centers would become twice as packed with bright-eyed trainers signing up for the League Circuit. They''d nab a card and Pokedex of their own, and they''d dream of attaining eight gym badges.

    Hopefully, the Cherrygrove Gym would be on their to-do list.

    People recognized me the moment I stepped inside the Pokemon Center. Out on the streets at least, the locals simply treated me like one of their own (and I was). Here?

    I got a mixture of awed looks and scrutinizing gazes as I walked up to the front counter. Maybe they were sizing me up for gym matches next fall, but I ignored said stares as I waved hello to the nurses on duty.

    "Hello, Leader Arin. How can we help you today?" one of the ladies, April, asked me. I was already familiar with the employees here as well as those at the other Pokemon Center in the city.

    We were going to be seeing a lot of each other once the Circuit started back up.

    "Hi, April. We had a few Pokemon who evolved recently. Could you please check if they''re alright? I also need updated health records for them," I asked with a smile, and I slid over a belt of Pokeballs from my bag.

    "Sure thing! Shouldn''t take too long," April chirped.

    As she swiftly disappeared through the back entrance, I took a seat in the waiting area with my Pokemon. I counted exactly ten seconds before someone had the guts to come up to me. It was a timid-looking boy with shockingly orange hair, and he wasn''t alone.

    Much to my pleasant surprise, he had a Snubbull with him.

    "L-Leader Arin," he stammered, licking his chapped lips nervously. "Um, are you going to hold any public lectures or training sessions at the Cherrygrove Gym?"

    It felt like the space around us got quieter. People stared with obvious interest and awaited my answer.

    What the boy had asked wasn''t something uncommon. Gym Leaders spent most of their efforts teaching the gym trainers and disciples they personally took on, but there were some who taught the basics of their respective type specialties to the general public. For example, I knew Morty occasionally hosted classes at his gym for young kids. Over in Kanto, the Waterflower sisters held swimming classes and helped trainers bond with their Water type Pokemon.

    This wasn''t my first time getting asked this question. Some visitors at the gym''s grand opening had brought up similar inquiries, and I gave this boy the same answer I gave them.

    "Yes," I announced. I gave what I hoped was my friendliest smile and tapped my wrist. "Keep an eye out for news on the Cherrygrove Gym''s website. Class registration will be up soon."

    Murmurs broke out amidst the crowd. The teenager who talked to me squeaked out a thank you before hurrying away to join his friends. My smile only grew as I took in the swell of excitement around me. It was good to see that interest in the Fairy type was as strong as ever. I needed to keep up the momentum. As the only Fairy Specialist in Indigo, it fell on me to spearhead awareness about my chosen specialty.

    A few more brave trainers came up to me to ask for training advice or pictures before April came back with everything I needed. My Pokemon and I left the comfort of the air-conditioned lobby for the warm outdoors.

    That was one errand off the list.

    Next, we visited the traditional clinics in town that Beryl had recommended to me. Fragrant, woody scents lingered in the air for each of them. They reminded me of the herb gardens dad grew at home but much more concentrated.

    I handed each herbalist I met copies of dad''s health records and byproducts from the gym Pokemon. These included pollen puffs from newly evolved Ribombee, vials of healing oils and flower pollen secreted by Comfey and Flabebe, and more. We negotiated contracts where I would supply them with ingredients, and in return, they would make herbal supplements for dad.

    Most of them practically kicked me out of their doors once we were done speaking, far too eager to research things they''d never seen before.

    The sun was setting fast at this point, but I had a few things left to do.

    I managed to squeeze past long lines at Bourke''s Bakery. Inside, Keiji Bourke ran to greet me once he spotted my face.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    "Leader Arin!" he greeted breathlessly. "What brings you here today?"

    "Business is booming, huh?" I said instead, smiling. The inside of the bakery was full of people putting pastries on their trays with tongs.

    Keiji beamed at me. "It is! Thank you again for letting us borrow the gym Fidough. Oh, speaking of which, let me go get them."

    Faster than I could blink, the man scurried over to the kitchen door and held it open. Three different Fidough charged out with energetic barks. Customers around us made cooing sounds as the dogs circled me and threatened to slobber all over my pants.

    I grinned when a ghostly head peeked itself out of the ground. From her feathery appendages, Fia handed me empty Pokeballs. My Flutter Mane had been on Fidough babysitting duty today.

    I turned to face Keiji while recalling the Fidough. "I''m glad my Pokemon are having fun here at the bakery. As for why I stopped by today¡­ I don''t suppose you have any Blossom Breads left?"

    "They just sold out," Keiji informed me with a wince.

    I didn''t mind at all; in fact, I laughed loudly. Cherrygrove''s newest local specialty was a hit. It was probably the same over at Takai Sweets with the Blossom Cakes, too.

    "What else would you recommend then?"

    Five minutes later, I was out of the doors with two nicely wrapped gift bags full of pastries. I now headed through town to hand them off to their intended recipients. Fia had joined Mem in my shadow, but I had to return Taffy to his capsule for where we were going.

    Solaris Hospital only allowed one Pokemon companion per visitor. I figured my Ghosts were fine since no one could even see them.

    Once we got to the hospital, I went to our family doctor''s office first. I handed Dr. Monzen one of the bags as a thank you gift for always taking care of dad, then I made my way through the maze of sterile hallways again. The other bag was a thank you gift to Beryl for her helpful recommendations. I had to ask around a bit, but I eventually found Beryl''s office.

    I rapped my knuckles against the door. No one answered. The blinds across the small window panel were drawn shut, so I couldn''t see inside either.

    Just as I thought Beryl had gone home for the day, the door swung open.

    A Hypno stared back at me from the other end of the room. It beckoned a hand to me, so I took that as an invitation to come inside.

    "Hello," I greeted politely, shutting the door behind me. I remembered seeing this Hypno with Hazel''s sister before. "I brought a gift for Beryl."

    Greetings, a female voice spoke into my head. Hypno dipped her head in my direction. Her eyes focused on my shadow for a moment, and I knew she must have sensed my Ghosts. They weren''t exactly hiding their presence at the moment. Beryl went to go see a patient.

    I''d thought as much. I had assumed Beryl was still working the moment I only saw her Hypno in the room.

    "Can you pass on a thank you message to her then? I can just leave the bag here."

    I could, but would you like to stay? Hypno asked. The Pokemon smiled kindly at me as she gestured to an empty coffee table. Beryl should be back soon for her break. I imagine she would be delighted to hear from you in person.

    Well¡­ there was no harm in hanging around a little longer. This was my last errand before dinner anyway, so I accepted the offer. Hypno turned away from me as I sat down and put the bag of pastries on the table.

    Tea? Hypno inquired. She was bustling around by cupboards in the back of the office. Porcelain cups and bags with tea blends floated in the air around her head. We have ginger, green, chamomile, and lemon.

    "Oh, chamomile please. Thank you."

    I thanked Hypno again when she brought out treats for Vel. The Sylveon delicately ate the cookies presented to him. While Hypno brewed tea, I found my gaze wandering around Beryl''s office out of boredom. It looked like every other doctor''s office I''d been to but with some cozy differences.

    There were some succulents by the windowsills, framed photographs of Beryl and her brother, some awards her Hypno had won for psychic skills and certificates of Beryl''s medical achievements¡­

    My eyes latched onto colorful drawings hung on one side of the room. There were so many of them that they took up nearly the entire wall. Some were mere scribbles that I couldn''t make heads or tails of, but others were more distinguishable and portrayed blocky figures running through fields of flowers or holding hands with friends.

    I wondered if they had been drawn by children.

    Gifts from young patients Beryl has helped in the past, Hypno spoke to me out of nowhere.

    I didn''t jump, but I did jerk my gaze away from the drawings. The Psychic type placed a cup of steaming tea in front of me.

    Evidently, she''d caught me staring.

    "They''re cute drawings," I said once my heart rate calmed down. "Does she work with kids often?"

    Very often. Most of these drawings came from her volunteer work in Kanto. She has helped many small hospitals, orphanages, and homeless shelters there.

    I remembered Hazel mentioning as much before. "That''s wonderful."

    Hypno smiled softly. It is. Beryl is a good person.

    Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Lo and behold, the newest arrival was Beryl herself. Her eyes flew open in surprise when she saw me and Vel in the room.

    "Leader Arin," she said, blinking. "What a pleasant surprise."

    I smiled, gesturing to the bag of pastries on the table. "Just thought I''d drop by with a thank you gift. I''m thankful for the clinic recommendations you gave the other day."

    "You didn''t have to!" Beryl tried to frown, but there was a smile on her face as she joined me and Hypno at the table. "Thank you, though. I appreciate the food. Goodness knows I need pick-me-ups after long work shifts."

    I merely smiled in response as I sipped my tea.

    Beryl''s eyes twinkled as she looked between me and Hypno. "Now¡­ Hypno, dear, you didn''t tell our guest anything embarrassing while I was gone, right?"

    Hypno let out a strange sound that I interpreted as a snort of laughter.

    No. There are many things you would be angry with me about, but this is not one of them. We were discussing the drawings and your volunteer work.

    "Oh!" Beryl''s face lit up as she stared at said drawings. "It''s very fulfilling. I even used to follow my parents around for volunteer work when I was a teenager. They were doctors, too."

    I didn''t miss the use of past tense. There was a brief twinge of pain in my heart for Hazel and his sister. I had to take a few more sips of tea before I came up with something to say.

    "Why Kanto?" I finally asked. I was going to be here until I drank this cup dry at least.

    "Well¡­" Beryl trailed off, looking a bit emotional. I wondered if I''d chosen the wrong topic. "Have you ever been to Kanto, Leader Arin?"

    "No," I confessed.

    Not once in my life had I ever been to Kanto. I had been away from this side of the world for a decade, but even before I left, my childhood had been spent in Johto. I had never visited the other half of Indigo before.

    Beryl gave a smile that didn''t quite reach her eyes.

    "It''s¡­ different over there," she said, clearly choosing her words carefully. "Or was, really, up until recent years."

    "How so?"

    "The poverty and crime rates in Kanto are much higher compared to Johto," Beryl elaborated. She fiddled with her hands on the tabletop. "Part of it stems from Kanto''s troubled history before our unification, but part of it has to do with Team Rocket. When they first emerged in Kanto twenty years ago and began causing trouble, it encouraged other criminals to do the same. Then the Rocket War happened, and Kanto was hit especially hard. Lots of people lost their families. Children lost their parents. A lot of rebuilding had to be done, and, well¡­ poverty and crime go hand-in-hand."

    "¡­"

    My tea was left forgotten on the table. I almost felt out of my element here.

    As a kid, most of my history lessons at school had obviously been centered around Johto. I knew Johto used to oppress Kanto before the latter broke off and claimed independence. I knew that years later, the conflict known as the War of Ashes was what ultimately brought our two regions together as one country.

    What I did not know was the Kanto side of things.

    Right now, as I tried to put myself in the perspective of the other side of history, I could only imagine that troubled history Beryl spoke about¡­ how tense and terrible things must have been in Kanto while Johto squeezed them dry of resources and everything they had. I could see how dire conditions would be linked to rampant crime.

    From history, I knew things had improved after the War of Ashes. Champion Oak had advocated for Kantonian rights after our unification and ensured equality between our two regions. It was by no means a fast process, however, and it took time for Kanto to truly recover from years of tyranny. Crime likely would have festered during this shaky period of transition.

    Then, like Beryl mentioned, Team Rocket sprang up in Kanto and launched the Rocket War years later. That was another slap in the face for Kanto, right when they''d achieved some semblance of stability and prosperity. They had to deal with the aftermath.

    No wonder they were currently facing more difficulties than Johto. Any hopes of long term peace or progress were repeatedly snatched away from them.

    My facial expression must have been grim enough that it compelled Beryl to bow her head in apology.

    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to dampen the mood," she murmured. "But¡­ yes, that''s why I do volunteer work in Kanto. They''ve been through a lot. And to be clear, things are much better now compared to a decade ago. It doesn''t matter that Team Rocket is back. Kanto has rebuilt¡ª no, forgive me. Indigo has rebuilt itself."

    I almost smiled weakly in response, but I forced myself to put more feeling into it.

    "You''re right. Indigo is strong."

    Any talk after that was a little more subdued. I stayed long enough to finish my cup of tea that had long gone cold, and then I waved goodbye to Beryl. Hypno accompanied me out the door because she needed to help put some patients to sleep. Apparently, she was in high demand at the hospital for her skills.

    "Thank you again for the tea," I told the Pokemon.

    Hypno shook her head with a modest smile. Next to me, Vel thanked Hypno for the snacks and held a feeler out for a handshake.

    Hypno stared at the offered ribbon with an odd expression. She didn''t move.

    Several seconds of awkward silence passed by. Vel was about to say something to the other Pokemon, but Hypno finally chose that moment to move. Instead of shaking Vel''s ribbon with her hand, she used her psychic powers to gently move it up and down in the air.

    I raised a brow but refrained from saying anything.

    Have a nice evening, Hypno told us with a smile. With those as her final words, she disappeared down the corridor.

    Vel and I walked the other way. I looked down and shared a confused look with the Sylveon.

    "She might be averse to physical touch," I suggested.

    Vel told me Hypno might have been uncomfortable with the idea of his ribbons instead. Pokemon like Sylveon and Ralts who had the innate ability to read emotions and thoughts were well-loved across the world. At the same time, people were also wary of them because of said powers and the possibility of invasion of privacy.

    "Maybe. She might not be up to speed with the news on Fairies, though. I don''t think everyone in Indigo knows what your species is capable of yet."

    Vel shrugged. Wordlessly, he wrapped a ribbon around my hand. I gave it a gentle squeeze. He was probably more bothered about what had happened than he was letting on.

    "Come on, let''s go home," I urged, and I shot him a conspiratorial grin. "I''ll give you the last Deluxe Oran Chocolate from the fridge. Don''t tell the other Pokemon."

    Ghostly whispers full of mock outrage drifted outwards from my shadow. Instead of answering, Vel squeezed my hand back with his ribbon.

    He was smiling.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The next day, I sat at full attention at my office desk.

    My monitor and keyboard were shoved aside so that I had a clear view of the empty seat across from me. Folders, papers, and pens were organized neatly on the table. Aside from me, the room only had two other occupants. Vel was curled up in a corner like a watchdog, and Silque stood next to my desk with an ever graceful and imposing appearance.

    It was gym trainer interview time. I was elated that I could finally hold meetings in a proper room rather than the¡­ unique outdoor setup I had going the last time I was hiring people. Much more professional and safe. Plus, since this was the last hiring round before the next Circuit, I expected to make easy and fast decisions today regarding who I wanted to add to the Cherrygrove Gym Fam.

    When the clock struck nine o''clock, the first of many interviewees was escorted into my office.

    For every single person, I began our conversation by notifying them of a mandatory psychic check. Since Indigo was currently facing the threat known as Team Rocket, Gym Leaders and other influential figures across the country had the authority to screen people in the interest of preserving public safety and peace.

    For me and the Cherrygrove Gym, that meant interviewees. All the other new employees like janitors, receptionists, and security guards had gone through the same procedure. I didn''t want a criminal hiding under my roof.

    Thankfully, no such people appeared. Not so thankfully, the interviewees so far were kind of bland. Some of them didn''t even make it to the battle stage, but that was fine.

    There were three applicants I had high hopes for. One of them arrived right on the dot at 10:30 AM.

    A lanky teenager confidently strode into the room. Brown hair with streaks of gold framed his tan skin. As he sat down, I could make out the faintest of freckles dotted across his nose and cheeks.

    This boy, Felix Leicester, was none other than Fantina''s former apprentice.

    He was an eighteen-year-old from Sunyshore City in Sinnoh. As soon as he was old enough to compete, he became a Coordinator and took the industry by storm. In his first year alone, he managed to beat out the fierce competition and collect three different Ribbons. That was essentially unheard of for a newbie Coordinator.

    His stellar performance caught Fantina''s eye and earned him a spot as one of her disciples. Under her guidance, he further honed his skills and spent the next year challenging both gyms and Contests in Sinnoh. The following year, he switched over to the Hoenn League and Contest Circuits. He was considered a rising star and someone who would make it to a Grand Festival before the age of twenty.

    And now¡­ now he was here.

    "Mr. Felix Leicester," I greeted. "Fantina has told me a lot about you."

    "Only good things, I hope," he joked, flashing a winning smile.

    I liked his easygoing personality already and chuckled in response. The psychic check went by fast without any issues. Then the real interview began in earnest, and Felix leaned forward in his seat.

    "I was impressed by the resume you sent in. You collected four badges each from the Hoenn and Sinnoh League Circuits while competing in seasonal Contests," I began. My eyes scanned said paper resting in front of me. "It''s uncommon for people to do both, and it''s definitely not easy. Can I ask why you elected for that dual route?"

    "My mentor at the time was the one who suggested it," Felix admitted. I wasn''t too surprised there, I knew as much already from previous chats with Fantina. "She didn''t give me any reasoning, but she told me to try collecting some gym badges. To be honest, I didn''t see the appeal at first. Then I actually tried training, and when I got my first badge¡­"

    Felix trailed off, smiling.

    "That''s when I realized it was fun. Battling to win League matches is vastly different from battling to win Contest rounds," Felix explained. He was starting to talk a little faster now, and his eyes were full of life as he waved his hands around. "It''s funny, though, because in both cases, you still need to come up with creative strategies to pull off a win. My Pokemon and I learned a lot both from my own gym battles and watching other trainers. I''m a Coordinator first and foremost, but I''m not afraid to draw inspiration from outside sources. There''s a lot you can learn if you open your eyes."

    I hummed quietly to myself in appreciation. Those last two statements alone got him points from me. Being open-minded was an excellent trait for anyone to have, not just prospective gym trainers.

    "Sometimes knowledge is gleaned from the most unexpected places," I agreed. Felix only got the benefit of a brief smile before I moved onto the million dollar question. "Is that why you want to come work at the Cherrygrove Gym? To somehow enrich your skills as a Coordinator?"

    Felix didn''t hesitate. "Right."

    "What do you hope to learn by working here?"

    "I''m interested in the core of the Fairy type as you''ve stated to the public¡­ the idea of belief."

    "You, or your Pokemon?"

    "Both. Coordinators need a strong conviction if we want to set themselves apart from our competitors. As for my Pokemon, I have two Fairy types," Felix revealed. He coughed into his fist a second later. "Well, one is part Fairy and another is hoping to become a Fairy."

    I knew which Pokemon he was referring to because they''d been included in his application, but I asked anyway.

    "Your Kirlia and Eevee, I presume?"

    "Yes!" Felix beamed at me. "Truth be told, most of the reason boils down to my closest partner, my Eevee. She''s been holding off on evolution for years now because she never felt like any of them were right for her. But when she saw videos of your Sylveon online¡­ she finally found what she wanted to be."

    Quietly, I looked at the back corner of my office. Vel had stopped grooming his fur to stare at Felix instead. A mixture of emotions swirled around in his eyes.

    I knew what he was thinking about. The story of Felix''s Eevee resonated with him because he''d gone through the exact same thing before. He hadn''t evolved until years into our journey when we reached Alola and, for lack of better words, attained enlightenment there.

    "So, you''d want me to teach your Pokemon how to handle Fairy type energy then?" I asked, turning back to Felix.

    "If you''d be so willing."

    "Of course," I readily agreed. "Do you plan on participating in the next Johto Contest Circuit?"

    "Yes. In fact, I plan on revolutionizing the Contest scene around here. I''ve heard Contests aren''t popular in Indigo, and I want to change that."

    "Ambitious," I remarked, raising a brow.

    I only planned on contributing to local Contests by offering my gym as a venue, but Felix wanted to shake things up with his own two hands.

    The boy smirked at me. "I''m up for the challenge. I can''t call myself a Coordinator if I''m not willing to take risks," he said.

    I was liking his personality more and more.

    "Alright. Hypothetically speaking, if you become a gym trainer here, will you be able to keep up with the workload? Juggling tasks around the Gym during the League Circuit season while training for Contests is not going to be a walk in the park," I warned him.

    "I can do it," Felix declared in a confident voice, and he wasn''t just saying it. I saw the honesty in his eyes. "I''ve gotten pretty good at using my time efficiently in the last few years. I''ll make sure to meet the expectations you have for me."

    We spoke a little longer, but I''d already heard most of what I wanted to hear from the verbal portion of the interview. Before long, we moved downstairs to the battle hall for a quick battle.

    I was going to use one of the gym Pokemon, but when Felix sent out his Eevee, I changed my mind. Vel shot me a look like he personally wanted to gauge Eevee''s abilities, so I let him go onto the field instead. I wasn''t worried. I knew he was going to be mindful of the power gap.

    "Take the stage!" Felix called out.

    I only got to briefly wonder if that was his Coordinator catchphrase. When the battle began, two things became very apparent.

    First, Felix had come up with a storm of custom moves as befitting a Coordinator.

    "Fallen Stars!"

    "Sand Blaze!"

    "Summer Shield!"

    Some of them were simpler combinations like Shadow Ball and Swift where type energy was injected into another move. Others, however, were more complex and involved creative applications of existing moves. I was particularly impressed when I saw Eevee dash around with Trailblaze. In her wake, she grew patches of grass that eventually wove themselves into a giant dome of protection.

    Second, and more importantly, Eevee knew a crap ton of TM moves.

    Sunny Day, Trailblaze, Shadow Ball, Calm Mind, Double Team¡ª

    "Rain Dance!"

    And when Vel warped the reality around him to make himself invisible, droplets of water poured down from the sky at Felix''s command. Vel immediately undid his use of glamour. There was no point keeping it up when the rain would expose the outline of his body. It was quick thinking on Felix''s part, and I gave him a thumbs up for it in my head.

    My point stood. Eevee had learned a lot of different moves.

    It wasn''t necessarily a bad or good thing. Having many moves opened up endless possibilities in battle, but it also made it harder for a Pokemon to train. If they wanted to use all of those moves reliably during matches, then they needed to practice using them and keep using them lest they get rusty. It came down to muscle memory.

    I knew that even when compared to trainers who took League Circuits seriously, Coordinators spent a lot of money on TMs. Their goal was to add more variety to their performance routines.

    I also had the feeling Felix and his Eevee had been experimenting with different type energies to see what Eevee was most comfortable with for a potential evolution path.

    "We''ll end it here," I called out at some point during the battle.

    Vel casually flicked away some incoming Swift stars with his ribbons, and then he trotted over to stand next to me. Felix and Eevee soon joined us with hopeful expressions, though the latter looked more envious than anything. Jealousy was written all over her face as she stared at Vel.

    "Are you sure? Eevee and I are up for more," Felix said. There was a hint of anxiety slipping through his voice when he asked, but his Eevee barked confidently to make up for it.

    "I''m sure," I replied with a reassuring smile. "I just wanted to check the bond between you and your Pokemon."

    "So did I¡­?" Felix trailed off.

    "Did you pass?" I picked up where he left off, and I nodded my head. "You did. I was very pleased with the whole interview. Welcome to the Cherrygrove Gym."

    Felix practically melted from relief. Much to my amusement, he bowed earnestly a few times.

    "Thank you so much. I''m looking forward to learning from you!"

    I showed him the staff lodgings, negotiated a contract, and then waved goodbye to my newest gym trainer. Fantina had truly sent a blessing my way. I couldn''t contain my excitement when I returned to my office.

    I couldn''t wait to meet the other two promising applicants.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    One hour later, I found myself nearly jumping out of my seat from impatience. Promising applicant two was almost here.

    I stared intently when the door opened and a guy walked in with a confident gait.

    I''d seen the picture attached to his application and videos of his matches online, but they still didn''t prepare me for seeing him in person. He was dressed in remarkably fancy clothing to the point where I wondered if it was his signature trainer look or just the style he liked to wear in general.

    He even wore a white cravat.

    My eyes were drawn more to the black-and-white mask slightly obscured by purple bangs. Unique clothing aside, it wasn''t everyday you saw someone who waltzed around with half their face hidden. Again, I wondered if this was more of a publicity thing. Some trainers wore very distinct outfits to sell a certain image to the public and solidify their reputation.

    This was the guy I''d been most interested in meeting today, and the one whose application had caught me completely off guard.

    Will Itsuki.

    He was a twenty-one-year-old Psychic Specialist from Violet City. I didn''t dig too deeply, but from interviews and information online, I knew he''d grown up in two different orphanages across Kanto-Johto. He was also a notable psychic, but he came nowhere close to the existence known as Sabrina Natsume.

    Will was kind of an odd case when it came to his trainer career. He''d started his journey around the same time I did (back when the minimum age hadn''t been bumped up yet), but he didn''t challenge the League Circuit for a long time and trained by himself instead.

    Then, when he was eighteen, he seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He breezed through the Johto League Circuit, qualified for the Silver Conference, and then proceeded to demolish the competition.

    Needless to say, the media had jumped all over him at the time and called him a prodigy.

    Will used his privilege as Conference winner to challenge the Elite Four, but it was a failed endeavor. He only managed to take down two of Bruno''s Pokemon even with a type advantage. Following his loss, he returned to training and amassed a dedicated fanbase in the process for his flamboyant personality. He also happened to be very active on social media.

    Fast forward to today, this guy was apparently here looking for a job. I was excited by the prospect of a strong trainer working at my gym, but that didn''t mean I wasn''t cautious or confused. A trainer of his caliber could have spent his time better elsewhere. Hell, he could have worked for the League if he wanted to. They''d hire him in a heartbeat.

    It made me wonder why he was here, and I fully intended on finding out.

    I opened my mouth to say hello only to find myself beaten to the punch.

    "Greetings, Leader Arin! Greetings!" Will spoke cheerfully.

    He bowed with a flourish to me, and I raised a brow. My other brow rose to join its kindred spirit when Will bowed again, this time to Vel, and a third time in the direction of Silque. Then he gracefully took a seat. Will was practically grinning from ear to ear as he crossed one leg over another, hands clasped firmly in his lap.

    He was the very picture of eagerness.

    "Good morning," I finally made myself say, blinking out of any confusion I had. I gestured to the Hatterene on standby. "Before we begin the interview, I''d like to inform you of a mandatory psychic check. Due to the presence of Team Rocket¡ª"

    "Oh yes," Will interrupted, but it was more out of enthusiasm than rudeness. He studied Silque with an intrigued expression. "By all means, please go ahead. I will comply with our fair laws."

    I blinked several times before restarting. "Due to the presence of Team Rocket, Gym Leaders may invoke their authority to screen individuals in the interest of public security. Later, if you have any concerns with how the screening was conducted, you are encouraged to bring them up with the Indigo League. Any questions before we begin?"

    I was thankful that Will waited until I was done talking this time.

    He shook his head, smiling. "None at all. I am ready whenever you are."

    "Very well."

    With one nod from me, Silque tipped her head ever so slightly and focused her attention on Will. I had just leaned back to sit through the impending minute of silence when Silque moved.

    She smiled, flashing sharp teeth.

    Interesting, she murmured. Out of all the humans I have met in recent years, you have the most intricate network of mental shields. Not terrible.

    I blinked. Belatedly, I realized she was talking telepathically to both me and Will. What I really focused on was the fact that she''d given a stranger the closest they would get to a compliment from her.

    My Hatterene did not typically hand out compliments outside of our family.

    "Why, thank you," Will replied, beaming. He unclasped his hands to tap the side of his head with a finger. "Most of these are due to my Pokemon, though, so I shall pass your kind words to them. Do allow me to apologize for not removing the shields in advance."

    No matter, Silque said in a dismissive manner. I am already unraveling them.

    If it was possible, the grin on Will''s face grew even bigger. "So you are."

    I refrained from showing any emotion on my face as I reached out privately to my Pokemon. Should I be concerned about anything?

    Not at all, Silque replied. I merely found the protection around his mind interesting. There are infinite ways to craft mental shields. Sometimes it is a matter of quantity versus quality. Sometimes it is a matter of discretion versus security.

    And Will''s shields? I asked.

    Very noticeable, the Hatterene answered dryly. In fact, they practically scream for attention. But it is the delicate way the layers of shields interlock with each other ¡ª complex patterns and shapes in the form of a puzzle ¡ª that make this stand out. He and his Pokemon have designed them in a way so that he would sense it right away if someone was to approach his inner mind. Any attempts to unravel the first layer would set off a chain reaction. An alarm system, so to speak.

    I found myself mentally nodding, mildly impressed with this piece of information. I wouldn''t have expected anything less from a Psychic Specialist.

    Silque, of course, caught onto what I was feeling.

    The shields I made for you are better, she declared with a tone that left no room for discussion. I barely stopped myself from laughing. It almost sounded like she was feeling competitive.

    Will and I waited patiently for Silque to sift through his mind. She was done within the minute. She''d verified his identity, and nothing suspicious had been found. She announced as much to both of us.

    "Excellent," Will all but sang. He clapped his hands together in delight. "Alright, please hit me with your worst. I''m ready for the interview."

    I truly could not wrap my mind around the enigma known as Will Itsuki, but so far, I did find him entertaining. He was certainly chipper.

    I just hoped that would translate over to him taking the interview seriously.

    "Let''s begin with your trainer career then," I decided. I wore a friendly smile as I picked up a folder from my desk and opened it. "You were able to conquer the Johto League Circuit and Silver Conference all in the span of a single year. Very impressive. May I ask why you waited so long to participate?"

    "I wasn''t ready," Will stated simply. With crisp, energetic waves of his hands, he rambled on in a bright voice. "I wanted to be a trainer. And if I was going to be a trainer, then I wanted to make a significant splash. So, I dedicated myself to training and honing my skills. I only made my debut once I was sure I could achieve significant results."

    I sensed there was perhaps more to the story, but maybe it was too private of information. Will had provided a sufficient enough answer to my question anyway. I didn''t judge him negatively for his reasoning. There were lots of people in the world who did the same and prepared for years before tackling Circuits.

    Now, were there people who waited nearly a decade after they became a trainer? Yes, but significantly less. Will was a slight anomaly there at least.

    It made me wonder if the decision tied into him being a Psychic Specialist. When people thought about Psychic types, they typically thought about high intelligence, levitation and teleportation, and psychic constructs like barriers. All the usual basic imagery one might associate with the type.

    The Psychic type was about mentality. Control. Clarity. Their thoughts became their fuel, and through focus, they could channel power through their state of mind. Only by having a mastery over themselves could they then control the world around them. In some ways, Psychics were similar to Fairies in that both groups dealt with reliance on their inner selves.

    Sadly, I was here to conduct an interview, not interrogate Will for his entire backstory. I nodded slowly.

    "Well, you certainly made waves," I told him. He seemed pleased with my response. "This leads me to my next question: why have you applied to be a gym trainer here? With your skill level, you could be aiming for the Elite Four again instead."

    I hoped to dear Arceus this was not a joke application but one made in earnest sincerity. I hated wasting time like that.

    Will''s lips curled into a grin.

    "I do want to work here. I''d like to make that very clear," Will told me with a vigorous nod of his head. "As for why¡­ well, you brought up half the reason already. I do plan on challenging the Elite Four again, but I''m not ready yet. It''s not enough training on my own anymore. Thus, in the event I pass this meeting, I would be honored if we could train and spar together occasionally."

    Just like that, I was no longer confused by his application. This was a classic give-and-take situation. I would get extra labor around the gym, and in return, Will would get a sorely needed opponent to help whip his team into shape. Who better to ask than a Champion-level trainer?

    It was a perfectly reasonable request, and I found myself liking the arrangement already. My team would never say no to new opponents, especially ones they could fight at any time.

    For now, I hid my thoughts and cleared my throat. "That could be arranged, yes. Is that the only reason why you applied?"

    "No, no, no," Will quickly said. He waved his hands in front of him. "Please do not misunderstand that I only came here for a training partner. I applied because I find the Fairy type itself to be very interesting, and I wish to learn more. Some of my Pokemon are half Fairy types as well."

    I smiled, encouraging him to continue. I almost froze when I heard his next quoted words.

    "''Fairies make a place for themselves in this world.''"

    I stared at Will. He stared back at me with an easygoing smile on his face.

    "That was a line in the pamphlet given out for the gym''s grand opening," he said, drumming his fingers against his knee. "It has stayed with me ever since I read it. Consider me intrigued."

    He did not elaborate. He simply watched me for my reaction.

    To think he''d been so moved by that single phrase¡­ I didn''t know what kind of person Will Itsuki was, but I did know one thing: he seemed to have a serious interest in Fairies.

    And that was enough for me. I found myself leaning a little more towards hiring this guy as an employee.

    "If you''re accepted as a gym trainer¡­" I trailed off. Will didn''t say anything, but he leaned forward slightly in his seat. "I hope you''ll be ready to learn all there is to know about Fairies."

    Will blinked. A moment later, he threw his head back and laughed loudly.

    "Ah, fret not! Everything will be committed to memory," he promised with a smile full of delight.

    Seriously, it was hard to get a read on this guy. I did have a decent opinion of him so far, though.

    The interview continued. At one point, I knew I had to say something. It wasn''t my place to talk about wardrobe choices, but there was one item I was obligated to bring up.

    "May I inquire about your mask? For example, if it''s for fashion or health related reasons," I asked as politely as possible. I waited to see if Will was okay with this line of questioning.

    "¡­"

    He didn''t say anything, but he remained sitting with a relaxed posture. I took that as a sign to continue.

    "If in the event you are hired on as a gym trainer, there will be times when you''ll have to deal with bright spotlights in the battle hall during gym matches. Just something to be aware of."

    Will didn''t say anything for several long moments.

    "Please forgive me, Leader Arin, but I do not feel comfortable answering this question after all," Will eventually apologized. His voice sounded more subdued than the usual chipper tone I''d come to associate it with. "I assure you, though, that me wearing a mask shall not pose a problem during my time working here¡­ assuming I am hired."

    "That''s fine. Thank you for the answer."

    The last word barely left my mouth when Will snapped his fingers.

    "Speaking of fashion, is there a uniform gym trainers will be required to wear for the Circuit?" he asked.

    That clearly sounded like misdirection to me, but I willingly let Will steer the conversation down a different path. His mask seemed to be a sensitive topic for him.

    "You''ll have to wear a jacket or shirt with the symbols of the Cherrygrove Gym and Indigo League on them. They come in a few different colors like emerald green or pastel pink," I replied.

    "Oh dear. I don''t know if that would fit with my outfit¡­ Would a cape be acceptable?"

    "That can¡­ be discussed at a later time."

    Once we''d run through all the questions I had in mind, Silque Teleported us downstairs into the arena for the battle portion. Will''s interview was running far longer than I thought it would, and it threatened to cut into my next appointment.

    Will was busy oohing and aahing at our surroundings during my explanation of the match rules, but I was pretty sure he was still listening. Right after I finished, though, Will held up a hand.

    "May we have a serious match instead?" he implored. "Until one side is knocked out. I would like to see the difference between my Pokemon and yours."

    So he wanted a preview of how spars between us might go in the future. I didn''t think for too long.

    "Sure," I agreed.

    I didn''t see it, but Will smirked and bent forward in another theatrical bow.

    "How delightful. Thank you for humoring my request."

    We quickly took our sides on opposite ends of the field, both eager to get this show on the road. As soon as the League Hypno and Kadabra on duty put up barriers, we tossed out our respective Pokeballs.

    Choux emerged with a huge smile. The cheerful expression didn''t slip from the Dachsbun''s face even when he realized he was about to fight, but he did lower his stance in preparation. On Will''s side of the field, a Xatu appeared in a flash of crimson light.

    From research I''d done online, this was Will''s starter. I''d never fought a Xatu before. I ran through notes I had on Will''s Pokemon in my head, but I didn''t have a lot to go off of. Most of Will''s archived battle recordings were from three years ago before he secluded himself in training again. His Pokemon had probably grown a lot since then.

    No matter. We''d see this through.

    "In the spirit of battling, I will not communicate telepathically with my Pokemon," Will called out from his side.

    I wouldn''t have minded if he did, but I accepted his decision. I gave a short nod.

    There was a moment of silence, then¡ª

    "Eyes open! Shades!"

    "Close in. Work Up."

    Orders flew from our mouths.

    Paws pounded against dirt as Choux took off running with narrowed eyes. Every step he cleared stoked something within ¡ª a fervor for battle ¡ª and the heart beating inside him. That well of madness answered him. Blood roared in his ears, and power flowed through his veins. He let out a scream as his body lit up with an almost ominous red, eyes focused on his target.

    Xatu had not moved from its initial position. The only indication that anything had changed was the faint glow of its beady eyes. Inky shadows rippled along the bird''s sides, but they made no sound as they coalesced into distinct figures.

    Carbon copies of Xatu birthed from the darkness then took silent flight.

    I yelled out an order right as they flapped their wings. "Snarl! Spread it wide!"

    Choux was already on it. He was a third of the way across the field when distorted rings tinged with black blared outwards from his ensuing bark. The real Xatu disappeared and reappeared elsewhere with Teleport. Meanwhile, the Night Shades were not idle. They were slow-moving, but they took off in two separate directions and circled Choux from the air.

    More waves of darkness came hurtling outwards in rapid succession. None of them hit their marks, much less clipped any bodies. Xatu and its copies were as elusive as night itself. If they were too slow to dodge by flying, then they disappeared from one point to another with Teleport. It almost seemed like they were dancing a well-rehearsed choreography through the air.

    Sometimes, I remembered how much I disliked fighting Psychic Specialists and the move Teleport in general.

    "Air Slash!" Will commanded with a wave of his hand.

    Xatu and its shades flapped their wings simultaneously. Dozens of spinning blades of pressurized air went tearing through the air which hissed in their wake.

    I didn''t need to tell Choux anything. The Dachsbun focused his energy into his legs and picked up the pace before the first of the blades descended. In and out he weaved with random bursts of Agility, speeding up and slowing down as necessary to escape the storm.

    "Keep it at a distance!" Will warned his Pokemon.

    Choux was running a circle around Xatu''s main body at this point. The shades harassed him with Air Slashes whenever he tried getting closer, and their aims were somehow accurate. The shades sometimes fired off shots seconds before Choux switched directions or increased his speed. Each of those somehow managed to find Choux''s back without fail. I could tell he was getting annoyed by the lack of progress from the scowl on his face as he darted to and fro.

    Something wasn''t sitting right with me. How the hell did they seem to know where Choux was moving to next?

    My mind whirled. My eyes narrowed. Quietly, I stared at the immobile Xatu across the field from me and its glowing eyes. Why were its eyes still shining so bright¡ª

    Future Sight.

    That realization stabbed through all other thoughts I had. It had to be Future Sight. That''s how Xatu and its independent shades were targeting Choux. Xatu was predicting the future in real time.

    I had to give Will and his Pokemon some praise here. I''d fought Psychic Specialists before whose Pokemon utilized Future Sight, but it was usually to severely delay attacks or even their own bodies and movements during battle. This was the first time I''d seen a Pokemon use it like this during a match. Xatu was capable of having it active not just for a moment but for a long and extended period of time. It was a constant feed.

    And it was using it to literally watch the future of this battle play out even at this very moment.

    Now, it was time to shut down the Future Sight, Night Shade, and Teleport shenanigans all in one.

    For me and Choux, I decided we were just going to throw a wrench in their plans. A very pleasant wrench that they wouldn''t be able to stop even if they knew.

    "Overdrive!" I ordered.

    Choux''s ears twitched with undisguised enthusiasm.

    Xatu remained rooted to its spot, but the movements of its shades became more hurried. One whipped up a renewed wave of pressurized air, and the other attempted to trap Choux inside a psychic dome. I could only guess that Xatu had seen what we were trying to do and was trying to stop it.

    Choux shattered the psychic dome with a breath of darkness. He didn''t bother to guard himself against the incoming Air Slashes and bore their combined weights with a mere grunt. He breathed in and out evenly.

    Xatu and its shades stopped what they were doing and shielded themselves with psychic barriers. Seconds of near deafening silence followed. On the other side of the field, Will wore a confused expression because nothing was happening.

    Something was happening, but we could not see it¡­ or smell it, either, because of the barrier around the field.

    Choux and I grinned almost ferally.

    "Alright. Our belief versus your mind. Let''s see which is stronger," I murmured.

    I knew Choux had heard me with his sensitive hearing because he let out a determined howl.

    Fairies lived by beliefs, their beliefs. Their desires, hopes, and dreams¡ª each of these gave meaning to Fairies and empowered them. Beliefs shaped who they were as individuals and gave rise to unique ways of living and fighting. They affected their powers in battle and how they manipulated reality.

    Every single Pokemon under my care had their own core beliefs that affected their battling styles and the things they did with fairy aura. Vel defied the world and its rules. Arya desired to lull the world to endless euphoria through music. Freya wished to deceive. Yuno wanted to captivate and destroy.

    And so on and so forth.

    For Choux, his belief lay in indulgence.

    A Dachsbun''s body typically exuded a faint but pleasant scent that was so invigorating it helped crops grow. Right now?

    That aroma was being amplified with fairy aura at Choux''s discretion. It surged outwards around in an invisible wave, an inevitable tsunami that came crashing down upon Xatu and its shades. Xatu was so desperate that it let go of its constant Future Sight and shades to focus on itself.

    Choux''s belief was stronger.

    Give in. Indulge.

    Give into the overwhelming madness, the pleasure, all the feelings in the world and let yourself run wild.

    The barrier cracked as the invisible pressure against it intensified. Just a few cracks.

    Then it all came crumbling down in an instant.

    I could clearly see the moment Xatu inhaled the addicting scent against its will. Its eyes glazed over, and it flopped over with twitching wings. It screamed out incoherent garbles. It had no hold over its sanity, not for now at least.

    Choux raced over to deal what would have been a satisfactory one-hit KO Crunch, but his jaws snapped around empty air. Will recalled his Xatu with a stupefied expression.

    Any notion of awkward silence was broken by a long whine of disappointment from my dog, and that finally snapped Will out of his stupor.

    He hurried over to me with arms spread wide in an exaggerated show of surprise.

    "Marvelous! Simply marvelous!" Will declared. "Although, I''m afraid I did not understand the conclusion of this match. May I get an explanation for what happened?"

    "Would you like the long version or the short version?" I asked with a grin. I knelt down as Choux bounded over, more than happy to give the dog some well-deserved belly rubs.

    Will raised a brow. "What is the short version?"

    "A bit exaggerated, but your Xatu inhaled the equivalent of the world''s most powerful Sweet Scent."

    The baffled look Will gave caused me and my Pokemon to burst out in uncontrollable laughter. Still, I gave him the long winded explanation he wanted, and he gave my Dachsbun a renewed look of appreciation afterwards.

    "Now¡­ may I ask if I met your expectations for a Cherrygrove gym trainer?" Will asked politely.

    I grinned.

    "Welcome aboard."

    New recruit number two: acquired.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I was in high spirits after the interviews with Felix and Will. It helped that we were on the final interview of the day.

    A young woman with silver hair pulled into braids and lavender eyes stared back at me.

    Hana Eldbeth.

    Like Will, I had not expected this person to send in an application. She was a promising trainer who could have gone anywhere. Just a few days ago, I''d watched her fight in the finals of the Silver Conference. Hana was the trainer I''d even picked out as my favorite of the two finalists.

    She was a twenty-two-year-old from Goldenrod City. Since she was a fairly well-known trainer in Johto who consistently made it to the yearly Conference, I''d been able to dig up more than a little information about her online. She''d started her trainer journey late, but Hana had her own fanclub website and everything. This year, her League Circuit run had been sponsored by Silph Co.

    Interestingly enough, Hana was a Grass and Flying Specialist. She had a Togekiss in her possession that had been given to her by a sponsor a year ago. I''d also asked dad about her the day before. Hana had challenged the Cherrygrove Gym in previous League Circuits, so dad remembered her quite clearly. He only had good things to say about her and her Pokemon.

    When I asked her to explain her trainer journey to me¡ª

    "I didn''t want to be a trainer at first. I did it for money," she admitted in a sheepish voice, looking as if she expected me to reprimand her.

    I did no such thing and merely gestured for her to continue.

    "It''s not a terribly unique story. I''m the oldest of five kids," Hana explained. "My parents had it rough back then and couldn''t make enough money to comfortably support us all. I had the crazy thought one day to make money from the League Circuit, so I just¡­ told my parents and left once I made up my mind. I still think it''s crazy I''ve managed to make it as far as I have."

    "You wouldn''t have made it this far if you weren''t skilled," I pointed out.

    Hana smiled wryly. "Thank you. I do think I might not have won this year if Yasura Chouno was still in the running though. If you don''t know, he won the Silver Conference last time. He tackled Sinnoh this year."

    I nodded politely. It seemed like Hana was too modest for her own good. I had no idea how good this Yasura person was, but I''d seen Hana fight in the flesh. She was a lady who could rip the field into shreds without batting an eye.

    "What brought you to the Cherrygrove Gym, then?" I asked curiously.

    "I might not have wanted to become a trainer, but I did. And I love my Pokemon. I truly do," Hana said with emphasis. She was quiet before continuing. "But I''ve made enough money now for my family to live comfortably, and I''m tired of traveling. I want a stable life and job. My Pokemon like how peaceful Cherrygrove is and all the gardens here at the gym."

    As she said that, she rubbed her neck and bare arm. I briefly glanced at the old scars and disfigured skin at those locations. Hana hadn''t mentioned it on her application, but when I did research online, I came across news articles. She''d been involved in a few wild Pokemon incidents, most notably in Ilex Forest and the Mt. Silver Range.

    Being a trainer was not always easy or the cushy, comfy adventure people expected. Sometimes, wild Pokemon got the better of people.

    I smiled softly, setting down the folder with her resume and information.

    "It''s definitely peaceful in these parts. You should see how our city looks during peak blooming season."

    Hana smiled back at me.

    The battle portion went off without a hitch. She used her Venusaur against me and, to no surprise, peppered the field with smoking craters from barrages of poison and deep gouges from Frenzy Plant usage. She apologized profusely, but I just waved her off. It''d be fixed within the hour.

    Hana was soft-spoken, but she sure packed a mean punch. I hired her on the spot.

    That evening, the Cherrygrove Gym celebrated its newest gym trainer additions.

 Chapter 45

    CHAPTER 45

    Our cafeteria workers had long gone home for the day, so I let people order what they wanted from places in town. The tables in the gym''s dining hall were now full of everything from okonomiyaki to plates of sushi and more.

    All of the main team, gym trainers and PR staffers alike, were in attendance to welcome the new arrivals. Even Hazel was here. He had plans to stay at his sister''s place for the night, but he traveled back on his Dodrio to have dinner with us.

    Speaking of the new arrivals, everyone had moved into the staff apartments already. Hana joined Yurie on the third floor. Luca and Felix joined Hazel on the fourth floor. As for Will, he picked a room for himself on the ground floor.

    He was very insistent on it, too, even when I pointed out that the ones on the ground level were a bit smaller due to the lobby, storage, and communal areas. He didn''t even want to look at the rooms on higher floors like everyone else. That was how dead set he was.

    After a brief round of self-introductions¡­ the party began in earnest. Groups instantly formed.

    In one corner, there was what I called the Gardening Club. Our resident Grass Specialists ¡ª Neil, Hana, and dad ¡ª were talking so loudly that I could hear them from halfway across the room.

    "Congratulations on winning the Silver Conference this year! When are you going to challenge the Elite Four?" Neil asked with a curious glint in his eyes.

    Compared to him, Hana didn''t seem enthusiastic at all. "Probably next year. I''m not that excited about it, but I do want to use the opportunity before it expires. After that, I''m retiring as an active trainer."

    "If you''d like any training advice, I''ll be around," Dad offered. Hana perked up a bit.

    "Thank you, Mr. Watanuki. I may take you up on your offer."

    "You''ll do great!" Neil boomed, and he clapped his hands together. Both dad and Hana jumped a bit. "Now enough boring talk. Hana, wait until you see the Cottonee and Morelull lines in person¡­"

    In another corner, the members of the PR team had gotten together.

    "It''s so nice to meet you in person, Luca!" Kari greeted. She shared an energetic handshake with the other boy. Our gym''s newest social media influencer still had his Igglybuff Egg strapped to his chest.

    "Same here," Luca beamed. "You''re in charge of the Cherrygrove Gym''s social media pages, right? I love all the highlight reels you''ve made. Fits the Fairy aesthetic to a T."

    "Half the credit goes to my brother," Kari laughed, nudging Yulian''s arm with her elbow. "He makes all the pretty graphics and stuff."

    "I don''t actually do that much," Yulian said with a modest shake of his head. "Anyway, welcome to the team."

    Luca''s grin grew even wider. "Thanks for having me! And thank you for the recommendation. I heard it from Arin¡­"

    Some ways off, Murata was talking to Felix.

    "My wife and kids are huge fans of yours. We''ve got recordings at home of your Contest performances in Hoenn and Sinnoh."

    "Really? I can''t believe I have fans even here in Indigo¡­"

    The largest group in the room consisted of Yurie, Hazel, Souta, and Haru. They were all crowded around Will. Why?

    It was because the human psychic was busy entertaining them with frivolous displays of his powers.

    "Ooh¡­!" Haru breathed out loud in amazement as Will waved a hand, effortlessly floating pieces of sushi one after another into Hazel''s waiting mouth. Hazel happily chomped on them and gave a thumbs up.

    With his other hand, Will simultaneously teleported meat skewers onto Souta''s empty plate in the shape of a castle and refilled Haru''s glass of milk.

    Yurie turned back to look at me. Her deadpan expression said everything: can you believe these guys?

    I nearly snorted with laughter as I passed by.

    "Don''t play with your food," I called over my shoulder.

    "My dearest apologies, Arin!" Will called right back in a singsong voice, but he wasn''t apologetic at all. He''d been the fastest between the new hires to drop the use of a formal title with me.

    I glanced down when a pitcher rose into the air and refilled the glass of water in my hand. My gaze then traveled over to Will, but he only grinned at me before turning away to answer questions.

    "Are your psychic abilities as strong as Leader Sabrina''s?"

    "Heavens, no, but I endeavor to surpass her someday."

    I shook my head and walked off as soon as my glass was full again. Nice but odd fellow. I shuffled off to an empty seat nearby and sat down, pulling out my phone. This was a party, but I still needed to go through my schedule for the next day.

    In the morning, I had a workout session with Chuck. He''d sent me near indecipherable messages earlier reminding me about our promise to train together. I''d spent at least five minutes trying to make heads and tails of the typo-filled texts.

    Once I got back, I had to introduce the new staff to the gym Pokemon, give starting lectures to them, and then teach at the Gym.

    Yes, I was holding my first ever public class at the Cherrygrove Gym. It was going to be a practical one where I helped trainers and their Pokemon learn basic Fairy type moves. Felix planned on attending even though I told him I could offer private lessons.

    Online class registration had ended earlier today. Spots filled up within mere minutes. Now, I just needed to go over my notes for tomorrow¡ª

    Bzzt.

    Or not.

    I glanced down at my vibrating phone and smiled once I saw the caller ID. It was Morty.

    "Hey, what''s up?" I asked.

    "Good evening, Arin. I''d love to say I called to chat, but I''d like to ask for a favor instead."

    One of my brows rose even though Morty couldn''t see it. Out of everything I expected Morty to call about, that was not one of them.

    "What kind of favor are we talking about?" I asked carefully.

    "I heard you''re holding a class at your gym tomorrow. Would it be alright if one of my friends joined? They didn''t get a chance to register because they found out too late."

    My shoulders instantly relaxed. I thought the favor in question was going to involve something much more serious.

    "Of course. I''ll just need a name to give to my receptionists," I agreed.

    I could practically hear Morty smile. "Wonderful! Thanks so much, Arin. The person in question is Miyu Otsuro. She''ll be debuting as a Kimono Girl this summer."

    Ah, a member of the Hachiura Clan. I found my interest piqued long after I ended the short phone call with Morty.

    Members of that Clan were gifted in the cultural arts. Those who gained the recognition of their clan head were elevated to especially high positions, and the most talented ladies formed a group known as the Kimono Girls. They ran the highly renowned Dance Theater over in Ecruteak. Some people traveled thousands of miles simply to see them perform.

    I could attest to the skill of the Kimono Girls. Dad had taken me to see some of their stage productions in my childhood, and those ended up being some of my best memories.

    Considering that this particular generation of Kimono Girls seemed to be widely praised, it made me curious about them.

    I shot a quick text message to Lance while I had my phone out. It had been on my mind all day after hiring Will and by extension Hana, but I''d taken two Conference winners under my wing. It was bound to get a lot of attention and heads turning my way considering one of them, Will, was aiming for an Elite Four position someday.

    I didn''t want Lance to think I was cooking up some elaborate scheme against him and his people.

    Once I was done going over things to do tomorrow, I rejoined the party. Groups had switched up as people mingled and talked with each other. Luca was muttering by himself in a corner, so I went up and joined him.

    "What are you doing?" I asked, peering over his shoulder. Luca swung his head up.

    "I was thinking about the class tomorrow," he admitted. With shining eyes, he held up his phone to me and started scrolling through a list of notes he''d made. "What do you think about broadcasting it live on the Gym''s Poketube channel? Once you host more classes, we can make a playlist of lectures that people can refer back to."

    My own eyes lit up from the suggestion. "That''s great. It''d be like an online academy series."

    "Exactly!" Luca grinned, snapping his fingers.

    He rambled on about other ideas he had. It was great to see that he was so enthusiastic about what would be his first day on the job, and I followed his steady stream of rambling as best as possible.

    At least, I did¡­ up until I caught sight of movement in my peripheral vision. My gaze flickered downwards.

    My eyes subsequently widened.

    "Luca."

    He didn''t hear and chattered on.

    "On my own channel, some unboxing videos would be neat¡ª"

    "Luca¡ª"

    "¡ªand we could show off the gym merch that people can buy¡ª"

    "Oh, for the love of Articuno," I muttered.

    I grabbed Luca''s shoulders to get his attention. The overly enthusiastic guy finally stopped talking and stared at me with wide eyes.

    "Something wrong?" he asked.

    I let go of his shoulders, stepped back, and pointed at his chest. Luca''s head rolled forward as he followed my gaze. It was now he finally saw what I had noticed much earlier.

    His Igglybuff Egg was shaking.

    Luca literally froze in place. Together, we watched in silence as the pink Egg in his incubator started to shake more and more wildly.

    Then¡ª

    "The Egg¡ª but I¡ª my observation diary¡ª it''s too soon!" Luca cried out in fragmented phrases. The sheer panic in his voice caught the attention of everyone else, and the room fell into silence as Luca waved his arms around. He looked on the verge of collapsing. "Oh my Arceus, the Egg! What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!"

    I slapped a hand on his shoulder again to ground him back to reality. He jolted from the contact.

    "Luca, everything is going to be fine," I told him in a calm voice, almost as if I was talking to a lost child. "Relax. Remember, you''ve been ready for this."

    I waited until I got a shaky nod from him, then I lifted my hand and started barking out orders to the rest of the team.

    The party was put on hold as everyone ran around to get things ready. Murata and Hazel dragged an empty table over, and Yurie covered it with clean towels she grabbed from a nearby cupboard.

    Luca''s hands were trembling as he awkwardly ripped off towels and protective padding stuffed around his incubator. He flipped open the lid and pulled out the Igglybuff Egg, carrying it over as if it was made of glass. The Egg''s shaking motions intensified the moment Luca put it down on the table.

    Yep, this baby was going to hatch any minute now.

    "Alright, we''re going to make ourselves scarce now," I informed everyone.

    Luca looked at me as if he really didn''t want to be alone right now, but he was on his own. The imprinting process was important for trainers and their newborn Pokemon. Together with the others, we hid ourselves behind the counters in the back and peeked over the surfaces.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Holy flying Moltres. This was really happening.

    Luca had been soaring high on cloud nine after joining the Cherrygrove Gym ¡ª a dream come true! ¡ª but the moment he saw his Igglybuff Egg shaking wildly, his heart plummeted straight to his stomach.

    He had just enough reasoning left in him to set up his phone nearby for a video recording, but now he stood in front of the shaking Egg with a tense posture.

    Oh Arceus. Arin was wrong, so very wrong. He wasn''t ready for this. He wasn''t ready to actually take care of a living, breathing Pokemon¡ª

    "Eep!"

    A startled sound left his lips when the Egg cracked. A shard went flying through the air with surprising force and landed somewhere on the floor, but Luca didn''t dare take his eyes off the Egg.

    Right now, the Igglybuff inside was struggling to make its way out into the world. His hands twitched at his sides, and he had to fight the urge to help the baby break free. All the guidebooks he''d read said the same thing: to let the Pokemon inside be. Only in rare and dire situations should an outside force intervene in the hatching process.

    So, with a bottomless pit of anxiety, Luca watched as more cracks gradually appeared across the surface of the Egg. Pieces of it peeled off and fell onto the toweled surface below. Enough cracks formed that a whole chunk of the shell dropped, and Luca''s heart flew into his mouth when he saw a flash of pink moving inside.

    There was a moment of silence as the Egg stopped shaking.

    Then the top shell of the Egg burst open with a particularly loud crack, and a round tuft of hair was made visible. The Egg wobbled as the Pokemon inside stumbled around. With an almost unceremonious thud, the half-broken Egg rolled forward.

    A Pokemon slowly crawled out of the hole and onto the table with its stubby limbs.

    It was tiny. So tiny, in fact, that it could have fit in the palm of just one hand. The newly born Pokemon''s pink fur was wrinkly and matted with fluids from the Egg, so it didn''t look very cute at all.

    The baby eventually stopped crawling. Whether it was by instinct or not, it looked up and gazed right at Luca.

    The moment its crimson eyes found Luca''s, the boy knew he was a goner. All his anxieties seemed to melt away in an instant.

    This was an Igglybuff. His Igglybuff.

    He really couldn''t help it.

    He cried.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    We gave Luca about ten minutes of alone time with his brand new Pokemon, and then I slowly allowed people to go up to the pair.

    It turned out that wasn''t unnecessary. The newly born Igglybuff wasn''t afraid of crowds or new faces at all. In fact, it was one of the friendliest baby Pokemon I''d ever seen in my life.

    It wasn''t strong enough to do more than crawl around, but it was constantly smiling and making adorable laughs that sounded more like hiccups. Every time someone or something new of interest entered its line of vision, the Igglybuff waved its stubby arms around in delight and tried to get closer.

    Most amusing of all, it wanted to play with Luca''s phone. Perhaps it already knew what the object was.

    There was no doubt it had taken after its caretaker.

    I ruffled Luca''s hair while he sniffled into a tissue. He blubbered out something that sounded like a thank you as everyone congratulated him and complimented the baby Pokemon. Will was surprisingly very quiet, but he looked on from afar with a soft smile.

    Praise eventually devolved into competitive bickering as my gym trainers talked about whose Egg was going to hatch next. I briefly called in my Audino so she could check over the baby Pokemon.

    The Igglybuff was healthy. Audi also determined the gender, and it was a boy.

    "I''m going to wait until this little guy''s older before I ask about a name," Luca announced. He was practically glowing from happiness as he let Igglybuff play with his finger.

    I patted him on the back. "Good decision."

    The party kicked up a notch after the surprise Egg hatching. Everyone was full of cheer as they talked to each other. The birth of a new Pokemon was always something to celebrate. After answering what seemed like a marathon of questions from Luca regarding how to care for his newly born Pokemon, I was the first to call it a night.

    There was a smile on my face as I slipped out of the dining hall. Behind me, laughter echoed.

    The Cherrygrove Gym was going to take off from here.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Nowadays, it felt like Lance practically lived in his office.

    Let it not be said that Champions had easy jobs. They weren''t just there to sit pretty and intimidate people with their prowess as trainers, but to fill out endless paperwork regarding budgets, plans of action, and the country''s state of affairs. Lance also happened to be a Champion in charge of not just one but two different regions.

    He''d signed up for this and sworn his life to the country, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t get tired of it all at times. He needed to get paid more for this. He wasn''t thinking about extra money. No, he was thinking about more vacation days. The moment things were finally back to normal, Lance swore he was going to take a break in Alola¡­ permitting its leaders allowed him entry onto their sacred islands.

    It would make the headache known as Team Rocket worth it.

    The dark circles under his eyes had faded some. At the insistence of Arin, his Elite Four, and other government aides, Lance had finally gotten some much needed sleep the night before. Unfortunately, he was not going to be able to do the same tonight.

    League forces were spread out around the country looking for Rocket bases. Thanks to Agent Echo, they at least had some areas of interest to work off of for the time being. It should have put Lance more at ease; instead, it made him more anxious.

    He hoped there weren''t any other nasty surprises in store from the Rockets.

    Lance carelessly tossed a pen across the table and threw his head back, leaning into his chair. His eyes stared almost vacantly at the ceiling above. Maybe he could go out and participate in search efforts¡­ it would boost the morale of their forces, and it would also finally let him escape his office.

    Lance felt his phone buzz from his pocket. Without glancing away from the ceiling, he fished it out and held it up to his face.

    His face brightened in curiosity. He had a message from Arin.

    More than eager to extend his paperwork break, Lance let his fingers fly across the screen as he pulled up said message from his friend. He expected something like ''are you getting enough sleep'' or a simple ''how are you.''

    What he did not expect was a long-winded message from Arin explaining his newest gym trainer hires. Lance blinked a few times as he read the whole thing.

    The simplified version was that Arin had hired Will Itsuki and Hana Eldbeth for the sake of the Cherrygrove Gym, and not because he was trying to use them to take over the League or anything. He even asked Lance if he was okay with it all.

    Lance sent back a little thumbs up emoji without thinking too hard about it.

    "Good for him," Lance muttered to himself. "Extra labor is always helpful."

    Arceus knew he needed more of it around the League¡ª

    Lance froze.

    Wait a damn second.

    He nearly hit himself with his own phone as he swung it back up to his face, peering at the names listed there. Will Itsuki and Hana Eldbeth? Wasn''t Will the guy who had challenged Bruno some years ago and Hana the winner of this year''s Silver Conference?

    Lance went to the Cherrygrove Gym''s website just to double check. Lo and behold, the staff members section was already updated with the new hires. The pictures of Will and Hana only reaffirmed what Lance had just learned. He definitely remembered seeing that masked guy before.

    So¡­ Arin had hired not one but two different Conference winners?

    It wasn''t easy to recruit such people to begin with. Almost all high ranking Conference-goers either got scouted and snatched up by the League first, or they continued their Circuit careers for as long as possible.

    Lance''s brows flew up to his hairline. Now that he was aware of this information, it wasn''t like he minded. Lance liked to think he was good at understanding people, and Arin didn''t seem to be the scheming type. The fact that the Cherrygrove Gym Leader had personally reached out to him to explain himself helped.

    Lance knew his Elite Four wouldn''t care either. Bruno had never cared for politics in the first place (as much as that aggravated Lance at times), and the other three would be indifferent about it. They all understood very well that they had to hold onto their positions with their own strength. Otherwise, how could they call themselves members of the Elite Four?

    The problem was the rest of the political world.

    Some people or¡­ groups of people would perceive the situation in a different light. They would take it as Arin purposely hiring and training Elite Four challengers to successfully win against the current members and take over their spots. They''d see it as him trying to gain more influence within the Indigo League.

    Lance shrugged to himself, picking up his pen once more. He didn''t have enough brainpower to think about this right now.

    "I need to station more forces at Mt. Moon¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    I rose at an ungodly hour to my phone alarm. It was four in the morning.

    It was only after I accepted Chuck''s invitation to train with him that I learned of his daily routine. He rose well before dawn to workout.

    I typically got up early, but this¡­ this was insanity. Thank Arceus I''d slept early last night.

    Sighing, I forced myself out of bed and got ready. Vel sleepily groomed himself while I threw on some workout clothes. From the closet, I dragged out a duffel bag and started stuffing things inside it. A spare change of clothes and shoes for later, hand wraps, sports bottle, towels, toiletries¡­

    All necessities were tucked into the bag when my phone screen lit up. I tried not to yawn as I snagged it off the table and checked the notification.

    Wallace had sent me a vacation picture. Specifically, he had sent me a selfie of him and Winona holding up their intertwined hands for the camera. They looked like the happiest damn couple in the world, and it was obvious why.

    Sunlight glinted off two silver bands around their fingers. Both rings had stunning gemstones as well as delicate feathers and waves surrounding said stones.

    Wallace had proposed like he said he would.

    All sense of fatigue left me. I whooped loudly then slapped a hand over my mouth.

    Oops.

    Thankfully, the house remained silent. Dad hadn''t woken up. A huge smile crossed my face as I hurriedly typed a long and sincere congratulatory message for my friends. Wallace texted back instantly. The wedding was going to be held next summer, and I was invited a whole year in advance.

    There was a spring in my step as I headed downstairs and out to the backyard. Two of my friends were finally going to tie the knot in a year''s time. There was a part of me that wanted to check if the couple had made the news public yet, but I already knew how crazy the online reaction was going to be.

    So many good things were happening one after another.

    I was still smiling when I climbed on Zuri''s back and sped off to the other side of the country.

    We took it slow. The skies were swathed in streaks of faded amber and brilliant orange amidst an impossibly deep canvas. Forests and expanses of sea rolled past below, but I only cared about the feeling of the wind against my skin. I was starting to begrudge Chuck less and less for this morning workout invitation.

    There was something magical about being up this early, right when the world was just barely awakening from its own slumber.

    Before long, the Port of Crashing Waves entered my line of vision.

    Even this early in the morning, there were sailors and fishermen making preparations for the day ahead. The docks were full of people walking and moving cargo around. In the distance, uneven rows of buildings with blue-shingled roofs bled into one another. They became increasingly older-looking the further into the city we went. The houses closest to the sea were well-worn and spoke of the passage of time, of salty sea air and sand gradually chipping away at human dwellings.

    Cianwood wasn''t as large or popular of a port city as Olivine, but it had its own idyllic charm. Lots of older folks retired here to live out their days by the sea.

    It didn''t take long for me and my Pokemon to find the Cianwood Gym. It was located in a secluded part of the city by the far shores. Similar to the Blackthorn Gym, it resembled a gigantic dojo. The only difference was that Chuck''s Gym was much more colorful. The building paid homage to its city with beautiful blue tiles and statues of fishermen and Pokemon working together.

    Contrary to my expectations, however, Chuck was not waiting for me outside the Gym. The lights weren''t on. Mystified, I had Zuri fly around a bit.

    It turned out Chuck and his Pokemon were meditating by the beach.

    I hopped off Zuri''s back a fair distance away, careful to not interrupt. It didn''t matter. Chuck seemed to know I was there because his eyes flew open.

    "Morning!" he shouted happily from across the beach. "Thanks for coming!"

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Wow, this early in the morning, and he was somehow as loud as ever. I walked over to him with Zuri trudging after me. Chuck got up from his sitting position and grasped my hand in a hearty handshake once I was within distance. Behind him, over a dozen Fighting type Pokemon looked at me with interest.

    "So, how are we doing this?" I asked with a grin. Now that I was actually here, I felt a little more excited.

    Judging by the uncontrollable grin on Chuck''s face, he felt the same. "My Pokemon and I like to start things off with a morning jog on the beach. Gets our blood pumping, you know? We can spar at the Gym after."

    "I''m down."

    I instantly dumped my duffel bag on the sand. All the Pokemon I had on hand were released from their capsules. My Water and Flying types ¡ª excluding Zuzu ¡ª went off to swim and take flight respectively. Zuzu was too busy sizing up Chuck''s Poliwrath. After the rest of my team ran through self-introductions with the strangers, we started going through some stretching exercises as a group. Chuck and his own team followed our examples.

    We took off across the sand once we were done.

    Chuck and his Pokemon were like a well-oiled machine. They moved perfectly in sync with each other as they ran, maintaining a neat formation in the process. It was befitting of a disciplined Fighting Specialist and his team. Even a random observer would be able to identify their strong bonds right away.

    Compared to them, my Pokemon moved in a more disorderly bunch. Some of them were actively trying to gain an edge over the others, but that didn''t mean they weren''t taking this warmup seriously. That was just how they rolled. We were a very chaotic family all things considered.

    I simply focused on drawing breaths in one after another. Almost without realizing it, I timed my breaths with the rhythmic lull of the waves lapping against the shore. The air smelled strongly of salt, but I didn''t dislike it.

    I could see why Chuck liked training this early in the day. Aside from occasional murmurs from the sea, it was so quiet that it felt like we were the only living beings in the world.

    When we finished running, we went through cooldown stretches. I drank a few greedy mouthfuls of water then snatched my duffel bag up, following Chuck to the Cianwood Gym.

    Lights were flipped on one after another as we stepped inside. Chuck led us to a training hall near the back that was lined entirely with tatami. Almost immediately, our teams split up from us to spar with each other. Chuck and I didn''t get started right away. We stood in place for a few moments to observe our Pokemon instead.

    Zuzu and Poliwrath had already bowed to each other and thrown themselves into an intense fight.

    My Azumarill specialized in close combat. She''d learned from a variety of Water and Fighting masters over the years and added depth to her techniques, but Chuck''s Poliwrath was more than able to hold its ground. They traded heavy blows one after another, slipped out of chokeholds, and then proceeded to do it all over again.

    Chuck wore a pleased expression when he turned to me.

    "This is great!" he guffawed, throwing his head back. "I was starting to think I''d have to ask Bruno if he wanted to spar. My Pokemon were getting tired of training with themselves and our gym trainers."

    "I get that," I replied, placing my duffel bag by the wall. My shirt was pulled off over my head and put aside. From my bag, I started pulling out the wraps I''d brought and placing them around my hands instead. I only paused briefly to shoot a grin over my shoulder. "Thanks for the invite."

    "Don''t go thanking me yet," Chuck warned. There was a devious glint to his eyes as he smashed his fists together. "You might be leaving this training hall today feeling very bruised."

    I met his smirk with one of my own as I got up, hands now finally wrapped. "I''d say go easy on me, but please don''t."

    Instead of getting right into sparring, Chuck ran me through some questions first to see where my fighting experience was at. I knew a few different martial arts from joining Zuzu''s lessons with masters over the years, but only the meager basics. It didn''t help that I was extremely rusty. Any time I''d been involved with criminals over the years, my Pokemon were all the protection I needed.

    "You know what?" Chuck declared after I finished running him through what I knew. He stared at me with a thoughtful expression. "Forget anything remotely fancy today. I think what we should focus on first is self-defense. I''ll teach you how to defend yourself against thugs."

    And by ''thugs,'' he and I both knew he was talking about Rockets. I was quick to voice my approval. Things picked up from there.

    "Knees bent. Eyes level. Raise your fists and keep your elbows close to you," Chuck told me in a firm voice.

    I followed his instructions and assumed the basic fighting stance he was asking for.

    "Good. Always be aware of the space around you¡­"

    I learned very quickly that Chuck was a good teacher.

    He patiently guided me through scenarios like getting out of various holds or how to defend myself against a group. And to put those scenarios into action, he and his Pokemon played the roles of attacking Rockets once I''d gotten some practice in.

    Convincingly, I might add.

    Shouts and thuds continuously filled the hall. At some point, we moved on from self-defense to traditional sparring instead. I couldn''t count the number of times my back hit the floor.

    One hour later, Chuck called a halt to the training session in a loud, commanding voice. All of his Pokemon instantly stopped what they were doing. As for me¡­

    A groan left my mouth. I was sprawled out on the tatami mat and trying to catch my breath. My torso felt sore from Chuck tackling me to the ground, and my arms were bruised from fending off the ensuing punches. My legs weren''t doing much better. Chuck had swept my legs out from under me without mercy more than a few times. Any stances I tried to put myself in were instantly broken.

    I opened my eyes to see an outstretched hand full of calluses. Chuck grinned.

    "You did good, Arin," he praised as he pulled me up. I rolled my neck with a wince. "I''m surprised you were able to keep up."

    "I might not spar often, but I do make a point to regularly exercise at least."

    "That''s good. As for today''s self-defense lessons¡­ I hope you''ll never have a situation where they come in handy."

    There was a moment of silence between us as his words sank in. I hoped Chuck was right. Higher-level trainers were typically pretty safe with their Pokemon to protect them, but one never knew.

    As if to dispel the sudden mood we''d found ourselves in, Chuck slapped me heartily on the back. He gestured to sliding doors on the other side of the room.

    "We''ve got showers through those doors and down the hall if you''d like to use them."

    He headed off first while I guzzled down water. Then I picked up my duffel bag and headed off.

    The showers Chuck spoke of were huge. There were so many cubicles that it made me wonder exactly how many gym trainers or disciples Chuck had under his command. Once I was done washing up, I slipped on my usual formalwear and returned to the training hall.

    Chuck seemed to be herding all of our Pokemon somewhere. He caught my questioning gaze with a smile.

    "Come, come. There''s something I''d like you to see before you head home," he urged.

    That ''something'' turned out to be the sunrise.

    A blinding glow had enveloped the horizon sometime during our training. Together, we all stood by the beach and cast our gazes out to sea.

    I was still a biased Cherrygrove local. Right now, though, as I inhaled the crisp sea breeze and traced the glittering waves with my eyes, I had to admit the view was beautiful.

    "I''ve been a bit stressed lately. When meditation doesn''t cut it, I come out here to relax around this time," Chuck confessed in a quiet voice. It didn''t match my usual boisterous image of him.

    "Because of the Rockets?" I asked.

    Chuck nodded glumly, confirming my suspicions.

    "Because of the Rockets," he echoed. "I almost feel more on edge now compared to fifteen years ago. They''re not¡­ doing anything in public. I would have expected them to cause more of a commotion by now."

    He wasn''t wrong. I felt the same way. For an organization that seemed intent on terrifying Indigo, they''d stuck to the shadows thus far.

    "Maybe we''re putting enough pressure on them," I murmured, eyes glued to the sun rising in the distance.

    "I hope so."

    Chuck and I talked a little more. Apparently Looker and his associates had dropped by yesterday for a quick chat. They were leading urban investigations to see if Rockets were hiding in any towns or cities, and Bruno was their temporary escort.

    An image of the muscular man as a silent, menacing bodyguard popped up in my head. My frame shook with silent laughter.

    "They seemed reliable," Chuck commented. "Apparently they''ve visited a few other Gym Leaders already. You might see them around Cherrygrove soon if you haven''t already."

    I hummed in response. I wasn''t going to be unhappy if they did. Having another set of eyes and ears scoping my city for suspicious activity was great if anything.

    It was approaching half past six by the time I waved goodbye to Chuck, but only after promising I would come back again to train. My Pokemon and I were more than happy to return in the future. I even thought about bringing my gym trainers with me.

    Right after Zuri shot into the skies, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision and nudged her in a different direction instead.

    We departed from the Port of Crashing Waves not for home but the Port with Sea Breezes instead.

    What we saw first was not the city but its pride and joy: the Olivine Lighthouse. It was quite literally a shining beacon that guided us closer to the harbor. Waves battered weathered paint and craggy rocks at the base of the massive structure. As we drew closer to the city beyond, I inhaled deeply.

    If I''d thought the salty sea breeze was thick in Cianwood, it practically threatened to invade my nostrils here.

    The smell lingered long after we passed the docks. Warehouses flew by below and were replaced by neighborhoods packed full of old houses and street vendors. There was no rhyme or reason to their architecture and layout, only a sense of history and vibrant life.

    This was Johto''s largest port city, Olivine.

    I guided Zuri towards our destination. The Olivine Gym was a sleek, modern building with two towers shaped like miniature lighthouses. I had to tear my gaze away from the rooftop lest I get blinded by the startling reflection of light. Rows of solar panels were installed there. Apparently, Jasmine had been very inspired by her visit to Sunyshore City some years back.

    I wasn''t here for any important business. Since Olivine happened to be next door to Cianwood, I thought I''d stop by and say hi to a friend before heading home.

    Unfortunately, my visit was for nothing.

    A few gym trainers getting ready to open the gym gave me the bad news. Jasmine was out in the city talking to the police chief regarding an undisclosed issue. I wondered if there were more troubles at the docks she had to deal with.

    On that anticlimactic note, Zuri and I left for Cherrygrove.

    The early morning workouts had left me and my Pokemon feeling famished, so we snuck in breakfast before everyone dropped by for work. Hazel was the last to arrive, commuting all the way here from his sister''s place in the city. Morning training did not commence right away. First, I had to introduce the newbies to the Pokemon.

    I''d told Luca he could have the day off to bond with his Igglybuff, but he showed up anyway with a selfie stick in hand. Somehow, I was not surprised to see him in a ridiculous getup again. By that, I meant that he''d replaced the Egg incubator strapped to his chest with an actual baby carrier instead. Igglybuff giggled from its padded confines and waved at me.

    "Can I take pictures and videos of the Pokemon?" Luca asked. He looked like he hadn''t slept a wink, but I didn''t point that out. As soon as I gave him the go-ahead, he walked off excitedly to do his own thing. I heard him talking in an exaggerated baby voice to Igglybuff as he left.

    He was officially a Pokemon dad, alright.

    My older gym trainers were happy to show the new hires around and show off the knowledge they''d learned from me. No incidents occurred, but the Cottonee almost sprayed some weak paralysis powder on unsuspecting heads.

    Hana was the fastest out of the group to notice and tell them off in a quiet yet stern voice.

    I''d never seen the Cottonee apologize so quickly before. Our newest Grass Specialist was already proving to be helpful.

    While we walked around, Felix won over the gym Pokemon with his bright personality. Even Mr. Puff couldn''t stay grumpy in his presence. It was definitely not because Felix complimented him for his screaming. It only got worse when Lico joined and Felix heaped praise onto the Scream Tail as well.

    I had to stop both puffballs from annoying the whole damn forest.

    Will was a hit or miss with the Pokemon. Some, like the Impidimp and Popplio, loved his theatrics. Others regarded him with less than fond feelings. The psychic took it all in stride. To no surprise, he was most interested in the dual Psychic and Fairy types we had. They showed equal interest in him.

    For one thing, the Hatenna line didn''t shy away from him. Will might have had a flamboyant persona, but that didn''t mean his mind was much the same. Like most human psychics or Psychic Specialists, he had a firm grasp over his inner emotions and thoughts. It showed in the way the Hatenna and Hattrem circled him with smiles.

    They weren''t nearly as comfortable with the other gym trainers yet, so I decided to relegate Will as their caretaker for the time being.

    What I found more fascinating was Will and the Galarian Ponyta.

    Felix and Hana were more than happy to go up and introduce themselves, but Will stayed at a distance. It was almost like he was afraid of them.

    "They won''t bite," I commented, stepping into place next to him.

    Will let out a small laugh.

    "I understand," he assured me with a sage nod of his head. "I was merely wondering what they would see."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I read the research paper you and the Professors published," Will explained, but he wasn''t looking at me. He was staring in the direction of the Galarian Ponyta. "It mentioned they can peer into one''s heart. It makes me wonder what mine would look like to them. Do they perceive the heart in colors? Feelings? Shapes?"

    "You won''t know for yourself unless you go near them first," I not so subtly encouraged him.

    Will broke out in a grin, adjusting his cravat with a flourish. "Very well! To quell the curiosity, I must find the answer myself."

    The way he so confidently marched off made it seem like his previous hesitation had never existed in the first place. I watched curiously from a distance as Will stopped before one of the more mature Galarian Ponyta we had.

    Will said something to the horse¡ª what exactly, I had no idea, but the horse bothered to give him the time of day. It stopped grazing and stared curiously into Will''s eyes. He stared back without moving, lips still curled in a smile.

    Seconds passed.

    Eventually, the horse broke the stare off. I smiled when the Ponyta trotted forward, rubbing its mane against Will''s leg. I found myself wondering the same thing Will had. What had his heart looked like to the horse?

    After introductions and morning training, we warped to the Gym and split up to do our respective work. I gave our newest hires a quick tour of the employee areas then ushered them into a meeting room.

    Gym Trainer Life and Fairy 101 time began.

    I ran through the same presentations I''d given my other gym trainers in the past and warned them about future quizzes and tests. Will was the most eager out of the three and shot his hand into the air multiple times to ask questions.

    I wasn''t annoyed. Enthusiasm was preferred over indolence.

    Once we finished, I had Felix and Hana go find Neil for their first group patrol. Will was supposed to go with them, but he stayed behind to inquire about a small issue.

    "Arin, it''s devastating!" he complained with arms raised to the heavens. I raised a brow, but Will had already continued. "I''m having trouble Teleporting inside the gym. I feel like a part of me has been ripped away."

    That was¡­ a bit dramatic, but I nodded slowly. Sometimes it was easy to forget I had a human psychic as part of my staff now.

    "That''s probably because of the Silph Co. anti-Teleport tiles," I explained, and I jerked my head in the direction of the hallway. "Come on. We''ll go speak with our technicians."

    While we walked, I elaborated on the aforementioned tiles for Will''s benefit. Most of them were installed on the Gym''s upper floors that were reserved for staff.

    As useful as Teleportation was, there were obviously security risks that came with it. Indigo also happened to boast a much higher than average number of human psychics compared to other countries in the world.

    With all that being said, Indigo''s most innovative company ¡ª the one and only Silph Co. ¡ª had taken on the task of creating technology to safeguard against Teleportation misuse. Sometime in the last decade, they''d managed to create these useful anti-Teleport tiles that could be installed between walls. A Pokemon just needed to recharge them every few days or so and imbue Dark type energy into their batteries. I didn''t know the fine details of how it worked, but the panels essentially radiated Dark type energy in a wavelength that ejected foreign Teleport attempts from Pokemon and people alike. The panels weren''t as good as living Dark type Pokemon blockades, but they did the job well enough for day-to-day purposes.

    The Silph Company''s other pride and joy, the warp tile, worked very similarly. Pokemon had to occasionally supply it with Psychic type energy.

    Both were also incredibly expensive pieces of technology that had depleted a large chunk of my savings. The Indigo League had at least covered some of it since the Gym fell under their jurisdiction.

    Since Will wanted to Teleport within the Gym, I guided him to the security room. The technicians there had Will sit down and run through some tests like injecting some of his psychic energy into a measuring device. Then they fiddled with the panels connected to anti-Teleport tiles around the building and added Will''s psychic signature to the list of approved entities. The tiles would register any Teleports he tried from now on and let his attempts go through.

    No sooner had the procedure finished did Will Teleport to my left, my right, and then back again in front of me.

    "Ah, much better," he sighed, and he bowed to the employees who had helped him. "Thank you, good sirs, for your troubles! Much appreciated."

    I refrained from rolling my eyes in amusement. It was one thing after another with Will.

    "Do try to keep it to a minimum, please. Exercise does wonders."

    Will cackled.

    "But of course!"

    Somehow, I got the sense we were going to see a lot of Teleport shenanigans in the future.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    The doors to the battle hall were wide open. A steady stream of people trickled in with their partner Pokemon and gathered on the field. From one side to the other, I saw local Fairies like Jigglypuff or non-Fairy types like Teddiursa and Hoppip. Amusingly enough, over half the people here had an Eevee with them. I wondered how many of them were Coordinators and how many were actually Trainers.

    Silently, I stood at the front of the ever-growing crowd with an offline mic attached to my shirt''s collar and a full stomach from lunch.

    The Cherrygrove Gym''s first class would soon be in session.

    Since this was a practical class, I kept the online signups open to a limited number of spots. Having too many participants would make it difficult to spend enough time helping each person. On the bright side of things, Luca was stationed nearby with a camera to record the class once it started. People who weren''t able to be here and receive help in person could at least listen to the advice I had to offer.

    All my gym trainers were in attendance. Excluding the more inexperienced people like Haru and Souta who wanted any extra training they could get, the others were here for support.

    Felix was the most excited of all. Instead of standing off to the side, he and his Eevee were standing right in front of me in the first row. I could see their whole bodies shaking with impatience.

    I was still waiting for our guest to show up¡ª ah, was that her?

    A teenager walked through the doors and headed towards me with slow yet dignified steps. She looked no older than sixteen or seventeen at most. Long brown hair fell in waves down her back, and she had large, doe-like eyes. A charming beauty by conventional standards. Even though she wore a casual summer outfit instead of a kimono, I knew this was the girl Morty had asked me to look out for. The symbol of her Clan was printed on a corner of her shirt.

    Miyu Otsuro of the Hachiura Clan.

    An Eevee walked gracefully by her side. I wasn''t surprised to see it. The Hachiura Clan, and more specifically its members who wanted to join the Kimono Girl troupe, typically received an Eevee from the clan head to raise. Judging from the immaculate fur on Miyu''s Eevee, she obviously took care of it very well.

    For some reason, she was carrying a heavy-looking box wrapped in silk. I walked over to relieve it from her since it seemed like she was struggling, and she offered a small but genuine smile.

    "My apologies, Leader Arin. Thank you for the assistance," she said, and she dipped forward in a deep and courteous bow. "I am Miyu Otsuro of the Hachiura Clan. Please accept my utmost gratitude for allowing me to join this class today. I wish I could have registered properly like everyone else."

    "It''s fine, a friend of Morty''s is a friend of mine," I waved off her concerns with my free hand and began to walk. Miyu''s overly formal manner of speech reminded me of Janine''s.

    Miyu didn''t say anything, but the sound of footsteps told me she was following closely.

    "I''m assuming your Eevee wants to be a Sylveon, then?" I asked, breaking the silence.

    "Yes," came Miyu''s polite voice from behind me. I thought I sensed some enthusiasm leaking out. "She is eager to catch up with her littermates, and I wish to join my sisters and cousins at the theater. A Sylveon''s beauty appeals greatly to her."

    I echoed a polite good luck as we reached the front row. I set Miyu''s mystery box off to the side for now since we both didn''t want that to get in the way of class. She took a spot by Felix''s right, and I swore I saw sparks go off the instant their eyes met.

    Not in the good way either.

    Blazing fire had met cool ice.

    They stared first, then they looked at each other''s Eevee. It seemed like they were sizing each other up. Hell, even their Eevee were inspecting each other carefully. Maybe it was their pride as Eevee owners that had stoked this sudden rivalry? I heard Felix and Miyu conversing in low voices, but the only thing I could make out clearly was one phrase said in unison.

    "My Eevee will evolve first."

    I ignored the sudden chill I felt from the first row and watched the doors instead. More people filtered in.

    Five minutes later, a receptionist appeared at the entrance and closed the doors. That meant everyone was here. The moment Luca turned the camera on, my mic piece went live. I clapped my hands together with a smile. All whispers in the crowd died away instantly.

    "Welcome, everyone, to the Cherrygrove Gym. Today, I''ll be helping your Pokemon learn basic Fairy type moves," I said, making sure to speak clearly. "A recording of this class will be uploaded to the Gym''s Poketube channel at a later time. Otherwise, feel free to take notes as I talk. We''ll start with a lecture, then a demonstration, then practice. Any questions before we begin?"

    Even before I finished speaking, I saw people pulling out notepads and pens. Felix and Miyu were the first among them to whip out said items. Some people even took out phones or familiar red devices ¡ª Pokedexes ¡ª and turned on their recording functions.

    They watched me with bated breath.

    I smiled, folding my hands behind my back.

    "Then let''s begin. Before we dive into the world of Fairies, I''d like to discuss type energy in general. Would anyone like to share their thoughts?"

    I waited a few seconds and looked around the room. Silence followed. Either no one had a coherent thought, or they weren''t brave enough to speak up. I was sure none of them had expected this kind of philosophical thinking to come up during today''s class, but this was important for the points I needed to get across later.

    "How about Aura? Does anyone know anything about that?"

    This one was trickier, so I wasn''t surprised when no one answered again.

    "It is not something that ordinary humans can physically see or control, but Aura dwells in every living being, both people and Pokemon alike. An innate spiritual energy. Essentially, it''s our life force," I explained.

    "Type energy, on the other hand, is a separate energy. You can consider it as a type of elemental force that coexists with the Aura inside Pokemon. Some type energy naturally dwells within Pokemon like Fire within Charmander. It can also be gathered from the world around us. From there, that energy can be condensed and expelled in the form of what we know as moves."

    As I paused to take a breath, someone raised their hand in the air near the back. I pointed at them silently. It was only then that I realized it was the boy from the Pokemon Center, the one who had asked me about classes. He looked as nervous as he had back then.

    "U-Um¡­" he stammered. He cringed a little at the sound of his own trembling voice. "If type energy coexists with Aura, does that mean all Pokemon can use Aura, too?"

    I smiled encouragingly. A question like this one was what I loved hearing. It meant people were genuinely interested and wanting to learn.

    "Good question," I praised before continuing. "Not all Pokemon can use Aura."

    A sea of confused faces looked back at me. I held up a hand to placate them, still with a knowing smile on my face.

    I tapped my wrist. "Being able to manipulate and wield life energy itself in its purest, wildest form¡­ that is what would make a human or a Pokemon an Aura user. This is limited only to a scant number of humans and certain Pokemon species who possess the sensitivity and capability for that," I explained.

    I didn''t need to state it out loud, but I was sure people were probably thinking of Lucario right now. That was the Pokemon people were most familiar with when the word Aura came up. Aura in its purest form was too lethal to use in traditional matches. Typically, Pokemon like Lucario diluted it with Fighting type energy or other forms to mold it for sports.

    "So now we get to the crux of today''s class: Fairy type energy. How can your Pokemon learn it?"

    People leaned in. This was what they really came here for.

    "For any type energy, it''s important to visualize and understand the concept behind them. Some elements like Grass or Water are easier to learn. Pokemon can draw in energy from the physical world around them, or they already have some of that energy dwelling within them from the start."

    I raised a hand in front of my face and clenched it.

    "Fairy type energy is a little trickier. It''s about belief. Within the context of just learning a basic Fairy type move, your Pokemon needs to believe they are capable of accomplishing it. Sounds incredibly simple, right?" I asked, smiling.

    Hesitant nods came from my audience. I tapped the side of my head with a finger.

    "Well, it extends a lot further than that. You''re not just believing that you can do a Fairy Wind or a Baby-Doll Eyes, you''re believing them INTO reality¡­ You''re giving that thing you dream of a real and tangible form. Your belief becomes the truth that you see with your eyes. If your conviction isn''t strong enough, nothing will change."

    I started gesturing in the cardinal directions.

    "Your Pokemon can feel the world around them. The moon, the stars, all the nature and land around us¡ª all of it''s technically rooted in belief, too. Stories and words give rise to meaning, power¡­ belief."

    I gestured to the Pokemon standing next to me. Vel waved a ribbon in greeting.

    "Before we go any further, I''ll have my Pokemon physically manifest Fairy type energy and share the feeling with your Pokemon. No two Fairy Pokemon will ever remotely believe the same way, but it will help your Pokemon get a sense of what the energy should feel like," I told them.

    That was Vel''s cue. Silently, the Sylveon sat in place and stared at the crowd in front of us. He didn''t seem like it, but I knew he was focusing intently.

    Above his head, a familiar sight unfolded. Strands of moonlight Weaved themselves into a brilliant orb. Vel let it expand to a moderately large size. Once he was satisfied, he let the orb unravel. Sparkling dust flew forward and washed over the waiting crowd. More than a few people gasped, but they needn''t have worried.

    It was harmless. Soothing, if I really wanted to be technical.

    I saw people and Pokemon alike closing their eyes as the dust melted against their skin like snowflakes. The trainers wouldn''t be able to feel anything at this stage, but their Pokemon?

    Right now, a temporary surge of power was welling up in their bones. They probably felt like they could do anything right now, like they''d been given wings and could take flight¡­ like they weren''t meant for this world but something greater.

    I let them take it in for a few seconds before nodding.

    "Before we move onto practice, I''ll open up the floor to questions. Are there any?"

    Two people raised their hands at the same time. Felix and Miyu.

    "How does an Eevee evolve into a Sylveon?" Felix asked. Miyu lowered her arm, so I could only assume she had the same question. "In the research paper on Fairies, it was only written that an Eevee needs to have a close bond with their trainer and an understanding of how to control Fairy type energy."

    As I looked around the room, I was reminded once again that the majority of the people in this class today had brought an Eevee with them.

    Eevee was a Pokemon species with an irregular genetic structure, one that allowed it to evolve into different forms depending on the kind of type energy it became familiar with. It wasn''t just enough to give it a Fire or Thunder Stone without any training, they had to familiarize themselves with the element first.

    "That''s correct. A strong bond between trainer and Pokemon is the first step," I answered. "It''s also true that Eevee needs to have an understanding of the element it ultimately wants to align itself with. For a Pokemon with such a unique genetic makeup, a sense of identity is especially important if they want to become a Sylveon."

    I stared back at the enthralled crowd.

    "Your Eevee is going to have to ask themselves who they are and what they believe in. What drives them in life, and what do they hope to accomplish? What is their place in the world? What makes them them?" I said slowly. "Simple and short-term goals like wanting to earn a gym badge will only be fuel for the present. Your Pokemon has to really look into themselves and begin to find their core beliefs. Only after they''ve gained that sense of identity will they be ready to evolve."

    I saw more than a few people adopt contemplative expressions across the room. Felix and Miyu looked particularly deep in thought, though they also looked troubled.

    "Thank you," Felix finally murmured with a dip of his head.

    He fell silent. I waited to see if anyone else had questions, but there were none. It seemed like people were more eager to start practicing instead.

    "Then we can begin practice. Visualization is going to be just as important as believing when it comes to manifesting these moves into reality. Let''s group up by moves. For people who want to learn Fairy Wind, move here¡­"

    The hall became full of movement as people and Pokemon shuffled around to different corners. There were groups for Fairy Wind, Disarming Voice, Charm, and Baby-Doll Eyes.

    Predictably, the latter had the most participants.

    For each group, I started things off by giving them starting guides for the move they wanted to learn.

    "Alright, Baby-Doll Eyes," I said, and I clapped my hands together. My mic piece was off. Dozens of people stared back at me, most of them with an Eevee at their side. Felix and Miyu were in this group. "Like the move suggests, your Pokemon will need to focus Fairy type energy into their eyes. It''s not just about looking cute. You are cute. Believe it. That is the reality you give your opponents and how you''ll be perceived in their mind."

    The next hour and a half was spent walking back and forth between groups. I spent at least a couple minutes with each pair to check their progress. If anyone had trouble, I had Vel either demonstrate the move or wrap a ribbon around them to help guide the flow of energy inside. Two of my gym trainers, Souta and Haru, were actually helping demonstrate Charm to the students of that group while getting practice of their own. Their Snubbull and Azurill looked like they were having fun.

    The concept behind Fairy type energy was a little more abstract compared to other elements, so I wasn''t surprised that everyone had trouble at first.

    Well¡­ almost everyone.

    About thirty minutes into the practice session, shocked gasps rippled across the room while I was helping a trainer''s Hoppip. When I wandered over to see what the commotion was, I found a group of envious trainers around Felix and Miyu.

    Their Eevee were busy charming some of the other Pokemon with innocent, wide-eyed smiles and eyes positively dripping with Fairy type energy.

    I wouldn''t say they were flawless Baby-Doll Eyes, but they were pretty damn good attempts.

    I''d expected no less from Felix and his Eevee considering they had so much experience with TM moves. They were familiar with working with different type energies already. As for Miyu and her Eevee, they had probably undergone serious training that was expected of the Hachiura Clan.

    I made sure to praise both pairs for their efforts. I was almost afraid they would ask me to pick a winner out of the two or something, but thankfully, both Felix and Miyu had too much dignity to stoop that low.

    "Do we just keep practicing this?" Felix inquired.

    "How do we proceed to the next step in the evolution process?" Miyu followed up politely, but she did a poor job of hiding the desperation in her voice. Evidently, she really wanted to join the ranks of the Kimono Girls. "I thought perhaps Eevee would be ready to evolve now."

    "This is good, but it''s not enough," I told them in all seriousness. They latched onto every word as I continued. "Like I said before, a strong sense of identity is a crucial part of the evolution process. It''s obvious both of you have strong bonds with your Pokemon already, so you''ve got that part down at least. Keep practicing Baby-Doll Eyes to feel the flow of energy better. Encourage your Pokemon to go through serious self-reflection. Their homework will be to seriously think about who they are and what they want to become."

    Miyu hesitated before speaking. "Beyond just being a Sylveon? Or¡­ wanting to put on shows?"

    "Yes," I said with a firm nod. "Look a little deeper."

    Felix and Miyu went back to having those same troubled expressions I saw earlier. This was not going to be a snap of the fingers revelation, sadly.

    The rest of the session flew by. During that time, more pairs managed to nail the Fairy moves they were working on or some semblance of them at the very least. By the time class drew to a close, I saw more happy faces than disappointed.

    "That''s the end of today''s class. Everyone worked hard," I said into my mic piece, smiling. "No matter if your Pokemon was able to achieve or not achieve the move you worked on today, keep practicing. Keep believing. Your Pokemon can be as strong as they believe themselves to be."

    It was a bit of a cheesy end to the class, but people clapped enthusiastically anyway. At the door, I let people know they could email me for questions or additional help if they didn''t make any progress after today.

    Miyu and Eevee stopped briefly to bow on their way out.

    "Thank you for today''s instruction," Miyu said as she arose. Her Eevee barked cutely, bringing a smile to the girl''s face. "We both have a lot of thinking to do. If you ever come by Ecruteak, please consider visiting the Dance Theater for a show. My Clan and I will offer you the best seats in the house."

    Now that was an offer I couldn''t refuse. I was sure my Pokemon would love seeing them perform, too.

    "Thank you."

    Miyu smiled, bowed one last time, and then turned for the door. I only realized she was forgetting something when she nearly made it out.

    "Wait, Miyu! You forgot your¡ª"

    "Ah, that is for you, Leader Arin," Miyu said politely over her shoulder. "A gift from the Kimono Girl troupe. I thought it best to tell you after the lesson rather than before to avoid any complications."

    With a dainty wave, the girl finally disappeared from sight.

    I let the security guards handle escorting the rest of the class out and walked over to the mystery gift instead. My gym trainers were already crowded around with curious expressions. They leaned in closer when I pulled the silk wrapping off.

    A colorful box full of treats stared back at us.

    "Ooh!" Hazel was the first to react, hurriedly readjusting his glasses before they could slip down his nose from excitement. "These are Lala Dango from Ecruteak! I had these before as a kid. They''re from the oldest dango store in the city. They sell out fast in the mornings."

    Yurie looked like she wanted to wipe away invisible drool from her mouth. "Can we eat them now?"

    Instead of responding verbally, I pulled off the lid.

    Hands went flying as people grabbed sticks of dango. I safely extracted one once the initial food war died down and popped it in my mouth. One, this tasted great, and two¡­ we were missing a few people. When I did a cursory glance around the hall, I saw that Souta and Haru were still on the battlefield. They were busy laughing as their Pokemon practiced Charm on each other. Ah, the joys of friendship and youth.

    "Oi," I called out, drawing out the word with a grin. "We''ve got snacks over here¡ª"

    A startled yell from Haru nearly made me and everyone else drop their dango sticks.

    "What? What? Do we have an intruder?" Neil yelled, running into the hall from the lobby. He''d been on guard duty.

    Nobody answered him. We were all too busy staring at the white light from the center of the field. Haru''s Azurill was bathed in intense light. From where I was, I couldn''t make anything out, but I knew the Pokemon''s form was morphing within the light''s folds.

    When the light faded, Mimi stared down at her new body. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she twirled around energetically. Haru''s jaw dropped to the floor.

    "Mimi¡­ You''re a Marill now," he said faintly. He blinked rapidly as the reality of the situation sank in. He whooped loudly, fist pumping the air. "You evolved! Holy crap!"

    Souta joined him in victory whooping and clapped him on the back. More congratulations came Haru''s way as we all joined the two boys on the field.

    "How did it happen?" I heard Murata ask as we approached.

    "I-I don''t know," Haru admitted in a breathless voice. He waved his hands around in bumbling gestures. "Our Pokemon were just play fighting with each other and then whoa, there was light¡­"

    I chewed my dango, smiling. Sometimes what precipitated an evolution was not a stress-inducing battle but the warmth of friendship and security.

    "We''re celebrating," I announced in a tone that left no room for questioning. I pointed to the doors with my empty dango stick. "Ice cream, pizza, taiyaki¡ª pick whatever you want. It''s on me."

    "Last one to the city is a rotten Exeggcute!" Yurie immediately hollered, and she dashed out the door.

    "Fu¡ª I mean crap!" Hazel amended once he saw Luca glaring at him with hands wrapped around his Igglybuff''s ears. He ran after her.

    Will laughed and threw his hands up.

    "My apologies, everyone, I think I''m winning this," he said in between chortles, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Scandalized gasps rang out as the rest of us followed.

    "CHEATER!"

    "That''s dirty! No Teleporting!"

    I couldn''t help but laugh wildly to myself, joy bubbling in my chest.

    It was just another day at the Cherrygrove Gym.

    Unfortunately, that bubble of ordinary happiness burst sooner than I would have wanted. A call from Lance later that evening had me sitting up straight in my chair.

    "Arin, we need your help at Mt. Moon. Giovanni and Brock have gone missing."

    It seemed my services were needed sooner than expected.

 Chapter 46

    CHAPTER 46

    I shoved the rest of dinner in my mouth, told dad I''d be back later, and then took off on Zuri. The Dragonite understood the urgency of the situation and sped through the skies like a speeding bullet.

    A large portion of Indigo was made up of rocky, mountainous regions. Of those mountains, two names passed people''s lips more frequently than the others.

    I knew of the first very well. Straddling the border between Kanto and Johto, Mount Silver and its Range were endlessly vast and suffocating. They beckoned with silent invitations of death to those who openly looked upon their lofty peaks.

    And now, as Kanto''s arguably most famous landmark came into view, an involuntary shudder ran down my spine. The second name passed through my mind unbidden.

    Mount Moon.

    A lone mountain ¡ª a sleepy, solitary giant ¡ª surged upwards from the ground. Gentle slopes covered with prolific vegetation eventually gave rise to a soft, rounded summit, one that was nearly hidden by wispy clouds. From top to bottom, the entire mountain was draped in evening hues of gold and scarlet.

    Mount Silver smothered people with its intimidating aura. Mount Moon couldn''t have been more different.

    Its quiet, imposing majesty inspired absolute reverence.

    For now, I ripped my gaze away from the mountain''s beguiling beauty and tapped Zuri''s back. She dove towards its base.

    A perimeter had been formed outside one of the mountain''s entrances on Route 3. Some makeshift tents and tables had been set up, but it was mostly groups of uniformed League Trainers and their Pokemon that filled the clearing we headed for. Further down the main road, Rangers were on standby near safety barricades, presumably there to turn back any passing travelers.

    Heads looked up as Zuri landed with a muted thud. I jumped off and recalled her, walking with decisive strides towards the group of people closest to the entrance. To no surprise, Lance was here. He was flanked by Bruno and Lorelei. Across from them were Falkner, Clair, and Looker and his associates.

    They all stood around with stiff postures or troubled expressions. I found myself tensing up as I joined their loose circle and made eye contact with Lance. Greetings were skipped.

    "What''s the situation?" I asked instead.

    An aggravated sigh from Lance preceded any explanation.

    "Following the intel we got from Agent Echo, League forces were deployed around Mount Moon two days ago to search for traces of Rockets," Lance began in a low, urgent voice. His words were rushed. "I had them search the surrounding forests and the mountain slopes first. Nothing was turning up. Naturally, that led us to believe the worst-case scenario¡­ that they''d made a base deep within the mountain itself."

    I grimaced, but Lance continued without pause.

    "There''s no one else who is as familiar with Mt. Moon than Brock, so he went to investigate the inside with two squads of League Trainers. The Waterflower sisters would have gone with them since the mountain is technically part of their jurisdiction, but they''ve been busy searching sea routes," Lance explained. "I asked Giovanni to go with Brock instead as backup. We gave them trackers before they left."

    Lance paused. I already knew what he was going to say next.

    "About ten minutes ago, we lost their locations," Lance admitted, gritting his teeth. "They weren''t too deep inside the mountain yet, so we should have still been able to keep track of them. What''s more, the squad we sent after them went missing, too. Either they''re all lost¡­ or they ran into serious trouble."

    "You want me to go inside and find them," I said slowly.

    It was less of a question and more of a statement.

    "Yes," Lance replied matter-of-factly, but he was frowning. "I''m not going to send any more League Trainers in. I can''t. If we assume Giovanni and Brock got caught up in a fight, and I can only hope they''re still okay, then that enemy was strong enough to take on two Gym Leaders. We need to send in a group capable of facing that unknown threat."

    "That''s where you come in, Leader Arin," Lorelei said, taking over. She gestured between me and Lance. "We''d like you to be a part of the rescue force. Your team''s prowess warrants it. Lance wanted to go in himself, but we told him it''s too risky with so many unknowns. If something happened to the Champion, the country would descend into chaos."

    So they wanted another Champion-level trainer to go in instead. Lance said nothing, but I could see how displeased he was about having to sit around. His eye twitched.

    Now that I had a better understanding of the situation, I offered a curt nod.

    "Then the sooner we leave, the better," I pointed out.

    It went unsaid between the people present, but we were all thinking about how the missing people might be injured or worse. Perhaps they were still fighting for their lives in there.

    "We know. That''s why we''re assembling a team from the others already here," Lance reluctantly agreed. He proceeded to rattle off names.

    Bruno was coming with me. As an Aura Master and Fighting Specialist, he and his Pokemon were going to prove invaluable in the elaborate maze known as Mount Moon. Agents Looker and Mint volunteered, too. Their Pokemon teams weren''t specialized in combat, but they could hold their own. Mint also proclaimed that his Ability might be useful. Apparently it had something to do with helping wild Pokemon calm down if the situation ended up that way.

    Finally, Falker and Clair made up the last two members of our group. They''d both been in the area already to have their fliers help scout the surroundings. Strained relationships aside, I didn''t have a problem with them. They were Gym Leaders and capable battlers first and foremost. My only worry was about how well those two would be able to battle inside the caves. I had no doubt their Elite teams were capable of fighting indoors in more cramped spaces, but they wouldn''t be able to display their full capabilities like they could out in the open air.

    This concern of mine was slightly assuaged by Lorelei, who informed me that Mount Moon had as many large cavernous spaces and high ceilings as it did narrow paths.

    That was it. Nobody else was coming with us.

    Kanto Gym Leaders had been told to stay put and safeguard the rest of the region with two of their own missing. It was much the same for Johto considering how three of us were here for this mission.

    "Take these trackers and supplies," Lance urged. "Brock also gave us a copy of a map he made for Mount Moon, so you can take that with you as well."

    League Trainers bustled between the members of the rescue team and handed over bags full of medical kits, water, and food. It seemed they were preparing us for any possibility out there in the caves. Meanwhile, Lance pressed a small hand drawn map into my hands. He''d already marked it with the location where Brock and Giovanni were last seen. I only needed to give it a cursory glance to determine Brock had a talent for cartography.

    Flashes of light filled the clearing as we sent out Pokemon to accompany us into the cave. I tossed out colorful Pokeballs containing Vel and Grima and another pair that held Mem and Fia. The Ghosts entered my shadow. Bruno let out a Lucario and Machamp, both of whom assessed their surroundings. Falkner released a Noctowl that swiveled its head with nary a sound, and Clair let out two Dragonair that coiled around her body in a defensive manner. From Looker and Mint, a Magneton and Vileplume took their places in front of them.

    When we finished, Lance paced back and forth in front of our group.

    "Be careful in there. I don''t want us losing any more people," he warned.

    As he said that, his eyes drifted over to somewhere on my left. I shifted my head to see what he was looking at, or in this case, who. Clair''s face was entirely devoid of emotion as she stood tall with impeccable posture. She pointedly ignored Lance''s worried gaze.

    There was clearly some sort of dissonance between the two cousins.

    We only gave the briefest nods of assent to Lance before turning away. The clock was ticking. With Bruno and his Pokemon leading the group, we headed in the direction of the cave''s entrance.

    Darkness peered back at me.

    This wasn''t what I''d imagined my first excursion onto true Kantonian soil to be like, but this was the circumstance I found myself in now. Bruno disappeared into the shadowy depths first.

    I followed.

    Wordlessly, I entered the cave''s gaping maw and took my first steps into the behemoth known as Mount Moon.

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    Some time after Arin and the others went into Mount Moon, their tracker locations disappeared.

    A commotion broke out among the League Trainers stationed by the monitors. Lance was with them. He swore out loud and banged his fist on the table, face contorting into a terrible expression.

    "They better be alright. This might be turning into a national crisis of its own¡­"

    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">

    It wasn''t entirely pitch black inside.

    The passage we currently found ourselves in was one regularly maintained by local Rangers. Small low light lamps had been embedded in the walls at intervals. They were just barely bright enough to help illuminate our surroundings, but not so much that they would annoy the wild Pokemon who dwelled here.

    Said wild Pokemon steered clear of us.

    Sandshrew scurried away into nearby tunnels. Geodude eyed us warily and backed up against the walls. High up on the ceilings and hidden among stalactites, colonies of Zubat shrank in on themselves. They knew they were vastly outmatched with mere glances at our Pokemon. We ignored all of them and kept walking at a brisk pace.

    I was at the front of the group with Bruno. Lucario and Magneton, who had lit itself up with Flash, stayed a few steps ahead of us to keep watch. Up above, Falkner''s Noctowl glided through the air and pierced the darkness with its eyes. The cave''s ceiling was high enough here that it could comfortably fly.

    Vel and Grima stuck close to my sides. Every few seconds, my eyes darted down to the map in my hands.

    "We keep going straight, then turn left at the next corner," I announced after a minute of tense silence.

    No one answered, but our collective pace unanimously quickened.

    I looked behind my shoulder briefly. There was no faint speck of light indicating the cave''s entrance in the distance. That meant we were well and truly into Mount Moon now.

    There was no turning back, not that we ever had the choice to begin with. We had people to find.

    I focused my attention back up front. Faint lights on the walls in the distance revealed a seemingly endless route stretching on forever. It felt long, too, even more than what Brock''s map suggested. Perhaps my perception was being skewed by the urgency of the situation.

    As we walked, I took the chance to voice a question I hadn''t been able to bring up earlier.

    "Did the League evacuate all trainers from the mountain before they started searching?" I asked. My words echoed ever so slightly in the cave.

    "We tried," Bruno answered in a gruff but not unkind voice. For such a large, intimidating man, his bare feet moved so lightly across the ground that I couldn''t hear his footsteps at all. "We evacuated the main passages people normally use to get from one side to another, but the mountain''s too big. There might be people training in the upper and lower levels that we aren''t aware of¡­ the same goes for Rockets."

    Great. So not only did we have to worry about finding missing allies, but there was the possibility random trainers might have gotten caught up with Rockets in here. I kept my mouth shut as thoughts whirled around in my head, but not for long. We were coming up fast on the corner we needed to take.

    Our group rounded the bend right as the cave''s silence was broken.

    From the cool and echoing darkness came a flurry of movement. Quickly, we ducked down under the sudden swarming horde of Zubat flying in the opposite direction. I couldn''t hear anything above the sound of hundreds of beating wings and spooked cries.

    Flip, flap, and fluttering down deeper into the cave, the Zubat all cleared out as fast as they had appeared. All except one, because that one must have come back hungry, hovering up above Bruno''s head. If the bat had eyes, I would have said the other man was being eyeballed like a Tauros flank steak dinner, but in reality, I could hear the chirps aimed at Bruno as the Zubat used its echolocation.

    Brave little guy. He had the guts to hang within striking distance of the equivalent of a superhuman.

    Bruno shifted in place. I wasn''t sure if he planned on swatting the bat out of the way or simply moving on with disinterest, but I held a hand out.

    "Wait," I said.

    My eyes lingered on the Zubat. It hadn''t moved from its position in the air or made a move to attack. A steady stream of clicking sounds came from it instead.

    "I think it''s trying to communicate with us," I said out loud in realization. Heads turned my way, but I looked down at Vel instead. The Sylveon translated for me. What he told me instantly put me more on edge.

    "This is Brock''s Zubat," I announced to the group. The air became sharp with tension in an instant.

    Falkner stepped forward, rattling off questions. "Are Brock and Giovanni okay? Did this Zubat get separated from them, or did it get sent out to find help¡ª"

    "He doesn''t know," I interrupted Falkner with a shake of my mind. More clicks and barks filled the air as Zubat talked and Vel continued translating. "Brock sent his Zubat and Crobat to scout ahead while the group rested. When this little guy went back, they were gone. He''s been flying through the caves since then trying to find them or the Crobat he was on scouting duty with."

    Looker sucked in a deep breath.

    "That''s¡­ not good to hear. Perhaps they were kidnapped by Rockets?" Looker reluctantly suggested.

    Faces darkened all around, though they brightened when I shot that theory down.

    "Zubat said it couldn''t find any traces of battle."

    Clair''s brows furrowed. "So you''re saying they just up and disappeared?"

    "I''m just stating what Zubat saw," I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

    "Putting aside that issue, I''m interested in the horde of wild Zubat that passed by just now. It seemed like they were fleeing from something," Mint spoke up. He stared at Brock''s Zubat with a questioning gaze. "Were they? Were you?"

    Zubat screeched in response. This time, Bruno answered by way of his Lucario translating telepathically for him.

    "They were. Brock''s Zubat''s followed them for safety in numbers," Bruno said with crossed arms. "Supposedly, the inner mountain scares them."

    "How can they be scared by surroundings they''re familiar with?" Clair scoffed out loud. "This is their dwelling, is it not? They''ve lived in these caves for most of their lives. Mount Moon is practically synonymous with Zubat."

    While I wouldn''t have said it in the same tone as Clair, I did agree with her words. It was odd that the local wild Pokemon population would be scared by the mountain they lived in. That was the key word here. Mountain and not humans or Rockets or large predator Pokemon.

    "Whatever the case, I don''t think it''s wise to stay here for too long," I cut into the conversation. "We need to find the others. We can talk more on the move."

    Words and nods of agreement went around. Brock''s Zubat flew in a circle before swooping down, settling on my left shoulder for his newfound perch. Apparently I was the safest choice compared to the intense Bruno or frosty Clair for example. Zubat was so light that I didn''t mind, but the murderous look Vel shot him made me think someone didn''t like this arrangement. Zubat had no idea because he had no eyes to see with.

    We pressed onward.

    It was much quieter in these parts. Only the sound of our footsteps echoed across the cave walls. No one explicitly said anything, but we were unsettled enough from Zubat''s story that our group subconsciously formed a tighter formation. All of our Pokemon stayed closer to us.

    The new passage we were in was an offshoot of the main road that trainers didn''t typically frequent, so there weren''t any lights installed in the walls here. Only the Flash from Looker''s Magneton kept our surroundings brightly lit. With that steady source of light, I consulted Brock''s map. The others continued discussing without me.

    "Brock wouldn''t have left without telling his Pokemon where they were going¡­"

    "Maybe they found Rockets and went to pursue them before they got away?"

    According to Brock''s map, this path would take us to several forks in the road. We needed to take the rightmost one to get closer to the location where everyone went missing. Hopefully before then, we ran into the failed rescue squad that went in ahead of us.

    We''d been keeping our eyes peeled this whole time, but none of us had found traces of major battles yet. There were only days old clumps of churned earth from wild Pokemon scuffles.

    That should have been reassuring, but it only made me feel more on edge instead. What happened to Brock and the others?

    And exactly how long was this damn path? Were all the paths in Mount Moon of such tedious length? I was starting to think Brock''s map did not truly convey the sheer size of the mountain based on my own experience thus far.

    "This passage should be branching off into several different tunnels pretty soon," I eventually said loudly, hoping I was heard over the ongoing discussion in the background. I was still poring over the map. "We take the one on the right when we get there."

    More than a few people stopped in place.

    "What are you talking about?" Falkner asked slowly.

    I already did not like that tone of voice he was using. It was the kind that implied something was wrong.

    Clair helpfully elaborated with an ominous statement even before I looked up.

    "It''s a dead end."

    She was right.

    Looker''s Magneton had upped the intensity of its light. The increase in radius made it easier for us to see further ahead, and just beyond the reach of its light, in the half-gloom made less obscure by Flash¡­

    A wall of rock blocked us in.

    Magneton even floated further ahead to shed light directly on the dead end, but we hadn''t seen wrong. There were no branching paths.

    "That can''t be right," I frowned. "I''ve been keeping track of our location this whole time. The path wasn''t supposed to suddenly cut off here."

    "May I see the map?" Falkner asked, brows furrowing as he walked over. The others followed him.

    I was more than happy to hand the map over to them.

    "Here."

    "¡­He''s right. We should have hit a fork in the road on the map right now, not¡­ wherever this is."

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    While they bent their heads low and inspected the map, I glanced at the dead end we''d found ourselves in. Bruno and his Lucario had placed their palms against the rock. They noticed me staring and looked my way.

    "We were trying to see if there''s anything on the other side," Bruno explained, lifting his hand away from the wall. He rolled his shoulders. "We could always make a path."

    No doubt by blasting through the rock with Aura, but I wasn''t so keen on that idea. It was not the best move to rile up local wild Pokemon any more than necessary and disturb the ecosystem¡ª

    I stilled.

    Earlier, I''d thought about how quiet it was in this part of the caves. It also occurred to me right now that we hadn''t seen a single wild Pokemon since going down this path. No Sandshrew digging holes, no Geodude wrestling with each other, not even more Zubat hiding up on the ceilings.

    Something wasn''t right.

    I turned around to express my concerns to the others and stilled once again. I was no master of cave exploration, but even I could tell the path behind us was not the same one it''d been going in. Instead of a straight road, what I saw was a passage that split into one large tunnel and two smaller ones.

    Something definitely wasn''t right.

    "Hey," I called. I had to repeat it a second time before the others stopped talking, and I pointed in the direction we''d come from.

    The moment their gazes followed my outstretched arm, faces paled.

    "The path did not look like that before," Falkner finally said, breaking the silence.

    "No, it did not," I agreed dryly.

    "But how?" Mint argued. I gave props to him for managing to keep a calm tone under these bizarre circumstances.

    Bruno lumbered over at that moment with a remarkably composed expression. "For now, let''s go back the way we came."

    Nobody argued.

    We walked down the passage in silence. Looker''s Magneton was practically a miniature sun by now with how much light it was giving off. With the extra light, we had a better idea of our surroundings as we attempted to return to the main passage that had lamps in the walls.

    We attempted and failed.

    When we rounded the corner, we saw a spiraling passage that all of us definitely remembered not traversing before. Bruno didn''t stop to look for more than a few seconds before he turned right back around. Again, we followed him.

    And again, we found ourselves in an unknown passage. More specifically, we found ourselves in a huge cavernous space with a small tunnel at the back. Bruno took one step into the tunnel, peered through the darkness, then came back and rejoined our group.

    "It''s like the mountain''s alive¡­" I murmured out loud.

    On my shoulder, Brock''s Zubat gave a pitiful squeak and made himself smaller. Was this what made him and the other Zubat so frightened before?

    "That''s nonsense," Clair immediately said, catching what I said. She looked outwardly calm, but her voice sounded strained as she glared into the darkness beyond. "It seems more likely that this is something of Team Rocket''s doing."

    "Making the whole mountain physically shift?" Falkner questioned with an unimpressed look. "Because that''s what this is looking like so far. We can''t rely on this map any longer."

    "We can''t go back, but we can''t go forward either¡­" I heard Bruno mutter to himself.

    He and his Lucario closed their eyes in unison, perhaps to scope out our surroundings through Aura. They did not get to meditate for long. Looker pointed out another terrible fact.

    "The tracking devices we were given¡­ they''re not working," he told us, waving around said item in his hand.

    I looked down at the one that had been attached to my own bag. Its green light had flickered out of existence.

    "Well, at least they''ll know we ran into trouble," Falkner commented offhandedly, crossing his arms.

    I was too busy trying to unravel this mystery to respond.

    The paths were seemingly shifting or transforming. I could cross hallucinations off the list. We hadn''t inhaled any spores from wandering Parasect or the like.

    Next, there was the idea that it could be a massive illusion, but I found this unlikely. Something of this scale implied a powerful Psychic or Ghost type following us to maintain the effects. Bruno and his Pokemon would have sensed something was off with Aura by now. There weren''t any such Pokemon native to Mount Moon who could pull this stunt, so it had to be the work of a Rocket''s Pokemon instead¡ª

    My head snapped up so fast that I almost gave myself whiplash.

    Native Pokemon. A mountain that seemed alive. Transforming paths. The skewed perception I''d felt earlier when we first entered Mount Moon.

    The pieces were coming together, and they fell in place with a click.

    I dropped into a crouch. I felt people watching me with confusion from around the clearing, but they felt distant to me as I pressed a hand against the floor and leaned into it. My eyes narrowed with concentration. Vel and Grima seemingly caught onto what I was trying because they began to focus on our surroundings, too.

    We listened.

    Soft exhales emerged from breathing. Pea-sized rocks came loose from the walls and tumbled across the floor. Rustling echoed from clothes as people minutely shifted in place.

    We ignored all of these sounds and delved deeper into the very world itself.

    If I peeled away that layer¡­ if I peeled away the tremor that vibrated against my hand, perhaps from a Pokemon burrowing underground¡­ then underneath all of that was a very familiar energy, one that had melded itself so completely with its surroundings that it became the world itself.

    Thump.

    I felt the heartbeat of a living mountain.

    The Pull was strong. Now that I had actually felt for and sensed it, the earth beneath my fingertips thrummed more strongly with life in response. Mount Moon could sense my recognition and acknowledgement of the powers that sustained it.

    And it was insane. The deeper I let my consciousness reach out, the more amazed I was by the vast network that I uncovered¡ª the veins of Belief that ran through and underneath this entire piece of land.

    The corners of my lips rose in a triumphant smile.

    "Bingo."

    My Pokemon had already grasped the situation as well. I let go of the floor and rose back into a standing position. Bruno and the others looked at me with thinly-veiled anticipation that was equal parts bewilderment.

    Before they could ask, I answered.

    "It''s the local Clefairy and Clefable," I told them. "They''re the ones making the mountain change."

    More than a few brows flew up, Clair chief among them.

    "How?" she demanded in disbelief. "I find it hard to believe such small¡­ Pokemon¡­ could affect all of Mount Moon. I have been told they are few in number, too."

    I shook my head.

    "Do you know the saying ''words are power?''" I asked instead. I waited until people nodded before continuing. "There are Pokemon out there and throughout history that have gained power through worship. A similar idea applies here. Stories and words give rise to meaning. They''re rooted in belief, something that basically defines Fairy Pokemon."

    I looked around the room.

    "Let me ask you this: how old is Mount Moon? How long have the Clefairy been here?"

    My hypothetical questions were met with silence. I saw realization begin to dawn on people''s faces as they realized the direction this conversation was going.

    "To put it very simply, they''ve both been around a long time. And because so many stories have been told of Mount Moon and the Clefairy over the years, it''s given them unimaginable influence over the mountain," I said, trailing off.

    "Fairies use the power of belief to affect reality. The Clefairy of Mount Moon? Their belief is especially strong. It''s rooted in this land they''ve lived on for centuries. They''re capable of warping the entire inner structures and making it so that anyone inside can''t navigate like normal. I would wager it''s because their strongest wish involves not being found."

    Looker spoke up at this moment, a thoughtful expression having overtaken his features. "Why warp this part of the mountain then? We aren''t anywhere close to where they live, I presume. I would imagine they live deeper inside and only turn back travelers who get close to them."

    That question was one I''d been pondering myself. I don''t think anything like this had ever happened before, otherwise it might have made the news or Lance would have warned us in advance.

    "My best guess is that they feel threatened. So, they''ve expanded their influence past its usual range," I replied. "By what, I think it''s highly likely to be Team Rocket. The Clefairy probably sensed such strong evil within their domain and are doubling down on efforts to keep people away from their home¡­ affecting everyone else in the mountain in the process."

    "Brock, Giovanni, and everyone else probably went missing because of the Clefairy," Bruno realized out loud. "If they''re warping reality itself, no wonder they went off the grid."

    "All of¡­ this, only through the power of belief?" Mint asked, gesturing vaguely to the space around us.

    I gave a somber nod. "Yes."

    "You''re sure about it?" Falkner inquired next.

    "I''d stake it on my honor as a Fairy Specialist."

    That wasn''t a light statement to make. All Specialists had pride in their chosen specialty, the craft they''d honed for years and made their own. Falkner stared at me a little longer before nodding, apparently satisfied.

    "Alright," a new voice spoke up. It was Clair. The woman looked at me with a serious expression. "Then what do we do next?"

    I grinned, glad that she''d asked and even more so that she apparently chose to believe me.

    "Brock and company are probably still nearby. To make any progress in finding them, we''re going to chip away at this reality and go back to our own."

    I was moving even before I finished. From my belt, I unhooked a Dream Ball and clicked it. Out sprang a familiar puffball from the ensuing string of light. Lico the Scream Tail looked at me with expectant eyes, tiny fangs peeking out of his mouth.

    "Lico, do what you do best. Make some noise and destroy the Belief around us," I told him. I was quick to hold up a finger when the Scream Tail jumped up and down excitedly. "But do NOT bring the house down."

    It would have been hard to explain to Lance later why his subordinates were buried underneath the rubble of collapsed caves, never mind a ruined mountain.

    Lico booed at me but ultimately agreed. With a hop, he floated up into the air and opened his mouth.

    "Brace yourselves," I warned everyone else. "It''s not going to sound pleasant."

    That was the only warning they got before Lico sang.

    A steady stream of quiet yet wretched notes filled the air. They were worse than the sound of metal trains grinding against tracks as they pulled into stations, more excruciating than knives being scraped against bottles, and uglier than the final death throes of a pitiful being.

    In spite of everything, somehow it all blended together in the semblance of a meaningful song.

    Lico preferred screaming over singing, but his face was still alight with a huge smile of glee as he threw his head back. My Scream Tail marched to the beat of his own drum. He couldn''t have cared less about the world around him, only for what he could wrench away from it and make his own.

    What he truly reveled in was breaking things. The song he sang now was one that promised destruction.

    We were up against a whole mountain and centuries worth of influence at the very least. The Clefairy had the home advantage here. What was a few years or a decade''s worth of experience in the face of such overwhelming presence?

    I smiled, watching as Lico bared his fangs. None of that meant anything to him. My team and I had not gained the strength we had today from sitting around on our hands. We''d fought with tooth, nail, claw, and feathers to build a place for ourselves in this world.

    We could not exactly blow up this mountain, but we could break it piece by piece.

    Everyone grimaced as the dissonant outpouring of musical notes grew just a bit louder. An almost maniacal fervor tinged Lico''s saffron eyes with bright crimson as he waved his stubby arms around. He almost looked like a mad conductor directing an orchestra into the final stretch.

    The air hissed. People jumped when the air in the cavern grew distorted, cracks running through the space as if we were trapped inside a glass jar.

    From those cracks, angry whispers drifted outwards. Lico applied more pressure onto reality with the Belief imbued in his dreadful song.

    You will break.

    The mountain pushed back and echoed its refusal. Lico only grinned wider.

    There was never any room for negotiation to begin with.

    A moment of silence passed as Lico took a breath, and when he sang anew¡ª

    Reality shattered.

    Cracks turned into full-fledged gouges that split the air from top to bottom. Angry whispers faded into muted echoes. Walls shimmered.

    I didn''t even have time to blink. We were no longer in a large cavern but a smaller one with an even tinier pond. Some Paras scuttled along puddles by the walls.

    We were also not alone.

    Standing just shy of twenty feet away from us, five men and women in dark uniforms and Pokemon of their own stared at us with obvious surprise. We looked back with equal shock. Neither party had expected to see the other appear out of nowhere. Our realities had merged after Lico brought down the one the Clefairy had put in place.

    Bruno lunged before the first yell could rip itself out of a Rocket member''s throat.

    With incredible speed, he closed the short distance in an instant and slammed the nearest person to the ground. Their hands were wrestled away from grabbing any Pokeballs. His Lucario was even faster. It blurred forward with Extreme Speed and incapacitated three people with swift strikes at pressure points. They dropped like flies.

    Clair got the last one. A fast-traveling arc of electricity went spinning through the air from her Dragonair''s orb and rendered the final Rocket useless. She spasmed from the Thunder Wave on the cave floor.

    The rest of us took care of the hostile Pokemon. The muscular arms of Bruno''s Machamp reached out and grabbed three Arbok by the tails, smashing them into the cave wall. Nearby, Vel immobilized a Houndoom by sapping it of the will to fight with his ribbons, and Grima let hair shoot outwards from his body. A Raticate was choked into unconsciousness. From above, Falkner''s Noctowl Hypnotized a pair of Poliwrath into fitful slumber.

    We stared at the collection of newly fallen people and Pokemon around us. Agents Looker and Mint didn''t even get to do anything between the fast-paced action.

    "Answer me!" Bruno''s voice cut roughly through the quiet of the cave. He was speaking to the Rocket he''d restrained. "Where is your base of operations in Mount Moon? What is your objective?"

    "I-It hurts! It hurts! Get off me!" the man screamed in response, struggling as best he could.

    Bruno only pressed down harder on the man''s neck with his hand. His left knee dug into the Rocket''s back.

    "Answer the questions," he hissed.

    When the Rocket didn''t respond, Bruno gave his neck a slight squeeze. Brief as it was, it still hurt. An undignified squeal of pain filled the air.

    "Fine! I-I''ll talk!" the Rocket choked out. He gasped for breath as Bruno relieved the pressure around his neck. "Our base is down on the lower floors. I don''t know the exact location, I-I swear. It''s like a maze in this fucking mountain."

    "And your objective?"

    "Proton said¡­ he said to find the Clefairy. He wanted ''em for something. T-The people back at the base are harvesting as many fossils and Moon Stones as possible. For money I guess, I don''t know. I swear I''m just doing what I''m told!"

    Bruno glanced up briefly to share looks with us.

    "And who is this Proton?" he asked carefully.

    "Executive. He''s an Executive."

    His words were met with silence. Provided he was speaking the truth, we just got ahold of some valuable intel.

    The Team Rocket organization seemed to be as large and complex as we''d suspected.

    "Please, I''m just one of many foot soldiers under their command. I don''t know a lot. Have mercy on me¡­" the man whimpered. He''d stopped struggling a long time ago.

    Bruno didn''t let up.

    "So we''ve got wandering Rockets going after the Clefairy and their base somewhere below us," he said, directing his words at us. He raised his head with a steely gaze. "Plus, we still need to find the missing people."

    "I think we should head for the base right away," Falkner suggested, speaking quickly. "They''re going to notice if their members don''t come back on time. They might even decide to pack up and escape."

    "And forego the Clefairy?" Clair raised a brow. I had not expected her to defend the Clefairy, but it turned out she had good reasoning for it. "We just saw what those Pokemon are capable of. I don''t think it''s wise to give the Rockets that kind of power."

    "Clair''s right. And before anything else, we need to regroup with Brock and the others. That''s what Lance sent us in for originally," I added.

    "¡­True," Falkner finally said, dipping his head in assent.

    Speaking up, I addressed the rest of the room. "We''ve got too many bases to cover and too little time. Falkner IS right in that the Rockets could slip away. They''ll probably notice something is wrong at some point. So here''s what I propose¡­"

    I pointed at the ceiling.

    "We find our missing allies first. Then we go pay a visit to the Clefairy. As important as finding the Rocket base is, we only have a general idea of its location. Mount Moon and especially its underground area is massive. That could take weeks to cover. My Pokemon can keep breaking sections of the mountain that they''re distorting with their powers, but it''s going to take too much time that we don''t have. I''d rather ask the Clefairy to stop what they''re doing and make it easier on all of us to navigate. With luck, maybe they even know where exactly the Rocket base is."

    "What about sending word to Champion Lance and the rest of the forces waiting outside?" Looker asked.

    "After we meet the Clefairy," I decided. "If we can get them on our side, Lance and the others will be able to move through the mountain unhindered. We''ll have backup for taking down the Rocket base."

    "Let''s do that," Bruno instantly agreed. "I can agree to that plan."

    He finally got up from the ground and dragged the captured Rocket up by the arms with him. I waited to see what everyone else thought, but I didn''t have to wait long. They all understood we were running against the clock more than ever here.

    Decisions were made in an instant. The others agreed.

    "Then it''s settled. Let''s go," I said firmly.

    Bruno''s Machamp easily picked up all five Rockets. One of the unconscious ones was even slung around his neck like an accessory. Their Pokemon were recalled and their Pokeballs stuffed into a bag. Looker and Mint took turns interrogating the still conscious Rockets for more information as we walked.

    Now that we were playing a game of break the world, we were all on high alert as Lico led the way with more dreadful singing. We didn''t know if more Rockets would be revealed to us as the lines between realities blurred.

    As it happened, we did have several other encounters. Space cracked and shifted as we hurried along, and uniformed members blinked into existence.

    Bruno and his Pokemon took on the majority of the fighting for us to save time on needless scuffles. Eventually, he had to send out a second and third Machamp to help carry captured Rockets.

    The sight of them carrying armfuls of people like sacks of flour might have been humorous in any other situation.

    I had Brock''s map back in my hand. With Lico tearing down one section of the cave after another, the layout of the mountain was finally returning to normal¡­ at least in our general area. I could only hope Brock and the others had stayed put after realizing the mountain was shifting around them. If so, it was likely they were still somewhere close to where they''d last been seen.

    About thirty minutes later, Lico''s singing shattered yet another false passage around us. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

    Bruno kicked off from the ground. My hand shot out and yanked the collar of Falkner''s haori, making him stumble backwards. We could not have moved any sooner.

    The ground ahead of us had turned into quicksand. Parts of it bubbled with steaming acid. In front of us, a Nidoking and Kabutops pulled back their respective horn and scythes in preparation.

    Vel tensed at my side¡ª

    "WAIT!"

    Two familiar voices made everyone pause. The Pokemon in front of us physically froze in place and turned back questioningly. It was now I finally took in the situation.

    We stood in the mouth of a tunnel. Beyond the shadows in the cavern beyond, and between the gaps of the hulking Pokemon in front of us¡­ two sorely-missed faces peered at us from afar.

    Giovanni and Brock both heaved sighs of relief.

    "Nidoking! Let them through," Giovanni called out. Brock gave a similar instruction to his Kabutops.

    Both Pokemon shuffled off to the sides, but not before the Nidoking waved an armored hand at the hazardous floor in front of us. The poison evaporated, and the quicksand solidified into even ground.

    I tested it by placing a single foot. Yep, it was safe.

    We trudged into the cavern one after another. I could see now that Brock, Giovanni, and what seemed like all the missing League Trainers were here together. A barely noticeable weight left my shoulder as Zubat took flight. He chirped to get a sense of his bearings with echolocation, then flew straight towards Brock. The bat nuzzled his owner''s face with delight.

    "Zubat," I heard Brock breathe out loud. The teenager directed a shaky smile at me as we approached. "Thank you, Arin. I was worried about him."

    I shook my head. "I''d like to say we found him, but it was the other way around."

    Brock nodded, but he was busy looking around us instead of at us. I remembered what Zubat had told us earlier and opened my mouth.

    "We didn''t come across your Crobat. Sorry."

    "Oh," Brock said, shoulders deflating a bit. I was quick to raise a hand.

    "I think he''s probably fine, though. Just a bit lost."

    Giovanni and Brock both stared at me.

    "''Lost?''" Brock echoed.

    "I''m glad to see you all, but that begs the question: why and how are you all here?" Giovanni added with scrunched brows. His eyes darted to the Rocket members Bruno''s Machamp were carrying. "And¡­ I see you ran into trouble."

    "Long story. We don''t have a lot of time, but¡­"

    Our group exchanged information with theirs as fast as possible.

    The story went as thus: Brock and Giovanni had realized something was off after Brock''s Pokemon didn''t come back. They tried moving around a bit and came to the second realization that the mountain was seemingly moving around. So, as I''d suspected, they decided to stay put for the time being to try and figure out what was going on. Then we happened to come along.

    I was simply grateful we''d found them at all and unharmed at that. What a story this would be later when I told Lance that yes, it turned out Brock and Giovanni didn''t fall prey to a vicious Rocket but were genuinely lost instead¡­ due to the unintended machinations of desperate Fairies.

    And speaking of Fairies¡ª

    "I should have guessed it was the Clefairy," Brock said with a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. "I''ve seen them pull similar stunts when trainers get uncomfortably close to where they live, but never anything on a massive scale like this. I never imagined something like this was even possible."

    I smiled wryly. Fairies could be real pains when they wanted to be.

    "We can talk more later. Can you guide us to the Clefairy? You know where they are, right?" I asked.

    Brock nodded resolutely. "Of course I do. The Takeshi family has helped negotiate with them for generations. I can guide you there as long as you return the passages to normal."

    "Done. You just guide the way."

    We set off at a brisk pace.

    With Brock leading the way, there was no need for a map. He was the map. The Pewter Gym Leader knew Mount Moon like the back of his hand, and thanks to him, we made fast, steady progress climbing up to the upper levels of the mountain.

    We ran into a few more Rockets that Bruno and Giovanni quickly took out, but their numbers thinned out to essentially zero the higher up we got. There was a reason for that, and it affected our group, too.

    The Clefairy were stronger up here.

    Down at the ground level, the reality distortion was discreet. Up here?

    Their Beliefs sang loudly from the walls, the ground, the air, and underneath every rock and stone we passed. It was practically suffocating.

    Stay away, they said. You can''t find us.

    One of the League Trainers complained of a headache first, then the rest of our group swiftly followed. Even Brock felt nauseous. That surprised me because I assumed he had a good relationship with the Clefairy considering his family had a long history with them.

    It seemed the Clefairy were just that desperate to keep everyone out to think about who was getting caught up in their magic.

    Out of everyone, Clair had it the worst. It was like the Clefairy could sense a Dragon user among us, and the Beliefs in the air swarmed around her with their invisible force. Clair almost collapsed to her knees from the pressure the Clefairy were exerting from afar.

    To remedy the situation, I had Vel create his own sphere of influence around our group, but there were too many of us and too many opposing Beliefs in the air to compete with. The resulting layer wasn''t as thick as he would have liked. The headaches didn''t completely disappear, but everyone felt well enough to walk at least.

    "How are¡­ you fine?" Falkner wheezed out at some point, coughing.

    Compared to the pale faces of everyone around me, I walked along with a remarkably calm expression. I scratched my cheek.

    "It feels nice, like¡­ being wrapped with blankets by the fireplace or something. It''s comforting."

    Falkner and Clair both looked at me like I''d grown a second head.

    Internally, I thanked my Ability and history as a Fairy Specialist.

    Hours crawled by. Lico didn''t get tired of singing. He was full of energy even at this point in our journey up the mountain, but he did have to expend more effort breaking down the reality up here. The closer we got to the Clefairy, the more concentrated their Beliefs were, and the harder it was to erase the magic they''d engraved in the land.

    I honestly lost track of time at some point. With all the reality warping and breaking going on, it was hard to keep a grasp on my reasoning even if I was immune to the Clefairy shenanigans. Worse, people were getting more and more tired.

    I even thought I''d have to break off from them soon to go the rest of the way myself.

    So, when a Clefairy seemingly popped out of nowhere in front of us, I almost sighed out loud in relief.

    It seemed we''d made enough noise right on their doorstep for them to come to us instead.

    The pink Pokemon pointed at me and Brock before it toddled back a step. The meaning was clear even if it did not speak.

    Only us two humans were allowed to go further from here.

    I relayed the news to the others and grasped Brock''s shaking arm with my hand.

    "Come on," I encouraged softly.

    Brock nodded with an almost delirious expression. I hoisted his arm over my shoulder so he could use me as support and nodded at the Clefairy. It didn''t spare us more than a glance before walking forward, seemingly disappearing into the wall.

    We followed. My three Pokemon came with us.

    What I saw after walking into the rocky wall was a sea of stars.

    It was as if we were adrift in space, but I knew better. This was simply part of the Clefairy altering the space around us. I kept my eyes trained on the Fairy walking ahead and marched after it.

    Brock felt less and less sluggish the longer we walked. Eventually, he felt well enough that he could move on his own. I wondered if the Clefairy were taking pity on him.

    Soon, a white light shone at the end of the sea of stars. Clefairy waved at us before skipping through it.

    I didn''t know what to expect when we passed through, but a defensive brigade of Clefairy and Clefable was admittedly near the top of the list.

    We''d emerged into a large cavernous space with an open roof. Real, true stars twinkled down at us from above. Gentle rays of moonlight fell upon us like shawls from the moon. Despite how beautiful everything looked, I felt like my vision was being blocked. The air behind the wild Pokemon rippled. It was as if something was being hidden from me.

    One of the Clefable near the front of the group raised a hand in greeting.

    Come, it beckoned to me, but I ignored it.

    My eyes wandered over the sea of Clefairy and Clefable instead. Eventually, my gaze settled on one of them. Out of all the Clefable in the room, I was looking not at the biggest individual or even the one that openly radiated the most power.

    I looked at the small Clefable standing in between two others of similar height, the one that had carefully hidden its presence for naught. I had sensed it the moment I stepped into this cavernous space.

    "Greetings," I said with a knowing smile, and I dipped my head in respect. "May the grace of the Moon shine on you always."

    Nobody moved. Not me, Brock, the other Pokemon in the room, or the Clefable I had made eye contact with.

    After what seemed like an eternity, she smiled at me.

    Greetings, Friend of Fairies.

    Her voice leaked with unsung power and a millennium of influence.

    This was the real leader of Mount Moon.

    A Guardian Clefable.

 Chapter 47

    CHAPTER 47

    More mysterious than the creatures known as Pokemon was the universe itself.

    The Creator formed it, and by extension, the planet we lived on. The Creations He made thereafter strode forth to do work in His name. Those Named Servants enriched the world further and filled it with beings and energies flowing aplenty.

    Humans and Pokemon alike¡ª we lived in this world, breathed its air, and walked towards the future. We were an intrinsic part of the grand scheme known as life.

    We existed.

    From the spiritual force dwelling in every living being to the elemental energies residing in the atmosphere and land around us, everything meant the world, too, was alive. It nourished us. It gave mortals bountiful yields from its earthly embrace. It offered power to Pokemon who could tap into its limitless well of energy.

    And when the Creator and his Servants made our world, they left lingering influences on it.

    They were Legends and Myths, deities of great existence. The world remembered that it had been shaped by such beings. Henceforth, the world acknowledged the significance of one''s existence. It became a way of the world¡ª not quite a law, but something observed.

    Just like how stories and words gave rise to meaning and power, so too did one''s role in the world. The greater one''s existence, the stronger they became. The same was said of the reverse. The world allowed the beings who lived on it to accrue influence for themselves.

    That begged the question, then¡­

    What became the proof of one''s existence?

    It went beyond simply having a name or an identity. It was about having their presence known and solidified through achievements, to make their mark on the world and shape it.

    The most common way was to physically become stronger. Pokemon fought, trained, evolved, and fought some more. They accumulated experience. They left traces of their power wherever they went. They constantly took in elemental energies from the world and used them as nourishment for their growth. Some wild Pokemon were more willing to go with humans because they understood they could grow faster and fight more battles with a trainer''s help.

    That was one way, but it was not the only method.

    Worship. Stories. When people revered or talked about powerful Pokemon, it further cemented their presence and granted power. They became a part of the world''s history itself.

    Many years ago, during a time when Sinnoh still went by Hisui, there lived fearsome monsters in the wilds. These creatures were not just strong through constant fighting but from the hushed stories passed down through generations. Fear gave them unbridled power. Accounts of these monsters surfaced across Hisui''s history and in other regions across the world.

    They were referred to as Alpha Pokemon.

    As years passed, that term was brought up and debated by historians. It shifted and was ultimately born anew. Today, we called such Pokemon Guardians or Rulers. These were titles typically reserved for the most powerful of wild Pokemon.

    Some would prove troublesome to fight even for the strongest of trainers, but these Pokemon inherently understood that humans posed a greater threat than the old days. As human populations and cities grew ever larger, more of them secluded themselves in the deep wilds away from prying eyes. They were content to live and rule from their self-proclaimed territories, all the while taking in energy from the world itself and growing ever stronger.

    Of course, none of this talk about existence and power equating to one another was known to the public. Each regional League and government kept such information strictly under wraps. All ordinary people knew was that there happened to be some very powerful Pokemon out there with fancy labels attached to them like warning signs.

    I had come across a small number of Guardian and Ruler Pokemon before. Among them were old and powerful Fairies, and this Clefable I stared at now took her place on the list.

    The weight of her existence was heavy. Clefable was suppressing her aura, but I could still feel it in the air and the land she walked on. She could not hide it from my Ability or instincts as a Fairy Specialist.

    This was an ancient Pokemon. She had probably lived for over a thousand years, her life sustained and extended by the power of belief. She had dedicated herself to Mount Moon, and the mountain to her in return.

    Internally, I found myself calculating how a hypothetical fight between us would go. This Clefable did not seem to have a lot of combat experience. Instead, I wagered her power lay more with the sheer magnitude of her Belief and the countless stories told of her and her clan over the years.

    My Pokemon would win if we fought, but it would be a long and uphill battle here in the place she had lived for centuries. They would win handily against her outside.

    It has been many moons since I last saw a human like you, Clefable mused out loud. The small and seemingly innocent Pokemon walked closer to me. One who treads the line between the worlds of human and Pokemon, much less that of the Fair Folk. How very curious.

    She had called me Friend of Fairies earlier. Just as I could sense her status as a Guardian, she could sense that I was an Ability Holder.

    The Clefairy line was known to be peaceful and particularly elusive even among Fairies, but considering the circumstances¡­ I thought it best to tread carefully anyway, even if time was of the essence.

    "It''s an honor," I replied with a dip of my head.

    Next to me, Brock shifted uneasily from one foot to another. His gaze darted between me and Clefable.

    "Arin, what''s going on?" he asked.

    My eyes did not leave the Pokemon in front of me. "This is the leader of the Clefairy and Clefable here on Mount Moon¡­ what the League would call a Guardian Pokemon."

    I''d already had a near concrete suspicion, but judging from the way Brock''s eyes widened, the existence of this particular Clefable was not yet known to him or the Indigo League. Otherwise, I would have expected Lance to give me some sort of warning before this operation ever began. The power the Clefairy had over this mountain made so much more sense with a strong leader to back them up.

    Clefable made a small sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

    Greetings, newest leader of the Takeshi family, Clefable trilled. She was no longer communicating out loud but with telepathy for Brock''s sake.

    The Pewter Gym Leader''s eyes widened further. He immediately copied what I had done earlier and dipped his head in a show of respect.

    Satisfied, Clefable faced both of us with arms folded behind her back.

    Long have I given orders through proxies. What your human League and the Takeshi family have dealt with before were the little ones under my protection, she explained, helpfully clarifying any questions we had. I did not deem it necessary to show myself. Agreements were made with none the wiser. No one was ever capable of identifying me in the first place¡­

    She trailed off, eyes twinkling with indecipherable emotion as she looked at me.

    Not until today at least.

    "What¡­ What should we call you?" Brock ventured to ask.

    Clefable smiled, humming to herself.

    I have never needed a name. So rare is it that I speak with humans in the first place, but if you must call me by something¡­ then Mountain Weaver will suffice. It is a title I have not heard in a long time. Now¡­

    Clefable, or Mountain Weaver as she had proclaimed, stared at us almost uncomfortably.

    You and the unique company you keep have made quite a stir in the mountain. Among you, I sensed a Child of Dragons. Tell me, why are you here? For what reason have you sought out an audience with me and my clan?

    The Child of Dragons was probably Clair, but that wasn''t important. Hopefully this talk ended well.

    "We apologize," I told her, "but it''s urgent. I swear we meant no harm by coming here. We only seek to drive out the intruders here in Mount Moon, those who belong to a criminal organization called Team Rocket. We were hoping you could grant our allies safe passage through the mountain."

    All at once, the atmosphere thickened with tension.

    Clefable''s face contorted into an ugly, furious expression so unlike the kind look her species was known for.

    Yes, those humans in black¡­ they dare walk through the sacred halls of our mountain uninvited. They reap by force the bounties of the earth and corrupt our land with unknown evil! They seek to find a way to this very cavern! Clefable hissed into our minds.

    Her voice was so quiet, yet it sounded like she was screaming. I grimaced. Brock clutched his head.

    I would purge them in an instant if I could, crush them between the walls or expel them from our sacred land, Clefable continued. If it weren''t for that wretched, foul energy that protects them, I would have my way.

    I refrained from clenching a fist in excitement. It seemed the Clefairy clan knew where the Rockets were hiding after all. That brought on a whole other slew of questions, but first¡­

    "Then it seems our goals are aligned," I spoke up. "We want them gone as much as you do, Mountain Weaver. If you would be willing to get rid of the protections you have in place throughout the mountain, at least for our allies, then we could¡­ expedite the process of removing the intruders."

    You? Clefable questioned. You think you could drive them out?

    "Not could," I corrected in a firm, yet careful tone. "We would."

    As diminutive as Clefable''s figure was, that was simply a deceptive appearance that belied her strength. She peered at me with eyes twinkling not with wisdom but unfathomable fury. Pressure leaked outwards from her.

    I stood my ground.

    A bold claim, she spoke slowly. You say that only because you do not know the evil that they are, the energy that I felt.

    "What did you sense?" Brock asked in an almost hushed whisper.

    I said it already, did I not? They have at their disposal an energy most foul, an unknown evil that I have never felt before. It is wrapped around those humans like a shield. It rejects the magic I have Weaved into the land and air. What or where the source is, it begrudges me to admit that I have not the faintest idea. But it must go. It is not welcome here.

    Initially, I''d thought Clefable was talking about the drug Team Rocket had developed, but now it seemed like there was something else in the picture that we weren''t aware of. Regardless¡ª

    "It doesn''t matter. We''ll get rid of them," I repeated. We''d cross that bridge when we got there.

    Clefable stared.

    Then you must show me. Speak not with empty words.

    Fairy aura surged outwards from her.

    Brock tensed, but we didn''t need to worry quite yet. The invisible pressure Clefable was exerting over us felt more like a featherlight touch at this point. Something to test the waters. Without warning, it began increasing exponentially.

    The air practically vibrated in my ears from the Beliefs that howled at me.

    They went beyond a desire for her and her wards to stay hidden. They were the weight of Clefable''s existence, the history of her struggles, and the reverent songs whispered from stories told in her name. Together, these Beliefs had let her live such a long and glorious life under the moon and stars.

    You are but fledgelings, they hissed at us. Do not presume you can do what the sacred mountain cannot.

    The Ghosts hidden in my shadow screeched back with defiant anger, but I held up a hand before they could come out and turn this into an actual fight. Clefable was only testing us.

    I did not budge from where I stood. Neither did my Pokemon. We looked back at Clefable with unflinching expressions even as the air around us grew heavy. In my peripheral vision, I saw Brock standing tall with crossed arms. His stance was firm.

    He might not have dealt with such a powerful Fairy before, but he was still a Rock Specialist. Rock was stable, steady, and deeply rooted much like he was right now. He understood the significance of this moment in earning Clefable''s trust, and his spirit could not be shaken.

    Something in Clefable''s gaze shifted.

    As fast as her power had surged, it died away and left a sense of nothingness in its wake. Clefable regarded us more carefully than she had before. Her eyes rested for a particularly long time on me.

    I wondered if she, too, was calculating how an actual fight between us would play out. She must have come to the same conclusion as I had earlier because she finally gave a small, curt nod.

    It seems there was some substance to your words after all, she readily admitted.

    I did not relax, but I also tried not to sound impatient when I next opened my mouth. As riveting as this encounter had been, we had Rockets to catch.

    "Might we come to an agreement then?" I asked.

    When Clefable didn''t respond right away, Brock took a cautious step forward. He looked a bit pale now that we were no longer fighting off pressure, but he still looked determined.

    "Please let the people from the Indigo League pass through the mountain unhindered," Brock said in a clear voice, "and show us where the intruders are hiding in the mountain. We''ll remove their presence here in return. If you cannot trust the League, then trust the name of the Takeshi family, we who have long negotiated with your clan."

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Silence followed.

    When at last I thought Clefable would stubbornly turn us away, she finally spoke.

    I will allow no large army to be brought in. We already tolerate so many humans passing through year-long.

    Brock refrained from smiling, but I saw his eyes gleam. "Understood. We''ll request a small number of people for backup then."

    And you will remove the evil from our home. You have sworn it.

    "Yes."

    Then we have reached an understanding, Clefable said with an air of finality. Your people will be granted safe passage. I do not know exactly where the intruders lurk because of the energy that shields them, but I have grasped their general location. I will send you directly to the lowest floors.

    "May we request the same for our allied forces?" I asked without missing a beat.

    I wasn''t too surprised to hear Clefable could move us from one end to another. This whole mountain was her territory after all. Now we just needed to use that to our advantage.

    Very well.

    Clefable beckoned to two Clefairy. It looked like she was bestowing some of her power onto them through holding their hands, but I didn''t pay attention to them. My eyes drifted to the vast and empty space behind the whole Clefairy clan. It had been bothering me ever since I set foot in this cavernous space. I still felt like my vision was being blocked.

    Suspicious.

    "Behind you¡­" I trailed off, hoping my inquiry came off as polite as I intended it to be. "Something''s there, right? Could that be what the intruders are after?"

    Keen senses, Clefable remarked. I do not know if this is what they seek, but they should not possess knowledge of it.

    My curiosity ate at me. I wanted to ask what it was, but I felt like that would displease Clefable. Surprisingly, the Pokemon made a generous offer.

    I will show it to you, Friend of Fairies, but only for a bit.

    I acknowledged her words with a blink of my eyes. The cavern had already shifted seamlessly by the time I registered it. Where there had once been empty space, a stone platform now rose from the ground. An altar, I realized. Objects rested on it, but one was far larger than the others.

    Behold, Clefable whispered with utter reverence. The Heart of the Mountain.

    My lips parted in shock.

    Evolution stones were the products of high concentrations of elemental forces. They seeped into the earth, were molded and pressurized by outside forces, and took the forms we knew of as evolution stones. Exposure to such highly condensed energy allowed Pokemon to evolve, but only if they were ready to take in so much energy at once.

    Moon Stones in particular were formed partly from the shards of meteorites. They were the night, the moon, the stars and everything in between, all the divine entities that we could not touch with our bare hands.

    Countless numbers of those stones were arranged around the altar in a careful, almost obsessive neatness. They were as dark as the night sky itself and their depths endlessly vast. Yet even from this distance, I could see stars within them shining ever faintly through the darkness.

    I wasn''t surprised to see so many of them. Mount Moon was said to bear witness to frequent meteor falls. If they weren''t first hoarded by the local Pokemon, then Moon Stones were aplenty here in the caves. People just needed to know where to look.

    No, I stared at the thing those stones bordered.

    It was a meteorite.

    It was not simply a meteorite, but a gigantic one that put any in museums around the world to shame. It was ancient in all likelihood, yet it looked like it had freshly fallen with the lustrous sheen it still retained. My eyes traced the thin lines running across its inky exterior, marks born from a once-molten surface layer.

    This meteorite ¡ª this massive Moon Stone ¡ª was glorious.

    I almost felt drunk off the power it radiated.

    In the corner of my eye, I saw my Pokemon gazing at the stone with expressions as mesmerized as my own. We were drawn to it like Mothim to a flame. I could understand now why the Clefairy guarded their home so zealously and why they stayed here.

    Why live elsewhere when they could feast on such power every day?

    I wanted to reach out and touch it, to feel for myself a power that transcended time and space¡ª

    And before I could blink, it was gone.

    Clefable had winked it out of existence from us once more, though¡­ judging by the look on Brock''s face, he wasn''t too surprised by the short experience. Most likely, it seemed he had long been aware of it. The Takeshi family must have kept this long-guarded secret for years.

    My mouth suddenly felt dry. Very dry.

    "The Heart of the Mountain is magnificent," I finally said, breaking out of my stupor.

    Clefable looked at me and smiled.

    It is, she agreed. You are now the only human besides the former and current head of the Takeshi family to hold this knowledge. Do not spread it. Know this: I care not who comes after our Heart. Be it these¡­ so-called Rockets, ordinary humans, or your paltry League¡­

    Clefable''s eyes glittered coldly.

    Should they come here, I will kill them all and offer their flesh and blood as a prayer.

    I did not doubt it. I only responded with a nod of my head.

    Good. Then be off now and remove those wretched intruders. These children will guide you and your allies. I have given them permission to open the paths for you all.

    Brock was more than happy to follow said Clefairy out of the cavern, but I lingered.

    "One last question: may I come back to visit this place?" I asked.

    And the Heart of the Mountain was what I wanted to add, but Clefable already knew.

    Her lips curled upwards into a most disconcerting smile.

    Uphold your end of the bargain, Friend of Fairies, and you shall be more than welcomed here in the future. I will even allow you to partake in our rituals.

    Well, didn''t that sound promising.

    My eyes shone brightly as I placed a hand over my heart.

    "Very well."

    Without further ado, my Pokemon and I walked over to where Brock and the Clefairy were waiting. I could feel the gaze of Clefable on my back long after we disappeared through the same starry passage we went through before.

    I still felt it when we suddenly found ourselves face-to-face with the rest of the group.

    Compared to how they were when we left them, everyone looked lively. Clefable must have already removed us as targets from the Beliefs clogging the earth and air.

    "You managed to pull it off," Falkner remarked. Was it just me, or was that the faintest hint of an impressed smile tugging at his lips? He crossed his arms over his chest. "Are we taking the fight to Team Rocket now?"

    "We are," Brock declared. He and I shared a brief look. "We''ll fill you in¡­"

    Any details about Mountain Weaver or the Heart of the Mountain were obviously left out. We only explained to them the agreement we had come to and the vague yet unsettling information shared with us.

    Everyone looked tense when we finished.

    "This unknown evil the Clefairy clan mentioned," Giovanni began with a troubled expression. He gripped the sleeves of his suit jacket tightly. "Did they not say what it was? I don''t want us to get blindsided down there."

    "No. They only mentioned that it was a strange energy they''d never seen before."

    "Then we best move with caution from here on out," Giovanni decided, lips pressed into a thin line. "This sounds like we could be dealing with the same energy that formed the Team Rocket message on National Day."

    An astute insight and one I was going to bring up myself. Sabrina had claimed way back then that the energy she''d removed from the air was strange. Her wording had since stuck with me and resembled Clefable''s own thoughts. It wasn''t too far-fetched to believe these two cases were linked.

    Maybe the same source was even behind both.

    "What are we waiting for? We should search for the Rockets now so that when backup arrives, they know where to go," Clair spoke up.

    Bruno was studying the two Clefairy by our feet with a thoughtful expression.

    "These Clefairy¡­ you said they can create paths from one point of the mountain to another?" he questioned.

    I nodded.

    "Then let''s send the League Trainers out to alert Lance about our plans. They can take the captured Rockets off our hands, and then the Clefairy can guide them back to where we are. The rest of us will scout ahead for the Rockets in the meantime," Bruno advised. He glanced around. "No objections?"

    There were none.

    "Then let''s move."

    One by one, Bruno''s trio of Machamp unloaded the Rockets they were carrying as if they were cargo. They were passed off to the League Trainers among us. When they were ready, one of the Clefairy tottered over to the closest wall and twirled around.

    A tunnel full of blinding light appeared. Clefairy motioned impatiently to the League Trainers before disappearing through the hole.

    The other Clefairy didn''t wait around. It skipped over to the opposite wall and clapped its hands. Another tunnel appeared, but this one was far more foreboding. I couldn''t begin to see the end of its murky depths. Clefairy walked inside without batting an eye, and we followed closely.

    It was a fast process. We were deposited into darkness after walking on a road of stars. Looker''s Magneton had to light itself up with Flash again so that we could see. Now¡­ now we were somewhere in Mount Moon''s depths.

    It was different here.

    What I noticed first was how silent it was. A vast mountain like Mount Moon had an abundance of wild Pokemon. That was true even here in the lowest levels. There should have been Diglett or Dugtrio building colonies in the massive tunnels that Onix burrowed, or even distant sounds from said rock snakes plowing through the earth.

    There was none of that. I couldn''t hear anything besides the sound of our own breathing.

    It was so eerily quiet, almost as if the wild Pokemon themselves knew that something was wrong down here.

    We all looked at each other. In silent agreement, our small group gathered together into a tighter and more cohesive formation. The little Clefairy didn''t leave but chose to stick around instead, following closely at my heels. I let out Silque from her capsule so that she could wrap us in a soundless barrier. Vel layered the whole thing in a bubble of his own so that we looked invisible to the naked eye.

    With hurried yet hesitant steps, we explored.

    None of us were willing to let our Pokemon stray too far given that the Rockets were inevitably close by. Clefable had said she would drop us off in their general location. That being said, this was still a maze of tunnels even without Fairy tricks at play. We had wild Onix and even the rare, occasional Steelix to thank for these underground sections.

    Luckily, we had someone who spent a lot of time down here.

    When Brock wasn''t running the Pewter Gym, training, or spending time with his family, he was here exploring the depths of Mount Moon and mapping out new tunnels or changes in the ecosystem. He led us towards the most likely areas the Rockets would be camped out in.

    We talked quietly on our way.

    "Did you get any more information out of the Rockets we captured?" I asked, directing my question at the Interpol agents. We''d just peeked into a huge cavern and found it empty.

    Looker stepped over a gap in the ground. "We did. The ones we got are all new recruits. They''re mostly here as a menial labor force."

    "Estimates varied between the people we interrogated, but their base here seems to have about a hundred members," Mint added.

    That wasn''t too bad in my opinion. The League had tackled larger Rocket bases before on their own.

    "What about that¡­ Executive they mentioned," Clair spoke up. She frowned. "Proton, was it? Did they have anything to say about him or the rest of their hierarchy?"

    Looker and Mint shared a look.

    "They said he was scary," Mint replied awkwardly.

    Clair scoffed out loud. "Nothing else?"

    "No. They didn''t know much about the inner structure of their organization, but Looker and I believe there are probably more Executives¡ª"

    "Depending on how strong these so-called Executives are, that''ll be a large concern," Falkner murmured, butting in.

    None of us could refute that. We fell into silence afterwards, content to search in silence. Tunnels upon tunnels began to bleed into one another. I was impressed Brock could find his way in this labyrinth. Everything was starting to look the same to me.

    The silence did not last for long.

    "Wait a second¡ª"

    "Lucario found¡ª"

    Brock and Bruno stopped talking at the same time. With a quick gesture from Bruno, the Rock Specialist went first.

    "That tunnel there on the right," Brock began, pointing with his finger. "That''s new. I don''t think it was made by one of the local Onix either. Most of the Onix in this particular part of Mount Moon are much bigger."

    "And," Bruno smoothly followed up, "Lucario found faint traces of Aura nearby. People walked through here."

    Our heads snapped toward him.

    "Hostile?" Falkner asked.

    A nod from Bruno was all we needed. We looked back at the tunnel Brock had pointed out and immediately walked in its direction. Every single one of us was on high alert.

    We went into the tunnel with hands hovering near the Pokeballs on our belts.

    The rustling from our clothes felt like it had been amplified a thousand times over in my ears. That was how hyper-aware I was of my surroundings as we walked through the tunnel. My biggest worry was running into roaming sentries or the like. Vel still had fairy aura around us that rendered our small group invisible, but I couldn''t help but worry anyway.

    Eventually, the tunnel widened out. It seemed we were coming up on a larger section of the cave.

    Then I heard it.

    Faint vibrations. Voices. The quiet clink, clink of metal against stone.

    We didn''t say anything to each other and quickened our pace instead. Looker''s Magneton stopped using Flash, but we were not submerged in darkness for long. A bright light in the distance grew ever closer. Our eyes finally adjusted to the difference in lighting as we skidded to a halt.

    "We found them."

    I barely registered whose voice that was ¡ª Giovanni''s, maybe? ¡ª because I was too focused on the scene we''d stumbled upon.

    We stood at the entrance to an enormous cavern.

    Shadows leapt across the walls from flickering torches and old lamps. Underneath their illumination, pickaxes and shovels were scattered haphazardly on the floor near large holes. On every side of the cavern, chunks in the walls had been repeatedly scraped away in attempts to unearth valuable resources. The signs of excavation were quite clear.

    Huge crates were stacked on top of one another on another side of the room. I couldn''t make out their labels from here, but quite a few of them had markings in white paint. I could only assume they''d put Fossils or Moon Stones and the like in there. My heart sank when I noticed Pokemon with telltale red eyes stationed around the cavern, ones that swayed unsteadily back and forth.

    More drugged Pokemon. Meanwhile, Rockets were running around everywhere.

    Uniformed members were tearing down tents and stuffing everything into duffel bags. Others were recalling worker Pokemon like Machoke and Graveler, and yet others were busy loading crates onto wheeled carts they could pull.

    My eyes were then drawn to the green-haired man standing in the middle of the clearing. I judged him to be somewhere in his mid-twenties. He was clearly the one in charge from the way he was waving his arms around and gave out orders in a loud, commanding voice. It helped that his uniform was vastly different from the grunts surrounding him.

    "Move faster!" he yelled. "Hurry up!"

    He had to be the Executive known as Proton.

    "They''re leaving," Clair said out loud in realization. She said it again in a more rushed voice. "They''re leaving! They might have gotten spooked because their members weren''t coming back. We should strike first."

    "Normally I''d say we wait for backup, but we might not have the time," Falkner agreed. "The forces we have here should be enough anyway."

    "There are drugged Pokemon in there," Mint pointed out in as civil a tone as he could manage. "Who knows how many more they have in Pokeballs right now? We shouldn''t go in without a plan. We can afford to wait a bit for the backup to arrive."

    "I never said we should go in without a plan, but I do believe we should act soon," Clair insisted with blazing eyes. "There''s a high-ranking member of Team Rocket right there! Perhaps we can flood the room with spores from your Vilepume, Agent Mint?"

    "Too risky," I spoke up quickly, eyes darting across the cavern crawling with Rockets. "We don''t know how those powders would interact with the drugged Pokemon in there. What if they end up becoming even more enraged and powerful?"

    I''d already been thinking about doing something similar with my Dachsbun, but we had no idea what kind of adverse drug reactions would arise.

    "It''s a risk we might have to take," Clair argued back. "We can''t lose them now."

    Falkner was also scanning the room. "There''s another entrance on the other side. We''re going to have to block that off if we don''t want them fleeing."

    They would have gone on debating among themselves in fast, clipped tones, but then I realized we''d overlooked something.

    "Can we even enter that cavern in the first place? What about the unknown energy?" I asked out loud.

    Everyone stopped talking to stare at me. I hurriedly looked at my Hatterene.

    "Silque, is there a barrier around this cavern?"

    The Hatterene was already moving. She glided forward and peered in front of us with glowing eyes. Out of all the things that I expected to happen, I did not expect her to physically recoil. She usually remained so very calm.

    Such evil, Silque whispered out loud to everyone with telepathy. I have never felt this before.

    Bruno and his Lucario were quick to see what the fuss was about by focusing their senses with Aura. They, too, recoiled as if they''d been struck.

    "I don''t know what kind of energy this is," Bruno muttered, but it was loud enough for us to hear. "Some kind of psychic energy perhaps? But it''s¡­ not the same. It''s repulsive."

    "Analyze later," Looker said. "We''re running out of time. We might have to move on our own since the League forces still aren''t here. Can we break through the barrier?"

    "Silque?" I prompted.

    We don''t have to, she revealed much to our surprise. This barrier is strong, but it was made for a single purpose: to keep the magic of the mountain out. Anything else can pass through freely.

    That was interesting, but this wasn''t the time for that.

    "Then what are we waiting for?" Clair asked.

    I opened my mouth to respond, but then Brock and I both froze. We stared into the clearing as a Nidoking stomped up to Proton. No red eyes. It wasn¡¯t drugged. In its grasp was a large, four-winged bat struggling to break free.

    Brock¡¯s Crobat.

    ¡°What the hell is this, Nidoking?¡± Proton sighed. ¡°We¡¯re getting ready to move out. Get the other grunts in line and don¡¯t show me your food.¡±

    The Nidoking made an annoyed sound and shoved the Crobat in Proton¡¯s face. Wings frantically sliced through the air, making the Executive hurriedly jerk his head back.

    "Careful!" he barked out. "Jeez. Do you want me to catch it or something?"

    Nidoking roared. Proton blinked several times in succession.

    "What? This is Brock''s Pokemon?" he asked with utter surprise. My eyes widened, and so did everyone else''s in our group. He could understand his Nidoking.

    Proton was¡ª he was¡ª

    He was an Ability Holder?

    "Fuck," Proton swore, rummaging around in his pocket. "How did they know we were here? Never mind that, we''ve got to get rid of this Crobat first¡ª no, don''t kill it!"

    He hurriedly held out a hand when Nidoking moved to snap the bat in half.

    ¡°That¡¯d be a waste. It¡¯s an Elite Pokemon, right? I¡¯m going to inject it with R2 and have it guard us on our way out,¡± Proton said matter-of-factly. He reached into his pocket. ¡°Keep it steady for me now.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Brock blurted out, stumbling forward in panic.

    I slapped a hand on his shoulder. He turned back furiously, thinking I was stopping him but in reality¡ª

    ¡°Get ready to move in. Close your eyes!¡± I instructed the others sharply. A similar warning was transmitted to Brock¡¯s Crobat by my Hatterene.

    We had no backup, but we couldn¡¯t wait any longer. If the Rockets fled through the maze of tunnels, there was a high chance we¡¯d lose a lot of them. Clefable wouldn¡¯t be able to help us either with that ominous energy clinging to them.

    I squeezed my eyes shut as Silque Teleported into the middle of the cavern inches away from Proton. Before his eyes could so much as widen¡­

    The world exploded with blinding white.

 Chapter 48 â€” A Poison That Runs Deep

    CHAPTER 48 ¡ª A Poison That Runs Deep

    The light from Dazzling Gleam disappeared so quickly that it could have been a hallucination, but the groans and shouts of confusion echoing in the cavern proved otherwise. My eyes snapped open as wind and stray droplets of water blasted against my cheeks.

    In that mere fraction of a second, three different figures blitzed forward at unimaginable speed.

    A bird with magnificent plumage was the fastest of them all. Falkner had released his famed starter. Wreathed in a cocoon of swirling, silver energy, Pidgeot sped towards Proton like a missile. She tucked her wings in and braced herself for impact¡ª

    CRACK.

    Pidgeot went spinning backwards instead and quickly righted herself. She had not slammed into her intended target but something else entirely. The air around Proton shimmered in place with visible cracks. Some sort of psychic barrier, it seemed.

    Without missing a beat, Brock and Bruno''s Pokemon were quick to follow up on Pidgeot''s attempt. Kabutops crashed into the fractured barrier in an explosion of water, then whipped out glistening scythes in a one-two combo slash. Cracks deepened. Next to him, Lucario blurred into view from Extreme Speed and flung a small, unsuspecting orb that sang with the song of vitality.

    The pure Aura attack shattered the barrier completely, but it did not break without something for us to remember it by. Fragments of psychic energy dissipated in the air. Accompanying them were distorted screams.

    Those sounds bounced around in my mind so loudly that I stumbled, clutching at my skull. I saw the others around me and our Pokemon doing much the same. Whatever this mental attack was, it was so powerful that it even affected the Ghosts in my shadow, debilitating them. Their screams mixed together with the ones in my head.

    My vision blurred. I couldn''t make out any words, but I could feel the emotion behind the unknown voice.

    HATE¡ª

    DESTROY¡ª

    KILL EVERYONE¡ª

    Sheer, overwhelming hatred threatened to overwhelm my mind. It clawed at it and screamed in undying malice. Clefable''s previous words came back to mind, this time with an understanding that came too late.

    ''They have at their disposal an energy most foul, an unknown evil that I have never felt before. It is wrapped around those humans like a shield.''

    Yet as quickly as it came, the pressure disappeared.

    As I was shaking off any lingering nausea, a loud thud echoed in the distance. Proton had been the closest to the devastating surge of light, and he fell to his knees now with eyes squeezed shut. His Nidoking was faring only marginally better. The hulking Poison type let out an enraged bellow as he swayed from side to side in a panic. His grip on Brock''s Crobat loosened.

    Crobat instantly flew away, and the first thing he did was bite someone''s shoulder.

    Proton screamed.

    It was that howl of pain that snapped Nidoking back to attention. Partially blinded as he was, the giant still had an idea of where his trainer was. An armored tail backhanded Crobat from behind and sent him tumbling through the air. Blood splattered across the ground from the abrupt ejection of fangs from flesh, but Proton didn''t even seem to notice. His eyes were still closed shut as his hands fumbled along his Pokeball belt. Meanwhile, Nidoking stomped his foot.

    Geysers erupted from the ground indiscriminately.

    The Pokemon closest to Proton had recovered from the mental attack and begun to converge on him, but they were forced to scatter as gigantic columns of energy blew up the ground. A hail of rocks and sparks of fire were showered in every direction.

    A sea of red light enveloped the cavern as Proton finally released more members of his team, but we didn''t stop to identify what Pokemon he had unleashed. We had already run into the clearing. Rocket grunts everywhere were beginning to snap out of their disorientation and release Pokemon of their own.

    "Secure the exits¡ª" I tried yelling over the geyser explosions in the background.

    "I''ve got the back one!" Brock yelled in reply. Clair answered by way of hanging near the entrance, a few Dragons already out at her sides. They would block the escape routes for us. Everyone started releasing more fighters.

    "Arin, Bruno, and I will battle the Rocket Executive then!" Giovanni barked out in a firm, decisive tone. "Falkner, support us! Everyone else, take care of the grunts!"

    Nobody argued with the arrangements. We split up immediately to take our stations, and my Hatterene''s eyes glowed just as globs of poison came flying. Each Pokemon on our side put up Protect shields around their respective trainer.

    From across the clearing, Proton stared at us. It seemed like his vision was slowly returning. Crobat had ripped out a chunk of the Executive''s flesh and clothing. The open wound on his right shoulder had not just blood leaking from it but a syringe that had been stabbed into the skin. An antidote, perhaps, to counter the powerful toxins Crobat had likely injected him with. Considering the variety of Poison type Pokemon that had suddenly surrounded Proton, I was not surprised a Specialist like him had such things on hand.

    I was more taken aback by the absolute rage burning in his eyes.

    "Did you want to capture me? Extort information?" he asked tauntingly, lips curling back into a snarl. "You''re better off killing me instead."

    I could barely hear him over the geysers still tearing up the field and preventing any Pokemon from getting close to him. Proton jerked the syringe out of his shoulder without batting an eye. He tossed it to the side carelessly, rolling his shoulders.

    "Let''s try this again, shall we?"

    Everything spiraled.

    Shouts, cries, explosions, smoke¡ª the entire cavern was overrun by fighting in the blink of an eye. Pokemon and moves on both sides leapt forward to meet each other head-on. A relentless, messy cacophony of sound was what it all boiled down to.

    At the entrance, chill-inducing roars echoed from Dragons as blue flames incinerated anything in their path. Clair shouted for her Dragonite to incapacitate the grunts, and the Dragon obeyed. Golden scales glinted in the light as clawed hands were brought down like hammers.

    On the opposite end, walls of rock sloped upwards and completely blocked the back entrance. Brock stood there with a firm posture as his team of Rock types manipulated the earth. The landscape transformed as rocks rose and formed tight prisons around fleeing Rockets.

    Agents Mint and Looker stayed back to provide support for both of them. Our allies had to deal with more psychic shields like the one that had protected Proton, but none of them were remotely as strong and folded like paper. Wisely, the grunts and those on our side engaging them stayed out of the fight happening in the central part of the cavern.

    They simply had no way of interfering.

    Two blurry figures ¡ª Lucario and a Toxicroak ¡ª danced a tango of death. Sparks of energy flew for every punch in their fast close combat, none of which could be tracked by the naked eye. Mem and Fia went straight for Proton, but a Swalot and Crobat immediately rose out to meet them. Nearby, Bruno''s three Machamp flexed muscles so tight that they actually repelled globs of poison. Multiple hands flew out to grab at two incredibly agile snakes ¡ª a Seviper and Arbok ¡ª that darted between them, but they only caught air. All of them jumped away when Grima and a Scolipede landed next to them, creating a fissure in the ground. Waves of thick, powerful hair whipped through the air. So did rays of wildly fluctuating energy that went wide. Hyper Beams. Everyone scattered, then threw themselves back into the fray again.

    Those were only a few of the fights going on. Everything was happening everywhere and all at once. Wherever you looked, our Pokemon were engaged in high-paced skirmishes. Most of us didn''t even issue a lot of orders. At this level and high pacing, and with so many fighters deployed, it was mostly our Pokemon who had to think for themselves in the heat of the moment. We, the trainers, only issued general directives or specific orders if we saw something change in the overall flow of battle.

    It didn''t help that the field constantly shifted.

    The ground rumbled, surged, and split apart like a storm at sea. There was never a moment where it could be still because it was a whole battleground of its own. Poison, poison, and more poison was being secreted by Proton''s Pokemon into the floor as if it was as easy as breathing. Purple spots bloomed across the field like angry splotches of paint and grew ever darker. It became a wasteland¡ª

    But Ground was the beginning and the end, and what all things ultimately returned to.

    The earth trembled, then screamed with defiance. Countless waves rose up like liquid sand. Within their crumbling folds, I caught the faintest hint of a Hippowdon and Sandslash before everything came crashing back down in an instant. Particles of hazy dust filled the air.

    The toxic wasteland was gone. The corrosion had been buried deep within mother earth''s embrace to be born anew.

    Oh, but Poison could never be easily contained¡­ for long did it fester, and long did it rot.

    Thin strands of darkness spread out like veins in a human body. They robbed the ground of its earthy hues, smothering it as spots bubbled and gave way to steaming pits. The earth creaked and groaned under the invading forces. At last, dark liquids finally wrenched their way free of the natural cycle and exploded outwards.

    They tried to splatter everywhere, but the earth engulfed the rain of acid once more. The ground lurched up, down, and sideways as opposing forces fought for utter domination. I could only catch occasional glimpses of the fight below when the earth''s maws opened wide enough for me to see.

    The Pokemon down there were sneakily trying to get to the opposing trainers, but they weren''t making it easy for each other to advance. Sandslash ricocheted off a Drapion from multiple angles while Hippowdon tracked a Gengar through a whirlwind of sand.

    I didn''t have the luxury to check, but Giovanni didn''t look worried. Only a faint hint of annoyance was there in his otherwise calm expression. He could have toppled things in his favor instantly with Earthquake, but that wasn''t an option here inside a cave. A protective shield of light surrounded him courtesy of a Nidoqueen. On Giovanni''s other side, a Persian stood at the ready with cold ruby eyes. In any other situation, I would have wondered what the story was behind a Ground Specialist having a Persian.

    Nidoqueen and Persian made eye contact. Wordlessly, the cat put up a Protect at the same time that Nidoqueen let hers down. They were taking turns to shield their trainer much like how my own Pokemon were. Yuno had coiled around my body in a defensive manner while Silque shielded me with Protect. A stray attack flew my way, but the Protect held strong. In a minute, my Pokemon would swap roles and refresh the barrier.

    Every other trainer in the room ¡ª both Rockets and those on our side ¡ª were taking similar safety measures. In life-and-death fights like these, the first and most important target was always the opposing trainer.

    A trainer was the heart of any team. If you took down the trainer, the Pokemon would lose their control tower and the reason why they fought so hard. It was the fastest way to make the opposition crumble.

    The ground was still being contested at this point, but it was not the only battlefield. The air was another.

    One, two, three sonic booms went off in rapid succession as Falkner''s birds accelerated at breakneck speed across the cavern''s airspace. Limited as space was in here, that didn''t matter to them.

    To Fly was to revel in freedom, to remain unbound by the world and its restrictions and chart a path of your own.

    The winds were at their beck and call as the birds zipped left and right, but they weren''t alone. Insistent, high-pitched buzzing followed after them in the form of a Beedrill. From its stingers came a fine mist of acid rain, but sharp gales blew it up instead of down.

    Falkner''s birds were simultaneously fending off Beedrill and other fliers while helping us apply pressure on Proton. Light as bright as the sun poured out from Skarmory as it fired off a Flash Cannon into Proton''s Nidoking. The behemoth''s fists lit up in a similarly blinding halo. It crossed its arms and bore with the tremendous beam that pushed it back, but it didn''t have any time to breathe. Pidgeot and Staraptor approached it from behind¡ª

    They pulled up sharply when condensed balls of sludge came flying like cannonballs, and they weren''t stopping. An Amoonguss in Proton''s backline spun its arms rapidly and shot out more. Falkner whistled sharply. His birds flew in long-practiced evasive maneuvers, but they weren''t the intended targets.

    The balls of sludge hit the sides of the cavern and exploded in clouds of spores.

    They were fast filling up the cavern. Agent Mint''s Stoutland was one of the unfortunate souls caught in the initial blast, and it went down.

    Falkner clicked his tongue.

    "WIND! Back entrance!" he ordered.

    Strong winds blew into existence. In one swift, smooth motion, Falkner''s birds stopped dreamlike dust from touching us. The spores traveled through air currents above our heads and out the back exit instead.

    Meanwhile, the fight in the middle of the heavens and earth raged on.

    Machamp One finally grabbed a hold of Arbok and held it in a deathlike grip. Muscles bulged as it squeezed, but no flesh flew through the air. The Fighting type was left holding an empty shell ¡ª a distinct mass of shed skin ¡ª as Arbok somersaulted, quickly sinking its fangs into Machamp''s neck.

    Ribbons wrapped around and strangled the snake before its fangs could penetrate too deeply.

    Vel snarled as he wrenched Arbok away and tightened his hold. Light formed in his mouth, but he never got a chance to let it fly at its intended target. Deadly sharp needles of condensed poison shot towards him like bullets. Three stabbed the Sylveon before he could redirect the Hyper Beam at the newest contender, Beedrill, instead. The bug was annoyingly fast and had cloaked itself entirely in poison. It blurred out of view and away from the light that roared past. Brock''s Crobat chased after it.

    The window of opportunity Beedrill bought was for nothing.

    Arbok had managed to wriggle out of Vel''s hold, but another Machamp nearby snatched it out of the air and slammed it to the ground. A hidden fanged tail came out of nowhere for Machamp Two''s neck. From the sky, Pidgeot came flying with outstretched talons and forced the Seviper to make an untimely retreat.

    There was no one else to interfere. Vel pulled out the needles embedded in him without so much as a grunt. With emotionless eyes and blood matting his bright fur, Vel sharpened the end of one of his ribbons. It gleamed almost like a real blade, and he brought it down hard.

    The Arbok line was notorious for being able to regrow lost body parts, but none of that mattered if the head was lost. Arbok''s body went limp as its head was painfully severed.

    I was surprised to hear a howl come from the other side of the cavern. I focused my gaze and found green eyes boring into mine. I couldn''t see well from this far, but he looked furious¡­ and distressed.

    "YOU!" he bellowed.

    Even criminals like him were capable of caring for their Pokemon it seemed. I couldn''t afford to feel sorry, not when we were up against an evil that was more than willing to do the same to us.

    One down.

    As if spurred to action by the loss of one of their own, Proton''s Pokemon gathered in a tighter formation around their trainer. They fought harder.

    My mind whirled. None of Proton''s Pokemon were falling easily. It was safe to categorize him as being at least on the level of an Elite Four, though the implications of that would have to be dwelled upon later. My head had to be fully here in the ongoing battle.

    We had the obvious numbers advantage over Proton. It was four trainers against one. No matter how many more Pokemon Proton had in reserve, we had more. We could swap out our Pokemon whenever they got tired, but he couldn''t do the same.

    Proton knew that, too, but he clearly wanted to go down fighting. He hadn''t attempted to escape even once.

    My eyes darted across the field, assessing the fights currently going on and if any of my Pokemon needed specific orders from me. They landed on my two Ghosts.

    A series of explosions rocked the battlefield as seeds wrapped in sludge peppered the ground one after the other. Fia and Mem flew in coordinated maneuvers away from a Swalot''s onslaught, but they had to split up when a torrent of poison came raining from the sky. Proton''s Crobat flew down soon after. It beat its slender wings rapidly.

    Poison coalesced into shimmering crescents that spun violently through the air.

    Shadows slipped out from underneath Mem''s costume and formed independent clones. Each rose up to meet the incoming projectiles as shields, but one sickle of wind cleverly imbued with the power of U-Turn made a sharp swerve and slammed into Mem''s main body. He caught himself mid-air, but¡­

    His body was bent at an eerie angle. Part of his costume had even been sliced off, revealing a murky darkness underneath.

    Mem remained unmoving in the air. A millisecond passed, and then¡ª

    A loud and distorted scream left his deceptively small figure, one so acute that Proton''s Crobat wobbled mid-air due to sensitive hearing. My head snapped up as inky tears flowed like blood from the holes on his tattered cloth. They dribbled down, pooling into a shadowy puddle below. Harsh static noises filled the air as Mem repeated one word over and over to Crobat.

    WHY? WHY? WHY?

    "FOCUS!" I yelled over all the fighting. Mem had the most child-like personality out of all my Pokemon despite how old he actually was. "Make him apologize."

    Darkness exploded outward from Mem before I even finished.

    Dozens of shadowy claws and heads without faces extended like vines from the Mimikyu. Crobat kicked it into high gear and blurred through the air at incredible speeds, but he could not outrun the darkness coming for him. There were simply too many shadows, and they cried blood for blood. A claw eventually clipped one of his wingtips.

    The moment Crobat tumbled through the air, the rest of the shadowy entourage caught up. He was grabbed and shaken violently while faceless things howled angrily in his face.

    SAY SORRY. PLAY WITH US, they screamed, but they did not wait for Crobat''s answer.

    Just like a child handling a toy, the shadows ripped one of Crobat''s wings clean from his body. His pained screech cut off as red light swallowed him. Proton had managed to recall him before more damage could be done.

    Two were out now¡ª no, three.

    The ground erupted in a tempest of acid-soaked sand. Two Pokemon landed with heavy thuds on the ground: Hippowdon and Drapion. The former''s powerful jaws were locked around Drapion''s segmented body. The hippo moved to tear him in two, but he was interrupted.

    Hippowdon let go and roared with absolute pain.

    A terribly long and sharp horn had impaled his side courtesy of Nidoking. Giovanni immediately moved to recall his Pokemon, but a shadowy figure ¡ª Gengar ¡ª darted out of the ground and used its solidified body as a shield. The red light from the Pokeball wasn''t allowed to touch Hippowdon''s body and bounced off Gengar instead. Preventing the recall of one''s Pokemon was a cruel but valid tactic in this life-and-death fight.

    Bruno and I had other plans. We yelled orders to the closest Pokemon. Machamp Three and Grima hurriedly tore themselves away from their current opponents to rescue Hippowdon. Dark, spinning rings blasted Gengar back into the floor as Machamp grabbed Nidoking and pulled him away from Hippowdon with herculean strength.

    It was only when Giovanni finally recalled his Pokemon that I saw viscous liquid seeping from Nidoking''s appendage in sinister amounts. Nidoking slammed an elbow into Machamp''s face and used his other arm to shove the half-conscious Drapion back to safety. He barely made it before he was bowled over.

    Giovanni had let out his own Nidoking, and the two titans split the ground in their ensuing struggle. Chunks of earth and other debris flew everywhere.

    A particularly large rock flew towards Swalot nearby, but the amorphous Pokemon simply opened its mouth and swallowed it without batting an eye. He did the same as my Flutter Mane bombarded him with glowing rocks in all the colors of the rainbow. The Power Gems were digested with seemingly no end in sight.

    One of Bruno''s Machamp came out swinging from behind in an assist. Swalot was too large and slow on its own, but it had a workaround. Acid rapidly coated the ground in thick, goopy layers from Swalot''s mouth. The Pokemon then slid across the terrain it had created for itself, ugly splashes echoing in the wake of its evasive maneuvers. It was so busy fending off Machamp''s dizzying array of punches and kicks that it did not notice the monstrosity growing behind it.

    This whole time, Lico had been helping Brock''s Crobat track down the Beedrill darting around the field, but he switched targets now and bounced over to Fia. Fangs peeked out of a blob-like mouth as he opened it wide. A tiny sun rose up above our heads, but its size mattered not. Lico had adjusted the Sunny Day enough that it wouldn''t impede our allies.

    The air still warped from intense heat and light. Layers of glistening sweat instantly formed over my skin even with a barrier around me, and it was worse for the more fragile Pokemon on the field.

    The heat only cooled down with the emergence of another cosmic entity. Pale light shimmered and formed a delicate moon in front of Fia, and unlike the Sunny Day, this orb radiated nothing but the cold. Her yellow-red eyes glowed with a sinister hue as feathery appendages elongated. In silence, the sun was snatched from above and sewn into the moon''s half-hollow interior. The two became one.

    It bubbled. It hissed. It fluctuated wildly in place as if it would explode at a moment''s notice.

    Light poured out in wide, fragmented rays. The result was so horrifically divine that I had to avert my gaze or be blinded forever. The orb swelled to an unbelievable size as two opposing forces screamed. They were fire and ice, chaos and silence, and they wanted to be let out.

    The Flutter Mane obliged. Fia threw the pulsating energy straight at Swalot.

    Bruno''s Machamp kicked itself away from the blast zone, but Swalot could not do the same. The mix of heat and cold the orb radiated burned and froze everything in its radius. Any acid on the floor had long disappeared, and there was no use spraying more.

    Swalot opted to swallow the attack instead and opened its mouth wide. The orb disappeared inside.

    The cavern shook briefly as Swalot imploded.

    Viscous purple goo went flying in all directions. Some splattered against my Protect shield, but Silque calmly wiped it clean. I eyed the bits and pieces of Swalot that slid down and squirmed weakly on the ground. A rancid scent drifted through the air from scorched flesh. Lunar and solar energies alike had ripped Swalot apart from the inside out. The amorphous Pokemon was still alive, but it was going to take an arduous amount of effort and time to put itself back together.

    Four were out of the picture now¡ª

    A frustrated yell from Proton changed things. Amidst dust and smoke kicked up from ongoing fights, I barely made out the traces of his figure clicking Pokeballs on his belt. Flashes of red light mixed together and filled the cavern once more. A Weezing, Nidoqueen, and Gloom appeared to replace the fallen fighters. The Gloom was an interesting choice. It seemed to suggest that Proton didn''t have a lot of Pokemon left in reserve after all.

    It also brought with it an odor so foul that I actually stumbled in place.

    All Pokemon in the room immediately upgraded shields around their trainers to keep the smell out. I''d already felt like I was on the verge of fainting with just one sniff, so perhaps that was why Proton had sent out Gloom¡­ as a desperate last measure to knock out the trainers.

    He only succeeded in making some grunts in the room topple over. Most of them had been taken care of already by our allies, but the others were fast succumbing to the nauseous scent. Soon enough, Clair and the others would be able to join us.

    "He''s getting desperate!" Bruno yelled, fighting to be heard above the din.

    "Yes, and cornered animals fight harder!" Giovanni shot back. "Don''t underestimate him."

    "We know," I said grimly. "We have to keep pressing him anyway."

    My eyes never left the battlefield. Our Pokemon were slowly pushing closer to Proton and the Amoonguss protecting him. We just had to get through the ring of Pokemon around them first.

    Falkner''s eyes also swept over the field in scrutiny.

    "Beedrill and Seviper," we both said at the same time, and we looked at each other in mutual understanding. The Pokemon we''d pointed out were the ones providing the most support to their heavy-hitting teammates. Amoonguss was the worst offender, but he had given up any chance for assists to focus entirely on shielding his trainer now.

    Falkner nodded to the rest of us. "Let''s get rid of those two first. They''re the weakest, and it''ll open holes in their formation."

    My jaw clenched.

    "Let''s go."

    The ground rippled violently under our feet. Something was tunneling down there at a steady, rhythmic pace, and Giovanni called out to it.

    The Pokemon in the meat of the fighting had to disengage as warm, roiling sands exploded from cracks in the ground. Eventually, a part of the floor itself caved in as a living ball of spikes flew out on a one-way track for Proton. Gengar was hot on Sandslash''s heels. The sight of the Ground type sailing over their heads caught the enemy''s undivided attention long enough for the rest of our Pokemon to move as one.

    Walls of earth conjured by Giovanni''s Nidoking catapulted our Pokemon forward. Bruno''s two uninjured Machamp slammed into Scolipede and buried it underneath a mass of flailing limbs. Lucario finally got a leg up over the Toxicroak it''d been fighting and slammed an ethereal club into its back. It stumbled, letting the Aura Pokemon rain down a series of palm techniques for free. On its other side, Giovanni''s Nidoking fought another of its kind as well as Proton''s Nidoqueen. Fia and Mem alleviated the pressure on him by flying toward the opposing trainer. Seeing that, Proton''s Nidoking immediately broke away from its current fight and stomped its foot. Geysers of steaming poison shot out of the ground to block their paths. From above, a Weezing expunged fumes in a double effort to keep them away.

    Something ¡ª a curled up Sandslash ¡ª hurtled from the sky, but Vel caught the Pokemon with a flurry of ribbons. A Hyper Beam ripped through the air after the perpetrator, Gengar, but Vel had to cut it short and dart away when needles embedded themselves in the ground around them. Each set off a mini explosion of its own.

    It was Beedrill again, and this time, he had to flee rather than chase as the rest of our forces specifically targeted him. The wind sang as Brock''s Crobat and Falkner''s birds dove at him from different angles, gradually luring the bee away from the rest of his team. Gloom caught onto what was happening and tried to warn the others, but its mouth was forcibly sewn shut. My Scream Tail picked Gloom up and slammed it headfirst into the ground like a ragdoll, eyes glowing a bright gold from the use of psychic powers. Amoonguss looked like it wanted to help, but it could not let down the Protect shielding its trainer, especially not when we were getting so close.

    Seviper was nowhere to be seen. It was somewhere out there on the field, hiding within the mess of bodies and smoke while biding its time.

    From across the field, Grima caught my eye for the briefest of moments before he looked away. The Grimmsnarl weaved in and out of the fight''s perimeter. He shot silent balls of darkness through the gaps and chose a brief moment of respite, purposely taking much too large of a step back. He strayed too far out of our side''s defensive line¡ª

    And a tail tipped with frothing poison came inches away from his eye.

    The snake had revealed itself. Seviper had seized the opportunity it saw, but Grima had been ready. Thick hair twisted around the snake''s tail and held it firmly at bay. One brief tug, and Grima grunted. He''d been left holding a cast of shed skin that leaked poison into his skin. Arbok was not the only one capable of shedding their skin instantaneously as a last form of escape. Seviper darted back into the chaos of the battlefield.

    It tried to at least. It ran headfirst into a psychic barrier instead, and again when it jumped the other way. A sphere of psychic energy gradually closed in on it.

    Lico was done incapacitating Gloom. He floated above Seviper''s head now and waved his hands.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    The sphere rapidly shrunk in on itself and squeezed Seviper. The trapped snake writhed and screamed with agony, rasping for air where none could be found. Its eyes grew bloodshot as it slowly suffocated to death.

    The sound of something shattering filled the air.

    A laser beam of sheer darkness had suddenly penetrated the barrier at the risk of collateral damage. Seviper fell to the floor, unconscious but barely alive, as Gengar turned its rage now on Lico. Spheres whispering insidious, cruel suggestions flew out of dark portals at my Pokemon.

    Seviper wasn''t an issue anymore. My eyes snapped over to the Beedrill situation as Lico kept Gengar busy.

    Beedrill was getting tired. It had been flitting from one of the battlefield to the other this whole time with sniping assists, and now it had to expend more effort simply keeping itself safe. Pressurized blades of wind flew out and nearly cut its wings in two, but Beedrill veered left in time. Instead of flying away, it made the strange decision to double back. It braved a storm of wind and blurred forward, ever forward¡­ Where was it going?

    Something sparkled from a gap in the poison coating Beedrill''s body like armor. There was a similar flash by Proton''s body, and my mind connected the dots faster than anything I''d ever had before. We couldn''t let Beedrill get any closer to his trainer.

    "LICO! Six o''clock!" I roared.

    There was no time for Gengar. Lico willingly let a ball of sinister energy explode against his back as he turned and screamed.

    Intense light boosted by fairy aura flew out in a single white-hot beam.

    It wouldn''t have reached its target in time, but Lico spurred it on with psychic energy. The beam accelerated and ripped through the air, heading straight for the path directly in front of Beedrill. It made contact with empty air¡ª

    And the world grew distorted.

    The world was ours to break. A pocket in reality shattered under Lico''s will, and with it, the rules that tethered our plane and guided our actions. The air on that side of the cavern warped. Hundreds of colors like a kaleidoscope spinning upside down were refracted in the immediate vicinity of the explosion. Reality was out of whack, and Beedrill was overwhelmed by the glimpse into the unknown. It didn''t know where it was going anymore. It couldn''t understand anything. It dropped like a fly, and I quickly yelled out a warning.

    "GET THE MEGA STONE!"

    Multiple heads on our side snapped up with alarm. Falkner was the fastest on the uptake. His birds descended on their prey. Proton''s Nidoking, the core of his team and ever the guardian, released a devastating series of drills from the ground to spear them with.

    I threw a hand out. "VEL!"

    He was already moving. The entire cavern seemed to dim with the appearance of a moon. Tendrils of light wrapped around it once, twice, thrice over as it spun through the air. It wasn''t faster than the drills, but it didn''t need to be.

    The moon howled, sucking anything nearby into its embrace. The drills spinning through the air stuttered in place and wobbled violently. They fought to fly onward, but they were being called back.

    And so they inevitably fell, wrenched away from their natural flight into the moon''s orbit and ground into bits of sand and stone.

    There was nothing stopping Falkner and his birds now. Pidgeot slammed Beedrill to the ground. A red light shot forward from Proton''s Pokeball, but it was too late. Pidgeot had already plucked the Beedrillite hidden beneath Beedrill''s layer of poison before the recall, yet there was no time to celebrate. The bird flew to safety before Gengar could choke it with shadows.

    Proton snarled with displeasure.

    I breathed out a sigh of relief I hadn''t known I was holding. My guess had turned out right after all. That had been a Mega Stone Beedrill was carrying. There was no way of knowing now if it would have turned the tides of the battle, but it was one less factor to worry about.

    I offered a brief smile to Falkner. The blue-haired male actually offered one back to me, but only after he used a trembling hand to wipe sweat away from his brow.

    We''d drawn things out long enough. Now was the time to end things.

    Our guards were up more than ever after the reveal of the Mega Stone, but we urged our Pokemon forward. They converged on their enemies with renewed vigor.

    Proton''s Pokemon were desperate. They dug their heels into the ground and refused to give way, but it was a losing battle. We were pushing them back faster than before. In any other situation, I would have admired the intensity of their desire to keep their trainer safe.

    We were so close now that I could finally make out the Rocket Executive''s features. Proton was smiling¡ª

    Proton was smiling?

    That wasn''t¡ª That wasn''t the look of someone who had resigned themselves to their fate, either. It was the look of someone who''d gotten the last laugh, but I couldn''t figure out why. I didn''t have enough time. None of us did.

    One blink.

    One single blink, and then the world went dark under a torrential wave of sludge.

    Visceral sounds ¡ª squelches and sloshing alike ¡ª filled my ears in a never-ending cascade. My vision was full of purple gunk that flew up into the air and temporarily drowned out any source of light. It flooded the field, swamped it, and tried to bury our Pokemon underneath its viscous folds. They scattered in the wake of acid splattering everywhere. The ground buckled and steamed. Mother earth cried out in agony as she withered away, poison infiltrating crevices and melting everything in sight.

    Above all, a terrible smell pervaded the air. The psychic barrier around me kept it out, but outside, noxious fumes danced through the air and mixed with a smell so rotten that it was as if we were sitting in a bed of fresh corpses.

    The sea of sludge swayed constantly for it was certainly alive. Small eyeballs peeked out from amidst the sea of vile purple, and they spun in all directions. A grotesque smile stretched wide at another point, formed by bits of blackened sludge. The moving abomination of putrid sludge and filth ¡ª a massive Muk ¡ª did not care what it touched, only for what it could corrode and destroy.

    Muk was one of the species on an international list of Pokemon that needed permission from a regional League for ownership, and there was a reason for it. A very simple and distinct one.

    They were quite literally living biohazards capable of destroying entire environments, and in the hands of an elite trainer?

    This was a poison that truly festered.

    The Muk had stretched itself out as far as it could go. Everything around it was melting away like sand drifting through an hourglass, and the damage it wrought affected foes and allies alike.

    One of Bruno''s Machamp had ferried Vel and Sandslash away from the initial overflow, but those few seconds it took to grab them had cost the Pokemon its skin. One of its legs had melted down to a stub, and the other was soon to join it. Bruno recalled the fighter before it could suffer any longer. Skarmory lay on the ground nearby. Proton''s Nidoking had sniped it down from the sky mere moments before Muk struck. Acid still ate voraciously at the steel plating covering the bird''s feathers, and Falkner quickly returned it. Our other Pokemon had gotten away with light poisoning and far less serious injuries. Proton''s side hadn''t gotten away scot-free, either. His Nidoqueen''s armor had melted down to the skin in four different spots, and several other Pokemon bore purple splotches that bloomed across their skin.

    Muk''s poison was an acid so strong that it affected everything regardless of typing. That was how deadly the poison it had accumulated into itself over the years was and where its specialty lay.

    Grima was the only one of my Pokemon with a rough injury, a sizzling hole right through his dominant arm that was rapidly expanding. He calmly patched it up with his hair for the time being, but I recalled him anyway. The only reason I wasn''t panicking was because I knew it could be regrown with Ditto cells. I was busy thinking about the Muk even as our Pokemon began to regroup.

    How had we missed it¡ª

    The Gloom.

    I clenched my jaw. Proton had released his Muk in the same batch as the fresh fighters, but we hadn''t seen it because it had emerged in a Minimized form. Gloom had been sent out first to trick our olfactory senses. With an odor as intense as the one Gloom were known for, we wouldn''t have noticed the smell of Muk mixed in as it crawled around the field with Minimize.

    I hated to say it, but it was clever.

    "That''s too bad. I thought more of you would be taken out," Proton said with a click of his tongue. He said something else, but we didn''t hear him.

    More Pokemon were already being sent out on our side of the field.

    Losing your cool in a high-stakes match like this was literally a death sentence, so we remained calm. We didn''t feel very threatened anyway. We''d always held onto the numerical advantage, and we would keep doing so. Proton''s little trick with Muk was merely a temporary thorn in our sides. He could only delay the inevitable as he struggled.

    I said earlier I wasn''t panicking, but it wasn''t like I felt nothing. No, a cold and quiet fury had seeped into my bones. The other Pokemon were already moving, but I said my directive loud enough for my own to hear.

    "Get rid of it."

    To try and deceive Fairies was to invite their anger. A price had to be paid, and Fairies always¡­ always¡­ collected their dues.

    Holes opened in the ground, swallowing as much filth as it could.

    A Dugtrio fresh out of its Pokeball tunneled rapidly to clear the field, but this Muk was not going to go quietly into the night. It had been sent out for one duty only, and that was to keep destroying everything.

    Rancid sludge oozing into the abyss of the earth swam back up through whatever nooks and crannies it could find. If none were found, then it simply made its own. Everything it touched corroded and gave way to the poison gradually coming for us all.

    We would not allow it.

    Across the ground mired in despair, Lucario and a newly-appeared Medicham leaped from one point to another, yet they somehow did not crumble away. In their eyes gleamed a resolve to keep moving, and that resolve had solidified itself into a living will. A faint but powerful veil wrapped around their bodies while they hunted for Muk''s core, blasting parts of its body with spheres of Aura as they went. The spiritual light kept the poison that grabbed at their ankles at bay.

    To Fight was to unite the mind and body as one, and with it, strengthen the soul to overcome all obstacles.

    Proton''s Pokemon stepped willingly into the wasteland to meet them. Poison coursed through their veins as they waded through the sludge that was their ally, but they possessed no fear, only a primal instinct to protect. Most of our Pokemon had to engage them from afar because of Muk. The Pokemon was continuously expanding at the risk of killing the identity that held it together in the first place. Huge bubbles in its sizzling, steaming surface popped erratically and sprayed acid droplets everywhere. Some landed on us. Some landed on the opposition. The shield around me hissed and cracked from the ensuing impact. The point was that nowhere was safe, yet Muk still hungered for more. A dip formed in its surface as it willed a part of itself to rise. The wave rose over the heads of our allied forces. It signaled a second flood, one greater than the first¡ª

    But Muk stuttered in place.

    In the midst of screams and poison that ran ever deeper, a light slowly emerged.

    The giant serpent coiled around my body silently raised his head. From the Milotic''s mouth, a faint orb grew ever larger. He let it go, and the small moon spun upwards into the air. It stopped at the tallest point of the cavern''s ceiling. Rays of soft, beautiful light beamed down. Nobody paid attention to it except for the sea of sludge below.

    Muk was the sole intended audience.

    Look at me, the moon whispered. Don''t look away. Don''t fight it.

    Its rays created spots of dappled moonlight on Muk. Wherever the moon''s light touched, ice began to spread. The living sludge didn''t notice. The will to fight was being drained from it. Across the field, the toxic wasteland began to settle and freeze over. It was slowly forgetting about the rage that had built up inside it.

    What was it fighting for again?

    While Muk remained in a mesmerized state, the room grew warm. Another Sunny Day came into play from Fia''s feathery appendages. Someone else needed it this time.

    Lico flew up to the Moonblast hanging high above and ate it.

    The sun bore down on Lico''s back. An almost involuntary shudder of delight ran through the Scream Tail as he chewed. All the while, he absorbed the power of the sunlight for his own. He only needed a moment.

    Then a moon five times the size of his small body was spat out, and it screamed for violence.

    Muk was still bewitched as the raging, bloodthirsty moon descended, but something primal stirred within it. It knew on an instinctive level that it would die if it did not move, and it was that animalistic fear that helped it regain some sense of reasoning. Ice cracked along its surface as it groaned and shifted.

    All of its attention was on the incoming projectile. It ignored everyone else on the field and shot geysers, balls of condensed sludge, everything in its power to stop that singular moon, all because it knew.

    It knew it would not survive the impact.

    Sludge splattered against the moon again and again. Layer after layer was stripped away, but that was the thing.

    Beliefs ran deep.

    They could be corroded and torn asunder, but they would never truly die.

    Muk backpedaled, solidifying itself into hardened sludge mere inches away from the Moonblast¡ª

    It was said already, was it not? Fairies always collected their dues, and they never lied.

    The wasteland broke upon contact.

    It froze over completely. A tundra was laid out bare for the world to see, and Muk¡ª

    It shattered into thousands of pieces. The frozen bits of sludge scattered wildly across the cavern floor, but they''d lost the ability to move on their own. A small, half-broken shard crawled along the floor.

    A spear of light instantly stabbed it before it could take another inch.

    Lucario stared down coldly as Muk''s core, the small sludge that had been the start of its identity, fell limp forever.

    Giovanni''s Ground types began rapidly patching up the field without any orders. Our Pokemon could finally engage in close-combat again, and I chanced a look at Proton. His jaw was clenched, but he still looked relaxed.

    My eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

    Even as chaos reigned on the dwindling battlefield, I watched him carefully from the corner of my eye. He shouted a few orders, drummed a finger nervously against his Pokeball, and gave the most surreptitious glance to somewhere behind me¡­

    I snapped my head around. There was nothing there, or so I thought.

    Just like how we''d targeted specific Pokemon to break down Proton''s formation, he''d decided to do the same to us.

    There was one difference: he went for a trainer in our backline.

    Time seemed to slow down as long appendages materialized out of nowhere and stabbed at Clair.

    There were dozens of tentacles. Each had sharpened its end into a razor sharp blade coated with poison, and they were relentless. They stabbed at the shield surrounding Clair at instantaneous speeds.

    Ten strikes. The shield held strong.

    Twenty strikes. It began to fracture.

    Thirty-five strikes, and the shield finally shattered completely.

    One of the two Dragonair coiled around Clair reacted fast enough for strikes thirty-six through forty, and it shoved its body in front of Clair''s neck. The blade meant for her speared the dragon''s body instead. Clair''s eyes began to widen.

    The other Dragonair didn''t need to sacrifice itself for the forty-first strike and onward. Silque read my thoughts and intentions, and she moved as I spoke.

    "Cla¡ª"

    Light sprang into being around Clair once more and intercepted more poisonous jabs. The air around the tentacles rippled, revealing a brief hint of a dark lower body.

    Then Silque''s eyes glowed, and an eerily silent moon was Teleported in front of the perpetrator.

    "¡ªir!"

    At the tail end of my shout, the unknown Pokemon was blasted into the nearest wall. Its surroundings rippled violently as the rest of its body seeped back into existence.

    It was a Tentacruel, and it had been hiding itself through a mixture of hydrokinesis and Acid Armor.

    My shout briefly drew the attention of the others. Clair''s Dragonite threw a grunt into the wall and roared with fury, leaving the main battlefield to go handle the assassin. Meanwhile, the Blackthorn Gym Leader threw out more Pokeballs to help deal with Tentacruel ¡ª Salamence and Aerodactyl ¡ª as she recalled her wounded Dragonair with another. She caught my eye, and she nodded her thanks to me before I swung my head back to the Proton fight.

    He glared at me.

    There wasn''t time to talk. Almost everybody in the room had been apprehended. There were only two left: Proton the Executive and one middle-aged grunt that I now had to assume was actually a little higher-up on the ladder instead. That Rocket member barely managed to link up with Proton through a gap in all the fighting. He tossed out a half-injured Hitmonlee, Rhydon, and Arbok to help reinforce their side of the fight, but his action didn''t help tip the odds in their favor at all.

    Our numerical advantage ballooned again at this point.

    Clair, Brock, and the Interpol agents were finally free to join us. They stood back at the perimeter to guard the entrance and exit, but they were at least able to contribute some of their Pokemon.

    It was a bloodbath.

    Bodies were bowled over. Teeth sank into flesh. Poison sprayed everywhere with complete disregard for where it went. Now with free reign of the air, Falkner''s birds and noble dragons alike rained down hell. Blue fire in particular razed the ground. Wherever it landed, dark liquids shriveled and refused to spread. The flames rose up as additional layers of protection around each trainer''s shield, including mine. I briefly caught Clair''s eye.

    Dragons reigned with ultimate authority, for nothing could exist above them, only below.

    Proton''s head was bowed. His previous nonchalant facade had crumbled entirely. He didn''t have any hidden cards left to play. Still, his Pokemon fought on.

    "GIVE UP!"

    An unexpected roar echoed.

    It was Giovanni. He spoke in a calm, level voice, but the Viridian Gym Leader''s expression was contorted with fury as he stared at the Rocket Executive standing across from us.

    "There''s only one way this battle will end," Giovanni warned. "The League will take you in, and they''re not going to go easy on you. If you want some leniency, then surrender. Tell us what Team Rocket''s up to, NOW!"

    A few seconds trickled by. Screams and attacks continued to go off.

    Eventually, Proton raised his head. He didn''t flinch even when the barrier around him almost broke from an Air Cutter, and his Amoonguss quickly repaired it.

    Rage still burned in Proton''s eyes bright as day.

    "Oh please, you think I don''t know what you''ll do?" Proton scoffed. He swept his hair back with a gloved hand. "You''ll rip my brain apart and kill me. You''ll probably do the same even if I confess. So, I only have two options here: either I die at the League, or I die where I stand. I don''t plan on dying a dog''s death."

    His eyes flashed.

    "You''re all coming with me."

    The implications sank in quickly when he whistled for his Weezing.

    He was insane. He was going to blow up the cavern and bury us all under the mountain.

    "GRAB IT!"

    "STOP¡ª"

    My yell mixed with a few others, but Weezing just barely managed to duck for cover behind his few remaining allies. Nidoking pulled up slabs of earth as shields, but Giovanni''s Nidoking slammed them right back down.

    Clair''s Kingdra didn''t wait for Weezing to begin. It was a Pokemon that naturally dampened its surroundings from its ability, but it added more moisture now by expelling thick amounts of vapor into the air around it.

    I expected an explosion to go off before Kingdra even finished, but nothing happened.

    What the hell?

    Of all things, Proton was locked in an argument with his Weezing and the one remaining Rocket grunt. At least, I was pretty sure they were judging by their unhappy faces. I couldn''t hear too well above the increase in noise level.

    I didn''t care.

    "Blast ''em," I ordered Lico.

    Psychic waves slammed front and center into Proton''s frontline on top of a wave of other attacks. They were about to finally topple like a row of dominoes when two closely-timed explosions went off.

    Neither of them were ours.

    The back exit ¡ª which had been walled off by Brock ¡ª had been blown wide open. Scorching winds and fading embers would have swept directly into my face if not for the Protect around me. I barely had time to register the sizzling marks left on stone walls before something blurred out of the tunnels, nearly bowling Brock over in the process. Kabutops made a swing at the intruder as it passed by, but his scythes cut through empty air.

    It was a red-haired woman on an Arcanine, one so incredibly agile that it zipped right through the meat of the fighting to Proton''s side. There was a gash on her arm that had copious amounts of blood flowing from it, almost as if she''d just gotten out of a fight. She took one brief look at the Weezing next to Proton before bubbling over with anger. She stuck her hand out.

    "Do NOT die here, idiot! COME ON!" she screamed.

    Who was this woman, and where had she come from? She didn''t wear a uniform, but I had a feeling she was a Rocket.

    They devolved into an argument that I couldn''t make out. Our forces were already fighting again. Multiple Pokemon blasted the Rockets from above with moves. Arcanine blew out flames in a wide arc to fend them off, and Nidoking assisted by tearing earth from the walls and using them as flying drills. They and the other Pokemon were so, so tired at this point, but they used their bodies as meat shields for the trainers and willingly let attacks slice into their skin.

    I could finally make out conversation again during a lull in the battle''s noise level.

    "Ariana, I''m not leaving Swalot!"

    "You have to!"

    "Then I want to kill the League forces at least¡ª"

    "NOW OR NEVER, PROTON!"

    Proton didn''t have a chance to argue because our uninvited guest made the choice for him. In what I thought was a stupid, reckless move, she threw herself off her Arcanine''s back and ran right into the path of incoming projectiles. A Moonblast and Air Slash seemingly hit her, but the air around her form fractured and tore apart instead.

    I SEE YOU¡ª

    HATE HATE HATE¡ª

    WHERE ARE YOU?

    Malevolent screams clawed at my mind again.

    The woman named ''Ariana'' hadn''t been trying to get herself killed. She had a strange shield like Proton''s, and she''d used it against us as a mental attack.

    This wave was far worse than the last, because this time, it felt like something was peeking into my mind and trying to rip it open from the inside out.

    It fucking hurt.

    Every living thing in that room fell to its knees aside from the Rockets. I barely registered Proton hurriedly recalling all of his Pokemon except for two.

    Through my blurry vision, I saw Proton grunt with pain as muted light flashed from underneath his sleeve. The Pokemon next to him, his Gengar, rolled out its tongue to reveal a stone radiating brilliant hues. The Ghost expanded outwards and changed forms.

    It had gone Mega, but not without a price.

    Proton heaved up a wave of blood. He very nearly face planted into the earth, too, had it not been for Ariana. She held him steady. Meanwhile, Mega Gengar swayed from side to side from the mega bond growing dim.

    My mind tried to make sense of what was happening between all the pain.

    Proton¡ª He''d baited us into thinking his Beedrill was the only one who could Mega Evolve and used it as a distraction. He''d been hiding a Gengarite all along. Why only use it now?

    I got my answer when Ariana and her Pokemon jumped into Mega Gengar''s shadow and disappeared.

    The Mega Evolution wasn''t to attack. It was to escape.

    Proton had stayed this whole time, fought this whole time¡­ all because he valued the idea of killing us more than escaping, but Ariana had forced his hand. Now he had to go through with the contingency plan he''d never wanted to use.

    A feeble whisper left my lips. I hoped one of my Pokemon had recovered enough from the mental debilitation to stop them, but nobody responded.

    Proton and the remaining grunt grabbed two of the few crates in the cavern that were still intact and tossed them into the shadows. When they finished, Proton threw a fleeting look over his shoulder.

    Weezing smiled at him, and something else moved in the corner of my eye. It was a small piece of Swalot. The amorphous Pokemon was still nowhere close to fixing itself yet considering bits and pieces of it were strewn all over the cavern, but it had just enough strength left.

    The piece of sludge morphed its top half into the shape of a tiny, blob-like arm and waved weakly.

    They were both saying farewell, and Proton knew. His look was one of pain as he turned away and jumped into the shadow.

    The last Rocket moved to do the same, but he didn''t make it.

    Someone finally responded to my earlier whisper.

    I smiled triumphantly when ribbons flew wide and wrapped around the grunt''s ankles. Vel was on the ground, but he bore through the mental pain and gritted his teeth. Mega Gengar tried to snatch the man back; in response, Vel gave a vicious yank. The man flew backwards out of Mega Gengar''s reach, and it didn''t have time to try again.

    The Ghost wobbled precariously. The link between it and its trainer was rapidly deteriorating, and the Mega Evolution was about to come undone.

    Snarling, Mega Gengar had to make the hard choice before anyone else recovered. It disappeared into the ground. I already knew there was no way of tracking them, not when Mega Gengar were notorious for their ways of travel, and I bit the inside of my lip.

    We''d lost Proton.

    I wasn''t sure if the fresh pain in my mouth helped or not, but the damn screams bouncing around in my head finally stopped a full two seconds later. People and Pokemon started to get up.

    We were right on time for the impending disaster. Proton and Ariana were gone, yes, but Weezing was still here.

    It wanted to carry out its trainer''s final order now that Proton''s safety had been assured.

    Gases were released into the air, and I saw the earlier vapors Kingdra had released being extinguished by Weezing. It was a master of manipulating any form of gas, and it was getting ready to go kaboom.

    There was no time, my head was still spinning from lingering nausea but¡ª

    "SHIELDS!" Giovanni and I both roared.

    Protects went up¡ª

    Brock yelled something to his Pokemon¡ª

    Silque barely wrapped the whole cavern with a barrier¡ª

    Weezing glowed white and lit the gas connected to it with a Flamethrower¡ª

    And the world exploded.

    Compressed air burst forth at supersonic speeds. Hot smoke and flames screamed past and would have burned our skins clean off if not for shields. Even with shields that helped block out smell and sound, my ears rang from the intensity of the explosion. It was devastatingly powerful to the point where the cavern refused to stop shaking violently, and why wouldn''t it be? An Elite-tier Pokemon had willingly exchanged its own life as fuel to make the explosion stronger, to bury us under this mountain.

    Our shields were close to shattering. I almost thought we weren''t going to make it.

    The cavern shook¡­

    And shook¡­

    And shook some more until finally, it stopped.

    I''d closed my eyes at some point, but I opened them now with some degree of hesitation.

    Weezing was gone. So were the bits and pieces of Swalot, the crates, and everything else in the room. They''d all burned to ashes.

    We, at least, were all still alive. The second thing I checked was the cavern''s walls.

    The barrier I''d mentally screamed for Silque to put up before the explosion had thankfully held, but just barely. Parts of it had broken apart from the blast. The barrier had at least served its purpose. It had contained the impact of the explosion within its folds so that we wouldn''t have a cave in.

    The biggest contributor to our lives still being intact was a leader in our ranks.

    Rock was the cradle and the embrace, the foundation that stood firm and unyielding in order to protect others.

    Mere moments before everything went to shit, Brock''s Pokemon had layered masterfully thick walls of stone around us. A rock snake had also been released from its Pokeball in time, and the Onix now raised its head. It had curled its entire body around us during the explosion. Heat rose from its horrifically charred boulders, but Onix didn''t seem to be in pain. Even more astonishing was the fact that Brock and his Pokemon had managed to save the majority of the unconscious grunts in the room, too. Not all of them had rock fortresses built around them in time, but most were alive and could be taken back to HQ for questioning.

    We were all alive. That was the most important bit.

    Our little captured friend had also survived thanks to us, and it was time to reap the efforts of our seemingly botched operation.

    Any frustration about Proton and Ariana getting away had to be put on hold. As one, we approached the Rocket member on the ground. Now that I was actually paying attention, this guy didn''t dress like a typical grunt. His uniform was a little different. Ribbons tied his feet and hands together, and his mouth was held open by psychic energy. Surprisingly enough, he stared at us with hatred rather than fear. Vel snarled menacingly and tightened his ribbons, but that didn''t make him cower at all.

    I''d have to reward Lico later for his quick thinking. It would have been terrible if the Rocket had offed himself before we could interrogate him.

    In quick, practiced motions, Looker and Mint promptly inspected the man for hidden capsules in the mouth or any other dangerous things on his person.

    "We should just rip the information out of him right now," Giovanni said while they searched. He crossed his arms and tapped fingers against one of them impatiently. "We lost Proton and that red-haired woman. We need at least something now to make this operation worth it."

    "True, or we could hold off and hand him over to Sabrina later," Bruno suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "She''s always telling Lance that ripping things out isn''t as easy as it seems. What if something goes wrong and he dies before we get everything?"

    "What does Interpol think?" I said after a moment''s pause. We turned to look at the true investigators among us.

    Looker and Mint looked up at us from where they knelt on the floor.

    "While¡­ ripping information from one''s mind does get the job done, it does come with the risk of memories becoming fragmented in the process. I would like to conduct a more humane method of interrogation first as per Interpol guidelines," Looker said in a slow yet polite tone. He cleared his throat. "If you wouldn''t mind humoring us, that is."

    Giovanni didn''t exactly look pleased, but he nodded. So did the rest of us. I supposed we all just wanted to interrogate the grunt already.

    Both Interpol agents stood back up, but only one reached for his belt and clicked a Pokeball. A Bronzong appeared in the air.

    "Check his mind first. Anything unusual?" Mint asked.

    The Bronzong did not verbally reply, but its eyes glowed as it focused on the man. A few moments passed before Mint nodded.

    "Mind hasn''t been tampered with," he informed the rest of us. He then turned away to address his Pokemon again. "Hypnosis, and keep it gentle. We want to talk to him."

    Ripping memories out of minds was the Kanto-Johto preferred way of doing things. It was also a method Geeta liked using because she hated wasting time, but not all governments or organizations operated the same. Hypnosis was a more peaceful alternative when conducted by skilled Psychics.

    Bronzong''s eyes glowed more brightly. It locked eyes with the Rocket member on the floor. He tried to avert his gaze, but Vel held his head in place while Bronzong forced his eyes open. The moment the man met the Psychic type''s eyes, it was over.

    All the tension left his body. His eyes closed briefly. When they fluttered open a few moments later, glazed eyes stared back at us.

    Mint immediately began talking in a friendly, conversational tone.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Logan Nakiura."

    "What rank do you possess within Team Rocket?"

    "I''m an elite officer."

    "Okay Logan, can you explain the ranks of Team Rocket? Do you know how many of you there are?"

    He couldn''t give us exact numbers because he didn''t know. He didn''t know who the boss was either. Logan did, however, give us a better glimpse into Team Rocket''s hierarchy.

    First up were the Executives. Frowns went around as Logan listed two new names in addition to the one we already knew¡­ as well as one we''d just heard of minutes ago.

    Proton. Ariana. Archer. Petrel.

    Those were the four Executives of Team Rocket, and they each had two Vice Leaders who could supposedly match a Gym Leader in battle. Under them were Elite Officers and Grunts. Not the best news, but we were finally getting some useful intel.

    This was all assuming this information was correct, of course.

    "What was Team Rocket doing here in Mount Moon?"

    "We were gathering Moon Stones and Fossils. I don''t know why, but Ariana wanted them. We also tried to find the Clefairy for her, but we couldn''t locate a single one."

    "I see. By the way, how long have you been with Team Rocket, Logan?"

    His next words made everyone physically pause in place.

    "I joined two years before the Rocket War."

    Heads snapped up. This was huge.

    We''d finally found an Arceus damned remnant of the old Team Rocket.

    Giovanni looked like he was struggling not to grab the man by his neck and shake him for answers. Even Bruno, ever the stern and calm one, seemed a little worked up. One of his fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

    To his credit, Mint continued the interrogation in a calm voice.

    "Is that so? Do you know why Team Rocket was formed then? What are they after?"

    And for the second time in the span of one minute, Logan dropped a bomb on us.

    "Because we couldn''t forgive Indigo. Kantonians and Johtonians alike¡ª You all betrayed your homelands to become a single country. ROCKET will prevail."

    We didn''t have time to ruminate on those disturbing words.

    More than one person jolted in place when Logan''s glazed-over eyes started leaking blood. Judging by the panicked look on Mint''s face, this wasn''t supposed to happen.

    Logan smiled at us, and I was pretty damn sure he wasn''t under Hypnosis anymore.

    "All of you¡­ you''re traitors, and we''re going to set things right. I may die today, but I''ll die in peace knowing Proton and Ariana escaped. We rise again."

    "What are you¡ª"

    Alarmed shouts rang out from multiple sources when Logan started spasming on the ground. Something was definitely wrong.

    Mint shouted orders to his Bronzong, but the Psychic type was already working on it.

    Moments later, Logan went still. A pleased smile was etched onto his face.

    He was dead.

    "What just happened?!" Giovanni all but demanded. He was furious. "We just lost our greatest source of intel! There were so many questions we still needed to ask¡ª"

    "They can still be answered," Mint interrupted in a pacifying tone. "Bronzong extracted as much as he could from Logan''s mind before it mentally collapsed. The other grunts here might be old members of Team Rocket, too, so don''t panic yet."

    "Okay, but how did he snap out of the Hypnosis? How did he die?" I questioned, trying not to let my own frustration show.

    Mint ran a hand up and down his face in a weary motion.

    "I¡­ I don''t know," he said truthfully, and he bowed his head in apology. "Bronzong can''t figure it out right now either. All we know for sure is that someone interfered from the outside."

    Falkner tensed. "You don''t think that someone is hiding nearby, do you?"

    And once again, everyone was on high alert. Was there another Rocket hiding close by with their Pokemon to tie up loose ends?

    When we heard a sudden slam from the cavern entrance, everyone naturally whipped around and ordered their Pokemon to attack. The intruder had been so fast that we never sensed it until it got close¡ª

    "HOLD FIRE!"

    And we promptly stood down. There was a familiar Dragonite at the entrance with its trainer.

    "Lance?" I said incredulously.

    Indeed, it was our Champion in the flesh, and he wasn''t alone. Koga and two dozen League and Ace Trainers alike spilled into the room from the tunnel beyond. The League forces only needed a second to take in the situation before they started collecting the unconscious Rocket grunts scattered across the room. Lance and Koga left them to handle the tough work as they walked briskly toward us.

    "Thank Ho-Oh you''re all safe," was the first thing Lance told us when he got close enough.

    The relief leaking from his voice was hard to miss as he swept his gaze across everyone''s faces. He looked at Clair the longest, eyes flashing with emotion, but he quickly tore his gaze away to look between me and the others again. "We came as quickly as we could after the League Trainers you saved told us your plans, but I suppose we weren''t needed. I see you managed to apprehend a lot of Rockets. Your operation went well, I presume."

    Lance''s brows furrowed when our expressions darkened. His next words were spoken with a grim undertone.

    "Alright, tell me what happened."

    Five minutes later, and with the help of a Clefairy that came to meet us halfway through the tunnels, our forces were nearing Mount Moon''s entrance. A hole in the distance beckoned to us.

    The silence was suffocating.

    We''d told Lance about Proton and the information we knew of so far from Logan''s memories, but he didn''t blame us for losing the Rocket Executives¡­ plural since we knew of Ariana now. We had fresh and useful information at our disposal, and maybe more once they finished sorting through Logan''s extracted memories.

    We might have lost the battle, but we''d won the war.

    "Let''s talk about everything tomorrow with the others at the Plateau," Lance finally decided, breaking the silence. We all looked at the back of his head. "It''s already late today, and you deserve rest after being in the mountain for so long. We''ll get started on the grunt interrogations in the meantime."

    "With all due respect, Lance, we were only gone a few hours at most," Bruno said with a dip of his head. "I wouldn''t mind holding a meeting today¡ª"

    Lance didn''t stop walking, but he did finally turn his head. He shot Bruno a wary look.

    "It¡­ wasn''t a few hours, Bruno. To us, it''s been over a week since your group went inside Mount Moon. We were getting worried. Lorelei had to stop me from going after your group after three days of silence¡­"

    He went on, but the rest of us simply stared at him with astonishment.

    We''d been gone for over a week?

    Everyone then looked at me as if I held the answers. I just sighed and mouthed the word ''Clefairy'' in between Lance''s rambling.

    Blame the Clefairy. That was my answer for them. They''d shifted not just the mountain itself but our perception of time evidently.

    My blood ran cold as something occurred to me.

    "What day is it, Lance?" I interrupted, struggling to keep calm.

    "June 1st."

    Thank Arceus.

    I nearly melted with relief. It was the last thing I should have been concerned about, but I was just glad I hadn''t missed the annual gym audit.

    Lance gave me a strange look in light of my odd behavior.

    "Are you alright, Arin? Did you hit your head? I''ll have you know those types of injuries can be quite serious, and you should probably get looked at by one of our doctors¡ª"

    "No, no," I quickly waved a hand through the air, sighing. "I didn''t hit my head. I''m fine."

    "Regardless, I am ordering you and the others to check in with our doctors before going home. I want to be reassured that everyone here is truly fine."

    That was the end of our discussion.

    We finally emerged from Mount Moon''s sacred halls into fresh air once more. Compared to when we left, it was evening now. I only got to take a single appreciative breath before doctors on standby whisked me away for a check-up, and they did the same for the others.

    After we told them we''d been in the proximity of strong Poison types, the medical staff only doubled the intensity of their care. I had to go through dozens of questions, pokes, prods, and even a blood test before I was cleared. No poisons, deadly or slow-acting or the like, had been detected in my system. I also handed off Grima''s Pokeball to the League, wanting him to get the finest medical care in light of his arm injury. The others would heal at home since they had far less serious wounds.

    I was so mentally and physically drained that I truly didn''t have it in me to think more about the revelations we''d learned or the half-failure of our operation. High-paced battles typically did that to someone, more so when one''s life was part of the stakes.

    Tomorrow was for thinking.

    I just really, really wanted to go home. The last thing I saw was Lance giving Clair a brief hug in the distance before Silque Teleported us away.

    Pop.

    A tall and sacred mountain was no longer anywhere in sight. We were back at the Watanuki Household. There in the garden, my eyes immediately found the figure I was looking for. Dad had been cleaning up a collection of watering cans and gardening tools. The moment he saw me, he froze up.

    I smiled wearily, taking a step toward him. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I tried to make the mood lighter. He''d probably been worried sick ever since I went MIA.

    "I''m glad I didn''t miss the gym audit."

    Dad abandoned what he was doing in an instant. He ran toward me with all his might and gave a bone-shattering hug.

    "Arin, I thought¡­ I thought you were¡­" he choked out. His voice was thick with emotion.

    "I know, dad," I murmured. "I know. Sorry for worrying you."

    A small and quiet breath left me, but it was one of content.

    "I''m home."

 Chapter 49

    CHAPTER 49

    Hunger and exhaustion hit me in equal parts like bolts from the blue, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to finish a lot of dinner. My food went half-cold while I comforted dad and constantly handed him tissues. He¡¯d stressed so much in my absence that he looked thinner than usual. The guilt I felt was indescribable. Just as I wouldn¡¯t know what to do without dad, he wouldn¡¯t know what to do if I ever disappeared from his life for good. We were each other¡¯s last remaining blood family in this world.

    When dad finally calmed down enough to sleep, I guided him to his bedroom. He paused at the door and looked back at me as if he was afraid I would disappear again. I stood there in the hallway and patiently let him have his fill. Once he was satisfied, he disappeared into his room.

    There was finally time to think on my own, but it was impossible.

    I went through the motions of showering and brushing my teeth with a numb state of mind. When I eventually entered my room, I didn¡¯t bother moving toward the bed. Even if I wanted to sleep, moving images had long seared themselves into my brain. They constantly played behind my eyelids and made it difficult to stand still.

    I kept thinking about the rage that had burned in Proton¡¯s eyes and the troubling revelations gleaned from a remnant of the old Team Rocket.

    The bed was ignored for the time being. I grabbed a sewing kit from a drawer and padded downstairs in slippers. Soon enough, my feet carried me into the living room. I hardly had time to register muffled crying sounds before something hurtled straight into my neck. If it was any other object or Pokemon, I probably would have gotten some sort of injury, but Mem weighed almost nothing.

    A strange, inky substance bled all over my skin as the Mimikyu sobbed uncontrollably. The static noises he produced threatened to rupture my eardrums. He¡¯d thrown on a random hand towel taken from the kitchen cabinets to cover himself with, but the ragged bits of his torn costume still showed underneath the bottom. A part of his true body was also visible.

    Vel shot me a look from where he sat on the couch and mouthed words to me. Apparently, the Sylveon had been busy consoling Mem while I sorted things out with dad and freshened up. I mouthed back a thank you while rubbing Mem¡¯s head.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be okay, Mem. I¡¯ll patch up your costume,¡± I promised in a soothing tone. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the others.¡±

    I had to reassure him two more times before the Mimikyu finally quieted down a bit. My neck and the collar part of my shirt were completely soiled with dark tears at this point, but I didn¡¯t mind. Vel grabbed some fabric from a supply closet before we headed for the backyard.

    Everyone was still up. I had to gently extricate the Mimikyu clinging to my neck so that he could give me his ruined outfit, and everyone else turned their gazes away while Mem shuffled underneath his makeshift changing room. When he was done switching into one of his spare outfits, he finally shed the hand towel he¡¯d been wearing. He tottered back a few steps to give me working space.

    It was quiet in the backyard while I mended Mem¡¯s cloth. My sewing needle weaved in and out of fabric in a rhythmic, calming beat.

    The Pokemon who¡¯d fought with me at Mount Moon had been looked at by Audi and local medical staff already. They were going to heal up just fine, but the atmosphere was a bit subdued considering one of us was currently absent. We all knew Grima was going to come back to us with his arm intact, but we would miss him in the meantime. Our anger had already been quenched by destroying the abomination that had injured him anyway. We¡¯d collected our dues.

    Pokemon healthcare was, fortunately, far more advanced than any medical technology available for humans. Even life-threatening wounds could potentially be reversed in certain situations, and we had Ditto cells to thank for everything. A few years after the War of Ashes concluded, Blaine received one of the highest honors a nation could give for his contributions in creating the artificial Pokemon known as Ditto. It was such a revolutionary achievement that other countries, even those on the other side of the world, kept their eye on Indigo for the longest time and made Ditto of their own. Blaine had stated back then that he¡¯d been motivated by all the lives lost due to senseless wars and fighting.

    Speaking of Blaine Katsura¡­ there was something we¡¯d told Lance before leaving Mount Moon. It was a point of interest that was going to be brought up at the meeting tomorrow, which¡­ didn¡¯t really mean much considering there was a lot of things we needed to cover.

    For now, I busied myself with my current work. It was hindered by numerous breaks where I gave Mem headpats and backrubs every time it seemed like he would cry again. This wasn¡¯t the first time his outfit had gotten torn, far from it, but he was more upset than usual because the costume in question was one of his favorites. My other Pokemon helped baby him with group cuddles while I slaved away with my sewing needle.

    Eventually, I presented Mem with the results of my hard work: a fully mended costume complete with colorful stars to help hide stitch lines.

    The happy, otherworldly screech he gave almost woke up our sleeping gym Pokemon.

    My plan was to stay up and talk a bit with my team, but they all urged me to get some rest instead. Worrywarts, the lot of them. I left them to talk quietly among themselves while I headed back to my room. Vel trotted dutifully after me while Mem hitched a ride on my shoulder. He really, really, really wanted to sleep with us tonight, and I saw no reason to refuse.

    Vel took his rightful spot near my head as I made myself comfortable under soft blankets, but not before I tucked Mem under the covers first. The Mimikyu snuggled up to my neck with a sleepy cry. He and Vel fell asleep within minutes, but I couldn¡¯t say the same. Even though I kept my eyes closed, I couldn¡¯t drift away like I wanted.

    Sleep did not come easily to me that night. When it finally did¡­

    A vision of hateful green eyes plagued my dreaming self without end.

    <hr>

    Like Lance promised, he called everyone to the Indigo Plateau for a meeting early in the morning. I barely had time to stomach breakfast and run through training drills with my team before it was time to leave.

    The moment I Teleported into the designated meeting room, several figures converged on me.

    ¡°Arceus, Arin, it¡¯s so good to see you in person again¡ª¡±

    ¡°I requested to go after your group, but Lance wouldn¡¯t let any of the Gym Leaders leave their posts¡ª¡±

    ¡°Thank Ho-Oh. I¡¯m just glad you and the others came back safely.¡±

    Different voices overlapped one another and made it difficult to tell who said what. A healthy mix of Johto and Kanto Gym Leaders were up in my face with relieved expressions and well wishes. Even those I didn¡¯t talk to very much or knew well had something to say to me. I couldn¡¯t have been more touched by their genuine concern and struggled to thank my coworkers in turn.

    My friends had been the most concerned of all. With a surprising amount of strength, Jasmine nearly crushed my ribcage from how hard she hugged me. Morty¡¯s hug was a lot less painful.

    We moved to the meeting table. We were still missing a lot of people including Lance and half of the Elite Four, but everyone who had been with me yesterday was already here. Judging by their tired faces, they slept about as well as I had. I paused halfway through sitting down when Falkner of all people raised a hand in greeting. I almost thought it was a mistake because of a distinct lack of any smile on his face, but he nodded his head in my direction. Even Clair offered me a brief nod once I finally sat down.

    I wondered if I could consider this progress at all, but I snapped back to attention when Morty started talking.

    ¡°It was a real mess out here while you guys were gone,¡± he told me in a low voice. ¡°Around day four or five of your disappearances, the public started to notice a few Gym Leaders hadn¡¯t been sighted in a while around their respective cities and towns. It caused a lot of unrest. Didn¡¯t help that trainers spread the word that Mount Moon was cordoned off.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The League had to do so much work to keep the media under control,¡± Whitney agreed with a grave nod of her head. ¡°Lance told everyone that ¡®we were being very thorough with investigations into Team Rocket¡¯ and buried the matter there.¡±

    ¡°If you had been gone any longer, the public would have gotten on our asses,¡± Surge added. He slapped a hand against his knee, grinning. ¡°¡®Course, all that matters in the end is you¡¯re all alive. Good job.¡±

    ¡°What happened anyway?¡± Chuck asked. His eyes darted between me and others at the table. ¡°With a group as powerful as yours, it¡¯s hard to imagine what held you up so long in Mount Moon¡¯s tunnels.¡±

    I shared a look with Giovanni, Brock, and the rest of the now dissolved Mount Moon expedition group.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a long story,¡± Giovanni finally said. ¡°It¡¯s best we wait for everyone before we recount it.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    A little over a minute trickled by. Lance and the Elite Four were the next ones to arrive. Sabrina entered with their entourage, so I could only assume she had assisted with grunt interrogations overnight. The rest of the Gym Leaders Teleported in with all due haste. Blaine was the last one to show up, and I briefly caught Lance¡¯s eye from across the table. He looked back at me before clearing his throat.

    ¡°Many thanks for gathering this early in the morning,¡± Lance began with hands folded behind his back. ¡°As we are all well aware, Giovanni and Brock went missing in Mount Moon a week ago. I sent task forces in after them, the second of which consisted of some of our very own sitting here. They engaged a Team Rocket Executive in battle deep underground.¡±

    He held up a hand as shocked murmurs and gasps spread like wildfire around the table.

    ¡°There is a lot to explain, but it¡¯s not my place to do so. I now invite those who were involved to speak.¡±

    As he said that, Lance waved a hand in our direction. Bruno decided to go first. We hadn¡¯t planned it in advance, but each member of our group then took turns explaining our experience in Mount Moon. There were several times where we had to pause for extended discussion.

    For example, when we got to the part about the Clefairy clan¡¯s powers, the room was quite literally astonished into silence.

    ¡°They¡¯re capable of warping reality inside the entire mountain?¡± One of the Waterflower sisters finally squeaked out in a voice that begged for confirmation.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Clair answered with a firm tone. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ quite powerful, more than we ever could have believed. It¡¯s a wonder we haven¡¯t had any issues like this until now.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯d best stay that way,¡± Morty agreed. ¡°Lance, I think you should draft new and stronger laws to help protect the Clefairy of Mount Moon. Team Rocket aside, we don¡¯t want anyone else getting their hands on that kind of power. They might be strongest within the mountain, but who knows if they could be trained to do the same thing elsewhere?¡±

    There were chimes of agreement all around the table¡­ even from Pryce surprisingly enough.

    ¡°While we¡¯re on this topic, I¡¯d like to request more Rangers to help me patrol Mount Moon,¡± Brock spoke up. ¡°My gym trainers and I have it handled between ourselves, but I want to stay extra vigilant from now on.¡±

    Lance easily agreed to all the suggestions. ¡°Very well.¡±

    We moved on. The atmosphere grew darker and darker as we neared the end of our story: the fight with Proton, the appearance of Ariana, and the explosion that nearly buried us under the mountain. We did not talk about certain information extorted from Logan because Lance caught our eyes first. There was something else he wanted to discuss before we got to that.

    ¡°Something the task force told me yesterday fascinated me,¡± Lance began. All eyes were on him as he paced with unhurried, deliberate steps across the room. ¡°Before they engaged in battle with Proton, they heard something interesting from him. He had a drug that he was going to inject Brock¡¯s Crobat with. They clearly heard him call it R2.¡±

    He stopped directly behind Blaine Katsura with a neutral expression.

    ¡°I would like to hear an explanation from you, Blaine. Is that not the name that you yourself recently coined for the new drug the Rockets developed? We haven¡¯t even released that name to the public. No one should know about it except a select few within the League currently. Either there¡¯s been an information leak, or what we thought was a coined title was actually the drug¡¯s real name all along. So tell me: why did Proton call the drug by the name that you came up with?¡±

    None of us had thought about the conversation we overheard due to the urgency of the situation at the time. Once we got out of it, though, and had the chance to actually review events, it had stayed on our minds. Lance took the information very seriously¡­ which was why we were now in this sudden confrontation.

    His voice was level, but the thinly-veiled accusation was bared for all to see. The room was exceedingly quiet at this point. No one moved. Blaine himself sat perfectly still in his chair without turning to face the Champion looming over his shoulders. Our gazes were no longer on Lance but on the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island.

    He sat there unmoving for a long time. After what seemed like forever¡­ he finally opened his mouth.

    ¡°I swear I have nothing to do with Team Rocket,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they got ahold of that information, but it didn¡¯t come from me. I¡¯m even willing to stake what remains of my life on this. You can tear my brain apart if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Lance drilled holes into Blaine¡¯s back with narrowed eyes. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to ask Sabrina to do just that.

    He didn¡¯t.

    Someone let out a breath when Lance eventually moved. With a sweep of his cape, he walked back to his original position near the head of the table. His expression was a stony one.

    ¡°We will not be doing any such thing,¡± he said tersely. ¡°I will order you to sit through an interrogation with Sabrina later to be on the safe side, yes, but your brain will remain intact. I only raised those questions to test how you would react. I didn¡¯t actually think you were the one who leaked information. Lucky for you, there¡¯s someone else who clearly did.¡±

    We stared at him with shock. This was the first we were hearing of such a thing.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Pryce demanded.

    ¡°Given how we were recently on the verge of a national crisis with so many Gym Leaders and important figures missing at once, I thought it best to not stress anyone further. Thus, I¡¯m only now bringing this up,¡± Lance calmly replied. ¡°There was an incident here at the League two days ago. One of our forensics team¡¯s assistants turned out to be a rat and escaped with all the R2 specimens we¡¯d captured. What¡¯s more, they made a mess of our archives. We¡¯re still trying to figure out what documents they stole.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Who was it?¡±

    ¡°How did they slip under our radar?¡±

    An understandable flurry of questions came out. I myself couldn¡¯t believe such a thing had happened while we were stuck in Mount Moon.

    Without a word, Lance took a remote from the table and clicked it. A man¡¯s face was then projected onto the back wall of the meeting room. It was an unremarkable appearance all things considered. Dull brown hair, matching eyes, a small nose¡­ no distinctive features.

    ¡°Takuri Hosaka as we knew him here at the League. He¡¯d been around for the last two weeks,¡± Lance said dryly.

    ¡°Are you saying¡ª Are you saying we had a blasted Team Rocket member hiding right under our noses?¡± Pryce spat out. The veins in his neck bulged with anger. ¡°HOW?¡±

    It was a solid question. The security measures at government buildings were no joke, and here at the Indigo League¡¯s HQ? They were the strongest. Employees were thoroughly checked before, during, and after entering or leaving the building. We had everything from anti-Teleport tiles to living Dark, Psychic, and Ghost Pokemon blockades and more.

    The fact that we¡¯d had a Rocket who infiltrated our ranks was, quite frankly, an embarrassment to the Indigo League. It was even worse because they¡¯d escaped.

    ¡°It happened while Agatha and I were out maintaining security at Mount Moon,¡± Lance explained. Though his face remained calm, a clenched fist at his side revealed the anger simmering within. ¡°Someone hacked into part of our systems and took control long enough to cause a temporary blackout. Some barriers went down, too. We only found out later that it was the combined work of a Rotom and Porygon-Z.¡±

    No matter what side of the world you lived in, Rotom were quite rare. The Ghosts typically sequestered themselves in the deep wilds away from human civilizations. On the rare chance they felt like messing with humans and entered cities or towns, regional Leagues were quick to track them down and take the Ghosts into custody. They failed more often than they succeeded.

    The point was this: as useful as Rotom could be as allies, it was even worse to have them as enemies. Rotom were the biggest fears of any government, League, or security company because of how easy it was for them to take over electronics.

    Ignoring the sea of shocked expressions before him, Lance continued. ¡°Needless to say, Agatha and I hurried back to HQ. Koga and Lorelei weren¡¯t able to find the rat in the chaos. By the time we joined them, he was long gone. Teleported away most likely.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain how he got into the League in the first place,¡± Giovanni spoke up, eyes narrowing. ¡°Was he not screened beforehand? How did he pass security checks everyday?¡±

    A long sigh drew itself from Lance as he reached up to rub his temples.

    ¡°Our little rat borrowed the identity of a real, innocent citizen over in Kanto. Based on input from Agent Echo and other Interpol officers, we¡¯re under the belief he disguised himself with a silicone mask. As for how none of the guards ever caught onto hostile intentions and the like while he was here¡­¡± Lance paused, grimacing. ¡°When interrogated, they claimed they never felt any from him. They and their Pokemon all said he was familiar.¡±

    ¡°What the hell does that mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯d kindly let me finish,¡± Lance said over Pryce¡¯s interruption, ¡°then I could tell you that when Sabrina did a deep dive of their consciousnesses, she discovered they were telling the truth. The man in their memories felt normal to her, too¡­ genuinely so, as if he¡¯d always belonged here and would continue to do so.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    The emphasis on certain words made each of us pause in place. Whitney was the first to speak up, and it was no wonder. She was the person most familiar with what Lance was trying to hint at.

    ¡°Are you suggesting that the Team Rocket member was an elite Normal Specialist?¡± she asked. The teenager¡¯s usual smiling countenance had been replaced by one of utter seriousness.

    Part of the Normal type was centered around self-identity and the ability to belong anywhere. It sounded almost counterintuitive, but it was having a strong sense of self that allowed Normal types such a high degree of adaptability. They were willing to accept change, but they stayed inherently true to themselves in a way that made it seem like they had always belonged in the world. They didn¡¯t simply fit in. They belonged in the personal way that each individual knew how. You could not define Normal because they all defined it differently for themselves. They lived distinct lives of their own making filled with unique experiences. Just like how Fairies could shape reality through the power of belief, Normal types affected their surroundings with their personal viewpoints of what normalcy meant to them. Their idea of ¡®normal¡¯ became what you felt and saw.

    Even though Normal types were some of the most common Pokemon in the world, and even though there were numerous Normal Specialists who sprang up because of that very abundance¡­ the number that actually reached the top of the field or at least came near it could be counted on a single hand. Behind it was a deceptively simple concept that not many people truly understood or could ever hope to master.

    And now, we were possibly dealing with one of them.

    ¡°Yes. After a talk with Interpol, that seems to be the most likely scenario,¡± Lance revealed. ¡°Our guards are most familiar with Psychic, Dark, or Ghost-related attempts to subvert security checks, so it would make sense that they failed to see through an attempt from a different angle. Sabrina had to take a mental trip through their past memories to see if she could discern anything the guards weren¡¯t aware of at the time. From an outside perspective, what she discovered was a subtle yet pleasant scent emanating from our mystery man. We would like to hear your thoughts, Whitney, as the leading Normal Specialist in Indigo.¡±

    The pink-haired girl in question crossed her arms. Silence stretched on as she took her time drafting a response, lips pressed into a thin line.

    ¡°If you ask me¡­¡± she began cautiously. ¡°I think that Team Rocket member might have used an advanced application of Sweet Scent on himself.¡±

    Lance took her word in all seriousness and silently motioned for her to continue.

    Feeling encouraged, Whitney went on in a louder voice. ¡°Everyone in this room is familiar with Sweet Scent. It¡¯s a move many Grass types and other Pokemon can learn, and it¡¯s typically used to calm or even distract the enemy by emitting a strong, sweet-smelling odor. It¡¯s distinct and sudden. It¡¯s all you can think about after inhaling it. This man, the one who posed as Takuri Hosaka, might have subverted its usual properties.¡±

    She paused briefly to let her words sink in.

    ¡°I think he trained his Pokemon to make it familiar instead. Like a scent that¡¯s been there in the background all along, a constant presence and yet one you¡¯re only faintly aware of¡­ whose name is on the tip of your tongue¡­ a smell you wouldn¡¯t blink twice at because it¡¯s so subtle and familiar. That¡¯s how he wanted to be perceived by the guards. He cloaked himself with that scent so that he could blend in and belong with the rest of the League as if he¡¯d been here for years. Our guards might not have had their minds physically or mentally tampered with, but their perception was still warped by high levels of Normal type energy in the air.¡±

    Whitney tapped the side of her head with a finger here.

    ¡°They were tricked into believing this guy has always been around. Our Psychic type Pokemon probably weren¡¯t any better off. Psychics use their minds to control the world around them, right? Well, if that world is influenced by someone else¡¯s idea of what it should normally look like ¡ª in this case, a reality where that Rocket guy was just another employee among thousands ¡ª then it probably screwed with their powers. They couldn¡¯t find anything because they were peering through the lens of someone else¡¯s reality, one where the guy was completely innocent.¡±

    To wrap things up, Whitney shifted uncomfortably in her seat. ¡°If I¡¯m right about all this¡­ then that guy is definitely a top-tier Normal Specialist. I don¡¯t think even I would be able to finesse Sweet Scent for infiltration purposes like that. It¡¯s incredibly innovative.¡±

    ¡°I just need to know one thing, Whitney,¡± Lance said quietly. ¡°Do we need to worry about this person coming back with the same tactic in the future?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Whitney said with a firm shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s clever, but it loses its effectiveness when used against the same people and over an extended period of time. I think he pulled out of the League now instead of spying further because he realized he¡¯d get caught soon.¡±

    Lance nodded in approval. ¡°There¡¯s one more point to back that up. He pulled this stunt to create a diversion for his ally.¡±

    He clicked his remote again. Another face joined the fake Takuri Hosaka¡¯s visage on the projector, and it was a familiar one.

    ¡°Right after Agatha and I left Mount Moon for HQ, a red-haired woman appeared out of nowhere. She took advantage of our absence and broke through one of our defensive brigades. This woman was strong enough that she even managed to get past Agatha¡¯s apprentice, Karen, to enter the mountain,¡± Lance explained. ¡°Thanks to yesterday¡¯s task force, we can now identify this individual as the Rocket Executive known as Ariana. She went to go save Proton.¡±

    Arceus. Team Rocket was a lot bolder and more coordinated than we¡¯d ever thought. To think they¡¯d risk getting caught at the League HQ just so they could lure people away from Mount Moon and get their people out¡­ and all of this had happened while we were gone.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly an oversight on the League¡¯s part that we allowed someone to infiltrate our ranks and escape, but at least we know better now. Stolen documents aside, all the R2 specimens he took don¡¯t matter in the end since yesterday¡¯s task force brought us more,¡± Lance said in an attempt to keep motivation up. He clapped his hands together. ¡°Now look sharp, everyone. We can¡¯t fixate on the past. Let¡¯s go over the big info.¡±

    More pictures popped up on the wall including those for people and Pokemon alike.

    ¡°We know more about Team Rocket¡¯s inner structure thanks to the grunts captured yesterday. There are four Executives, and each has two Vice Leaders who work directly under them. Based on the task force¡¯s personal experience with Proton yesterday, it may be safe to assume each Executive is at least on the level of an Elite Four. The Vice Leaders are as strong as Gym Leaders. Therefore, I¡¯m telling all of you this: do not slack on personal training.¡±

    The warning was issued in a firm tone with no room for argument. He waited for each of us to nod before continuing.

    ¡°Before anyone asks: no, we could not find any of these people in databases. Either they wiped themselves clean, or they¡¯re like the old Rocket boss and never got registered after they were born,¡± Lance stated to start things off.

    He circled a green-haired man¡¯s face with a laser pointer.

    ¡°This is Proton, the Executive that the task force fought. Real name and age are unknown. He¡¯s presumed to be an Ability Holder who can communicate with Poison types. To no surprise, he¡¯s a Poison Specialist. He also has a Key Stone and Gengarite in his possession. Here¡¯s the list of the known Pokemon he has¡­¡±

    A few Pokemon icons were either grayed out or had red X marks slapped over them. Crobat and Drapion were listed as having particularly severe injuries. Arbok, Swalot, Weezing, and Muk were among those confirmed dead.

    ¡°I would like to thank everyone who fought Proton yesterday for their hard work. I know it must be frustrating that he got away, but I count it as a victory because you all came back alive and with valuable intel. You also dealt a significant amount of damage. With so many of Proton¡¯s Pokemon either dead or temporarily out of commission, his threat level has been significantly reduced,¡± Lance praised.

    Those of us he talked about didn¡¯t exactly smile, but it did ease some of the stress we¡¯d been harboring.

    It didn¡¯t matter anyway because Lance expressed joy on our behalf. For the first time in the whole meeting, he smiled and gestured for Koga to step forward. The famed ninja took out a box from his pocket and revealed its contents to us. A familiar multi-colored orb gleamed brightly under the lights.

    ¡°I also cannot stress the significance of the Beedrillite you stole from Proton. This is a huge boon to our military power and a very unfortunate loss for Team Rocket. Well done,¡± Lance commended us.

    He really wasn¡¯t exaggerating.

    Key and Mega Stones did not simply grow on trees. They were difficult to acquire, and the power they offered if used properly was nothing to scoff at. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say a Mega Evolved Pokemon in the hands of an elite could help wipe out a whole city or town. For that reason, these rare and elusive stones were one of the biggest military assets any country could have in addition to strong trainers.

    Lance and my coworkers were in full knowledge of this. The rest of the table chimed in with praise for our efforts. Even Pryce, dare I say it, looked a little impressed.

    ¡°Your Pidgeot did excellent work snatching it away in time, Falkner¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Falkner politely refuted Lance. His bangs nearly covered both eyes as he shook his head. ¡°Being able to take the stone was a group achievement. We also have Arin to thank for noticing the Beedrillite in the first place.¡±

    I felt a bit put on the spot as multiple pairs of eyes came to rest on me, but I dipped my head in a humble gesture. Lance¡¯s lips twitched upwards into another smile before he recomposed himself.

    ¡°At any rate, this Mega Stone should be put to good use.¡± Lance¡¯s gaze landed on a boy sitting among us. ¡°Bugsy, I would like to entrust this Beedrillite to you.¡±

    The teenager gaped a little. ¡°A-Are you sure? I¡¯m next in line to buy one from the international market. It might be best to give it to someone else like Koga¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. Koga already has one. This stone is better off being entrusted to Indigo¡¯s best Bug Specialist. I know you¡¯ll be able to utilize it to its full worth,¡± Lance told him. ¡°We need all the pillars of Indigo at their finest for upcoming fights.¡±

    Bugsy¡¯s eyes flitted nervously between Lance, me, and the other Johto Gym Leaders. Morty and I gave him encouraging smiles.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Bugsy swallowed nervously, nodding. His voice came out stronger when he next spoke. ¡°I would be honored to accept. I swear I will use it in the service of Indigo.¡±

    A quiet round of clapping went around as the Beedrillite was passed between Koga and Bugsy. Lance waited for it to die down before pointing to the projector again. The atmosphere grew serious once more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. The next Rocket Executive we know of is Ariana. Again, real name and age are unknown. She¡¯s the head of their organization¡¯s Research Department according to some grunts we interrogated. Very brilliant mind. She¡¯s the one who made the Rocket¡¯s newest drug, R2,¡± Lance explained.

    A faint hiss of displeasure came somewhere from my left after Lance said that. When I turned my head to look, I realized it had come from Blaine. I couldn¡¯t tell what emotion he had beyond the dark shades he wore, but he stared at Ariana¡¯s face on the wall with a clenched jaw. I wondered if he despised her for creating such a drug.

    I knew the rest of us did.

    ¡°List of known Pokemon include an Arcanine that she rode on and a Camerupt, Magcargo, and Charizard that helped her break into Mount Moon. I think it¡¯s safe to assume she¡¯s a Fire Specialist¡­¡±

    Lance continued, but I was only half-listening. I stared at the picture of the red-haired woman and clenched a fist under the table. If only she hadn¡¯t arrived to help Proton¡­ but I couldn¡¯t bemoan the past. Like Lance had said, we needed to take what victories we could get.

    I snapped back to attention when Lance moved on.

    ¡°After a discussion with the Elite Four and Interpol¡­ we¡¯ve come to the agreement that the presumed Normal Specialist who infiltrated the League is most likely one of the last two remaining Executives. That, or he¡¯s one of the Vice Leaders. His infiltration skills are certainly not ordinary, and we¡¯ll be revising security measures around here going forward,¡± Lance announced. ¡°We don¡¯t have any information on Petrel, but we did get some information on Archer ripped straight from memories.¡±

    Without fanfare, he clicked his remote. A face I¡¯d never seen before popped up on the screen. It was a man with teal-colored hair and a conniving air about him.

    ¡°Rocket Executive Archer, real name and age unknown. We have nothing on his specs as a trainer, but apparently he takes care of a lot of the administrative work in Team Rocket. He¡¯s as smart as Ariana and helped her develop R2,¡± Lance helpfully added. ¡°No news on the Vice Leaders. They apparently go out often on missions, and none of the grunts in our custody have seen them. Same goes for Team Rocket¡¯s new boss. Nobody¡¯s ever met them before aside from the Executives.¡±

    He allowed everyone enough time to commit the faces of those displayed on the wall to memory, and then he clicked his remote to shut the projector off. Lance clasped his hands behind his back.

    ¡°There are two other things I¡¯d like to discuss before we draw this meeting to a close. First, the strange shields that Giovanni and the others encountered in Mount Moon,¡± Lance said in a heavy voice. His brows furrowed. ¡°It seems to be an energy similar to what we saw in the sky on National Day. In fact, I dare wager they are one and the same.¡±

    ¡°Most definitely,¡± Bruno rumbled from afar. ¡°Lucario and I share the opinion that it¡¯s similar to psychic energy but somehow¡­ different. It felt wrong.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it also directly attacked our minds,¡± Clair added with a frown. ¡°It felt like someone was looking at us from afar.¡±

    ¡°With that sort of mental attack, I think it¡¯s just about confirmed to be the work of a Psychic Pokemon,¡± Falkner muttered, but he was loud enough for the rest of us to hear. An uneasy look crossed his face. ¡°I wonder¡­ perhaps it¡¯s not a Pokemon at all. Perhaps they succeeded in what they tried to do years ago. It would explain why the energy felt wrong.¡±

    ¡°Artificial human psychics?¡± I asked.

    The resulting grimace from Falkner was the only answer I needed.

    ¡°Can human psychics be that strong, though?¡± Erika inquired. She quickly winced and shot Sabrina an apologetic look. ¡°Er¡­ not that I mean any offense, Leader Sabrina.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± the woman replied in a level voice. ¡°To answer your question: it could be possible. It would not be hard for me to destroy the brains of multiple people within a certain distance, but I must stress that there¡¯s a limit. Any human psychic near my level could do that.¡±

    I tried not to stare at her after she just admitted the extent of the monstrous psychic powers she possessed for a human. Even Morty looked a bit disturbed at the casual admission of brain crushing.

    ¡°If we are to assume whatever put the shields on those Rockets and attacked your minds today is the same entity behind the National Day incident, however, then it¡¯s a different matter,¡± Sabrina continued calmly. ¡°What happened on National Day was on a completely different scale. We mentioned this at a meeting long ago, but my Pokemon and I would have trouble getting through so many Dark type Pokemon¡­ it¡¯d be almost impossible.¡±

    She raised her head, pink eyes staring directly at Lance. ¡°My personal conclusion is this: regardless if Team Rocket has succeeded in making human psychics or not, I don¡¯t believe they are the true threat here. I believe the Rockets have a team of powerful Psychic type Pokemon at their disposal instead. We know they¡¯re in possession of a drug, R2, that enhances the abilities of Pokemon. I do not believe it would be too far of a stretch to think they¡¯ve enhanced Psychic types to a level that surpasses my own Pokemon. Perhaps they even have a stronger version of the drug that we¡¯re unaware about.¡±

    Honestly¡­ I agreed with her. I didn¡¯t think this was the work of a human psychic. As powerful as they could be, they could never be as strong as Psychic Pokemon. The idea of a drug-enhanced Psychic type wasn¡¯t too far-fetched either.

    It made the most sense out of any theories we currently had anyway.

    Lance listened patiently while the rest of us discussed among ourselves. Eventually, he cleared his throat to get our attention.

    ¡°If it¡¯s possible, we should try to capture a grunt next time who has one of these odd shields intact,¡± he commented. ¡°That way, Sabrina or Blaine can trigger the shields and study them.¡±

    Oh, that was actually a decent idea. Sabrina liked it if the way she dipped her head was anything to go by, and Blaine¡­

    He was very quiet. He hadn¡¯t said anything in the last couple minutes ever since we began talking about the strange shields and psychic theories, and that extended to the suggestion Lance threw out. Blaine gave no sign that he¡¯d heard and only stared down at the table with a deeply pensive expression. What on earth was he thinking so hard about¡­?

    I tore my gaze away when Lance cleared his throat again.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to put a pin in this topic since we can''t make any real leeway on finding out the truth,¡± Lance said. Fair point. ¡°This brings me to the last topic I¡¯d like to talk about.¡±

    One moment Lance was calm, and the next his face was devoid of all emotion. The sudden shift in demeanor caught all of us off guard and held our rapt attention. Whatever Lance was going to talk about was serious indeed, and I was pretty sure I knew what it was. It was the only thing we hadn¡¯t discussed yet.

    ¡°We interrogated many grunts yesterday. Over half of them turned out to be remnants of the old Team Rocket,¡± Lance began in a slow voice. ¡°Sabrina discovered at one point they had trigger words, ROCKET among others, that would cause their hearts and brains to fail if spoken. A little fail-safe in the event of being captured so to speak, and it lends credence to the idea that we¡¯re dealing with powerful Psychics. That is not the important part.¡±

    I expected murmurs to break out, yet everyone held their tongues. The Indigo Champion¡¯s gaze demanded our attention and absolute silence.

    ¡°We were able to find out part of Team Rocket¡¯s goals, or at least why these specific people joined back then.¡±

    He paused briefly, but that single moment seemed to stretch on for eternity.

    ¡°They want to destroy Indigo and go back to being two separate countries.¡±

    Silence.

    Complete and utter silence reigned.

    It was not tension that clouded the atmosphere but sheer disbelief. That was how ludicrous the words that came out of Lance¡¯s mouth were. Those of us who had been there for Logan¡¯s interrogation at Mount Moon were hearing this for the second time, but it still rattled us to our cores.

    ¡°Arceus¡­¡±

    I had no idea who the faint whisper came from, but it snapped the rest of us out of our stupor.

    ¡°Is that¡­ Is that why the old Team Rocket boss told Champion Oak they didn¡¯t need Indigo? Because they hated the idea of being unified? Because of misplaced patriotism?¡± Chuck asked in a strangled voice.

    ¡°They did all of this ¡ª everything from back then and now ¡ª because they want Kanto and Johto to remain separate?¡± Surge followed up. Rather than being shocked like Chuck, his whole frame trembled with anger. ¡°Forget mere patriotism. This is a fucking insane and radical approach they¡¯ve taken. Their whole plan is insane.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Erika murmured, hands clasped tightly together as she squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever understand them. Did we not unite as one country after the war fifty years ago because it was the best thing to do? To avoid more bloodshed and pave a road of peace for future generations? Indigo has reached a new era of prosperity because of mutual cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Surge made a spitting motion off to the side, thoroughly disgusted with the turn of conversation at this point. ¡°It seems like they don¡¯t care. Their motto makes sense now. To them and their delusional asses, we¡¯re all traitors just for wanting to live peacefully, and they want to kill us all.¡±

    In hindsight, the previous clues held in our knowledge should have made sense.

    For a true and better future. We don''t need Indigo.

    Remember Our Cause, Kill Every Traitor.

    The answer had always been right there. It should have made sense, but it didn¡¯t. None of us could have gotten it. Why?

    Because the idea behind it was simply that absurd.

    While there were people out there across Kanto-Johto who were very patriotic toward their respective region, we¡¯d never had anyone go so far as to want to roll back unification. The War of Ashes had happened fifty years ago. In the span of five decades, Indigo had gone from being one of the poorest regions to one of the most prosperous countries in the Kinjoh Area. It was only thanks to everyone working together that we¡¯d made so much progress. None of the luxuries we enjoyed today would be around if we¡¯d remained as two separate countries and spent all our time fighting like in the days of the distant past. We had left the violent past behind so that we could walk towards a peaceful future together.

    I had been born in a time when Indigo had long been unified, and that applied to almost everyone in this room. I couldn¡¯t even imagine a world where we weren¡¯t one country.

    To me, Indigo had always been Indigo. Any other reality was simply unthinkable.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous,¡± I muttered, but Lance heard me.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re absolutely right, Arin,¡± he agreed. In a louder voice, he addressed the whole room. Lance tried his best to keep his voice steady, but he could not hide the hint of fury that leaked out. ¡°There may be other reasons and motivations we have yet to uncover, but this? THIS alone angers me. Because these people thought they knew what was best for the people of Indigo, they decided to kill thousands of good soldiers fifteen years ago and got thousands more of innocents caught up in their fighting¡ª¡±

    Lance broke off hurriedly to breathe harshly. From the other side of the table, I saw Clair¡¯s facial features pinch with concern as she stared at her cousin.

    When Lance calmed down enough, he continued.

    ¡°That was the first Rocket War,¡± he warned us somberly. ¡°We must not let a second happen. I do not wish for all of Indigo to be embroiled in senseless fighting again. The peace we have today must be protected with our own hands. We are not just Kanto and Johto or Kanto-Johto¡­ but Indigo. I need to know that all of you are with me, that no matter where you¡¯re from¡­ you stand under the flag of Indigo.¡±

    My body moved faster than my mind could think. Amidst a sea of gazes, I rose from my seat and raised a hand to my heart as if swearing to the national anthem. My lips parted.

    ¡°For Indigo.¡±

    Not even a second passed before someone else followed my example. Giovanni had risen from his own seat and placed his hand over his heart.

    ¡°For Indigo,¡± he murmured. Though quiet, his voice carried strong conviction. ¡°For a future we can live in peace and to honor all the innocent lives lost.¡±

    One by one, everyone around the table echoed our sentiments and gestures. I thought Pryce would be reluctant, but he was one of the fastest to rise with the help of his cane. Even our Interpol members joined the show of unity.

    Lance was the last one to follow.

    ¡°We, the pillars of this country, will uproot the rest of Team Rocket for good this time. No matter how long it takes, we will do so. We do it for the people we love, the citizens who trust in us, and for the country we all live in,¡± he stated.

    My heart thumped in tandem to our Champion¡¯s words.

    ¡°For Indigo.¡±

 Chapter 50

    CHAPTER 50

    We remained standing after reaffirming our solidarity. As it was, Lance had some parting words for us.

    ¡°I trust all of you to keep up with your own training, but I want to make sure we¡¯re truly prepared. For that reason, we¡¯ll be holding mandatory training sessions from now on at the Plateau. These will go on until either Team Rocket is wiped out or the next League Circuit seasons begin,¡± Lance announced. His eyes swept over our forms with undecipherable emotion. ¡°Many of you have minimal experience with¡­ rougher battles, so this training should prove itself to be invaluable. I also hope that it will further strengthen our bonds and coordination for future fights.¡±

    He had a point. A good chunk of the Indigo Gym Leaders were teenagers who¡¯d only taken up their posts within the last year. Though they were among the strongest trainers in our country, they hadn¡¯t had a lot of time or chances yet to experience the darker side of our jobs. They themselves understood Lance¡¯s gentle warning the best and hid their nerves. Like the rest of us, they offered nods of assent.

    Satisfied, Lance raised his chin.

    ¡°Then carry on with your respective work in the meantime. It¡¯s officially the off-season for all of Indigo now that both Conferences are over. As always, you¡¯ll be contacted should there be any updates with Team Rocket. We¡¯re going to keep investigating potential hideouts,¡± he stated. ¡°Just remember this: everything we talked about today does not leave this room, especially the part about Team Rocket¡¯s motivations.¡±

    His voice dropped a few pitches.

    ¡°Understood?¡±

    More grim nods followed in the wake of his words. He didn¡¯t have to tell us twice. If the public ever learned what we had today, there would undoubtedly be widespread chaos. There was a chance it could even fan the flames of controversy or reveal the existence of citizens sympathetic to Team Rocket¡¯s radical ideas.

    The unification of Kanto and Johto never needed to be brought into question.

    With the meeting finally adjourned, some people conversed quietly among themselves while others Teleported back to their gyms. I was among the few who stayed behind for a reason of my own, but the moment I caught Brock¡¯s eye¡ª

    ¡°Arin.¡±

    My name was called. I turned to find Lance beckoning to me. In the corner of my eye, I witnessed Sabrina and Blaine leaving the room together, presumably to undergo that interrogation Lance had mentioned earlier. Brock made a hand motion that implied he would wait, so I walked over to see what our Champion wanted.

    ¡°Did you need something?¡± I asked once I drew near. Agatha and Looker stood on either side of Lance.

    ¡°Yes.¡± To no surprise, Lance nodded. ¡°Our League already has two Rotom of our own, but in light of the most recent incident, we¡¯ve decided to borrow one from Interpol to shore up our defenses further. Looker has already agreed to let the Indigo League put down insurance regarding their Rotom¡¯s confidentiality.¡±

    Oh, I saw where this conversation was going already. I¡¯d undergone similar experiences in Paldea back when I¡¯d worked for Geeta and the League there.

    ¡°So you need my help making a vow?¡± I asked just to be sure.

    I was rewarded with a most curious smile from Lance. ¡°That¡¯s right. Looker was actually the one who suggested it. He told us that other Leagues employ Fairy Specialists to make vows more binding. Usually Agatha and her Ghosts are the ones who enforce promises here, but I¡¯d feel more reassured if we had additional insurance.¡±

    To anyone who didn¡¯t work for their regional government or League, our discussion probably would have made zero sense to them.

    Pokemon like Rotom or the Porygon line were very useful for security purposes, but they also came with the risk of going rogue. Porygon were at least somewhat easier to track through cyberspace if needed, but Rotom were the problematic ones. They could literally vanish to the ends of the world like any Ghost. Even if a regional League wanted to kill them before that happened, there was no point because Ghosts never truly died. They¡¯d just revive again and again in between periods of rest.

    So, for insurance and accountability, what most regional Leagues opted to do was make ¡®vows¡¯ with any elusive Rotom they managed to ally with.

    Sometimes it was with the reigning Champion¡¯s Pokemon. Other times it was with a powerful Ghost or Fairy, but any Rotom typically made a vow with a Pokemon stronger than them. It was a way for the local League to keep them in check.

    Ghosts were centered around emotion. It was feelings that drove them, and it was their intensity that affected how and why Ghosts could be tethered to the mortal plane in the first place. Though they had no identity to call their own, emotions gave them lingering attachment. Any vow a Ghost made and imbued with their own emotions ¡ª their existence on the line ¡ª had to be honored lest they suffer dire consequences. A breach in verbal contract could cause them to be banished to the Other Side of the world, or it could cause their powers to be permanently weakened.

    Breaking a vow also gave the other party permission to hunt the Rotom down and kill them for the rest of time since Ghosts couldn¡¯t die. If the other party was a Ghost, well¡­ there was the actual threat of a Rotom¡¯s existence being snuffed out forever since Ghosts could permanently kill their own kind under certain circumstances. You could imagine how terrifying that would be with Agatha¡¯s famed Gengar chasing you to the ends of the world or to the Beyond. It was even worse when the promise was made with the Fae because words held truly tangible power with them.

    The moral of the story was to be careful with the kinds of promises you made.

    My Pokemon and I had experience with what Lance was asking of us. Every regional League or government had at least one or more Rotom under their employ, and the Paldea League had been no different. I¡¯d helped Geeta enforce promises with multiple Rotom before. Thankfully, we¡¯d never had to go beyond our roles as witnesses or arbiters. Our contractees valued their existences more than their fickle natures would otherwise imply.

    I could understand why Lance wanted my help. He¡¯d already told me his reservations about Interpol in private before, so it seemed like he wasn¡¯t quite reassured yet about them being a politically neutral organization.

    That, and the severity of the situation warranted extra precautions. Letting a foreign Rotom have access to our systems and records could not have been an easy decision on Lance¡¯s part. I respected that he was willing to extend another level of trust to outsiders for the sake of Indigo.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I easily agreed. ¡°Where are we conducting the process?¡±

    ¡°This way.¡±

    I followed Lance and the others out into a hallway. The doors here all looked the same to me. It was to the point that when Lance finally stopped to open one, I wondered if he¡¯d picked it at random. My seemingly wild hunch was cemented by the fact that the new room we were in looked almost identical to the one we¡¯d just occupied.

    Without further ado, the lone Interpol agent in our midst dug out a Pokeball from inside his coat and clicked it. Everyone gave him and the ensuing red light a wide berth for good reason. Streaks of electricity tore erratically at the air as a small entity made of plasma took shape, solidified further by the light bulb it currently possessed. I could tell as much by the orange blob that formed its core and the almost unnatural blue and white eyes it had.

    A strange cry left the Rotom as it twirled around. It sounded like a lightbulb twisting into place and then punctuated by a distinct pop after it had been turned on.

    While I went ahead and released Silque, the shadow behind Agatha rippled in place. Three Gengar slid out from it without a sound and shuffled in front of the old woman. The temperature drastically went down with their full appearances, but a fond nudge of Agatha¡¯s cane made them dial back the whole warmth-sapping habit.

    Gengar were famous ¡ª or to be more accurate, infamous ¡ª the world over, but very few trainers actually owned one. For one thing, they were hard to tame even when compared to regular Ghosts. For another, there were only so many different ways a Haunter could evolve, and none of them were simple. The so-called ¡®easier¡¯ methods that the public was actually aware of included inducing and accumulating enough fear or letting your Haunter feed on an extraordinary amount of highly toxic waste over a period of time. The more common ways ¡ª those hidden by the government yet whispered in rumors ¡ª involved going down a path of immoral bloodshed¡­ killing. Devouring enough life force from living beings.

    To this day, nobody knew exactly how many Gengar were under Agatha¡¯s command. I doubted the trio in front of me were the only ones she had. As a veteran who¡¯d lived through two deadly wars, she¡¯d probably had plenty of chances to evolve multiple Haunter she shared a bond with.

    With my Hatterene by my side, all the participants needed for the vow ceremony were now in place. Everyone looked to me as I gave Silque the signal to begin.

    There was an immediate shift in the room. The lighting dimmed even though no switches were touched, and a strange tension seeped into the atmosphere. White pupils glowed as brightly as crescent moons in the sky as Silque focused her gaze.

    Under the all-knowing gaze of the Moon, I stand here as Witness and Arbiter, she said into the minds of those present. Two different sides seek a contract. Speak now and state your terms.

    Lance was already prepared. He pulled out a written contract drafted far in advance from his pocket and began to read the stipulations printed there. There were a lot of legal terms involved, but the gist of the matter was that Rotom was required to keep anything it learned while protecting our systems in utmost confidentiality. None of the information could be leaked, voluntarily or not, to those at Interpol, another living or non-living being, etc. The list of conditions and accompanying explanations went on and on for nearly a full page. The Indigo League knew to be very thorough with their wording.

    When he finally finished, Looker urged Rotom forward. I couldn¡¯t understand what it said, but the constantly shifting Ghost presumably agreed to the terms through a series of garbled clicks. Agatha¡¯s three Gengar followed up with screeches made in unpleasant unison.

    Rotom, the Gengar¡ª All the Ghosts in the room then flickered in and out of existence as they imbued their words and intentions with the source of their powers here in the mortal world. Their promises were given weight by the emotions that sustained them.

    My Hatterene waited for them to maintain a stable hold over their spectral forms again before speaking.

    The Moon and Stars bear silent witness, and the World acknowledges the contract made here today. Both parties have hereby agreed to the terms mutually set. Now, in accordance with the laws that govern those from Beyond, the contract must be abided until Eternal Rest.

    The world physically rippled with every word she spoke. Words had always held power, but never more so to and by the will of Fairies. Out of all my Pokemon, Hatterene was most in tune with the old ways. She was powerful enough that she could Pull at the world and draw from powers long lost to the modern age of humans.

    Now, she was cementing the words ¡ª the Contract ¡ª into the world¡¯s history.

    Silque took the words the Ghosts had given her and gave them further weight. Just like how the world still remembered and abided by influences left by passing Myths and Legends, it would now remember that a vow had been made here today with existences on the line. The World itself would hold Rotom accountable for its actions, and should the contract ever be breached¡­ perhaps none of us would need to step in at all. The World and its other half, the Beyond, would pass down their natural judgment on Rotom for us.

    With the contract officially in place, warmth and regular light returned to the room. Silque¡¯s eyes stopped glowing. She went back into her Pokeball, but not before flashing sharp teeth in a smile at Rotom. It was as if she personally promised a world of hurt and pain should it ever prove unfaithful to its new vow.

    It was also now that I noticed the appraising looks being sent my way. Lance and Agatha both stared at me with renewed fascination. In the case of Agatha, it was more like she was one step away from having her Gengar tear me apart to see what else I was hiding.

    I did my best to ignore her intense scrutiny and cleared my throat.

    ¡°Lance, now that we¡¯re done here¡­ there was something Brock and I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have time?¡± I finally had the chance to bring up what I¡¯d wanted to say all along.

    I also really wanted to escape from Agatha¡¯s piercing gaze, and the one-word answer Lance gave was like music to my ears.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I was quick to follow him out the doors, but I could still feel Agatha¡¯s gaze on my back long after the room disappeared behind us. I hardly knew her, but she was an unsettling old woman when she wanted to be.

    When we returned to the original meeting room, everyone was gone except for Brock. The Pewter Gym Leader had been waiting patiently for our return.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Lance started, eyes darting between me and the teenager standing by the wall. He¡¯d obviously taken note of our serious expressions. ¡°My ears are open. What did you want to tell me?¡±

    A few minutes later, Lance swore out loud and pinched the bridge of his nose. We¡¯d just finished telling him about the existence of a certain Guardian Pokemon in Mount Moon. Brock and I had already sworn to Clefable and each other that we would carry the secret of the massive Moon Stone to our graves, but there had been no such promises made about Clefable herself. She didn¡¯t care much in the first place. Every regional League and government was obligated to keep track of powerful wild Pokemon that dwelled within their borders. They usually had entire departments of people who watched over such creatures twenty-four seven, and it was all to make sure we were on top of any chaos the moment disaster struck. It was a matter of national security.

    ¡°Good Ho-Oh. It¡¯s one thing after another,¡± Lance muttered. In a louder voice, he addressed the both of us. ¡°Brock, Arin. Thank you for letting me know about this¡­ Mountain Weaver. How high of a threat level would you assess her? How much force would be needed to subdue her in a hypothetical future?¡±

    A slight tilt of Brock¡¯s head in my direction, and I understood he had given me the honors as a Fairy Specialist to answer Lance¡¯s reasonable inquiries. We had to stay on top of potential threats.

    ¡°Not very high,¡± I told our Champion in all honesty. ¡°She¡¯s content to live in secluded peace with her clan. She¡¯s the type who¡¯ll only move if threatened. So long as we don¡¯t antagonize her, Clefable will do the same. As for how to subdue¡­¡± I paused for a moment to point between me and Lance. ¡°A Champion-level trainer could easily put her in her place, but only if we fight her outside the mountain. Inside is where all her powers are concentrated. My team would still be able to win, but it wouldn¡¯t be a quick fight.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Lance¡¯s brows furrowed as he mulled over my assessment. His foot tapped once, twice, three times against the floor before he finally spoke.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not going to assign too many people to keep track of Clefable¡¯s status, then,¡± he decided. He turned his attention to the teenager in the room. ¡°Brock, I doubt you need to be told this, but I¡¯d like to emphasize that you should be careful with the Clefairy clan going forward. We¡¯ve only dealt with proxies this whole time instead of their actual leader.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Brock promised in a steady, calm voice. He looked the very picture of determination as he crossed his arms. ¡°I planned on doing just that. I¡¯ll be extra courteous around them.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Lance nodded in approval, then turned to me. ¡°Ho-Oh forbid, but if any problems crop up in the future that Brock can¡¯t resolve¡­ then I¡¯ll ask you to come in, Arin, as our leading Fairy Specialist.¡±

    ¡°Just say the word,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll come whenever you need me. I¡¯ll probably be seeing more of Clefable from now on anyway, so I can try to build a tentative friendship if that¡¯ll help the League at all.¡±

    One brow was quirked in my direction. ¡°Do elaborate.¡±

    In return, I gave a shrug of my shoulders and the hint of an excited smile. ¡°She said I was welcome to visit after we got rid of the Rockets. I figured I¡¯d take her up on her offer.¡±

    Lance studied me for a moment, then¡ª

    A loud and uproarious laugh filled the meeting room. Brock and I both blinked a few times at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± I found myself asking with a smidge of defensiveness leaking through.

    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Lance said with a quick shake of his head. He coughed into his fist, but I saw the small smile that tugged at his lips. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you know, here we are worrying about Team Rocket, but you¡¯re happily invited to come visit the elusive Clefairy of Mount Moon as if it¡¯s a tea party. Secondly, most people tend to stay away from dangerous beings, not the other way around. I¡¯m not going to discourage you from visiting, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my best behavior,¡± I cut in, rolling my eyes with a smile of my own. I supposed this was something to find humor in given all the stress we¡¯d been going through lately. Arceus knew Lance needed it given how haggard he looked lately as the man running the whole country. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll even bring gifts courtesy of the League, hmm? I don¡¯t suppose you have a big Moon Stone I can have.¡±

    That got a snort of laughter from Brock, and it was even funnier because of the knowledge in our possession that Lance was unaware of.

    We parted ways there. Everybody had things of their own to do. I still had one last order of business at the League, though, and couldn¡¯t go home just yet. I had to ask a League Trainer on standby for directions to the medical wing.

    When I got there, I discovered I wasn¡¯t the only visitor. Falkner was busy talking to a doctor while Clair peered through a glass wall. I walked over to stand next to her, eyes following her line of sight. A Dragonair rested inside a transparent case hooked up to various medical equipment and fluids. Clair didn¡¯t say anything, but she made her acknowledgement of my presence known by a short nod of her head. Her eyes never left the Dragonair. Though she wore no visible emotion on her face, it was obvious she was concerned.

    ¡°Will your Pokemon be okay?¡± I asked softly.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    A prompt answer was relayed to me as if Clair had memorized it in advance. ¡°She¡¯ll be alright. The injury was quite severe, but they were able to mend it with Ditto cells since I put her in a Pokeball¡¯s stasis so quickly. I¡¯ll have her back in a week after they run more tests on her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡±

    I really was. I¡¯d honestly been most afraid for Clair¡¯s Dragonair because of how brutal Tentacruel had been with it. I could still clearly visualize its appendage stabbing cleanly into the dragon¡¯s body, powerful enough that it managed to pierce through its protective scales¡­

    I snapped out of my thoughts when Clair spoke again.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It was so quiet that I nearly missed it. The Blackthorn Gym Leader still hadn¡¯t turned to look at me. Her stoic side profile gave no indication that she¡¯d uttered her thanks, but I¡¯d heard it clear as day.

    It didn¡¯t feel right to say ¡®don¡¯t worry about it¡¯ or anything else in this situation, so I just gave a small, subdued smile and quietly walked away.

    I felt much better after speaking with one of the available doctors. First, no Pokemon of ours had died from wounds sustained in yesterday¡¯s battle. Powerful, trained Pokemon had tougher constitutions and could bounce back more easily from rough injuries than weaker Pokemon, so that was one point in our favor. I was also taken aback when I heard that Blaine had personally come in overnight to help oversee Ditto cell injection. Though he was no doctor, he was still the genius brain behind Ditto and knew best how to implant the cells into a Pokemon¡¯s body so that they could regenerate properly. He¡¯d stayed up for hours to make sure our Pokemon were going to be fine.

    He was surprisingly more caring than he looked.

    Grima¡¯s Pokeball was handed back to me with a clear set of instructions. The massive hole in his arm was still in the process of stitching itself back together, but he had been cleared to go home. I was to keep him outside of his Pokeball for the next few days so that his arm had time to fully regenerate, and then I had to bring him back to the League for a final check-up. He wasn¡¯t supposed to engage in any fighting for the next five days even though his arm would heal within two. It was the internal poison from Muk that had truly dealt a number on the Grimmsnarl. They¡¯d had trouble getting it out of his system, and he was going to feel a bit queasy from the aftereffects for the next week.

    I was just happy to have him back with me. It didn¡¯t feel right when even a single one of my Pokemon was missing.

    The first thing I did after Teleporting to the Cherrygrove Gym was follow the instructions I¡¯d been given. Grima brought me in for a huge, one-armed hug as soon as he was out of his Pokeball, and he kept his still-healing limb clear of the act. I was glad to see he was mindful of his own injury.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I asked him once we let go of each other.

    The Grimmsnarl predictably said it didn¡¯t, but the slight twitch of his eye clued me in on the fact that it still hurt a lot. Made sense. There was literally skin growing back this very second. It was bound to be itchy and more than a little painful.

    ¡°Just take it easy for a bit,¡± I urged. ¡°We¡¯ll get to enjoy some downtime anyway. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to find another Rocket base so easily.¡±

    The moment Grima claimed he could still battle, I unleashed more members of the team around my office and let them chew out their reckless teammate. I settled back in my swivel chair and watched my Pokemon bicker playfully with each other. It was a calming scene, but I couldn¡¯t fully appreciate it.

    The fact that I was sitting in my office again honestly felt a bit unreal to me. Only yesterday, I¡¯d been fighting a Rocket Executive in the lowest levels of Mount Moon. Only yesterday, I¡¯d learned they wanted to tear down Indigo¡ª literally and figuratively.

    It was absurdity at its best and worst. I didn¡¯t think I could ever understand why Team Rocket felt they had to go to such lengths. Was that why Proton had looked at us with such rage? Because the idea of Indigo was simply that infuriating?

    I would never know unless we found more clues or forced the answers out of them, but that was a job best left to Interpol and professionals at the League. I didn¡¯t necessarily have to know or understand why either. The goal was never going to change, and that was eradicating Team Rocket once and for all.

    They were too dangerous an entity to be left alone.

    I double-checked that my phone was set to max volume for any calls or notifications from the Indigo League. The moment they needed me for anything, I¡¯d come running. For now, I had the luxury of slipping back into more mundane routines. There was only so much time left until the fall, but the most immediate pressing matter was the gym audit.

    Every year, gyms across Kanto-Johto were reviewed by teams of inspectors sent directly by the Indigo League. Reviewing financial records and statements was the least of what they did. Aside from looking for any discrepancies in the flow of money, they also reviewed a gym¡¯s performance based on statistics and reports that Gym Leaders handed in over the course of the year. They even looked at opinions from trainers and civilians posted online. Their duties didn¡¯t end there. They checked the emotional and physical well-being of gym Pokemon and staff members, whether or not the gym¡¯s building met safety standards, overall facility maintenance¡­

    Put simply, the annual gym audit slash inspection encompassed a lot.

    Gyms that didn¡¯t pass the annual audit had to pay a penalty fee to the League. If you got a low enough score, you also suffered the risk of the gym¡¯s rank being demoted or being stripped of ownership. Needless to say, you wanted to pass the inspection with as high of a score as possible. It helped that the Indigo League gave out more annual funding to gyms that did well.

    I¡¯d received a courtesy reminder in the mail last week about the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s very own inspection¡­ which was tomorrow. Due to a combination of factors ¡ª type speciality and rank change, new ownership, and not having been in operation yet for an official League Circuit season ¡ª the audit this time was going to be an abridged one. There was nothing for the inspectors to look at performance-wise, so they were going to review everything else.

    I was confident the Cherrygrove Gym would pass with flying colors, but there was no harm in making sure everything was in order.

    A quick trip around my office, and I confirmed neat piles of various documents clipped together and stashed away for tomorrow¡¯s inspection. I¡¯d lay them out on my desk in the morning. Together with Vel, I went into another room on the second floor and called for a staff meeting.

    Everyone showed up within the minute. For me, it had only been a day since I last saw anyone. For them, it had been a whole week.

    They didn¡¯t look as anxious as I thought they¡¯d be. Dad was with them, so I could only assume he¡¯d already let them know ahead of time that I was fine. That didn¡¯t stop Neil from giving me one of his famous bear hugs.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t disappear like that next time,¡± he mumbled after letting go. I would have answered him if Luca hadn¡¯t fallen to his knees near me with a teary-eyed expression. His Igglybuff was nestled securely in his arms.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE ALIVE!¡± Luca proclaimed happily, and he repeated it a few more times. ¡°The Gym lives on!¡±

    For a moment, I thought he was being serious. That was until I saw Will raise a hand to his forehead and tilt his head back in true dramatic fashion nearby. Around him, Souta and Haru¡¯s eyes shone with unshed tears while the others held back smiles.

    Were they trying to lighten the mood and this reunion?

    I shook my head fondly as a smile nearly split my face in two. ¡°Sorry. Work took longer than I thought it would.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Neil dryly quipped back.

    A round of chuckles spread across the room. I checked in with everyone and was glad to hear they and the Gym had been doing fine in my absence. I had a backlog of advertisement inquiries to look through, a gym lecture that needed to be rescheduled¡­ trivial stuff I could easily get done. I did feel bad for my newest gym trainers, though. I hadn¡¯t been around to personally guide them through their new jobs, but it seemed the others had helped them grow accustomed to things in my stead.

    We also had a few Pokemon that had evolved and some new additions to our gym challenge roster straight from Route 30. Dad had done me a huge favor and gotten all our Pokemon health records updated at the Pokemon Center already, so that was one less thing to worry about.

    ¡°The gym audit is tomorrow morning at nine o¡¯clock,¡± I reminded as the meeting drew to a close. ¡°I¡¯ll be busy showing the inspectors around. You all just need to show up to work on time and do whatever you normally do. You might be asked some questions regarding your experience working here, and if so, always be honest. Any questions?¡±

    No raised hands or voices answered me. Everyone went back to what they were supposed to be doing, so I took the chance to tour the rest of the gym and outside grounds. I even checked in on our gym Pokemon back at the house.

    Everything was fine. We were ready for the audit.

    The rest of the day slipped by uneventfully. Most of it was spent in my office catching up on emails and previous gym reports. I was proud to say I was getting better at shifting between ordinary and Team Rocket-related work modes.

    Oh, how badly I wanted to visit Mount Moon and see that gigantic Moon Stone again¡­ There was a part of me that figured it would be alright if I showed up on my own, but the better half of me reasoned I should wait for a formal invitation from Clefable for my first ever visit. It would possibly earn me brownie points.

    For the time being, I worked.

    Around dinnertime, my appetite finally came back to me, and I enjoyed my first full meal since coming back from Mount Moon. A huge beef bowl disappeared into my stomach courtesy of our in-house chefs.

    It was all well and good until my phone rang in the evening. A sense of deja vu washed over me as I ran my thumb across the digital device in my pocket. It wasn¡¯t the ringtone I¡¯d set for important calls from the League, but I still felt wary.

    With no small amount of apprehension, I pulled my phone out and checked the screen. My brows nearly flew up to my hairline.

    Clair of all people was calling me.

    Questions bounced around in my head, but I didn¡¯t want to keep her waiting. I promptly accepted the incoming call.

    ¡°Clair?¡± I asked, brows furrowed. ¡°Did you need something?¡±

    ¡°Good evening,¡± her unmistakable voice filtered through from the other side. As usual, she spoke in a brusque and business-like tone. I waited for Clair to continue, but I was met with a long period of silence.

    Well, this was awkward.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Good evening,¡± I finally said, hoping that would prompt her into speaking again. Clair and I weren¡¯t exactly on the most pleasant of terms ¡ª neutral at best ¡ª so I couldn¡¯t figure for the life of me why she¡¯d decided to call. There was no way in hell it was just for small talk.

    Luckily, she didn¡¯t continue the awkward silence.

    ¡°Are you prepared for the upcoming gym audit?¡± she asked.

    I blinked. That had come out of seemingly nowhere. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re coming by tomorrow, and I have everything prepared already. What about you?¡±

    Instead of answering the question, Clair began rattling off information. ¡°It may be wise to double or triple check again. You¡¯re going to need updated health records¡ª not from in-house medical staff but a Pokemon Center, a map of your gym¡¯s layout that the inspectors can peruse, records of gym expenses incurred thus far and revenue gained from merchandise sales¡­¡±

    On and on she went in a never-ending stream, and it was all said in the same clinical tone. I could have cut her off halfway, but I was simply so confused by this turn of events that I let her say everything she wanted while I processed the situation. When she finally ran out of documents to remind me about, I seized the lull in conversation to ask the question at the forefront of my mind.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I began in an unsure voice. ¡°I have all those already, but I¡¯ll look again. And¡­ no offense, but you¡¯re the last person I expected to care so much about the annual gym audit. Did you really have to call me about it? Is it that scary?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Clair?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I wanted to. Just make sure you¡¯re prepared for the audit with necessary documents and answers to potential questions. Inspectors can be very¡­ thorough. Good night.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even get a chance to reciprocate the stilted farewell. Clair had truly said everything she wanted to and hung up right after.

    I lowered the phone from my ear and stared down at it, blinking several times.

    Weird. Very weird. We didn¡¯t really talk to each other outside of official settings, yet Clair had taken the time to check in on my preparations for the annual gym audit. I supposed it was nice of her though wholly unexpected.

    I was already going to check again before I went to sleep, but with Clair¡¯s warning still fresh in mind, I went to my office a little earlier than planned.

    Every second leading up to my eventual bedtime was spent poring through and reorganizing documents once again¡­ this time with an odd feeling I couldn¡¯t shake off.

    <hr>

    Bright, early, and with pleasant warm weather, the next day saw me standing by the gym¡¯s front doors. It was a beautiful morning all things considered¡­ it was too bad I¡¯d be spending most if not all of it cooped indoors for the gym audit.

    At nine o¡¯clock sharp, popping sounds filled the air as a small group of officials blinked into existence close by. They¡¯d been Teleported here straight from the League thanks to a pair of Kadabra. Each man and woman carried some form of clipboard or tablet with them, and they were led by two men wearing shiny name tags. They all had official League badges.

    ¡°Good morning, Leader Arin,¡± the man on the right greeted. He held out a large, calloused hand for me to shake and smiled cordially. ¡°We¡¯re here on behalf of the Indigo League for the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s annual audit. I¡¯m Koichi Naru, senior inspector.¡±

    ¡°Aaron Rokuro, senior inspector,¡± the other man introduced. Compared to Koichi, he had thinning hair and a deeper voice. He also stared at me with a much more scrutinizing gaze than his coworker.

    I shook hands with both of them and donned my friendliest smile.

    ¡°Thank you for coming. Now, how would you like to begin?¡± I asked. They were the ones who were going to be conducting the inspection after all. I was only here to show them around, answer questions, and provide necessary documentation.

    Koichi and Aaron exchanged glances.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go over financial records first,¡± Koichi decided after a moment of deliberation.

    It was straight to my office from there. I had documents separated by purpose on my desk already. Every time the inspectors brought up something they wanted to check, I passed the corresponding stack to them without delay.

    ¡°Tax records from the last year¡ª¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Where are the papers for the gym¡¯s sources of income?¡±

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    ¡°Employee salary records?¡±

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    Before long, I was greeted by the view of inspectors bent over dozens and dozens of papers laid out on spare tables and chairs. They were very quick but thorough with their work and expertly flipped through documents with discerning eyes. Notes were jotted down on their clipboards or tablets.

    I didn¡¯t get to stand around idly while they worked. I was asked question after question by the head inspectors regarding the documents I¡¯d handed them. Both were very polite about it, but for some reason, I felt like the man named Aaron kept circling back and asking me to clarify the same things all over again. It was as if he didn¡¯t believe me the first time around¡­ or maybe he was just the type to be extremely meticulous.

    In the end, no issues were found with the gym¡¯s finances (not that there were ever any to begin with). All papers were handed back to me for safekeeping, and they were traded for copies of gym Pokemon health records. Everything checked out there, too, although I was subjected to more questioning by the senior inspectors.

    In fact, they wanted to carry on the inspection by visiting the gym Pokemon next.

    We took a warp tile back to my house¡¯s backyard. A few of the inspectors had licenses related to Pokemon healthcare, so they took charge here to examine the Pokemon for themselves. This part of the inspection had one purpose only: to make sure the gym Pokemon were being well cared for and not abused in any way from overtraining and the like. The inspectors went as far as to have the League Kadabra they possessed talk with different Pokemon and ask them how they felt about the Cherrygrove Gym.

    I wasn¡¯t privy to those conversations, of course. Seeing as how the Kadabra came back to us thirty minutes later with subtle smiles, I assumed we got glowing reviews from our resident Pokemon. We had to stay a little longer because again, I had to answer what felt like a torrential flood of questions regarding how the Cherrygrove Gym cared for its Pokemon.

    How many breaks did we give them in between training sessions? How long? How many times a day were they fed and cleaned? And so on and so forth.

    Again, it felt like I was being politely hounded. Aaron asked almost double the number of questions his coworker did, and most of them seemed redundant to me. Even Koichi seemed to think so from the not so subtle way he gave his coworker confused glances. I was starting to get a little feeling in the back of my mind, a bothersome one.

    Still¡­ so far, so good.

    We moved on and returned to the gym itself. I had to run back to my office at one point to fetch the remaining documents the inspectors asked for, and they perused them while we walked around the premises.

    Compliance with national building safety standards was one of the biggest things they looked out for. They studied a map of the gym¡¯s layout, then double checked that there were fire alarms, extinguishers, visible exit signs, signs with raised lettering, and ramp slopes for the impaired among others.

    There were also frequent breaks where one or two of the inspectors would pull passing employees aside and ask them questions in private. Their conversations were ones of similar nature to those held with the gym Pokemon. They wanted to make sure staff members were happy working here. Even some of our gym trainers were pulled aside, and I nearly laughed out loud when I saw how nervous Haru looked as he was dragged away.

    And of course, I couldn¡¯t forget all the questions thrown at me as we trekked from one end of the gym to the other. Aaron felt more like a Beedrill constantly buzzing in my ear at this point. He was always incredibly polite when questioning me, but it felt like there was a faint, underlying disingenuity underneath it all. Hostility even? I didn¡¯t know how else to interpret the seemingly interrogative atmosphere that followed us throughout the rest of the inspection.

    The other senior inspector actually excused himself at one point to pull Aaron aside for a private chat. When they returned, Aaron did a lot less talking, but he still interjected now and then with questions.

    Ugh. So much for thinking the gym audit was going to be a smooth, fast process. I couldn¡¯t wait for the inspection to end. I never wanted to go through a gym audit quite like this one again.

    My wish was granted but not soon enough. Contrary to any and all expectations, the gym audit stretched way past noon and regular lunchtime.

    We ended at half past three much to my dismay. Half a day¡­ gone. Just like that.

    I was mentally dead at this point in time, but I forced a bright smile on my face. The inspectors were getting ready to leave, and I accompanied them to a safe spot in the dark type energy blockade around the gym.

    ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you, Leader Arin,¡± Koichi thanked.

    He and the other inspectors bowed, so I reciprocated with a small one of my own. When I straightened, I saw Koichi had donned a look of embarrassment.

    ¡°I do apologize for how¡­ long the audit was. Normally it only takes a few hours at most given all documents are in order. I hope you¡¯ll forgive us for being thorough,¡± he apologized, but not before shooting a certain look at Aaron. The man simply shrugged and offered me a polite smile.

    ¡°Thank you for guiding us around, Leader Arin. Everything is in perfect order at the Cherrygrove Gym. Here are copies of our inspection records¡­¡± He trailed off to hand me papers full of notes and scores taken by their group. Nothing but the highest ratings across the board from a quick glance. ¡°And you should receive a copy of the final audit report from the Indigo League within the next month.¡±

    ¡°Noted, thank you.¡±

    I wanted them ¡ª mostly Aaron ¡ª out of my hair already, and I sagged with relief after they Teleported away.

    Finally.

    Instead of feeling happy about passing the audit with flying colors like I¡¯d wanted, the first time I did was contact a certain someone. I waited impatiently for her to pick up.

    ¡°Clair Ibuki speaking.¡±

    It sounded like she¡¯d been expecting me, and it solidified the weird feeling I¡¯d gotten last night and earlier today.

    ¡°The Cherrygrove Gym audit. You knew something about it, didn¡¯t you?¡± I questioned. It was a struggle to keep my voice steady. ¡°Your call last night and then all the unnecessary questioning I had to put up with today from the inspectors¡ª something is obviously up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m thankful you gave me a heads up if that¡¯s what we want to call it. I would just really appreciate the truth.¡±

    Maybe it helped that I was talking calmly and not yelling at her, but Clair finally spoke up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll first preface things by saying I had nothing to do with it,¡± she began, and I was already frowning before she continued. ¡°The Blackthorn Clan Elders leaped at the chance to find some dirt on the Cherrygrove Gym. They ¡®kindly¡¯ asked one of their connections at the Indigo League to do a thorough job when inspecting your gym today. They didn¡¯t find any shortcomings, did they?¡±

    ¡°No, they did not,¡± I replied, and it was a true test more than ever to stay calm now. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me YOUR clan instigated a League auditor to try his hardest to find something wrong with MY gym?¡±

    ¡°¡­Correct.¡±

    I reached up and pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers, exhaling deeply.

    ¡°Arceus,¡± I asked in a weary tone. I wasn¡¯t even angry at this point, more tired than anything else. ¡°Why would your clan even do something like that? Don¡¯t they realize there are better things to worry about right now?¡±

    We both knew I was referring to the looming threat of Team Rocket, and Clair made that known.

    ¡°They believe Team Rocket will fall easily and that things will return to normal soon."

    That sounded like an abridged version of a very long and complicated story to me, but it sufficed as an explanation for now¡­ delusional as the reasoning of the Elders was.

    ¡°¡­Why did you bother warning me? You didn¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°I owed you.¡±

    Was she talking about what happened with Dragonair back at Mount Moon?

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    Click.

    The line disconnected. She¡¯d hung up¡­ again. I barely restrained myself from hissing through my teeth and sighed instead.

    Was I ever going to get the last word with her on a phone call?

    More importantly, the Blackthorns. I hadn¡¯t thought much about them ever since their spies failed to infiltrate the gym, but here they were with a brand new (and unsuccessful) stunt. Compared to everything else going on, they were like¡­ little jumping fleas for lack of a better description. So incredibly insignificant and yet annoying.

    Did they actually believe Team Rocket was that weak? Were they that fixated on maintaining their own position in Johto that they didn¡¯t care about what else went on?

    I didn¡¯t know, but I found myself wanting to learn more about the Blackthorns. Since Clair wasn¡¯t likely to speak any further to me about her Clan, I had to ask someone else. Lance would probably be willing to talk if he wasn¡¯t knee-deep in paperwork and Rocket business. Hell, the last time we spoke about his Clan, it had sounded like he was pretty tired of them, too.

    Before I did anything, I had lunch to eat and good news to share with the rest of the team. I trudged back inside the gym and tried to keep my own mood up.

    It was one thing after another.

 Interlude â€” Pick Your Poison

    INTERLUDE ¡ª Pick Your Poison

    <hr>

    DAY OF MOUNT MOON OPERATION ¡ª CLAIR IBUKI

    Her ponytail whipped back and forth in the air. Countless muscles ached from how long she¡¯d been flying, and she was tired from a combination of factors ¡ª sleepless nights, fruitless training sessions, and mounting pressure both from herself and the Blackthorn Elders ¡ª but there was no room for complaint. Not ever.

    Do not acknowledge weakness.

    It was a phrase Clair treated almost like a mantra these days, something to guide her actions and ground her to reality.

    Today, she was here to fulfill her duty as one of Indigo¡¯s pillars and help with Team Rocket search efforts. Clair counted herself lucky she did not have a personal grudge against them. Most people within her generation did¡­ including her cousin.

    Lance. Her jaw clenched at the thought of him. It had been days now, weeks since they¡¯d last spoken outside of work, and it left her feeling uncomfortable even though she was the one rejecting any attempts to talk. More than her own parents, more than the other Clan members¡ª it was Lance with whom she shared the closest bond. He had been a constant role model for her to look up to, a trainer she once strived to be like but now wished to surpass, and a family member who¡¯d always been there for her. They were more like brother and sister rather than cousins.

    Now, they¡¯d drifted apart because of conflicting ideals.

    She didn¡¯t have time to dwell on their strained relationship right now. Higher and higher Dragonite ascended to Mount Moon¡¯s summit. Any human this far up in the air would have found it hard to breathe, but a comfortable shield of Dragon and Flying type energies made such problems nonexistent. They smothered the defiant sky and made it hers.

    Well¡­ not entirely hers.

    Falkner was here, too. Case in point, Clair barely tracked birds zipping across the sky in the distance. Their keen eyesight allowed them to pick out small details in their surroundings even at such speeds. She begrudgingly admitted that the Second Master of Flying Pokemon lived up to his epithet, though she remained convinced her Dragonite was faster than Falkner¡¯s Pidgeot.

    A quick loop around the mountain¡¯s summit revealed zilch. Nothing was visible to the naked eye, and Dragonite could not sense anything out of place either. This was their second day here at Mount Moon, and they still hadn¡¯t found any sign of Rockets. It seemed like it was up to Giovanni and Brock now. Given the lack of any Rocket traces outside, it was highly likely the two Kanto Gym Leaders would find them inside. Both hadn¡¯t come out of the mountain yet.

    The phone in her pocket vibrated from an incoming alert, and that was Clair¡¯s cue to descend. A resounding bellow from Dragonite drew the attention of all other Dragons flying nearby. As one, they dove to the ground.

    She pursed her lips when Falkner and his team beat her to the League¡¯s makeshift camp.

    Both of them returned their Pokemon to let them rest, but not before they caught sight of Lance¡¯s twisted facial expression. There was definitely some sort of problem, and when Lance told them about their missing coworkers¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ll help look for them,¡± Clair instantly volunteered.

    It was a chance for her to accomplish something great and re-establish her authority as Blackthorn Gym Leader. This was for herself, her Clan, and Johto. The Elders would be pleased with her. Now that Lance had turned their backs on them, they looked to her now to uphold their ideals of tradition and absolute strength. She had to prove the might of Dragons.

    She needed this.

    Falkner volunteered almost right after she did, and the thinly-veiled eagerness in his voice suggested he might have had similar goals of his own. Out of all the Sacred Eight households, the Hayato and Blackthorn Clans were especially strict. They were the ones most concerned about upholding traditions and honoring their ancestors.

    The days of glory past had to be maintained.

    Lance ultimately agreed to both their requests, but she could tell it was with great reluctance. He reached out with a hand as if to place it on her shoulder and pull her aside for a private chat. It was an act she immediately turned away from. He didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to her again after that.

    Clair¡¯s skin prickled uncomfortably when he called Arin in for the new task force.

    She wasn¡¯t exactly happy to see Johto¡¯s newest Gym Leader, but she held her tongue. She couldn¡¯t argue with Lance¡¯s choice. Since Giovanni and Brock had seemingly run into trouble, whatever or whoever got the better of them was strong enough to overtake two different Gym Leaders. It helped that she¡¯d begrudgingly made her peace with Arin¡­ if only to honor the promise from their battle. He would get the professionalism and bare minimum of courtesy he¡¯d asked for, but nothing else.

    He stood for everything the Blackthorn Clan was against.

    When it was time to go, Lance gave out a final warning.

    ¡°Be careful in there. I don¡¯t want us losing any more people.¡±

    It was addressed to the group as a whole, but Clair did not miss the way he looked at her. She pointedly avoided her cousin¡¯s stare of concern and adopted a calm facade. Her insides, on the other hand, twisted and churned with a mixture of emotions, everything from disbelief to conviction and beyond.

    I can do this was what she wanted to tell her cousin. Your worry is unnecessary.

    She was one of Johto¡¯s Gym Leaders. This was what she¡¯d signed up for.

    Those thoughts were what carried her past Mount Moon¡¯s entrance.

    <hr>

    Out of everything Clair expected to encounter deep within the walls of Mount Moon, magically shifting tunnels were quite low on the list. It was frankly unsettling. Terrible scenarios ran through her head when their group stopped to take a break. Perhaps they¡¯d already fallen into a trap laid by Team Rocket.

    Arin quickly shattered those suspicions with a mind boggling statement.

    ¡°It''s the local Clefairy and Clefable. They''re the ones making the mountain change.¡±

    Of course she challenged that statement, but the Cherrygrove Gym Leader was ready. He calmly explained his hypothesis with simple reasoning that the rest of them could understand.

    It still shocked her to her core.

    Tiny, weak-looking, and frail Pokemon like Clefairy¡­ being able to warp an entire mountain¡¯s inner structure? They were talking about Mount Moon here. It was no small hill but a gigantic behemoth that stood as one of Kanto¡¯s most famous landmarks.

    A ridiculous claim or so she believed, but when Falkner expressed his skepticism¡ª

    ¡°I''d stake it on my honor as a Fairy Specialist.¡±

    Another unbelievable statement came out of Arin¡¯s mouth. Blue eyes looked back at Falkner with unwavering confidence.

    Any potential words of protest lodged themselves in Clair¡¯s throat.

    As it was often said, to be a true Specialist was to dedicate your whole life to your craft. That was no mere exaggeration. Specialists were experts who delved deeper into their area of expertise than any other.

    As frustrating as Clair found Fairies, and despite being a Specialist of an opposing type specialty¡­ even she could respect the willingness to stake one¡¯s entire career on a single claim.

    They¡¯d see soon enough if it was true or not anyway. There was no time to waste.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she found herself saying. ¡°Then what do we do next?¡±

    Surprise flashed through Arin¡¯s eyes followed by a smile and¡­

    Blasted, incorrigible singing by that Scream Tail of his. As horrible as it was, it proved effective. Clair couldn¡¯t have been more surprised when reality physically shattered in place.

    The shock didn¡¯t stop there. It only grew as they ascended Mount Moon for the Clefairy clan¡¯s hideout.

    Her lungs were on fire.

    Her vision swam. Her head throbbed with pain.

    Invisible forces pushed down on her as if entire boulders had been strapped to her back and every limb.

    Ragged breaths tore themselves from her lips one after another, but they were far too shallow. She was barely managing to stay conscious as it was. Things got easier after Arin¡¯s Sylveon made some sort of shimmering bubble around them, but it was only to a slight degree. She still struggled to plant one foot in front of the other as they walked.

    In spite of how tortuous the climb was, Clair refused to fall.

    She¡¯d felt pressure from old and mighty Dragons before, those that lived deep within the Dragon¡¯s Den and hardly saw the light of day, but this was incomparable. It was hostile in every sense of the word. Heavy. Ancient.

    To think all of this was because of Fairies.

    She stared intently at the back of Arin¡¯s head. The Cherrygrove Gym Leader was ambling along without a care in the world while the rest of them suffered from the pressure the Clefairy exerted from afar.

    Clair was loath to admit two things: Arin¡¯s mental fortitude was astounding and, more importantly, that Fairies were perhaps stronger than she could have ever believed.

    It would have been an inconceivable thought had she not personally witnessed and experienced what supposedly innocent Fairies were capable of. Here she was, walking through pockets of reality that Arin¡¯s Pokemon shattered from mere song and struggling under the weight of simple belief. Seeing was believing and yet¡ª

    She wouldn¡¯t fully accept it. She couldn¡¯t, or everything she knew would come crumbling down.

    Do not acknowledge weakness.

    <hr>

    When they finally engaged Team Rocket in Mount Moon¡¯s lowest level, Clair had no way of directly helping in the fight against Executive Proton.

    The battle raging in the central part of the cavern was simply too high-paced. From her position by the cave¡¯s entrance, she could see Falkner struggling to keep up aerial support while Giovanni, Arin, and Bruno pressured Proton. She couldn¡¯t blame the Violet Gym Leader.

    It wasn¡¯t often they fought intense battles outside of traditional matches.

    She wanted to lend them a hand, but she had her own role to play first. She just needed to get rid of these wretched grunts first. They weren¡¯t posing much of a problem.

    It happened so fast.

    One moment, she was issuing orders to Dragonite and the others, and the next¡ª

    Dragonair¡¯s body blocked part of her vision. Red droplets splattered onto her clothes as something stabbed the dragon¡ª

    The next minute was like one big blur for Clair.

    A damned Tentacruel had been hiding itself with a masterful display of hydrokinesis and Acid Armor. It had targeted her because no one would have thought Proton would go for a trainer in the backline rather than take out someone he was directly fighting against. Thankfully, Arin¡¯s Hatterene intervened in time to allow Clair a chance to recall her wounded Pokemon before she could bleed out.

    Her hands did not shake. Her expression did not falter.

    Inside was a different matter. Her mental mindscape was shaken.

    Dragonair.

    Clair had signed up for this, but she would never forgive herself if one of her beloved dragons died because of her inability to check for hidden enemies. She was supposed to be their trainer and caretaker.

    She should have been able to foresee this. She should have been able to guard herself properly without putting one of her Pokemon at risk.

    She should have¡­ She should have¡­

    She was supposed to be strong on her own.

    <hr>

    It was over. They left Mount Moon.

    The moment Clair handed over Dragonair¡¯s Pokeball to a doctor on standby, Lance approached her with an expression full of relief. He raised his arms in a silent inquiry. Why was he asking if it was okay to hug her¡ª

    Oh¡­ right. She¡¯d been giving him the cold shoulder.

    She wasn¡¯t supposed to show weakness, but she moved faster than her head could think. All Clair had to do was give a brief nod of assent, and her cousin came forward to wrap her in a gentle hug.

    ¡°You did good, Clair. Thank Ho-Oh you¡¯re alright,¡± Lance murmured, and he repeated it two more times in a quiet voice only she could hear. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would have done if I lost you in there.¡±

    For a moment, she thought she was a little kid again. Her cousin used to console her whenever the Elders yelled at her for not meeting the clan¡¯s standards as a trainer.

    She wasn¡¯t a little kid anymore. She was supposed to be a Dragon Tamer in her own right now. A strict voice whispered in her head.

    Do not acknowledge weakness.

    Clair was supposed to be unshakeable. She had to look the part, act like it, and be it. She was not allowed to rely on anyone else but herself. That was how she¡¯d been raised. Weakness of any kind was a sin.

    Right now, she just felt tired. The exhaustion from pushing herself to her limits over the past month came flooding in all at once. Even her mind felt numb from the stress of the operation and thoughts about her injured Dragonair.

    Just this once, she let herself close her eyes. She listened to the words Lance repeated over and over.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°For Indigo.¡±

    Clair felt ashamed of herself long after the meeting at League HQ ended.

    It had been sobering in more ways than one. While she¡¯d been busy thinking about earning more glory for Johto and the Blackthorn Clan, Lance only emphasized the peace of the country as a whole. He did not ask about the cooperation of Kanto and Johto but Indigo.

    This was not a competition, but she¡¯d been treating this whole ordeal like one.

    Clair stared through the glass at where her Dragonair lay resting inside a pod. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly drew blood. She hoped her Pokemon was not suffering from pain.

    Terrible, she told herself. You¡¯re supposed to be better than this, Clair. Be better. Do better.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    She stewed alone in her thoughts for a long time. Eventually, someone drifted into the medical wing and asked about her Dragonair.

    Arin.

    Of course the Cherrygrove Gym Leader would somehow find her when she least felt like speaking, and of course he would inquire kindly about her Pokemon. Sometimes, Clair really wanted to crack open Arin¡¯s skull so she could understand what exactly went on in that head of his. They weren¡¯t on the best of the terms, but he still found it in him to be a decent human being.

    Technically, she was supposed to do the same.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Clair told him.

    The words she spoke were genuine. Thanks had to be given where it was owed. Arin had been a huge help not just to her and Dragonair, but to the whole Mount Moon operation in general.

    She didn¡¯t make eye contact with Arin, but she didn¡¯t have to. She saw his reflection in the glass.

    He didn¡¯t respond. He only gave a small smile tinged with sadness and walked away.

    <hr>

    She¡¯d gone straight to sleep the night before, but there was no escaping the Blackthorn Elders once she returned home from the Plateau that day.

    Mirroring previous instances, Clair found herself sitting on a silk cushion in the Dragon Shrine while the Elders argued and screamed. First they berated her on how pathetic it was that she allowed one of her Dragons to get seriously injured, then they demanded to know about her contributions in the Mount Moon operation and what had happened.

    Regardless of her feelings to the Clan, she was duty-bound as a Gym Leader to not reveal classified information. They threw a fit over that when she explained as such, and they threw another fit when she revealed it was the others who had done the bulk of the battling.

    ¡°As a Blackthorn, you should have taken the lead!¡±

    ¡°We cannot afford to fall behind those scoundrels from Kanto or that blasphemous Cherrygrove Gym Leader¡ª¡±

    And so on and so forth. Eventually, the conversation derailed into complaints about how much trust Lance was putting in a newcomer like Arin.

    Wisely, Clair stayed silent as they discussed heatedly amongst themselves. It was true she¡¯d done wrong by her Dragonair, but her fingers itched to grab something. She wanted to refute what they were saying about Arin.

    The Elders had not been there in that cavern below Mount Moon. They had not seen for themselves how skillfully Arin had fought and coordinated with the others to corner Proton. They had not seen how he had supported everyone during a high-stakes fight and turned the tides at numerous points.

    Clair could not deny Arin¡¯s vast contributions.

    Then the conversation turned to the upcoming gym audit, and instead of talking about the Blackthorn Gym¡¯s preparations, the Elders brought up something else.

    ¡°With Ho-Oh¡¯s blessing, the Cherrygrove Gym will finally fall tomorrow,¡± the Eldest spoke.

    Clair¡¯s eyes widened a miniscule amount.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she asked. This was the first she¡¯d heard of any such thing.

    Though displeased by the interruption, the Elders answered her inquiry. While she and the others had been stuck in Mount Moon over the last week, they had gotten in touch with a League inspector they were friendly with and given them the task of trying to find something wrong with the Cherrygrove Gym. The goal was to have the gym shut down or at the very least demoted back to a minor status.

    ¡°But¡­ Elders, should we not be more concerned about Team Rocket?¡± Clair began, careful to keep a polite tone. ¡°They threaten the safety of the country. The major gyms are symbols of hope and security¡ª¡±

    ¡°Johto does not need to fear them,¡± one of the Elders interrupted. ¡°The Sacred Eight are more than enough to protect our borders.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re weaklings on a fool¡¯s errand. Whatever they hope to accomplish, they can¡¯t hope to prevail against our Clan or the League,¡± another added.

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯ll be easily dealt with, so we must think about the future instead. With all the chaos Team Rocket is sowing, we must strengthen the hold of our Clan¡¯s influence in these unstable times.¡±

    ¡°We have to solidify our position.¡±

    ¡°The Cherrygrove Gym is surely a terrible omen. Team Rocket emerged shortly after¡­¡±

    The Elders went on, but Clair wasn¡¯t listening anymore. She sat there with a stoic expression and shock coursing through her veins.

    Were they¡­ Were they being serious? She did not miss their specific word choices.

    Johto and not Indigo. Our position. Our influence.

    It was all about them.

    The Elders did not care about the country. They only cared about their home region, themselves, and their Clan. They wanted to ensure they held extraordinary amounts of political power even as a criminal organization threatened to overthrow peaceful times. They perceived the Fairy type and the Cherrygrove Gym as bigger threats than Team Rocket, a laughable notion in all rights.

    Even if the Elders were not privy to the knowledge Clair had about Team Rocket¡¯s true motivations and goals, that did not mean they could so easily dismiss Team Rocket. They were still a very real threat. They should have known that better than anyone given how many of their own had died in the previous Rocket War, people like Lance¡¯s¡ª

    Clair clenched her jaw.

    She suddenly felt very uncomfortable in this room, surrounded on all sides by Elders talking about how to get rid of Fairies once and for all.

    This wasn¡¯t¡­ This wasn¡¯t right.

    As soon as the meeting ended, Clair returned to the Blackthorn Gym. She locked herself in her office and pulled out her phone. One foot tapped impatiently against the floor while she made herself dial a certain number. She couldn¡¯t believe she was doing this. She didn¡¯t even know what to say yet¡ª

    She almost forgot how to breathe when the tone stopped playing and a familiar voice ¡ª Arin¡¯s ¡ª called out.

    ¡°Clair? Did you need something?¡±

    ¡°Good evening,¡± she answered calmly, but her mind whirled with a hundred different thoughts. She should have figured out what to say beforehand. Awkward silence followed in the wake of her initial greeting.

    She was fairly certain that something like ¡®hey, the Elders of my Clan are trying to shut down your gym¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be a good conversation starter.

    Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to go against her Clan?

    Her mind flashed to the Mount Moon operation, and that was all it took for her to make up her mind. They had fought together.

    An almost inaudible sigh left her.

    ¡°Are you prepared for the upcoming gym audit?¡±

    <hr>

    Arin called back the next day, and what followed was an awkward conversation where Clair had to toe the line between filial piety and being honorable. She couldn¡¯t have been more glad once the conversation neared its end.

    ¡°I owed you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    Clair hung up before Arin could finish. She dropped her phone on the nearest table and ran a hand through her hair, pursing her lips. She had no idea if her tips had truly been useful or not, but Arin and the Cherrygrove Gym had passed the audit with flying colors. Relief filled her before she stiffened in shock.

    She was glad that her Clan¡¯s scheme had gone to complete and utter waste, and that scared her.

    She was supposed to be a Blackthorn. A Dragon Tamer. One who walked the absolute path of Dragons and sought the pinnacle of strength. She was supposed to side with her Clan and the Elders who had raised her.

    That was her duty.

    That was her duty and yet¡­

    That uncomfortable feeling Clair got during the clan meeting came back in full. It crept into the edges of her mind. No matter how much she willed it to go away, it stayed there like a stubborn stain on a pristine white cloth.

    Team Rocket. A criminal organization with the goal to kill every last citizen, tear Indigo down, and have it born anew as two separate countries¡­ all out of a twisted love for their respective regions.

    The Blackthorn Clan. A member of the Sacred Eight with a storied history of Dragon Tamers. Masters of mighty beasts and heroes of wars. The Elders reviled Fairies and would do anything to uphold their power, even resorting to less than honorable means¡­

    Was there even a difference between Team Rocket and the Blackthorn Elders?

    After all, they both poisoned themselves and the nation with misguided beliefs.

    Clair had helped Arin because she felt it was the right thing to do. It wasn¡¯t just about saving Dragonair. She was still irked that the Elders had gone behind her back last time and sent spies to try and infiltrate the Cherrygrove Gym.

    Truly the embarrassment of the century when Arin brought it up at the Gym Leader meeting back then.

    This was no time for the Elders to nitpick at the Cherrygrove Gym. There was a bigger threat out there they had to face, and they needed every hand on deck. Indigo needed to remain united as Lance frequently preached. If Team Rocket was as strong as they theorized, then the Gym Leaders and Elite Four were going to be key figures in upcoming fights.

    Arin had proved himself over and over again. It was wrong to cast aside his contributions as nothing or say he and Fairies were weak because they were not. Her staunch notions about Dragons being superior to Fairies were slipping.

    She had seen and felt what it was like to fight alongside Fairies. She¡¯d experienced it for herself. Arin and his Pokemon were dependable.

    Do not acknowledge weakness was what she often told herself. To be strong is to rely only on yourself.

    Those phrases suddenly felt so foreign to her.

    Clair let out a heavy sigh she hadn¡¯t known she was withholding. For now, she settled herself into the chair at her desk and got started on paperwork. There was a surprising uptick in visitors to Blackthorn City these days according to one report. It wasn¡¯t like they had any upcoming festivals or anything, so it was a bit unusual.

    Complicated thoughts about Fairies and duty and Arin ran circles in her head as she tried to work. She didn¡¯t know what to make of things anymore.

    Perhaps her world as she knew it was already crumbling.

    Perhaps it was time she acknowledged weakness not as a sin, but something to fuel her growth.

    <hr>

    PRESENT DAY ¡ª LANCE WATARU

    Lance sighed to himself for what felt like the hundredth time. Thirty minutes ago, he¡¯d gotten off a phone call with Samuel Oak.

    Given that the Professor had once led the Indigo League in the Rocket War and even lost his precious family because of them, Lance felt it was only right to keep him updated on news about Team Rocket. He told the older man about the motivations and goals they¡¯d managed to uncover thus far.

    Oak had thanked him in a quiet voice before hanging up, but the sheer emotion behind those simple two words had left Lance feeling very distraught on the Professor¡¯s behalf. Though he would never understand Oak¡¯s pain, he could at least relate.

    He, too, bore a great pain of his own because of Team Rocket.

    Countless lives lost¡­ and for what? Because they couldn¡¯t let go of the past? Because they wanted to be two separate countries? If that ever happened, their respective governments would probably go back to tearing at each other¡¯s throats again in the future. Kanto and Johto had such a bloodstained history of conflict that it wasn¡¯t unthinkable.

    Lance took a moment to gnash his teeth together before undertaking some much needed breathing exercises. He couldn¡¯t lose his cool.

    He had to keep everyone together as Champion and lead by example.

    His phone rang in the middle of him signing a piece of paper about relocating more Ranger squads to the borders. With a quick glance, Lance saw that Arin was calling him. It didn¡¯t seem to be an emergency seeing as how his friend was contacting his personal number. Curious, Lance pressed the speaker button with one hand while he flipped through papers with the other.

    ¡°Hello, Arin. How are you? I believe the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s audit was scheduled for today if I remember correctly?¡± Lance asked conversationally.

    A small chuckle echoed in the office. ¡°Hey, Lance. Yeah, the inspectors left awhile ago. We passed with the highest possible ratings.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Lance beamed in response, but he slowly arched one of his brows in the silence that followed. It seemed like Arin had something on his mind. ¡°Was there some sort of problem?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Lance¡¯s curiosity only grew upon hearing Arin¡¯s awkward response. He decided it was time for a break and set his pen down with a serious expression.

    ¡°Go on, don¡¯t keep me in suspense.¡±

    That was enough to prompt Arin into a short explanation of what had happened, and by the end of it, Lance rubbed his temples with closed eyes. He felt a migraine coming on.

    Legendaries. As a fellow Blackthorn, he felt embarrassed.

    ¡°Arin, I¡¯d like to apologize on behalf of my Clan for the unpleasant experience you went through¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Lance¡ª¡±

    ¡°I still feel somewhat responsible. Make sure you submit a form of complaint to the League about that inspector you had problems with. I¡¯m going to at least investigate them and hand out some form of disciplinary action for overdoing it in the audit.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright. Thanks,¡± Arin finally responded. He cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°There¡¯s a little more to the story actually.¡±

    Oh Arceus. Lance tried not to sigh as he bowed his head.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me they pulled another stunt.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s about your cousin actually.¡±

    Lance¡¯s eyes snapped open with surprise. ¡°Clair?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You see, she warned me beforehand and¡­¡±

    Lance couldn¡¯t have been more confused once Arin was done explaining. After getting back from Mount Moon, Clair was at least back to speaking terms with him, but it was still awkward between the two. Lance had no idea what his cousin was thinking.

    By the sound of it, there was a chance Clair was perhaps beginning to see the problems with their Clan like he had, and that filled him with immeasurable relief.

    When he walked out of that Clan meeting long ago, he¡¯d felt worried leaving Clair behind. There was nothing he could have done at the time because she herself had firmly sided with the rest of their Clan.

    Lance snapped out of his thoughts when Arin spoke again.

    ¡°I was wondering¡­ could you tell me more about the Blackthorn Clan? I¡¯m not planning any grand revenge or anything, I just want to understand more about them since it¡¯s bothering me so much.¡±

    Who was he to say no?

    Lance dragged a hand down his face yet couldn¡¯t prevent a sigh from escaping him.

    ¡°The Blackthorn Clan is very¡­ rigid,¡± he carefully began. ¡°As you¡¯re probably already aware of, they¡¯re the oldest among the Sacred Eight clans and hold a lot of political sway in Johto. It¡¯s the point where Blackthorn City could be considered a country of its own.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Lance echoed. ¡°Over in Kanto, Lavender Town could be considered almost the same given how much influence Agatha holds in the government. My point is this: our Clan didn¡¯t grow as much as it has from idle efforts. We have a long history of Dragon Tamers who were leading figures in various wars and conflicts. There are many achievements under our name, and the Elders take great pride in that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming these Elders are the ones calling all the shots in the Clan?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. We¡¯re a very traditional household, so we abide by a strict hierarchy based on seniority, strength, and contributions. All the Elders in our Clan are distinguished individuals¡­ most are long retired from active trainer duty.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ They must be well-respected then.¡±

    Lance smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he reluctantly agreed, ¡°but I won¡¯t lie. It¡¯s a very toxic environment to grow up in. The Elders are so obsessed with clinging to past tradition and glory that it blinds them to anything else. It¡¯s a bit crude of me to say it like this, but they enforce those ideals by shoving them down the throats of the younger generation. I only realized this earlier this year after putting some distance between myself and the Clan.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Memories played behind Lance¡¯s eyelids as he continued. ¡°My parents died fighting in the Rocket War, so the Elders took me in. In our clan, strength is what matters most. If you can¡¯t prove your strength as a trainer, then you¡¯ll never be recognized by others. Thankfully or not thankfully, I met their standards for talent and power. My childhood was one full of strict supervision and training. Clair¡¯s childhood was similar in some aspects.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ had no idea. I¡¯m sorry, Lance.¡±

    Arin couldn¡¯t see him, but a small smile graced Lance¡¯s features. It was strange. Talking about his parents usually hurt, but it felt like a weight was off his chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. Hardship makes us stronger, right?¡± he said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

    Lance practically heard Arin smile on the other end. ¡°True.¡±

    Back to serious business. Lance rolled his shoulders a bit to relieve their stiffness. ¡°The Elders are obsessed with power. That¡¯s why they can¡¯t accept the idea that there¡¯s something out there that threatens the Dragons they worship.¡±

    ¡°Which would be Fairies.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Dragons are a symbol of power in Johto. They inspire fear and admiration, and the Elders revel in that. They don¡¯t want that image they¡¯ve carefully cultivated over generations to fall apart because of the emergence of new powers. It¡¯s a similar case to Pryce, our former Champion. Staying in power for too long can sometimes be a terrible thing. It corrupts and blinds you to more important matters¡­ I hope I never become like that.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t, Lance,¡± Arin firmly replied. ¡°Or by Ho-Oh, I¡¯ll be the first to beat some sense into you.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Lance couldn¡¯t help it. A loud snort of amusement left him as he tilted his head back with laughter.

    ¡°Thank you, Arin. I appreciate it. Anyway, I hope this conversation has been of some use to you.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. I feel like I understand them a bit better now.¡±

    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s move onto a different topic,¡± Lance grinned. He clasped his hands together on the desk. ¡°You¡¯ll get an official reminder later, but it¡¯s the off-season for the Kanto and Johto League Circuits. You can take time off from the Gym up to a week at most. There¡¯s usually a mix of people who take domestic trips or vacation abroad. If you¡¯re planning on visiting another region, you¡¯ll need to let me know so I can mark it down and coordinate with the other Gym Leaders who have similar plans. We can¡¯t have everyone leaving the country at once.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ is it really wise to be vacationing given the Team Rocket situation?¡± Arin questioned, a reasonable inquiry that Lance saw coming from a mile away.

    ¡°It¡¯s mandatory. You¡¯ll be thanking me once the League Circuit starts back up,¡± Lance said in a firm voice that left no room for discussion. ¡°The job of a Gym Leader is stressful and time-consuming. Summer vacations are there to ensure proper mental and physical health. Besides, Team Rocket isn¡¯t going anywhere. Having one or two people gone at the same time doesn¡¯t mean the country will collapse. Trust in your fellow Indigo elites, Arin.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ okay, I¡¯ll get back to you soon regarding vacation matters then. I did plan on traveling abroad, I just haven¡¯t brought it up with my dad yet.¡±

    Lance felt a brief twinge of envy. If only his parents were still around¡­ but he couldn¡¯t bemoan the past.

    As enjoyable as speaking to Arin was, they both eventually had to get back to work. Lance found himself signing papers once more with a clearer state of mind. It was a bit hypocritical, but he was reluctant to take a vacation of his own. Agatha had screamed at him the other day when he said as much and told him to ¡®take some damn time off like everyone else.¡¯ Well, if he really had to go somewhere¡­ Alola was first on the list. Hopefully he could get permission from their local government to visit.

    The tentative smile that had crawled its way onto his face eventually gave way to a frown. He couldn¡¯t hold happy thoughts for too long, not when everything constantly went back to Indigo¡¯s biggest problem.

    Team Rocket.

    Sometimes, Lance wondered if things would be easier not knowing their motivations. It felt like the stakes had increased a thousand fold in the span of a single day. They¡¯d gone from being a simple criminal organization to something far more complex with horrifying goals.

    So much was on his shoulders.

    Should they stay silent about Team Rocket¡¯s goals like he had told the others, or did they owe the truth to the public and those who lost their loved ones in the last Rocket War?

    Should they be more aggressive in locating and taking down Team Rocket, or was it better to plan a more careful approach to prevent casualties?

    At the end of the day, Lance understood just one thing.

    Team Rocket had buried its poisonous roots deep within Indigo, and there was no way to come out of it completely unscathed.

 Chapter 51

    CHAPTER 51

    Lunch was a little more extravagant than usual.

    Since we passed the audit with flying colors, I treated the whole Cherrygrove Gym Fam to expensive sushi delivered from the best places in town. Annoying thoughts were temporarily shoved out of my head to focus on ongoing conversations instead.

    ¡°I was so nervous¡­¡± Haru admitted. He hastily gulped down half his cup of water before continuing. ¡°The lady who talked to me recorded every single word I said. I swear she even wrote down when I breathed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it felt like an invisition.¡± Yurie shivered from her seat at another table. ¡°They asked so! Many! Questions!¡±

    ¡°I think you mean an inquisition, Yurie,¡± Hazel corrected with a sly grin.

    The other girl grumbled out loud, turning away with a pointed upturn of her nose. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Whatever, smartypants.¡±

    Peals of laughter burst forth from multiple sources. Oh, how I¡¯d missed daily life at the gym. Halfway through our late lunch break, I got up to throw away my takeout container and make a phone call. It was better to talk to Lance now so I could put my burning curiosity to rest. I left Vel napping on a chair and went out into the hallway. Quietly, I leaned against the wall with my phone held to an ear. My lips curled into a soft smile as chatter echoed faintly from around the corner.

    This was what I was fighting for.

    It was this kind of ordinary peace I wanted to protect.

    I didn¡¯t have to wait long. Lance picked up fairly quickly. Rustling sounds could be heard in the background, so I could only assume he was in the midst of paperwork. Hopefully I hadn¡¯t caught him at a bad time.

    ¡°Hello, Arin. How are you?¡±

    Guess I hadn¡¯t.

    It was a longer conversation than I¡¯d anticipated but enlightening. By the time we ended the call and I put my phone away, I felt like I was one step closer to unraveling the mess known as the Blackthorn Clan. I had a better picture of them in my head now.

    From what Lance had admitted to me, it seemed like the Elders were the root of all problems in their Clan. They used their seniority to pass down and enforce unreasonable mindsets and ideologies to the younger generations. It wasn¡¯t much different from brainwashing in my opinion. Lance himself had described it as a toxic environment to grow up in.

    Speaking of Lance¡­ I¡¯d never known his parents were casualties of the Rocket War. It made sense now why he¡¯d reacted the way he had at the last meeting.

    He had very personal stakes in this battle to get rid of Team Rocket for good.

    It only made me respect him all the more for being able to stay composed and lead the whole Indigo League through it. As for Clair¡­ Now that I had some insight into the kind of upbringing she and Lance had, I felt more conflicted about how to treat her going forward. Her recent behavior seemed to bode well for future interactions at the very least.

    Perhaps she was not a bad person at heart but one warped over time by the terrible authority figures surrounding her.

    For now, I filed away anything Blackthorn-related into my mental archives. I had so much to catch up on thanks to missing an entire week in Mount Moon. That included training sessions and lessons for my gym trainers and, as Lance had helpfully reminded, solidifying vacation plans. I figured I¡¯d bring it up with dad now so I could get back to Lance sooner. He was the one who was going to have to accommodate everyone¡¯s requests and spread out absences over the summer break.

    People were still chatting happily among themselves when I crept back into the dining hall. Locating a head full of faded pink hair wasn¡¯t too hard. Smiling, I walked over to where dad was by a sink. I rolled up my shirt sleeves and helped him wash some used plates and utensils. Telltale humming from my left signaled dad was in a good mood.

    ¡°Happy about the successful audit?¡± I guessed out loud.

    A grin much like the one on my face appeared on dad¡¯s. ¡°Of course! This place is going to get the most funding it¡¯s had in years. Extra money is always welcome.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡±

    I really couldn¡¯t. The new Cherrygrove Gym required an astronomical amount of work and power to maintain. Our maintenance fees were going to shoot up further once the League Circuit started again, too. The rooms set aside for gym challenge purposes weren¡¯t in use now, but the technologies installed inside them were expensive. They would bleed us dry in the future unless we managed our finances. Extra funding from the League was going to be a huge help.

    ¡°Less than two months to go, son,¡± Dad suddenly spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts. I finally looked over to see dad smiling at me. ¡°It¡¯s going to fly by much faster than you think. Are you going to have everything ready by then?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I shot back without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯ll be enough time to get the gym Pokemon up to shape and perfect our gym challenge.¡±

    Even now, I was still brainstorming dozens of ideas for variations. Not every challenger was going to experience the exact same challenge prior to facing me. I also planned on conducting lots of trial runs before the summer was over.

    My answer was satisfactory enough that dad went back to scrubbing furiously at a pesky stain.

    It was now or never, I supposed.

    ¡°How does a family vacation this summer sound?¡± I asked. That seemed casual enough.

    Dad didn¡¯t stop cleaning, but he did arch a single brow.

    ¡°Will they let you go with the Team Rocket business going on?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, yes. Lance told me everyone has to take a mandatory vacation at some point to recharge. We should go somewhere together.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t doing it just because of orders from the top. I genuinely wanted to spend time with dad and grasp at reckless ways to prolong his life.

    He didn¡¯t need to know that last bit, though.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dad adopted a thoughtful expression as he picked up a new and filthy plate.

    Come on¡­ Say yes, I begged in my head. Dad was a real workaholic when he wanted to be. Now that he had retired as Gym Leader, I hoped he would be more receptive to taking time off. It would save both of us a needless argument.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Dad finally agreed, nodding. Dare I say it, he looked excited. ¡°A trip together does sound fun.¡±

    Thrilled, I ran with the conversation before he could change his mind.

    ¡°Anywhere you want to go?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly¡ª¡±

    ¡°How about Kalos?¡± I suggested with a bright smile.

    He blinked at me several times in rapid succession. ¡°You mean one of those countries on the other side of the world? In the, uh, what was it called¡­ Galovea Continent?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Listen to this, dad. They have gorgeous natural scenery, everything from beaches to stunning forests and¡­¡±

    I felt a bit like a travel agent from the way I so zealously appealed to dad about the wonders of Kalos, but getting him interested was the most important thing. If all else failed, I had a trump card at my beck and call. That was¡ª

    ¡°Did you know? They have a Grass type Gym there called the Coumarine Gym, and it¡¯s built atop a gigantic tree the size of a small mountain.¡±

    Dad¡¯s eyes widened so much with intrigue that I had to refrain from laughing.

    Hook, line, and sinker. A Grass Specialist like dad couldn¡¯t resist after hearing something like that.

    A family trip to Kalos it was.

    We agreed it was probably better to go sometime next month. Both of us wanted to get more work done around the gym first and keep an eye on the Team Rocket situation. I went ahead and sent a message to Lance letting him know my tentative plans, then sent a separate text to Diantha asking about a temporary travel permit for dad. I was also obligated to let her know the deeper reason for my future visit given that it involved one of their regional deities.

    Getting permission was one thing. I was fairly certain Diantha wouldn¡¯t mind given I¡¯d survived one meeting already, so she could trust me to conduct myself with proper manners.

    Finding that god was going to be a whole other matter. Fairies were elusive, but none more so than a legend whose name had long faded from recorded history. They might have changed their usual resting place. There was also the possibility I wouldn¡¯t be granted an audience at all.

    Whatever. I¡¯d cross those bridges when we actually got there.

    I told dad to take a break and finished cleaning the rest of the dirty dishes myself¡ª at least, I tried to. Vel woke up from his nap and graciously helped me. Afterwards, the Sylveon and I made a quick trip to my office. Like Lance had suggested, I sent a formal email of complaint to the Indigo League about today¡¯s inspection process.

    I swore to Ho-Oh right then and there, if next year¡¯s audit wasn¡¯t fast and normal, I was going to raise some serious hell.

    Normal working hours were over by the time we trudged downstairs, but it wasn¡¯t time to leave yet. My gym trainers were waiting for me in the battle hall. Even Luca was here with his baby Igglybuff for some reason. If he wanted to observe, I would let him. All of their expressions were torn somewhere between anxiety and excitement as I stood in front of them on the field.

    This was makeup lesson number one.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you after regular hours, but I promise this will be worth your time,¡± I began. Everyone subconsciously stiffened when my voice took on a more serious tone. ¡°As we¡¯re all aware, Team Rocket is still at large. As much as I hope none of you will ever encounter one of their members while out on patrol, it¡¯s a possibility we can¡¯t rule out. Therefore, I want to make sure you¡¯re all prepared to go up against them.¡±

    I waited for people to nod silently before continuing.

    ¡°Team Rocket is a criminal organization. Remember that. Fighting criminals is vastly different from fighting other trainers in League-regulated matches or Circuits. Do not ever expect to fight traditional one-on-one matches.¡±

    My eyes flashed with a hint of emotion.

    ¡°They can and will fight with all the Pokemon at their disposal, and they won¡¯t stop at your Pokemon. They¡¯ll even target you, the trainer.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t trying to scare people, but I had to make it clear that they couldn¡¯t underestimate Team Rocket. Seeing as nobody flinched, they were ready for this. I pulled out a stack of thin, shiny cases from my bag and started passing them out.

    Souta was the first to speak up after flipping the object over in his hand. Each case had a label on it. ¡°¡®Protect?¡¯¡± he read out loud in a questioning whisper.

    I heard him anyway and nodded. I¡¯d ordered these a week ago for everyone but hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to hand them over until now. ¡°What I just passed out is the Technical Machine for Protect. It¡¯s one of the most useful moves to have on hand for self-defense¡­ especially if you don¡¯t have a Psychic type Pokemon who can shield you with barriers of their own. Like I hinted at already, criminals will do anything during a fight to win. They won¡¯t hesitate to target the opposing trainer. If your Pokemon doesn¡¯t already know Protect, I¡¯d like you to teach them this so they can help shield you.¡±

    Technical Machines, or TMs as they were more commonly abbreviated, were disks that had the information of Pokemon moves stored inside them. How exactly they were made was a trade secret of Silph Co. and every other company in the same industry, but they were wondrous little things that made it possible for Pokemon to learn moves that would be hard or impossible to learn on their own.

    Naturally, such technology came with absurdly expensive price tags to match the difficulty in creating them.

    The ones I passed out to my gym trainers were the reusable kind. I would never spare expenses when it came to ensuring the safety of my people, but the League had been more than willing to cover the costs for these given the situation in Indigo nowadays. Every able trainer in the service of the League needed to be able to fight and defend themselves.

    A chorus of thank yous poured out from my gym trainers. Even the youngest staff like Souta and Haru knew how expensive these TMs were, but I waved off their gratitude with a hand. This was only par for the course.

    ¡°If you want to thank me, then make sure your Pokemon practice this move as often as they can,¡± I reminded.

    The way TMs worked was fairly simple. You inserted the disk inside a Pokedex or other compatible device before connecting your Pokemon¡¯s Pokeball to them. Information was then transmitted from said disk directly into your Pokemon¡¯s brain. They would instinctively know how to activate the move from that point on, but that didn¡¯t mean they were good at using the newly learned move right away. The body had to catch up to the sudden load of information dumped into the brain, and that took time and effort.

    One could never get away from the saying that practice makes perfect.

    ¡°Always have a Pokemon shield you during a dangerous fight,¡± I said firmly, ¡°and always have at least one or two of your Pokemon out with you when you patrol. You don¡¯t want to be ambushed and waste time releasing one of your Pokemon from their Pokeball. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s talk more about what to do during an actual battle,¡± I continued, beginning to pace around. ¡°Remember, these aren¡¯t League-sanctioned battles. Send out all your Pokemon for a team fight. If you¡¯re up against multiple trainers and their Pokemon, relieve pressure from yourself. Neutralize them one-by-one instead of trying to tackle all of them at once. That being said, don¡¯t fixate on a single enemy. Make sure you¡¯re always looking around and checking the whole field to be aware of what¡¯s going on¡­¡±

    More tips left my mouth with intermittent pauses.

    Use the environment to your advantage. Get the high ground.

    Consider having a wall to your back like the mountainside so you have one less direction to worry about when surrounded.

    They flowed without end.

    For people like Murata who¡¯d once worked as a Pokemon Ranger, they knew most of this stuff already from personal experience or training. For the majority of my gym trainers, however, this was brand new information. They¡¯d only ever fought in traditional matches where rules and regulations applied.

    I only hoped they would never have to use any of this in real combat, but that was probably too optimistic of a wish.

    About thirty minutes later, I clapped my hands together loudly. ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for today. I just wanted to go over basic precautions and the like. Next time, we¡¯ll have actual training where you fight against multiple opponents. Have your Pokemon practice using Protect and putting up shields around you quickly in the meantime.¡±

    That was mostly directed at the youngest individuals in our midst like Souta, Haru, and even Felix to an extent. They were the ones with the least trainer experience and didn¡¯t have Pokemon as proficient with shielding like the others.

    Everyone left to go home after saying their goodbyes.

    Everyone but one person: Will.

    He and I both smiled amicably at each other. I already knew why he¡¯d stayed behind.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I chuckled. ¡°We agreed to spar regularly as part of your employment contract, but I up and disappeared for a week.¡±

    ¡°No, no, the circumstances were far out of your control! Duty always calls, does it not?¡± he replied with a¡­ twinkle in his eyes, or so I would have said if I actually saw them behind his mask.

    At least he didn¡¯t seem unhappy.

    ¡°Thanks for understanding. Shall we get started then? I¡¯ve got time now.¡±

    ¡°Happily!¡± Will practically sang, and he twirled on the spot. Once he made a full rotation, he clicked his heel against the ground and bowed lightly with a flourish. Yeah, it was going to take another week or two for me to get used to this guy¡¯s antics. ¡°Although¡­ I have a bit of a request if you do not mind, Arin. May we substitute some of our sparring today with move guidance?¡±

    ¡°What exactly do you need help with?¡± I asked. Blue eyes gleamed with curiosity as my head tilted to the left.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried teaching my Pokemon Fairy type moves based on information in the research paper you co-published some time ago,¡± my companion explained while adjusting his cravat. ¡°Very fascinating study, but I mustn''t digress! My Pokemon have achieved satisfactory results for Dazzling Gleam, Misty Terrain, and every manner of move under the sun. Everything but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Moonblast?¡± I interrupted with a knowing smile.

    Will blinked. That was the impression I got at least. This time, he was the one who tilted his head. ¡°Why, yes. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think you possessed latent psychic powers.¡±

    The lighthearted jest easily drew a chuckle from me. ¡°Well, Moonblast is the most advanced Fairy type move for a reason. Bring out your Pokemon.¡±

    Will dutifully did as instructed. Out popped a Gardevoir who mimicked her trainer¡¯s eccentric mannerisms with an entrance twirl followed by a curtsy. Not for the first time, I wondered what kind of person Will Itsuki was. That same question now evidently applied to the Pokemon under his care.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I didn¡¯t want to waste any time given I¡¯d lost a week of it already in Mount Moon, so I got right into things.

    ¡°Let me guess: you weren¡¯t able to keep the moon stable, and you couldn¡¯t make it much larger than the size of your fist,¡± I listed while holding up fingers.

    Will snapped his fingers, beaming. ¡°Quite so! It was rather upsetting given how my Pokemon and I pride ourselves over our control. That¡¯s why we now beseech help from the finest Fairy Specialist of Indigo.¡± That was maybe a little too much flattery for my liking, but Will moved on before I could comment. ¡°Gardevoir tried drawing inspiration and energy from the moon at night. It did not help as much as we thought.¡±

    I was already impressed that Will had managed to teach his Pokemon other Fairy type moves just from reading through a research paper, but he had taken a decent step into learning Moonblast on his own, too.

    ¡°You were on the right track,¡± I praised. That obviously delighted Will if the huge smile on his face was anything to go by. ¡°Fairies draw power from the world, but the Moon is a particularly huge source of power for them.¡±

    ¡°Then what went wrong?¡±

    ¡°You already know this, but belief is a huge part of the Fairy type. You¡¯re not simply creating a paltry imitation of a moon. You¡¯re making the Moon, a living entity crafted and held together by your Pokemon¡¯s will,¡± I began. ¡°Other Fairy type moves are far easier to envision and bring forth into reality through the power of belief, but Moonblast is different. It¡¯s the Moon. It¡¯s divine and something mortals can¡¯t ever hope to fully comprehend, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s difficult to control.¡±

    Here, Will and his Gardevoir watched in silence as Vel took a few steps away from me. Above the Sylveon¡¯s head, he Weaved tendrils of shimmering light as carefully as threads in embroidery work. Every strand was a Belief of his solidified and given tangible form, and they ultimately came together in the shape of the Moon. Each blemish on its surface was perfection in my eyes, a testament to my Pokemon¡¯s existence and every trial he¡¯d gone through. We all gazed at it a little longer.

    Then Vel let the Moonblast go.

    The massive orb flew through the air. Will let out a carefree laugh as we felt ourselves getting sucked into the moon¡¯s orbit. A barrier from his Gardevoir put a stop to us flying away, and a moment later, Vel¡¯s Moonblast made impact with the other side of the field. The explosion was intense enough that it rocked the hall, deafened our hearing, and scattered rays of blinding light everywhere all at once. When the smoke cleared, I saw nothing but cratered earth reflected in my eyes.

    Oops¡­ We¡¯d have to get that patched up later.

    I cleared my throat and avoided looking at the ruins we¡¯d unintentionally made. Vel, on the other hand, stared at the scene of destruction with a bright smile like he wanted to do worse.

    Let it not be said that Fairies were wholly innocent creatures.

    ¡°Moonblast isn¡¯t just about having enough belief or control but both. You have to take the essence of your Pokemon ¡ª what makes them them ¡ª and use that to build the Moon. It¡¯s a powerful move, and if your Pokemon understands themselves enough, it can even evolve into something unique to them at higher levels. A specialty Moonblast manifested and influenced by the values your Pokemon holds dear in life,¡± I finished, and I glanced over at Will to find him in deep thought. ¡°You can worry about trying to add any ¡®flair¡¯ to Moonblast later. For now, have your Gardevoir focus on imbuing her Moonblast with her goals and life experiences¡ª whatever she finds meaning in. Truly believe that you can control and bring this moon to heel.¡±

    It was probably a lot to take in especially for someone not well-versed with Fairy type energy to begin with. Daunting, even. Self-discovery was not always an easy process no matter what stage of life you were in. Perhaps a second explanation was owed¡ª

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Will suddenly murmured.

    Or perhaps not.

    Soft clapping sounds filled my ears as Will smiled at me. ¡°Moonblast is far more beautiful and meaningful than I could have imagined. Thank you for explaining it, Arin.¡±

    Even his Gardevoir thanked me with a graceful nod of her head. A single look into the Pokemon¡¯s eyes hinted that she¡¯d already begun reflecting on how to gradually make the move Moonblast hers.

    Both trainer and Pokemon weren¡¯t scared by the challenge.

    Since Will wanted to include his Gardevoir in today¡¯s spar, we took a five-minute break to let his Pokemon talk to and learn directly from Vel first. We chatted idly among ourselves while watching them practice controlling Fairy type energy from a distance.

    ¡°How are you settling into the Cherrygrove Gym life so far?¡± I asked.

    Out of my new hires, it was Will I worried most about given his trainer background and how little I knew about him. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he got bored doing mundane work. Sometimes I even wondered if he regretted joining us when he could have gone elsewhere.

    Contrary to my expectations, Will smiled widely and clasped his hands behind his back.

    ¡°Splendidly well!¡± he announced in a bright voice. ¡°Everyone here is so utterly friendly and kind¡ª both my dear coworkers and the townspeople. I often find myself taking long walks in the gym¡¯s gardens or through town when I have time. It¡¯s very peaceful.¡±

    The corners of my lips tugged upwards into a pleased smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± I voiced my relief out loud. ¡°What about your living space? Are you sure you¡¯re still happy with a room on the ground floor? There are plenty of empty rooms on the upper levels¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite alright.¡± My companion was quick to dismiss the idea with a wave of his hand. ¡°I appreciate your concern, but I¡¯m happy with my current accommodation. I feel most at peace on the ground floor.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ¡®Most at peace?¡¯ I would have thought he was afraid of heights or something, but I¡¯d literally seen him walking or Teleporting around the highest levels of the gym before. It was a very particular way of phrasing things, but it wasn¡¯t my place to dig further.

    I blinked out of my thoughts when Will spoke up.

    ¡°Arin, you¡¯ve met Gym Leader Sabrina before, yes?¡±

    That was random. ¡°On multiple occasions, but I don¡¯t know her too well. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I was merely curious about a fellow psychic,¡± Will admitted with a playful shrug of his shoulders. ¡°People naturally think of Sabrina Natsume when they think of human psychics here in Indigo, and rightfully so. She¡¯s very powerful from what I hear.¡±

    I agreed, but I didn¡¯t have a lot of firsthand experience. Only what little I¡¯d seen and rumors I¡¯d heard.

    It did bring back recent memories of Sabrina casually admitting she could crush a bunch of human brains without much effort, though.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I hear you say before that your goal is to surpass her someday?¡± I inquired after parsing through my memories a bit. Yeah, I was pretty sure he¡¯d said that at the welcoming party awhile ago.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Will confirmed with a curious smile. ¡°I¡¯m pleasantly surprised you remember that. I wish to become the greatest human psychic in Indigo.¡±

    Certainly a grand ambition¡­ Considering how Sabrina was widely regarded as being the most powerful psychic to have ever graced Indigo¡¯s recorded history, that wasn¡¯t going to be an easy goal. I had no idea how human psychics trained, either, but I imagined it took as much as or even more effort than what Pokemon did.

    I shifted in place to look at Will with newfound respect. ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s impossible?¡± Will blinked at me. His voice sounded a little more subdued than usual. ¡°Sabrina is a once-in-a-lifetime genius.¡±

    I look right back at him. ¡°So? Doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t catch up to and surpass her, Will. Hard work and the right attitude are just as important as talent. Where¡¯s your usual confidence?¡±

    Without warning, Will burst into laughter.

    ¡°Oh dear, I feel ashamed now,¡± he confessed with his head thrown back in mirth. ¡°It¡¯s not just my Pokemon who needs to practice the power of belief, but me as well it seems. Very well!¡± He straightened with a motion so sudden that I actually jolted in place. Flashing rows of pearly white teeth, Will raised his arms to the heavens. ¡°I, Will Itsuki, will surpass Sabrina Natsume someday! I¡¯m going to become famous!¡±

    The loud and powerful proclamation briefly caught the attention of our Pokemon nearby. Will¡¯s Gardevoir merely smiled before returning to her practice.

    As for me¡­ Wasn¡¯t Will already well-known? Was being famous that important to him? Was that part of why he wanted to join the Elite Four? I had so many questions, but I kept them to myself and smiled encouragingly.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡±

    Still with arms raised high, Will turned to face me. ¡°Of course! Now, do you have a dream of your own, Arin?¡±

    ¡°Several actually. Becoming the greatest Fairy Specialist, becoming the best Gym Leader in the world, making our town famous¡­¡±

    ¡°And here I thought I was ambitious, but you¡¯ve brilliantly outdone me. Now! Practice giving our beliefs tangible form with me, Arin! Let¡¯s shout out loud together!¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ That¡¯s not quite how it works. I¡¯m good¡­¡±

    An odd of a fellow as ever, but I felt like I¡¯d grown a little closer to Will today.

    <hr>

    My spar with Will ended a little past six o¡¯clock.

    It was not an exaggeration to say my Pokemon quickly wiped the floor with his, but that didn¡¯t deter him in the slightest. I believed we were both looking forward to future improvements. Psychic powers aside, Will was a talented trainer with talented Pokemon and diligence to boot. I had no doubt he would grow rapidly from fighting me over the next year and someday take his place in the Elite Four.

    The hall felt so much emptier after Will gave his melodramatic goodbyes and Teleported away. I shot dad a quick text letting him know I¡¯d come back soon for dinner. A long overdue errand was on the menu¡ª

    Ding.

    I paused on my way outside of the gym. There was some sort of notification from my phone it seemed. When I checked, I saw a message from Giovanni. Obviously, I clicked it.

    Bright colors entered my vision in the form of a fancy digital letter. Oh, Giovanni had invited me to a charity gala hosted at his family home.

    Tomorrow.

    The extremely short notice would have made me feel frustrated in any other situation if Giovanni hadn¡¯t attached a long and lengthy apology to his invite. Apparently he¡¯d meant to invite me and the other Gym Leaders a proper week in advance, but not surprisingly, Mount Moon had driven a wrench into his plans. Understandable. That mountain had screwed a lot of us over in more ways than one.

    It wasn¡¯t like I had anything planned during the hours of the charity gala, so my thumb hit the ¡®attending¡¯ button on the digital invite. Tomorrow seemed like it would be fun. I was looking forward to interacting with other Gym Leaders outside of work.

    I found myself thinking about what to wear as I exited the gym and flew off on Zuri¡¯s back.

    The Dragonite coasted through the skies in the direction of Kanto. We were on our way to Mulberry City to see one of Hazel¡¯s old university professors. It was an appointment I would have narrowly missed if the Mount Moon operation had dragged on any longer. Though dad and I were officially going to Kalos later this summer, I had to do what I could here to keep dad healthy.

    Zuri passed the border into Kanto territory in record time. I would have liked to slow down and admire the natural scenery from above, but we were in a rush to get back at a reasonable time for dinner. So, speeding it was.

    Eventually, Mulberry City came into view.

    This was my first time visiting an actual city or town in Kanto. Mulberry was a human settlement tucked away in Kanto¡¯s eastern border near Lavender Town. I didn¡¯t know much about it other than it was a very industrial city. From what I¡¯d read online, they had a lot of factories and automobile repair shops. That was primarily what they were known for.

    That, and their minor gym.

    I planned on checking it out later, but I had to finish my main errand first. Zuri dropped me off at a clinic in the outskirts of town. After confirming I had the right address, I walked up to the door and pulled on the handle¡ª

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I tugged a few more times to be sure, but the door didn¡¯t budge. The sign read ¡®open¡¯ for all intents and purposes. Even the lights were on. I walked back and forth along the wall and tried peering through a window, but I couldn¡¯t see anyone.

    The moment I considered pulling out my phone and making a call, the door swung open.

    ¡°Sorry, I left the counter for a moment!¡± A young woman came out and apologized to me, bowing as the door swung shut behind her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you came all this way, dear customer, but¡ª oh. Y-You¡¯re the Cherrygrove Gym Leader over in Johto.¡±

    Realization dawned in her eyes when she straightened back up, but I was more focused on the matter at hand.

    ¡°Is the clinic not open?¡± I asked politely. ¡°I was supposed to have a consultation today with Dr. Nakani.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± She snapped out of her surprise. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you came all this way, but the clinic is permanently closed. Dr. Nakani passed away from a heart attack a couple days ago. We haven¡¯t had the chance to inform all his clients yet or make courtesy appointment cancellation calls.¡±

    My eyes widened. I definitely hadn¡¯t expected something like this to happen.

    ¡°My condolences for your loss.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, um, Gym Leader Arin. I¡¯m just a part-timer here, but his family has it worse. I¡¯d really like to apologize again that you came all this way for nothing. Can I please offer tea or something at least?¡±

    I was going to decline, but seeing how terribly apologetic she looked, I decided a single cup of tea couldn¡¯t hurt.

    ¡°Sure, thank you.¡±

    It was the right decision. The young lady beamed and showed me inside to a private waiting area. While the part-timer hurriedly brewed tea like her life depended on it, I let Vel out of his Pokeball. I chatted with the Sylveon and looked around to pass the time.

    Seeing as there were cardboard boxes stacked here and there, I could only assume they¡¯d begun cleaning out the clinic now that its owner was gone. Some furniture appeared to be missing judging by scuff marks on the floor. The walls still had some decorations at least. Hanging photographs.

    Plenty of them were old black-and-white ones. There was a picture presumably of the late doctor and his wife on their wedding day, another of their kids¡­ Most of them were in excellent condition, but there was an old and tattered image tucked carefully inside a wooden frame.

    It was a group photo. Maybe the doctor and his friends in their youth if I had to guess. Dr. Nakani stood in the middle with a handful of other men, each smiling and with arms slung around each other¡¯s necks and shoulders. One of the men in this photo looked strangely familiar for some reason. I peered closely at the photo, deep in thought. He kind of¡­ looked like Blaine Katsura, or how I imagined a twenty-year-old something version of him to look like at least.

    I didn¡¯t spend more time looking at photos after that. As soon as the girl came back with tea, I made small talk with her and finished my drink as soon as possible before departing.

    The clinic turned out to be a bust, but I was going to make the most of my trip while I was here.

    Vel and I strolled down the streets toward the Mulberry Gym. The first thing I noticed was the residential architecture. There were subtle differences between the houses I typically saw in Johto and the ones here in Kanto. Sharper planes, more brick than wood, shorter but wider buildings¡­ it was interesting to see how architecture differed between the two halves of Indigo. I vaguely wondered if the rest of the region was like this. My mind was half-occupied by navigating where to go using Zoogle Maps on my phone. The other half was busy wondering about all the looks we were getting.

    Older locals stared at us and not in a kind way. Distrust was written all over their faces to the point where I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if someone threw an egg at me. I knew people online were complaining about Johto having nine major gyms to Kanto¡¯s eight and a host of other issues related to ¡®unfair treatment¡¯ between minor and major gyms, but I hadn¡¯t expected such open hostility.

    Then again, there were people who¡¯d traveled hundreds of miles just to protest at the Cherrygrove Gym last month. Patriotism was not to be underestimated.

    Vel shot me an unhappy look and asked if we could go home already. The stares weren¡¯t bothersome; rather, they annoyed him.

    ¡°Just a quick look,¡± I assured the Sylveon.

    Yes, just a quick look or so I intended.

    Five minutes later, I stood in front of the Mulberry Gym ¡ª which had been converted from the city¡¯s oldest factory interestingly enough ¡ª and an angry, scowling man not much older than me.

    I hadn¡¯t even gotten the chance to enter the gym¡¯s lobby. This dark-haired man had marched out of the doors and intercepted me. From the way he squared his shoulders and stood firmly in front of the entrance, it was obvious he didn¡¯t want me going inside.

    I knew who he was from pictures online. He was the Gym Leader of Mulberry City, Juro Asachi.

    ¡°Gym Leader Arin Watanuki,¡± he gruffed out. ¡°What are you doing here in my city?¡±

    ¡°I had an appointment nearby,¡± I said, not missing the way Juro¡¯s eyes narrowed. Did he think I was here to harass him and the gym or something? ¡°I also wanted to see the Mulberry Gym. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    Honesty was the best policy, but apparently Juro didn¡¯t like that.

    ¡°We¡¯re closed,¡± he said flatly.

    I looked behind his shoulder to where visitation hours were on full display by the doors. ¡°But it says the Mulberry Gym has evening hours for the exhibits on the ground floor?¡±

    ¡°Closed,¡± he repeated, this time with more force. ¡°Go back to Johto.¡±

    Rude. Well, if he was going to be obstinate, then so was I. I crossed my arms and stayed where I was. Vel looked like he wanted to hiss at the other Gym Leader, but he thankfully held his tongue.

    ¡°Listen, I just want to look around like any other visitor¡ª¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re not taking the hint, Leader Arin, let me give it to you straight: I really don¡¯t like you,¡± Juro interrupted. No, he practically spat that out. ¡°The League¡¯s given the Cherrygrove Gym preferential treatment. You even took an irregular promotion exam.¡±

    I stared at him with an incredulous expression. I already knew the minor gyms in Kanto didn¡¯t think that highly of the Cherrygrove Gym for a myriad of reasons, but that was what he was angry about?

    Over the stupid promotion exam I took months ago?

    ¡°I think your definition of preferential treatment might need to be checked,¡± I advised in all seriousness. I hadn¡¯t come here to fight, but I sure as hell was going to defend myself. ¡°The committee agreed to a change in proctors to better assess my fighting capabilities.¡±

    ¡°If they really wanted to be fair, they would have had you fight Leader Clair like the rest of us¡ª¡±

    ¡°Take it up with the League, not me. I would even argue that my test was harder than usual given I fought a former Champion, so no. Definitely no preferential treatment in my favor.¡±

    ¡°Then why does Johto have a ninth major gym?!¡± Juro snapped. ¡°Why have none of the minor gyms in Kanto ever passed? We¡¯re always ignored. It¡¯s like they¡¯re blatantly favoring you and Johto¡ª¡±

    He kept half-yelling, but it all sounded the same to me. It was the equivalent of a child throwing a tantrum.

    What I¡¯d told Will earlier today came back to mind in full force.

    Hard work and the right attitude are just as important as talent.

    ¡°Do you want to ask the League if you can fight Pryce then? Or Giovanni, since you seem to have something against Johto? Perhaps you¡¯d rather fight a fellow Kanto Gym Leader?¡± I interrupted tiredly.

    Yes, a choice between the former Champion or the man who was strong enough to have received an invitation to join the Elite Four in the past.

    Juro instantly shut up.

    ¡°I hope you know the League pretty much ignored the Cherrygrove Gym in the past, too, for years before I became Gym Leader. I hate to say it, but they do discriminate greatly between long established gyms and new powers trying to enter those ranks,¡± I admitted. ¡°This isn¡¯t a case of Johto trying to one-up Kanto or any conspiracy theory you might have. We just met the qualifications to become a major gym fair and square.¡±

    I really didn¡¯t want to have to say this, but since he¡¯d been oh so kindly honest to my face, I did the same to Juro.

    ¡°Not being able to put up a good fight against the test proctor is one thing. You just need to train harder. Showing why you deserve to be promoted is completely different. I don¡¯t know much about the Kanto minor gyms, but I¡¯ve read online what trainers say about them. There¡¯s complaints about the challenges being too easy or boring and the gym fights being too hard.¡±

    I gave him a pointed look.

    ¡°I think if you spent more time fixing up your own gyms instead of blaming others, Kanto would probably have three new major gyms by now.¡±

    The man across from me clenched his jaw. He didn¡¯t say anything back, so I knew I¡¯d hit a nerve.

    ¡°Good luck. Personally, I¡¯d like to see more major gyms in Indigo,¡± I emphasized.

    Ho-Oh knew how much we needed unity right now in the country. This wasn¡¯t the time to be squabbling among ourselves like children and dividing ourselves into ¡®sides.¡¯

    There was no side. Only Indigo.

    I didn¡¯t wait to see how he would react. Dad was waiting on me for dinner. I walked off to find some space, then flew off on Zuri¡¯s back with Vel sitting in front. The Dragonite beat her wings in a steady, rhythmic pace while I sighed to myself. Mulberry City quickly vanished behind us.

    That had gone disastrously. I didn¡¯t even get to see the inside of the gym.

    I¡¯d meant it when I wished the Mulberry Gym Leader good luck. Dad and I knew better than anyone else how minor gyms were treated in Indigo. The higher-ups in the League basically left them to their own devices and funneled all their funding into the major gyms who consistently produced results. That was fair, but they were also unnecessarily harsh on minor gyms. The League didn¡¯t try to grant them any sort of support to help them improve. It was like they didn¡¯t even see the benefits of having more major gyms across the country. More leaders who could become reliable public figures in times of unease, more educational institutions that young trainers could flock to and undergo trials to become stronger¡­

    The more I thought about it, the more it annoyed me. Maybe this was something worth bringing up with Lance in the future, but I had a feeling his hands were long tied on the matter. Complaints from the minor gyms had been in the news weeks ago. The League hadn¡¯t come out with anything since then. They were silent.

    That meant they saw fit to continue what they¡¯d always done and focus on established gyms with prestigious backgrounds. Typical.

    It was better to worry about myself for the time being. So many things to do this summer and so little time¡ª

    ¡°Whoa!¡± My head snapped back with alarm as Zuri suddenly put the brakes on our flight. I was about to ask her why when I felt it.

    Pressure, pressure, so much pressure.

    We were miles up in the air without any living beings around us, but the air was heavy. Goosebumps rose on my arms without warning. It took me a moment to figure out the pressure was being radiated somewhere below us. Zuri helpfully pointed with a clawed hand, but Vel and I had already leaned over her side to look.

    Tiny buildings could be made out in the distance. A quick look on my phone revealed we were in the sky above Lavender Town. For a moment, I was worried there was a Team Rocket attack and looked for real time news on my phone. I soon understood what all the pressure was about when I swiped the screen. News articles were being released at the speed of light.

    Some famous local in Lavender Town had been mysteriously murdered, an old man by the name of Mr. Fuji.

    This pressure wasn¡¯t coming from a Guardian Pokemon or Team Rocket or anything nefarious. No, it came from a certain Elite Four and her army of Ghosts.

    The legendary Agatha Kikuko, the very woman who was born and raised in Lavender Town and guarded it with her life, was somewhere down there in that sleepy town.

    And she was pissed.

 Chapter 52 â€” Going, Going, Gone

    CHAPTER 52 ¡ª Going, Going, Gone

    Lavender Town.

    This small town whose population was little more than three thousand strong rested by itself along Kanto¡¯s eastern border¡ªsolitary in nature, but not entirely isolated nor forgotten to the rest of the world. Though it had no gym of its own, Lavender Town still saw many visitors year-round.

    Most of them came for the monument whose true name had been lost in the ravines of time: the Pokemon Tower.

    Thousands flocked to the holy site every year. Tourists from abroad. Mourners awash with fresh grief. Devout followers on religious pilgrimages. Trainers who dared to seek out Ghosts for their teams. The reason varied from person to person, but the fact of the matter was that Lavender Town generated a lot more foot traffic than people would initially assume.

    It also happened to be one of the human settlements with the lowest crime rates in all of Indigo, and there was only one good reason for it.

    Lavender Town was the territory of Elite Four Agatha Kikuko.

    It was generally the case that one¡¯s hometown held a special place in the heart, and this rang especially true for the legendary Ghost Specialist. She cherished it with every fiber of her being¡ªthe history, the people, the long-held traditions, everything. Everyone knew even if she didn¡¯t explicitly say it in words. Agatha showed it in the way her army of Ghosts quietly guarded Lavender Town twenty-four seven, season by season, and year after year without rest. She had enough Ghosts at her command that she could afford to constantly guard a whole town while sweeping all of Kanto-Johto for threats. Under her watchful eye, decades of unprecedented peace and quiet fell upon the locals where they could live their lives undisturbed in a far flung corner of the country. Who would want to mess with a woman feared as the Witch of Lavender Town? She who had brought down armies in wars, who had the mental fortitude to tame even the most murderous Ghosts and bring them to heel?

    Apparently, someone had been gutsy enough to try it. Worse and more surprisingly, they had succeeded.

    The waves of pressure being radiated from below cut off without warning. I was torn between returning home right away or taking a quick peek into the state of Lavender Town.

    In the end, my curiosity won out.

    Dinner would have to wait. With a light tap against Zuri¡¯s neck, the Dragonite began her slow descent.

    Mountainous regions and rocky outcrops to the left. A dense forest of tall, slender trees to the right. Nestled in between their protective perimeter was a town that grew ever closer. I hardly knew anything about Kantonese architecture, but even I could tell the town had preserved many of its historical buildings. The central part of Lavender looked the oldest of all and featured houses with elevated floors, thatched roofs, and wooden post-and-beam structures. The further out you went, the faster the architecture shifted to more modern houses with bright and fresh paint. I saw for myself how the town¡¯s name was reflected in beautiful purple shades that adorned house roofs and cobbled pavement alike.

    My eyes were naturally drawn to the massive structure standing solemnly in the corner of the town.

    Built atop a sturdy platform with impressive stairs, layered tiers of stone rose up one after another into the air. I counted seven floors in total. At the highest level was a domed roof and pointy spire. The whole building shimmered subtly with the same color as the town¡¯s namesake almost as if sparkles had been mixed into the stone. A lavender sheen against bone white¡ªbeautiful and yet so indescribably eerie.

    An uneasy feeling gripped my heart. I didn¡¯t have to be a Ghost Specialist to sense the otherworldly aura the Pokemon Tower possessed even from this distance.

    It was a resting place for the dead and housed countless Pokemon graves. There, the locals laid the souls of their loved ones to rest with rites and prayers. There were some who traveled hundreds of miles to bury their Pokemon here, too, because it was said the Tower held a particularly deep connection with the Beyond.

    It was also home to many, many Ghosts, and dozens of Trainers tried their luck every year to obtain one. If they were too scared, then they had the option of looking around town instead. Lavender was a hotbed of spectral activity given how much emotion was concentrated in this town courtesy of the Pokemon Tower. Ghosts were naturally drawn here from miles around. The only reason they didn¡¯t go around killing people left and right was because Agatha¡¯s Ghosts kept them in line. Her Pokemon didn¡¯t interfere when Trainers actively sought wild Ghosts out of their own accord, though.

    Cruel as it seemed, it was the foolish Trainer¡¯s responsibility if they came unprepared to deal with one of the most bloodthirsty types known to man.

    Instead of letting Zuri fly around aimlessly, I pulled out my phone to look up where the murder had occurred.

    I had a feeling that was probably where Agatha was right now.

    Houses touched by the last few rays of a setting sun blurred past as I directed Zuri to our destination, a place known as the Lavender Volunteer House. It wasn¡¯t hard to find.

    The whole building was sectioned off with yellow tape, police officers doing their best to keep curious onlookers away, teary-eyed locals dropping off bouquets at the gates, and hordes of reporters who¡¯d willingly driven all the way to the countryside to get ahold of the most startling news Lavender had seen in a long time.

    After all, it wasn¡¯t often a murder occurred right under the nose of an Elite Four member.

    The glittering scales of a Dragonite made heads turn and fingers point at the sky as Zuri looped around once, twice, before a police officer noticed me on her back and barked out orders. Uniformed guards dispersed in the crowded backyard and made space for us to land.

    I felt it the moment Vel and I hopped off Zuri¡¯s back.

    It was cold.

    We were in the middle of summer, but a chill permeated the air and threatened to seep into my bones. The Flutter Mane and Mimikyu sleeping in my shadow stirred at once, their murmurs drifting into my ears in the form of warnings. Even Zuri gave me a little concerned nudge with her hand before I recalled her.

    We understood now that this went beyond Agatha. There was something else at play in this town, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it.

    ¡°Leader Arin? What brings you here?¡±

    A soft, inquisitive voice called out to me, and it came from none other than Elite Four Lorelei Kanna. She had been in the middle of speaking to a police officer on the back porch, but she made a move to walk over to me.

    I hurriedly crossed the distance between us so she wouldn¡¯t have to. Walking in heels across grassy terrain was not a pleasant experience or so I often heard from female friends and acquaintances.

    Whether Lorelei grasped the reasoning behind my sudden action or not, she nodded amicably in a polite greeting.

    ¡°I was in the area and flying back home when I felt pressure coming from the town. Thought I¡¯d see what was going on,¡± I greeted once I¡¯d climbed the porch stairs. We shook hands briefly. ¡°Are you here for the same reason?¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± A glimmer of understanding sparked in Lorelei¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you felt that. Agatha couldn¡¯t help herself for a moment. She¡¯s a bit¡­ on edge right now.¡±

    Surely an understatement, but I didn¡¯t point that out. So the pressure had come from Agatha and her Ghosts after all.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Lorelei continued calmly, adjusting her glasses, ¡°you would be half-correct. Truth be told, Lance asked me to accompany Agatha. We just got here a few minutes ago. Your unexpected arrival is actually quite the blessing.¡±

    One of my brows rose. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here because you¡¯re curious, yes?¡± Lorelei arched a slender brow of her own. ¡°Come. You can hear the details inside. In return, you can help me fulfill Lance¡¯s request to watch over Agatha. I don¡¯t believe she¡¯ll rampage ¡ª a needless worry on Lance¡¯s part if you ask me ¡ª but I always prefer having multiple insurance policies in place.¡±

    Ah.

    I¡¯d suddenly found myself straddled with babysitting business, but I supposed it was a small price to pay for coming unannounced like this. The moment I nodded my head, Lorelei spun on her heel. I followed her through a guarded back entrance into the house.

    It was even colder inside than it was outdoors, and it was definitely not because of air conditioning.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lorelei mused out loud. Whether it was meant for herself or me to hear, I didn¡¯t know. ¡°A pleasant chill. Perhaps I should consider moving to Lavender Town in my old age.¡±

    ¡°Was that¡­ Was that a joke?¡± I ventured to ask, bewildered. I¡¯d only met Lorelei a few times before. As polite as she was, she didn¡¯t seem like the type to crack jokes. She probably knew as well as I did that something was going on in this town.

    The older woman cast a short glance over her shoulder. Her expression was dead serious, but I thought I imagined the shadow of a smile. ¡°It was. I thought perhaps it might ease your nerves. You¡¯ve been looking quite tense ever since we set foot in here, Leader Arin.¡±

    With a start, I ran a hand across my face. Had I? Maybe the atmosphere was getting to me more than I thought. I had experience dealing with Ghosts, but Lavender Town was completely saturated with a certain energy right now. It made me wonder what living here as a local year-round was like.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a frail stomach, do you?¡± Lorelei suddenly asked without turning her head.

    We were taking stairs up to the second floor now. Muffled voices could be heard behind a closed door somewhere.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Lorelei approved with a nod of her head. ¡°Prepare yourself anyway. Agatha should still be near the body. There¡¯s a lot of blood to say the least.¡±

    My curiosity only grew with those words.

    What on earth had happened?

    I got my answer soon enough. The second floor was absolutely crawling with investigators combing the house for clues, and one of them guided us to the crime scene¡ªthe bedroom of the deceased Mr. Fuji, apparently. Our escort respectfully held the door open.

    Like Lorelei had warned ahead of time, there was blood.

    A lot of it.

    It was the first thing I saw. Dark, foreboding red splattered across the walls and floor. My eyes widened when I looked more closely and realized the bloodstains weren¡¯t completely dry yet. The implication was not nice to think about.

    Then I looked at the back of the room. My stomach did not lurch, but I did grimace.

    It was awful.

    An old man¡¯s body was slumped backwards over a low table covered with blood. His kneeling position and still loosely connected hands suggested he had been in the middle of a prayer, but it was his chest I focused on¡­ or what remained of it at least.

    A huge, gaping hole filled my vision instead.

    It was not a clean one either. Hints of shattered bone peeked out between edges of ripped flesh. I had no idea what could have caused such a fatal wound, but it was a terrible way to die. It had to have been extraordinarily painful. With some difficulty, I tore my gaze back up to the man¡¯s face. Lifeless eyes gazed up at the ceiling while his mouth was parted in an unformed word. The most bizarre thing was the final expression he wore. It was not one of horror, shock, or even fear. I struggled to place what emotion it was, but what I finally settled on was remorse.

    But why?

    ¡°If you would allow me¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I understand how you feel. I only wish to help¡ª¡±

    ¡°Did you not hear me the first time, child? I said no.¡±

    Lorelei and I both looked in the direction of the raised voices. There in a corner of the bedroom (the only clean one in fact), Agatha stood arguing with someone I did not expect to see: Agent Echo from Interpol. The two of us carefully skirted around the crime scene and investigators taking pictures. On our way over, Lorelei borrowed a tablet from someone and handed it to me.

    I read through the investigation notes quickly. They didn¡¯t have much yet considering the murder had only just been discovered.

    INVESTIGATIVE REPORT - LAVENDER POLICE (CONFIDENTIAL)

    Offense: Murder

    Victim: Hiroto Fuji

    CRIME SCENE NOTES & CASE HISTORY

    [Tuesday, June 3rd, 202X - Last updated 6:44 PM]

    <ul>

    <li> Body was discovered by victim¡¯s coworker, Gouta Narima, at 6:37 PM</li>

    <li> Victim was at home alone; all other Lavender Volunteer House staff had left on a walk with the Pokemon under their organization¡¯s care</li>

    <li> Died from fatal wound in chest, lab will need to verify but appears to have exploded from the inside out</li>

    <li> Estimated time of death is 5:30 - 6 PM</li>

    <li> No signs of robbery or struggle</li>

    <li> No traces of perpetrator¡¯s entrance or exit</li>

    <li> No potential suspects at time of writing ¡ú all coworkers claimed innocence and that the victim ¡°had made it his life¡¯s work to care for abandoned and orphaned Pokemon¡±</li>

    <li> When questioned, neighbors also expressed horror and claimed that the victim ¡°was the most gentle soul in all of Lavender Town and an elderly citizen with outstanding morals, everyone loved him¡±</li>

    </ul>

    So¡­ the gist of the matter was that this was truly a mystery murder. No witnesses, no potential suspects yet given the old man was a beloved local with a heart of gold, and a perpetrator that had vanished into thin air.

    I handed the tablet back to Lorelei once we made it to where Agatha and Agent Echo were. They only noticed our presence when we stopped directly in front of them and coughed loudly.

    ¡°What?¡± Agatha snapped, black eyes narrowing as they darted between me and Lorelei. I¡¯d heard her sound cranky before, but it was even worse today. The tension she carried around her could have crackled like electricity. ¡°Why are you here, boy? This isn¡¯t Cherrygrove.¡±

    Before responding, I had to remind myself that Agatha was probably dealing with a lot of shit right now. As politely as possible, I gave her the same answer I¡¯d given Lorelei.

    Agatha curled her lip when I finished.

    ¡°When such overwhelming pressure is emitted, normally people know to stay away,¡± she scoffed out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the saying ¡®curiosity killed the Meowth?¡¯¡±

    I tried not to feel offended. ¡°Well, given the recent state of affairs in Indigo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, and you wanted to see if there was trouble,¡± Agatha cut me off sharply. She even rolled her eyes in the process. ¡°Youngsters these days. So eager to do whatever they can. I suppose it was my fault in the first place for letting my temper get the better of me for a moment. The little ones only reacted because I did.¡±

    ¡°That single moment you speak of disturbed the entire town in the process. We got complaints from locals and passing trainers. All the wild Ghosts and Pokemon have fled as far as the mountains because of your little display, too,¡± Lorelei commented dryly.

    ¡°Bah! They¡¯ll come back before the day is over. They always do,¡± Agatha sniffed.

    While she and Lorelei exchanged more words regarding the situation in town, Agent Echo took the chance to greet me with a small bow.

    ¡°I would have expected you to be at HQ with the other Interpol agents,¡± I remarked with confusion after we exchanged greetings. Their whole purpose in coming to Indigo in the first place was to help us investigate Team Rocket.

    Echo smiled awkwardly in response. ¡°Looker and Mint are investigating cities and towns with Elite Four Bruno as their escort. The others are still researching back at HQ,¡± she explained. ¡°Champion Lance was gracious enough to allow me to accompany his Elite Four members here. I hoped I could lend assistance since they said this was a very unusual case¡ª¡±

    A sharp and resounding crack against the floor put a pin in her words. Agatha¡¯s trusty cane had made its presence known and startled the entire room in the process.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Agatha butted in, scowling. ¡°Do you see the state of Fuji¡¯s body? His was a miserable death. I won¡¯t allow further harm to come to his body.¡±

    There was something else that peeked through her otherwise firm tone. A tremor. It was quick enough that I almost didn¡¯t catch it.

    Something told me perhaps she knew the deceased on a personal level.

    ¡°As I explained earlier, Elite Four Agatha, what my Pokemon will do will not disturb the body at all,¡± Echo responded with all the patience in the world. She knew to tread cautiously around the old woman. ¡°It¡¯s similar to the channelers and mediums in your country¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then are you a channeler or medium?¡± Agatha scathingly fired back. ¡°I thought you were a law enforcement agent. Was I mistaken?¡±

    I looked to Lorelei for answers while they argued back and forth. She leaned to the side, covered her mouth with a hand, and whispered to me behind it.

    ¡°They were like this before I left to see the situation outside,¡± Lorelei explained. She sounded weary of the whole situation. ¡°Agent Echo claims she has a Pokemon with strong spiritual powers that can help with the investigation, but Agatha¡¯s reluctant to trust a Pokemon she¡¯s never seen before. She¡¯s not usually so emotional. It¡¯s because she was friends with the victim.¡±

    Ah, so my suspicion had been right after all. This incident was very personal for Agatha because it didn¡¯t just involve a local under her protection, but someone she knew well.

    When Echo shot me a look as if she desired help, I decided it was time to step in. I was, after all, the one who was supposed to bridge the gap between Interpol, Indigo, and the rest of the world by vouching for their credibility.

    ¡°What Pokemon is it, Echo?¡± I spoke up.

    ¡°A Sensu Oricorio.¡±

    I blinked twice. Out of all the Pokemon I had expected her to answer with, that one had been admittedly low on my list of guesses. Not many people had one outside of Alola. I knew a bit about them given I¡¯d traveled through Alola before and experienced their culture for myself, so I could kind of guess what she had trained it to do.

    I turned now to Agatha with a contemplative expression. ¡°The Pokemon she¡¯s talking about is well-known in other countries for communing with spirits and the like. Whatever Agent Echo has in mind, I don¡¯t think it would be invasive. You can trust her.¡±

    Black eyes trained their beady gaze on me with all the intensity of hardened flint. ¡°You forget who you¡¯re speaking to,¡± the Witch of Lavender Town hissed through her teeth, ¡°and in whose town you currently stand. The dead must be treated with respect.¡±

    The shadow attached to her body rippled violently in place. Countless eyes peered up at me with anger reflected in their crimson orbs, but I paid them no heed.

    I met Agatha¡¯s gaze without faltering.

    ¡°And she will,¡± I assured on Echo¡¯s behalf. I didn¡¯t even have to prompt her; the Interpol agent made sure to follow up with a deep bow of her head, letting it hang low for Agatha to see. ¡°As an officer on the side of justice, I¡¯m sure she only seeks to help shed light on this tragedy. Isn¡¯t that what you want, too? To find out what happened to the deceased and who killed him?¡±

    Agatha¡¯s gaze was so sharp it could have killed me where I stood. Our silent stare off would have made anyone else uncomfortable, but Lorelei, who was silently watching us, seemed used to such tense atmospheres.

    After what seemed like forever, Agatha finally spoke.

    ¡°Hmph. Some backbone, I see. Fine,¡± she agreed. Her normally harsh tone was tempered by reluctance, but it came back with a fresh edge as she narrowed her eyes. Though her gaze was on Echo, her next words were directed at both me and the agent. ¡°Do not make me regret this.¡±

    I said nothing, but Echo was quick to murmur her subdued assent.

    She got started right away now that she had permission.

    A bird with beautiful ocean and spectral-hued feathers was released from its Pokeball, legs already bent as if it was prepared to dance at a moment¡¯s notice. Agatha studied the Oricorio with no small amount of suspicion, but she held her tongue.

    Swiftly, Echo bent down and placed a hand against the Pokemon¡¯s forehand. She closed her eyes briefly as if concentrating, then opened them and stood back up. What was that about?

    ¡°My Oricorio has done this plenty of times before, so please don¡¯t worry,¡± she introduced to the rest of us. ¡°Through dancing, she¡¯s able to draw in strong emotions and thoughts left by the dead. Depending on the intensity of those and how much time has passed since the initial death, she¡¯s even able to re-enact final memories or words belonging to the victim. They¡¯ll be fragmented, though.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t the only one whose eyes widened. Lorelei seemed just as impressed as I did. As for Agatha, her face remained impassive, but I saw her weathered hands twitch and grasp her cane tighter.

    Echo only needed to gesture in the direction of Fuji¡¯s body for Oricorio to take it from there.

    Slowly, gracefully, Oricorio walked closer to the corpse. The bird raised fan-shaped wingtips to her face, but instead of dancing, she first sank into a respectful bow. Her head touched the floor and rested there in pensive silence for the dead.

    Then, with laborious movement, she rose from her show of respect and raised her wings. Eyes as dark as coal glowed brightly as Oricorio took her first step backward¡­

    And she began to dance.

    One step left with a single wing pointed at the heavens. Then she spun right, feathers barely grazing the ground, and raised her other wing again, this time accompanied by a small shake. She repeated these simple motions thrice more in the cardinal directions. Always, her body faced the way in which she moved. From what I remembered about Alolan culture, it was said Sensu Oricorio did this so that spiritual energy could flow more purely and strongly around the host.

    Her movements reminded me of the traditional dances shrine priestesses in Ecruteak knew by heart. I would have even said they were remarkably similar.

    The dance quickly picked up its pace. Oricorio spread one wing in a wide arch above her head and raised the other in front of her face. Her feet carried her one step back, two steps left. She spun faster and faster with wings snapping one way and another, eyes glowing ever brighter. She was but a blur of color at this point, and we could all visibly see why.

    Little trails of wispy smoke appeared in the air around Fuji¡¯s body. Without warning, they were sucked inside the Oricorio¡¯s body.

    But she kept dancing, and dancing, and dancing¡­

    And snapped gracefully to a halt. There was no more smoke to absorb. Her eyes were an unnatural white.

    The Oricorio then opened her beak and spoke.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the bird rasped in a voice distinctly not her own. It was hoarse, reedy, weak¡ªthe voice of a man long past his prime. I had never heard it before in my life, yet I instinctively knew who it belonged to.

    Mr. Fuji.

    It was not him speaking, but the intense emotions left behind in his last moments that Oricorio was drawing upon using herself as a spiritual medium. Final words dyed with hues of emotion so extreme that they lingered even after death.

    He was not addressing us either. Oricorio was only repeating the words spoken before Mr. Fuji died.

    This only meant one thing: Hiroto Fuji had spoken to someone before he was killed.

    What we were hearing was most likely a conversation between him and his murderer, or his side of it at least.

    A sharp intake of breath to my left nearly drew my gaze away. In my peripheral vision, I saw Agatha gripping her cane so hard that her already pale skin turned ashen white.

    I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever expected to hear that voice again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ you two,¡± Oricorio continued in fragmented phrases, white eyes still staring eerily at nothing in particular. The rest of her body was locked in place as if time had frozen. ¡°I will call¡­ police if¡­ don¡¯t answer.¡±

    Not one it seemed but two. There was more than one person here in this room with him.

    Two perpetrators.

    Oricorio¡¯s beak snapped shut. There was a long pause just like if Fuji was listening to the other party talk.

    ¡°What?¡± she finally spoke. ¡°How do you¡­ that name?¡±

    Another lengthy pause.

    ¡°¡­So be it. I knew¡­ one day, my past¡­ catch up to me. I¡­ deserve this.¡±

    Here, Oricorio¡¯s entire body trembled violently. Her white eyes began to dim.

    ¡°Go ahead. Kill me, but let my death be where it ends¡ª¡±

    Oricorio cut off in a strangled garble. The sound reminded me of someone choking. I almost thought something was wrong, but Agent Echo looked unperturbed by the display.

    A moment later, Oricorio blinked. The bird¡¯s eyes were back to normal. With shaking legs, she had it in her to offer one final bow to Mr. Fuji¡¯s body¡ªthe corpse whose last emotions and words she had managed to grasp before they disappeared from this world completely.

    No one spoke as Echo recalled her exhausted Pokemon.

    Instead of discussing what we just heard, Lorelei and I looked warily at the elderly woman in our midst.

    Jaw, clenched. Breath, halted. Body, uncomfortably still.

    And her eyes¡ªthey seethed and swirled with far too many emotions to count.

    She could have been mistaken for a statue, but there was a rage of unimaginable proportions bubbling underneath that deceptively calm exterior. Small, fluctuating waves of pressure were being emitted by her shadow.

    Agatha was like a ticking time bomb waiting for the chance to explode.

    ¡°Agatha¡­¡± Lorelei murmured in warning.

    Quiet as it was, the call was still heard. Hearing her name spurred Agatha to life once more.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me those looks,¡± she said in a more controlled voice than any of us expected. ¡°If I was the type to fly into a blind rage, half of this country would have been razed to the ground long before any of you were born.¡± Her eyes never left Fuji¡¯s body as she spoke. ¡°That does not mean, however, that I will sit around doing nothing.¡±

    All at once, fury returned to her eyes. A cold smile crossed her sunken face.

    ¡°Go,¡± she said plainly, but that one word carried the weight of a thousand. ¡°Scour the town, the surroundings, and every inch of Indigo.¡±

    The Witch of Lavender Town nearly snarled her next words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how long it takes. Find the wretched fools who dared to kill one of my own and make them beg for Eternal Rest.¡±

    Vel¡¯s ribbons pulled my body back not a moment too soon.

    Agatha¡¯s shadow exploded.

    Amorphous forms too fast for the eye to perceive took flight. They scattered, screamed, and howled with rage and grief as they vanished through the ceiling¡ªall on behalf of their mistress. The air grew so thick with them that it resembled a swarm of Bugs descending to lay waste to a field.

    I held my breath.

    When the last Ghost disappeared into the unknown and the room gained visibility once more, I stared at Agatha¡¯s shadow. I¡¯d always seen it shifting here and there on previous occasions, but it stayed in place now. Each and every Pokemon had left¡ª

    I corrected my previous thought when a single pair of eyes popped up and met my gaze. At the very least, one still stayed by her side as a guard.

    Lorelei didn¡¯t exactly look displeased, but she crossed her arms and used one to prop up her glasses.

    ¡°Hunting for whoever stepped in your territory is fine, but we still need you and Koga to comb the country for Rockets,¡± she pointed out.

    One of Agatha¡¯s dusty brows rose up challengingly. ¡°Did I ever say my Ghosts wouldn¡¯t? They¡¯re capable of multitasking.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any clues on who could have done this?¡± Since it seemed like Agatha was capable of controlling herself without Lorelei and I needing to step in, I judged it was alright to bring up Oricorio¡¯s performance now. ¡°Thanks to Agent Echo¡¯s Oricorio, we know whoever Mr. Fuji spoke to had information about his past. It sounded like he¡¯d done something terrible. Maybe the motive was some sort of personal grudge?¡±

    Agatha was silent for the longest time before speaking.

    ¡°I knew Fuji for many years,¡± she began in a slow, brittle voice. ¡°So did Oak and Blaine. We were once part of the Kanto League together.¡±

    Echo spoke up hesitantly. As an outsider, she was not as familiar with Indigo history yet. ¡°Kanto League?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Agatha said, and I could tell she struggled not to roll her eyes. ¡°Mind you, that was a time before the War of Ashes or Indigo Peace Treaty ever occurred¡ªa time before Indigo or the rebirth of its League. After the war, Fuji set down his research coat and moved here to Lavender. He dedicated over half his life to founding and nurturing this Volunteer House. Hmph¡­ he acclimated to this town so easily that it was as if he¡¯d been born and raised here like the rest of us. Everyone was fond of him.¡±

    My brows furrowed. ¡°So¡­ no one comes to mind for potential suspects?¡±

    ¡°No. There are many fools in the world, but perhaps none quite like Fuji. He was as good-natured as they came,¡± Agatha replied sullenly. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what he did before, either, that would have caused this to happen.¡± A shuddering breath left her. ¡°That fool¡­ why did he accept dying so easily?¡±

    It was a mystery we might never know.

    ¡°Then identities aside, is there any other information we have on the perpetrators? Like how they managed to do this without Agatha¡¯s Ghosts realizing?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°Psychic and Ghost Specialists in all likelihood,¡± Lorelei answered, eyes drifting in Agatha¡¯s direction. ¡°Before you got here, Agatha mentioned her Ghosts had felt foreign spectral energy in town an hour ago. When they investigated, they found that it was some newly born Gastly arriving from the mountains.¡±

    ¡°A timed distraction in all likelihood,¡± Agatha ground out. ¡°A Ghost Specialist may have shadow traveled in during that time and masked their presence using the new arrivals. The audacity of them¡­¡±

    Lorelei picked up the explanation before the old woman could devolve into angry muttering. ¡°They could have isolated Mr. Fuji from the rest of the world with a barrier. In doing so, no emotions would have leaked out that Agatha¡¯s Ghosts could pick up on. The wound also suggests something tore the victim¡¯s chest open like a psychic rupture. We were debating whether it was one or the other, but courtesy of Agent Echo, we now know there were two people. A Psychic and Ghost Specialist working together to avoid Agatha¡¯s gaze seems plausible.¡±

    ¡°To pull that off and escape without notice, they¡¯d have to be skilled. Probably Elite-tier trainers,¡± I cautioned.

    Agatha smiled, an action without any warmth or feeling.

    ¡°We know.¡±

    Our conversation petered out shortly after.

    Not wanting to intrude on an ongoing investigation for much longer, and with Agatha not at risk for unleashing her rage on the countryside, I felt it was time to go home. I bid my goodbyes to Lorelei and Echo. Agatha went downstairs first citing a desire to rest by herself, but not before fixing the Interpol agent with a stare.

    ¡°It was an interesting dance,¡± she told her. ¡°You trained your Pokemon well.¡±

    That was the nicest compliment Echo could have gotten from the elderly woman.

    I stared at Agatha¡¯s small back as we went down the stairs together. My curiosity had mostly been satisfied save for one last question lingering on my mind. I opened my mouth but¡ª

    ¡°What is it, boy? Speak.¡±

    Agatha beat me to it. Was it instincts or a Ghost feeding her information?

    I decided to voice my inquiry without beating around the bush. ¡°The chill in this town. Is it coming from the Pokemon Tower?¡±

    It was only when we reached the bottom of the stairs that Agatha turned to look at me. Her shadow expanded until it created an isolated bubble around us. Vel looked like he wanted to fight, but I placed a comforting hand against the Sylveon¡¯s head.

    Rather than getting angry, Agatha stared at me with a pensive expression.

    ¡°Well, well. You¡¯re sharper than you appear. If only there were more children with brains like yours,¡± Agatha mused out loud. ¡°What made you think it was the Tower?¡±

    ¡°I saw it from afar earlier,¡± I answered honestly. Agatha¡¯s eyes peered behind me at my shadow. I was pretty sure she knew I had Ghosts in there. ¡°I got a certain feeling about it. It¡¯s home to a Guardian or Ruler Pokemon, I presume?¡±

    Agatha merely offered a disconcerting smile.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    That was all she said in response before her shadow contracted back to normal size. We were back in the hallway again.

    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about it, boy,¡± Agatha continued with a dismissive nudge of her cane. ¡°The chill is only temporary. They¡¯re mourning. Fuji was a frequent visitor of the Tower, you see.¡±

    I nodded more to myself than her. ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°Me what?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you mourning, too?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Wrinkled hands holding a gnarled cane of wood twitched in place. For a moment, I thought Agatha was going to whack me over the head with it.

    The scenario I imagined played out much differently.

    ¡°I¡¯ll grieve after I do what I must.¡± Her usual sharp tone had lost much of its sting. It was softer, somehow, in a way that her facial features followed suit. She looked younger for a moment. Tired. ¡°Tell me: is there something you hold dear above all else? People? A place?¡±

    The sudden question took me aback for a moment. Then I actually thought about what she had asked, and certain faces appeared in my mind followed by a city full of flowering trees.

    Cherrygrove.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then you know,¡± Agatha said simply. Black eyes stared into mine. ¡°You know the feeling of wanting to protect it. A place you can always return to full of countless memories and people who live under the shade you provide them¡ªall of that is yours. And when a fool harms what is yours, naturally they must pay the price.¡±

    How very Fairy-like.

    ¡°We can do anything for the people we love, and we always collect our dues,¡± I murmured thoughtfully, but Agatha heard me.

    Thin lips stretched wide in a tight smile.

    ¡°Collect our dues¡­ Yes, that¡¯s a good way of putting it,¡± Agatha agreed. I even dared to think there was some newfound appreciation for me in her tone. ¡°I will well and truly grieve only after my rage has found its target.¡±

    With a quick tip tap of her cane against wooden flooring, Agatha turned and shuffled toward the kitchen. Her parting words grew ever fainter with distance.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand someday after you feel a great rage of your own, boy. Fury born from devotion is not so easily subsided.¡±

    I didn¡¯t doubt it, but Agatha¡¯s words stayed in my head long after I exited the house. As I let out Silque, I couldn¡¯t help but look one last time in the direction of the Pokemon Tower. There really was something unsettling about it. I couldn¡¯t focus on its top floor for more than a few seconds.

    I almost jumped when something brushed against my ears. There was nothing there when I turned.

    But I swore I¡¯d heard a whisper.

    I decided now was a good time to go home. Hatterene Teleported us back without further delay, and it was only when we were in a familiar front yard that I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t known I was holding.

    Vel and I both glanced at each other and shared a look.

    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed without him saying anything. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of Ghosts for a while.¡±

    Maybe even a lifetime, I added as a joke, and the Ghosts in my shadow proceeded to curl shadowy tendrils around my legs in mock anger.

    There was a part of me that wanted to visit the Pokemon Tower someday, but for now, I stowed away thoughts of Lavender Town deep inside my mental archives.

    Dinner with dad had never sounded so good as it did at that moment.

    <hr>

    I wanted to dive head first into bed after eating and showering. I really did. This whole day had been so long and tiring that I planned to crash early for once.

    Instead, I had to deal with a whole lot of noise in the backyard.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± I muttered to myself.

    In a few strides, I crossed the length of my room and threw the balcony doors open. My Pokemon were still awake at this time. Most of them looked up at me and pointed simultaneously to a large bat hovering awkwardly in the sky above, almost as if it was waiting for permission to travel further into our airspace.

    Vel and I both squinted at the silhouette. It was a Crobat.

    My first thought was that it was Brock¡¯s, but then I made out a little pink blob on its back. Was that a¡­ Clefairy?

    Not the strangest sight in the world, but not exactly common either. I figured there was no threat since my Pokemon hadn¡¯t outright beamed them out of the sky yet, so I beckoned to our odd guests with a hand.

    The Crobat descended with nary a sound. It landed on the balcony railing, tilted left to let its passenger jump nimbly to the floor, and then sat absolutely still. Instead of focusing on the stoic Crobat, Vel and I stared curiously at the round Pokemon by our feet. It was much smaller than average for its species.

    Smiling, the Clefairy offered us a bow. How cute.

    Greetings, Friend of Fairies, the Clefairy spoke brightly. Her voice was as adorable as she looked. I come on behalf of our Clan Leader, Mountain Weaver. She extends an invitation to join our clan at Mount Moon in two days¡¯ time. The Full Moon shall rise that night and with it, our Rite of Song. Do you accept?

    My confusion instantly disappeared, and my mood soared.

    This was it. This was what I¡¯d been waiting for.

    Mountain Weaver had finally invited me to Mount Moon. I tried not to salivate as I thought about laying eyes on the Heart of the Mountain once more. Better yet, this time, my Pokemon and I would be allowed the luxury of partaking in the Clefairy clan¡¯s rituals.

    Just thinking about the power we could absorb from that massive meteorite made my fingers itch to grab something, anything, out of excitement. Despite my surging emotions, I was careful not to let anything show on my face as I nodded. Openly showing such greed was never a good look on anyone.

    ¡°My Pokemon and I graciously accept your leader¡¯s invitation,¡± I confirmed out loud with a smile.

    Clefairy clapped her hands together. Even before she spoke, I knew she was pleased because I could hear ¡ª and see from my vantage point ¡ª the tiny wings on her back flapping excitedly.

    Yay! She trilled, but she quickly backpedaled with a bashful smile. I mean wonderful! We shall see you in two days¡¯ time, then, on the night of the Full Moon. Mountain Weaver said you may use any entrance. An escort will come greet you.

    ¡°Got it.¡± I committed the information firmly to memory. Ugh, why wasn¡¯t it possible to skip forward two days in time? I felt so impatient already.

    I raised a hand to wave goodbye to my guests, but I was mistaken. Clefairy did not depart on Crobat¡¯s back. In fact, she did not budge at all.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I trailed off. Confusion was written all over my face as I stared down at her. ¡°Is there something else?¡±

    Clefairy peered up at me with a cautious smile. A little tooth peeked out in the process.

    Friend of Fairies, may I stay here at your human dwelling until the Rite of Song? She asked. Mountain Weaver has already granted me permission to remain outside the mountain until then. I am curious about the human world.

    That last sentence had a bit of a tremor to it. Hmm.

    Well, this was¡­ quite the sudden request.

    If she wasn¡¯t a Fairy, then I would have wondered if she was a rebellious little thing playing hooky from her clan. As it was, Fairies could not lie, so I knew she was telling the truth when she said she had permission. That last vague statement, though¡­ I instinctively knew it hid her true intentions for wanting to stay here. There was something specific she was after. I just didn¡¯t know what.

    All I knew for sure was that she came in peace. I sensed no hostile intentions behind her words and neither did Vel. When I gave him a meaningful look from the corner of my eye, the Sylveon responded with the smallest nod.

    He was okay with letting Clefairy stay with us for two days. I didn¡¯t think the rest of my Pokemon would mind, either, so¡­

    Why not?

    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re welcome to stay until then,¡± I decided.

    Clefairy beamed and clapped excitedly.

    Yay! I mean¡ª wonderful! The Pokemon trilled.

    Once again, her tiny wings flapped furiously with all the might they had. It reminded me of the way a Growlithe would rapidly wag its tail when it was happy.

    Very cute.

    And so, the wild Crobat departed on its own to relay the news to Mount Moon¡¯s Guardian.

    I was left to deal with a small Clefairy that toddled around my legs, unsure of where to go.

    ¡°Would you like to meet the rest of my Pokemon?¡± I offered.

    Oh! Yes, if you would allow me, Clefairy squeaked. I must pay my greetings to the other inhabitants of this human dwelling. It is only right.

    I refrained from telling her about dad and figured that was an introduction best done in the morning considering he was fast asleep. So for now, Vel ferried Clefairy on his back to the backyard to meet everyone else. She was about to find out we had a lot of gym Pokemon, too.

    I went back into my room with a smile half-torn between joy and anxiety. I would have to make sure Clefairy felt comfortable while she stayed here. I didn¡¯t want her going back to Clefable later and telling her what a horrible human or host I was. If I got kicked out of the ritual before it started¡ª

    My blood ran cold when I realized something.

    The ritual.

    I couldn¡¯t show up empty-handed.

    A second of silence passed before I made a mad dash for my desk and threw my laptop open. I needed to bring a gift or two.

    Plans for early sleep vanished as I absorbed myself in the hunt for high quality Moon Stones¡ªpreferably ones that could be shipped and delivered before the Rite of Song.

    <hr>

    Ding. Ding. Ding.

    Successive, telltale, and increasingly rapid chimes from my phone wrangled me out of my dreams that night.

    I¡¯d forgotten to put it on silent.

    The Sylveon sleeping next to me buried his head under my pillow out of irritation while I fumbled for the loud device. I wasn¡¯t in a hurry since the alerts weren¡¯t from Lance or the Indigo League, but I did want them to stop. Thank Arceus Clefairy had decided she wanted to sleep outside with the rest of my Pokemon¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to subject her to incessant beeping sounds on night one of her temporary stay.

    When I finally had my phone in my grasp, bleary eyes did their best to read the notifications on the annoyingly bright screen.

    All of them were from the Cherrygrove Gym Fam group chat.

    It took me about a dozen sleepy blinks, but I managed to read through all the excited texts and attached photos. Everyone¡¯s Pokemon Eggs had finally hatched. Though the Eggs had been conceived at different points in time, they¡¯d all ended up hatching in unison. Professor Elm would know more about it, but it was some documented resonance effect or something, yada yada. My brain refused to work right now.

    I sent congratulatory messages complete with typos and emojis, put my phone on silent, placed it back, and then finally laid my head on my pillow once more.

    A pleasant smile was etched onto my face for the rest of the morning.

    <hr>

    2:52 AM. Cherrygrove Staff Apartment Building. Cherrygrove City, Johto.

    It was Hana who woke up first and shook Yurie out of her slumber. Despite their vastly different personalities, the two girls had managed to become fast friends. Tonight had been a girl¡¯s sleepover in Yurie¡¯s apartment.

    ¡°Yurie,¡± Hana whispered urgently. ¡°Yurie!¡±

    Her name had to be called five more times before Yurie sat up with drool all over her chin.

    ¡°Huh? Wha¡¯zat?¡± she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. The urgent look in the other girl¡¯s eyes soon snapped her out of any remaining traces of sleep. So did the words she spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s your Pokemon Egg,¡± Hana explained, fidgeting with her long silver hair. ¡°I got up to use the bathroom and saw it shaking. I think it¡¯s about to hatch!¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Yurie nearly screeched.

    She threw the covers aside in an instant and ran barefoot to her desk. Lo and behold, the Mime Jr. Egg she¡¯d been given weeks ago was wiggling like there was no tomorrow. Yurie promptly pressed the button on the incubator that made the glass slide down, grabbed some spare towels from her kitchen cabinet, and padded the area around the Egg for safety measures.

    She waited by herself as the Egg cracked in various spots. Hana stayed back at a distance, hands poised as if to help at a moment¡¯s notice.

    It turned out to be unnecessary.

    Mime Jr. ¡ª her very own! ¡ª made its way out into the world without any help. From the wrinkled skin to the sleepy eyes and bright nose, everything about it was adorable. Yurie had to hold back a squeal when she held out a finger and Mime Jr. grasped it without any hesitation. A quick scan from her Pokedex revealed the Mime Jr. was female.

    Cuteness overload! She had to thank Arin again later for letting her have a free Egg. She¡¯d never had the opportunity to hatch one before.

    Of course, the very first thing she thought of was to take a picture and send it to Hazel, complete with a smug text message of her own.

    ¡°Heh, I bet he never expected me to hatch mine first¡­¡± she cackled to herself under her breath. In the background, Hana played hesitantly with the newborn Mime Jr. and let the Pokemon pull on her hair.

    Yurie¡¯s gloating only lasted a grand total of twelve seconds.

    Hazel texted back a picture of a tiny Snubbull playing with his Spinda and the following text message:

    smartass [2:54 AM] ¡ú Congrats. Mine hatched before yours I''m pretty sure. ;)

    If not for the presence of a baby Pokemon, Yurie would have shouted some form of expletive. As it was, she settled for a silent scream instead with only Hana to bear witness to her strange behavior.

    She typed furiously at her phone.

    Me ¡ú smartass [2:55 AM] ¡ú no way. meet downstairs in the common area! now!

    That was how, fifteen minutes later, Yurie¡¯s little meeting slash bragging competition with Hazel evolved into something much bigger.

    It turned out everyone else¡¯s Pokemon Eggs had chosen tonight to hatch, too.

    Souta and Haru came down after Yurie and Hazel posted pictures in the gym¡¯s group chat. They had newborn Pokemon of their own wrapped securely in blankets¡ªa cute little Azurill and Togepi. Murata was the only Eggholder absent because he lived with his wife and kids back in town, but he contributed a picture of his new baby Ralts to the growing group chat spam.

    That group chat caused a chain reaction where everyone else came down to hang out at three in the morning on the ground floor.

    Luca was already awake to begin with given that he stayed up late to do influencer stuff, and Felix had gotten up to write down a Contest performance idea before he forgot. Hana came with Yurie, of course.

    Finally, all the noise on the ground floor woke up Will. The rooms here weren¡¯t nearly as soundproof as those on higher levels, so he could hear their talking loud and clear. At least it didn¡¯t bother him.

    He practically burst out of his room with a wide smile and dressed in about the most regal-looking pajamas Yurie had ever seen in her life: expensive silk threaded with complicated patterns and crests.

    Oh, and he had his ever-present mask on as well. Did he take it off when he slept at least?

    ¡°I, Will Itsuki, have arrived!¡± he announced in a quiet but singsong voice. Yurie guessed he was being considerate of the baby Pokemon. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me out!¡±

    Will was weird. She couldn¡¯t deny that, but he was friendly and always happy to talk to everyone. He made some psychic constructs of random Pokemon to show the newborns, and they giggled and laughed at the display.

    It would have been nice if Arin was here. Speaking of, Yurie spotted text messages from him in the group chat. Judging from the messy typos in his texts and weird, nonsense emojis he normally never used, they¡¯d woken their Gym Leader up from all the stuff being shared in the group chat.

    Oops?

    Next to where she sat, Yurie tuned out Hazel rambling about an Egg resonance hatching effect that Professor Elm had written about years ago¡ªsomething about Eggs that spent a lot of time together being more likely to hatch around the same time. She looked around the room instead.

    Hana was currently held captive by the newborn baby Pokemon. They all tugged experimentally at her long and shiny hair, but Hana didn¡¯t look uncomfortable. In fact, Yurie wagered she was secretly enjoying the attention. It helped that the babies were cute.

    Across from Hana, Felix and Luca were busy taking pictures of the babies to upload to their respective social media accounts (only after getting permission from everyone present). She had to refrain from rolling her eyes when she heard them discussing whether it was better to use this or that emoji in the description. Social media influencers. What else was there to say?

    Luca¡¯s baby Igglybuff was oddly awake at this time, too, and he enjoyed toddling around the newborns.

    Elsewhere, Souta and Haru, like the good kids they were, yawned repeatedly but forced themselves to stay awake. They were busy reading some sort of guidebooks on their phones and discussing how to raise their new Pokemon. She wasn¡¯t much older than them, but maybe she should tell them to go to bed soon¡­ At their age, sleep was important.

    Eh. If they wanted to stay up, that was their choice. Yurie could understand why they were reluctant to go back to sleep. She probably shared the same feeling as them.

    She liked this. Spending time with everyone, laughing and talking together¡­ it was peaceful. Fun.

    A far cry from the strict environment she¡¯d once been in as a clan trainee back at Blackthorn City.

    Yurie would always be grateful to Arin for making all of this happen. She couldn¡¯t imagine a life without the Cherrygrove Gym Fam anymore.

    A small and almost inaudible beep from her phone was nearly drowned out by all the chatter. She pulled it out thinking it was perhaps another sleepy text from their boss.

    It was not.

    One of her only trainee friends back in Blackthorn City had texted her asking if she wanted to meet up sometime and hang out. Apparently, the stress of being a trainee for the Blackthorn Clan had accumulated into an all-time high. It was to the point where she couldn¡¯t sleep at night. Just like Yurie had in the past, her friend was thinking about quitting. She also had belongings of hers that she¡¯d been nice enough to hold onto this whole time.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Shit. Yeah, Yurie wanted her stuff back. She¡¯d left behind a lot of things in her haste to leave the city back then.

    She also sympathized with her friend. Yurie knew from firsthand experience how scary the Blackthorn Elders were. Quitting was a difficult decision to make, and figuring out how to leave without the Blackthorn Elders noticing and catching you was worse. Maybe there was a way she could help somehow?

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Yurie bit her lip as she exchanged texts with her friend.

    Yurie was officially blacklisted from Blackthorn City because of her previous act of ¡®betrayal.¡¯ Her friend wanted to hang out and hand over the stuff she had for Yurie, but she couldn¡¯t leave Blackthorn City without permission.

    Well, wasn¡¯t this a conundrum.

    Careful thinking wasn¡¯t her style. Shrugging, Yurie texted her friend saying she didn¡¯t mind meeting her in Blackthorn City one of these days. She would just sneak in¡ªmaybe even help her friend sneak out if she made up her mind about quitting by then.

    Blackthorn Elders? Ha, she could give two flying fucks about them.

    Yurie had to put a pause in her messaging when Hazel yelped.

    ¡°Hey! Yurie, your Mime Jr. is as violent as you are! She just smacked my poor Snubbull!¡± he cried, pointing.

    A vein bulged in Yurie¡¯s forehead as she slammed her phone down on the couch.

    ¡°Huh?! You wanna say that again, you punk?¡± she threatened, and everything devolved from there as it so often did with the Cherrygrove Gym Fam.

    <hr>

    The next day passed quickly, happily, and best of all, uneventfully.

    Things were slower than usual around the gym because of all the baby Pokemon. Everyone wanted to play with them and take pictures. I even set aside a whole hour where I sat and answered any questions people had about how to raise the little ones. Half of those answers came from me.

    The other half came from Professor Elm.

    Like he¡¯d requested long ago, I dropped him a courtesy message letting him know the Eggs he gifted had hatched. The moment I did, he came Teleporting over with a lab Drowzee and a face full of glee. As the Kinjoh Area¡¯s leading expert on Pokemon breeding and Eggs, he was more than happy to help with any questions my gym trainers had.

    He also ran some tests where he documented me interacting with baby Fairies to see if there was anything unusual, but there was nothing strange like he hoped for.

    The newborn Fairies sure were friendly around me, though.

    The only other unusual thing about the better half of the day was my guest: Clefairy.

    Dad thought she was adorable when I introduced her in the morning. So did my gym trainers. They all asked if she was a new gym Pokemon, but I quickly shot that down and explained I was ¡®taking care of her for someone¡¯ for the time being.

    She was friendly. Maybe also a tad airheaded and prone to excitement, but overall a very kind and curious creature from my observations so far.

    Observation one: I knew this from the night before, but Clefairy had a telltale habit of flapping her tiny wings when she was happy or excited. It was an obvious and cute way of judging her mood.

    Observation two: she was an older Clefairy than I expected, but I chalked her youthful appearance up to the effects of absorbing power from the Heart of the Mountain on a daily basis.

    Observation three, and this was the big one: she followed me everywhere.

    And I meant everywhere.

    She toddled after me to the office where she watched me sit and do paperwork for hours on end. She toddled after me to the dining hall and watched me stuff my face with food. She toddled after me when I fed and helped train the gym Pokemon.

    She even followed me to the restroom. I very nearly had a heart attack when I emerged from the door and saw a little pink Pokemon waiting menacingly outside. If the lights had been dimmed and the hallway any narrower, it would have been like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

    She was constantly observing me, and I had no idea why.

    When I politely asked about it, Clefairy pretended like she had no clue what I was talking about. It wasn¡¯t like she had malicious intentions, so I let her off the hook. Maybe she was curious about the human her Clan Leader had invited to one of their rituals, I reasoned.

    Most of my Pokemon found Clefairy amusing barring one: Vel.

    He could get overprotective when he wanted to be. When Clefairy finally took a break from following me to nap on a couch, he glared daggers at her. The Sylveon didn¡¯t let up even when I scratched his chin.

    ¡°Be nice, Vel. She¡¯s only here for two days, anyway,¡± I chided gently, but I couldn¡¯t help a snort of laughter.

    Vel grumbled under his breath.

    When regular work hours ended for the day, Will followed me and dad back to our family¡¯s place.

    It was because I mentioned the charity gala before everyone left for the day. I¡¯d never seen someone shoot their hand so fast into the air before. Will had enthusiastically asked if he could help me pick out an outfit.

    I let him because I thought it¡¯d be amusing, and I was right.

    My bedroom became a supernatural zone full of flying clothes that zoomed left and right¡ªliterally.

    ¡°Arin, appearances are important! Especially at events like these, we mustn¡¯t have anyone looking down on you,¡± Will constantly repeated with vigorous nods of his head. ¡°But fret not, dear employer! I have an impeccable sense of fashion!¡±

    Putting aside how unique his own day-to-day outfit was, Will did have a knack for this.

    He helped me choose an appropriate outfit far faster than I could have on my own, but only after constantly levitating clothes next to my body to see which ones looked best together. He Teleported away with a satisfied smile when he was done and a fading cackle along the lines of, ¡°Once more, my genius strikes again!¡±

    I agreed with him once I finished changing and styling my hair. Will¡¯s suggested outfit idea followed the gala¡¯s formal dress code to a tee. I¡¯d swapped out my usual choice of dress shirt for a classic white, and it was framed by a gray suit complete with pricey cufflinks and all. The tie I wore was not one Larry had gifted me but my own¡ªone in a soft shade of pink that complimented my hair.

    Partially due to Will¡¯s insistence, I also had a matching handkerchief tucked into my jacket as a pocket square. All the pinks popped against my gray suit in an aesthetically pleasing way.

    Full marks for Will Itsuki the Helpful Fashion Stylist.

    Only a handful of Pokemon came with me in their Pokeballs. Most of my team decided to stay home and rest or train on their own. As for Clefairy¡ª

    May I come with you? She asked with a rapid flutter of her wings, and I was sorry to say no this time.

    The way her tiny wings drooped afterward made me feel bad, but the invite said we could only have one Pokemon out with us. Vel was usually the one who accompanied me because he was used to such events and knew how to behave.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back later tonight. Have fun with the other Pokemon!¡± I patted Clefairy¡¯s head after some hesitation, but I didn¡¯t have to fear. Her wings fluttered again letting me know I wasn¡¯t going to get my head blown off by her Clan Leader later.

    With all things in order, I flew off to Kanto. I went on Arya this time because I didn¡¯t have any other plans for the evening. Thus, a more leisurely flight could be afforded. Gentle notes filled my ears the whole way over. Altaria faithfully sang new songs she¡¯d heard off the Goldenrod Radio Tower¡¯s music program.

    Amber streaks fully dyed the sky by the time we made it to Viridian City.

    The City of Evergreen could not have been more aptly named in my honest opinion. Trees were planted all over the settlement similar to Cherrygrove, but these were vida evergreens. Tall, wide, and with bountiful foliage, their slender boughs locked and interlaced until each tree melded together in loving rows. Underneath their shade, flowers in brilliant shades of yellow bloomed across the whole city with petals rustling in the wind. I recognized what they were when Arya descended lower for me to look. Dahlias. Being the son of a Grass Specialist slash avid gardener meant a lot of their knowledge rubbed off on you.

    We followed the directions on my phone to the venue, but I was not prepared for our destination. Two short words of astonishment slipped out from my mouth when I looked down at the building below.

    ¡°Holy Moltres¡­¡±

    The venue for the charity gala, Giovanni¡¯s home, was an entire villa.

    Beige walls rose up into not two but three different floors, each bordered by balconies and beams in chocolate hues. Arched windows ¡ª far too many to count ¡ª were placed together and framed by wood carved into extravagant floral crestings. Already, I saw their glass awash with warm light and silhouettes of people mingling inside. Far above their heads, a low-pitched roof and its projecting eaves held lanterns hanging from small hooks. They beckoned for us to join the gala that had just begun. Better yet, they shed light on the surrounding gardens. There were limousines and fancy cars pulling up in the front, people Teleporting or flying in off to the side, and men escorting their wives to the doors. Without even stepping foot on the premises yet, I felt the grandeur of this charity gala I¡¯d been invited to.

    Once again, I was reminded of how wealthy the Viridian Gym Leader was.

    With two flaps of her wings, Arya dove down and dropped me off in the area sectioned off for Pokemon transport. I swapped her out for Vel. Together, the two of us made our way to the front entrance amid excited stares and whispers. I¡¯d long gotten used to such behavior. You kind of had to when you were a public figure like a Gym Leader.

    ¡°May I have your name, please?¡± A staff member hanging by the doors politely inquired of me. I could tell he already knew who I was from the telltale twitch of his eye, but it was his job and protocol to go through proper check-in procedures.

    ¡°Arin Watanuki.¡±

    ¡°Allow me to check¡­ Yes, I¡¯ve confirmed your name and invitation. Please step this way for a brief security check.¡±

    It was as fast as he said it would be. Giovanni had borrowed some League Trainers for his event, and they ran psychic scans using Kadabra or Hypno. I had no doubt there were other guards patrolling the outskirts of the building.

    I was waved forward with a courteous smile and a well-wish to enjoy the rest of my evening. My first actual step into Giovanni¡¯s villa nearly blinded me.

    It was bright inside, and I made the mistake of looking up. The main foyer had a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Wreathed in braided ropes of crystal gems and dozens of small light bulbs, that single chandelier was enough to illuminate the entire entrance. I moved to the adjoining ballroom after blinking dark spots out of my eyes.

    Yes, a ballroom. Giovanni¡¯s villa actually had one.

    It was as magnificent as the rest of the house. Multiple chandeliers lit up the ballroom in halos of warm, dazzling light. On every side, walls were tastefully decorated with paintings and heavy curtains embroidered with gold. In one corner, a band played upbeat live music. Half of the room was an open reception space put aside for guests to mingle, and the other half was full of tables set with elegant tableware and name cards for when the gala truly commenced¡ªnamely dinner, live performances, guest speakers, and what was considered the main event people were looking forward to, the live auction.

    I loved the atmosphere already. It was cozy. Laughter and chatter alike drifted endlessly through the air.

    My first thought was to go and thank the gracious host, but I didn¡¯t have to.

    He found me first.

    ¡°Arin.¡±

    I looked up to find Giovanni walking toward me from the crowd. Along the way, he shook hands with a few people and exchanged greetings. His lips were stretched wide in a huge smile by the time he stopped in front of me. He dressed in black formalwear on a day-to-day basis, but tonight he¡¯d changed into a brown suit and burgundy tie. The soft and earthy color made him appear more youthful.

    ¡°Thank you for inviting me, Giovanni. I¡¯m glad I could finally join one of your famous charity galas,¡± I greeted with a smile, and it wasn¡¯t empty flattery. The events Giovanni regularly hosted were usually the talk of the town when they happened, and it was because they were always dedicated to good causes.

    Tonight¡¯s charity gala was to raise funds and bring people together in the spirit of Indigo. All proceeds from the auction as well as any separate donations would be given directly to Kihono House Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Indigo dedicated to providing all kinds of support for war veterans and their families.

    Giovanni laughed in response, a rich and rumbling sound that had his whole body quake with mirth for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to invite you to others in the future,¡± he promised. ¡°I¡¯m also very glad you¡¯re in attendance tonight. I invited all the Gym Leaders, but not many from Johto could make it. I hoped to show a display of unity in these¡­ troubling times.¡±

    We both knew he was talking about Team Rocket. Those bastards aside, I respected that Giovanni was trying to show everyone that leaders from both sides of Indigo were friendly with each other.

    ¡°I even invited the leaders of minor gyms here in Kanto, but they declined,¡± Giovanni continued, frowning. It was not so much out of displeasure than it was disappointment.

    I blinked. ¡°Like Juro Asachi of Mulberry City?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I always invite him and the others when I host events, but they never fail to decline,¡± Giovanni sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, truly, and I don¡¯t simply mean the invites. I¡¯ve always believed Indigo could do with more major gyms. We need more strong leaders that can help serve the country.¡±

    Wow. Giovanni couldn¡¯t have said it better, and I mentioned as much out loud. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking the same thing recently, actually,¡± I said out loud in wonder. ¡°Having more major gyms would be good for raising the overall level of trainers across Indigo, too.¡±

    It was Giovanni¡¯s turn to look at me with surprise, but his face quickly smoothed itself back out into a relaxed countenance.

    ¡°It seems we share similar ways of thinking,¡± the older man remarked with a chuckle. ¡°The future of Indigo is bright if we have young leaders like you to join us old folks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not old,¡± I instantly objected, a response that drew another bark of laughter from Giovanni.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± he conceded, smiling. ¡°Now, I¡¯m afraid I must go and continue greeting new arrivals. I¡¯ll see you and the other Gym Leaders later for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Giovanni turned as if to go but paused in place. When he glanced back at me, it was with an apologetic expression. ¡°One last thing: I hope you won¡¯t take offense if you receive any rude looks or remarks from certain individuals.¡±

    I stared at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°War veterans,¡± Giovanni elaborated after a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°There are quite a few in attendance tonight, a healthy mix from Kanto and Johto alike. Both bear old scars from the past¡ªnot only the physical kind, but ones in their hearts. Please forgive the Kantonian veterans if they show any animosity to you. What they¡¯ve lived through is not so easily forgotten.¡±

    It was a solemn plea and one I took to heart.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I readily agreed.

    The smile Giovanni graced me with before leaving was one full of relief.

    I thought perhaps the heads up would be unnecessary, but it turned out to be useful. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have known what to make of the stares I got as I made my way through the crowd in the ballroom.

    A man sitting in a wheelchair. An old woman moving around with the help of her granddaughter and a cane in hand. Two old men standing together, one missing his left eye. Interestingly enough, they all had a Pokemon glued protectively to their sides. Sometimes it was a Kadabra and sometimes it was a Hypno or Slowbro, but it was always some sort of Psychic type.

    Those were only a few of the figures I caught sight of in between colorful dresses and suits. Each was dressed in a military uniform of a bygone style with lapel pins and badges of honor attached to their chests. I recognized some of those uniforms ¡ª the ones that came in dark blue at least ¡ª from history textbooks I¡¯d studied as a child. They belonged to Johtonian war veterans, but they weren¡¯t the ones glaring at me.

    Like Giovanni had warned, it was the Kantonian war veterans who tracked me with their eyes like Talonflame watching their prey. Nobody actually came up to me and said anything, but there were more than a few who silently curled their lips from afar.

    I was from Johto. For some, that was probably the only reason they needed to dislike me. The oldest among them probably had painful memories from the War of Ashes, of the authorities that they¡¯d tried their best to vanquish for the sake of their country at the time.

    Prices had been paid long ago on both sides, though.

    There were veterans who glared not at me but at each other. One small argument even broke out in an isolated corner of the ballroom, but a roaming staff member diffused it in seconds before it could make the front page of the news.

    It got me thinking about Kanto and Johto all over again.

    I would never understand what those war veterans felt. I couldn¡¯t. I had been born and raised in a country long known as Indigo.

    But it was okay to not fully understand. I only had to keep walking the same road that every Gym Leader of Indigo had sworn to traverse together with Lance and the Elite Four.

    Protect everyone. Protect Indigo.

    ¡°¡ªrin. Arin!¡±

    I didn¡¯t notice someone was calling me until Vel tugged my hand with his ribbon. I blinked out of my pensive thoughts expecting to see Giovanni again, but it was another familiar face instead.

    The tension that had unknowingly built up in my shoulders found itself floating away as I greeted my friend.

    ¡°Jas,¡± I smiled.

    The Olivine Gym Leader smiled back at me, but she tapped a heeled foot against the ground. ¡°Um¡­ Everything okay? You seemed lost in thought.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to drag the mood down considering one, we were hanging out for the first time in a while and two, this was a charity gala. So, I made sure to smile more widely.

    ¡°Yeah. Is Morty here yet?¡± I asked after clearing my throat.

    From what I knew of messages sent in both our private group chat and the collective Johto Gym Leader chat, Morty and Bugsy were the only others coming to tonight¡¯s charity gala.

    Jasmine squinted as if she didn¡¯t fully believe me, but she thankfully didn¡¯t pry. ¡°Yeah, he just sent a text saying he was outside. Should we wait for him somewhere more noticeable?¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± I nodded, and I picked out an empty spot by the wall with my eyes. We started walking. ¡°That color looks great on you by the way.¡±

    She beamed, obviously pleased with the compliment. ¡°Thanks! I like your outfit, too. Very dapper.¡±

    She wore a ball gown in a shade of blue that reminded me of the morning sea. I could tell she¡¯d put on more makeup than usual, too, and had even freed her hair from her preferred short pigtails. It had been styled into an elaborate mermaid braid instead.

    Jasmine also had a small Flaaffy as her escort tonight¡ªthe offspring of her Ampharos apparently. Vel was nice enough to let the still young Pokemon clamber onto his back and nap there for a bit, an act to which Jasmine offered an apology and gently squeezed one of Vel¡¯s ribbons.

    I didn¡¯t have to look to know he was secretly happy. He found Jasmine pleasant to be around. It was hard not to like her as a person, honestly, and I was still grateful that she was one of the first friends I made after coming back to Johto.

    ¡°Want me to take pictures of you while we wait for Morty?¡± I offered once we were by the wall.

    ¡°Oh, would you mind?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not too bad at taking pictures if I say so myself,¡± I humbly bragged as I backed away. My phone was angled this way and that as I scrunched my brows. ¡°Maybe you could send one to Volkner later. Say Flaaffy!¡±

    ¡°ARIN!¡± Jasmine gaped at me and blushed instead.

    Click.

    One minute later, Morty came upon the following scene: me begging for mercy, and Jasmine still hitting my shoulder for my previous playful suggestion. He¡¯d come dressed in dark purple formalwear, and he walked up to us now with one slender brow raised and hands tucked into his pockets.

    ¡°I see I missed something?¡± Morty questioned out loud in a voice full of amusement, and Jasmine gave me a don¡¯t you dare look.

    I automatically held my hands up. ¡°Nothing happened.¡±

    Morty¡¯s second brow rose to join the other. ¡°Uh huh.¡±

    Our friend was not alone. A teenage boy finally emerged from his hiding position behind Morty¡¯s back, and he fiddled with his hands. Bugsy looked exceedingly uncomfortable in the light green suit he had on. My guess was that this was only his first or second time having to wear one.

    ¡°Hey, Bugsy.¡±

    ¡°Hi!¡±

    Jasmine and I were both quick to greet the younger boy. He smiled shyly.

    ¡°Hi, guys,¡± he replied, his small voice nearly drowned out by the chatter around us.

    Since we were in the same place for once, us Gym Leaders took advantage of the opportunity to chat and hang out. Topics included things like everyone¡¯s plans for the summer, training plans we had for the gym Pokemon in preparation for the upcoming circuit, and even random things like local gossip.

    ¡°How is working with the Beedrillite coming along, Bugsy?¡± I asked conversationally at one point. We all naturally assumed he¡¯d given it to his Pokemon right away after the last meeting.

    Bugsy perked up, eyes shining with childish excitement.

    ¡°Good, really good!¡± he admitted. Whenever the right topics came up, he managed to shed some of his usual bashfulness. ¡°I¡¯ve had Beedrill for a long time, so we don¡¯t have a problem activating it. It¡¯s just a matter of him, um, learning to adapt to the new form.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Jasmine chimed in, smiling. ¡°I bet he¡¯ll be a force to reckon with in the future.¡±

    Bugsy beamed proudly. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard!¡±

    It was hard not to feel fond of him. He was a good kid.

    Bugsy rambled more about his training and then his town when he ran out of things to say. There was a local legend I found interesting¡ªa forest spirit who was said to inhabit Ilex Forest and reminded me of a Fairy. Sensing my interest in the matter, Bugsy eagerly invited me to hang out sometime in Azalea Town. He even offered to show me around. I¡¯d never been before, so I agreed easily enough.

    Later, the Kanto Gym Leaders arrived and joined us in one large group of their own.

    ¡°How is everyone?¡±

    ¡°Good evening.¡±

    ¡°Hello!¡±

    Greetings, greetings, and more greetings rang out one after another.

    All of the Kanto Gym Leaders had made it aside for a few. Violet was back in Cerulean to watch over the youngest Waterflower sister, Misty. Brock had to stay home with his siblings because one of them caught a fever. Blaine¡­ yeah, no one knew. He hadn¡¯t bothered responding to the invitation at all. Apparently that was normal for him since he liked staying cooped up in his lab at home. I now counted myself lucky that he¡¯d actually bothered making a brief visit on my gym¡¯s grand opening day.

    What surprised me was two people who did come: Surge and Sabrina.

    I hadn¡¯t taken Surge as the type to like formal events like these. I got that right at least. He didn¡¯t, but he came today to show his support for war veterans across Indigo. He even wore an old military uniform of his own and a cap to boot.

    As for Sabrina, I knew she wasn¡¯t good with crowds because she¡¯d told me so before. When I asked if she was okay¡ª

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I can manage,¡± she said with a polite dip of her head. ¡°My father was going to attend on my behalf, but he wanted me to come and spend time with him since I¡¯ve been so busy lately. I thought I¡¯d oblige.¡±

    That was nice of her. ¡°Where is your father now then?¡± I blinked, head turning left and right.

    Still as stoic as ever, Sabrina blinked owlishly at me. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know. Giovanni has been thorough with the security measures for tonight¡¯s event. There¡¯s Dark type energy mixed around the house, so I can¡¯t pick out his presence right now. I assume he¡¯s lost.¡±

    And when I stared at her, she helpfully elaborated. ¡°He¡¯s a psychic, but he has a bad sense of direction.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    That was¡­ kind of funny?

    It was nice chatting with the Kanto Gym Leaders, too. Rarely did I get to interact with them in the first place outside of work.

    ¡°Erika, is that a new perfume?¡± Jasmine suddenly asked, sniffing the air. A few others including me followed suit.

    The Celadon Gym Leader immediately straightened, smiling.

    ¡°It is! This one is produced from my gym¡¯s Bellossom. We¡¯re going to sell it starting next week. It¡¯s called Sweet Opal,¡± Erika explained, and she proceeded to rattle off information about it like a salesperson. I almost wondered if this was a calculated advertising move¡ªwearing the perfume and going around the ballroom with it, at least.

    It definitely gave me more ideas for the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s own revenue. We could make perfume of our own and sell Pokemon byproducts, but we¡¯d have to get them approved by the National Product Safety Bureau first.

    At some point, everyone split up to go roam the ballroom. We were all going to see each other later for dinner anyway. Giovanni had told everyone in advance that there was a table set aside for us, so we decided to make the most of our time until then.

    That meant networking. Lots of it.

    Most of the people Giovanni invited to his charity galas were influential or wealthy figures across Kanto-Johto. Businessmen. Politicians. Heads of nonprofit organizations. Lawyers, doctors, big name social media influencers¡ªyou name it.

    They were there, and they had lots of connections.

    I found myself busy meeting people, exchanging business cards, and snagging advertisement deals for the gym in the process. This was like a gold mine, I realized.

    It also made my brain go to mush after talking to about the hundredth or so person.

    I took a break against the wall next to an elderly woman. My eyes darted around for a waiter with some water I could have, but I paused when I heard loud, rattled coughing sounds to my left. The old woman next to me rubbed furiously at her eyes.

    Alarmed, I grabbed the handkerchief in my breast pocket and offered it to her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked as she took it.

    ¡°Oh, thank you, dearie,¡± she said in a strained voice, coughing again. ¡°Just a lingering cold, not to worry. Something got in my eyes earlier and irritated them.¡±

    No kidding. They were bloodshot as heck and very, very wet with tears. She dabbed at her eyes with one corner of the handkerchief, then used the other clean half to blow her nose.

    ¡°Would you happen to know where the restroom is?¡± the old lady asked after she finished.

    I did not, but that was how I found myself carefully guiding the old woman to her destination. We went out of the ballroom back to the foyer where I flagged down a staff member, and she proceeded to help me escort the old lady to the nearest available restroom. They disappeared inside together.

    I¡¯d have to thank Will later for his keen foresight on bringing a handkerchief. Never would I have thought it¡¯d see the light of actual use.

    First, I had to figure out how to get back to the ballroom.

    I had no idea how, but I took a wrong turn. Giovanni¡¯s villa was massive and confusing enough that it was possible. Instead of the foyer, I found myself in a different hallway on the first floor.

    In my defense, all the hallways looked the same to me. They were all extravagantly decorated, but the halls somehow felt empty. Needlessly long. Lonely.

    Maybe I just needed to keep going. I was bound to circle back around to the foyer.

    I paused halfway down the hall while I was thinking that. There was a realistic painting ¡ª a family portrait, I wagered ¡ª that piqued my interest. It was because it was the only one I¡¯d seen in the whole house so far. There were landscapes, framed photos of wild Pokemon, hanging wall plants¡ªeverything, strangely enough, except for people.

    A beautiful woman with black hair and a heart-shaped face held the hand of a man with short brown curls. From the way they leaned into each other, I deduced they were husband and wife. Licking its paws at the woman¡¯s feet was a small cat with light fur¡ªa Meowth. There was a chair to the Pokemon¡¯s left on which a toddler sat. It was obvious he took after his mother¡¯s looks far more than those of his father.

    They looked happy.

    I studied the art with a thoughtful expression. This could only be the family portrait of¡ª

    Vel yanked my hand hard with a ribbon and told me someone was coming, but the footsteps and voices came even before he spoke.

    ¡°¡­next time,¡± someone said.

    ¡°Yes, until next time. Thank you,¡± a familiar voice replied.

    I blinked as two figures rounded the corner. One was Giovanni, and the other was a man I didn¡¯t recognize. His pink eyes did seem familiar, though. An old-looking Alakazam trailed after them.

    They all stopped and stared at me with obvious surprise. A moment of silence passed.

    ¡°Arin,¡± Giovanni finally said, blinking. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    I tried not to feel embarrassed as I rubbed the back of my neck. ¡°Sorry, I hope you¡¯ll forgive the intrusion. I got lost after helping someone find the restroom.¡±

    All at once, Giovanni¡¯s surprise melted away and went back to his usual smiling expression. He even barked out a laugh. ¡°Understandable. The house is larger than it seems!¡± he said good-naturedly.

    Thank Ho-Oh. He wasn¡¯t angry about me wandering around his house.

    His guest excused himself after a polite bow in my direction. I thought the Alakazam was his, but evidently not. It followed Giovanni as he ambled down the hall in my direction.

    ¡°Is that your Alakazam?¡± I asked curiously.

    The Alakazam nodded on Giovanni¡¯s behalf, but he answered anyway. ¡°He is,¡± he revealed, chuckling. ¡°Why? Is it shocking for a Ground Specialist to have one?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, not at all.¡±

    And I meant it. There were plenty of Specialists who raised Pokemon outside of their chosen type specialty. I was an example of one after all.

    Giovanni hummed to himself as he came to a halt next to me. ¡°He doesn¡¯t battle anymore,¡± he said, ¡°but he was a huge help to me during the Rocket War. You¡¯ll find that most people from my generation¡ªand our elders¡ªhave at least one Psychic type. Most people who fought in the War of Ashes or Rocket War do. It was practically mandatory.¡±

    Suddenly, all the Psychic type Pokemon I¡¯d seen with war veterans back in the ballroom made sense now.

    ¡°Because you needed to protect yourself during a fight,¡± I noted.

    Giovanni nodded in approval. ¡°Indeed. They were our closest aides. We also needed them to shield us from interrogation techniques and mental attacks. Perhaps you already know, but Psychic types were particularly invaluable to Johto during the War of Ashes. They needed a way to defend against the famed Natsume Clan psychics.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t known that actually. History textbooks I¡¯d read in my youth never went that deep.

    ¡°It was a very different time back then,¡± he finished with a grimace, and he lapsed into silence.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. The dark turn our conversation had taken didn¡¯t sit right with either of us, but it was a matter of seeing who would figure out how to navigate it first.

    Giovanni did, bless his soul. Clearing his throat, he raised his gaze to the painting I stood in front of.

    ¡°I see you were looking at the family portrait,¡± he commented. ¡°This was drawn during the War of Ashes believe it or not. My father commissioned it thinking the war would end soon.¡±

    I stared at the portrait again. It was Giovanni and his family after all. There was no way it couldn¡¯t have been given that this was his house and everything. I already knew what had happened to his parents. They were gone. I didn¡¯t know the details regarding his mother, but Orsino Sakaki had perished at the end of the Rocket War.

    ¡°What was he like?¡± I asked softly, hoping it was not too intrusive a question.

    ¡°Gentle,¡± Giovanni readily supplied. He clasped his hands together behind his back, but I didn¡¯t miss the way they shook briefly with emotion. ¡°Very gentle but determined. When there was something he wanted to do, he believed in it with all his heart and poured his entire being into it. He was so excited to teach me about the Ground type that he spent a week building an indoors sandbox I could play in as a baby.¡±

    Hearing mirth enter his voice toward the end, I naturally assumed this was the lead-in to a humorous anecdote. I guessed correctly.

    ¡°Apparently, I crawled out one time and got sand all over my mother¡¯s favorite carpet. She was certainly not pleased with my father after that. He had to work hard to make her happy again,¡± Giovanni smiled at the memory. I snorted with laughter as he continued. ¡°When I was a little older, I got my first real and most treasured present from my father. It was a small wooden hourglass my mother had once gifted him. He engraved words of his own on it for me.¡±

    ¡°Do you still have it?¡±

    ¡°I do. I put it away in storage for a long time, though, and the wood is cracked. I dropped it once after an argument with my father.¡±

    Giovanni pointed out a small detail in the portrait I hadn¡¯t noticed before, some objects on a shelf in the background.

    ¡°You can see it there actually,¡± he revealed.

    Indeed, I saw a small hourglass painted into that moment of time. A momentary silence fell over us as my eyes traced the figures in the painting with renewed wonder.

    ¡°You look like your mother,¡± I complimented.

    It was one that Giovanni graciously accepted with a wide smile. ¡°So I¡¯ve often been told. She was a kind and beautiful woman. My mother didn¡¯t like Pokemon, though.¡±

    The sudden and casual statement from Giovanni had me physically pausing in place. Once it fully registered, my head snapped toward him in surprise.

    ¡°Really?¡± I blinked rapidly.

    ¡°Really,¡± Giovanni echoed with faint amusement. His eyes misted over with nostalgia as he spoke. I got the feeling he wasn¡¯t looking at the painting anymore but somewhere far beyond. ¡°In fact, she hated them. They terrified her, but the love she had for my father was far deeper than her hatred for them. She tried her best to love what he loved. My mother never ended up liking Pokemon in the end, but she did at least adopt a stray Meowth she tolerated.¡±

    Wait a second. A Meowth¡­?

    ¡°Your Persian? Is that the same one?¡± I asked, recalling the cat who had guarded him on our Mount Moon expedition.

    ¡°The very one.¡± Giovanni chuckled. ¡°I remember being shocked when I was a child. Young as I was, even I could tell my mother didn¡¯t like Pokemon, but she suddenly adopted a Meowth one day and tried to care for it.¡±

    ¡°Love is powerful,¡± I mused out loud.

    Another breathy chuckle left the man beside me. ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s powerful enough to change people. To this day, I still wonder how my parents ever managed to fall in love. A man who dedicated his life to Pokemon and a woman who couldn¡¯t stand them.¡±

    It was a classic example of opposites attract. A popular trope and debunked myth¡­ except Giovanni¡¯s parents had made it work and happen.

    ¡°It¡¯s a moving story,¡± I voiced my honest thoughts out loud. ¡°Romantic.¡±

    Giovanni smiled. Whether it was at me or to himself, I had no way of knowing.

    ¡°My father loved her so very much,¡± he murmured. For every word he spoke, I heard another trace of grief slip through. ¡°So did I. She was taken from us far too soon. She worked as a nurse at a small hospital here in Viridian, but when the War of Ashes began, my mother volunteered to work in the field. A few months before the war ended, she got struck by a stray Pokemon attack. She survived, but it left her with lasting internal injuries.¡±

    I almost didn¡¯t want him to finish, but all stories had to eventually end.

    ¡°We only got a few more years with her before she passed away.¡±

    It was quiet.

    So quiet that, for a moment, I thought I could hear Giovanni¡¯s heartbeat. When I chanced a look at the older man, I saw him staring at the painting with his emotions laid bare on his face.

    There was regret, yearning, grief, and a dozen more emotions I would never be able to place.

    The Viridian Gym Leader was normally so dignified and composed that it was uncomfortable to see him show such vulnerability for once.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± I murmured, voice barely above a whisper. I almost felt afraid to speak. ¡°And¡­ thank you for sharing so much with me.¡±

    It must have been hard was what I thought.

    A terribly long silence passed before Giovanni spoke again. During that time, he closed his eyes briefly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Giovanni finally rumbled with a dip of his head. ¡°I suppose I feel comfortable sharing this with you, Arin, because you remind me of myself when I was younger.¡±

    The admission left me temporarily stunned. ¡°How so?¡± I eventually made myself say.

    The corners of his lips quirked upwards into a small but genuine smile. ¡°A passionate, warmhearted, and bright young man who wants what¡¯s best for Indigo. That is how I see you, Arin.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that describe you right now, though?¡± I questioned.

    Giovanni arched a dark brow. ¡°Even the ¡®young man¡¯ part?¡±

    Flustered, I tried to come up with something, anything. ¡°Like I said before¡ª¡±

    I stopped when Giovanni burst with deep laughter, clapping a warm hand on my shoulder in the process.

    ¡°It was merely a jest. I didn¡¯t mean to put you on the spot,¡± he chortled out. ¡°Those words may still describe me right now, but I feel it gets harder for me every year to keep them true. Sometimes I even worry I¡¯m not doing enough. I want to do what I can in place of my father.¡±

    ¡°He would be proud of you,¡± I instantly assured him, raising a brow. Did he seriously not think he was doing enough? He was widely respected in Indigo for everything he¡¯d done over the years. ¡°You¡¯ve done great work for Indigo.¡±

    ¡°I wonder, would he? I feel like it¡¯s never enough,¡± he confessed, hand dropping from my shoulder. Giovanni¡¯s dark eyes went back to staring at the painting¡ªthis time focusing on his father¡¯s figure. ¡°As much as I looked up to my father, I also resent him. His legacy left a deep impact on Indigo. I want to do better.¡±

    That was a strong choice of words to use. Not for the first time, I felt a deep respect for the man standing next to me.

    He wasn¡¯t satisfied with what he¡¯d already accomplished. He wanted to do even more.

    I needed to take a page out of his book and become even more ambitious myself.

    As if he¡¯d only just realized what he said, Giovanni coughed lightly into his fist.

    ¡°Anyway, I apologize for having kept you for so long, Arin. Thank you for humoring me and staying to listen to me ramble,¡± he told me with a smile.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, I rather enjoyed our conversation. I¡¯m sorry again for wandering around.¡±

    Giovanni dismissed the apology with a wave of his calloused hand. ¡°It was a pleasant chat,¡± he agreed, smiling. ¡°We should be off to the ballroom now. Dinner will be served soon. I hope you¡¯re excited for the live auction.¡±

    ¡°May I ask what¡¯s being auctioned?¡± I asked with no small amount of curiosity. We were already walking down the hall together back to the foyer. Giovanni¡¯s Alakazam had shuffled away in the opposite direction presumably to rest, walk, or who knew what.

    Giovanni usually disclosed to his guests ahead of time what was going to be auctioned in his charity gala events, but he hadn¡¯t on this occasion because of the whole Mount Moon fiasco. It had been too late to run a long and effective advertising campaign on social media by the time we got back.

    His eyes now twinkled with a playful gleam.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± he trailed off, pretending to think. ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to tell you a little. Today¡¯s auction has a random assortment of items that used to belong to my father. Things he loved or collected. Paintings and pottery and the like.¡±

    My eyes widened a little. ¡°Are you okay with auctioning those off instead of keeping them with you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not hold onto them,¡± he admitted. ¡°They remind me too much of my father. The proceeds will go to a good cause, too.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t fault him. Sometimes, memories were too painful.

    We chatted idly on our way back to the ballroom, but once we actually got there, we had to split up. Reception time was dwindling. I was escorted by a staff member to my assigned seating while Giovanni went off to get ready. He had to give introductory remarks before dinner was officially served.

    The Indigo Gym Leaders were already seated at a table reserved for us. I exchanged greetings with them as I sat down between Jas and Morty, but not before I glanced with confusion at the one new face in our midst.

    A man was seated next to Sabrina. It was the same dark-haired man I¡¯d seen in the hallway with Giovanni. He caught me staring and smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Leader Arin. I didn¡¯t get a chance to officially introduce myself earlier,¡± he beamed. ¡°I¡¯m Sabrina¡¯s father, Yuma Natsume. I hope you don¡¯t mind me intruding on this private gathering. No national secrets to be shared, I hope?¡±

    The joke made me crack a smile of my own. ¡°No. You¡¯re welcome to sit here with us.¡±

    A flash of recognition went off in my head now that I knew his name. This was the former Gym Leader of Saffron City. Now that I looked more closely at him and his daughter sitting side-by-side, they really did look alike. Sabrina definitely got her unique eyes from him.

    Said woman looked between me and her father with a raised brow. ¡°Father, did you meet Leader Arin earlier? When you were lost perhaps?¡± The way she spoke that last phrase was very dry indeed, as if she was both amused and yet fed up with the sort of antics her father got up to.

    Yuma simultaneously coughed and scratched his cheek with an awkward expression.

    ¡°I apologized, did I not? I¡¯ll try not to wander around next time,¡± he whispered to his daughter. In a louder voice, he addressed both of us. ¡°Yes, I met Leader Arin earlier while I was talking to a friend.¡±

    When I stared curiously at him, he elaborated. ¡°Giovanni and I go back a long way. We even fought side-by-side in the Rocket War together.¡±

    Speaking further with Sabrina¡¯s father only filled me with more surprise. He was so outwardly bright and cheerful compared to his daughter that it was like night and day, but I knew his inner self was probably more disciplined than any other given that he was a human psychic and specialist.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid to bring up the contrast between himself and his daughter of his own accord, either.

    ¡°You must be thinking how different I am from Sabrina, yes?¡± he guffawed with a tilt of his head. ¡°Ah, no need to give me that panicked look. I get that all the time from people! I¡¯m proud of Sabrina. She¡¯s my pride and joy and perhaps the strongest Natsume of all time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a powerful psychic in your own right, father. I still have much to learn from you,¡± Sabrina countered softly with closed eyes. I wondered if all the stimuli from the gala was finally getting to her.

    ¡°See? My pride and joy. She¡¯s even humble,¡± Yuma grinned. ¡°I only have a few tricks up my sleeve that she hasn¡¯t learned yet. Everything else has been soaked up and made her own like the genius she is.¡±

    He was definitely a caring father. I smiled to myself as I listened to him brag more about his daughter, but I did a double take at one point.

    I could have sworn I saw Sabrina smile into her glass of water, but her stoic expression made me think I hallucinated things.

    Minutes later, the lively conversation at our table came to a halt as a small bell chimed. All eyes turned to the front of the ballroom where Giovanni stood at a podium and microphone.

    He spoke as soon as it grew quiet enough.

    ¡°Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining this evening¡¯s charity gala hosted in my name,¡± Giovanni began. ¡°All proceeds and donations from tonight¡¯s festivities will be given to Indigo¡¯s very own Kihono House Foundation. Tonight, we have gathered not only to celebrate the spirit of Indigo, but to stand united and make a true difference in our community. Tonight¡­ we honor the brave men and women who fought for their country in years past.¡±

    He had the attention of the whole ballroom as he swept a serious gaze over the audience. His somber tone made the silence even more prevalent.

    ¡°The peace we enjoy today is thanks to the sacrifices of many selfless heroes. We must never forget that,¡± he told us. ¡°We must never forget how that peace was earned. I humbly ask you to join me now for a moment of silence. Let us honor all heroes¡ªthose still with us and beyond.¡±

    Heads bowed in the audience without further prompting, mine included. Eyes closed.

    I listened to the thump, thump of my heart for a long time before Giovanni finally continued.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he spoke into the microphone. At the sound of his voice, we all straightened. ¡°May we cherish the peaceful times of our beloved Indigo, and may we safeguard them in place of those who cannot.¡±

    He smiled warmly and held a hand out to us.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    On cue, waiters appeared by the dozen with carts full of steaming food and drinks. Giovanni joined us at our table as the first dishes on the menu were handed out.

    It was an Arceus damned multi-course dinner. Jellyfish salad, sea urchin tossed in a vinaigrette, oxtail soup with eggplant, seasonal platters¡ªfrom appetizers to palate cleansers and substantial dishes, they didn¡¯t miss a thing. I could have missed both breakfast and lunch today and still not have enough room for everything.

    Fortunately, there were live performances to help offset any digestion issues or eating worries.

    I took my time consuming the dishes that came out one by one, eyes glued to the stage where the evening entertainment commenced. There was a mix of stand-up comedy, jazz bands and an acapella group, and even some troupe performers Giovanni had hired. I chatted with the others during intermissions while Vel napped at my feet, too full from eating his own share of food to stay awake.

    I honestly felt like I was going to join him by the time guest speakers came up on stage. They were representatives of the Kihono House Foundation, and they ran everyone through their organization¡¯s goals and achievements before humbly requesting donations.

    We all clapped at the end of their speech. I saw people sit up straighter in their seats as staff members started setting things up on stage. Others went around tables randomly distributing plastic sticks with bold, black numbers on them¡ªbid paddles. The one I got was labeled 268.

    Tonight¡¯s main event, the live auction, was starting.

    ¡°Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It¡¯s time for what I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all been waiting for: the live auction!¡± A man exclaimed from the podium. Smiling slyly, he waited for the wave of enthusiastic clapping to die down before adjusting his bowtie. ¡°I¡¯m Jakob, and I¡¯ll be your auctioneer for tonight. There is a grand total of fifty-four items up for sale. Payments and item pickups may be made after the auction¡¯s conclusion.¡±

    He ran us through other guidelines while a staffer behind him rolled a cart covered with cloth onto the stage.

    ¡°¡­and finally, each item tonight once belonged to the former Viridian Gym Leader and Hero Orsino Sakaki! Please do thank our esteemed host, Giovanni Sakaki, for his generous contributions,¡± Jakob revealed, and he gestured to Giovanni in the audience. A wave of appreciation followed. Our table clapped especially hard for him as he dipped his head in a small nod. ¡°Without further ado, let¡¯s begin.¡±

    The staff member waiting behind him on the stage took the cloth off his cart and revealed a beautiful vase with a wavy rim. Close-up images of it were blown up on portable projector screens.

    ¡°Lot number one is a vase from the Eishu era. This gorgeous vase is made from porcelain and features delicate patterning inspired by a mountain lake. It was crafted by the famous Kyoya Heizen as a gift for his son¡¯s marriage¡­¡± Jakob carefully explained, and he went on a little longer before exhaling. ¡°The starting bid is fifty thousand Pokedollars.¡±

    One by one, people eagerly raised their bid paddles in the audience.

    ¡°Fifty thousand.¡±

    ¡°Sixty thousand.¡±

    ¡°Eighty thousand!¡±

    It eventually came down to two ladies in the end, but only one of them could win.

    ¡°Going once, going twice¡­ Sold! Lot number one goes to bidder number 390 for two hundred fifty thousand Pokedollars!¡± Jakob swiftly declared in a loud, booming voice.

    The competition was already fierce, and it was only the first item to go. It was on the lower end of winning bids, too.

    The auctioneer steadily made his way through the list of objects he had to sell. Every single item up for auction turned out to be something rather incredible. Whether it had artistic, practical, or historical value ¡ª or even a mix of all three ¡ª every item was worth bidding for in some shape or form. There was a famous painting of a woman with a Vileplume that Erika won for a staggering one point five million Pokedollars, a velvet chair that Orsino used to keep in his office and which sold for nine hundred thousand Pokedollars, a full tableware set studded with gems that some gentleman collector bought for two million¡­

    I wasn¡¯t idle of course. The whole point of me coming here was because I believed this was a good cause to contribute money to. I bid on a few items I was interested in, mostly gifts for dad and stuff we could display around the house. I only won two lots since I tried to stay within a reasonable budget¡ªa pair of guinomi cups used to serve sake and a small, patterned flower pot that I could tell Erika was also interested in but graciously let me have.

    All the other Gym Leaders bid on and won at least one item, too. The most drama we had was Sabrina and Morty having a friendly bidding war over a stone bowl, one that a former psychic supposedly used for scrying purposes.

    Sabrina ended up folding.

    Well over two hours passed before the auction crawled to its end.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, here is our final item for the night,¡± Jakob said cheerfully into the microphone. I had to commend the man for managing to stay upbeat and focused this whole time. People sitting at nearby tables leaned in with anticipation for what was sure to be something as luxurious as all the others. ¡°Lot number fifty-four!¡±

    The staffer behind him timed the last item¡¯s reveal to the words. My eyes widened when I saw the object that had been hidden underneath the cloth.

    It was¡ª

    ¡°Lot number fifty-four is a five-minute hourglass in fair but working condition. As you can see from the screens behind me, there are noticeable cracks in the base of the wood and some minor discoloration. It was made out of vida evergreen wood by an unknown local artisan here in Viridian City over fifty years ago,¡± Jakob explained, and that was it for the introduction.

    The silence that followed his short and simple explanation was one rife with puzzlement.

    I could already tell everyone in the ballroom was thinking: that was it? A seemingly unremarkable, damaged hourglass made by a no-name artisan and ordinary wood that had no story to go with it?

    It did have a story, but no one knew it. Nobody else knew the significance of the plain hourglass displayed on a cart up there.

    It was a secret known only to two: Giovanni and me.

    That hourglass was the first and most meaningful gift his father had given him. I couldn¡¯t believe he was willing to let go of something like that. I cast a look over at where he sat on the other side of the circular table, but he stared straight ahead with a calm expression. If he noticed me staring, then he didn¡¯t show it.

    I wondered why he hadn¡¯t told the auctioneer more details about it in order to raise the value, but then I realized maybe he didn¡¯t want to share that story to the world in the first place.

    It was a private tale with memories buried inside him.

    Or maybe¡­ maybe he wanted to see if anyone would find meaning where others could not.

    Maybe he wondered if someone would see not with their eyes but with their heart.

    ¡°There is no starting bid for this item. Any takers?¡± The auctioneer inquired.

    Among a sea of silent faces and still figures, a single paddle rose.

    ¡°One hundred thousand,¡± I enunciated clearly.

    It wasn¡¯t just the other guests that turned to look at me with surprise. Jas, Morty, and all the Gym Leaders at our table openly showed their shock, too.

    Everyone except Giovanni. He hadn¡¯t looked away from the stage.

    The auctioneer smoothly took my words in stride and carried on. ¡°I have a bid of one hundred thousand Pokedollars! Anyone else?¡±

    Perhaps they thought that a Gym Leader showing interest meant the item was secretly valuable, but some people raised paddles after me.

    ¡°One hundred twenty thousand.¡±

    ¡°One hundred forty thousand.¡±

    I let them go on and thought to myself for a bit. Then, without hesitation, I held up my paddle again.

    ¡°Five hundred thousand.¡±

    Nobody else challenged me after that. They didn¡¯t want to pay that much for a cracked hourglass of unknown origins, but the massive jump in price didn¡¯t end there.

    My paddle remained in the air.

    ¡°Five hundred thousand¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to double my bid and raise it to one million Pokedollars,¡± I politely interrupted the auctioneer.

    Gasps rang out as people stared at me with incredulity. Next to me, Morty almost choked on his water.

    And still, Giovanni stared at the stage.

    Jakob the auctioneer was a professional. With a relaxed smile and his gavel held at the ready, he swept his eyes across the room.

    ¡°We have a bid of six hundred thousand,¡± he stated. ¡°Going¡­ going¡­¡±

    My eyes were trained on the little item I was willing to drop a sizable amount of money for. Both the hourglass and the cause my money would be going to was worth it. I wanted that hourglass because I appreciated the meaning behind it. The weight behind its existence, the emotions that had once been poured into it¡­

    Fairies knew the importance of stories.

    ¡°Gone.¡±

    Jakob lowered his gavel with a sharp bang.

    ¡°Sold for one million Pokedollars to bidder number 268!¡±

    The resulting applause was absolutely thunderous. Respectful looks mixed with awe and shock were directed my way from across the room. Though my winning bid was far from being the highest one, everyone respected my act of raising my own bid. It was a wonderful show of generosity and the desire to contribute to tonight¡¯s cause.

    I focused more on Giovanni than the clapping sounds in my ears.

    He clapped more softly than the others because his attention was on the hourglass being carted away from the stage. He looked lonely for some reason. Small. I didn¡¯t know what to make of the expression on his face as he watched the hourglass disappear behind a door, nor the small and indescribable smile he wore.

    Bittersweet, perhaps, or relieved.

    While the auctioneer talked, he got up slowly to walk to the stage.

    ¡°That concludes tonight¡¯s live auction. What an exciting one it was!¡± Jakob informed everyone with a bright smile. ¡°Dear guests, please come collect your winning bids through the door over there after final remarks from our host.¡±

    In a smooth transition, he and Giovanni swapped places at the podium. What I¡¯d seen before seemed like it had been a mirage. He¡¯d gone back to looking like his usual dignified self.

    ¡°I¡¯m deeply grateful to every one of you for attending tonight¡¯s gala and showing your support for the Kihono House Foundation,¡± Giovanni thanked. ¡°Tonight, you have made a difference in our community.¡±

    He gestured to a staffer waiting nearby. A moment later, the projector screens behind him displayed two different numbers. One was for the auction proceeds, and the other signaled separate donations made by guests.

    Then he gestured again, and the screen combined them into a total of over ten million Pokedollars raised tonight.

    It was a stunningly large number that would be a huge help to the war veterans of Indigo.

    ¡°And, like every event I host, I will be matching tonight¡¯s grand total for this wonderful cause,¡± Giovanni added, smiling.

    Arceus. My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. Just how wealthy was Giovanni, and did his generosity ever end? That was going to be a grand total of twenty million Pokedollars for the Kihono House Foundation. Everyone unanimously rose from their seats and clapped furiously for the Viridian Gym Leader.

    He was still smiling as he fought to be heard over all the noise.

    ¡°Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone here for coming together in the spirit of Indigo. I wish everyone a safe journey home¡­¡±

    And so, the charity gala came to a close.

    It was past midnight. I said my goodbyes to everyone who was eager to go home and sleep, nudged Vel awake, and then picked my way through the crowd to the door where I needed to be. Ten minutes later, I¡¯d deposited the funds for my winning bid and collected a beautiful box in green and gold hues. The items I¡¯d won were carefully stored inside with protective cushioning.

    I looked for Giovanni on my way out of the building. He was busy bidding goodbye to guests, but the moment he saw me, he stopped what he was doing to walk over.

    ¡°Arin, thank you for your contributions tonight. They were certainly not small ones,¡± Giovanni praised.

    I was sort of wealthy, but tonight had definitely taken a dent out of my personal savings.

    I would have shaken Giovanni¡¯s hand if I could. Instead, I offered a smile in return and shifted the box I held so that it was more secure in my arms. ¡°They were for a good cause. Also¡­ I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡±

    And by ¡®it,¡¯ he and I both knew I was talking about the hourglass.

    Giovanni¡¯s response was putting a hand on my shoulder and gently squeezing it. Dark eyes full of memories I would never know looked into mine.

    ¡°It¡¯s yours now. Do what you want with it.¡±

    <hr>

    Clefairy was still awake when I came back home. With fluttering wings, she asked Vel to recount the events of the charity gala¡ªa request to which the Sylveon begrudgingly obliged.

    They were still chatting when I came out of the shower.

    My eyelids were already drooping, but I managed to stay awake long enough to look over my newest possession. Carefully, I held an hourglass in my hand and looked it over.

    One of the bases had two large cracks that almost completely ran from one side to the other. Looking at them gave me some ideas. I also saw faded colors in some areas, but the object was otherwise in fairly good condition as previously stated.

    What I really looked for, though, were the words Giovanni had mentioned in our private conversation. I found them inscribed on the other side of the base that had cracks. I repeated them a few times out loud to myself.

    The words lingered in my mind long after I hauled myself into bed and drifted away.

    Ground is the beginning and the end, and what all things ultimately return to.

    - O.S.

    <hr>

    The following day was a restless one for multiple reasons. There were errands to run and the first mandatory training session at the League to go to, but those were small in the grand scheme of things.

    Mostly, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about my visit to Mount Moon in the evening. My gifts ¡ª only the highest quality Moon Stones imported from other regions ¡ª had arrived earlier and would be given to Mountain Weaver and her Clan.

    My morning also brought with it unexpected visitors.

    ¡°Looker? Mint?¡± I blinked at the two figures who were shown into my office. Never had I expected this pair of people to drop by.

    ¡°Leader Arin,¡± Looker greeted with a polite smile. Mint followed suit with one of his own. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve been doing well since coming back from Mount Moon.¡±

    ¡°I have. So what brings you to Cherrygrove?¡± I asked as I rose from my seat. I didn¡¯t think this was an appropriate time for pleasantries considering this combination of people.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been investigating cities and towns across Johto for signs of Rocket activity,¡± Mint explained.

    Oh, I remembered hearing something like that from Chuck before now that I thought about it.

    ¡°Did you finish investigating my city just now?¡± I guessed.

    Looker offered a brief salute. ¡°We did. I hope you¡¯ll be pleased to know that we didn¡¯t find anything suspicious. Granted, we aren¡¯t being as thorough as we¡¯d like because we¡¯re doing broad, preliminary searches across the country first.¡±

    I nodded slowly. Well, I supposed you had to take good news where you could.

    ¡°We were wondering if you¡¯d escort us to Kanto,¡± Looker continued, and this was where my brows shot up.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go by yourselves?¡±

    A look of embarrassment washed over Looker¡¯s face. He cleared his throat with some struggle. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ How do I put it¡­ The Indigo League doesn¡¯t seem to trust us completely yet. They don¡¯t let us move on their own. Usually, Champion Lance has one of his Elite Four guide us around if we leave the Plateau.¡±

    I was careful not to let my face betray any of my emotions or thoughts. Ah, so they¡¯d noticed Lance¡¯s wariness after all. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t have. He and the League weren¡¯t exactly being discreet about the matter.

    ¡°And so where is your Elite Four escort now? Should you not have one with you, then, according to your words?¡± I pretended this was news to me. As much as I liked Interpol and found them trustworthy, my duty was to the Indigo League first and foremost.

    ¡°Bruno was with us until a few moments ago,¡± Mint smoothly cut in. ¡°He had to return to the Plateau and join a squad of new League Trainers investigating the northern part of Kanto. He suggested we ask you to be our temporary guide for the day.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Looker coughed, ¡°we understand this comes out of the blue and that you must be very busy preparing for the next League Circuit. We¡¯re prepared to go back to the Plateau if you decline, but we¡¯d appreciate it if you could spare even an hour or two to let us continue our investigations.¡±

    I tapped a finger against my arm, thinking. Hmm¡­ I was busy, but they also seemed so desperate to be out and proving their usefulness¡­

    ¡°Hold on for a bit. I need to check something,¡± I finally said. The Interpol agents were more than willing to comply and sat down obediently on the couch.

    What I meant was contacting Lance. I turned away from them and pulled out my phone to text the Champion. He answered within the minute.

    He also wrote a freaking mini essay. At that point, he should have just sent an audio message.

    Lance [10:16 AM] ¡ú They found out? Oops. Regardless, it¡¯s up to you if you want to humor their request for a bit. All of the Elite Four are out on business. Bruno is the one who usually accompanies them, but he won¡¯t be back until tonight if they still want to do any investigating then.

    If you DO go with them to Kanto, though, could you drop by Cinnabar Island for me and check up on Blaine? Please tell him to answer his damned phone. I¡¯ve dealt with him not responding to messages or calls for days at a time before, and I¡¯m assuming he¡¯s probably absorbed in his studies about R2, but I did NOT ask him to ignore the rest of the world while he researches it.

    Lance sounded very sure I¡¯d end up going to Kanto.

    He was right, but it was only because of what he sent me. I figured I¡¯d help our poor, overworked Champion out.

    I looked up at the two Interpol agents staring hopefully at me from the other side of the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you guys to Kanto,¡± I announced, but I held up a hand before they could thank me. ¡°Only for a bit, though.¡±

    I started moving toward the door with quick, purposeful strides.

    ¡°And I hope you¡¯re fine with investigating Cinnabar Island first.¡±

    <hr>

    10:13 AM. Personal Laboratory, Cinnabar Gym. Cinnabar Island, Kanto.

    Fuji was dead.

    Though Blaine typically isolated himself in his gym slash laboratory on Cinnabar Island, and even though he was notoriously bad at checking his phone, he still had ways of getting news about the outside world. The murder that had shaken Lavender Town reached his ears moments after the news surfaced online.

    Fuji was dead.

    Contrary to what people believed, Blaine was capable of feeling emotions as much as anyone else. He just kept them buried inside his heart. Before disbelief, and before sorrow, it was a cold, empty feeling that spread throughout his whole body when he thought about how Fuji was gone. Someday, he would follow his old friend to the grave as well.

    Fuji was¡­ well and truly dead.

    Living through two different wars did things to someone. You started to forget how to grieve.

    Many things bothered Blaine these days. They were the reasons why he¡¯d holed up at home recently and shut himself away from the outside. He was constantly thinking, constantly paranoid¡ªtraits others scoffed at, yet they¡¯d saved his ass more times than he could count.

    But now more than ever¡­ he needed a quiet space to think.

    That Rocket Executive with red hair. Ariana. There was something about her that felt familiar. Blaine had never seen her before in his life, but he felt he knew her somehow. There was a long forgotten person she reminded him of. The fact that she was a Fire Specialist lent some credence to the idle thought he entertained.

    Ha. A Fire Specialist. He would have to see her fight first because she could ever hope to claim that title.

    Fire was dangerous, and he was not simply speaking from his own specialist experience. The image of Flames flashed behind his eyelids¡ª

    Nope. He blinked them away before they could sear his brain.

    Blaine did hate Ariana with a burning passion, that he knew for sure at least. To create a drug like R2 was all the reason he needed.

    R2, oh that blasted R2. Blaine was nowhere close to creating a cure for it. It was far more complex of a drug than its predecessor, Red. He was going to need more time and samples if he wanted to concoct even the first trial version of a cure. Was it inappropriate that he found the challenge fun? Hmm, perhaps he was a strange one. Best not to let Lance know he thought that way.

    Blaine was still wondering how he was going to break the news to Lance and the League. He hadn¡¯t told them everything about Red before. It was because both truths and his own suspicions alike would have left the League back then in near shambles. And now, with the emergence of R2, there was no room for doubt. He¡¯d studied its structure. He had to come clean.

    Against his will, he had unknowingly contributed to the creation of the drugs Team Rocket used, and it made his blood boil in a way that should have been impossible in his old age.

    There was one last thing that bothered Blaine these days, and it bothered him to the point where he couldn¡¯t sleep.

    Those strange psychic shields the others had encountered. The energy felt on National Day.

    Psychic. Human. Pokemon. Artificial. Psychic.

    Fuji being murdered.

    Psychic. Powerful. Team Rocket. R2.

    Rinse and repeat. The gears in his head stuttered and spun.

    His eccentric brain had been working overtime these last few days ever since the last meeting. No matter if he ate, slept, studied R2, or simply breathed, thoughts about psychic psychic psychic pervaded his mind.

    There was a thought that had finally wormed its way inside his head today, one that made him almost forget how to breathe and caused him to go weak in the knees. It made the old burn scars that covered his arm ¡ª what were considered gentle warnings from their maker in the War of Ashes ¡ª ache and burn and scream anew all over again.

    A dangerous thought. A seemingly foolish thought.

    He didn¡¯t want to expand on it because it scared him like nothing else.

    Focus, Blaine told himself, but his mind drifted to Fuji being murdered once again.

    Was it perhaps possible Fuji wasn¡¯t the only one? Had anyone else been murdered? Were they alive and living well? Was there more deaths to back up his suspicions?

    But he hadn¡¯t heard of any other murder incidents. He had ways of getting news about the outside world, yes, but he only bothered keeping track of the unusual kind.

    He didn¡¯t keep in contact with anyone else anymore. Hadn¡¯t for years. They¡¯d all drifted apart and mutually¡­ voluntarily¡­ let it happen. Interacting with or even thinking about each other would have reminded them of things. They let themselves drift apart because of the invisible weight that would always bear down on them.

    A Sin.

    Blaine tapped a finger against his leg, frowning.

    This wasn¡¯t good. Maybe it was the lack of sleep affecting him and making his thoughts even more erratic than usual today. Maybe he needed a nap.

    Or maybe he could do just a little more research on R2 while thinking up a maelstrom of thoughts again.

    His personal laboratory was a part of the Cinnabar Gym itself and covered sections of the first, second, and third floors. With surprisingly spry steps, he marched up the stairs to the part of his lab on the second floor. Ninetales and Flareon followed him. Lights bounced off polished tiled flooring as they made their way past tables and counters full of bubbling liquids inside vials, scattered papers, microscopes, and every manner of scientific equipment known to man. He needed to grab some new and untainted R2 samples from his office.

    Blaine saw the door to his office coming up¡ª

    And he paused, feet lingering just a few steps shy of the doorway.

    Past the open door held ajar by a doorstop, he saw the samples where he¡¯d left them on the table. That wasn¡¯t what he was looking at.

    The office was completely normal, completely silent, and yet completely not right.

    Blaine was very particular when it came to aspects of his living space and even more when it came to his laboratory. His office looked perfectly messy as was par for the course for him.

    Too perfectly messy. The papers on his office desk had also been moved about thirty degrees to the left.

    Someone had been in his office¡ª

    No¡­ That wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked.

    They were still here.

    Blaine waited patiently and with eyes narrowed at the space beyond the door. Seconds passed, but he did not budge from where he stood. His Pokemon were already ready to go at a moment¡¯s notice behind him.

    The only reason he didn¡¯t simply blast his office into smithereens right now was because his instincts told him there was probably some sort of trap laid in there, and he was not going to be rash and spring it¡ª

    ¡°Yikes,¡± a male voice finally spoke, and Blaine tensed all over again. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t have expected this kind of trick to work on an esteemed war veteran like you. Your senses are too sharp.¡±

    Blaine watched as the air in the back of the room shifted in place. A figure stepped out from in front of the cabinet shelf, but it was like he was cut out of the page of a comic book. The colors of the cabinet shelf went with him leaving the actual furniture itself without any color, but it didn¡¯t stay that way for long. The colors twisted off the uninvited guest like oil sliding off water and plopped back into the cabinet.

    Blaine could finally see what the intruder looked like¡­ and it was his gym trainer, Kojiro, or the outer appearance at least.

    ¡°Is that how you infiltrated my gym? By showing up as one of my gym trainers?¡± Blaine asked in a cutting tone. There was probably way more to the infiltration process given how tight Blaine made security around his gym, but there wasn¡¯t time for that right now. ¡°You must be the person who infiltrated the League last time.¡±

    The other figure¡¯s eyes widened with genuine surprise. He even whistled out loud.

    ¡°They don¡¯t call you the Brain of Indigo for nothing, do they?¡± He mused. ¡°Scary, scary¡­ I¡¯m sorry for borrowing this face by the way, and the whole unannounced visit thing. You¡¯re too big of a threat for me to come charging in head-on.¡±

    ¡°You do realize killing a Gym Leader is going to make the Indigo League bear their hammer down on Team Rocket, yes?¡± Blaine questioned. He didn¡¯t usually bother talking to enemies, but he needed to get as much intel as possible for the League. ¡°You¡¯ll fall against the might of the whole League. It¡¯ll be instant war.¡±

    The Rocket quickly waved a hand through the air. ¡°Oh no, no. You¡¯ve got it wrong. As much as we wouldn¡¯t mind a war, I¡¯m not here to kill you. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible, so I¡¯ve made that my secondary goal. My main objective is something else.¡±

    ¡°And that would be?¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing,¡± he smiled, ¡°but I¡¯ll play along since you won¡¯t remember any of this in a bit.¡±

    He tapped the side of his head with a finger.

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a quick little peek in your brain and rip all the dangerous knowledge out. I would like to kill you, though, if only so that someone would shut up back home. The screams get annoying.¡±

    Blaine stared at him, mind whirling with thoughts.

    Fuji murdered. Them targeting him now. Information. Psychic. Red. R2.

    And suddenly, everything clicked in the worst possible way.

    Blaine wanted to close his eyes and laugh like a broken record. It turned out that little dangerous thought he came up with earlier had some substance after all.

    Instead, he smiled at the Rocket.

    The Rocket Executive blinked owlishly at him. ¡°Huh? Why are you smiling?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you wretched fools,¡± Blaine murmured. ¡°You¡¯re playing with fire.¡±

    He had no idea if the Rocket managed to hear him or not. He was too busy piecing together the rest of the puzzle on how Team Rocket had found out about their Sin and successfully continued it.

    ¡°Why did you pick up where we left off?¡±

    The room exploded with hot, sweltering flames.

    <hr>

    There was no time.

    Communications were jammed.

    Teleportation was impossible because the room was blocked in with Dark type energy.

    And help was still nowhere in sight. Blaine was starting to think his gym trainers got intercepted.

    He hadn¡¯t underestimated the Rocket.

    He just hadn¡¯t known there was a second one hiding in the space between this world and the Beyond. That was something only Agatha could do for a prolonged period of time. After fighting, Blaine knew they were both Executives now. He could take one, but he couldn¡¯t take two.

    The best his Pokemon could do was stall for time. The enemy was closing in.

    Injured, bleeding, but still armed with his wits, Blaine knew he had to do something as he recalled yet another one of his Pokemon. It seemed likely that today was going to be the day that he followed Fuji to the grave.

    He was going to try his hardest not to, but he wanted insurance. He had a duty to pass on information.

    No writing utensil. He just had to make his own then.

    Blaine brought his finger up to his mouth, bit hard enough to draw blood, and then wrote fast on the inside of his lab coat.

    Two more Pokemon eventually fell, and he wrote faster. There was no time, he had to make it short¡ª

    He had just flipped his coat back in place when a psychic force slammed him against the wall.

    Pain followed as the mental shields around his brain began to crack.

 Chapter 53 â€” The Story of...

    CHAPTER 53 ¡ª The Story of...

    Our flight to Kanto was peaceful. Dragonite was large and strong enough to carry three adults without a problem, but she took things slower because two of her passengers weren¡¯t good with high speeds. Well, marginally slower. Looker and Mint were trained, hardened law enforcement agents who¡¯d probably seen a lot of crazy stuff during their careers, but they still looked queasy as we blurred past open waters. About ten minutes later, we finally hovered in the sky above Cinnabar.

    It was an island off the southern coast of Kanto and larger than I would have ever expected. Dense, sprawling forests sloped upwards over mountains and rocky terrain, and they cradled the massive volcano Cinnabar was known for. The island¡¯s only settlement, Cinnabar Town, was wisely situated far away from it and hugged the sea.

    I wanted to relay Lance¡¯s complaints, and Looker and Mint wanted to greet and chat with the island¡¯s overseer before beginning any investigations. To kill two Pidgey with one stone, we had to find Blaine Katsura.

    That meant looking for the Cinnabar Gym.

    It wasn¡¯t anywhere close to town, oh no. Far from it¡ªliterally. The gym was practically on the opposite side of the island. According to information I¡¯d read online before and a bit of hearsay, it hadn¡¯t always existed there. The Cinnabar Gym had actually been demolished and reconstructed a few different times. The original building used to be near town, but it got destroyed in an earthquake and had to be rebuilt. Decades later, when the gym ended up in a young Blaine Katsura¡¯s hands, he smashed the whole thing down because he wasn¡¯t fond of its prime spot in a noisy seaside town. His action appalled the Kanto League at the time and would have gotten him kicked out of their ranks if they hadn¡¯t valued both his brain and skill as a trainer. It also further solidified Blaine¡¯s reputation as an eccentric because he chose to construct the gym in the freaking volcano of all places.

    That definitely wouldn¡¯t have flown in today¡¯s society or made it through all the red tape. Needless to say, parents would be horrified at the idea of their kids fighting gym battles on a battlefield suspended over bubbling lava.

    The story went that Blaine chose to put the gym inside the volcano so that it could ¡®help young trainers build character,¡¯ but after the War of Ashes came and ended, he changed his mind and demolished the whole thing¡­ again. He agreed that it was a bit too dangerous for the treasured youth of our country.

    So, for the third and final time, the Cinnabar Gym was rebuilt¡ªthis time in a safe and isolated area on the far side of the island. It ticked off the box of nice and quiet for Blaine. If new trainers wanted to sign up for a match at his gym, they had to trek across the island¡¯s arduous terrain all the way from town¡­ on foot. He wouldn¡¯t let people challenge him otherwise.

    The moral of the story was this: Blaine Katsura was as strange as he was brilliant, and it was hard to know what went on in that head of his given his reclusive personality.

    Hopefully, he didn¡¯t mind us dropping by unannounced.

    Scaled wings beat rapidly in the air. In a few strokes, Dragonite crossed the length of the island. A noticeable building soon came into view¡ªthe Cinnabar Gym. It took after the island¡¯s namesake with beautiful walls that were more red than orange. Earthy undertones gave it a much deeper, richer color than any Pokemon Center you could find, but scarlet flames were in the process of searing it black¡ª

    Flames?

    Those weren¡¯t part of its natural appearance. In what was surely ironic, parts of the Cinnabar Gym¡¯s second floor were burning.

    Maybe on some other occasion, I might have believed it was an experiment of Blaine¡¯s gone wrong, but given the recent state of affairs in Indigo, my mind made the jump to a very different conclusion first.

    It helped that there were figures lying on the ground outside and someone fighting off a Mismagius and Sableye of all things.

    ¡°ZURI!¡±

    Dragonite reacted instantly and tore through the air with a burst of speed. She smashed onto the ground outside the gym¡¯s front doors, cratering it, but I didn¡¯t apologize for the rough landing. The two Ghosts we¡¯d seen from above had sensed us coming and instantly disappeared through the floor. Where they escaped to, exactly, I had some pretty damn good ideas right about now.

    The Ghosts living in my shadow left to try and give chase.

    ¡°Take care of them and secure the perimeter!¡± I yelled quickly, referring to the fallen people and Pokemon. All of them had visible wounds. ¡°I¡¯m going inside!¡±

    Looker and Mint were used to situations like these and jumped off Dragonite¡¯s back before I even finished. Flashes of light went off as they released members of their teams, but we had already shot back into the air. With one jump and a sharp, angled turn, Dragonite barrelled through smoke to the burning second floor.

    Why take the front door when there was a perfectly fine, gaping hole in a broken wall instead?

    I didn¡¯t need to cover my nose or mouth thanks to Dragonite isolating the air around us with a Protect, but I couldn¡¯t see through all the rising smoke and flames.

    My Pokemon couldn¡¯t either, but her keen senses as a Dragon let her pick out presences. Instead of landing on sizzling, tiled flooring, she remained in the air and lunged forward. Glowing claws ripped through air so powerfully that wind from the resulting movement parted obscured air. Enough smoke flew in one big whoosh for me to catch a fleeting glance of figures darting away from her reach, but I couldn¡¯t make them out. When Dragonite growled with annoyance and didn¡¯t try again, I guessed whoever had done this was gone. My own Ghosts chose now to reappear next to me and screech out their findings. They¡¯d tracked the Mismagius and Sableye up here, but those two had escaped after issuing warnings¡ªprobably to whoever just now fled from me.

    Smart bastards. They knew to escape right away when they were clearly outmatched, and they were good enough to pull it off.

    For now, I needed to actually see what the hell was going on.

    I rapidly clicked Pokeballs on my belt. Hatterene came out first and immediately grasped the situation without me needing to tell her. Glimmering walls encased the second floor and glowed, depriving hungry flames of the oxygen they needed to survive. The moment they winked out of existence, I sent out Milotic, Lapras, and Azumarill. Dragonite beat her wings to direct all smoke out of the building while the Water types sprayed the half-molten floors with streams of water to cool down.

    The whole time, a certain uneasy feeling built up inside my chest. We¡¯d seen what were most likely the Cinnabar gym trainers outside but no sign of their employer yet.

    As the smoke cleared, I realized the part of the second floor we were in was actually a laboratory¡ªwhat remained of it at least. Everywhere I looked, I saw machinery and electronics turned into gooey puddles, shattered glass from windows and broken vials, and surfaces scorched black by fire. My eyes flew wide open when I saw three figures by the back wall.

    One was a heavily bleeding, unmoving Alakazam lying face down on the ground. Clutched in its hands were shattered spoons. The second figure was an unconscious Magmar inside a crater full of cracked, smoldering stone.

    The last was a familiar old man slumped against the wall behind it.

    ¡°Blaine!¡±

    I threw myself off Dragonite¡¯s back and took off at a sprint. Only Hatterene followed me while the other Pokemon spread out to guard the room. I practically slid to a halt next to Blaine¡¯s figure. There was blood all over his normally pristine lab coat and the rest of his clothes, but those were from small cuts as far as I could tell. His entire left coat sleeve had been torn off revealing heavily damaged tissue. As much as I wondered about them, the burn scars covering that arm of his were old, not new.

    Some fresh droplets of blood trickled out from his nose. My heart hammered in my chest as I knelt and checked for signs of life¡ª

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡ªand when hands shot out and weakly grabbed my shoulders, naturally I startled a little.

    Blaine wasn¡¯t unconscious¡ªor worse, dead¡ªafter all.

    The usual shades the man wore were half-broken on the ground some feet away, so I finally saw his full face for once. Dark eyes tried focusing on my own, but they wouldn¡¯t cooperate with their bearer and twitched with erratic, uncontrollable movements instead. Even the hands that grasped my shoulders had no real strength behind them and trembled.

    ¡°Rockets¡­ Here¡­ Looking for¡­¡± Blaine slowly rasped, but he slurred so much that I almost couldn¡¯t understand him above all the fragmented thoughts he tried putting into words. ¡°Hidemi Ioga¡­ My coat¡­ Do you¡­ still¡­ Arin¡­¡±

    His voice grew weaker as his grip on my shirt loosened.

    ¡°Must¡­ keep¡­ safe¡­¡±

    Looking for what? Who the hell was Hidemi Ioga? Keep what safe?

    So many questions spilled out from my mouth, but Blaine couldn¡¯t answer any of them.

    Those were the last words he got out before weathered hands fell limply against the floor. His head rolled forward while dark eyes fluttered shut.

    I swore out loud. ¡°Shit. Blaine, stay with me!¡±

    His external wounds weren¡¯t the big problem. He probably had internal injuries I wasn¡¯t aware of, but I was no doctor.

    I took him to one instead and had Hatterene Teleport us and his Pokemon straight to League HQ.

    Me showing up with a bloodied, unconscious Blaine in one of the designated Teleport zones for high-ranking personnel startled all the guards there on duty and prompted a Code Zero.

    Blaine was whisked away to the medical unit on a stretcher, but not before I suddenly remembered what he said about his coat and thought to take it off him. Hardly five seconds later, Lance came rushing down from his office to find me staring at Blaine¡¯s tattered garment with a shocked expression.

    There was a message on the inside of his lab coat.

    A collection of messy symbols, letters, and numbers had been written in blood¡ªdried, smudged, and presumably Blaine¡¯s.

    Three symbols were grouped together in a triangle-ish shape. Fire, lightning, and ice.

    2 RE. N, Gh. Written below that was Spec. Above N: 132. Above Gh: 5x 94.

    And the biggest, most noticeable writing of all that took up the entire inside corner of Blaine¡¯s coat¡­

    M2.

    Above anything else, I had to seriously respect Blaine¡¯s grit to leave a message for us¡ªno matter how cryptic it seemed right now¡ªin the middle of being attacked. He must have thought he was going to die.

    I fervently prayed he wouldn¡¯t.

    Everything that came after happened so fast.

    I relayed what I knew to Lance while Hatterene went back and Teleported everyone else back at the Cinnabar Gym to Indigo HQ. Looker and Mint hadn¡¯t run into any trouble thankfully. They and the other Interpol agents helped pore over the lab coat when I passed it to them for investigation. The people we¡¯d seen lying outside the gym had indeed been Blaine¡¯s gym trainers, and they and their Pokemon were rushed to the medical wing as well. A group of League and Ace Trainers Teleported to Cinnabar to guard the island in their places. Sabrina was called in at some point to check up on Blaine and the gym trainers, but I didn¡¯t actually see her.

    According to the one gym trainer still conscious out of the bunch¡ªthe one we¡¯d seen fighting when we arrived at the gym¡ªthey¡¯d heard an explosion come from the second floor. When they went up to investigate, it was smoking and burning too much to see anything. Blaine yelled at them to run and contact the League for backup. The whole gym had been flooded with Dark type energy to prevent Teleportation. All electronics and communications had been jammed within a certain radius, so they¡¯d tried to head further inland¡­ only to get intercepted by two hostile Pokemon that followed them out of the gym and struck down fliers attempting to leave.

    All of them were much older, experienced trainers who¡¯d once fought in the Rocket War alongside Blaine, so they had at least managed to protect themselves decently. Blaine had also sent three of his personal Pokemon to safeguard them on their way out who helped ensure everyone¡¯s safety.

    Fortunately, though everyone sustained injuries both heavy and minor, no gym trainers or their Pokemon died.

    Unfortunately, that also meant Blaine had been down three Pokemon from the get-go. In a high stakes fight against powerful opponents, that definitely tipped the odds out of his favor.

    Doctors in the medical wing passed us a steady stream of news.

    Blaine¡¯s starter, Magmar, had obviously fought the hardest for his longtime friend and trainer, and he had severe injuries that were going to take a month to recover even with the power of Ditto cells. The rest of Blaine¡¯s team was in better but still rough shape, about two to four weeks of recovery each. All but one.

    Blaine¡¯s Alakazam was dead.

    After examining both Blaine and his Alakazam, Sabrina told us the old Pokemon had probably sacrificed himself during battle and poured every last bit of his powers into strengthening the mental and physical shields on his trainer instead.

    Thirty-five minutes later, every other Gym Leader arrived at the Plateau. All they knew was that Blaine and the Cinnabar Gym had been attacked by Team Rocket. Lance had made everyone wait at their respective gyms across the country in case this was the prelude to a series of other attacks, but no such thing occurred.

    The most agitated person in the room was Agatha. It felt like I was back in Lavender Town again. She still only had one Ghost with her, but the pressure she emanated was no joke. Given how Agatha¡¯s fury had been stoked anew, I could only assume it was because Blaine was a friend of hers, too.

    Lance got right into things once everyone was seated.

    ¡°Blaine¡¯s not dead,¡± he started, but as soon as people everywhere began sagging with relief, he dropped the other shoe. ¡°He¡¯s in a coma, though.¡±

    People stiffened. That was better than being dead but still awful.

    ¡°Sabrina took a look at him. Someone tried forcing their way through the mental shields in Blaine¡¯s head. If Arin and Interpol hadn¡¯t shown up when they had, if Blaine¡¯s Alakazam had not sacrificed himself, then¡­¡± Lance trailed off, clenching his jaw. ¡°Anyway, the doctors have said the brain damage is mild compared to the mental trauma Blaine suffered, so let us stay optimistic that he will open his eyes soon.¡±

    My lips curled into a frown. The unplanned trip to Cinnabar Island had been a disguise in blessing. Hopefully, Blaine would pull through. We needed him to.

    ¡°Forgive me,¡± a pale-faced Janine spoke up. Her voice was fainter than usual but as formal as I remembered. ¡°I do not mean to suggest otherwise, certainly not! But¡­ what will we do if Blaine does not awaken from his coma soon?¡±

    ¡°You mean before the next Kanto League Circuit opens?¡± Brock got out, but his voice sounded a bit off, too.

    I couldn¡¯t blame either teenager. They¡¯d literally just ascended to their posts last year and were still very young. Having to deal with news that one of their own¡ªone of their most powerful, seasoned Gym Leaders no less¡ªhad been attacked was unnerving.

    Lance crossed his arms with a weary expression. ¡°Hopefully that doesn¡¯t happen. Two months is a long time. I fully believe Blaine will come back to us before then, but if he doesn¡¯t, one of the Elite Four will take over his duties until he does. His chosen successor isn¡¯t strong enough to fill in yet.¡±

    ¡°What about the news? How are we breaking it to the public?¡± Chuck asked in a careful tone.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t,¡± Lance replied flatly.

    Lorelei smoothly took over for him. ¡°Given how far away from town the Cinnabar Gym is, nobody else was there aside from staff. The only visits they get over the summer are from parents bringing their kids for classes. So, we¡¯re going to say the gym is closed for renovations and that Blaine is busy conducting experiments in a separate laboratory.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like Blaine alright,¡± Agatha muttered. It wasn¡¯t a compliment.

    ¡°The public can never know about this. A Gym Leader of Indigo in a coma after being attacked at his own gym by Team Rocket? Civil unrest would be the least of our worries,¡± Lance finished bitterly.

    It was a wise decision that no one argued with for obvious reasons.

    A new voice now spoke up. Giovanni. ¡°What did Team Rocket want? Did Sabrina get new information from the captured grunts?¡±

    His brows scrunched together when Lance didn¡¯t respond right away. So did a few others in the room.

    ¡°Lance?¡± he prompted uneasily. ¡°What did they say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. There wasn¡¯t anyone to interrogate,¡± Lance sighed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Lance¡¯s eyes drifted toward me, and that was my cue to fill everyone else in on what happened on Cinnabar Island¡ªor the lack thereof.

    All eyes turned to me as I cleared my throat. ¡°I went to Cinnabar to check up on Blaine for Lance. There were Rockets left at the gym, but I didn¡¯t see them. They fled immediately¡­¡±

    Minutes after my explanation, the room was rendered into temporary silence.

    ¡°Then¡ª Blaine¡ª But¡ª¡± Violet stammered over her words. The Waterflower sister had to restart a few different times before actual sentences flowed. ¡°How strong were these Rockets to take down Blaine? What were they looking for? Why him?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re moving onto that now.¡± The Champion answered by flipping on the projector. An image of Blaine¡¯s bloody message was beamed onto the back wall. Immediately, everyone leaned in with terrifying focus and tried to make sense of it. ¡°Let¡¯s start with what Blaine told Arin first.¡±

    Lance clicked a remote, and a new image popped up on the wall next to Blaine¡¯s message. It was an old photo of a young red-haired man with spectacles. He kind of looked familiar for some reason.

    ¡°Blaine mentioned one actual name: Hidemi Ioga. I had people comb through archives, and we discovered this was one of Blaine¡¯s former gym trainers under the Kanto League fifty some years ago. He was a scientist slash trainer who helped fight in the War of Ashes. According to Blaine¡¯s current gym trainers who still remember him, Hidemi and Blaine had some sort of falling out after the war ended. He quit his job, vanished, and was presumed dead.¡±

    ¡°And so why did Blaine mention him?¡± Pryce glared at the picture on the wall.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid we can only hazard guesses,¡± came Lance¡¯s not so subtle and sarcastic response. ¡°For now, I have people looking deeper into it. Let¡¯s move on. Blaine was attacked for a reason. Team Rocket would not risk going up against a damned Gym Leader of all people for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Blaine knew something,¡± Sabrina elaborated. Her calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the tension in the room. ¡°I looked into his head before he fell into a coma. The way his mental shields had been damaged suggested the perpetrator was trying to get inside and take something out.¡±

    All at once, tension surged in the room along with a sense of hope.

    ¡°Maybe he discovered a new fact about Team Rocket? Knowledge that could help us,¡± Morty suggested.

    ¡°Or there was something he knew that could help them¡­¡± Falkner threw out with a thoughtful expression.

    Lance tried to repress a regretful sigh, but he failed. ¡°We won¡¯t know until Blaine wakes up. Also, there may have been something Blaine wanted to keep safe according to what Arin heard him say. It might not be a stretch that Blaine had an object in his possession that the Rockets knew about and were after, but the Cinnabar Gym¡¯s second floor is a mess. We can¡¯t tell what used to be there or if anything was taken.¡±

    If we were right, then I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what the hell Blaine had that the Rockets wanted. Maybe a cure to R2 to screw us over? Research on some dangerous chemicals that Blaine had been developing in secret? I had no idea what a guy like him did in his free time.

    Lance grimaced. ¡°Now we can circle back to Blaine¡¯s cryptic message. Interpol looked at it together with our intelligence department and have told me they have insights they¡¯d like to share.¡±

    The baton was now passed to Agent Looker. He stepped up to the front of the room and used a laser pointer to circle the first items of interest on the back wall.

    ¡°Part of this message is Leader Blaine giving us info on who exactly attacked him,¡± Looker explained, and he waved his laser pointer around in a vigorous circle for emphasis. ¡°2 RE probably means two Rocket Executives. N and Gh don¡¯t mean much by themselves, but Blaine helpfully added ¡®Spec¡¯ under them¡­ Spec as in specialists. Normal and Ghost Specialists to be specific.¡±

    Lance narrowed his eyes. ¡°One of them must be the one who infiltrated the League before.¡±

    ¡°Most likely,¡± Looker agreed with a grave nod of his head. ¡°We already knew Executives Ariana and Proton were Fire and Poison Specialists respectively, but now we have the other two missing puzzle pieces. We can¡¯t confirm yet which is which, but we at least know the remaining two Executives, Archer and Petrel, are Ghost and Normal Specialists.¡±

    ¡°And,¡± Agent Mint politely spoke up with hands clasped behind his back, ¡°Leader Blaine went a step further and passed us intel on the Pokemon he fought against. See those numbers above the N and Gh?¡±

    We all looked carefully.

    ¡°Those took us a little longer to figure out, but we believe they¡¯re supposed to be old Kanto Pokemon classification numbers.¡±

    I¡¯d heard about that before¡ªan old system used over half a century ago. Kanto used to classify their native Pokemon by ID numbers before Professor Oak came up with the first Pokedex for the Kinjoh Area. The numerical classification system was tossed out after that. It was made useless, anyway, by the fact that new evolutions or species were discovered here and then.

    ¡°132,¡± Looker read out loud from the wall. ¡°Going by the old system, that would be Ditto which is a Normal type.¡±

    Eyes widened in the audience. Someone spoke up. ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    Another grave nod came from Looker. ¡°5x 94 over Gh. Number 94 is the ID tag that corresponds with Gengar which is a Ghost type, and Blaine noted down five of them.¡±

    If we weren¡¯t talking about an enemy here, that would have been impressive.

    There were already so few trainers out there in the world with a Gengar, but a single individual with FIVE? I wasn¡¯t sure how many Agatha had, but this was probably the closest competition she¡¯d ever get in her esteemed lifetime. The implications were also not good.

    If the Executive had helped them evolve a certain way, that meant he¡¯d killed a lot of people before. A lot.

    A Ditto was also very interesting to hear of. You didn¡¯t really see them in the wilds because they were artificially made Pokemon. If you did, you needed to contact local authorities because that meant they were probably stolen or escaped from Pokemon Centers, research facilities, or government buildings and the like.

    And¡­ wait a minute. A Ghost Specialist? One probably as strong as the Elite Four?

    Agatha seemed to have caught on, too, because she started forward so suddenly that she scared everyone in the room. Her chapped lips curled wide in a smile¡ªa very cold one.

    ¡°I do believe I¡¯ve found my wretched fool,¡± she gloated out loud. ¡°The culprit who killed a local in my territory must be the same person: an accursed Rocket. Ghost Specialists don¡¯t grow on trees!¡±

    There were lots of confused faces in the room because while they knew about the Lavender Town murder incident, they didn¡¯t know any of the details surrounding it.

    Looker hadn¡¯t personally been there, but he¡¯d most likely heard the news from his coworker, Echo. ¡°We¡¯ll investigate,¡± he promised. ¡°These incidents may very well be linked in more ways than we realize.¡±

    He earned himself the most withering glare from Agatha. ¡°Oh, they most certainly are. They have to be.¡±

    Agatha didn¡¯t say anything else after that. She was too busy tapping a foot against the floor and smiling maliciously to herself as if she was imagining blowing someone¡¯s head clean from their body.

    ¡°Ho-Oh above, Blaine better wake up.¡± Lance bit his lip. ¡°We need to thank him for the intel.¡±

    We really did.

    Any sort of information¡ªespecially the kind that divulged the secret strengths of hostile trainers¡ªwas crucial and helped us prepare better for future fights. We knew a little more about what to watch out for now.

    ¡°It makes sense now how Blaine got overwhelmed,¡± Giovanni added in a murmur. He clenched a hand into a fist on the table. ¡°Two Executives would not have been easy for him to hold off by himself for too long.¡±

    I clenched my jaw.

    If only I¡¯d been able to catch them at the Cinnabar Gym¡­ But if my specialization was fighting, then the Normal Specialist¡¯s specialty was completely different. Infiltration, disguises, and clean getaways. Add a Ghost Specialist ally on top of that, and it was hard to track them down without any prior knowledge. They weren¡¯t dumb, either. They knew when to back off instead of pushing their luck.

    Team Rocket was good, I¡¯d give them that. Their comeback wasn¡¯t one made out of complete folly.

    ¡°We need to guard Blaine while he¡¯s recuperating at League HQ,¡± I spoke up firmly. My suggestion was met with thoughtful expressions and nods from around the table. ¡°We got there in time to stop them from destroying Blaine¡¯s mind, but they might try again. After all, we¡¯re talking about the same Rocket who was crazy enough to infiltrate HQ and pose as one of us for weeks.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Lance,¡± Surge boomed, and he leaned back in his chair with crossed arms and a ferocious smile. ¡°Damned dogs might come back to finish the job. You¡¯d better vet the people who go in and out of his room, check his IV drip every five seconds, everything.¡±

    ¡°Place at least one Elite Four with him at all times, too. If they knew to flee right away when Arin arrived on the scene, it means they aren¡¯t reckless. A trainer at or above their caliber should be enough to dissuade them,¡± Giovanni advised.

    Lance stroked his chin, nodding. ¡°Of course. The three of you have brought up important points. The Elite Four are already spread out thin these days, but we¡¯ll make it work.¡±

    A small cough penetrated any silence that came after, and it came from Whitney. She pointed at the projected images with a serious expression. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt, but I really wanted to ask about the last parts of Blaine¡¯s message. Surely they¡¯re important, right? What do they mean?¡±

    It was a question we all had, and we turned our heads to stare at Looker and his associates for answers.

    A red dot of light circled the trio of messy symbols we hadn¡¯t addressed yet. ¡°Fire, lightning, and ice. We¡¯re not sure yet why Blaine included these either.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there were more Rocket type specialists there aside from the Executives? Like the Vice Leaders who work under them?¡± Jasmine guessed.

    Clair shook her head. ¡°Blaine would have included some more distinctions then.¡±

    ¡°He probably didn¡¯t have a lot of time to write, so he couldn¡¯t afford to be too specific with everything he wanted to say¡­¡±

    ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s not about hostile trainers at all but something else?¡±

    People started discussing among themselves while I continued staring at the symbols. I was the first person to have seen Blaine¡¯s message, but I still couldn¡¯t grasp what he wanted to tell us by drawing those three elements in particular.

    It was a set of three, so there had to be some significance¡ªjust like how Grass, Water, and Fire made up the most basic elemental trio that even kids were aware of.

    I paused in place. A trio.

    In Johto, we had the Legendary Beasts, three great beings who were reincarnated and given new life through the grace of Almighty Ho-oh. In Kanto, their most famous trio was¡ª

    ¡°Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno.¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s clear voice cut through the ongoing discussion. Everyone quieted down as the Saffron Gym Leader raised her head. She¡¯d been thinking the same thing as me.

    ¡°Fire, lightning, and ice, yes? I cannot fathom any deeper connection, but that is the only thing I can think of when these elements are brought up,¡± she idly remarked.

    Neither could I.

    Lance blinked slowly. ¡°That¡­ is true. The Legendary Birds do align perfectly with these symbols, but as you¡¯ve also pointed out, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any actual connection. Why would Blaine suddenly bring up the Legendary Birds?¡±

    Sabrina did not do something as undignified as shrugging, but she certainly gave the illusion of it as she closed her eyes. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m wrong. Perhaps there is no connection. It was just a passing thought.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Looker struggled with what to say for a few moments. ¡°We¡¯ll keep investigating what Blaine could have been thinking with this. My team and the intelligence department only had so much time to look over the message before this meeting.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ what about the last part of Blaine¡¯s message then?¡± Erika brought up as politely as she could, tucking stray hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. ¡°That large M2.¡±

    Looker¡¯s face brightened with the change in topics. He sounded a little more confident again when he spoke. ¡°Right now, we think it may be the codename for another drug the Rockets have developed. A warning from Blaine to us. He did coin the names for Red and R2, so it would fit his¡­ distinct naming style.¡±

    Faces darkened all around. Pokemon drugs annoyed and disgusted all of us as it was, but the Rockets were the worst offenders by far.

    ¡°Could be¡­¡± Bugsy trailed off thoughtfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely the most important part Blaine wanted to tell us. I mean, just look at the size of it compared to the other stuff he wrote!¡± Whitney mentioned, pointing with a finger for emphasis.

    It was certainly drawn in very large, thick, and bloody letters.

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s about anything but a new drug.¡± Lance dragged a hand down his face in a slow, tired motion. ¡°Blaine and our League departments were still buried neck deep in research about R2. Now that Blaine¡¯s in a coma, we¡¯ve lost our most brilliant brain. It¡¯s going to be hell keeping up with R2 and a new drug¡­¡±

    Since there wasn¡¯t much more we could discuss about Blaine¡¯s message, Looker stepped aside respectfully for Lance to take his place at the front of the table once more. The Champion cleared his throat.

    ¡°While everyone is here, I finally have an update regarding what documents Team Rocket stole from our archives. Recordkeepers are still sorting through the mess, but so far they¡¯ve identified the loss of records regarding past weather patterns, religious texts, population censuses, shrines, and speech transcripts.¡±

    I frowned. What the?

    ¡°Why would they take any of those? They sound useless,¡± I pointed out, voicing my concerns. Nods of agreement came from those closest to me.

    One even came from Lance. ¡°I was thinking that as well, Arin. Our intelligence department, at least, seems to believe it might be a trick from the Rocket Executive who took them. He probably grabbed stuff that wasn¡¯t related to what he actually needed in order to throw us off.¡±

    Okay, that made a lot more sense. So maybe one or more of those was the true goal of the Rockets while the others were there to mask real intentions. It also reinforced the idea that, once again, Team Rocket was more thorough than they seemed.

    ¡°My point is,¡± Lance continued, ¡°no info we¡¯ve lost contains anything too confidential, but I¡¯ll keep everyone updated. I do believe we can end our meeting on that note. Any questions?¡±

    Lily¡¯s hand shot into the air. ¡°Is the mandatory training session canceled for today? We were supposed to have it a little after the meeting started. Plus¡­¡± She fidgeted anxiously with her hair, wincing. ¡°Blaine is, er, unable to join us.¡±

    Before the atmosphere could fall with that depressing reminder, Lance clapped his hands together.

    As small as it was, he wore a smile¡ªa determined one. ¡°Blaine will wake up. Let¡¯s believe in him. And today¡¯s training session is not canceled. We¡¯re going to go do that now in fact.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡± Morty questioned with raised brows.

    ¡°Now,¡± Lance repeated with a firm nod. ¡°Ho-oh forbid, but we need to prepare ourselves for potential clashes with Team Rocket like the one Blaine was in. Better to keep our skills sharp.¡±

    ¡­He had a point.

    Once more, Lance clapped his hands together. ¡°Some League Kadabra will Teleport us out to the training grounds. Agatha, you only have one Ghost with you so stay here¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fine, but do not think I¡¯m weak because I only have one,¡± Agatha cut in with a sniff.

    Lance kept going as if he hadn¡¯t been interrupted. ¡°¡ªand Lorelei, I¡¯m going to need you to guard Blaine in the medical wing. Koga¡¯s already up there, but I need him out scouring the country with his clan. You¡¯re the only one left because Bruno¡¯s out right now.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Lorelei easily agreed.

    ¡°Interpol agents, please continue with your investigations into Team Rocket here at HQ. I know you wanted to investigate outside, but the situation warrants a focus on different matters at least for today.¡±

    Looker willingly nodded. ¡°Of course. My team and I plan on digging more deeply into the origins of Team Rocket. We believe finding out more about the old Team Rocket and their motivations might help us better understand their revival.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it more important to root them out?¡± Giovanni questioned, politely entering the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it''s necessary anymore to look into the old Team Rocket. We finally know their goal is to tear Indigo apart into two countries again, so we should focus everything on finding their bases and stopping them once and for all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Looker cautiously agreed, ¡°but I assure you, Leader Giovanni, my team is capable of multitasking. Sometimes understanding the enemy goes a long way into defeating them.¡±

    Giovanni didn¡¯t seem to entirely agree, but he relented with a gracious dip of his head. ¡°Alright. A fair point.¡±

    Everyone split up now for their respective stations. Interpol to their research rooms, Agatha and Lorelei another way, and as for Lance and the rest of us¡ª

    We were Teleported to a space up by the mountains behind the Indigo Plateau.

    There weren¡¯t any trees, not for a good distance in every direction at least. The training grounds Lance had referred to was a huge plot of cleared land made specifically for intense battles. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that high-level trainers and their Pokemon were like walking disasters. The destruction they could bring about when fighting was more than enough to level a city, hence the reason why Lance brought everyone here for today¡¯s training session.

    It was miles away from the League HQ or any wild Pokemon habitats or human settlements, so we didn¡¯t have to worry about letting loose here.

    Lance raised his voice to get our attention. ¡°I understand some of you are eager to get back to your gyms because of the Cinnabar Gym incident, so I¡¯ll keep today¡¯s session short. I¡¯d like to simulate a large-scale battle, so we¡¯re going to split into two opposing teams. No targeting opposing trainers¡ªat least for today¡ªbut do keep yourself shielded to avoid stray attacks. We¡¯ll do a couple sets that are five minutes each to replicate intense, high-paced battles, and teams will get switched around after every set. Teams get one minute of discussion before they fight. Rotate the Pokemon you use between sets so they all get some practice in and invoke Mega Evolution if you want. Just know that when my Dragonair shoots a blue flare into the sky, that¡¯s the signal to stop for that particular set.¡±

    He stared at us, heaving out a sigh.

    ¡°I know I stressed the importance of this and keeping ourselves ready against Team Rocket, but try to have some fun with it if you can. Consider it like a bonding exercise for all of you who guard Indigo together as its Gym Leaders.¡±

    Lance offered a small smile.

    ¡°Everyone understand?¡±

    When Lance got a chorus of cheerful affirmatives in return, he promptly pulled out his phone and inputted names into a team randomizer app.

    I got put onto a team with Lance, Clair, Pryce, Falkner, Jasmine, Surge, Erika, and Sabrina.

    Talk about an¡­ interesting gathering of fellows, considering the somewhat strained relationships I had with three of them. Well, Clair and Falkner were at least warming up to me or so I believed. They always greeted me nowadays albeit with small nods. Pryce¡­ was working on it. He didn¡¯t say anything, but he didn¡¯t snub me either.

    There was an odd number of people, so our team had nine while the other had ten. Honestly? I kind of felt bad for the other team considering we had three Champion-level trainers on ours, and they knew that. The terrified looks Morty and Bugsy gave me before they walked away to join their teammates almost made me howl out loud with laughter. I¡¯m pretty sure Lance saw, too, because he turned away with suspiciously twitching lips.

    The atmosphere already felt much nicer than it had earlier. We were still worried about Blaine, of course, but we had to believe he would wake up eventually.

    In the meantime, we weren¡¯t going to idle around.

    ¡°Giovanni and Morty will be the biggest threats,¡± Lance warned us, talking quickly. We were huddled together in a small group out of hearing distance. ¡°If not for my rule about not targeting opposing trainers, Morty would have gone for us. As it is now, I think he¡¯ll probably try to help contest the skies because we have so many fliers. Giovanni will, of course, be taking control of the field.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll contest Giovanni for control of the earth,¡± Erika bravely offered. ¡°Don¡¯t count my Grass types out.¡±

    Pryce looked like he wanted to scoff out loud but barely stopped himself. ¡°I¡¯ll assist. Giovanni is not to be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°Is the game plan overwhelming them through the skies then?¡± I asked, raising a brow.

    Lance grinned, and I suddenly had the thought that maybe this ¡®fun¡¯ training session was an excuse for Lance to have his first real break in weeks. ¡°With this kind of team, why not? It¡¯ll give the other team some useful practice on how to fend fliers off.¡±

    He chuckled when I bumped his shoulder with mine. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll join you guys then,¡± I smiled.

    We only got a precious fifteen or so more seconds to talk before we had to release our chosen starting Pokemon. A minute had gone by far faster than any of us would have liked.

    ¡°Ready to beat Morty up?¡± I asked with a straight face.

    Jasmine looked over at me and snorted with laughter. ¡°Definitely. My Steel types will protect everyone. You just worry about breaking their ranks apart. Selfie?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re more evil than I am, Jas. Pre-battle selfie it is.¡±

    No sooner had she taken a picture of us and put her phone away did Lance yell, his voice carrying powerfully across the field.

    ¡°SET ONE, START!¡±

    If there was one thing our youngest Gym Leaders needed to learn about massive, large-scale battles, then it was this.

    Chaos.

    That was what it really came down to in the end. Too many Pokemon and too many trainers.

    The ground on our side instantly fractured and flew wide open, but before Pokemon fell down into their abysmal depths, vines larger than any tree tore out of the ground and swung them to safety. Ice from a Cloyster howled and froze the huge gap in the ground. Glaciers popped up and began to encroach on enemy territory, but mother earth surged again. It rose and fell to swallow everything whole¡ª

    Then an Aggron slammed into the wave headfirst and turned the whole thing into a metal sheet, and Giovanni laughed from the other end of the field.

    ¡°Not bad!¡± I heard him yell distantly to the people on our side.

    While smoke and explosions covered the ground, the skies above us filled with dark clouds in an instant. Rain poured down in thick, powerful drops that were more like Arceus damned jets, and a horde of Water types like Seaking and Dewgong flew into the air firing off multi-colored beams and massive columns of water.

    It was because of the fliers descending on their team like a miniature army. My own Pokemon dove behind enemy lines and scattered them with blinding beams of concentrated light¡ªHyper Beams. Elsewhere, Lance and Clair¡¯s Dragons had trained with each other so often that they were like well-oiled gears in a machine. They flew with admirable coordination between speeding projectiles, but Falkner¡¯s birds outmatched them when it came to speed and aerial maneuvers. Faster than the eye could blink, a Pidgeot crashed into Dewgong and Skarmory into Gorebyss¡ª

    Nope, it missed, because Morty¡¯s Mismagius locked the bird inside a shimmering cube. Imprison. His other Ghosts materialized out of thin air and started throwing dark, pulsating orbs of energy at our fliers¡ª

    ¡ªwhich Sabrina¡¯s Psychic types promptly redirected through rifts opened in space and portaled back into them.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have made it rain!¡± Surge roared with glee from somewhere to my left.

    Before the fourth word left his mouth, thunder poured down from the sky like hammers thrown down by the gods. Deafening booms popped one after another as Electric types flew around with electricity trying to catch people off-guard with their speed. Brock¡¯s Rock types barricaded everyone with fortresses made of stone, but thunder kept dropping without end.

    Bugsy¡¯s Beedrill and Heracross are coming on your left, Surge! Falkner shouted.

    I got ¡®em, no need to yell! Just so you twerps know, we¡¯ve got a missing Exploud. Pretty sure that¡ª

    It went underground, I know, I thought with a grin. My Togekiss is ripping it out.

    Quite literally, he was violently tearing out chunks of the earth with Ancient Power and then using a gravity Moonblast to force it up. Whitney¡¯s Miltank and two of Chuck¡¯s Fighting types came barreling in to assist. I had eyes on the field while communicating with everyone on our team through a mental link.

    The link had been Sabrina¡¯s idea during our team discussion. She¡¯d set up a telepathic channel between our minds so we could relay information to each other without the other team hearing. Good practice for real fights, Sabrina had claimed as well, if it ever came down to it in the future.

    It was a bit jarring, honestly, to have eight different voices constantly speaking in my head, but I pretended it was like having a conversation with my chaotic team of Pokemon.

    Lance, let¡¯s tag team Morty¡¯s Ghosts. They¡¯re providing way too much support, I suggested.

    I practically heard him grin. Thought you¡¯d never ask.

    His Dragonite whipped up a localized Hurricane in the middle of enemy ranks, and mine followed up by mixing electricity into it. Shouts and screams rang out as the monstrosity spun around the earth before it blew upwards into the air. The moment Morty¡¯s Ghosts scattered, our Pokemon chased after them. Fizz crossed beautiful, glossy wings and fired pink crescents of air that mesmerized the Ghosts long enough for Lance¡¯s Charizard and Salamence to snipe them from behind with turquoise flames.

    ¡°Tag teaming, seriously?! Wasn¡¯t this a friendly spar?¡± Morty yelled jokingly from the other side. I couldn¡¯t see him between all the smoke from attacks. ¡°Lance, Arin, cut me a break!¡±

    ¡°Nope, not friendly!¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°Adversity makes people grow!¡± Lance helpfully added.

    I wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure, but I was pretty sure even Clair found that funny. I could have sworn I saw her smile for the briefest of moments.

    By the time the signal to stop rose high into the air, the field was a complete and utter mess. There was cratered, smoking, and churned earth as far as the eye could see. Neither side had been wiped out considering we could just rotate Pokemon in and out, but my side had definitely pushed the other team a lot harder.

    ¡°Good work!¡± Lance praised.

    He went on to offer feedback for our youngest Gym Leaders since, technically, that was the main point of these training sessions¡ªto prepare the most inexperienced of us for types of fights they weren¡¯t normally used to.

    When Lance finished, he took out his phone again.

    ¡°Teams are now changing. For one team, we have Surge, Arin, Daisy, Morty¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank Ho-oh,¡± Morty muttered, and he flashed a charming smile at Jasmine when Lance revealed she was on the opposing side. ¡°It¡¯s us versus you this time, Jas. I hope you¡¯re ready.¡±

    She took a look at our beaming, innocent smiles and shook her head. ¡°Oh boy.¡±

    About half an hour later, everyone left the Plateau feeling like they¡¯d had a good workout. Lance promised to send an update the moment Blaine woke up¡ªhe worded it very strongly in order to keep our spirits up¡ªso we were to carry on with our work in the meantime. If nosy, suspicious reporters decided to come visit us and ask about Blaine¡¯s disappearance, we were to play dumb.

    I wasn¡¯t sure about everyone else, but the first thing I did after getting back to my gym was go over security measures again. Supposedly, the ones at the Cinnabar Gym had been no joke. As the most paranoid Gym Leader in all of Indigo, mad scientist Blaine had outfitted his gym with dozens of custom booby traps, defense mechanisms, and emergency call buttons of his own making.

    We didn¡¯t have any fancy doodads like that, but our security was rock solid anyway.

    I worked the rest of the day in my office with peace of mind and growing excitement for my trip to Mount Moon. The Heart of the Mountain occupied my thoughts.

    Soon.

    <hr>

    LATE AT NIGHT. LEAGUE HQ, INDIGO PLATEAU - INTERPOL

    Looker and his coworkers had spent the whole day cooped indoors.

    From the moment the meeting with Indigo¡¯s elites ended until now, they¡¯d buried themselves in research alongside the overworked fellows of the League¡¯s intelligence department. About half of them were still poring over Blaine¡¯s message to see if they could glean anything else from it while the other half focused on Team Rocket-related matters.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Looker, Mint, and Echo were part of that second group.

    They¡¯d taken over the largest whiteboard in the room to use as their so-called evidence board instead. The whole wall was organized¡ªmore like littered¡ªwith pictures of important individuals and notes jotted down with colored markers.

    And by all the Legends above and below, there were a lot of them.

    Hiroto Fuji. Blaine Katsura. Hidemi Ioga.

    These three were who they focused on right now. With great difficulty and suffering that came in the form of enduring scathing remarks, they managed to procure more information from Elite Four Agatha earlier.

    Fuji¡¯s murder in Lavender Town had been believed to be a one-off case of someone with a grudge. Horrific, but nothing world-shattering.

    Thanks to Agatha and the fact that Blaine had been attacked by who was likely one of the same perpetrators, they didn¡¯t think so anymore.

    There were connections.

    Fuji and Blaine had been friends who worked for the Kanto League together. Estranged might have been the better word considering they hadn¡¯t actually talked to each other in decades, but friends nonetheless. Both were born on the same island, both were highly intelligent, and both were passionate when it came to blazing new paths through science. Of course they would have become close given their similarities.

    They¡¯d worked together under the Kanto League. Only Blaine continued working for the newly unified Indigo League after the War of Ashes. Fuji was still in his twenties, but he retired and moved all the way to Lavender Town. Nobody knew why. Not even their friend Agatha understood the decision.

    Strange. Definitely strange, and Looker always trusted his guts.

    Something had happened. Why would two close friends suddenly drift apart? Why would Fuji leave his hometown and move to some remote corner of Kanto where he suddenly switched career paths to caring for abandoned Pokemon?

    Fuji had been running away from something. Repenting by trying to do good in the world. This suspicion was further backed up by the information gleaned from Oricorio¡¯s spiritual dance.

    There was something in his past he was ashamed of, something he felt such deep remorse over that he accepted his impending death, but¡ª

    ¡®Let my death be where it ends.¡¯

    Those last ghostly words from Fuji had a lot of different implications, and Looker personally believed that perhaps, just perhaps¡­

    Whatever Fuji did, it was something other people had been complicit in¡­ someone like Blaine.

    If they were right, then why else would the same perpetrator¡ªthe same Rocket Executive¡ªgo after both Fuji and Blaine? There was something both of them knew or had done. It was important enough that Fuji got murdered for it. It was important enough that they risked attacking one of the most powerful Gym Leaders and tried to extract information from Blaine¡¯s head¡ªa hassle that may or may not have been easier than trying to kill him.

    It was something important enough that Team Rocket didn¡¯t want the Indigo League to know, and Arceus damn it, did Looker hunger to know what that was.

    He got a familiar tingly feeling in his chest. This was a huge puzzle piece they needed in the fight against Team Rocket.

    ¡°M2,¡± Looker said suddenly out loud, and Mint and Echo both looked at him. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a drug or not, I¡¯m starting to think it might be what the Rockets tried to tear out of Blaine¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°You might be onto something, Looker,¡± Mint agreed.

    Looker swept an arm out, frowning. ¡°We¡¯ve identified similarities between Fuji and Blaine, so let¡¯s act on them. Find and call people who knew both of them back then. Former colleagues. We can ask them about their pasts and bring up M2.¡±

    The three of them got to work.

    Five minutes later, they found themselves saddled with a small problem.

    Most former colleagues of Blaine and Fuji appeared to have passed away. It wasn¡¯t unusual given they would have been getting along in their years, but the real problem was that¡ª

    ¡°Wait. Repeat what you just said, Echo,¡± Looker said, and he had to fight to keep his voice calm.

    Echo mirrored his uneasy expression. ¡°I called six different people. Their families picked up instead and told me their grandfathers or grandmothers recently passed away.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Mint piped up in a grim voice. ¡°The numbers I called said the same.¡±

    They only took one look at each other before they dashed off to dig through paper records.

    Mounting horror and suspicions didn¡¯t simply blend together within the next ten minutes but threatened to send Looker keeling over.

    ¡°Arceus¡­¡± he murmured as he flipped through papers with shaking hands.

    Dead. Every single person they¡¯d called so far, they confirmed dead when they checked updated registries, and the cause of death was the same for every last one of them.

    Heart attack.

    They¡¯d all died within the last month or two as well.

    Old people dying from heart attacks wasn¡¯t anything unusual, but when the people shared similar commonalities that Interpol knew to look for and died within a certain time frame? If that didn¡¯t scream suspicious, then what did?

    They double, triple, quadruple checked obscure, tattered records from half a century ago, but they sadly didn¡¯t prove the agents wrong.

    Once upon a time, and no matter where these people lived now, they had all worked for the Kanto League as scientists in their Research Department.

    And surprise, surprise, they all quit the Kanto League after the War of Ashes¡­ just like Fuji had. Most of them gave up research entirely or turned to other professions like professors and doctors. Blaine was the only one who appeared to have stayed on to help the newly created Indigo League.

    All of them. Dead.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t find any suspicious substances in the body? Poisons?¡± Looker asked.

    Mint was on it already and peered down at papers. ¡°No. Bona fide heart attacks, but really¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªnot so natural as they seem,¡± Looker finished, biting his lip. They¡¯d seen similar cases before in the past. ¡°We¡¯re probably dealing with a skilled Psychic Specialist here, the same one who helped kill Fuji.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Echo shut her eyes for a moment as if praying. ¡°This is terrible.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Looker hurriedly agreed, and he started barking out orders. ¡°They can¡¯t all be dead. Look through the rest of the lists and find those still alive, we¡¯re going to put them in protection security! Whatever they know, Team Rocket wants to bury it!¡±

    Any hopes went up in smoke.

    Out of dozens of names, all of the retired scientists were dead except for two. Blaine, who was in a coma, and¡ª

    Hidemi Ioga.

    He had vanished years ago, so that wasn¡¯t helpful.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± In an uncharacteristic display of frayed nerves, Looker slammed a fist on the table. ¡°These are no mere coincidences. They killed all these people to hide something!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got other worries now, too, Looker. How did they find out about everyone?¡± Mint dragged a hand down his face.

    ¡°Information stolen from the League or¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªsomeone leaked it to them,¡± Looker finished for Echo. It was a good thing he wasn¡¯t holding a cup of coffee as he might have crushed it in half. They¡ªInterpol¡ªhad been outsmarted. Arceus. His eyes flew across the evidence board in despair. Now the possibility of spies was real all over again¡ª

    ¡°Wait, wait.¡±

    Looker suddenly went still, eyes darting between two photos.

    ¡°What?¡± Mint and Echo both looked at him with wide eyes.

    In response, Looker jabbed a finger directly at the board. ¡°Look at these two. Don¡¯t they look kind of similar?¡±

    His coworkers followed his pointed finger and line of sight. Together, they stared at the picture of young Hidemi Ioga and the one of Rocket Executive Ariana. The same shade of red hair was eye-catching but a stretch to say that it was unique. Their facial features, on the other hand, bore a striking resemblance. The same strong, angular cheekbones, the same narrow chin and face shape¡­

    Looker snapped his fingers, heart thudding in his chest. ¡°What if,¡± he said slowly, ¡°they¡¯re related? Grandparent and grandchild? Hidemi Ioga had some sort of falling out with Blaine and vanished. Everybody else on this list is confirmed dead except for him and Blaine. That has to mean something. I don¡¯t know why, but what if he joined the original Team Rocket? What if he was the one who leaked confidential information to them?¡±

    ¡°Well, it would definitely explain how Team Rocket knew about these people and WHAT the victims knew,¡± Mint agreed in a faint voice. ¡°One of their own betrayed them. Why did they wait so long to target these people, though?¡±

    Hands were thrown up into the air. ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t need to at the time so they didn¡¯t risk it?¡± Looker guessed. ¡°Or maybe they couldn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t have anyone skilled enough at the time to pull off such subtle assassinations without alerting the League to what they were up to.¡±

    They would have guessed further if Echo didn¡¯t speak up, drawing their attention. She¡¯d gone back to flipping through binders and records at the table.

    The grimace she wore meant things did not bode well already. ¡°I¡¯ve got some more bad news. I tried looking into Hideomi Ioga¡¯s family, but the records are gone.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Gone,¡± Echo repeated as the other two came racing over. ¡°Like completely gone from the binder they should be in.¡±

    ¡°Okay, what about the file on the old Team Rocket? Maybe we can check to see if any of them are related to Hidemi Ioga. I remembered they mentioned the old Executives had families on there,¡± Looker quickly brought up.

    Hardly a minute later, he swore out loud.

    Those were mysteriously gone, too.

    Oh, the papers Looker remembered were there, alright, and they did mention families¡­ but the actual documents that supposedly named the old Executives and their relatives in detail were gone before they could ever lay eyes on them.

    Old paper records and digital transcriptions alike¡­ long vanished.

    The three of them looked at each other and came to the same decision out loud. ¡°The Rocket Executive took them.¡±

    Who else could have taken not only physical records but digital ones? Who else had such a strong motivation to keep Team Rocket in the dark and away from the prying eyes of the League? It had to be the Normal Specialist who¡¯d recently infiltrated HQ and taken seemingly useless documents from the archives during a temporary blackout.

    Evidently, he¡¯d swiped Team Rocket files, too, to slow them down and prevent them from figuring things out.

    Unfortunately for him, his actions had also given Interpol clues in the process.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re right,¡± Looker said quickly as he paced back and forth. ¡°I think Hidemi Ioga IS related to Ariana. Why would records of his family be missing? Why else would they take the files on the old Rocket Executives, too?¡±

    Mint added his own two cents. ¡°They also killed a non-trainer like Fuji in such a flashy way compared to the others who died from heart attacks. Why? What made Fuji different from the other scientists?¡±

    There were plenty of clues the Rockets had ripped away, yes, but others they¡¯d left¡ªscattered in their haste to clear up any possible trails that could lead back to their organization.

    Looker rubbed his temples and sighed out loud. He was still wondering how on earth he was going to break all of these revelations to Champion Lance later. Murders hidden in plain sight, more files stolen and wiped than they¡¯d initially realized, a former League scientist who appeared to have joined hands with Team Rocket long ago, and¡­

    Something that scientists under the former Kanto League had done that prompted a whole criminal organization to kill them one by one.

    He and his coworkers were going to need to speak to as many old government officials as possible and look into two things: the former Research Department from half a century ago and Team Rocket¡¯s origins.

    One question consumed Looker¡¯s mind most of all.

    What the hell did the Kanto League do?

    <hr>

    SAME TIME. WATANUKI HOUSEHOLD. CHERRYGROVE CITY, JOHTO - ARIN WATANUKI

    It took a whole day of slugging through boring chores and paperwork from local Rangers about trainers overflooding Route 30 for Fairy types, but it was finally time.

    I grasped my little gift basket of Moon Stones with one hand and nodded at the Pokemon on my left. As soon as Hatterene¡¯s eyes glowed, the surroundings shifted seamlessly into that of Mount Moon¡¯s exit on Route 3. The night sky twinkled above our small figures while a cool, pleasant breeze caressed my cheeks. Vel and Hatterene stood on either side of me like guards as Clefairy toddled forward expectantly.

    She didn¡¯t have to go far. A Clefable emerged from the shadows from the tunnel like it had been waiting all along. It smiled politely in greeting, beckoning us to come inside.

    Of course we followed. Deeper in the tunnel, a little patch of rippling stars appeared on the wall. We followed Clefable through it like it was a door, and it was.

    The otherworldly entrance brought us back to a familiar cavernous space high up Mount Moon, and this time, the Heart of the Mountain was on full, gracious display for me to see.

    The power it radiated was even more intense than the last time I saw it. Moonlight spilling in from the open roof fell aplenty on the Heart¡¯s lustrous shell and seemed to strengthen it. There was a natural pull my Pokemon and I barely resisted, a call for us to come closer and bask in power that had seen countless millennia.

    For now, we composed ourselves and greeted our host.

    Clefable, or Mountain Weaver as she was also known, stood a few strides away with hands clasped together.

    ¡°Greetings, Mountain Weaver,¡± I said respectfully. The corners of my lips curled into a small but genuine smile. ¡°Tonight more than ever, may the grace of the Moon shine on you always.¡±

    She responded with a smile of her own. I was glad to see the Pokemon seemed far friendlier this time than the last, and I already knew why.

    Greetings, Friend of Fairies. You have traveled a long way. I am pleased you accepted our Clan¡¯s invitation to praise the Full Moon together, Clefable spoke, and her smile widened. For honoring our promise and getting rid of the wretched humans from before, you have our gratitude. We and the Mountain are at peace once more. We were also pleased by the offerings from your League. Your suggestion, I presume?

    By ¡®offerings,¡¯ she meant a handful of captured Team Rocket grunts that Lance had allowed me to give to Clefable and her Clan.

    Her fury hadn¡¯t quite fully abated after the Mount Moon operation, so I convinced Lance to give her a few Rockets to quench her bloodthirst like how Agatha fed unredeemable criminals to her Ghosts. It was a good way to build up a friendly relationship with a powerful wild Pokemon with practically no loss on our part. So, we handed over a selection of grunts with the most corrupted hearts after getting everything we needed out of them.

    I was probably standing where their blood had been spilled to both appease and enrich the earth, but I didn¡¯t think too much about it.

    ¡°It was. I¡¯m glad to hear all is well.¡±

    I believed as much. From this moment forth, you shall be welcomed among our halls as a friend of our Clan, Clefable declared powerfully, and my eyes widened a miniscule amount. Come visit whenever you desire so long as you respect our ways.

    Holy crap, I had already wormed my way into her and her clan¡¯s good graces, and I hadn¡¯t even handed over my actual gifts yet. There was something about Fairies and their love of violence that could not be underestimated.

    Then again, I was kind of weird, too, considering I didn¡¯t find such things disturbing. On the contrary, I was pretty okay with it all.

    A Fairy Specialist indeed.

    I made sure to dip my head in a show of respect. ¡°Thank you, Mountain Weaver. I¡¯m honored to be considered a Friend of your Clan. I hope you¡¯ll accept these gifts I¡¯ve brought as tokens of my appreciation for your invite.¡±

    All I had to do was hold the basket up, and Clefable levitated it gently out of my grasp with psychic powers. Moon Stones floated upwards around her as she brought the basket closer.

    Dark eyes twinkled with utmost satisfaction.

    Fragments of power from beyond the borders of these lands and across the vast seas, she immediately realized. They contain a song I am not entirely familiar with, but they are pleasant. Strong. They are excellent gifts, Friend of Fairies. They shall be cherished.

    I refrained from clenching a fist in victory. I knew she would find such high-quality, imported stones intriguing.

    Come, she beckoned. My Clan and I welcome you and your companions to our abode. There is a short time yet until the Rite of Song, and so we may talk until then.

    Red light flashed in the cavernous space as the rest of my Pokemon were released from their Pokeballs one after another. They greeted Clefable first before mingling with her clanmates. Her eyes followed after them with a curious, appraising glimmer. They hardened briefly when she caught sight of Dragons like Altaria and Dragonite, but she thankfully did not burst with rage at natural foes. With a calm expression, she turned to me and the Clefairy still idling by my feet.

    One must extend further gratitude for being a gracious host for this little one, Clefable told me. I understand it was a sudden request and yet one you willingly accepted without hesitation. I pray this child did not besmirch the honor of our Clan?

    ¡°Oh no.¡± I quickly dismissed that concern of hers. ¡°I was happy to host her at my house for two days. She was a wonderful guest as well.¡± I angled my head a bit, smiling at the Clefairy down below. ¡°I hope you enjoyed the time spent in my city.¡±

    The small Fairy type flapped her wings hard, nodding vigorously.

    The human world is full of curious things, she trilled. I was able to observe and learn much. Thank you for hosting me at your human dwelling once again, Friend of Fairies! I shall endeavor to write the first page of a most magnificent story.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked rapidly, but Clefairy had already bowed respectfully to us and toddled off to say hello to her clanmates.

    Clefable made a sound oddly reminiscent of a human clicking their tongue as she watched her go.

    I see the little one did not tell you the reason for her initial plea, Clefable spoke, but rather than the disapproval I expected, it was a tone full of neutrality.

    ¡°May I hear the reason?¡± I inquired. Was I finally going to get to hear the real reason for Clefairy hanging around me like a little menace?

    Clefable turned back to me with a weary smile. That little one is one of the few with potential to walk in my footsteps someday, but she dreams of something different. She dreams of the lands beyond these sacred halls and the stories she can weave.

    ¡°Like the page she mentioned writing just now?¡±

    Indeed. Where I weave a Song through the Mountain, that child sees a Story instead. And yours, I dare say, interests her most of all, Clefable mused out loud with an amused smile. The Story of a human who dared to do what I could not. She would not stop begging me for permission to go out, so I let her.

    So that was why she¡¯d been observing me? To better understand me as a person? I wondered if that was what drove Clefairy in life¡ªthe desire to craft a story.

    ¡°My own story, huh¡­¡± I murmured out loud with a thoughtful expression.

    Stories transcend space and time as you surely know, Clefable trilled. So often do beings forget how mighty words are. We, the Fair Folk, thrive on them and live far longer than most. As our tales are heard and repeated, so too does our power.

    I already knew, but it was different hearing it emphasized by an ancient, living example. ¡°Just like how you and your Clan draw energy from the Heart of the Mountain?¡±

    Astute observation. Both the Mountain and its Heart are part of our story and strengthen us. It would be a shame to see a human of your caliber pass into oblivion one day without significance, so I will tell you this: it is not impossible for you and your companions to craft a story of your own. You need only to make it compelling.

    A shudder ran down my spine, but it was one born from manic excitement.

    She had just casually suggested we could perhaps become like her someday. Never ever on the same level, of course, as we did not dwell in a place of historic significance such as Mount Moon nor have a constant source of power to amplify us like the Heart of the Mountain, but¡ª

    Something remotely similar. Existence equated power. We just needed to keep making our marks on this world.

    I didn¡¯t have fantasies about eternal life or anything, but I did care about leaving a legacy for people to remember.

    The Story of Arin Watanuki and his Fairies.

    I could see it already. The setting was Cherrygrove, the City of Fragrant Flowers, in a secluded forest where Fairies dwelled¡­

    My thoughts might have run rampant if I hadn¡¯t reined them in. This was a story that couldn¡¯t be written overnight but over a lifetime, and that was perfectly fine with me. We¡¯d already begun writing some of it, after all, the moment I came back home to Johto.

    I chatted a little more with Clefable after that, but it wasn¡¯t for long. The Rite of Song approached. My Pokemon gathered back near us so she could explain it briefly to us.

    We hold the Rite of Song whenever the Full Moon rises, she explained. About once a month then, I thought to myself. When it approaches its highest peak and sheds sacred light on the Heart of the Mountain, we nourish ourselves with that power and give back in return. My Clan Weaves the Song of our Beliefs into the Mountain. You, as honored guests, do not need to feel burdened to do the same. Feel free to let your Beliefs soar into the sky.

    Her voice dropped in pitch with reverence.

    The Moon Bringer ¡ª He who calls the Moon ¡ª blesses all Souls under the light.

    I started a bit. Moon Bringer.

    That was meant to refer to Reverent Lugia, Guardian of the Seas. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that Ho-oh was who people first thought to pray to in Johto, but we had another revered patron deity known as Lugia. He was equally worshiped, but it was Ho-oh that came up most in actual conversation because the Sun Bringer encompassed so many aspects of daily life and our waking hours.

    Meanwhile, Lugia governed the night and protected the souls of those still slumbering.

    We understood the ritual now, so we got ready with the rest of the clan. Those of my team that weren¡¯t Fairies or couldn¡¯t gain the innate powers of one without Mega Evolving were still going to participate. I had to seriously hold back a laugh when I saw Clefable blinking at my Dragons as if she couldn¡¯t believe they were still here. The others were going to help them draw out manifestations of what their inner Beliefs looked like while bringing out their own.

    Of course, Vel was going to do the same for a mere human like me.

    We took our indicated spots in a giant ring of Clefairy and Clefable around the Heart of the Mountain. The head of the clan walked up to the Heart and raised a hand, calling for silence.

    A reverent hush then fell over the cavernous space.

    It was so silent that not even the wind outside could be heard. My heartbeat echoed calmly in my ears.

    When Clefable turned her head to the sky, the rest of us followed. I¡¯d seen it outside already, but the full moon looked even more magnificent from this secluded spot inside the mountain that bared its Heart to the heavens.

    The moon, bright and radiant, cast down its beams onto the Heart. Clefable waited a few seconds. She waited, and waited, and waited some more until¡ª

    She raised her other hand and waved both while singing.

    I didn¡¯t understand the words because there were none. It was a language only Clefable knew, and they came from her soul. I did, however, understand the weight behind them.

    She sang the meaning of her life and existence, and it was as beautiful as any singing from Altaria.

    One by one, her clanmates joined in by swaying back and forth and singing their own songs. Little tendrils of light were Weaved into the shape of stars around them. My Pokemon followed suit and started to Weave their own Beliefs into the air. The more musically inclined like Altaria sang while the others hummed to show respect for the Clan¡¯s ways.

    I wasn¡¯t tone deaf like my gym trainer, Murata, but I settled for being on the safe side and hummed out loud with everyone. My eyes were wide open as I took in my Belief taking shape in front of my eyes, and it was all thanks to the Sylveon whose feeler I held. I didn¡¯t have to look to know Vel was smiling.

    When the Heart of the Mountain suddenly glowed, I could feel the energy coursing into my Pokemon as they absorbed its power.

    As expected of such an ancient meteorite, it was a lot.

    Just from holding Vel¡¯s ribbon, I felt a tingly feeling spreading across my skin and uplifting my spirits. It felt like I was being purified in all honesty. I knew that for my Pokemon, this was a glorious feast. So much pure energy and moonlight that they could make their own.

    It was harder to get stronger the closer to the top you got, but the skies were endless. One sky above another. If we came back every month to participate, my Pokemon would slowly acquire even more strength from absorbing such energy over time.

    Clefable was the first to finish crafting her Beliefs. The rippling, star-like form of Fairy type energy given shape descended into the floor. The moment it sank into the earth, a gentle pink light radiated from the point of contact throughout the whole cavern. It felt warm underneath the soles of my feet.

    Waves upon waves of pink light resonated as the rest of the Clefairy and Clefable followed, but my Pokemon did not do the same. They had finished manifesting the Beliefs born from their life experiences, hopes, and ambitions, and they let them fly now as Clefable had suggested. Vel guided my Belief to soar with them.

    Together, we watched the orbs of light shoot upwards into the sky like reverse shooting stars. They were as bright or even brighter than any cosmic entities out in space.

    In my peripheral vision, I saw Clefable and her Clan admiring our Beliefs while continuing their song. As fellow Fairies, they sensed and respected the weight of our struggles and everything that had led us to this moment in time. One small, familiar Clefairy in particular watched the display with sparkling eyes.

    The Clefairy Clan reached the climax of their joyful song right as our Beliefs popped and diffused into the air high, high above. Little sparkles rained down like snow in the middle of summer.

    The moon seemed to shine brighter with approval.

    Perhaps somewhere in this world, the Moon Bringer Himself was watching.

    <hr>

    The Rite of Song ended soon after, but we stayed longer to chat with the Clefairy Clan. It was well past two in the morning by the time I decided it was time to sleep.

    May the Moon and Stars protect you, Friends, Clefable bid us farewell. A few of her clanmates called out similar parting words on their way to sleeping spaces.

    ¡°You as well,¡± I echoed with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to drop by for the Rite of Song every month from now on.¡±

    That pleased Clefable greatly to the point where she gave me the biggest smile I¡¯d seen yet.

    Before you go, she remarked, there is a little one who spoke to me in private. She has something she would like to say to you.

    She¡¯d hardly finished speaking before she turned and made a beckoning motion with her hand. I blinked when a familiar Clefairy toddled up to us. It was the same one I¡¯d hosted at my house for the last two days.

    Friend of Fairies, Clefairy began respectfully, I apologize for not explaining my true intentions in our previous meeting. You are the first human our Clan has interacted with outside those of the Takeshi family in a long time, and I did not know whether to trust you. I know for sure now that you and your companions have beautiful Souls. I had never seen such radiant Beliefs before, and it was moving.

    That compliment definitely pleased my Pokemon. I wasn¡¯t looking at them, but they were probably smiling.

    I waved a hand through the air. ¡°No apology needed. You didn¡¯t have bad intentions.¡±

    She fidgeted with her hands, hesitating.

    I like stories, she admitted. I have decided my life¡¯s work is to weave the most beautiful stories into existence. That is why I followed you for two days and nights. I wanted to see your story grow and perhaps weave a version of it into the world myself¡­ but I am more greedy than I thought myself to be. Two days and two nights was too little.

    Behind her, Clefable trilled out loud with amusement making Clefairy cringe.

    If you would allow me, I wish to stay longer at your human dwelling and watch your story unfold, Clefairy pleaded, and she waved her hands around vigorously. Of course, I refuse to impose without making myself useful! I have learned you are in charge of a system where you test human fledglings in battle. I can assist you there! I am stronger than I appear.

    Basically, Clefairy was offering to help with gym battles in return for letting her hang out with me and my Pokemon?

    Mountain Weaver merely smiled, so I knew the Clefable had already given permission for a more long term journey.

    What was there to even think about? There were no negatives here for me.

    I made an impulsive, whimsical decision on the spot.

    ¡°You have a deal on one condition,¡± I said, and I grinned. ¡°You should probably get used to calling me by my actual name. I don¡¯t hear Friend of Fairies too often, you see.¡±

    Clefairy¡¯s answer was flapping her tiny wings furiously.

    A new gym Pokemon and friend had been acquired.

    (And one grumpy Sylveon when he realized the little pink menace would be around for a more long term stay, but that was nothing a ton of head scratches couldn¡¯t fix.)

    <hr>

    The first and hopefully last rule I gave Clefairy the next morning was the following: to please stay away from restrooms and not lurk in shadows.

    Dad very nearly bashed a human-sized hole into the wall from how fast he jumped back and screamed in the early morning¡­ and it was because he came out humming from his bedroom and noticed too late the small Clefairy waiting in the darkness for me to finish brushing my teeth.

    That incident aside, Clefairy was officially welcomed to the Cherrygrove Gym life by dad and the rest of our staff.

    ¡°Alright,¡± I called, eyes scouring notes and a schedule jotted down on my phone. Everyone was gathered in a room at the gym for a quick meeting. I ignored how most of them tried to play with our new resident Clefairy and their own baby Pokemon. ¡°I posted a copy of the weekly patrol schedule by the door, did everyone see it?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The affirmatives came in a scattered, disharmonic mess further indicating how distracting cute Pokemon could be, but I went on with an amused smile. I¡¯d cut them some slack only for this week because the babies were so young.

    ¡°A reminder that the schedule for five days from now is pretty different¡­¡±

    I proceeded to remind everyone of who was doing what on that day.

    Dad was going to be absent the whole day because he was hanging out with old friends in National Park. I offered to fly him there since he hated Teleporting and because I had business with a clinic nearby on Route 35 anyway, so I¡¯d be gone for about thirty minutes. Similarly, Murata would be away for an hour to watch a kindergarten class play his daughters were part of in town, and Yurie was using her half-day off to meet a friend in Blackthorn City (something she reassured me was going to be fine).

    ¡°¡ªSo because a lot of us will be gone, make sure to note down your duties for that day and the rest of the week,¡± I finished. ¡°Next topic on the agenda: increasing gym revenue and expanding our side businesses. I brought it up after I came back from Giovanni¡¯s charity gala, but it¡¯s about time we submit stuff for the National Product Safety Bureau to look over and approve. How have things been going with our gym Pokemon?¡±

    Luca enthusiastically shot to his feet and saluted. Adorably enough, his baby Igglypuff copied his pose from where he sat on the table. ¡°Arin, sir! I¡¯ve devised a few different slogans for the gym¡¯s honey side business that we could use!¡±

    ¡°Oh, go ahead¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡®Buzzing with Cuteness! Best Buzz-iness in Cherrygrove! Bee-utifully Sweet Honey straight from the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s Cutiefly, the one and only brand of Watanuki Family Honey!¡¯¡± Luca rattled off with a crazed grin. He got out about a dozen more lines before I had to cut him off.

    ¡°Very punny,¡± I praised with a grin, and that was the beginning of chaos as the others either groaned or chimed in with agreement.

    ¡°We have to cut down on the puns¡ª¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s cute, isn¡¯t it? I think it¡¯ll catch on.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this honey brand will be so popular if it gets approved¡ª¡±

    And so on and so forth.

    The reason why honey even came up in the first place was because our gym Cutiefly and Ribombee naturally produced their own from collecting and refining the nectar they gathered from flowers.

    The type of flower nectar a honey was made from totally changed the resulting flavor, color, and aroma. And, well, when our bees literally had access to a plethora of different types of flowers and flowering trees carefully cultivated and grown by a master gardener and Grass Specialist like dad¡­

    They were basically in bee heaven.

    The possibilities were endless for unique honey flavors¡ªhundreds upon hundreds. Considering Cutiefly and their evolution weren¡¯t native to the Kinjoh Area, this had the chance to become our gym¡¯s most lucrative business.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on perfumes and essential oils with the help of the Spritzee and Aromatisse,¡± Dad piped up once people got over all the bee puns. He looked excited. ¡°I¡¯ll probably have some ready soon for you to submit to the Safety Bureau.¡±

    Outside of Cherrygrove, people didn¡¯t know dad was actually an experienced perfumer. He¡¯d sold a lot of his own perfume made with the help of Grass type Pokemon back when he still ran the gym. Lately, I¡¯d seen him staying up late into the night and having fun working on new products with the Spritzee family. It was nice to see him so passionate and full of life.

    ¡°I helped!¡± Hazel added. When we all looked at him in surprise, he propped up his glasses with a smug expression. ¡°What? I took a perfumery elective back when I still attended Celadon University. The chemistry behind it is really interesting¡­¡±

    Our perfumes were going to have to compete for customers considering we had formidable rivals known as Erika and her Celadon Gym, but I didn¡¯t worry too much.

    I trusted dad and our Spritzee to wow the people of Indigo with refined aromas.

    Aside from honey and perfumes, we were looking to expand into a few other products for side businesses. Mushroom caps naturally shed by our Morelull were actually delicacies in other countries, so we were thinking of getting those caps dried or cooked for people to eat. Considering how mushrooms were a huge part of Kanto-Johto cuisine to begin with, I saw that going well. There were also some Milcery and Swirlix who had finally evolved after ingesting large amounts of sweets this whole time. Specifically the Alcremie, I¡¯d been accommodating their diet requests to provide them with certain flavors that each individual Milcery had been partial to. I was thinking of lending more Pokemon to people in town again.

    More unique pastries would be good for local businesses and specialties. Better yet, we could sell them at the gym for hungry visitors, trainers, and spectators during the League Circuit season.

    The future of the Cherrygrove Gym was bright indeed.

    The meeting ended after we ran through some more ideas.

    ¡°See you guys tomorrow! I can¡¯t hang out in the apartments tonight, I¡¯m going over to my sister¡¯s place instead,¡± Hazel reminded, and he waved the rest of us goodbye. He had the rest of the day off to enjoy.

    A few others followed him on his way out. ¡°We¡¯re going off on patrol!¡± Yurie announced, and she was trailed by Neil and Hana.

    Those left behind got to work, and it was mainly me who was busy.

    We were hosting another class at the Cherrygrove Gym today. By popular request¡ªand one only had to look at my inbox inundated by tearful emails¡ªtoday¡¯s was limited only to people who owned an Eevee aspiring to evolve into a Sylveon. People were desperate for more in-person coaching on Fairy type energy, so I bunkered down in the battle hall with Vel and some other Pokemon of mine to help the students as they arrived.

    Luca went around recording everything on his phone while interviewing attendees, and Will popped by to observe because he was interested. Felix naturally attended since a huge part of him coming to work for me was for his Eevee¡¯s sake, and we had one more familiar face around.

    Miyu from the Hachiura Clan had snagged a reservation for herself this time without help from me or Morty.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going, you two?¡± I asked at one point while making my rounds.

    They¡¯d been in the middle of glaring at each other¡ªI supposed a talented Coordinator and troupe performer were bound to get competitive and butt heads¡ªbut they relaxed instantly when my shadow fell over them.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got Baby-Doll Eyes mastered,¡± Felix answered after clearing his throat.

    Miyu bobbed her head up and down in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ How do I put this, Leader Arin? Our Eevee have been doing a lot of thinking, but they haven¡¯t quite grasped their core beliefs yet as you advised.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Felix followed up politely, ¡°we were wondering if perhaps you would be willing to share with us how your own Sylveon evolved?¡±

    I didn¡¯t mind, but their puppy-dog eyes really drove home the fact that they were so desperate to help their Eevee evolve.

    My eyes followed Vel on the other side of the room. I spoke while watching him help a small group of Eevee strengthen the Fairy type energy they expelled. ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, I mentioned it to you both already, but your Eevee really need to find out what drives them in life. For my own Sylveon, there was one thing he really wanted above all else.¡±

    ¡°And what was that?¡± Miyu asked in a breathless, almost hushed whisper. Felix looked equally as intrigued.

    I smiled as memories flashed behind my eyelids. That was a very different time for both Vel and me. We hadn¡¯t seen much of the world yet, so we tried to and washed up on the shores of Alola. There, my Pokemon and I found new dreams for ourselves.

    It was a long tale, but we didn¡¯t have time for that in this class right now.

    ¡°Vel¡¯s time as an Eevee wasn¡¯t an easy one. People looked down on him and me for how weak we seemed, and he hated that. His goal in life became to defy the world and bend the rules. He wanted to make people look at him differently and captivate them,¡± I explained softly.

    My audience said nothing. Felix, Miyu, and their Eevees only looked at me with deeply pensive expressions.

    ¡°That¡¯s the sort of stuff to think about. The experiences that have driven your Eevee to become who they are now and who they want to become in the future. Their struggles and dreams. Talk to them about that.¡±

    Just like a story, I thought to myself as I walked away to help another teenager.

    Every person had a story within them with pages waiting to be filled.

    Mine was the story of a boy who¡¯d left home and come back years later to fulfill dreams both old and new that had intersected. Mine was the story of a Gym Leader aiming to be the best in the world.

    Mine was¡­

    About half an hour later, I smiled to myself as light overtook the field in my peripheral vision. Two Eevees were caught up inside those radiant folds. Their shapes morphed into who they wanted to become.

    By the time I walked over, the light was gone. What was probably the Kinjoh Area¡¯s very first Sylveon evolutions after Vel and the gym Pokemon stood there in front of their trainers with tearful expressions.

    ¡°Congratulations, Felix and Miyu,¡± I said, lips curled wide in a sincere smile. I¡¯d had a feeling these two would be the first new Sylveon owners considering their strong ambitions in life. ¡°What did you talk about with your Pokemon while I was gone?¡±

    Both teenagers knelt on the ground next to the Sylveons admiring their new forms, but their heads snapped up immediately at the sound of my voice. Their eyes were as wet and shiny as those of their Pokemon.

    ¡°We were¡ªWe were talking about why we started doing Contests in the first place,¡± Felix admitted. The normally eloquent boy stammered with his words. ¡°It¡¯s, um, a bit embarrassing, but I was bullied a lot as a kid. Eevee and I agreed we wanted to be symbols of hope for people. We want people to see the beauty in the world and show that anyone can make their dreams come true.¡±

    ¡°Our conversation was a little similar,¡± Miyu admitted, sniffing. She hurriedly wiped a tear from her eye with her wrist. ¡°My Eevee and I talked about why we wanted to perform. It was about escaping the shadows of my cousins and sisters at first, but¡­ now we want to perform for ourselves. We want to help people smile and forget their troubles when they come to see us at the theater. That¡¯s what matters most to us.¡±

    ¡°Always remember that, then,¡± I told both of them. This wasn¡¯t a demand but a gentle reminder. ¡°Always remember what¡¯s important to you and keep forging ahead. This is just the beginning for you and your Pokemon.¡±

    Both teenagers wouldn¡¯t stop bowing or thanking me profusely for all the guidance. In particular, Miyu made me swear a dozen times over to come visit the Dance Theater this summer. She only let up after I reassured her for the nth time that I definitely would.

    As envious attendees crowded around the new Sylveon owners and expressed their congratulations, I watched on with a sense of contentment.

    Yeah. My story was still far from over.

    I still had plenty of people to share the joy and magic of Fairies with.

    <hr>

    Kari and Luca had a field day taking pictures of Felix and his new, proud Sylveon. Their plan was to post them on social media and promote more classes at the Cherrygrove Gym.

    I trusted them to do that, so I went off on my last errand for the day.

    Togekiss flew me all the way to Cerulean City of Kanto.

    It was as stunning as I expected. Any pictures I¡¯d seen of it online before really didn¡¯t do the city any justice. The roads were paved with smooth, polished stone that seemed to ripple under the afternoon sun like shifting waves on land. Their blue was second only to the roofs of the houses across residential districts. Most of them were decorated with bright shades of blue that reminded me of the tropical waters of Alola.

    Cerulean definitely lived up to its reputation as a city of water. From the giant river that snaked along the settlement¡¯s perimeter to connecting streams that flowed through town and elegant marble fountains, there was water everywhere.

    My business here was split in two.

    I went first to the Indigo Contest Committee, a huge building on the outskirts of town. I¡¯d been communicating with the president of the committee over emails and phone calls for a long time now, but it was finally time to sign contracts in person.

    And boy, did I pen my signature with a flourish after reading everything. The president turned out to be as nice in person as he sounded over the phone.

    Contests weren¡¯t as popular in Indigo compared to other parts of the world, but people like me and the Indigo Contest Committee wanted to change that. I¡¯d already looked into how the Contest season worked in Indigo. It ran about as long as a regular League Circuit season did but from September to June for all of Kanto-Johto. They held the Indigo Grand Festival in July to space out time between the regional Conferences.

    Starting this year, the Cherrygrove Gym would be available as a venue for Indigo-based Contests. The Committee was still working out the Contest schedule for the next season, and they would have to plan around busy days at the Gym when the League Circuit got crazy, but we were looking at hosting about five Contests at minimum.

    The fees we got in return made everything so much more worth it.

    My second and final stop was the Cerulean Gym because I¡¯d long been invited.

    ¡°Arin! So glad you could make it!¡± Daisy Waterflower beamed, and she showed me inside.

    The Cerulean Gym was quite beautiful from the outside¡ªreminiscent of a water-themed park if anything¡ªbut inside was a whole other level. I felt like I was in the world¡¯s most massive aquarium from all the see-through glass and Water Pokemon swimming around.

    Today, I was here to talk about a collaboration between the Cherrygrove and Cerulean Gyms. I hadn¡¯t forgotten Daisy¡¯s offer a long time ago.

    ¡°Thanks for inviting me,¡± I smiled, but then I paused. Looking more closely at Daisy¡¯s face, I noticed that her normally pristine skin was paler than usual. She also had really bad eyebags that even makeup couldn¡¯t hide. ¡°Are¡­ Are you okay? Should I come back another day?¡±

    Daisy¡¯s hands quickly flew to her face in shock. She patted her cheeks a few times before realizing what I was talking about, and then she laughed.

    ¡°Oops! I must have startled you. I guess I didn¡¯t put on as much concealer as I thought!¡± Daisy laughed cheerfully with a careless wave of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ve just been busy searching sea routes with Lily and Violet. We¡¯ve all got to do our part to keep Indigo safe, right?¡±

    Oh. I did remember hearing from Lance that the Waterflower sisters had been called in for the last couple of weeks to search for Rocket bases. I just hadn¡¯t realized it was taking such a toll on the Cerulean Gym Leaders. They were putting a lot of effort into this as Indigo¡¯s best Water Specialists.

    ¡°Are they out now helping the League?¡± I asked.

    Daisy nodded. ¡°Yup! It¡¯s a good thing there¡¯s three of us. We always have one person stay behind to safeguard the Gym and babysit Misty¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need babysitting, Daisy!¡± a younger, determined voice interrupted.

    We both turned to see a teenager with orange hair pop her head out from around the corner. The youngest sister, Misty. I¡¯d met her before at the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s grand opening.

    ¡°I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself!¡± Misty continued, grumbling. ¡°You guys need to worry more about yourselves than me. You need to sleep more.¡± She disappeared, but hardly a second passed before she popped her head right back. ¡°Also, uh, hi Leader Arin. Sorry I forgot to greet you.¡±

    Then Misty disappeared for real, maybe on her way to their cafeteria or something.

    Daisy smiled awkwardly at me.

    ¡°Sorry about that, Arin, Misty¡¯s been kind of grumpy with us lately. We actually got into a fight the other day because she wanted to take over our duties, but we already decided a long time ago that we would give her the Gym next year,¡± Daisy apologized.

    I blinked rapidly. ¡°You¡¯re planning on retiring so soon?¡±

    She offered me a wry smile in response. ¡°Well¡­ As much as we¡¯ve enjoyed being Gym Leaders and keeping our city safe, our real passion lies in performing shows for the people. Spreading happiness, you know? We don¡¯t really like battling as much as Misty does. She¡¯s almost as strong as me, actually, so I think she¡¯ll be ready by the time next year rolls around. And¡­¡±

    Daisy hesitated, sighing.

    ¡°I really have to put my foot down on this one no matter how much she complains. I don¡¯t want my baby sister getting caught up in any Team Rocket business. I¡¯d rather do the dirty work myself and hand the gym over to her in peaceful times. Our parents aren¡¯t around anymore, so it¡¯s up to me and my sisters to take care of Misty.¡±

    It was actually really touching how much they cared about their youngest sister. She and her other sisters didn¡¯t want to expose Misty to the horrors of a criminal organization, so they opted to handle it themselves.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she knows that and is just worried about you guys,¡± I smiled at her, an action that Daisy mirrored.

    ¡°I know,¡± she agreed, flashing pearly whites. ¡°Now come inside, Arin, and take a seat! I¡¯m thinking we could come perform at your gym before the summer is over, and you can give a shout out to the Cerulean Gym in return. We usually host a really big show to end the summer before the Kanto League Circuit begins, and we want to advertise that¡­¡±

    She rambled on without end. As I followed Daisy deeper inside the building, I couldn¡¯t help but respect her.

    The Waterflower Sisters, like every other Gym Leader of Indigo, were doing their best to ensure that the lives of their loved ones remained peaceful.

    I had to follow suit.

    <hr>

    And I did.

    Four days came and went in the blink of an eye.

    Blaine hadn¡¯t woken up from his coma yet, but things were peaceful. I guarded Cherrygrove every waking hour.

    On the side business end of things, I submitted samples of perfumes and products made with the help of our gym Pokemon for the National Product Safety Bureau to review. We¡¯d get news back within the week, so hopefully they were approved for sale to the public.

    Some clinics in town also got back to me with nutritional supplements they¡¯d made using pollen puffs and healing oils from our Pokemon, so dad got to take those every morning now. They weren¡¯t going to cure his illness, obviously, but they did wonders to alleviate his general tiredness or muscle aches.

    Once again, everyone was in a meeting room at the gym to go over scheduling.

    ¡°Everybody remember the change in schedule for tomorrow?¡± I asked. ¡°We have people who are going to be out, so the shifts are a bit different¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, Arin,¡± Hazel interrupted politely, and he only continued after a huge, long yawn. ¡°Uh¡­ sorry about that. I was going to ask if I could swap my half-day next week for tomorrow instead? My sister¡¯s Hypno wanted us to surprise Beryl at home with a meal. She got promoted at work.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I immediately agreed, and my fingers flew across the screen of my phone as I updated my master copy of the gym schedule. ¡°I¡¯ll mark you down as partially absent, then. Did anything come up for anyone else?¡±

    No one answered.

    ¡°Great, then let¡¯s get the workday started.¡±

    Everyone split up, but I held Hazel back by putting a hand on his shoulder. He turned to me with a questioning expression.

    ¡°You okay, Haze?¡± I asked, brows furrowing. ¡°You¡¯ve been better these last couple of weeks, but I noticed you¡¯ve gone back to looking tired again these past few days.¡±

    He smiled wearily at me. ¡°Oops! It might be because I¡¯ve been staying up to help Mr. Watanuki with the perfumes. Sorry Arin, I hope I didn¡¯t give the impression that I¡¯ve been slacking off at work.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good, Haze. I¡¯m just a bit worried. Maybe take a nap or something tomorrow on your time off?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, definitely! A quality nap is on the menu for me after my sister¡¯s congratulatory meal.¡±

    I patted his shoulder a few times, smiling.

    ¡°You better! Have fun tomorrow and give Beryl my congratulations.¡±

    He grinned, waved goodbye, and wandered off to join Yurie and Souta for the afternoon patrol. My eyes darted between them and the schedule on my phone. I wasn¡¯t overworking my gym trainers, was I? Maybe I needed to enforce a temporary rule about no voluntary overtime or something.

    <hr>

    The next day, I gathered all my Pokemon into their Pokeballs save for one.

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to Teleport?¡± I teased as Dragonite stretched her wings.

    Dad rolled his eyes at me. ¡°Very funny, son. I¡¯d prefer not throwing up especially before seeing my friends.¡±

    I shook my shoulders, grinning. ¡°Well, hop aboard the Zuri Express Train then.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t go too fast, Zuri.¡±

    The Dragonite¡¯s only promise was a suspicious chuckle disguised as a huff of agreement.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in thirty minutes!¡± I yelled to the gym trainers left behind. Yurie, Hazel, and Murata had already left on their own errands.

    After dad and I clambered on Dragonite¡¯s back, we shot off for National Park. I dropped dad by the arched entrance on Route 36 and had myself dropped off at a small clinic, one that was a little out of the way on Route 35 in the forest. Vel came out of his Pokeball to accompany me inside.

    I¡¯d heard good things about this place¡¯s herbal teas which was why I wanted to visit. It wasn¡¯t busy when I came in so they saw me right away. I was here to bulk order teas for dad. Poring through the catalogue didn¡¯t take nearly as long as I thought it would, about five minutes, and then we completed the transaction. They¡¯d send a box over within the next week.

    That was it. My thirty minute errand turned into a ten minute one.

    ¡°Should we head back early?¡± I asked Vel and the Ghosts in my shadow. ¡°Or should we stay out a little longer? I did bring everyone with me thinking a walk in National Park would be nice. We might even run into dad.¡±

    The three of them unanimously agreed on National Park. It was a beautiful summer day, so it was the obvious choice rather than going back early and drowning in paperwork again.

    I made my way back to the clinic¡¯s lobby and pushed open the door.

    ¡°Dad?¡± I immediately blinked.

    We did run into dad¡ªjust not in National Park but here outside the clinic.

    He beamed at me, one hand scratching his cheek as his expression turned apologetic. ¡°Sorry, son, I got the location wrong. It wasn¡¯t National Park.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I shook my head. We fell into step beside each other as we walked away from the clinic. The sun shined down through little gaps in the trees creating a dappled path of dirt for us to traverse through.

    It really was a beautiful summer day.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you mixed up the meetup spot. Where should I drop you off then?¡±

    ¡°Ecruteak.¡±

    I grinned as we walked over some fallen branches on the ground. ¡°At least it¡¯s still nearby.¡±

    As pleasant as the weather was, the back of my neck prickled for some reason. So did my mind. There was a certain feeling that filled my whole body, a certain sensation I got sometimes thanks to my ability to communicate and deal with Fairies.

    It was weird, I had felt something similar that day at Mount Moon¡ª

    ¡°Yes,¡± Dad agreed, smiling. ¡°Sorry about the mixup again. Would you mind Teleporting me over?¡±

    My foot snapped down especially hard on a twig.

    ¡°You want to Teleport over?¡± I echoed.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s easy and fast,¡± Dad grinned, and he wiped some budding sweat from his forehead. ¡°Weather¡¯s hot, son. Let¡¯s Teleport.¡±

    I kept walking, but I didn¡¯t say anything back right away.

    One, dad didn¡¯t like Teleporting. Never did if he could help it. He hated it with a passion.

    Two, and this was the other big one¡ª

    I had felt something similar at Mount Moon. It was on the day when I first met and picked out the hidden Guardian Clefable and sensed the Heart of the Mountain being obscured from me.

    I was a Fairy Specialist and Ability Holder, and I knew a shift in reality when I felt it.

    Or more accurately, an idea of a ¡®normal¡¯ one that wasn¡¯t mine.

    Now that I had made myself aware of it, I could smell it. A strange, familiar aroma. This had to be that Sweet Scent technique Whitney had explained before.

    This person walking next to me looked, sounded, and behaved exactly like dad, but it wasn¡¯t him.

    Fortunately, I was good at keeping up appearances like any Fairy.

    I brushed sweat from my own forehead while subtly brushing my free hand against one of Vel¡¯s ribbons. I knew he felt the emotions I shared with him¡ªwarning and hostility¡ªbecause I felt his ribbon tense up ever so slightly, but he kept up his own smiling face.

    He knew what I knew now: that this was an enemy walking among us.

    We didn¡¯t have to exchange any other words or emotions. He would time himself to my actions.

    I smiled, rolling the sleeves of my dress shirt up like I was bothered by the heat. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Weather¡¯s a bit muggy. So where in Ecruteak should we Teleport to, dad?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant my friends wanted to try,¡± Dad smiled back. We kept walking. ¡°It¡¯s near the main street, so¡ª¡±

    I didn¡¯t let him finish.

    Without warning or looking, I kicked out with a foot like Chuck had taught me that day we trained together at his gym. I aimed to trip the lookalike, and my hands lunged to slam his neck forward so that he¡¯d fall faceforward into the ground.

    I didn¡¯t act alone.

    Bright ribbons shot out from next to me, each sharpened so that their edges were like blades. They sliced at dad¡ª

    And it happened so fast.

    Colors blurred and ribbons sliced, but they cut something else.

    One minute, the lookalike was next to me, and the next, he¡¯d stumbled back out of my reach through the luxury of trained, incredible reflexes. There were cuts in his skin¡ª

    No.

    That wasn¡¯t his skin.

    Cut and bleeding flesh morphed around his body like bubbles in a cauldron. I saw it take on a pinkish color as something wiggled around his neck. Eyes popped out.

    A Ditto. It had been attached to him from the beginning like armor and mimicked his outer appearance.

    And the moment I saw that Ditto in this kind of situation, I knew I was dealing with a Normal Specialist. The same one who¡¯d infiltrated the League and Cinnabar Gym.

    A Rocket Executive.

    The man himself hadn¡¯t been cut. Even the shallow gash on his ¡®face¡¯ had merely cut open what was apparently a silicone mask. I saw the briefest hint of black eyes through the tear in it before everything went to shit.

    Bolts of electricity beamed down from the sky with thunderous bangs that Vel met with Hyper Beam. Flutter Mane and Mimikyu flew out of my shadow and threw out pulsating orbs, but a freaking Kecleon hiding nearby intercepted them for its trainer with Protect.

    That was all in the first split second, and I had just snatched my phone out of my pocket to call the League¡ª

    A Protect from Vel went up around me right as something flew for my phone. It slammed into the barrier instead before ricocheting off, and it went spinning through the air. The telltale electricity and whirring sounds before it disappeared with a flash into the ground were obvious. Rotom. That was where the electricity was coming from.

    I checked my phone and swore. Even without the Rotom getting into my device, I didn¡¯t have any damned signal.

    There was a phone jammer or something nearby interfering.

    ¡°How did you know?!¡± the Rocket Executive yelled over all the noise from attacks colliding in mid-air.

    He was talking in what I assumed was his real voice rather than an imitation of dad, and it was higher in pitch. Raspier. He seemed so nonchalant even as we released more members of our teams at lightning speed.

    A Lopunny punched and drop kicked Azumarill. Nearby, an Exploud screamed out soundwaves before Grimmsnarl shut it up with Taunt. Hatterene was one of the first I released, but she couldn¡¯t Teleport to warn the League, and she relayed the reason why to me through my head.

    Dark type energy was dispersed heavily in the air. Even when my Pokemon burned it all away with Dazzling Gleam, something out there instantly spat out more Dark type energy. It was constantly keeping the air saturated to disrupt Teleports, but not for long. Hatterene relayed my mental order to the rest of the Pokemon.

    Find the phone jammer device and the Pokemon preventing Teleport and destroy them.

    I already knew from the Cinnabar Gym incident meeting but Arceus, this guy was annoyingly thorough.

    If this Executive wanted a conversation, he could get one so long as he fed me intel I could bring back for the League. I wondered if he was the type to get riled up easily.

    Let¡¯s see.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Petrel!¡± I yelled back as I released two more Pokemon. ¡°It was a good try, but you can¡¯t fool a Fairy Specialist of all people by warping my sense of reality! My dad doesn¡¯t like Teleporting by the way, asshole!¡±

    Dachsbun tanked a flaming punch from a Slaking while Dragonite hammered a Zangoose into the ground. I didn¡¯t actually know if this guy was Petrel, I just made an educated guess based on the color of his real eyes I saw and the fact that I¡¯d seen Archer¡¯s portrait at HQ already.

    ¡°Really?! Who the hell doesn¡¯t like Teleporting these days? It¡¯s so convenient!¡± the man shouted, dragging a hand down his face. ¡°Yeesh, I guess that¡¯s my bad, I should have done more research. And nice to meet you too, Mr. Gym Leader! I guess you¡¯re the worst matchup for a Normal Specialist like me, huh?!¡±

    Great. He confirmed it for me. I¡¯d come into contact with the Rocket Executive Petrel. He was apparently a lot more chipper of a person than I would have taken him for.

    His Ditto had already jumped off him and made contact with his Lopunny to transform, and the two lookalikes now double teamed Mawile.

    They were unsuccessful.

    Powerful, glowing jaws snapped faster than they could have believed was possible and bit down hard across skin. Blood splattered everywhere as he ripped out a chunk. Ditto Lopunny pushed its teammate back to safety and kicked Mawile back.

    Meanwhile, Lapras finally found the Pokemon clogging the atmosphere with unseen particles of Dark type energy. She froze the whole ground over into a tundra, and out came a screaming Sableye that smashed its way out of the ground it had been hiding in. Frost clung to its lanky limbs.

    ¡°I definitely am! If you don¡¯t want you or your Pokemon to die, I suggest giving up now! You should probably see the difference in strength already!¡±

    Petrel¡¯s Pokemon were strong, but they couldn¡¯t handle us. My Pokemon had already pushed them deep into the forest. His Exploud was missing an arm. His Zangoose was twitching from paralysis but forcing itself to stay upright. The rest of them were wounded in some shape or fashion. I didn¡¯t think this was all of them, but I couldn¡¯t see if he had any hidden Pokeballs left.

    Petrel himself had been forced to back up with both his Kecleon and Rotom working overtime to shield him from Moonblasts that ripped all the trees and ground away in their surroundings.

    ¡°I know! You¡¯re really scary!¡± Petrel yelled with a mournful undertone. ¡°It¡¯s a shame! I actually like Fairies and think they¡¯re kind of similar to what the Normal type represents!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? How about we chat a little longer then?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a rain check, thanks! See you around, Leader Arin!¡±

    I literally couldn¡¯t make out what happened after that. One second, we were fighting Petrel and his Pokemon, and the next¡ª

    Colors went wrong.

    It was like my vision splashed over with splotches of paint that exploded from the remaining things in my vision: browns from the earth, greens from the trees, and blues from the skies. By the time I blinked, Petrel and his team were gone.

    They were fucking gone, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on that.

    Questions blitzed through my mind at a million miles an hour.

    How did Petrel know where I was? Was dad okay? Why did Petrel fight me? Why did he take me of all people straight on in a fight? Was it a failed assassination attempt?

    I had no clue, but I finally had a signal now. All the gravity Moonblasts flying around must have broken the phone jammer device hidden nearby. The Dark type energy in the air was also finally dispersed for good.

    I needed to tell the League¡ª

    Then I saw the urgent alerts now spilling in one after another on my phone, and my eyes widened. Drugged Pokemon running amok in Olivine¡¯s ports, Mount Silver, and the river by Cerulean City. Violent protests staged by civilians in Blackthorn City. Operations underway to take down Rocket bases uncovered in the Kanto Power Plant and Seafoam Islands.

    What the hell was happening?

    Then something hit me, and my blood ran cold.

    What if this was like Cinnabar?

    I called the Cherrygrove Gym emergency line.

    No one answered right away like they should have.

    A thought flashed through my mind more quickly than anything else ever had.

    Petrel fighting me had been to stall for time.

    Trees and destroyed earth instantly melted into familiar, beautiful gardens and a giant castle from a Teleport.

    Cherrygrove. We were back in Cherrygrove.

    I jerked my head up at the gym, but it wasn¡¯t on fire or anything. The gym was fine. My relief only lasted a split second. I saw rising smoke coming from two different areas.

    The sea south of Cherrygrove and my house.

    We were being attacked.

 Chapter 54 â€” Where The Moon Rises

    CHAPTER 54 ¡ª Where The Moon Rises

    <hr>

    5 MINUTES BEFORE SHIT HIT THE FAN / Cherrygrove, Johto ¡ª Will Itsuki

    It was a beautiful summer day.

    The sun was out and shining in full force. Beams of light, bright and golden, cast down their warmth without end. Pleasant June winds carrying the scent of a hundred different flowers Will couldn¡¯t name beyond lavender or honeysuckle tickled his nose and cheeks. Today, Will had the pleasure of making his morning rounds through the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s expansive gardens. It was a fun, relaxing job that most of the Cherrygrove Gym Fam vied for. If given the chance, they probably would have drawn lots every week for it, too.

    This wasn¡¯t his first time walking through the floral landscape, but the gardens were always a sight for sore eyes¡ªswaths of colors as far as the eye could see. Early sunflowers with thin, fuzzy petals stretched golden faces yearnfully in the direction of the sun, poppies so crimson they looked like they were burning swayed in the wind, and stalks of lavender bunched together in clusters of vibrant hues. This was only a tiny section of the gym¡¯s so-called front yard, too. People online were already heralding it as Johto¡¯s Second National Park.

    All Will had to do was make a slow, leisurely sweep through the winding labyrinth of flora and help assist visitors along the way.

    Between Xatu flying overhead and Will spreading his own psychic senses wide like a large net, that was fairly easy.

    Little presences floated in his mind like blinking dots on a radar. There were two in the vicinity that hadn¡¯t moved in about ten minutes, so he Teleported himself over there first.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Will chirped. He threw his arms out with a flourish as he approached an elderly couple. Sure enough, they appeared to be lost judging from how they peered at a brochure clutched in their weathered hands. ¡°I¡¯m a gym trainer with the Cherrygrove Gym. May I offer any assistance?¡±

    To hammer home the point that he wasn¡¯t a suspicious individual, he proudly tapped the lanyard looped around his neck. Inside was his staff ID on full display.

    An old woman with silvery-brown hair tucked into a loose bun smiled at him. ¡°Oh, thank you, dearie. My husband and I were wondering how to get to the Goldeen ponds area?¡±

    ¡°Ah, a popular destination,¡± Will mused out loud with a sage nod of his head. ¡°If you so desire, I¡¯d be happy to Teleport you there.¡±

    The Goldeen ponds also happened to be one of their attractions that had problems with people¡ªmostly little kids¡ªtrying to feed the Pokemon in spite of glaring signs that said not to, but there was always a guard stationed nearby to deal with that.

    With consent from the elderly couple, Will skillfully Teleported them to the ponds in the blink of an eye. The woman¡¯s husband insistently pressed a small, round piece of candy into his hands before they parted ways.

    ¡°For a nice young man,¡± or so he said. ¡°You remind me of my grandchild.¡±

    ¡°Why, thank you!¡±

    Exuberant as his reply was, Will found his throat constricting with emotion as he walked away. He carefully slipped the piece of candy inside his pocket, fingers brushing against the crinkled wrapping for a moment before they finally withdrew. A gesture like the old man¡¯s might have been small and trivial to anyone else, but to Will Itsuki, it meant the world.

    There was a warm feeling in his chest. He felt it more and more often these days.

    It wasn¡¯t an eloquent way of putting it, but Cherrygrove was nice.

    Tranquil. Relaxing. It was a far bigger city than people initially assumed, but it was astonishing how tightly-knit the community here was. Cherrygrove wasn¡¯t exactly at the top of the list for places people thought about moving to¡ªnot when there was a sprawling metropolis like Goldenrod or nostalgic, charming places to live out days of retirement in like the shores of Cianwood¡ªso there usually weren¡¯t a lot of new faces coming in aside from an uptick in tourists. Cherrygrove was perhaps less of a city than one gigantic neighborhood from its cozy atmosphere alone. Most people knew each other. Even if they didn¡¯t, they treated each other kindly.

    Will had lost track of the number of times he¡¯d been showered with shoulder pats, hugs, and a random assortment of free foods and snacks while on patrols. Most of them came from shopkeepers or elderly citizens.

    He hadn¡¯t even been around for that long, but people appreciated him anyway. They didn¡¯t shy away from his particular mannerisms, appearance, or way of speaking. They didn¡¯t treat him like he was a waste of space. He wasn¡¯t reviled.

    It was a different kind of support than what his followers on social media bestowed upon him. The people of Cherrygrove treated him with genuine warmth like he was one of their own, and it was touching.

    The Cherrygrove Gym Fam was the same. Perhaps they had been a bit taken aback at first, but now they treated him as if they¡¯d been friends forever. Will hung out with them. They¡¯d invite Arin, and they¡¯d play card or board games in the staff apartments together. Sometimes they¡¯d all go out for dinner. Sometimes they chilled at the gym doing nothing during breaks.

    Every single time he stepped into the Cherrygrove Gym, it felt like¡­ coming home.

    ¡°Home. Family,¡± Will murmured out loud, testing how they sounded when they rolled off his tongue.

    They were strange words he had never thought he would understand in his life, but here in Cherrygrove, he felt like he could actually grasp their meanings.

    The process had already begun.

    For now, he had work to do. Over half of their gym trainers including Arin and his father were gone at the moment after all. Will wasn¡¯t the type of person to shirk any responsibilities placed upon his shoulders.

    He continued Teleporting around the gardens with ease all while humming a famous musical song about a haunted opera house. Maybe he¡¯d bring it up with the others as an option for their next movie night.

    One full sweep of the surrounding gardens later, Will had helped a total of three other lost guests as well as a troublesome teenager scaring some Finneon with his loud voice. All in a morning¡¯s work.

    Impeccable job, he praised himself.

    It was about time to head back inside the gym and fill out a mandatory report about his patrol. He pulled out his phone to check the time and¡ª

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Eyes hidden by his half-mask blinked once, twice, three times in rapid succession.

    Rather than the time, what Will stared at was the lack of bars in the top corner of the device¡¯s screen. Why in Ho-oh¡¯s name did he have no signal? It wasn¡¯t like he was in the deep, isolated wilds for goodness¡¯ sake. He was also quite clearly still within range of the Cherrygrove Gym.

    He got his answer when explosions went off.

    Lots of closely-timed explosions, and they were concentrated in two different places as far as Will knew. Smoke billowed high in the sky. They rose far and fast enough that Will could see the telltale locations from here.

    They came from the sea south of Cherrygrove and an area further back in the forest that the Watanuki family owned.

    Will¡¯s mind processed the situation at record speed only an adept human psychic and Psychic Specialist could boast¡ªcalmly at that.

    It had to be an attack from Team Rocket.

    Arin had warned them so many times, and the possibility of it being a criminal organization rather than wild Pokemon on the loose was far more likely given current conditions in Indigo. No one else was insane enough to launch an attack on a city guarded by a formidable trainer on par with any country¡¯s Champion.

    But that was the point, wasn¡¯t it?

    Arin wasn¡¯t here right now. He wasn¡¯t due to come back for another twenty or so minutes.

    Will was willing to bet his entire life savings that the explosions in the forest were somewhere near the Watanuki household. He had no idea why, of course, but there was nothing else in the forest that was of value besides the gym Pokemon, most of which were exotic species found outside the Kinjoh Area.

    Why wasn¡¯t important right now. He had to act first.

    No signal meant jammed communications in all likelihood. A premeditated attack. No calling for help.

    Half their staff was out of Cherrygrove. The others were scattered nearby.

    Neil, Haru, and Souta were out patrolling Routes 29 and 30. They wouldn¡¯t be back until later.

    Murata was in town with his wife watching their daughters perform a play at school. Hazel was presumably at his sister¡¯s house right about now. Both were too far away to notice anything from here.

    Their PR team¡ªKari, Yulian, and Luca¡ªwere inside the gym watching over all the newly hatched baby Pokemon. They¡¯d probably realized by now that lines were down, but they needed to stay inside for their own protection. They were civilians.

    The only ones actually available right this instant were him, Felix, and Hana.

    Hana was at the beach on a patrol, so she¡¯d probably already come into contact with the enemy already.

    Felix was at the Watanuki household to feed the Pokemon in the backyard.

    Will made his decision.

    Hana could handle herself. Felix could not.

    The teenager was in the most danger right now.

    In quick, fluid movements, Will sent out every single Pokemon of his team and relayed mental orders in silence. Exeggutor, Slowking, and Wobbuffet split up to alert the League, the local Defense Force branch office, and the other gym trainers scattered across the city. Will wasn¡¯t sure which clinic Arin was visiting, so it was a better use of time to go notify HQ first.

    Brows scrunched together as Will focused his mind. There were very stringent laws in place for psychics¡ªboth human and Pokemon alike¡ªin order to protect the freedoms and privacy of citizens. This was an emergency. Given his status as a gym trainer in service of the Cherrygrove Gym and by natural extension the Indigo League, he had the authority to unilaterally invade personal space right now.

    Will was no Sabrina Natsume much to his own chagrin, but Arin had believed in him that he could surpass her one day.

    He gritted his teeth and strained himself, reaching out with his mind to all presences in the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s immediate vicinity. It took him only a moment to parse through them and forcefully connect to the minds of all hired guards, groundskeepers, and other staff.

    Gym Trainer Will Itsuki here, he spoke cheerfully into his mind. Probably not the best tone to use in this situation, but Will¡¯s personality had long been deeply ingrained. Evacuate all visitors from the grounds back to the safety of the city under the guise of routine groundskeeping. We have a Team Rocket invasion on our hands. Leave this area to us gym trainers and guard the city instead.

    He tried not to wince after disconnecting his mind from dozens of others. Well, that had hurt a lot more than he thought it would.

    Now then¡­

    With a determined smile on his face, Will and his Pokemon Teleported to the Watanuki household¡¯s backyard fully prepared to shed blood.

    There was nothing of the sort.

    Thankfully, the Rockets hadn¡¯t breached through all their forest security details yet.

    He came face-to-face with a surprised Felix Leicester instead. The boy was surrounded by his own team and frightened Fairies like Fidough and Marill. There were angry ones in the bunch, too, like the Jigglypuff Arin was so fond of. Mr. Puff seemed like he was ready to go marching off to war with some of the more courageous gym Pokemon, but there would be none of that on Will¡¯s watch.

    He knew how much these Pokemon meant to Arin. They had to stay here. If they really wanted to fight, then they could do so as a last line of defense. That was assuming they were Team Rocket¡¯s objective to begin with.

    Words immediately flew from Felix¡¯s mouth after his initial shock faded. ¡°Will! There were explo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret! You just take care of the gym Pokemon,¡± Will interrupted, and he flashed pearly whites in the most reassuring smile he could offer. ¡°I shall handle the problem.¡±

    He left no room for arguments and Teleported off again, this time to scour through the forest.

    It didn¡¯t take him long to make contact with the problem¡ªliterally.

    Will and his Pokemon Teleported face-first into tree bark, and it wasn¡¯t because they were having a bad day. It was because they¡¯d Teleported into an area with Dark type energy saturating the air. There was so much of it that it was hard to breathe properly, and it screwed over their intended coordinates.

    Their Teleport mishap also landed them in the middle of chaotic fighting.

    Colors blurred as bodies flew across an unnatural clearing, one made from explosions judging by cratered earth and blown up tree stumps. There were Team Rocket grunts on one side and security guards with their Pokemon on the other. Branches from Trevenant choked Raticate. Packs of Luxray and Mightyena slammed into groups of Arbok and Victreebel, but the hostile Pokemon didn¡¯t look right. Bloodshot eyes, foaming at the mouths, discolored skin¡ªall clear signs of drugged Pokemon Arin had mentioned watching out for weeks ago.

    That wasn¡¯t even the cherry on top.

    As Will quickly discovered by way of multiple Dark Pulses slamming into premade shields erected around him and his Pokemon, it didn¡¯t take him long to connect the dots.

    There were two conspicuously dressed Rockets on the other side of the clearing with different uniforms. One was a woman with eyes so light Will almost believed her to be blind and the other a much taller woman. Around them were non-drugged Pokemon that consisted mostly of Psychic and Dark types. To say the least, they looked well-trained.

    Will almost scoffed out loud. One of them had to be a Psychic Specialist which was an affront to him and all others in the same field.

    The other was obviously a Dark Specialist.

    Will eyed the multi-layered barriers cracking into pieces around him and amended his previous thought.

    A powerful Dark Specialist, it seemed. These were definitely not average Rocket grunts but people higher up on the ladder.

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Will muttered.

    This wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as he thought after all. He was the only one who could buy time until Arin or other backup forces came, so he steeled himself.

    He was not going to let anyone threaten the place where he felt included.

    All hell quickly broke loose.

    It was difficult to make out anything through all the attacks flying around. Thin but concentrated rays of darkness flew their way like miniature lasers followed by a wave of weaker multi-colored beams. All the Dark type energy polluting the air was not only affecting Will and his own Pokemon but the opposing Psychic Specialist as well¡ªnot that it mattered. Specialists had to devise ways to get around annoying counters.

    The immediate air around Will¡¯s team sparkled before exploding. Gardevoir sucked dark particles inside dozens of transparent cubes made of mixed Psychic and Fairy energy. In the sudden vacuum of free space, more powerful shields could be erected this time without anything to interfere. Barriers went up left and right to protect Will and the security guards. Beams peppered them one after another, but for as many shields as they pierced through, Will¡¯s Pokemon simply threw up more in endless layers. The whole time, Will relayed detailed, constant orders to his team through thoughts as he kept track of the shifting field.

    Will was on the backfoot here.

    As strong as those mysterious officers were, he gauged he could comfortably take them in a fight or at least stall for time even when double teamed. The main problem was that he was outnumbered. His Pokemon were stretched a little too thin for his liking. Will¡¯s priority was to protect all the security guards because those Rocket officers were definitely above their pay grade.

    And because there were two of them, they had the luxury of splitting their attention.

    The Psychic Specialist went after the guards while the Dark Specialist focused on Will.

    Will and not his Pokemon.

    Alakazam and Espeon did not have to be told anything. They shifted seamlessly from attacking to focusing on Will¡¯s safety. Shields covered Will from all angles as what seemed like every Dark type move under the sun came blasting his way. His other members like Xatu and Mr. Mime focused on bouncing attacks around through reflective barriers or portaling them back into enemies.

    But again, they were stretched thin. There weren''t enough of them to keep everyone protected.

    As good as Will and his Pokemon were at multitasking, they were far outnumbered. Drugged Pokemon had to be dealt with on top of two powerful trainers. A Grumpig Teleported to a different shooting angle while Will¡¯s Gallade sliced a frenzied Raticate apart. From its finger, a blindingly fast ray of purple light zipped through a small crack in a shield and tore through a security guard¡¯s leg. One more punctured another person¡¯s shoulder.

    Will clenched his jaw. He was most definitely not going to sleep well at night if someone died because of him.

    Forget about attacking, focus on shielding¡ª

    He paused in the middle of issuing his mental order, and it was because he froze up.

    That Dark Specialist¡¯s Houndoom had lit the whole damn forest ablaze.

    Flames flickering with black and crimson specks licked hungrily at trees. They spread faster than one would have ever believed was possible. An acrid scent quickly filled the air from all the burning wood and vegetation, and it was accompanied by wretched, prolonged wails that echoed through the whole forest. Their resident Trevenant were furious. A few in the clearing even tore the ground apart with massive roots and vines in their blinded rage, but they only succeeded in burying worthless grunts and their Pokemon. Their real target, Houndoom, darted away to safety.

    Will was too busy staring at the roaring flames and trying not to feel sick. Images flashed behind his eyelids. A small, resounding pain lanced through his head. His face itched. He sucked in a deep breath, mind already working through and processing the unexpected development.

    Calming thoughts flowed like water in his head, but that single moment where he froze up¡­ that single moment where he didn¡¯t keep his eyes on the state of the battle¡­ it cost him.

    The same Houndoom who torched the forest had sneaked through their formation with Pursuit. Wreathed in hissing, erratic shadows, the canine¡¯s lithe figure seemingly emerged from nowhere. The darkness swirling around its body solidified into armor that it used to slam Will¡¯s barriers with.

    Layers crumpled and shattered under the weight of so much darkness pressing down on them. They broke in one go.

    One moment, Will was standing with his Pokemon, and the next, he¡¯d been slammed back into a tree. Jaws lunged for his neck¡ª

    They never sank into skin. Houndoom was blasted away by a wave of intense, scorching light before that could happen.

    Espeon snarled and dashed to Will¡¯s side, her gem and beautiful fur smoking with the aftereffects of the most powerful Dazzling Gleam she had to offer. The rest of Will¡¯s Pokemon surrounded him with renewed shields.

    Gratitude would have to come later. The initial impact of hitting the tree had knocked all the wind out of him. Pain prickled in spots along his back to the point that Will was certain he had splinters in his skin, a fact he verified after running a trembling hand over his backside and feeling wet blood. He was pretty sure he was going to have a very nasty bruise tomorrow, too.

    Great. This was his favorite shirt.

    Will coughed and gasped repeatedly for breath as he got up. The one good thing about his throbbing back was that it got his mind off of the flames still growing around them. He felt calm again.

    There was a thought nagging at the back of his head. Will was mildly surprised none of these grunts or their apparent superiors had tried to skirt around him yet. They had not tried to continue on their way to the Watanuki family¡¯s house.

    How much longer did he have to hold these scoundrels off for¡ª

    And for the second time in the span of a single minute, Will found his thoughts interrupted.

    Something caught his attention high above.

    In the midst of an ongoing battle, Will suddenly recalled a quote he¡¯d read recently in a book at the Cherrygrove Public Library on his day off.

    There were three things all wise men feared: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.

    Right now, as Will watched light more brilliant than any star ascend, he let the ghost of a smile flit across his facial features.

    He knew then and there everything was going to be alright.

    <hr>

    WHEN SHIT HIT THE FAN / Cherrygrove, Johto ¡ª Arin Watanuki

    I didn¡¯t get angry very often.

    When I did, it was usually a mild case rectified within the day. Easy come, easy go. The number of times I¡¯d truly been furious in my short lifetime could be counted on a single hand.

    Today soared to the top of the list.

    Rather than blinding, primitive, white-hot rage, what filled my veins now was something completely different.

    It was a cold, quiet fury¡ªthe kind that seeped into my bones and stole all the air from my lungs.

    Something heavy built inside my chest instead, a certain weight, and it grew rapidly without pause. Ringing intensified in my ears. Silent screams echoed from a quickening heartbeat. Each thump was more like a thunderous bang. Any faster, and my heart threatened to burst once and for all.

    In spite of everything, I had perfect clarity. My thoughts and senses sharpened into terrifying focus. Aside from a clenched jaw, the rest of my posture was eerily still. Relaxed.

    Mine was a wrath that vastly heightened my state of awareness rather than clouding it.

    Oaths sworn long ago and engraved upon my heart flashed through my mind. So did words recently imparted on me from the Witch of Lavender Town.

    When a fool harms what is yours, naturally they must pay the price.

    Cherrygrove was mine.

    My territory. My domain. My people.

    This was where I had been born and raised.

    This was where everyone and everything I loved was¡ªmy friends, family, gym, and kind, warmhearted locals who could have been my own flesh and blood.

    To invade this place and bring harm to it, to try and disrupt the peaceful lives of innocent people by turning them into collateral damage¡ª

    That awakened a rage in me unlike any other I¡¯d felt before. Every single part of me whispered for violence.

    Fairies did not take kindly to those who intruded on their domains without invitation.

    They retaliated.

    What was it that Mountain Weaver had told me before?

    To craft a story of my own, one so compelling that it would be remembered forevermore by the world and those who inhabited it?

    Well, our Story had already long begun. It had started here in Cherrygrove many years ago, and it would similarly end here someday in the distant future. We who had returned here, who had decided to make this place our stronghold and buried our roots here¡ª

    We were a part of this city as much as it was a part of us.

    This place full of memories was part of our story.

    Above all else, Fairies thrived off belief. Tales gave rise to meaning and power.

    Today, a new page would be written.

    My lips barely moved.

    ¡°Specialty.¡±

    The single word was so curt, so soft that it was almost lost in the wind, but its intended recipient still heard me.

    My oldest companion¡ªa Sylveon who had been there since the start of our long, tiresome journey¡ªsnapped his head up in silence. Reflected in Vel¡¯s eyes was the same cold, hardened emotion that every other Fairy of mine shared. Anger.

    A starter was not simply one¡¯s first Pokemon or always the most powerful.

    They were the one who had shared all the best and worst times, the one who had forged the most enduring level of trust, and the one whose belief in you and themselves would never die even after their last breath.

    They, out of everyone else, possessed the most powerful Belief that intertwined with your own.

    Little tendrils of light gathered near Vel¡¯s mouth. In the blink of an eye, they had wrapped themselves together into the beginnings of a familiar shape. Two blinks, and the light swelled into an unbelievable size.

    It kept growing even after Vel sent it hurtling into the air above his head. A trail of shimmering dust was left in its wake.

    Sometimes, it was possible to see the moon during the day.

    Even if you couldn¡¯t, the moon was always there in the sky¡ªa silent but ever-present guardian.

    There were a lot of reasons why people were so drawn to the cosmic entity. It was beautiful for one. Looking at it evoked a sense of wonder or peace. At night, it was a guiding beacon of light that staved off encroaching shadows.

    For Fairies and those who walked among them, the moon was a reflection of who they were.

    It was a symbol of their inner selves.

    The real moon wasn¡¯t visible right now, but it didn¡¯t need to be.

    A second rose in its place and eclipsed the mighty sun.

    The sky above the City of Fragrant Flowers and Fairies dimmed. A colossal orb had flown so high that thin, wispy clouds desperately cradled it in their embrace to keep it from ascending to the heavens. From that moon, radiant light poured out in endless waves. They bathed the whole city in their glow.

    Let today be a page in our Story that people will talk about for years to come, and let it be a warning to foes.

    Run from the light if you can.

    For where the moon rises, that is the domain of the Fae.

    They were beings who carved places for themselves in this world through the strength of their beliefs. Stories, words, hearsay¡ªall of that nourished and gave them power.

    Here in this city where Fairies dwelled, where their stories and fame had already taken root and rapidly spread, they were the strongest.

    Their Beliefs were amplified.

    [June 10th, 20XX. 10:49 AM.

    This date and time were later marked down in Indigo history as the moment that the moon replaced the sun for exactly three minutes¡ªno more and no less.]

    More than anyone else, Vel and I had always believed in defying the world and the supposed fates imposed on us.

    We played by our own rules.

    The moon in the sky glowed brighter and then¡ª

    ¡ªday turned into night.

    From the Cherrygrove Gym to the forest and beach in the distance, the atmosphere changed without warning. The sun still hung far above the moon, but its brilliant visage paled in comparison to that of its heavenly counterpart. At the moon¡¯s command, the azure sky became a blue so dark it almost seemed black. Stars appeared to wink in and out of existence. Any outsiders looking from a bird¡¯s eye view would have seen the strangest sight: night descending on a portion of the city in what was supposed to be the late morning.

    This entire section of the city became part of Vel¡¯s domain, one made by and for Fairies. He had defied the world by creating an isolated space of his own influence.

    Here, moonlight reigned and empowered allies.

    And here, leaving or entering were both forbidden until the moon went to sleep or you got permission.

    It would not last long, but it was enough time for us to clean house.

    The hunt started now, and the southern shore came first.

    One moment, we stood outside the gym, and the next, our feet sank into soft sand. What was normally a quiet, relaxing beach where one could sit and listen to splashing waves had become a sea of green and ugly red.

    Plants. So many plants. From lily pads to duckweed to interlocking vines, a huge portion of the sea was covered with a lattice of compacted greenery that floated atop the waves like makeshift platforms. Blood splattered their leaves and the water below with ominous hues. Pokemon fought on top and ripped floating rafts apart, but they were regrown as quickly as they were destroyed. Hana was here with her team. Her Grass types were busy blocking frenzied Water Pokemon from leaving the beach while her fliers whipped up tornadoes from the skies.

    My gym trainer wasn¡¯t alone. A few League Trainers I recognized from our LDF branch office fought alongside her. On the shore itself, I saw a number of local Rangers herding what appeared to be native Water type Pokemon away from the beach to safety. They had probably gone into the sea to get innocent wildlife out before the fighting worsened.

    One look at the bloodshot eyes of some Seaking and Kingler, and I knew we were dealing with drugged Pokemon here. My eye twitched. If there had been any room for doubt before, there wasn¡¯t now. Team Rocket¡¯s hand in this was all but confirmed.

    Our side was fine. The drugged Pokemon currently infesting Cherrygrove¡¯s waters were not.

    They all burned alive from moonlight on high.

    The Moon manifested from Vel¡¯s Belief was sentient and a mirror of his emotions. It picked out all the hostile entities inside its sphere of influence. Anything under its illumination found their skins start to sizzle and burn as if they were boiling to death under the sun instead.

    I was suddenly reminded of my ancestor, the same one who had earned the Cherrygrove Gym by fighting off invaders from the sea in a small-scale war.

    Who would have guessed I¡¯d be following in his footsteps today?

    ¡°Wrap it up.¡±

    The directive was heard loud and clear by my Pokemon.

    Hana had long noticed me already, and she quickly recalled any Pokemon fighting on the seas with her. Her Togekiss blurred past and carried her up with Psychic while other Flying types followed suit for their League Trainers.

    They got out of the blast zone just in time.

    In an open space where powerful Pokemon didn¡¯t have to hold back, they went to town.

    The sea erupted.

    Dozens of hazy, miniature moons and Hyper Beams bombarded open waters. The first few cleaved the sea in two where it stayed split as if it couldn¡¯t come to terms with gravity yet. The other Moonblasts fell more swiftly than the others, and they converged on the drugged Pokemon tossed through empty air.

    Pale sands shook violently from the ensuing explosions.

    There were so many of them that the deafening booms seemed almost cascading in nature, each more violent than the last, and each blowing columns of boiling water sky high. Air warped from the intense heat. Between clouds of smoke, falling bodies, and halos of blinding lights, it was hard to see anything. The sickening, rotten scent of burning flesh would have entered my nostrils if Hatterene didn¡¯t put up a barrier.

    The sea never stayed constant. It shifted into different hellscapes on a seesaw between two extremes.

    First it was fluid water, steaming and hissing from geysers. Then powerful, chilled winds swept through the air and morphed the shifting water into a land of ice and frozen statues instead.

    Even that only lasted a moment.

    When another Moonblast came falling from the skies, everything shattered into thousands of shards. The part of the sea closest to the shore transformed into a raging inferno. Flames climbed high, but they froze over and were shattered anew as my Pokemon fired another volley of shining orbs.

    It was like watching the end of the world take place in the span of less than a minute.

    I raised a hand about thirty seconds in, and that was the cue for my Pokemon to hold fire.

    The sea was a complete and utter mess.

    Nothing had survived the onslaught. Over a hundred bodies floated on the surface of the water in between broken ice and lingering flames, but it was more accurate to say that bits and pieces of them bobbed up and down instead. Riddled with holes, ripped apart by explosions, scorched into charred husks¡ªthe method varied greatly depending on whose specialty Moonblast they had fallen prey to, but these drugged Pokemon had well and truly been put out of their misery. They were beyond any point of forcible recovery that R2 could torture them with.

    I didn¡¯t feel anything in particular when I looked at them. Part of it was because such violence was par for the course where Fairies were concerned, but the other part was because my fury hadn¡¯t been quenched yet.

    Hana caught my eye from where she flew on her Togekiss above. We shared a brief nod, and the unspoken meaning was clear. She¡¯d take care of the aftermath.

    I had somewhere else to be.

    We Teleported to the second location with smoke: the one inside the forest. Contrary to what I thought, it wasn¡¯t my house¡¯s backyard. It wasn¡¯t too far off, though.

    The air here smoldered. Loud hisses petered out as the final traces of small, shadowy particles in the air evaporated from moonlight streaming through the canopy of trees. Evidently, some sort of Dark type energy used to fill this cratered clearing before the moon rose. Someone had also started a massive fire. Flames mixed with black sparks swallowed trees whole. Many had burned until they were nothing more than ashen stumps.

    I took in the situation quickly. Wounded guards and resident security Pokemon, drugged Pokemon lying around in heaps, Will fighting off some lady with white hair and extraordinarily light eyes with his team of Psychic types¡­

    The moment my eyes actually caught sight of people in black uniforms running amok with their Pokemon, the rage bubbling underneath my calm exterior intensified.

    My temper flared.

    Any grunts who didn¡¯t have Pokemon to shield them screamed as their skin burned under constant, watchful moonlight. Flesh bubbled and blistered until it glistened red, but it was the agony behind their hoarse yells that I focused on.

    Their pained screams were music to my ears.

    It still wasn¡¯t enough.

    You didn¡¯t waltz into someone else¡¯s city and expect to come out of it unscathed. A clear warning and example needed to be set to dissuade any future attempts.

    No manner of order was necessary. My team was already moving.

    Cutiefly split up from us. While she went to assess the situation at our house, water surged forward out of nowhere on all sides of the clearing. The incoming flood split with purpose. Milotic swept massive streams across the burning forest. Two figures¡ªAzumarill and Lapras¡ªrode the waves all the way to the opposite side of the clearing to catch fleeing grunts. Water was supposed to be smooth and gentle, but Azumarill gave it crushing weight with her beliefs. Pink-hued liquid wrapped around the buoyant Pokemon as she backflipped through the air.

    Her landing fractured the earth and made everything nearby sink dozens of feet under. Raging water expelled from Azumarill¡¯s body dragged figures into a hole screaming and kicking, and it squeezed their bodies like it had a mind of its own. Bones cracked. Veins popped. Above ground, Lapras sucked in all the surrounding air. The skin of her opponents became sunken as moisture was forcibly removed from their bodies. People and Pokemon alike shriveled up.

    In the sky, two Dragons caught the fliers flitting about annoyingly through the air. More and more moonlight filtered down from above as the canopy was destroyed. Trees were cleared by Hyper Beams that went wide. Twitching Pidgeot and Fearow fell with audible snaps as Dragonite and Altaria sniped them down by the dozen.

    Everyone else focused on who was clearly the superior officer among the horde of Rockets: the woman Will was still fighting. A Psychic Specialist, apparently, and maybe even one of those Vice Leaders we knew of judging by her unique uniform. Light glowed around her Pokemon before sputtering out. I could only guess they tried to Teleport everyone out, but that wasn¡¯t happening in this twilight zone.

    Realizing she was trapped, the woman wisely switched her focus from Will to my Pokemon when they entered the fray. It wasn¡¯t enough to delay the inevitable.

    Shields stacked so thick that they appeared opaque went up, but Mawile spun around in the air. Thick jaws with rows of shining teeth opened wide. There was nothing they couldn¡¯t pierce, and the psychic barriers were no exception. Teeth tore into the outermost layer with a vicious crunch. Cracks instantly spidered forth from the point of impact.

    One single bite, and the whole sea of shields surrounding the mystery woman and her Pokemon broke apart.

    She was clever enough to use the broken shards and send them back as speeding projectiles, but someone had other plans.

    Pink blocked my entire vision as Wigglytuff inflated himself to a massive size. His rubbery body glowed as it mimicked the properties of a balloon.

    In what was one of our favorite combos, he let the storm of shards cut into his skin with a loud pop.

    Half the nearby forest was instantly felled.

    Fierce winds howled. Heavy pressure from shock waves blew outwards with a tremendous bang. It was so strong that it ripped out entire trees, roots and all, and sent Rockets sailing through the air. When at last the bodies met ground, they tumbled across the earth with nasty cracks.

    The woman¡¯s Alakazam managed to save her with a weakened, last-minute trampoline made from psychic energy, but three of their teammates¡ªa Hypno, Slowbro, and Wobbuffet¡ªwere taken out in one go.

    They didn¡¯t have much time to recover, either.

    A screech tore through all the chaos. Large, glossy wings flared wide as Fizz blurred past their heads. Droplets poured down from feathers like glistening rain, but these were far from harmless. Deceptively tiny beads of acid fell with the impact of bombs. Hasty shields thrown up by the woman¡¯s remaining Pokemon disintegrated from corrosive poison.

    Whatever the acid rain touched then exploded.

    Screams, raw and hoarse, bounced around as poison splattered everywhere. Fur, skin, shields, plants¡ªeverything melted without fail, and it wasn¡¯t even the end of it. Every exploding droplet expelled sparkling, noxious fumes mixed with pheromones. I saw the moment when Rocket grunts breathed them in against their will.

    They spasmed.

    The toxins were so compelling that heads snapped with jarring, unhinged movements in Fizz¡¯s direction. They made people focus all their attention on him. Gibberish left their frothing mouths as they raked nails against their own skin and clawed at their faces. Some even turned on each other. The whole time, their heads were bent unnaturally in Fizz¡¯s direction. They couldn¡¯t look away. The equivalent of psychedelic drugs had taken over their minds and made them fight to get the bird¡¯s attention.

    Our main target, the woman with all the Psychic types, knelt on the ground panting for breath. Most of her team had sacrificed themselves for her as living meat shields when their psychic barriers failed. She only had one Pokemon left, a half-injured Alakazam, and it fired multicolored lasers from its spoons in all directions. Will¡¯s Pokemon quickly covered themselves with shields.

    On my side, Scream Tail opened his mouth wide and ate the beams.

    Lasers fizzled out as he swallowed one after another. The whole time, he chewed with a look of disgust as if they tasted bad. When he finally opened his mouth, he screamed out a misshapen, unstable orb of fluctuating energy. Alakazam shoved its trainer out of range right before it detonated.

    Reality flickered in place. Colors swam. Smoke obscured the clearing.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    When it cleared, what remained of Alakazam had been thrown so far away that it could barely be seen.

    A silent witch now glided forward. Hatterene¡¯s eyes glowed. Will¡¯s Pokemon coordinated with her. Together, the Psychic types trapped the rest of the conscious Rockets and their Pokemon inside glowing boxes without oxygen. They only stopped when the last person fell.

    There was only one left now.

    The woman with light hair and eyes was snatched up like a ragdoll by Grimmsnarl, tossed in front of me, and held in place with Psychic from Hatterene. This close up, I realized how cloudy her eyes were. The craziest thing was that she didn¡¯t appear to be much older than me, and yet she was willing to go to such lengths for Team Rocket.

    Just looking at her made my rage threaten to bubble over completely.

    The bloodlust emanating from the rest of my Pokemon indicated they felt much the same, but we couldn¡¯t do anything about it. We needed this woman alive for the League to deal with.

    ¡°Who are you? What does Team Rocket want? Talk,¡± I snarled.

    She got one and only one chance to talk in accordance with international laws that espoused showing some degree of humanity for criminals.

    Only one.

    Then the Indigo way of doing things was in order.

    Even though blood dribbled down her mouth from internal wounds, the woman smiled at me.

    ¡°Someday, we¡¯re going to do what you did to us,¡± she hissed proudly. Her voice quivered, but her eyes were bright with defiance.

    No idea what that meant, but I wasn¡¯t here to play games.

    I had the authorization now. It seemed it was time for the Indigo way of how to treat the worst criminals.

    My eyes flicked over to Hatterene. ¡°Silque, extract her memories¡ª¡±

    It happened faster than anyone could react.

    At the expense of her arm, the woman forced herself against her psychic restraints enough that one arm was able to move. Veins all over her arm burst and bled profusely as she speared her hand into the shield around me.

    She couldn¡¯t pierce it completely, but she made the tiniest crack that the tip of her finger could go through. She aimed her pointer finger at my head. I felt a presence trying to get inside my mind and¡ª

    <hr>

    She had to kill him. If she could just somehow kill Arin Watanuki here, the others would have a much easier time in the future.

    She was going to rip his mind into pieces. She was going to make him suffer the most horrible death like every damned person in Kanto-Johto deserved, but there was¡ª

    So.

    Much.

    Silence.

    It was¡ªIt was suffocating inside his head.

    Trying to get any further was impossible. It was like a colorful, winding labyrinth she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of. Visually, she might have compared it to a maze of stairs and doors that went up, down, sideways, and all over again. Everything defied gravity and logic. Even colors were wrong here. Everything spun.

    What terrified her most of all was the overwhelming silence¡ªthe kind where you couldn¡¯t hear your own heartbeat or blood roaring in your ears or your own thoughts. The kind that gradually stripped you of your ego and¡ª

    And¡­ And¡­

    What was she doing here again?

    Who¡­

    Who was she?

    <hr>

    ¡ªgetting expelled with a scream full of excruciating pain.

    I blinked calmly as I stared down at the woman writhing on the floor. Her eyeballs twitched erratically.

    Huh, so she was a decent human psychic. I had no idea how she stacked against the likes of Will and Sabrina, but it was impressive enough that she managed to even make a crack in Hatterene¡¯s barrier. Straining herself came with costs, though. First, her arm was definitely fucked now. The whole thing looked like mush put through a grinder.

    Second, trying her luck against my brain had not been a good idea. Most people high up in their regional Leagues or governments had Pokemon protect their minds with shields and the like. It came with the territory when you were privy to confidential information. I was no different.

    According to what Hatterene had told me long ago, mine was structured the way she personally preferred it: a slow, long-winded trap that the invader walked into with their own two feet and where the pervasive silence drove themselves to utter madness and insanity.

    Cruel, but that described Fairies for you. They were the type to torture their enemies and revel in it.

    Right now, Hatterene looked like she wanted to absolutely murder this woman for trying to kill me. Rows of pointy teeth glinted in the moonlight as she snarled at the criminal. Vel¡¯s sharpened ribbon was even one step away from the woman¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill. Extract everything we need from her mind,¡± I ordered firmly.

    With great reluctance, they stood down. I ignored how Hatterene was probably tearing through the woman¡¯s mind with unnecessary violence¡ªmore than usual¡ªand turned away. My rage had not faded. It simmered instead, but the enemies had been dealt with. I could actually assess the situation more now.

    The first thing I did was call out to my Pokemon.

    ¡°Audi, we¡¯re going to need you here.¡±

    Light bloomed in the clearing from two different sources: the Key Stone bracelet on my wrist and the brilliant stone Audino wore around her neck like jewelry.

    Pink fur turned a sparkling white. Already fluffy, tufted ears perked upwards with feelers that grew in size, and more grew from the puff that sprouted on her neck. Before the light even faded, Audino stamped a foot against the ground. Soothing mist spread outwards in the clearing and brushed up against legs. It helped calm the injured while she clasped her hands together. From her prayers, little stars flew up and landed softly in the bodies of injured Pokemon. She then hurried around to give more specific treatments.

    We had about ten different injured guards, one with missing limbs, and a lot of wounded Pokemon. Two Mightyena and a Ninjask weren¡¯t moving¡­ probably dead. It was sad, but altogether, the casualties had been kept lower than I¡¯d initially feared. I would have to get Hana¡¯s report later to compare with any casualties on the beach.

    When I turned to Will, I was glad to see that he and his Pokemon seemed relatively fine. That was until I craned my neck to the side. From this angle, I could see red spots blooming across his back. Cuts in his shirt revealed the beginnings of swollen, bruised flesh underneath and some splinters lodged in his skin.

    I frowned. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°¡®Tis but a flesh wound! It doesn¡¯t hurt at all,¡± Will reassured me. He even adjusted his cravat with a smile, but I didn¡¯t miss the way his fingers trembled. Heavy perspiration had gathered on his forehead. Whether it was from the stress of fighting or pain from his injury, I had no way of knowing.

    Still, I cracked a small smile of my own. ¡°Thank you, Will. You protected everyone,¡± I praised. I even used a hand to pat his shoulder for emphasis.

    I had to thank Hana later, too. I didn¡¯t want to think about how things would have turned out if neither of my gym trainers had been around.

    Will returned my smile, but it quickly fell from his face in favor of waving his hands around.

    ¡°Arin, you must know something!¡± he spoke fast. The urgency in his tone was not something I usually associated with Will Itsuki, so I felt tension return to my shoulders. ¡°Before that moon rose and night fell¡ªwhich I¡¯m assuming was you¡ªthere was another Rocket member I fought here. A Dark Specialist. She disappeared right after she saw that moon come up. She probably fled¡ª¡±

    ¡°Or she might still be in the city somewhere,¡± I interrupted with a cold smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯d leave her allies here to fend for themselves.¡±

    The new intel from Will had the effect of making my rage swell again. There was potentially one more rat we had to deal with.

    I shouted to the rest of my Pokemon.

    ¡°There might be another Rocket hiding somewhere. Find her!¡±

    All but a select number dispersed, and most of Will¡¯s Pokemon went with them to speed up the hunt. Hatterene and Ninetales watched over the fallen Rockets while Flutter Mane and Mimikyu went back into my shadow. Audino was still looking over injured Pokemon. Vel, of course, stayed glued to my side with twitching ears. He wouldn¡¯t have gone anywhere even if I asked him to. He was intent on making sure my safety was assured.

    ¡°There¡¯s one other thing, Arin,¡± Will continued. He tapped his chin with a finger in a nervous tick. ¡°I don¡¯t believe they were after the gym Pokemon. When I engaged them in fighting, they never made an attempt to get past me. It felt more like they were stalling for time.¡±

    My eyes narrowed. ¡°What¡ª¡±

    I broke off mid-sentence to stare at the sky. So did Will.

    The moon high above the city had chosen this moment to finally fade out of existence. With its disappearance, night and day reversed once more to take their proper places in reality. Bright sunlight warmed my skin again.

    That wasn¡¯t what Will and I focused on.

    We stared at the pillar of light suddenly beaming upwards from the distant roof of a certain building.

    The Cherrygrove Gym.

    No time for questions. Our reactions were instantaneous. I had to cut Audino¡¯s Mega Evolution short given the situation. Hatterene couldn¡¯t move away from the Rockets, so Will Teleported us straight into the gym without a word.

    He took us to the lobby first, but nothing was wrong. Our PR team members were there, though, huddled in a group. They stared at us with obvious surprise, but Will instantly Teleported again before their lips could move.

    He moved us into the middle of the second floor, and this time he was correct.

    The light came from this level. In fact, it came from my personal office. We could see as much from bright, intense light spilling out from a crack in the door down the hall. Despite no security alarms going off, I had a bad feeling.

    For the third and final time, Will warped us¡ªthis time up and personal with a table inside of my office because of Dark type energy in the air. Our legs smashed into the wood from the Teleport mishap.

    I didn¡¯t care about the sudden throbbing pain in my leg or the bruise I¡¯d get. Vel and I spun around to see what the hell was going on. Light shot upwards from my desk and passed through the ceiling above.

    My rage had been quietly simmering this whole time, but the moment I saw a man and woman standing behind my desk, the moment I saw familiar black eyes stare back at me¡ª

    ¡°When I said see you around, I didn¡¯t mean THIS soon¡ª ah!¡± Petrel yelped, and a Kecleon shielded him from hardened ribbons that sliced at his face.

    I felt angry all over again.

    I¡¯d seen him barely five minutes ago, but it was Rocket Executive Petrel in the flesh again. The woman with him was presumably the Dark Specialist Will had engaged. Petrel hadn¡¯t replaced his broken silicone mask, so his irritating, cheerful, real eyes twinkled at us as he waved.

    ¡°Seeyasorrybye!¡± he said all in one rushed breath.

    ¡°PETREL!¡± I roared.

    Ribbons infused with concentrated type energy went flying again, and so did the Ghosts in my shadow¡ª

    I barely heard a pained scream¡ªa female voice¡ªbefore Petrel pulled his previous getaway trick.

    He still succeeded, but the only difference was that this time, I actually saw how the hell he did it. Vel wrapped our group inside a bubble of his own influence that was separated from the reality around us.

    Colors didn¡¯t splash my vision this time but the rest of the room. A Smeargle had been hiding under the desk, and with movements quicker than the eye could see, it swung its bright-tipped tail around. Colors from the walls, floors, and every object in the room seemed to pop out and bleed together.

    What I saw was the Smeargle seemingly painting its party out of the room by removing their colors and thus themselves from the background.

    They disappeared. All we had to show for our efforts was blood spilled onto my beloved carpet. One of Vel¡¯s ribbons had gouged a deep slash in the woman¡¯s arm before they vanished.

    I knew immediately they were gone, but rather than swearing, I marched to my desk and started inspecting every inch of it with my hands and eyes. The light coming from my office was from my desk but where exactly¡ª

    Found it.

    I¡¯d knelt to inspect the underside of the furniture, and the light was coming from the talismans I¡¯d placed under my desk last month. They were the same good fortune charms I¡¯d gotten from Sabrina all those weeks ago as gifts. The moment I ran my hand over the glowing papers, they disintegrated into ashes as if they¡¯d served their purpose. The light in the room faded. I remembered placing others behind bookshelves before. Those hadn¡¯t activated for whatever reason.

    I¡¯d always wondered what these strange charms did exactly. No matter how I spun it, the talismans seemed more like signal flares or warnings for when someone with malevolent intentions snooped around.

    My eyes narrowed. That was the only thing that made sense.

    There was no other reason why a Team Rocket Executive would be here in my fucking office unless there was something he wanted.

    I shot to my feet and started pulling drawers in and out like mad, hands pawing through papers and miscellaneous objects at record speed.

    ¡°Will, check the room and see if anything noticeable is gone! Or strange!¡± I quickly tacked on that last bit as an afterthought. None of my gym trainers knew my office as well as I did, so they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if anything was amiss.

    That was up to me, but Will helped anyway.

    Together, we searched my office. Vel and my Ghosts went ahead and dispelled the unpleasant Dark type energy lingering in the air. They lent their assistance in our search efforts as well, but again, they didn¡¯t know my office as well as I did even though they spent so much time here with me. Hatterene probably would have known best given her impeccable memory, but she wasn¡¯t available right now.

    I marched up and down my office, eyes scouring every nook and cranny for some sort of clue.

    My desk was fine. There were obvious signs of stuff having been moved around in haste, but nothing was actually taken. The cabinets weren¡¯t missing any files, there weren¡¯t any traps laid in the room as far as I could tell, and nothing was taken from side tables. My computer hadn¡¯t been touched oddly enough. The Porygon family inside it let me know that via digital text. I couldn¡¯t find anything else with traces of having been looked through¡ª

    I lurched to a halt, eyes trained on a wall shelf. There were rows of evolution stones displayed there.

    I had to pick at my memory a bit, but I was pretty sure some of those weren¡¯t in their original positions. Mostly, the row filled with Fire Stones had been swapped around.

    In two large strides, I instantly crossed the length of the room and peered at the evolutionary stones I was suspicious of.

    ¡°Is something wrong, Arin?¡± Will inquired hesitantly. He drifted over to my side, but I didn¡¯t reply right away.

    I was too busy inspecting these Fire Stones. They looked fine¡ª

    Nope. On second thought, they weren¡¯t. My hand shot out to grab two, one in each hand, and I lifted them up to my eyes.

    ¡°I was right,¡± I muttered, but it was loud enough for Will to hear. ¡°There are tiny holes in them.¡±

    Will squinted and leaned in closer for a look, but I spared him the trouble by passing the stones over.

    ¡°Oh my.¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°I do believe you¡¯re right. These don¡¯t look natural, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    Each stone had a miniscule, barely noticeable dot in them the size of a needle. It was like someone had poked them to see if they¡¯d dent or not. The other three Fire Stones on the shelf were the same.

    Evolutionary stones were pretty durable, but was beside the point.

    ¡°Why would they vandalize my Fire Stone collection?¡± I wondered out loud.

    I was so very confused.

    Could this have been what Petrel was looking for? These were high-quality Fire Stones, sure, but you could buy similar ones without much issue off the market. Plus, if he¡¯d wanted them, why make the oddest little dots in their surfaces? Hell, why not steal them or even the rest of my evolutionary stone collection and rob me blind? It was as if they¡¯d been checking or comparing something¡ª

    My train of thoughts was derailed when someone tugged on my pants leg. I looked down, and it was Mimikyu. A series of staticky noises left his mouth as he brought up a very interesting suggestion¡ªthat perhaps they¡¯d been looking for this.

    And by this, he meant the small, jagged stone I¡¯d let him have a while ago, the same one he¡¯d been keeping inside the void under his cloth.

    He pulled it out with a shadowy tendril and brought it all the way up to my face. The faux Fire Stone appeared as sad as ever with a single tiny ember trapped inside, one no larger than a grain of rice.

    I¡¯d honestly forgotten about it after giving it away to my Pokemon. After all, it wasn¡¯t actually a real evolutionary stone but some ornamental look-alike gifted from Blaine to me¡ª

    Wait.

    Blaine.

    A random gift. The attack on the Cinnabar Gym.

    Something Blaine wanted to keep safe. Something the Rockets were looking for.

    And now an attack on Cherrygrove.

    Was it a stretch? No, it couldn¡¯t be.

    It was as if someone had splashed cold water on my face. Realizations came one after another, and they struck down like bolts from the blue as thoughts stitched themselves together in my head.

    What if¡­ this stone wasn¡¯t a random gift after all?

    What if the most paranoid man in Indigo had given it away because he thought someone would come for it in the future? I wouldn¡¯t be able to confirm why he chose me to keep it safe until Blaine woke up and told me the answer himself, but that wasn¡¯t important right now.

    The more I thought about it, the more I pieced together a plausible explanation and turn of events.

    Blaine had said so before passing out: the Rockets were there for a reason, and there was something he wanted to keep safe. The Rockets were aware of that valuable ¡®something¡¯ in his possession and launched a surprise attack on the gym to take it, but they couldn¡¯t.

    Why?

    Because he didn¡¯t have it anymore. Blaine had discreetly given it to someone else¡ªme¡ªa month back disguised as an ordinary gift for my gym¡¯s grand opening. Team Rocket¡¯s attack was made half worthless once they realized Blaine no longer had the stone.

    They still wanted it, though, and somehow they found out I had it.

    That would explain Petrel being here in my office with that other woman and the weird indents made in the real Fire Stones. They were snooping around to find that specific stone that Blaine had given me. If I hadn¡¯t given it to Mimikyu before, they would have triumphantly found it sitting on my desk as a mere paperweight.

    Everything begged a certain question: what the fuck had Blaine given me? What was this stone, and what was so valuable about it that the Rockets came knocking on our front doors?

    If it was so important, why didn¡¯t he tell me anything about it when handing it over? Was he so paranoid that he couldn¡¯t trust anyone? Was it too terrible a secret to divulge? A heads up would have been nice! There was a part of me that was furious at Blaine for indirectly causing this whole mess and bringing Team Rocket to my doorstep, but at the same time, I quelled any rising anger by rationalizing that it was better I had the stone than anyone else. Considering the threats that came in the form of my Pokemon, this thing that Team Rocket wanted was safest here with me.

    Assuming my thoughts so far were mostly right, however, that brought up a whole other host of problems and complications¡­ and a second rabbit hole to go through.

    How did Team Rocket know the stone was now in my possession?

    I¡¯d never shown it in public before. From the moment Blaine dropped it off with me inside a small wooden box, the stone had stayed in my office for the longest time. I¡¯d eventually taken it out at some point to display on my desk. It wasn¡¯t really something that came up in conversation with other people, either.

    The only people who could have known about the stone were those who¡¯d personally seen it¡ªindividuals who¡¯d been in and out of my office.

    That included both a large list of visitors and gym staff, but I had a way to narrow it down immensely based on sinking suspicions.

    The events of today.

    A timeline slowly weaved itself in my head.

    If I was right about the Rockets looking for the stone, then the attacks by my house and beach had been diversions. They drew my trainers and guards away from the gym and kept them busy so someone else could sneak past all the security in the building to search my office. Meanwhile, Petrel had followed me to Route 35 to keep an eye on my movements and disguised himself as dad. In case I finished errands ahead of time (and I did), he was there to pretend to be dad and keep me outside a little longer. Engaging me in a fight Petrel couldn¡¯t win had been to stall and give his allies time to carry out their plan.

    What Team Rocket probably didn¡¯t expect was for me to overwhelm Petrel so quickly that he had to flee sooner than intended, thus allowing me to get back to Cherrygrove faster. That screwed up the rest of their plan because they hadn¡¯t gotten inside the gym yet. They had to slam the pedal to the metal. Petrel hastily went to Cherrygrove ahead of me to lend a hand.

    Then Vel¡¯s domain went up, all Rocket members were stuck here until it dissipated, and the rest of the events flowed pretty much as I knew them from memory.

    What I focused on was the convenience of it all.

    They chose a time to invade when most of the Cherrygrove Gym staff was away. Conveniently, that was when our strongest trainers like me and dad were gone. It was a very specific time frame, too, given that I was slated to be out for a mere half hour.

    Somehow, Petrel had known where I would be and even information like how dad was meeting up with friends at National Park.

    Somehow, Team Rocket knew that day¡¯s schedule for me and my gym trainers.

    Somehow, Team Rocket had infiltrated the forest around my house with roaming security guards and Pokemon none the wiser. They¡¯d made it as far as they wanted without getting noticed before they started their diversionary attack.

    And somehow, Team Rocket had managed to sneak into the gym past our state-of-the-art security measures. I didn¡¯t care how good at infiltration Petrel was, that was a tough ask. He and that Dark Specialist lady would have only had a precious few minutes to break in and investigate before I arrived. It was reasonable to think they¡¯d known the layout of the gym ahead of time as well as intel on our security shifts and systems. It would explain how they could have moved so fast without getting caught.

    My mind whirled with thoughts.

    There was no other explanation.

    Someone had leaked intel to Team Rocket, and that someone was probably one of my gym trainers.

    They were the only ones with access to that kind of information¡ªthe specific security details around Cherrygrove and the shift schedules shared only between gym trainers¡ªand they would have been in and out of my office numerous times to speak to or hand reports to me. They would have noticed Blaine¡¯s stone sitting on my desk at some point.

    And no matter how much I thought about it, the prime suspect was one person.

    Based on past memories, events, and conversations that suddenly dawned on me with different context, everything pointed to it being them over anyone else.

    Any rage or grief could commence after I confronted the suspect. I ran back over to my desk and started clacking away at my computer¡¯s keyboard. Time was of the essence. I had no idea if they would run.

    My concentration briefly broke only when footsteps echoed on the second floor and a familiar figure burst into the room.

    Dad. It was actually him this time, and I could tell because my innate ability to sense shifts in reality didn¡¯t go off.

    ¡°A-Arin,¡± he stammered out, staggering toward me. He was panting heavily for breath after running. ¡°Champion Lance contacted me because he couldn¡¯t get through to you. I Teleported back right away¡ª Lines are down and people downstairs were coming in with injuries and¡ª¡±

    Relief flooded me over seeing him safe and sound, but I had duties to get through first. I¡¯d already found the employee file I needed off my computer, so I closed the tab and ran over to give dad a one-armed hug.

    ¡°Ask Hana for details if you see her!¡± I hurriedly told him. ¡°I need to go!¡±

    With a grimace, I whirled around to face the lone human psychic in the room.

    ¡°Will, I need you to take me to this address right now!¡±

    <hr>

    The urgency of the situation spurred Will to action so much that I felt like his Teleportation speed increased.

    Having never been there before, he took us as close to the address as he could get. He then Teleported the rest of the way based on visual sight. Lots of pit stops later, we found ourselves in front of a warm, unsuspecting yellow house in Cherrygrove City. The whole trip barely took ten seconds.

    I¡¯d never visited this place myself, but I regretted that my first time had to be under these circumstances.

    Breaking and entering was an offense that didn¡¯t apply when national security was threatened. Will helpfully unlocked and slammed the front door open for us. Together, we stormed the place with our starters.

    A faint, electrifying feeling zapped through the air as a psychic barrier big enough to enclose the whole house went up outside. No one was leaving courtesy of Will and his Xatu. Our party ran into the dining room first because that was where I suspected them to be.

    I was right. They were still in the middle of an early lunch.

    Silverware clattered violently as utensils were dropped onto half-eaten plates of food. Ugly, harsh sounds grated in my ears when chairs scraped against the wooden floor. They were pushed back as two different people jumped out of their seats. A young man and older woman stared at the intruders in their house with wide-eyed expressions.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡ª¡± Beryl tried asking in a shaky, high-pitched voice, but I cut her off.

    My eyes were locked on the person standing opposite from her at the table.

    ¡°No matter how I thought about it, it had to be you,¡± I began. I had to fight to keep my controlled expression from twisting itself into a grimace. ¡°You gave Team Rocket information on the Cherrygrove Gym, Haze.¡±

    Hazel McMillon¡¯s mouth dropped open in utter bewilderment.

    ¡°What?! Arin, that¡¯s not funny. I¡¯d never do something like that!¡± he choked out, voice thick with emotion.

    I stared at him.

    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t, Haze,¡± I said slowly, taking a step forward. ¡°Not willingly at least.¡±

    Memories flashed through my head one after another, and they were full of countless things that now paved the way for my suspicions.

    That time I found Hazel asleep on the gym¡¯s second floor by the ticking grandfather clock.

    How unusually fast Hazel fell asleep to a Jigglypuff¡¯s Sing.

    Hazel¡¯s general on and off tiredness over the last month.

    All the times he complained about being exhausted even though he claimed he got enough sleep, all the yawning, all the dozing off on the job¡ª

    It piled up to the point where everything no longer seemed quite so innocent.

    Funnily enough, Hazel exhibited tired symptoms without fail after specific events.

    As I¡¯d come to realize, it was always after he visited his sister in the city and crashed at her place for the night.

    Hazel was correct. He would never do something like feed Team Rocket information. I¡¯d come to know him, and he wasn¡¯t that type of person or a good actor.

    But someone could still take advantage of him.

    Someone had used him as a mole and slowly, carefully extracted inside information over a long period of time.

    Someone who had recommended the Cherrygrove Gym¡¯s job openings to Hazel in the first place and encouraged him to apply¡­

    Someone he never had his guard up with¡­

    And someone with a very skilled Psychic type, one who knew the human psyche well. We were talking about a Pokemon with decades of experience helping hospital patients sleep at night and the same Pokemon who had abstained from contact with Vel¡¯s ribbons¡­ almost like they were afraid of their emotions being found out and revealing their true selves. Like they had something to hide.

    That person¡¯s Pokemon would have been able to get information from Hazel without him remembering. They probably waited until he slept at night to probe his mind and hypnotize him. Unless you specialized in Hypnosis, the move usually left noticeable traces in the mind for other psychics to find. The target would remember being under the influence, too.

    This person¡¯s Pokemon had so much experience and subtlety with the move that they could pull it off, but as skilled as they were, they still couldn¡¯t avoid one side effect: the tiredness that came with multiple hypnosis sessions.

    My gaze hardened as I turned my eyes to someone else in the room.

    Hazel¡¯s sister, Beryl.

    ¡°Beryl McMillon, I have reason to suspect that you¡¯ve been hypnotizing my gym trainer, taking information from him without his consent, and colluding with Team Rocket. Confess. If you don¡¯t, the Indigo League will pass down a harsher judgment on you later,¡± I stated in a voice devoid of all warmth.

    Right now, she was a potential criminal and not the blood relative of one of my staff members.

    Both siblings blanched at my words, but none more so than Hazel.

    Slowly, laboriously, and much like a wooden doll creaking as it moved its joints, Hazel rigidly turned in place to face his sister with wide eyes.

    ¡°Sis, you¡­ is that true?¡± he asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Are you actually working with Team Rocket¡­? Is that why I¡¯ve been feeling so tired lately? Because you¡¯ve been putting me under hypnosis?!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Beryl immediately cried out. She shook her head frantically, hands flying up to clutch the front of her shirt like a lifeline. ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on! I¡ªI don¡¯t have anything to do with Team Rocket! Please believe me, Arin, Haze¡ª¡±

    I took a step forward. ¡°Then if you¡¯ll allow us to check¡ª¡±

    IT WAS ME.

    The telepathic declaration had everyone pausing in place. All heads turned to the being whose mental voice had roared in our minds.

    A tall, yellow Pokemon stood in the doorway connecting the dining and living rooms, and she stared back at me with an unflinching gaze. She carried a broom in one of her hands as if she¡¯d been in the middle of cleaning.

    Beryl¡¯s Hypno.

    It is as Beryl says, Hypno told us in a quieter voice. It was steady. She has not colluded with Team Rocket. She did not give me any orders. I acted on my own without her knowing anything. Everything you accused Beryl of should all be blamed on me.

    I hadn¡¯t fully believed Beryl was behind everything, but I¡¯d still accused her first.

    The result included smoking out the real culprit. Hypno apparently cared enough about her longtime trainer that she didn¡¯t want Beryl to take the fall for her actions. Since I¡¯d already entertained this scenario as a possibility, I took the twist in stride.

    Beryl and Hazel on the other hand¡­

    ¡°Oh Arceus.¡±

    Hazel covered his mouth with a hand. Beryl was so shocked that she lost strength in her legs for a moment. Swaying unsteadily, the woman staggered and bumped her back against the kitchen counter. One of her hands shot out to brace herself before she could fall again.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± she whispered, eyes trained on her Pokemon. Hypno refused to meet her gaze. ¡°Tell me it¡¯s not true, Hypno. You¡¯ve never lied to me before.¡±

    I have not, Hypno agreed softly. ¡®There are many things you would be angry with me about, but this is not one of them.¡¯

    Beryl and I both started in place. We¡¯d heard those exact words before. I remembered Hypno saying that to Beryl in her office the day I dropped by for a visit.

    This, I am afraid, is one of those things you would be angry with me about. I am sorry, Beryl, but what Leader Arin has said is true. I hypnotized your brother many times, and I took information from his mind to give to Team Rocket. Do not ever forgive me.

    Hypno went on to confirm my suspicions in a calm, almost detached voice.

    Every time that Hazel swung by for a visit and slept over for the night, Hypno had waited until he was fast asleep to hypnotize him for information. She would ask him about confidential things like patrol schedules, contents of staff meetings, what I¡¯d been up to in my spare time, potential weaknesses of mine¡ªanything useful or strange.

    Every word she spoke was another nail in the coffin. Beryl¡¯s face grew paler and paler yet.

    ¡°Who were you in contact with?¡± I asked.

    A Team Rocket Executive known as Ariana. She would send an Alakazam as her proxy.

    ¡°For how long?¡±

    Not very long. When you first opened applications for gym trainers, that is when their organization approached me.

    ¡°Did you tell Team Rocket about the stone? Did they ask you specifically to look into that?¡± I interrogated.

    Oh, she definitely knew what I was talking about. Hypno did not shy away from my cold expression or frigid voice.

    They never asked about it. When I informed them about an interesting stone Hazel had recently noted on your desk, however, that was when they grew excited and ordered me to find out your upcoming schedule.

    ¡­I¡¯d been right after all. Team Rocket would never have learned I had the stone if Hypno hadn¡¯t fed them information through Hazel.

    ¡°Were you aware there¡¯d be an attack today?¡±

    Hazel¡¯s eyes widened. This was his first time hearing of such a thing because of the downed communication lines.

    I was. I know what I have done to Hazel is terrible, but I still care for Beryl¡¯s own flesh and blood. I would never want him to be in actual harm¡¯s way. That is why I made the excuse of calling Hazel back home today so that he would not be caught in the fighting between your forces and Team Rocket, Hypno replied.

    A deep, shaky breath could be heard in the vastness of the room.

    ¡°That¡¯s hypocritical,¡± Hazel rasped out. ¡°I should have been there to help everyone. I should have¡­¡±

    He trailed off and bit his lip so hard that he drew blood. I felt sorry for him, but I forged ahead.

    ¡°Did you have anything to do with Haze joining the Cherrygrove Gym? Or was his application purely coincidental?¡±

    I did, she confessed. Hazel looked sick to his stomach. It was not coincidental at all. I brought the job openings up in passing conversation with Beryl and strongly hinted that it might be something worth pursuing for Hazel. She trusted me and encouraged Hazel in turn.

    ¡°Because Team Rocket wanted that?¡±

    Because they wanted that, Hypno echoed. She laid the broom she held against the wall. They saw you as a threat. They wanted someone to spy on you and your gym, but they feared being caught. So, they looked for an indirect and unknowing mole. A more natural connection. They wanted Beryl to take that role at first, but I convinced them to use her brother instead. He was looking for a job and highly likely to pass the interview with his qualifications, so they agreed.

    Tears welled up in Beryl¡¯s eyes. ¡°So¡­ You thought it was better to use my own family instead? How could you? Hypno, doctors save people! Our parents died helping heal others in the Rocket War. You know that! Why would you help them?¡±

    ¡­

    Hypno did not respond.

    I¡¯d long known Hazel and Beryl¡¯s parents had passed, but I hadn¡¯t known it was because they¡¯d been casualties of the Rocket War. Rage swirled turbulently in my chest.

    ¡°She has a point.¡± My eyes flashed with anger. ¡°Why did you do all of this? Why help Team Rocket?¡±

    I did not want to. They threatened Beryl, she replied.

    Of course they had. Rotten bastards.

    ¡°You could have gone to the League for protection¡ª¡±

    They were going to kill her in her sleep! Hypno snapped, and it was the first hint of emotion I¡¯d seen throughout our conversation. That woman, she came here in the middle of the night and was going to burn everything down. All I could do was swear an oath to help them.

    ¡°And¡ª¡±

    Hypno did not let me go on. She continued speaking at a more hurried pace. It was to the point the Pokemon almost stumbled over her words in her haste to get them out.

    It is a sin I cannot take back, and I am sorry. I did not want to lose the kindest person I know in this world, Hypno apologized. I do not have much time. Listen to me! They approached us of all people because they remembered Beryl. They wanted to give her a chance to join them and live. I was not sure at first, but now I am. She is older now, but that woman named Ariana is from the orphanage¡ª

    She did not get to finish.

    The Hypno broke off suddenly in violent convulsions. Blood leaked from her eyes, and the sight elicited startled screams from her trainer. Hazel hurriedly grabbed his sister and turned her away so Beryl wouldn¡¯t have to see.

    The whole thing reminded me of a familiar sight I¡¯d seen in the lowest levels of Mount Moon¡ªthe one where the Team Rocket grunt we captured died after triggering key words implanted from a psychic oath.

    Fuck.

    ¡°Will! Her mind! Get her memories!¡± I yelled.

    I didn¡¯t have Hatterene with me, so Will and his Pokemon were the only ones who could do this right now. The Psychic Specialist reacted almost before I finished speaking. He and his Pokemon stood unnaturally still as they focused their attention on the Hypno that had collapsed to the floor. Her arm reached out in the direction of her trainer as shaking eyes did their best to catch one last glimpse, but they could not focus between all the pain.

    One, two, three seconds later¡­ the convulsions shuddered to a halt. Hypno¡¯s body went still.

    She was gone.

    I spun around to face Will with a questioning expression. He nodded slowly as his eyes darted between me and the late Hypno.

    ¡°I believe I got most of it,¡± Will began with a troubled expression, and then his next words made me hiss through my teeth. ¡°Although¡­ the memories are very fragmented from the mental trauma. There is a lot of it to parse through because Hypno¡¯s whole life flashed before her. It will take me some time to find what is relevant to Team Rocket and this Ariana person.¡±

    My shoulders slumped. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I reassured him, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that was meant more for him or me. ¡°You did the best you could, Will. Thank you. Can you share them with Silque later?¡±

    Will dipped his head with a gracious nod. ¡°Of course. You need but ask.¡±

    My mind was still half-reeling from the shock of everything as I turned now to Hazel and Beryl. Hazel stood staring at Hypno¡¯s body in a dazed manner, but he had enough sense in him to not let his sister go.

    Beryl already knew without looking, though. She sobbed into her brother¡¯s shirt, and in between all the anger I felt, sadness filled me.

    Hypno had done something terrible, but she had still meant the world to Beryl. The sorrow of losing the Pokemon was not going to fade anytime soon.

    I walked up to them with a tight, uncomfortable feeling in my chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± was all I could think to say. I couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how the two siblings felt right now. A family Pokemon they¡¯d known their whole lives had betrayed them and then died in front of their eyes.

    With great difficulty, Hazel tore his gaze away from Hypno and met my eyes. He looked so¡­ lost.

    ¡°Why would you apologize, Arin?¡± he asked bitterly. His lip was still wet with blood from where he bit it. Hazel hung his head low. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m the one who should be apologizing. Because of me, there was some attack on the gym and¡ªand¡­ Arceus. How am I supposed to look you in the eye anymore? I don¡¯t think I should work at the gym. I don¡¯t deserve it¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± I denied sharply. That was absolutely ridiculous, and I made sure he knew it from the firmness of my tone. ¡°This wasn¡¯t your fault, Haze. It was Team Rocket¡¯s. The Cherrygrove Gym still needs you.¡±

    He was not allowed to beat himself up especially when he was the victim here.

    Hazel nodded glumly but didn¡¯t say anything. Both our eyes darted to the still crying Beryl.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if your sister goes to League HQ for now,¡± I suggested in a gentle voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think Team Rocket has anything over her anymore, but we can assign her guards in the future to ensure her safety. The League will also want to hear her statement and yours regarding all of¡­ this.¡±

    Hazel only answered after swallowing the lump in his throat. ¡°Okay¡­ Okay. League HQ. That sounds good.¡±

    From their house at least, we had a signal. The communications jammer Will told me about seemed to be limited to the area around the gym and my house. I could finally call League HQ to give them a status update. There were lines ringing off the hook in the background the whole time I spoke, but I didn¡¯t get to talk to my operator for very long.

    Someone swiped the phone halfway through.

    ¡°Arin, I¡¯ve been trying to get through to you for the last ten or so blasted minutes! We thought something happened to you!¡± Lance¡¯s familiar and relieved voice flooded the line. ¡°Your gym trainer Will¡¯s Pokemon alerted us about an attack on Cherrygrove earlier! We sent forces immediately, but they got delayed by drugged pokemon on Routes 29 and 30¡ª¡±

    ¡°The situation¡¯s resolved! I¡¯m fine. Cherrygrove is fine,¡± I said hurriedly, and I had to repeat it two more times before Lance settled down. He was quite clearly agitated by all the chaos in Indigo right now. ¡°Get the details from the operator I just spoke to, but we¡¯re fine. There¡¯s a shit ton of other things I need to tell you, though¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll have to be saved for a meeting!¡± Lance interrupted, and instead of sounding frantic, he sounded straight up furious now. ¡°I just got a new alert from Blackthorn City. Team Rocket infiltrated the city by mixing into a crowd of actual protestors.¡±

    I would have shot to my feet if I wasn¡¯t already standing.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Cherrygrove was one thing given the stone they apparently wanted was here, but why would they touch the City of Dragons and the reigning Champion¡¯s fucking hometown? That was asking for total annihilation. Unless¡­

    ¡°Bruno and Agatha are watching over Blaine in case this is a ploy by Team Rocket to distract us so they can go for the kill. I¡¯m heading over to Blackthorn. You should stay and watch over¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I instantly shot that idea down, eyes narrowing. I was still pretty damn furious myself, and one of my gym trainers was visiting that city right now.

    Those two reasons were all I needed.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you. We¡¯re giving them hell.¡±

    <hr>

    Blackthorn City, Johto ¡ª Yurie Irazuki

    It was supposed to be a simple get in, get out kind of thing. A quick hangout.

    And it was for the most part. Yurie managed to sneak into Blackthorn City¡ªfor whatever reason, their security seemed laxer today¡ªand successfully met up with her sniffling friend in an isolated alley. Yurie¡¯s old belongings were packed neatly into a small box that she carried in her arms.

    Calming the distraught girl down had been a whole other issue. Yurie¡¯s friend, Nayu, was sick and tired of the Blackthorn Clan. What was more, she had made up her mind to quit and go back home to Cianwood. Of course Yurie wasn¡¯t going to leave her here. She resolved to help her friend sneak out.

    The problem started after she decided that.

    They got swept up by the crowds. The streets were packed for some reason. Yurie almost thought there was some sort of local festival or event going on, but a quick Zoogle search on her phone revealed nothing of the sort.

    Instead, what it turned out to be was a crap ton of protestors straight from Mulberry City and the other cities with minor gyms in Kanto. Their townspeoples had traveled hundreds of miles simply so they could protest the Blackthorn Gym at their front gates. Part of the crowd even split off to make their voices heard at the Blackthorn Clan¡¯s estate.

    Boy, was it a sight to see.

    They carried signs with vulgar messages, lobbed eggs and rotten fruits at the gym, and shouted at the top of their lungs. Something about unfair gym promotion exams, an equally unfair proctor who went unnecessarily hard on their poor gym leaders, not giving people the chance to shine, yada yada.

    Yurie sort of forgot everything they said because everything went to shit minutes into the protest.

    Confused murmurs went around when some people in the crowd released Pokemon from their Pokeballs.

    They quickly turned into screams when those Pokemon started rampaging in the middle of the city.

    People fled in all directions as Hyper Beams were fired at the Blackthorn Gym. Trainers and clan trainees on guard duty deflected the incoming beams with Protects, but they kept coming. More ¡®protestors¡¯ sent out Pokemon to join the madness. There was everything from Nidoking to Nidoqueen to Delcatty and Wigglytuff. That last one made her blood boil. She had grown to appreciate Fairies because of Arin and her new job. Seeing one used like this was a low blow.

    Yurie was no genius, but even she could tell these were no ordinary protestors. Pokemon with bloodshot eyes? Sickly appearances?

    Drugged Pokemon. Probably Team Rocket.

    ¡°Stay close to me!¡± she screamed to her friend above all the din. Yurie grabbed Nayu¡¯s hand and pulled her along as she ran out of the surging crowd. They took cover in the alley between two buildings, but she strained her eyes. The back of it appeared to be a dead end filled with dumpster bins and trash cans.

    It was probably best if they left. No one would care right now if they exited the city in the middle of all this chaos. Looking for a runaway trainee and a traitor would be the least of the Blackthorn Clan¡¯s worries. But¡­

    Yurie already knew what her answer was when she looked at the people fighting in the distance. She recognized some of them from her ex-trainee days. She¡¯d talked to those people before. They weren¡¯t exactly very close, but they¡¯d goofed around in their trainee days and complained or eaten meals together. It didn¡¯t feel right to leave when they were battling Indigo¡¯s sworn enemy.

    She bit her lip.

    Fuck it.

    ¡°Y-Yurie, what are you doing?¡± Nayu¡¯s trembling voice asked.

    Fingers pressed the Pokeballs along Yurie¡¯s belt as she released every member of her team. She flashed what she hoped was a confident smile at Nayu and patted Tropius¡¯s back.

    ¡°Nayu, you leave the city first. Tropius will take you home,¡± Yurie answered brightly. The giant spread his wings in preparation.

    Her friend¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But what about you? You¡¯re not staying here, are you?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Yurie urged. She grabbed the other girl¡¯s hand again and pushed her gently towards Tropius. ¡°Go! I can take care of myself! I¡¯m going to stay and help.¡±

    Nayu stopped arguing when a Solar Beam ripped through the air. She quickly mounted Yurie¡¯s Pokemon, but she gave one last fearful look before they went.

    ¡°Stay safe!¡±

    Tropius took off with one mighty beat of his wings, but Yurie didn¡¯t watch them go. She blew stray bangs of hair out of her eyes and cracked her knuckles, ignoring how fast her heart pounded.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you should be saying to these assholes, Nayu,¡± Yurie muttered to herself. She gave a lopsided grin. ¡°Hmph, I should get my old coworkers to treat me to a meal after this.¡±

    In a louder voice, she roared to her team.

    ¡°LET¡¯S GO!¡±

    The journey to simply join the Blackthorn Gym defender side was not exactly a walk in the park.

    Poison spores, laser beams, and columns of water so dense they dented metal lamp posts went flying in all directions. Dusclops went on guard duty to shield their group while Nimbus covered them from the skies. Mawile watched their backs, and Walrein, Magcargo, and Mightyena deflected attacks with their own.

    Yurie could not have been more glad that she¡¯d left her baby Pokemon at the Cherrygrove Gym today for Luca and the others to watch over.

    ¡°Yurie?! What the hell are you doing here?¡± a lanky boy screamed at her once she and her Pokemon safely joined their ranks. They quickly linked up with and slotted themselves into the defensive formation the Blackthorn people had going in front of their gym.

    ¡°Good to see you too, Naete! I see you haven¡¯t quit yet!¡± Yurie yelled back as her Altaria sniped a Venomoth down from the sky.

    He stared at her like she was crazy (which she probably was, and she was not ashamed to admit that).

    ¡°Get out of here! We¡¯ll take care of things! It¡¯s dangerous. This isn¡¯t your problem!¡±

    Yurie shouted back harder. ¡°¡®Not my problem?¡¯ Dude, this is Indigo¡¯s fucking problem! Get your head on straight! I don¡¯t exactly want to read the news tomorrow about you or Yoshi or anyone else dying, either!¡±

    Yoshi chose that moment to scream from somewhere down her left. Apparently, he was still doing well and fine for himself in the Blackthorn Clan, too. ¡°Is that Yurie Irazuki I hear?! What are you doing¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake, FOCUS!¡±

    And by Arceus, did they really have to focus. There were so many more Rockets disguised as protestors spilling out from alleys and seemingly nowhere. Some trainee down the line yelled something about how the Blackthorn Clan¡¯s estate was being attacked, too, and Yurie¡¯s head spun.

    That was insanity because¡ª

    BOOM. BOOM.

    Powerful explosions went off in the distance, and Yurie even caught sight of Dragons soaring around.

    Yep, because Blackthorn Gym Leader Clair Ibuki was probably not going to be happy about that.

    When people around her suddenly gasped and tilted their heads back, Yurie added two more reasons to the ways Team Rocket was going to perish today.

    She grinned when she saw the region¡¯s strongest Dragons and Fairies flying together through the skies.

    <hr>

    Blackthorn City, Johto ¡ª Arin Watanuki

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of Rockets! More than the alerts said!¡± Lance yelled, fighting to be fought over the rushing winds.

    ¡°No shit!¡± I shouted back in deadpan agreement.

    Lance and I flew on our Dragonites with the rest of our teams spread out in formation around us. A few of my Pokemon had to sit out for this one, but the smaller Fairies who couldn¡¯t fly were hitching rides on my Pokemon who could. Some were even carried by Lance¡¯s Dragons.

    The Blackthorn Gym was coming up fast, and the street around it was absolutely crawling with hordes of disguised Rocket operatives and their Pokemon. So were the skies. They¡¯d brought a lot of fliers with them.

    It was on a larger scale than what they tackled Cherrygrove with, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I should feel pissed off or not about that. Probably?

    I didn¡¯t envy Blackthorn City for how much more chaotic their situation was, though. At least with my city, the attacks were in relatively empty areas. Here, they happened in broad daylight in the streets during ongoing civilian protests. This was going to stick in the news for a while.

    The veins in Lance¡¯s neck bulged with anger at seeing his hometown attacked. I understood completely. I¡¯d been on the receiving end of it earlier, and now I was here to help him dish out twice as much as Blackthorn got. Conflicts in the other locations across Indigo were already wrapping up, so pretty soon other Indigo elites were going to be here to help if needed.

    Lance and I planned on finishing things before then.

    It said something about me as a person when I looked at those Rockets down below and felt nothing but vindictive pleasure about the hell we were going to show them. All they¡¯d done today was piss me off and make sure I had very, very strong emotions about their organization going forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to gather them!¡± I shouted to Lance.

    He looked at me with scrunched brows. ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll group them up for us to take out in one go!¡± I repeated. ¡°We can¡¯t go all out unless we want to destroy the city! You DO want to go all out, right?! We have to send both Indigo and Team Rocket a message!¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Lance bellowed back, snarling.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s give them a show!¡±

    My companion¡¯s smile was ferocious, but mine was far more vicious.

    As people were going to learn today, there was nowhere the moon could not rise.

    ¡°Moons! Gravity!¡± I roared above the wind. ¡°Merge!¡±

    Lights instantly flared to life as they were summoned. Shimmering particles in the air gradually entwined themselves into spinning orbs. The moment we zipped past the Blackthorn Gym, my Fairies dropped them and started making more.

    One by one, each moon born from their Beliefs spun violently through the air and were pulled toward each other as if they could not bear to be apart.

    They merged together.

    Light intensified as the orbs were swallowed up into a central core. It was so blinding that I couldn¡¯t look directly at it without having to chase away dark spots. More moons fell gracefully one after another. The whole thing grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger until¡­

    It grew big enough.

    Larger than any building and brighter than any star, the massive Moonblast descended until it hovered inches above the Blackthorn Gym. From small blemishes to larger, cracked craters swirling with dust and pink haze, it looked indistinguishable from the real moon. It was like we¡¯d plucked the cosmic entity itself from the heavens for a day. The air around it vibrated intensely. It thrummed with a forgotten song, one so loud that I thought I could hear faint humming and whispers in my ears. The howling, screaming winds that spun around the moon were so loud in comparison, but somehow the singing air won out above all the noise.

    Our Moonblast did not simply hover idly. It had a gravitational pull of its own, and it desired offerings to slake its bloodthirst. It had been made by the Beliefs of all my Fairies, they who were united in a single goal: to destroy every last enemy.

    Like a tornado, it picked up everything around it that it deemed hostile.

    Even from this high up as Lance and I flew loops around the gym, the screaming never seemed to end. Rocket grunts and their Pokemon were tugged violently into the moon¡¯s orbit where they were flung round and round as if they were in a mixer. It didn¡¯t matter if they tried to grab onto the ground or a fire hydrant or any other surface¡ªthe moon forcibly pulled everything into its embrace. Before long, the streets were cleaned out. Countless bodies swirled around the exterior of the moon at dizzying speeds, but they were like mere specks against such a large entity. The moon¡¯s radiance was still on full display.

    I gave my next order.

    ¡°Ascend! To the mountains!¡±

    My Pokemon concentrated and pulled the moon.

    The air sang louder as the moon rose up, up, and higher yet. Slowly at first, but then it propelled upwards to take its rightful place in the skies. On cue, our fliers shot towards the city¡¯s northern boundary to the mountain range. The moon gave chase after us, but it didn¡¯t need to hurry. We stopped at some point to let it sail high above our heads, and my Pokemon made it stop above the mountain peaks. We were way out of city limits now. That meant¡ª

    ¡°Lance!¡± I yelled, voice nearly lost in all the vibrating air and winds. ¡°Go!¡±

    ¡°With pleasure!¡±

    Tendrils of light rapidly weaved themselves in the air. My Pokemon prepared their most powerful Moonblasts and Hyper Beams. Lance?

    This was my first time seeing Lance¡¯s team display their full strength, and he proved exactly how he had earned his title as Indigo¡¯s Champion.

    The air itself became a sea of fire.

    Beautiful, mesmerizing, overwhelming flames stuck between turquoise and royal blue charged up in the mouths of his Dragons. They burned so hot that the air warped to the point I couldn¡¯t make out their figures properly. I was sweating buckets until Togekiss added a second Protect onto the one currently around me. The distance between our teams was sizable but not enough apparently.

    We didn¡¯t exactly aim for it, but we both somehow timed our attacks to each other.

    Beams of light and furious flames ripped through the air in a combined wave so large it blocked everything else out.

    The moment they made contact with the moon, it erupted.

    It screamed¡ª

    It wailed¡ª

    And it blew up.

    Blinding. So blinding. Stars exploded across my vision from the light show. Between all the intense ringing in my ears and winds whipping my hair every which way, I was dimly aware of the sky itself being ripped apart piece by piece. It flickered from intense pressure and billowing smoke. Pressurized gales and superheated air tore through any silence and made it hard to think above all their screaming. And still, the only thing I saw was white. Pure, radiant white. Probably for miles around, what people saw when they looked to the skies was the beginning of the end: a heavenly sea of light born from the rage of two of Indigo¡¯s guardians.

    When I could finally see right again, the early blues of the morning sky had not yet returned. They were clouded by shimmering waves of pink dust that fluttered down to earth, and little blue embers flew among them.

    Nothing remained of the invaders.

    Neither of us listened to the report crackling in from Lance¡¯s walkie talkie. Neither of us heard an operator say the last invaders in the city had been removed by the Blackthorn Gym Leader. The words were lost in the triumphant roars of our Dragons and Fairies as we flew back to the city.

    Now and forever, the moon would always rise.